All user reviews for the Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul Bullseye

The Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom Shop is one of the finest Les Pauls Gibson has ever put out of their USA Custom Shop. With a Mahogany body and unfinished maple neck, this thing is as "Wylde" as it gets. It comes with the Zakk Wylde EMG set which consists of an 81 and 85. With the signature Zakk Wylde Bullseye design and decorated in gold hardware, it looks as great as it plays. Special touches like the gold truss rod cover, Zakk graphic on the back of the headstock and the beautiful unfinished maple neck make this guitar truly special.

UTILIZATION

This guitar is heavy, especially compared to the newer Les Pauls that I own. It's weight and mahogany body contribute to the overall chunky tones you can get from it. The active pickup configuration roars and is perfect if you are playing today's modern music. Grabbing a harmonic or generating massive downtuned tones comes easy with this Les Paul. The unfinished neck allows for very fast movement up and down the fretboard.

SOUNDS

This is the perfect match for an old Marshall JCM800 or JMP. Getting that 80s old school tone or ramping up to modern tones is no problem as this guitar can run with vintage and modern amps. I have played this through deizel, Bogner, Marshall, Fender and many other amps and never questioned its ability to get heavy tones on all of them. EMGs seem to lose tonality and warmth with cleaner playing which would be my only sound complaint.

OVERALL OPINION

Although this is an expensive Les Paul, it is well worth the money. Unlike some Custom Shop models, I really feel that they spared no expense when producing this guitar. The unfinished neck is by far my favorite feature of this guitar. It not only looks unique but also improves the playability of it. The appearance is also stunning with the gold hardware and custom paint scheme. Unlike some others that have played it, I like the weightiness of it and think it adds to the thick tonal quality.

The only downside is the use of EMGs. Although it allows the guitar to rip and emulate the heavy tones of Zakk Wylde, every now and then it's nice to play something with a bit more tone. I find EMGs very sterile for this purpose. Once I swapped out the EMGs for a set of passive humbuckers, this became the perfect guitar. I would absolutely reccomend this guitar to anyone looking for a quality guitar.

The Gibson Les Paul guitar has a nice warm woody tone primarily because of the thick mahogany wood that encompasses the body and in the neck. The guitar also features a rosewood fretboard and a nice maple top on the body. With that combination of tone would you can you get cradle warm and thick sounding instrument. This is the kind guitar that you would use with a nice high gain amplifier or even a medium gain amplifier. Primarily because it has a nice thick juicy tone that really resonates with any sound that you put through it. It doesn't come with a whole lot of features but what it does come with is a lot of soul. The EMG pups really add that thick saturated tone as well.

UTILIZATION

Features

Built to Zakk's specs with all his mods
EMG 81 and 85 pickups
Gold hardware including an engraved gold truss-rod cover with Zakk Wylde logo
Ebony fretboard with pearl block inlay
Multi-ply binding on top, back, neck, and peghead



SOUNDS


The Gibson Les Paul guitar has to be one of my favorite guitars in the world. Every feature and every time is just perfect for my playing. Depending on which week and what music I'm listening to I generally rotate from the Gibson Les Paul guitar to eight Fender Stratocaster or super strap type guitar. So depending on which week will determine which one I'm playing more often. This week it's a Gibson Les Paul guitar because I've been listening to a lot of hard rock and heavy metal songs so the nice girthy tone that this instrument produces really brings out the desire to get inspired and play more often. SO if you are into Zakk W or just like the look of this guitar than I would grab it.

OVERALL OPINION


You can find these guitars pretty much any where musical insurance resold. This is one of the most heavily used instruments in all of music and it's probably one of the most recorded instruments as well. These are great fantastic guitars but they are a little bit pricey. This is good to be a guitar for professional or someone is been around the block a while and knows exactly what they want or just a Zakk W fan. Gibson does make some more budget friendly Les Paul guitars which are called the studio models. Does come under $1000 or so so I would recommend grabbing one of those if you're on a budget.

Scratches made in United States, custom shop.
22 frets, 2 EMG 81 and 85 micro.
Tune-O-Matic Stop Bar tailpiece.
3 position selector, 1 volume and a micro tonality.
Channel rounded type, 50's, but big enough trs enjoyable. You just get used to.
Saddle unvarnished handle and key bne.
Trs beautiful guitar.
I find it heavier than my gibson lp standard.

UTILIZATION

As I said above, the handle is really nice to play trs, despite the size of this one ... getting started is quick!
Bne is the key in trs soft making it easy to gliss fingers.
The cot of unvarnished handle is a nice surprise, it is fluid, changing a few little varnish gluer other gibson.
Access in acute! ah thorny issue! for me, but c is true that this is not a jackson ...
The guitar is heavy but the weight is very well rpart. Heavier than other guitars gibson les paul custom shop no.
The body is also pais, finally it seems to me, knowing that I have gibson color rather dark, so that if one is white I see more pais!

We easily obtain a good sound! but what matter biensur! and we get the sound!
this guitar is a killer!
Having given one of emg's quite cold but super prcis! for mtal c trs well! lol
But it appears formidable in the other register! trust me the above!
The quality of wood has much to do!

SOUNDS

It suits me perfectly, I play enough rock muscle s'tend into the death. But I like a good little m'garer blues or pop a little Młoda ... and it has done its job!
By the time I play on a head ENGL Ritchie Blackmore and there's nothing to say lol is that happiness!
pffffffff types of sounds and ben um all! is not that complicated bit scratch anything!
I love all sonnorits this guitar, but I have a small preferences for the raw sound, not amplified ... beautiful!

OVERALL OPINION

This will do 15 days I use this guitar, it is purely gniale!
I love everything in it! the look, shape ('m in love with this form) non-stick coating (too good), and of course the sound!
I tried many guitars before notte, les paul gibson model number: lp lp supreme standard (the standard lp supreme) and the bin is still above ZW!
The report price is forcment bad quality! lol
Trs is expensive and fortunately, prices have fallen! For my part I did not buy in France ... and yes crsus'm not either!
Try it maxguitarstore.com Nerland ... trs and make good money!
Exprience with this choice I would do so even if I have to ruin me!
is an amazing guitar, the hole had already supreme c.. but is ... there's no words!
I think if I had to have a skyscraper that would be the one.

- United States, Gibson custom shop (fabrication Memphis ... unlike other Les Paul ... Nashville plant not knowing the grate off-white - dixit guide the Gibson factory in Memphis)
- 22 boxes, 2 micro EMG 81 (bridge) and 85 (sleeve).
- Tune-O-Matic Stop Bar tailpiece.
- 3-way switch, 2 volume and 2 tone
- Channel 50's type in Saddle unvarnished and affects bne.

UTILIZATION

- Channel hyper enjoyable play. I play on many Gibson and Epiphone ... is by far the most enjoyable to play (in front of my SG Std 67).
- The acute Accs just ok ... like any Gibson. This is not an Ibanez or Jackson ... So, do not RVer addition to non-ct l.
- Form LP, so sublime ... looks like and drang (casually, as a consideration), and quite heavy (at the same time, there is also the flute and triangle for those who do not want morfler) ...
- Asked his ... it's just enooorme! In fact, on any amp with any rglage (blues, rock, hard, heavy, Trash), has come! components and wood are of incredible quality ... and means.

SOUNDS

- If it does not suit my style of music, I never bought this scratch, especially what the price! For its largest default ... is the price (even its only default).
- I play with a head Marshall JVM 410 H + 4X12 cabinet (1960A) + 2X12.
- Ct's, I play with something approaching the sound of ZW on No more tears (you are a fan or not) and Pride & Glory.
- All sounds are pleasant and the precision of the scratching is just outstanding!

OVERALL OPINION

- I only had that trsrcemment (there is one week), but crdibiliser my point, I played on a Les Paul for 15 years I had been mountain in EMG 81/85 2003, and a Camo Epiphone ZW I also EMG81/85 in Mount ...
Well, those who think these devices just for the sound of the bullseye ... not at all! there is a diffrence noooooorme! At least as between a Clio and a Ferrari! The skyscraper is an incredible precision, sustain exceptional, a does not bleed and you can play for hours and hours without getting tired ...
- Report quality price ... TRS is a big investment (3500 euros), but the true! Widely! If you are studio, the diffrence with a Les Paul up in my version or EMG Epiphone also EMG active ... is more than obvious!
- If I had the choice again? I just regret waiting so long to buy it ...

This is really just a standard Les Paul with a few slight tweaks to make it Zakk Wylde's own personal signature guitar. The guitar has a mahogany body with a maple top, a maple neck that is unfinished, an ebony fretboard, trapezoid inlays, 22 frets, a tune-o-matic bridge, a unique paintjob, two humbuckers, two volumes, two tones and a three way switch.

UTILIZATION

The neck is easily the #1 thing about this guitar. It's a maple neck with an ebony fretboard, so it gives that old school 70s Les Paul kinda vibe. They're a bit snappier, and they cut through better. It's also unfinished which is a huge plus. The finishes on a lot of Gibson guitars tend to be sticky, and this guitar doesn't have that problem. The guitar itself was put together nicely, and the finish didn't have any drips or runs. It's definitely a love or hate finish, though. Can't say I'm a huge fan of the way it looks.

SOUNDS

This guitar sounded phenomenal. The EMG 81 in the bridge is perfect for this. It was super tight, aggressive, saturated and completely balls to the wall. It had bite, but it was never too harsh. It works awesome for any type of metal, but it starts to lack when it comes to rock and anything with lower gain. The EMG 85 in the neck is super fat and smooth sounding. It's kinda like playing on easy mode. Legato comes scary easily, and you can do all kinds of signature pinch harmonics with this guitar.

OVERALL OPINION

This guitar is really a metal machine. It sounds awesome, was built nicely and felt killer. I honestly think that if this didn't have the obnoxious finish, it would be one of Gibson's best selling signature models out there. That's the #1 problem with this guitar. The finish is just awful. That, and it's not really meant for classic rock.

Its always funny when a signature Les Paul comes out because the Les Paul is Les Pauls signature guitar. It already has his name on it. This Les Paul Custom is a signature model of Zakk Wyldes 70s Les Paul that he has been playing for years. Zakks guitar has some personal touches. Many 70s Les Pauls had maple necks like this one and on Zakk's guitar the paint on the back of the neck is removed for a raw finish. The pickups are a set of EMG's. There is an 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck. This is now a classic configuration for EMG's. On the face of the guitar you can see Zakk's classic bullseye motif. The neck has an ebony fretboard with block inlays and 22 jumbo frets. After these mods the guitar is pretty much a typical Les Paul Custom. It has a tone and volume control for each pickup and a 3 way switch. The guitar is 1 piece mahogany with a maple top. Im pretty sure Zakk's personal guitar since it was a 70s model has a pancake body but I dont think Gibson wants people to know this.

UTILIZATION

The guitar plays slightly better than your typical Les Paul. The raw finish on the back of the neck means the neck is faster to play. The finish on the back of a neck can cause the neck to become sticky when you are playing and cause you to snag on the neck. The frets are larger than on a normal Les Paul so you can get a better action on the neck for easy bends. The upper fret access is typical of a Les Paul beacause of the design the upper frets are not that easy to reach. You have to reach around the whole body to get to the upper frets on the guitar. All the hardware is gold so it may tarnish on you or rub off. Gibson still does not use locking tune-o-matic bridges so when you are changing strings the bridge may fall off. Gibson did not put a separate compartment for the EMG's battery so whenever you need to change batteries you have to take the whole electronics compartment cavity off. This means you cannot really change batteries on the fly. If you do the 18v mod to the pickups you will pretty much need a separate compartment for the batteries since there will be two.

SOUNDS

This guitar is as heavy as a Les Paul can get. With EMG's from the factory the guitar rips faces. The 81 in the bridge has been an iconic metal pickup for decades. It has a high end crunch and distortion that gives it clarity no matter how much gain you are using or how low you tune. The 85 in the neck is a great pickup too. It has a more fuller sound than the 81 so in the neck position you can get fat lead tones. The 85 is also good too in the bridge. With EMG's quick connect system you can easily swap these pickups position without soldering anything. The 85 in the bridge produces a super thick tone and cleans up better than the 81. Speaking of cleans if you do the 18v mod on the EMG's. With the 18v mod you run the pickups on two batteries instead of one. This provides a more organic tone with more headroom. This tone produces better cleans than stock EMG's and clean tones are usually the weakest part of the EMG sound.

OVERALL OPINION

If you are a Zakk Wylde fan there is no other guitar out there that cuts it. The iconic bullseye Les Paul with the EMG's has rocked people for decades. Its fat Les Paul tone with the searing gain from the EMG's mean it can play any time of heavy music. If you are looking for a metal Les Paul and dont mind looking like a target this guitar is a good option.

Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom, made in small quantities in the workshops Gibson in Memphis (not Nashville)

The handle is ROUNDED (not 50's or 50's rounded => I correct other reviews) so it is between a 50's style neck, and a handle SLIM TAPER, also called round '60 's ... To summarize, the largest to smallest, with Gibson it is: 50's, Rounded, 60's.

Fitting:
Tune-O-Matic tailpiece stop bar ... Grover (the best I have ever try on a par with those of my old Washburn N4 Relic, which were mini Grover 18:1)
3 position selector, 2 volumes and 2 tones: What classic ... Everything seems very reliable and knobs are very, very progressive!
EMG 85 in neck and EMG 81 at bridge ... Active pickups so be careful you have to change the battery! (It lasts a long time anyway)

Timber:
Mahogany body with maple top
Maple Neck: magnificent! In addition to being quite clear in color, it is varnished so that the hand does not interfere ... Channel superfast really love, and this time it changes the sleeves of any other Gibson tights (I exaggerate of course)
Ebony: beautiful, deep black, all embellished with mother of pearl inlays ... The great class!

I already have a Les Paul Custom's Custom Shop, but there's Zakk Wylde, with its woods, seems to be a bit above, so that the Custom is already good!

Frankly, I know everyone will not like the color, but I must admit that Zakk throws a max ... And it is much more beautiful in real than in the picture ... <img class="smiley" src="https://fr.audiofanzine.com/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt="" />



UTILIZATION

At home use, the Zakk appears well balanced, it does not sting the nose, even with a strap rotten as could for example make a SG or a low Thunderbird. Attention, it is well balanced but it still weighs his weight! I can not help but compare it to my Custom is a little lighter (slightly). In short, if you do not 1.60 is good, if not perhaps expect an adjustment period ... If you have back problems, forget it right away ...

The neck is the best I&#39;ve ever had in my hands at Gibson ... Rounded profile, so pretty basic at Gibson, but that allows the varnish easier acrobatics!
Access to the acute stroke is a little better I think with the polish ... Otherwise cut the heel and the joint body / neck is the same as a Les Paul Classic.

In use (especially live), having the knobs very gradual, progressive mechanics, reliable, efficient and balanced weight distribution, greatly increases the pleasure of playing! Here we have an instrument very very professional, obviously!

The Vintage Zakk is not at all, and I can understand that some defenders of tradition Gibson cry sacrilege, but we must recognize that Zakk is a great tool, very modern yet ...

SOUNDS

The Zakk has a strong character at the same time is a signature guitar you say ... Yes but even if it has roughly the same sound as Mr Wylde (fingers less), the overall color is very special ... And it is clear that we change the traditional Les Paul!

The couple EMG / Les Paul march from hell ... For sounds cleans it shall not put the guitar volume too high, otherwise it would saturate the amplifier viciously as soon as your right hand will start to attack ... So by lowering a little, the pickups are very very nice, with a warmth and roundness on the excellent 85 in round ... The 81 is doing well too, although we feel that the guitar is at the top in clean sound on the microphone ... But it&#39;s quite playable! It depends on your level of requirement and your personal use ... After it&#39;s clear Do not buy a Zakk Wylde for cleans sounds, on pain of being a little disappointed ...

With distortion .... ... ........ ............. MONUMENTAL a killing! Guitar asks only that bottomed, balloons, we have a enormissime headroom, allowing to keep under the elbow with the volume knob on the guitar (which will therefore to 6), then when the solo is coming ... thoroughly! Blues, heavy blues, rock, hardcore, thrash, death, brutal speed, gonzo grindcore ... ALL ALL ... It goes for everything (all music in mild to high saturation)

The overall sound goes very very very very very well in groups, be it said, live or in studio (very important things all that), you cross the mix with ease. The guitar is brighter, and with a little less low frequency that my Custom ... This is probably owed to the microphones, but also in maple neck. I really like personally! This enabled if you play on a 4x12 like me, have a sound not too loaded with too low, which will sound better in a transplanted where you are ...

OVERALL OPINION

6 months ago, I was looking to buy a new Gibson, and I sought among several models of Flying V, Explorers and 2 or 3 Les Paul, Zakk notammentt I found this wonderful 1st look!
I finally bought a Flying V Silverburst of 1979, an exceptional vintage guitar, in an individual. And inside I had a little twinge of regret buying it without having tried before a Zakk ...

1 week ago, I go to a little store where I used to go, because it is not my area too short etc etc ... And there they are thoroughly Gibson guys! While there six months if there was a stock in the store was already beautiful ... ! And there ALELUIA! I see Zakk and I ask to try it while I was gone to come buy a 1x12 cabinet ... As a thunderbolt I had to take it and I&#39;m left with the guitar and the Orange 1x12 cabinet ... Now I am poor and I eat pasta every meal. END OF STORY
Seriously, this guitar is unique in the catalog Gibson. It will surely become a big collector. Modern, with its steel ... War paint on his little body Les Paul Traditional ... The mixture is explosive! If you have the opportunity to try this! And like me you might fall in love?
The price is heartbreaking, for sure, some say even that is a big bullshit, and prefer to buy a standard and stick him EMG ... Yes, but it seems it&#39;s not the same, and frankly I do not know, is love, sometimes it&#39;s stupid and it hurts but WHAT IS IT GOOD! !