Wylde Audio Amps

A Fierce Instrument Designed for Heavy Metal Shredding

The Wylde Audio Barbarian is the flagship model in Zakk Wylde’s line of signature guitars. As the name suggests, this vicious beast of an axe is built for heavy metal, offering the raw tone and aggressive playability that have become Zakk’s trademarks over his storied career.

Handcrafted in the USA with Zakk’s direct input, the Barbarian brings together custom design elements ideal for hard rock and metal. From the powerful EMG 81/85 pickup combination to the extra jumbo frets and extended cutaway for easy access to the upper registers, every detail of the Barbarian is optimized for face-melting leads and chugging rhythm tones.

At around $2799 brand new, the Wylde Audio Barbarian sits in the upper mid-range as far as electric guitars go. While not exactly cheap, this pricing reflects the USA-made quality and boutique appeal of Wylde Audio as a whole. For devoted Zakk followers and serious shredders, the Barbarian is worth the investment to attain a professional-grade metal machine.

Built for Speed, Precision, and Punishing Tones

So what exactly makes the Barbarian such a beast of a guitar? Let’s take a closer look at some of the most important features that allow this axe to live up to its name:

• EMG 81/85 active pickups – these high-output EMGs have become synonymous with extreme metal thanks to their searing treble response and blistering mid-range growl. They deliver every riff and lead with unbridled aggression.
• Mahogany body with maple top – the mahogany produces a thick, strong sustain that sings on those long, ringing chords. The maple top adds snap and clarity to the overall tone.
• Thin U-shaped neck – supremely fast and comfortable for ripping through shred solos. The smooth satin finish facilitates quick runs up and down the 24 extra jumbo frets.
• Floyd Rose tremolo – dive bombs, squeals, and chaotic flutter effects are achievable on the double-locking Floyd. Structurally optimized for downtuning.
• Black Winter humbuckers on some models – signature pickups designed by Zakk with Seymour Duncan. Offer a darker, nastier sound compared to the EMGs.
• Custom tribal graphic finish – straight out of Zakk’s iconic visual style. A fitting aesthetic nod to the Barbarian’s savage sonic capabilities.

When you put all these elements together, it becomes clear why the Wylde Audio Barbarian is such a monster of a metal machine. The devilish tone and ultra-fast playability allow guitarists to channel their inner shred demon and unleash hellacious riffs at will.

Built for the Stage – An Ideal Guitar for Metal Performance

One area where the Barbarian truly excels is on stage in a live setting. Zakk Wylde designed this guitar for professional use during constant touring and demanding performances. He knows better than anyone the rigors of putting on a killer metal show night after night.

Some key factors make the Barbarian great for live playing:

• Stage-ready sound – With its powerful pickups and construction focused on resonance and sustain, the Barbarian needs little amplification to fill a room with its crushing tones.
• Rock-solid tuning stability – The double-locking Floyd Rose tremolo system keeps the Barbarian in tune through heavy tremolo abuse, drastic tuning fluctuations, and environmental changes.
• Balanced weight relief – The mahogany body is chambered in strategic places to offset the weight of the Floyd Rose system. This makes the Barbarian comfortable to wear for an entire set.
• Apocalyptic visual flair – The tribal graphic finish, metal studding, and savage styling cues make the Barbarian instantly recognizable on stage. Ideal for building a menacing metal image.
• Zakk Wylde signature model – The legendary guitarist’s name emblazoned on the headstock conveys credibility and authenticity for metal fans in the audience.

For these reasons and more, the Barbarian is built to withstand the demands of the stage and deliver devastating metal tone night after night. Only the sturdiest guitars can survive and thrive in the live domain, which this axe passes with flying Vs.

Built for Metal – How the Barbarian Stacks Up to Other Zakk Wylde Guitars

As Zakk Wylde’s own personal brand, Wylde Audio guitars are designed with metal in mind first and foremost. The Barbarian stands as the most extreme breed of the lineup when it comes to aggressive tones and feel.

The mid-priced Warhammer model has a few subtle differences that set it apart from the Barbarian:

• Warhammer has a maple neck and fretboard, while the Barbarian has mahogany and ebony
• Scale length is slightly shorter on the Warhammer (24.625″ vs 25.5″)
• Warhammer pickups are usually EMGs, while Barbarians come loaded with Black Winters
• Barbarian fretboard radius is a bit flatter at 16″ vs the Warhammer’s 12″
• Warhammer has a Tune-O-Matic bridge, versus the Barbarian’s Floyd Rose

Overall the Barbarian takes everything up to the extreme – louder pickups, flatter fretboard, deeper cutaway, and the Floyd for divebombs. The Warhammer meets more players in the middle as an all-around metal guitar. But for pure sonic violence and shred capability, the Barbarian stands tall as Zakk’s most menacing metal monster.

The Heart of a Shred Beast – Pickups and Electronics

No guitar makes a bigger impact on tone than the pickups and electronics that convert string vibrations to volcanic levels of output. The Barbarian comes loaded with some of the heaviest metal pickups available today:

EMG 81/85

• 81 at the bridge for blistering leads and aggressive chugging rhythms
• 85 at the neck for fatter tones when soloing up high on the fretboard
• Active design with stacked ceramic magnets and insane amounts of output
• Engineered for noise reduction and squeal-free high gain playing

Seymour Duncan Black Winter

• Signature set designed by Zakk Wylde himself
• Absurd output levels matched only by the EMG 81
• Very high treble and mid spikes that cut through dense distortion
• Unmatched clarity and note separation, even in dropped tunings
• More organic tone with increased resonance compared to EMGs

No matter which set of pickups the Barbarian rocks, one thing is certain – this guitar is built for face-melting tone that leaves ears ringing! Between the active EMGs and monster output of the Black Winters, the Barbarian delivers enough high-gain firepower to summon the gods of metal themselves.

Menacing Style as Savage as the Sound

When it comes to visual flare, the Wylde Audio Barbarian turns heads even before amplifiers are turned on. Zakk Wylde undeniably has his own signature style, from the pinch harmonics wailing from his amps to the savage tribal graphics adorning his guitars. The Barbarian proudly carries this aesthetic forward.

Some of the stand-out style choices on the Barbarian include:

• Custom tribal/skulls graphic finish straight from the Wylde playbook
• Metal studding across the lower half and around the edges for that gladiator vibe
• Inlaid metal frets reading “ZAKK WYLDE” angled down the fretboard
• Lions claw marks slashed across the body for visceral visual impact
• Crimson gothic cross and decorative gold trim inlays along the binding
• Gloss black headstock with Zakk’s signature bullseye logo
• Silver “Odin/Phoenix” graphic on rear of body over mahogany wings

Pulling no punches, the Barbarian’s menacing aesthetics match its menacing sound. One look at this guitar makes it crystal clear – this is a heavy metal shred machine ready for the stage. Fans of Zakk’s signature style will appreciate how the Barbarian encapsulates his uncompromising vision.

Built for Hard Rock and Metal Across the Board

Given Zakk Wylde’s pedigree with Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society spanning decades, the Barbarian unsurprisingly leans into heavy rock and traditional metal tones. That said, thanks to its versatile construction and searing active pickups, this guitar can also pull off more extreme modern metal styles:

• Classic Metal/Hard Rock – its extended range and Floyd Rose allow for Van Halen-esque techniques. The mahogany body has that vintage Marshall Super Lead crunch. From Ozzy to Dio, the Barbarian covers classic metal with authority.
• Thrash Metal – For late 80s/early 90s thrash, the Barbarian’s biting mids and articulate pickups provide tight rhythms and searing leads. Fans of Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer can achieve that classic thrash tone.
• Groove/Nu Metal – Drop the Barbarian to B or A standard tuning and you can nail down 7-string style grooves. The chunky bass and scooped EQ excels for bands like Pantera, Slipknot, and Korn.
• Death/Extreme Metal – Load up the Black Winter pickups, tune down to F# or even F, and get ready for guttural chugs. The Barbarian has the output and articulation to hold its own in technical death metal.

No matter your preferred brand of heavy, the Wylde Audio Barbarian stands ready to deliver the angry tones. From old school to extreme and everything between, this shred machine animal gets the job done.

The Barbarian in the Wild – Signature Guitar for Zakk Wylde Himself

At the end of the day, the Barbarian is designed to satisfy the stage needs of Zakk Wylde himself. It is tailored specifically to his style of aggressive metal riffing and searing pinched harmonics.

Seeing the Barbarian in action with Zakk on stage really demonstrates what this guitar is capable of. Here’s a run-down of Zakk’s own use of the Barbarian out in the wild with Black Label Society:

• Dropped tuning to accommodate Zakk’s low riffing and his custom “bullseye” string gauge
• Heavy distortion that allows the active pickups to sing
• Crazy pinch harmonics that squeal for days thanks to the maple top
• Deep cutaway for fast access to upper frets where Zakk loves to solo
• Floyd Rose for flutters, dives, and effect tricks
• Custom graphic finish matching Zakk’s signature visual style

The Barbarian was truly built first and foremost for the stage. Seeing Zakk wield his signature model highlights why the specs and features are tailored for his live performance approach. Though designed by Zakk and for Zakk, the Barbarian offers his signature sound to regular shredders as an authentic piece of metal history.

Unleash Your Inner Metal Monster!

After this deep dive, it should be clear why the Wylde Audio Barbarian stands in a class of its own when it comes to weapons of heavy metal destruction. Everything about its construction and components is optimized for face-melting tone that perseveres on even the biggest stages.

This is a professional-grade guitar ready for touring and recording at the highest levels. But you need not be a famous shredder to unlock its potential – the Barbarian empowers average Joes to summon their inner metal gods too.

Its menacing pointy-shaped mahogany body, devastating EMG/Black Winter pickups, and slick extra-jumbo-fretted maple neck beg for blistering leads and chugging riffs played at punishing volumes. Let the Barbarian shed the blood of non-believers!

For diehard fans of Zakk Wylde, there may be no better choice than his namesake Wylde Audio flagship. The Barbarian flawlessly channels his uncompromising approach to heavy metal in both sound and aesthetic.

Raw, loud, fast, aggressive – these words define the Barbarian. If you want to unleash unholy hellions of tone, then this beast may be the right axe for you. Just be sure to wield this shred machine responsibly, lest you summon the demons of metal themselves!