B.C. Rich WMD Warbeast Manual, Specifications

SOUNDCHECKSOUNDCHECK
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 I TA R W O R 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.  

Soundchecks.indd   186 7/25/07   5:47:43 PM

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