Wylde Audio hails Odin Genesis Grail Bullseye (again?)
3,5 / 5,0 | 
Wylde Audio has uploaded pictures of a new Odin Genesis Grail Bullseye model on its Facebook page. This instrument seems to have firm roots in ‘that’ iconic guitar Zakk Wylde played whilst working with Ozzy Osbourne. The distinct Bullseye pattern harkens back to the glory days when the two unleashed their music on the rock world.
This design has been seen before at some UK dealers, but the headline below the photo on Facebook states that the guitar is being “unveiled”. Currently, the model is not on their main website, so it looks as though it has been slated for (another?) launch at NAMM 2017 next week.
Vertigo
Okay, very quick history lesson first: a young Zakk Wylde gets his dream gig playing the guitar with Ozzy Osbourne. So he, of course, asks Gibson to make him a vertigo pattern custom paint job on a maple necked Les Paul Custom. The visual design honoured the original vertigo inner label on the vinyl releases of original Black Sabbath albums, and – of course – is also a nod to Randy Rhoads at the same time.
Gibson obliged as they knew it would be a great endorsement to have their guitar up on stage every night being played by this great guitarist accompanying a rock legend. Zakk receives the guitar, opens up the case and his heart sinks. Gibson had only gone and ballsed it up and put a bullseye instead of a vertigo pattern on the guitar!
Wylde Guitars
Zakk has since left Ozzy and ended his endorsement with Gibson. Last year, he launched Wylde Audio at NAMM. The guitars are very ‘Zakk Wyde’ and not for the faint hearted, but they are, by some accounts, well made instruments. We presume that Mr Wylde would not put his name on any old rubbish. The Wylde Odin Genesis Grail Bullseye is a homage to that infamous ‘Gibson mistake’, which eventually became such a recognisable instrument. Even today, everyone associates the bullseye pattern with Zakk.
Specifications
The guitar is based on a certain single cut guitar design from the 1950s. There’s a maple cap on top of a bound Mahogany body, with a ‘traditional’ 24.75” scale three-piece maple neck sporting an ebony fretboard. The neck is fitted with 6100-sized frets and oversized Mother-of-Peal block inlays.
The bridge hardware is all TonePros, with Grover Rotomatic machine heads and a GraphTech Tusq. The instrument is loaded with Zakk’s favourite EMG Active 81/85 humbucker pickup combination for solid rock tones.
You have to give it to Zakk that he doesn’t compromise, and we salute him for his integrity. He even makes left-handed version of these for all you southpaws out there.
Full details on the new Wylde Guitars
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