From Guitar World · · 3m
Dave Mustaine's life in pointy guitars
From a Les Paul copy to a B.C. Rich Bich that won over Kerry King, the guitars behind Megadeth's sharpest riffs.
In brief
From a Les Paul copy to a B.C. Rich Bich that won over Kerry King, the guitars behind Megadeth's sharpest riffs. Mustaine's gear arc runs from borrowed shapes to signature models, but the spec sheet barely changed: one V, hot pickups, thin neck, heavy output. Originally reported by Guitar World.
Edgy guitars, literally
Mustaine's taste in instruments matches his temperament. Rich Biches, Destroyers, endless V shapes, all built around sharp points.
“In life and in music, Megadeth's Dave Mustaine pulls no punches.”
He started un-metal
His first "professional" guitar was a Les Paul copy. Not a real one, and it did not stick around long.
Full circle with Gibson
For Megadeth's farewell run, Mustaine partnered with Gibson on a signature Les Paul. This time it's the genuine article, not a knockoff.
“But this time, it's not a Chibson.”
The B.C. Rich Bich
He picked one up around 1980 and played it through Panic, Metallica and early Megadeth. Nobody is quite sure where he got it.
The guitar that hooked Kerry King
Slayer's Kerry King watched Mustaine tear it up on the Bich and said yes to joining Megadeth. He lasted about three weeks.
“leading to him accepting the offer to join Megadeth… for around three weeks”
Ten strings, six used
The Bich had 10 strings and Mustaine ignored the extra four. Natural finish later blacked out, neck-through body, two uncovered Seymour Duncans, fixed bridge.
An Ibanez Destroyer detour
Around joining Metallica in 1981, he added an Ibanez Destroyer II D400. Gibson had sued Ibanez over how much it looked like an Explorer, which only made the shape famous.
Everyone had one
Eddie Van Halen and Adrian Smith played Destroyers too, so Mustaine was joining the party. His had a sunburst maple top, mahogany body, and a V2 and Super 58 pickup pair.
Switching to Jackson in 1986
Both Biches and the Destroyer disappeared when Mustaine moved to Jackson King Vs. He ended up with three that mattered: a white one, a black Custom, and a silver one.
The white one, sanded down
His first post-endorsement Jackson ran a single humbucker and a Kahler 2300 trem. He had the neck sanded thin so fresh lacquer would not grab his sweaty hands onstage.
The black King V Custom
A 1986 prototype built to his spec: Kahler fixed bridge, Duncan JB and Bill Lawrence 500L, 24 frets, JE-1200 mid boost, Megadeth logo on the body. His workhorse until 1992.
"Number One" in silver
The silver sparkle V is on nearly every classic Megadeth record from Peace Sells onward. The only real difference from the black one was a Duncan Jazz in the neck.
“Mustaine has said many times that this was his "main guitar"”
Dean and the VMNT
After a short ESP stint, he signed with Dean and debuted the VMNT at NAMM in January 2007. Same recipe as the King V, but with his Live Wire pickups and a 9-volt preamp for more gain.
“The theory was that the VMNT was a hot-rodded King V, and maybe it was.”
The Gibson dream
Being a Gibson endorsee was his lifelong goal, worth walking away from Jackson, ESP and Dean. The Flying V EXP has an ebony board, teeth-shaped inlays, an Explorer headstock and Thrash Factory Duncans.
“designed by metal icon Dave Mustaine”
The takeaway
Mustaine's gear arc runs from borrowed shapes to signature models, but the spec sheet barely changed: one V, hot pickups, thin neck, heavy output.
