Les Paul devotee Zakk Wylde dishes the stories behind some his favorite (and most infamous) axes.
A player connects to a guitar for many reasons: feel, tone, or even sentimental value can play a part in musical mojo. From his days as a young gun with Ozzy Osbourne to his longtime role as the head of the Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde and his Les Pauls seem to be a match made in metal heaven. In his own words, Zakk introduces us to his five favorite Les Pauls and explains why they mean so much to him.
1957 Les Paul Jr.
Ozzy got this guitar for me as a birthday present during No Rest for the Wicked, so it was probably my 20th birthday. He was like, "When Sabbath opened up for Mountain on our first trip to America, Leslie West was playing one of these things and it was the most insane guitar tone I'd ever heard." I still use it for all the clean stuff I've ever done. Usually, it's that guitar either through a Roland Jazz Chorus or through a Marshall—like a Bluesbreaker—at a low volume. Between that P-90 and the dried-out wood, those old guitars just sound good. It's not a wall hanger, I actually use the thing, but it doesn't leave the house.
1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom “The Grail"
I wrote "Miracle Man" on that, my first Ozzy song. Now we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of that record [No Rest for the Wicked] and all the memories connected to that thing and all the albums I recorded on that make it pretty special. Actually, I just used it yesterday to track some solos for the new album. It's just an amazing guitar. I got her when I first got the gig with Ozzy. Scott Quinn, a buddy of mine who ran Garden State Music at the time, was a huge John McLaughlin fan and he said, "Zakk, I'll trade you this guitar if you could talk to Gibson and get me a black double-neck." I got him the black double-neck and I got The Grail. It was all yellowed and loaded with EMGs when I got it.
I don't think it even had the paint job yet when we were recording. When we were getting ready to do some photo shoots, I was like, "Dude, I can't have a clean Les Paul. It's Randy's [Rhoads] signature thing." I asked for the Hitchcock vertigo design but it came back with the bull's-eye on it. I had to do the photo shoot the next day so I was like, "F*** it."
2012 Gibson Les Paul Custom "Maple Vertigo"
This is basically the 21st century version of the bull's-eye. I used it a lot on the new record. It's pretty rare to see a maple fretboard, and I had originally done a camo paint job, but then we changed it to the vertigo. It's basically a maple top with a rosewood body, maple neck, and maple fretboard. It gives the tone these glassy highs and it's just a great-sounding guitar. It's loaded with an EMG 81 and an EMG 85. That's what I started out on with the first Ozzy record and I've used them ever since.
1989 Gibson Les Paul Custom "The Rebel
This guitar started as a black Les Paul Custom and I got it during No More Tears. Obviously, I painted the rebel flag on it because of the Allmans, Skynyrd, and everything like that. Everyone asked if I was from the South, and I said "Yeah, South Jersey." The bottle caps came from me drinking one night. I saw Bret Michaels in a Poison video and he had a rebel flag on one of his guitars. I'm buddies with him now, but then I was thinking, "I can't be walking around with a rebel guitar. Bret Michaels has a f***ing rebel guitar!" Everyone was going to be yelling, "Hey Zakk, I love your Bret Michaels guitar." [Laughs.] That's when the bottle caps came into it and I started to sand it down and just mess with it. We were just laughing about how you can see the change in the beer caps between Miller Genuine Draft and Bud then onto the microbrews and the local breweries.
One day we were doing a photo shoot and Ozzy was busting my balls about Southern rock. I was like, "Where's my guitar?" and I'm looking around because they want to get a shot of Ozzy and me with that guitar. I go outside and one of the guys had wrapped it up in newspaper and f***ing lit it on fire! There was an eight-foot flame like at a Rammstein concert. I put the guitar out and look at Ozzy and say, "You really don't like Southern rock, do you?" He was rolling on the ground laughing. [Laughs.]
When my daughter was about 2, she was walking around and playing with all the guitars. I have all the guitars up on hanging stands and I didn't have them wrapped with rubber bands so they wouldn't move. She was just a bambino strumming them and checking things out and next thing you know she bumped one and it was like a bunch of dominos. I stopped all the guitars from falling and I leaned the Rebel on an amp. And as I'm holding all the other guitars trying to figure out how I'm going to put them all down I look at the Rebel and in slow motion I see it slide off the Bluesbreaker. I'm like Cleveland in the Family Guy, "No … no … no … no." Next thing you know the guitar falls, and we have wood floors in the house, and it hits and bounces. I didn't think anything of it and a few days later I went to change strings on it and I grabbed it and while I'm tuning it the low E was making a weird noise and kept going all floppy. I flipped the guitar over and checked out the tuning machine and there was a massive crack and the headstock was just barely holding on. Eventually, Gibson replaced the whole neck but kept the original fretboard.
2009 Gibson ZW BFG
When I was going through the factory a while ago, I was looking at the tops coming out and they had a whole bunch of Standard tops. When the tops came out I thought they looked badass. I told them, "You guys ought to make a guitar like this, without any veneer, no paint, no stain." The guitar completely breathes when it's just bare wood. We talked about that and then eventually they made the BFG, or Barely Finished Guitar. I always called it the "Raw Top." When they made the BFGs, they chambered them because a lot of cats are just like, "Les Pauls are great, I dig them, but standing up and playing them for a couple of hours and I'm ready to see the chiropractor." That's usually the complaint with a Les Paul, especially a Les Paul Custom. When I got it, I wondered what it would be like with a chambered body; maybe it would be too thin sounding. I was beyond shocked at how badass it sounds. The top end cuts, but it doesn't rip your head off. There's a big difference between a good loud and, "Honestly, just stop." [Laughs.] The spectrum of tone and fidelity of it is just phenomenal.
[Updated 11/13/21[
- Rig Rundown: Zakk Wylde - Premier Guitar ›
- No Rest for the Wylde - Premier Guitar ›
- This Silverburst Is Pure Gold - Premier Guitar ›
- Zakk Wylde and Dunlop 20th Anniversary Pedal Series - Premier Guitar ›
- "Master Zakk Wylde: A Guitarist's Guide" - Master, Guide - Premier Guitar ›
- Guitarist Zach Person Talks Guitar Hero Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Texas Flood Riff. - Premier Guitar ›
- Zakk Wylde: “Yeah, I Got That Riff at the Tony Iommi Swap Meet” - Premier Guitar ›
We’re not slowing down! Enter Stompboxtober Day 15 for your chance to win today’s featured pedal from Solo Dallas!
Orbiter Fuzz Pedal
Discover the SoloDallas Orbiter Fuzz, a meticulously crafted effects pedal designed to combine genuine vintage tones with user-friendly versatility. Building upon the legacy of the 1966 Arbiter Fuzz, the Orbiter Fuzz adds fine-tuning circuitry to this already amazing vintage circuit.
Fender's American Ultra II series offers the ultimate blend of tradition and modernity, featuring advanced Ultra Noiseless and new Haymaker Humbucker pickups, stunning finishes, and a sleek Modern “D” neck shape.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today continues its industry-defining innovation, launching the next iteration of the coveted American Ultra series—Fender’s most advanced series of electric guitars - by taking that hyper-modern recipe and turning it up to 11 for American Ultra II.
At a time when projections indicate the electric guitar market is set to grow by USD 1.45 billion from 2024-2028, driven by increasing demand for music-related leisure activities¹, the introduction of the American Ultra II series exemplifies a steadfast commitment to innovation, with every detail reflecting a relentless pursuit of perfection. At Fender, innovation is an ongoing, dynamic process fueled by a deep passion for enhancing the playing experience. Long before the American Ultra series hit the market, discussions were already underway about future possibilities, sparked by spontaneous experiments and real-world feedback from the innovators who play these guitars.
The American Ultra II series is built in Fender’s iconic California factory where guitars are meticulously crafted using a blend of time-honored techniques and state-of-the-art CNC technology, ensuring every instrument embodies the perfect balance of tradition and modernity. Massive green punch presses and decades-old tools, some dating back to the 1950s, sit alongside advanced machinery that allows for precise shaping and flawless consistency.
“With the work and heart that went into creating the American Ultra II series, there's a lot of soul in these guitars,” said Justin Norvell, EVP of Product at FMIC. “We refer to it as the “sports car” of the Fender lineup, it’s designed to push boundaries and redefine what a Fender guitar can be, catering to both traditionalists and those exploring new, faster, and more intricate playing styles. This is a guitar that doesn’t fight you; instead, it gets out of the way, allowing you to focus purely on your performance, whether you’re playing soulful solos, fast riffs, or complex chord progressions.”
Featuring stunning finishes, modern body contours, a Modern “D” neck shape, and the most advanced Ultra Noiseless™ and new Haymaker™ Humbucker pickups, American Ultra II bridges the gap between Fender’s classic designs and high-performance instruments typically associated with Fender’s specialty brands such as Charvel, EVH or Jackson. The guitars’ unique neck profiles provide an effortless glide along the fretboard, making for an incredibly smooth and responsive feel that increases precision. The American Ultra II series is an ideal fit for players who love the iconic look and sound of a Fender guitar, but crave the speed and playability of a performance guitar adept for playing across genres, from neo-soul and jazz to metal and funk.
A welcome balance to the ultra-modern specs, the American Ultra II also embodies the hallmark qualities that make Fender guitars timeless including unparalleled versatility, modularity, and signature tone. Whether a player is chasing the crystalline clarity of classic Stratocaster® sounds, the bite of a Telecaster®, or the deep growl of a Jazz Bass®, the American Ultra II series is built to handle it all. In addition to the standard models, the series includes Ultra II Jazz Bass® V, a left-hand Stratocaster® model as well Ultra II Meteora® guitar and bass.
Top Highlights Include:
- Fender’s Fastest-Playing Necks: The quartersawn maple neck has a comfortable modern “D” shape and is topped with an ebony or maple fingerboard with Luminlay side dots and Ultra rolled edges
- Upgraded Noiseless™ Pickups: The Ultra II Noiseless™ pickups deliver classic Fender® single-coil sound – without the hum
- Ultra Comfort And Playability: A sculpted neck heel and sleek rear body contours offer next-level comfort and playability
American Ultra II Models & Pricing
- American Ultra II Stratocaster - $2,199.99-2,249.99
- American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS - $2,249.99
- American Ultra II Telecaster - $2,199.99
- American Ultra II Meteora - $2,249.99
- American Ultra II Precision Bass - $2,199.99
- American Ultra II Jazz Bass - $2,299.99
- American Ultra II Jazz Bass V - $2,399.99
- American Ultra II Meteora Bass - $2,299.99
American Ultra II Series | Fender
Join Premier Guitar contributor Tom Butwin as he tries five powerful guitar plugins that will transform your tone.
Mastodon's lead guitarist teams up with the Does It Doom creator Steve Reis to make a dream V come true with a sleek silverburst finish and alnico-V PAF humbuckers.
Woodrite Guitars, alongside with Dirty B himself, proudly presents the 'Dirty B' Signature Vagabond, a high-performance guitar that delivers on both craftsmanship and tone. The instrument's mahogany body and bound mahogany neck a repaired with a sleek Macassar ebony fingerboard, featuring distinctive custom "Mastogyph" inlays. Its silverburst finish adds to the guitar’s striking appearance, while stainless steel frets, Tonepros hardware, and Grover tuners provide the durability and precision expected in a professional-grade instrument.
Designed to meet the tonal needs of heavy players, the Vagabond is equipped with a set of Woodrite Barbarian humbuckers. Utilizing Alnico V magnets and inspired by the classic PAF design, these pickups offer a rich midrange response that thrives in both clean and overdriven settings. Coupled with a GraphTech TUSQ XL nut and "straight string pull" headstock for enhanced tuning stability, the 'Dirty B' is built to perform under the most demanding conditions, making it a reliable choice for musicians seeking versatility and sonic power.
Specs
- Body Shape: Vagabond
- Body Orientation: Right-Handed or Left-Handed
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Finish: Silverburst
- Clearcoat: Gloss Polyurethane
- Neck Pickup: Woodrite Barbarian (7.8k, A5, 42AWG)
- Bridge Pickup: Woodrite Barbarian (13.0k, A5, 43AWG)
- Controls: 2 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-Way Toggle Switch
- Finish: Chrome
- Bridge: TonePros Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: TonePros Stop Bar
- Pickguard: Black
- Control Knobs: Black Top Hats w/ Reflectors
- Switch Tip: Black
- Jack Plate Cover: Chrome
- Material: Mahogany
- Binding: Yes
- Nut: GraphTech TUSQ XL
- Nut Width: 1.69″
- Profile: 0.800″ at 1st Fret, 0.875″ at 12th Fret, Medium “C” profile
- Scale Length: 24.75″
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Fretwire: Jumbo Stainless Steel
- Inlays: ‘Dirty B’ Custom “Mastoglyph”
- Fingerboard Radius: 12″
- Number Of Frets: 22
- Tuning Machines: Grover Mini Rotomatic
- Tuning: D-Standard (D, G, C, F, A, D)
- Strings: D’Addario EXL116 (.011, .014, .018p, .030, .042, .052)
- Weight: Approximately 7 pounds
- Case: Includes Custom Form-Fitted Woodrite Guitars Hardshell Case
- Country of Origin: Built in Indonesia by PT Wildwood (PRS, ESP)
- Price: $1,599