Kerry King Rig

Estimated build cost: ~$26,616 (based on current listings)

Metal Slayer Kerry King

Kerry King co-founded Slayer and built thrash guitar around dry, mid-forward Marshall crunch, Kahler dive-bombs, and deliberately chaotic leads. On the early records he used a B.C. Rich Mockingbird (Show No Mercy through Hell Awaits) and then a B.C. Rich Warlock as the main Reign in Blood guitar, both later fitted with Kahler tremolos, running a Marshall JCM800 2203 with no reverb. The midrange punch came from a Boss RGE-10 graphic EQ in front of that stock 2203 — the curve he later had Marshall hard-wire into his signature head.

After Seasons in the Abyss, B.C. Rich’s Class Axe era could not build neck-through guitars, so King spent about a decade on ESP Kerry King Vs before returning for the tribal B.C. Rich KKV signatures that defined late-era Slayer until 2019. He then moved to Dean, recording From Hell I Rise and touring on the USA Kerry King V and Kerry King Overlord. The amp never changed camps: he still runs three Marshall JCM800 2203KK heads (KT88s, built-in Beast EQ and gate) into a wall of 4x12s, with a short board of Zakk Wylde wah, MXR ZW44 Berzerker, and an MXR flanger.

~$26,616 Estimated total
14 Pieces of gear
Metal Genre / style
Affiliate Disclosure
Kerry King Rig
Photo by Paulo Mendes from Portugal / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Kerry King guitars, amps and pedals

Classic / iconic era

The breakthrough pieces they are most associated with.

B.C. Rich Mockingbird
Guitar
B.C. Rich Mockingbird
B.C. Rich Mockingbird 1980s - Natural
Classic 1983–85: the red-refinished Koa Mockingbird on Show No Mercy, Haunting the Chapel, and Hell Awaits, later given a Kahler after Hanneman’s guitar. Mostly retired by Reign in Blood.
$8,699
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B.C. Rich Warlock
Guitar
B.C. Rich Warlock
B.C. Rich Warlock 2004 or 2014 - Black
Classic 1986: the black Warlock that replaced the Mockingbird as the main Reign in Blood and early-tour guitar, DiMarzio Super Distortions before the EMG switch, Kahler tremolo.
$265
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Marshall JCM800 2203
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203
Marshall JCM800 2203KK Kerry King Signature
Classic 1980s–90s: the 100-watt non-master 2203 behind Hell Awaits, Reign in Blood, and Seasons in the Abyss. His favorite stock 1996-era example was nicknamed The Beast and later cloned as the 2203KK.
$2,738
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Boss RGE-10 Graphic EQ
Pedal
Boss RGE-10 Graphic EQ
Boss RGE-10 Micro Rack Graphic Equalizer 10-Band EQ Studio Rack Unit
Classic through mid 2000s: rack graphic EQ that supplied the mid-boost curve in front of the 2203. Those settings became the fixed Beast EQ inside the 2203KK.
$150
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Mid-career

A real in-between era or endorsement — not what they use now.

ESP Kerry King V
Guitar
ESP Kerry King V
Early 2000’s B.C. Rich KKV Kerry King Signature Flying V w/ Tribal over Fire Graphic
Mid ~1990–1998: after Seasons in the Abyss, B.C. Rich’s Class Axe lease could not build neck-throughs, so King spent about a decade on ESP Kerry King Vs (KK Custom/KK Standard, Kahler, EMG, limited crackle/eagle-inlay runs).
$1,500
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B.C. Rich Kerry King V (KKV)
Guitar
B.C. Rich Kerry King V (KKV)
Early 2000’s B.C. Rich KKV Kerry King Signature Flying V w/ Tribal over Fire Graphic
Mid ~1998–2019: the tribal KKV he returned to after ESP — neck-through V with EMG KFK 81/PA2, often a Sustainiac or Fernandes sustainer in the neck, Kahler 2315. The guitar people picture for late Slayer, used until the Dean switch at the end of the farewell run.
$1,500
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MXR KFK1 Kerry King 10-Band EQ
Pedal
MXR KFK1 Kerry King 10-Band EQ
Discontinued : MXR 10 Band KFK Kerry King low noise stereo equalizer
Mid 2000s: his Dunlop/MXR signature 10-band, the floor version of the RGE-10 curve he ran before Marshall put that EQ and a gate inside the 2203KK.
$219
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Current / most recent

What they tour or record with now, or the newest signature line.

Dean USA Kerry King V
Guitar
Dean USA Kerry King V
Early 2000’s B.C. Rich KKV Kerry King Signature Flying V w/ Tribal over Fire Graphic
Current 2019–present: Dean USA Kerry King V (50-piece Limited Edition and later Black Satin versions) with EMG 81 plus PA2 in the bridge, Sustainiac neck, and Kahler KFK tremolo. First used at the tail of Slayer, then on the solo band and From Hell I Rise.
$1,500
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Dean Kerry King Overlord
Guitar
Dean Kerry King Overlord
Dean USA Kerry King Signature Overlord 2025 - Battalion Gray
Current 2023–present: the USA Overlord (Battalion Grey and related finishes) — mahogany/maple, EMG 81 with PA2, Sustainiac or EMG 85 neck, Kahler Hybrid. This is the newest signature shape he is pushing with Dean, not a leftover B.C. Rich.
$5,999
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Marshall JCM800 2203KK
Amp
Marshall JCM800 2203KK
Marshall JCM800 2203KK Kerry King Signature
Current 2008–present: signature JCM800 based on The Beast, with KT88s, a built-in 10-band (Beast) EQ, and a gate. Production ran 2008–2010, but he still tours three heads at once on Slayer reunion and Kerry King dates — this is the live amp now, not a finished mid-era detour.
$2,738
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Marshall Mode Four 4x12
Cabinet
Marshall Mode Four 4x12
Marshall Mode Four MF280 4x12 Cabinet w/ Original Vintage 30MF Speakers
Current live rig: six Mode Four 4x12s (G12K-100s in the classic KK setup) fed by the three 2203KK heads in a staggered 1-and-4 / 2-and-5 / 3-and-6 mix so the stage is one wall of sound.
$870
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Dunlop ZW45 Zakk Wylde Signature Cry Baby Wah
Pedal
Dunlop ZW45 Zakk Wylde Signature Cry Baby Wah
Dunlop ZW45 Zakk Wylde Signature Cry Baby Wah 2005 - 2018 - Brushed Metal
Current 2020s pedalboard: the Zakk Wylde wah his tech runs as the main wah (King has called it nastier than a stock Cry Baby). Replaced the older Dunlop rack Cry Baby in the stripped-down live board.
$105
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MXR ZW44 Berzerker Overdrive
Pedal
MXR ZW44 Berzerker Overdrive
MXR ZW-44 ZW44 Berzerker Overdrive Zakk Wylde Signature Guitar Effect Pedal MMI13G034
Current 2024–25 live board: Zakk Wylde Berzerker overdrive sitting with the wah and an MXR flanger — a three-pedal floor, with gain and EQ otherwise handled by the 2203KK Beast circuit.
$89
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EMG KFK Kerry King Set
Other
EMG KFK Kerry King Set
EMG Kerry King KFK-Set (EMG-81, EMG-85, EMG-PA2)
Throughout late 1980s–present: EMG 81 bridge and 85 neck, then the KFK set with PA2 20 dB boost. Still the electronics in the Dean Vs and Overlords (bridge 81/PA2, neck often a Sustainiac instead of the 85).
$245
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Estimated build total ~$26,616
Rig Overview
Estimated total ~$26,616
Pieces of gear 14
Genre / style Metal
Classic / iconic era 4 items
Mid-career 3 items
Current / most recent 7 items
Research This Gear
Reverb Price History Sold prices for B.C. Rich Mockingbird Gear Value Lookup Market value for B.C. Rich Mockingbird Deal Desk Spot flips across Reverb & eBay Gear Alerts Get notified when gear goes live
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