B.C. Rich GOD of War Specifications

SOUNDCHECK

SOUNDCHECK

the gear in review

GOD OF WAR

B.C. Rich WMD Warbeast electric guitar 

BY ERIC KIRKLAND

H

ARDCORE GUITARISTS PLAY 

wild-looking, and sometimes 

weapon-shaped, guitars to 

complement their dark personas, pow-

erful statements and aggressive styles. 

Unfortunately, so many of these guitars 

look and play more like satirical stage 

props than serious instruments. B.C. 

Rich intends to change this unfortunate 

trend with the innovative Warbeast. 

The new ax derives its name from 

the 1981 Warlock and 1999 Beast gui-

tars that inspired its shape. It also has 

all that a metal player might want, in-

cluding high-output pickups, a 24-fret 

board and a double-locking Original 

Floyd Rose bridge. These features, 

combined with the guitar’s refined ap-

pearance and flawless playability, posi-

tion the Warbeast as the archetype for 

future serious metal guitar designs. 

FEATURES

TO CREATE THE 

Warbeast’s special 

mahogany body, B.C. Rich fused the 

lower bout of their Warlock with the 

upper horns of their Beast. This clever 

union suggests the symmetry of a poi-

sonous arachnid, which is further en-

hanced by the blood red pinstripes that 

trace the body’s beveled edges. 

The Warbeast’s maple neck runs 

through the body’s center, a true neck-

through design that provides excellent 

stability for tremolo bridges and results 

in superior sustain characteristics. The 

neck is wide and fairly thick, with a 

rolling profile that lies well in the hand 

and favors modern sweep techniques 

and complex chord shapes. 

Superb fretwork is another of the 

Warbeast’s attributes. All 24 frets were 

nicely leveled across the flat ebony 

board. I experienced no buzzing or 

dead areas, even in the upper 10 frets. 

Side-filled fret slots gave the neck a 

slick feel down its edge. To maintain 

the guitar’s dark aesthetic, B,C, Rich 

kept the fretboard free of any markers. 

Instead, small side dots provide incon-

spicuous but easy-to-follow reference 

points. B.C. Rich fans will certainly be 

familiar with the S.O.B. (Son of Beast) 

headstock, which artistically aligns 

with the body’s pitched angles. 

If you own any guitars from the 

Eighties, then you should also rec-

ognize the Warbeast’s purpose-built 

hardware package. An original double-

locking Floyd Rose tremolo is recessed 

into the body and back-routed. This 

means that the guitar’s action can be 

dropped very low and you can dive 

or pull up on the bar. Mini Grover 

Rotomatic tuners tie down the strings 

without adding a lot of weight to the 

already large headstock. 

Rockfield pickups have become 

standard fare on many of B.C. Rich’s 

finest guitars. The Warbeast features 

a powerful Rockfield Fat Ass in the 

bridge position and a razor-sharp 

Rockfield Mafia in the neck slot. Stan-

dard controls include a master volume 

and tone with a three-way switch. This 

pair of pickups is perhaps one of the 

best-matched sets for metal guitar ap-

plications and is also available as an 

aftermarket replacement set.

PERFORMANCE

THE WARBEAST’S MAPLE CORE

 and 

ebony fretboard naturally produce 

a bright and round tone, and notes 

responded from this solid founda-

tion quickly and with sharp clarity. 

Rockfield’s Fat Ass pickup defined and 

enhanced these qualities with tight 

lows, thick crunch and sizzling highs. 

The Fat Ass’ harmonic enhancement is 

focused on the guitar’s upper midrange 

and deep treble tones, creating rich 

musicality that does not interfere with 

clarity. This big humbucker also pumps 

out tons of output, which is unusual for 

such a clear pickup. It easily pushed 

my “Plexi” Marshall into distortion and 

sustained well throughout the guitar’s 

range. Neck position sounds were simi-

larly surprising. The Warbeast’s Mafia 

humbucker sliced right through my 

Rectifier’s dense distortion. Its tone was 

full, crisp and devoid of any nasal quali-

ty. Both pickups cleaned up well when I 

rolled the guitar’s volume down, making 

it possible to leave my distortion maxed 

and still get a fantastic rhythm sound. 

THE BOTTOM LINE 

THE WARBEAST’S BLENDED

 body 

shape is a stroke of genius, but this 

guitar is also a joy to play, with low 

action, a shredder’s fretboard and 

a recessed double-locking original 

Floyd Rose tremolo system. The icing 

on the cake is the Rockfield pickup 

set, which perfectly flatters the War-

beast’s design. 

✺

PRO

CON

NECK MAY BE 

LARGE FOR 

SOME HANDS

INSPIRING BODY SHAPE, 

FAST PLAYABILITY, 

HIGH-OUTPUT 

ROCKFIELD PICKUPS

186

GU ITA R WOR L D

B.C. RICH WMD 

WARBEAST

LIST PRICE: 

$1,020.00

MANUFACTURER: 

B.C. Rich, a Fivision of 

Hanser Music Group, 

bcrich.com 

BODY:

 Nato mahogany 

NECK: 

Maple, neck-

through 

FINGERBOARD: 

Ebony

SCALE LENGTH: 

25 1/2 

inches 

FRETS: 

24

HARDWARE: 

Original 

Floyd Rose double-lock-

ing tremolo, Grover 

Rotomatic tuners 

CONTROLS: 

Volume, 

Tone, three-way switch

PICKUPS: 

Rockfield Fat 

Ass (bridge), Rockfield 

Mafia (neck)

ON

DISC

ON

DISC

Rockfield 

pickups deliver 

power with 

clarity. 

The Original Floyd 

Rose double-locking 

tremolo is recessed 

and back-routed. 

The distinct body 

shape is a mar-

riage of the Beast’s 

upper horns and 

the Warlock’s 

lower half.  

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7/25/07   5:47:43 PM