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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Kerry King. Every item links to its public source.
19 items · Last checked What guitar does Kerry King play?
Premier Guitar's 2024 profile lists Kerry King with a Dean Kerry King V and a Dean USA Overlord, a Dunlop Cry Baby Rack wah, an MXR M117R Flanger, his MXR Kerry King Ten Band EQ and an MXR Wylde Audio Overdrive, Dunlop Kerry King 10-52 strings and Tortex Triangle .73mm picks. He has said he records through his signature 'Beast' Marshall heads into Marshall Mode Four cabinets.
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Where to start with Kerry King's gear.
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Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
“and the Overlord, which I put out last year.”
Said in Guitar World: Kerry King on his journey from B.C. Rich to Dean via ESP, June 2024
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Dunlop
Cry Baby Rack ModuleSeen in Premier Guitar: Slayer's Kerry King Returns to the Throne, May 2024
What gear Kerry King uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars, strings and picks
SponsoredSeen using
SponsoredHas said they use
“and the Overlord, which I put out last year.”
Said in Guitar World: Kerry King on his journey from B.C. Rich to Dean via ESP, June 2024
SponsoredSeen using
Seen using
Effects
Seen using
Dunlop
Cry Baby Rack ModuleSeen in Premier Guitar: Slayer's Kerry King Returns to the Throne, May 2024
Seen using
Dunlop
Wylde Audio Cry Baby WahSeen in Premier Guitar: Slayer's Kerry King Returns to the Throne, May 2024
Seen using
Seen in Premier Guitar: Slayer's Kerry King Returns to the Throne, May 2024
SponsoredHas said they use
“I used my signature 'Beast' Marshall heads which come with a built-in thing called the Assault, based on my signature MXR 10-band Graphic EQ parameters.”
Said in Guitar World: Kerry King on From Hell I Rise, Dean and his Marshall rig, June 2024
Has said they use
“I was using it for my leads but now I'll kick in my MXR Zakk Wylde Overdrive.”
Said in Guitar World: Kerry King on From Hell I Rise, Dean and his Marshall rig, June 2024
Records he loves
Has said they love
Judas Priest
Stained Class“To me, historically, it seems like the most complete Judas Priest album.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
Black Sabbath
Sabotage“Sabotage is just a very heavy record.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
AC/DC
Powerage“If I were to go with AC/DC, it would be 'Powerage'.”
Has said they love
AC/DC
Highway to Hell“Highway to Hell, besides it being Bon Scott's last album, there's just no duds on there.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
Iron Maiden
The Number Of The Beast“I had a hard time picking an Iron Maiden album, because I love the first three equally.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
Metallica
Master of Puppets“But that record, it's got a billion great songs on it.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
Exodus
Bonded by Blood“If I had to pick one record from Exodus to listen to the rest of my life, it'd be Bonded by Blood.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
Mercyful Fate
Melissa“On Melissa, in particular, it was Mercyful Fate finding their sound.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
Ozzy Osbourne
Diary of a Madman“I had a hard time picking between Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Has said they love
Rainbow
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll“Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, to me, has the most good songs on it.”
Said in Rolling Stone: Slayer's Kerry King, My 10 Favorite Metal Albums, July 2017
Questions
About Kerry King's gear.
What guitar does Kerry King play?
Dean, after leaving B.C. Rich. Premier Guitar lists a Dean USA Kerry King V Limited Edition, a Kerry King V in Black Satin and a USA Kerry King Overlord with EMG KFK pickups and Kahler tremolos. Before that he played B.C. Rich for most of Slayer's run, and ESP for about a decade.
What amp does Kerry King use?
His Marshall JCM800 2203KK signature head, which he calls the Beast, into Marshall MF400B Mode Four cabinets. Live he runs three heads and staggers the cabinets so he hears a wash of all three.
What pedals does Kerry King use?
Premier Guitar lists a Dunlop Cry Baby Rack wah, a Dunlop Wylde Audio Cry Baby, an MXR M117R Flanger, his MXR Kerry King Ten Band EQ and an MXR Wylde Audio Overdrive, which he told Guitar World he now kicks in for leads.
What strings and picks does Kerry King use?
Dunlop's Kerry King set, 10 to 52, and Dunlop Triangle .73mm picks, according to Premier Guitar.
What are Kerry King's favourite metal albums?
He told Rolling Stone his ten include Judas Priest's Stained Class, Black Sabbath's Sabotage, AC/DC's Highway to Hell, Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast, Metallica's Master of Puppets, Exodus' Bonded by Blood and Mercyful Fate's Melissa. In 2024 he picked Powerage for AC/DC.
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Named in this guide
KK
Kerry King
About this guide · Last checked
Kerry King is the co-founding guitarist of Slayer and leads his own band, whose debut From Hell I Rise came out in 2024. This guide covers his Dean signature guitars, Dunlop and MXR effects, strings and picks from Premier Guitar and Guitar World, plus the metal records he has named as favourites to Rolling Stone and Blabbermouth.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Kerry King didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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