“I like pointy guitars that look like weapons” – Kerry King
Kerry owns about 20 B.C. Rich guitars in total, and he uses no more than 5 for a single gig.
Kerry King’s Electric Guitars:
B.C. Rich Mockingbird
 | This was his first B.C. Rich back in the early ’80s. |
B.C. Rich Metal Master Warlock
 | He started using Warlocks in the ’80s, and still uses them today. The models he uses today are equipped with EMG 81 and EMG 85 pickups, EMG PA2 Preamp Booster Switch, and a Kahler Tremolo system. |
B.C. Rich Kerry King V (KKV)
 | His main V features the same pickup at the bridge position as his Warlock (EMG 81) and what seems to be a Fernandes Sustainer at the neck position (see this video ; Wikipedia notes that he uses FSK-401 model). Guitar also comes with the Kahler 2315 tremolo system, EMG PA2 Preamp Booster Switch and Grover Super Rotomatic Tuners. The body and neck are built of maple wood. B.C. Rich released a couple of Kerry King signature models, and one among them is a guitar based on this one. It comes with the EMG 85 pickup instead of the Fernandes Sustainer (you can see a complete list of KK signature models here: B.C. Rich KK) Kerry owns a couple of more of V models himself. Some of them are with mahogany body, and EMG pickups in both slots, and they mostly come in different color designs. Kerry is known to occasionally use B.C. Rich Beast V N.T. and ”Wartribe” 7 string ( he uses EMG 81-7 and EMG 707 pickups for this guitar) |
Kerry King’s Guitar Amps:
Kerry uses Marshall JCM800 signature heads with KT-88 tubes and Mode Four 4×12 Cabinets (6 of them).
He had previously used a standard JCM800 head with 6550 tubes, which he got in the late ’80s.
Kerry King’s Guitar Effects:
Dunlop DCR-1SR Crybaby Rack Wah Controller
Dunlop Zakk Wylde Signature Cry Baby Wah Wah
Tonebone Switchbone
(AB-Y guitar amp switcher)
Dunlop Q-Zone
(Dunlop released Kerry King signature model named Kerry King Q Zone KFK-QZ1)
Rest of the pedals:
MXR 10 Band EQ Pedal
(his main effect)
Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ
MXR ZW38 Black Label Chorus
Eventide H3000S Harmonizer
MXR Smart Gate Pro
MXR Smart Gate Pro Rack Unit
Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
Shure UHF Wireless System
(connected to the Radial JX44 Air Control which splits the signal to the three different amps which all run at the same time)
Kerry King’s Guitar Strings:
– Dunlop Nickel Plated Steel Guitar Strings (.009 to .045)
– Dunlop Kerry King Icon (.010 to .046)
Kerry King’s Guitar Picks:
– In Tune 1.14 mm Guitar Picks