ChangeYourStrings

Zakk Wylde's guitar strings: the Black Label Society + Ozzy rig, sourced

Black Label Society · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·

Zakk Wylde plays Dunlop Zakk Wylde String Lab signature electric guitar strings, available in .010 through .046, .052, .054, and .060 sets, on his Gibson Custom Shop Zakk Wylde Bullseye Les Paul Customs and his Wylde Audio Odin and Barbarian models. Bullseye Les Paul (called The Grail), EMG 81 bridge / EMG 85 neck pickups, Marshall amplification. Black Label Society material is mostly Drop D on a 25.5-inch scale; Ozzy and Pride & Glory work sits in E standard and Eb standard. Documented Dunlop endorsing artist since the launch of the Icon Series, succeeded by the String Lab line.

Who Zakk Wylde is

Zakk Wylde is the founder and primary guitarist of Black Label Society, the longtime lead guitarist of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band (1987 to 1995, 2001 to 2009), and as of 2022 the touring guitarist of Pantera in the post-Dimebag reunion lineup. He launched the Black Label Society project in 1998 during a hiatus from Ozzy. Twelve studio albums and counting, plus his 1994 Pride & Glory record and a Book of Shadows acoustic side project. Wylde is also the founder of Wylde Audio (2015), a guitar and amplification brand that produces his Odin, Barbarian, and Warhammer signature instruments in partnership with Schecter Guitar Research.

His sound is the bridge between Randy Rhoads's classical-trained heavy metal and the southern-rock pentatonic vocabulary of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Pinch harmonics, wah-driven leads, drop-tuned chug rhythm work, and squealing wide vibrato. The signature guitar tone is the Gibson Les Paul Custom Bullseye plus EMG 81/85 pickups plus Marshall amplification, plus the heavy Dunlop signature strings that survive his picking attack across a tracking week.

What he plays

Dunlop Zakk Wylde String Lab Electric Guitar Strings, signature line. Multiple gauges depending on tuning context. The .010 to .060 set is the canonical heavy gauge for Drop D and lower work; .010 to .046 through .010 to .054 for E and Eb standard. Documented at Dunlop's official Zakk Wylde String Lab page and across Sweetwater's authorized-dealer listings.

His primary stage instrument is the Gibson Custom Shop Zakk Wylde Signature Les Paul Custom Bullseye, the production version of his 1981 Alpine White Les Paul Custom (now called The Grail). The Bullseye is the most famous finish; the line also covers Camo, Vertigo, and Pelham Blue Custom Shop variants. Pickups are EMG 81 bridge and EMG 85 neck across the signature line.

The Wylde Audio brand carries his own designs, including the Odin (Les Paul-shaped), the Barbarian (offset body), and the Warhammer. Wylde Audio production is in partnership with Schecter Guitar Research. He uses Wylde Audio instruments alongside the Gibson signatures during Black Label Society performances.

Marshall amplification has been the foundation of his amp tone since the late 1980s, with JCM 800 heads on early Ozzy and Black Label Society material and EVH 5150III heads on the current touring rig per Premier Guitar's Rig Rundown.

Why this fits the rig

The Zakk Wylde signature gauge structure (heavy plain strings paired with very heavy wound strings, e.g. .010 / .013 / .017 / .036 / .052 / .060) is purpose-built for his playing style: aggressive Drop D rhythm work where the .060 low D needs to hold pitch under high-output picking, paired with bendable .010 plain strings for the wide vibrato and pinch harmonics on the lead lines. A more conventional .010 to .046 set goes flabby on the low E in Drop D under his attack; a uniformly heavy set like .011 to .054 gives up too much bend feel on the plain strings. The custom-stepped gauge solves both problems.

The EMG 81 bridge / EMG 85 neck pickup pairing is the canonical high-output active configuration. The 81 is ceramic, hot, and tight, ideal for the rhythm-guitar palm-mute work and the lead pickup attack. The 85 is alnico V and slightly warmer, producing the long sustaining lead tone he uses on the slow ballad sections. Both pickups are buffered by their on-board preamp, which gives consistent output regardless of the volume knob position. That consistency is core to the Zakk Wylde sound.

Marshall amplification (JCM 800 historically, EVH 5150III currently) provides the saturation backbone. Marshall's voicing is mid-forward, which complements the EMG 81's tight bottom and the heavy gauge low strings. Together: tight chug, articulate pinch harmonics, and the long sustain on lead notes that defines the Black Label Society catalog.

Endorsed vs. verified use

Multiple endorsement relationships, all documented:

  • Dunlop: signature String Lab strings, picks, and Wylde Audio collaboration product. Active.

  • Gibson Custom Shop: signature Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom since 1999. Active.

  • EMG: the 81/85 pickup configuration on the signature Les Pauls. Active.

  • Wylde Audio: his own brand, founded 2015. Production partnership with Schecter.

  • Marshall: long-term verified use without explicit endorsement; Marshall is his canonical amp brand from the late 1980s forward.

  • EVH: current touring rig uses EVH 5150III heads, verified via Premier Guitar Rig Rundown.

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