There are certain guitars played by famous musicians that you recognize immediately. For instance, there are Eric Clapton’s Cream-era, handpainted Gibson SG Custom and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Number One” battered Strat. More recently, that’s been the case with the Gibson Custom Zakk Wylde Bullseye Les Paul Custom. It’s unmistakable and unlike any other guitar on the planet. As heavy metal lovers know, Wylde has certainly worked hard to earn his worldwide reputation as one of the genre’s premier guitarists. His masterful solos are scorching hot and he manages to wring every single drop of tone from his Les Paul Custom, with its unique “bullseye” paint job. Gibson isn’t planning to build these in great numbers, so you can bet that these reproductions will rather quickly find homes with serious collectors, as well as with those who aspire to create their own flame-throwing metal guitar stylings. We seriously doubt you’ll ever find a guitar that’s more ready to rock than this one!
When Zakk suddenly burst upon the music scene with his one-of-a-kind instrument, the Gibson Custom Shop contacted him about building reproductions of his unique guitar, with its black and antique white bullseye graphics; two powerful EMG humbucking pickups; and raw, unfinished neck. Wylde was happy to collaborate on the project and gave Gibson’s Custom Shop luthiers both his blessing and full access to his personal axe. The original versions of these guitars were made to look and feel exactly like Zakk’s own personal guitar, with all the nicks, scratches, stains, and wear and tear, which is no doubt why there were only a handful of these made. Today’s Guitar of the Day is not built to look exactly like a Les Paul that has seen ultra-heavy use on tour after grueling tour, right down to the checked lacquer finish. It’s meant to look like Zakk’s guitar before he took it on the road (and it got its ultimate share of abuse)! Under all the outward cosmetics, there’s a carved maple top; a solid mahogany body with multi-ply binding; a Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece, and a 3-piece, unfinished (but sealed) maple neck with a 22-fret ebony fingerboard sporting real mother-of-pearl block inlays. The guitar is equipped with Zakk’s choice of EMG 81 and 85 humbuckers, and it comes complete with a Custom Shop hardshell case, a certificate of authenticity, and a custom-care kit. It also includes our 2-year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty™ and free FedEx shipping right to your door!
