The B.C. Rich Kerry King V is a B.C. Rich electric guitar, currently around $523.99. Close alternatives include the Jackson Y2KV and the B.C. Rich Beast. It pairs well with the Vox MV50-CE Rock and the Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/55 100W Amp Head.
B.C. Rich Kerry King V
B.C. Rich · electric guitar
The B.C. Rich Kerry King V is the Slayer guitarist's signature V-shaped electric, a second-generation model with an aggressive, angular body, fast neck, an EMG KFK active humbucker in the bridge and a Sustainiac in the neck for infinite sustain and feedback effects. It is built for extreme metal, delivering a tight, cutting, high-output voice with brutal attack and singing, sustaining leads. Closely tied to Kerry King's thrash rhythm and chaotic solo style, it is purpose-made for heavy and thrash metal rather than versatility, pairing naturally with high-gain Marshall-style amps and down-tuned aggression.
- metal
- thrash
- rhythm
- cutting
- tight
- sustain
- attack
- aggressive
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the B.C. Rich Kerry King V is commonly used in
- Metal
- Electronic
- Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Thrash Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Death Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the B.C. Rich Kerry King V
Vox MV50-CE Rock
Vox
23% matchVox MV50-CE Rock takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/55 100W Amp Head
amplifier
22% matchMarshall Silver Jubilee 25/55 100W Amp Head takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Magnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head
Magnatone
21% matchMagnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head pushes a high gain tone toward modulated
Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchGallien-Krueger Fusion 210 takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Traynor BB115
Traynor
tonal matchStack Traynor BB115 on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
Ceriatone HRM 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchFeed a high gain signal into Ceriatone HRM 50 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Ampeg Micro CL Stack
Ampeg
tonal matchFeed a high gain signal into Ampeg Micro CL Stack and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchFeed a high gain signal into Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the B.C. Rich Kerry King V
Shin's Music Dumbloid
Shins Music
20% matchShin's Music Dumbloid takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Xotic EP Booster
Xotic
20% matchFeed a high gain signal into Xotic EP Booster and it comes out closer to clean boost
Spaceman Effects Atlas IV
Spaceman
tonal matchSpaceman Effects Atlas IV takes that high gain character and pushes it toward clean boost
Wampler Cory Wong
Wampler
tonal matchWampler Cory Wong pushes a high gain tone toward clean boost
JAM Pedals RetroVibe Mk.4
Jam Pedals
tonal matchFeed a high gain signal into JAM Pedals RetroVibe Mk.4 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
MXR CAE Wah
MXR
tonal matchMXR CAE Wah pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Friedman Buxom Boost
Friedman
tonal matchInto B.C. Rich Kerry King V, Friedman Buxom Boost is right at home: it's built around a high-gain amp's front end
Walrus Audio Lillian Multi-Stage Analog Phaser
Walrus Audio
tonal matchStack Walrus Audio Lillian Multi-Stage Analog Phaser on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Jackson Y2KV
Jackson
97% similaritysimilar tone character
B.C. Rich Beast
B.C. Rich
97% similaritysimilar tone character
Hamer Phantom GT
Hamer
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Jackson Rhoads
Jackson
95% similaritysimilar tone character
ESP Vulture
Esp
95% similaritysimilar tone character
ESP Truckster
Esp
95% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the B.C. Rich Kerry King V (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the B.C. Rich Kerry King V?+
The closest matches in character are the Jackson Y2KV, the B.C. Rich Beast, the Hamer Phantom GT. Boutique upgrades: ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte.
What pairs well with the B.C. Rich Kerry King V?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Vox MV50-CE Rock, Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/55 100W Amp Head, Magnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head — Vox MV50-CE Rock takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight.
How much does the B.C. Rich Kerry King V cost?+
Around $523.99 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).