Wylde Audio, the gear brand from Black Label Society's berserker guitarist Zakk Wylde, has released its latest guitar: the Goregehn – an axe that looks like it'd be fit for a Viking warrior.
Its melted Gibson-Explorer-meets-Salvador-Dali body shape is sculpted from mahogany and given spiky devil horns, with their deep cuts allowing for easy access to the upper frets on either side of the 'board.
The deep insert set neck construction hosts a three-piece maple neck with an ebony fretboard. Offering 22 X-jumbo frets, Zakk Wylde's signature C-profile neck and a 24.625" scale length, the Goregehn's war-ready look is completed by rune-style inlays.
Its battle cries come from the tried-and-trusted EMG humbucker pairing of an 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck, with a dedicated volume knob for each.
Tonal tweaking comes via a master tone knob – with all but the Blood River Burl finish employing Gibson-esque speed knob designs – and a three-way pickup switch located directly beneath the neck pickup.
Its hardware is rounded out with a TonePros T3BP Tune-O-Matic bridge and T1ZS tailpiece. They team up with Grover tuners for a three-a-side headstock, which is embellished by a subtly serrated top edge.
The fittingly wild shape builds on the angles of the Thoraxe and makes the IronWorks Barbarian (a model that Guitar World called its “wildest” build yet on release) look resolutely normal.
Not content with just a loud shape, three louder-than-Manowar finishes also bring different top options to the fore. As its name suggests, the Cocobolo Psychic Bullseye finish adds a top of cocobolo – a wood known for its characteristic grains – to the guitar.
It also gives Zakk Wylde's signature buzzsaw design a fresh psychedelic edge as it spins around the bridge pickup.
The Rawtop Buzzsaw finish is more in line with previous Wylde finishes, with its design spiraling out from the center of a body that by contrast features a flamed maple top.
The pick of the bunch, though, has to be the Special Edition Blood River Burl finish, which is achieved through epoxy resin. Two rivers of red run parallel alongside the strings, while Wylde's buzzsaw aesthetic is channelled through the build’s gold pickup covers.
That gold aesthetic continues with its bridge, metal dome knobs and tuners, in contrast to the black hardware found on the other two models.
“Designed by rock guitar legend Zakk Wylde, this visually striking instrument is a true masterpiece crafted for the hard rocking skilled guitarist looking for premium specifications,” a listing for the guitar reads.
“Delivering unparalleled sonic firepower, the Goregehn is built with rugged construction and can easily handle the demands of intense live performances.”
Cost-wise, the cocobolo-topped and Rawtop Buzzsaw Goregehn both RRP at $2,429, with the Special Edition Blood River Rising to $2,719.
For more information, head to Schecter.
Wylde Audio is part of the Schecter Guitars family, and its parent firm has recently been releasing a raft of signature builds for the likes of Avenged Sevenfold duo Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates, Glassjaw’s Justin Beck and DJ Sullivan King.
Zakk Wylde, meanwhile, has also been given numerous updates to his pedalboard, with Jim Dunlop releasing a new signature Rotovibe. Wylde's wah pedal has also returned to the market.
