Zakk Wylde discusses the origin of his bullseye-patterned Les Paul Custom guitar, known as "Grail", and how it came to define his distinctive style.
In the world of modern rock and metal, Zakk Wylde's Gibson Les Paul Custom electric guitar, famously known as "The Grail," stands out as one of the most iconic instruments. This cream-and-black bullseye graphic masterpiece, particularly associated with Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears-era, has a fascinating origin story.
Originally, Wylde intended the guitar to bear a design inspired by the poster of Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo. The poster features a swirling circular pattern, which Wylde wanted to use to create distinctive circles that would set him apart from Randy Rhoads, Osbourne's previous guitarist. However, due to a misunderstanding during the refinishing process, the guitar came back with a bullseye pattern instead of the intended Vertigo-style swirl.
Wylde, surprised by the unexpected finish, initially felt it might make him look like he was imitating Rhoads. After recording No Rest for the Wicked, he decided to send the guitar for a refinish, hoping it would look like the Vertigo poster. Instead, it returned with the now-famous bullseye graphic, which has since become one of the most recognizable images in rock and metal history.
The Grail has become synonymous with Wylde's career, despite this unexpected finish. It embodies a signature look that Wylde never foresaw but embraced fully. The guitar was already equipped with EMG active humbucker pickups when Wylde acquired it from a friend named Scott Quinn.
In a twist of fate, Wylde traded the Grail for a double-neck guitar with Scott Quinn in a deal brokered by Gibson. The details of what happened to Scott Quinn's double-neck guitar after the trade are unknown. However, the Grail remained a significant guitar in Wylde's career, embodying the sound and playability that impressed him from the moment he first played it.
Over time, Wylde has made the bullseye design a leitmotif of his guitars, riffing on it with various signature guitars, first with Gibson and later with Wylde Audio guitars. The bullseye design on the Grail is not based on the Vertigo poster as he initially intended, but it is a recurring theme in his signature guitars.
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- Zakk Wylde's iconic electric guitar, the Gibson Les Paul Custom, also known as "The Grail," was initially intended to feature a design inspired by the poster of Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo.
- Despite the unexpected bullseye pattern that emerged during the refinishing process, Wylde's Gibson Les Paul Custom, with its cream-and-black finish, has become one of the most recognizable images in rock and metal history.
- Originally, the Grail was equipped with EMG active humbucker pickups and was acquired from a friend named Scott Quinn, with whom Wylde later traded the guitar for a double-neck guitar in a deal brokered by Gibson.
- Over the years, Wylde has embraced the bullseye design as a leitmotif in his guitars, incorporating it into various signature models, such as those produced by Gibson and his own brand, Wylde Audio guitars.
