B.C. Rich Warlock

The B.C. Rich Warlock is both an electric guitar and bass guitar made by B.C. Rich. It features a distinct jagged shape and two humbucker pickups. It was designed by company founder Bernie Rico in 1969: “This was the only guitar I ever designed at a drafting table, using straight-edges and French curves. It was lots of curves going into straight lines. At first I thought it was the ugliest guitar I’d ever designed." The design wasn't built until local guitarist Spencer Sercombe (then of The Sharks (later Shark Island)]) prompted Bernie to do so but once it was it soon found favor in the emerging heavy metal scene. "The introduction of the Warlock in 1981 marked the beginning of B.C. Rich’s rise to iconic status in heavy metal. [...] The confluence of B.C. Rich’s far-out designs and the emerging hair metal culture of the late '70s and early '80s helped cement the brand’s place in the market".

Over the years since its introduction the Warlock has become a de facto image of a heavy metal guitar, so much so that in 2015 it was selected to represent Metal in the exhibition Medieval to Metal: The Art & Evolution of the Guitar at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

There are many variations of the Warlock. In ascending order of price, they are:

Electric Guitars: Electric Bass Guitars:
 * B.C. Rich Bronze Series Electric Guitar
 * B.C. Rich Revenge Warlock
 * B.C. Rich Red Bevel Warlock Guitar and Amp Pack
 * B.C. Rich Metal Master Warlock
 * B.C. Rich Warlock IT Electric Guitar
 * B.C. Rich Kerry King Warlock with Kahler Tremolo
 * B.C. Rich NJ Deluxe Warlock Electric Guitar
 * B.C. Rich Deluxe Series Warlock (Rare only 200 made exclusively for Guitar Center)
 * B.C. Rich Revenge Warlock Electric Bass Guitar
 * B.C. Rich Bronze Warlock Bass Electric Guitar
 * B.C. Rich Paolo Gregoletto Signature Warlock Bass
 * B.C. Rich Warlock NJ Deluxe 4-String Bass
 * B.C. Rich NJ Deluxe Warlock 5-String Bass

Notable users

 * Kerry King of Slayer
 * Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P.
 * Lita Ford
 * Glenn Gato of Monkey Blood
 * Max Cavalera of Soulfly formerly of Sepultura
 * Mick Thomson of Slipknot
 * Robb Flynn of Machine Head
 * C.C. DeVille of Poison
 * Robert "Litza" Friedrich (ex-Acid Drinkers)
 * KayJ of The USB (ex-Post Script)
 * Paolo Gregoletto of Trivium (ex-Metal Militia)
 * Paul Stanley of Kiss
 * Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe (shout at the devil era)
 * Craig Goldy of Dio and Giuffria
 * Todd Jones of Nails
 * Shakey Graves
 * Weird Paul Petroskey
 * Tripp Eisen formerly of Static X, Dope and the Murderdolls
 * Joey Jordison (he played guitar for the Murderdolls)
 * Gothic King Cobra
 * Jeordie White