Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

[Nacho8807]

Saw it this morning via Ryan "Fluff" Bruce's Facebook. Apparently he has left both Gibson and Marshall to do this. So far the only things I can find are an instagram account and WyldeAudio.com where you can sign up for the mailing list. Looks interesting, and I'm curious to see what, if anything, is announced at NAMM. What are your guys' thoughts?

http://instagram.com/wyldeaudio

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Wonder how much he is actually involved in the design etc. Might just be some other guys looking to make money off of his name and he may be getting enough to go along with it?
I'm hoping its not like that.

 

[Nacho8807]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Wonder how much he is actually involved in the design etc. Might just be some other guys looking to make money off of his name and he may be getting enough to go along with it?
I'm hoping its not like that.

My guess is he's taking the EVH route, and doing this to be more in control of the designs of the gear he uses. Honestly the sneak peeks so far are leaving me unimpressed, but maybe the full reveal will have a different impact.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

I'm sure they'll have bugs to iron out.
I'll give em a look, always like new gear to eyeball ha ha

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

He wants to be bigger than Rob Chapman...

 

[Detroitblues]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

He'll have a tough time seperating the designs of his guitars and amps to not look like Gibson and Marshall.

EVH did it and pulled it off, however, until he aligned back with FMIC, his color scheme and hardware was all that resembled his guitars from the DLR era of VH.

 

[Detroitblues]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

He wants to be bigger than Rob Chapman...

Not a fan of Chapman anymore... I think he just is an internet guy that calls himself a blues-rock guitarist, yet nothing he writes resembles it. His guitars are way overpriced and he seperates himself more and more from his original audience. Now it seems he is all about getting kids to spend their parents money on medicore guitars that won't help them play any better.

 

[Jason_The_Angry]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

I wonder if the guitar/amp combination will be any good at pinch harmonics.

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Not a fan of Chapman anymore... I think he just is an internet guy that calls himself a blues-rock guitarist, yet nothing he writes resembles it. His guitars are way overpriced and he seperates himself more and more from his original audience. Now it seems he is all about getting kids to spend their parents money on medicore guitars that won't help them play any better.

Idk what Chapman guitars you have been playing, but every single one Ive played has been awesome for the price. He still polls the fans to see what THEY want on the next model (He just did this for the new USA Cap 10 model). He makes what the fans want, so its not him separating himself because he lets us decide.

 

[Aasinsilta]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Not a fan of Chapman anymore... I think he just is an internet guy that calls himself a blues-rock guitarist, yet nothing he writes resembles it. His guitars are way overpriced and he seperates himself more and more from his original audience. Now it seems he is all about getting kids to spend their parents money on medicore guitars that won't help them play any better.

Hmm, I know he's said he "cut his teeth" as a blues player, but he said he lives in Drop C and shreds otherwise. Can't recall him saying in his videos his current material is blues-rock.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

I wonder if the guitar/amp combination will be any good at pinch harmonics.

Definitely.

I guess I just don't get it. Maybe since Jim Marshall died and everyone's favorite CEO Henry J. is in charge of Gibson, he figured now is the time? It's obvious it'll be a very gibson-ish design with EMGs and a JCM800 clone, right?

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

If he makes a Split tail model like Dean and Gibson had ill be all over it. I still want one but want one with a Floyd on it.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Not a fan of Chapman anymore... I think he just is an internet guy that calls himself a blues-rock guitarist, yet nothing he writes resembles it. His guitars are way overpriced and he seperates himself more and more from his original audience. Now it seems he is all about getting kids to spend their parents money on medicore guitars that won't help them play any better.

I'm pretty sure they're more expensive here in the US, but mid-priced in the UK. Just like how Marshalls are much more expensive here, but Mesa Boogies are more expensive in the UK. It has to do with importing the gear and currency conversions.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Not a fan of Chapman anymore... I think he just is an internet guy that calls himself a blues-rock guitarist, yet nothing he writes resembles it. His guitars are way overpriced and he seperates himself more and more from his original audience. Now it seems he is all about getting kids to spend their parents money on medicore guitars that won't help them play any better.

Are we talking about the same Chapman? The Rob Chappers I know is an incredibly down to earth guy who rocks all kinds of music, loves to chat and cooperate with his fans, and has a company that sticks to making totally affordable stuff. The most expensive guitars in their catalog are still under 900 bones (IN THE USA. Check Flipside music in Colorado) while outplaying tons of other guitars in the same price range; their lowest being about $550. I mean an American Standard Fender or MIJ Ibanez will set you back over 1k easy.

Plus he's such a goofy and harmless guy.

Everything you have said sounds like the exact opposite of the dude I know.

 

[BrianS.]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

We're living in an age where we no longer "need" big companies like Fender and Gibson, or Marshall or whomever.

Asian guitar factories will make guitars with anyone's name on them at a wide variety of price points with the quality to match them. In the USA, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of small guitar manufacturers. Companies like Warmoth are making it quite easy to "build" your own guitar as well.

ANYONE can make a tube amp these days with just a bit of effort. Back when I was in school for electronics repair, we would scrounge around for crappy old broken tube amps just to salvage the chassis and the transformers. Now ANYONE can buy a brand new chassis in just about any configuration as well as new, very well made transformers. The internet is FULL of schematics and tutorials. Plus, there are, at last count anyway, about a bazillion "boutique" tube amp builders out there that will make an amp just for you. Though, it will be based on a Tweed Deluxe...

Affordable CNC machining; "parts" companies; easy access to big Asian factories; death of traditional advertising; all these may kill off, or drastically alter the big guitar and tube amp companies.

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

I've often wondered why I never see his Epiphone models in gc? No split tail, no coffin. Only the bullseye. Never made sense since they had every other Epi.... Maybe it pissed him off? Is Dunlop also owned by some conglomerate associated with gibson or Marshall? Also, I thought the evh line was with fender from the beginning. I'm too slow at this...

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

I've often wondered why I never see his Epiphone models in gc? No split tail, no coffin. Only the bullseye. Never made sense since they had every other Epi.... Maybe it pissed him off? Is Dunlop also owned by some conglomerate associated with gibson or Marshall? Also, I thought the evh line was with fender from the beginning. I'm too slow at this...

EVH has been with Fender since the beginning. After Ed left Peavey, he officially formed "EVH," and made a contract with Fender.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Does that leather gauntlet serve a purpose you think? Is it like a forearm stabilizer or anti-friction thing? Looks freakin uncomfortable to play with.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Does that leather gauntlet serve a purpose you think? Is it like a forearm stabilizer or anti-friction thing? Looks freakin uncomfortable to play with.

Get with the programme ... it's all about image. A true artist suffers for their image. You don't hear me complaining about the weight of the leather and the metal studs when i'm out there playing mandolin on Willie Nelson's 'On The Road Again'.

As to the Zakk guitar and amp company ... I'm excited. So much so that i can barely eat or sleep.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Zakk Wylde has his own guitar and amp company now

Get with the programme ... it's all about image. A true artist suffers for their image. You don't hear me complaining about the weight of the leather and the metal studs when i'm out there playing mandolin on Willie Nelson's 'On The Road Again'.

As to the Zakk guitar and amp company ... I'm excited. So much so that i can barely eat or sleep.

If I didn't know you better Crusty, I'd swear you'd been reduced to mere sarcasm - that's just not you though, is it?