ZAKK WYLDE Will Be Selling Stage-Played Guitars On PANTERA Tour At VIP Meet-And-Greets

Zakk Wylde will be selling his stage-played electric guitars on PANTERA's upcoming U.S. tour.

As part of the deluxe Stage Played VIP Upgrade package, which is available via Soundrink, fans can have their photos taken with Zakk, get their guitars signed and chat with the longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman.

The packages, which are currently listed at $3,250, include the Wylde Audio Barbarian guitar in a choice of three finishes: Orange Buzzsaw, Genesis Bullseye and Purple Blizzard.

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Wylde talked about his approach to playing the guitar leads originally performed by PANTERA's founding axeman, the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He said: "It's inevitable I will end up sounding like me. If Dime was playing with Ozz and doing my stuff, it would sound like Dime playing the solo to 'No More Tears' or 'Mama, I'm Coming Home'. It would be Dime's vibrato, Dime's tone. It would sound like him playing my stuff. Even if he did it note-for-note, it would sound like him because that's his sound, you know what I mean?

"So yeah, we're having a blast out there playing these songs. I'm just honored I get a chance to pay tribute to the brothers. It's a pretty special thing that's happening right now. I can't say I have a favorite song or solo, though. Just like when I'm playing with Ozz, I enjoy the whole thing. I love all of it and any of it, from the first note we play to the last note we play. It's all awesome."

In July 2022, it was reported that Wylde and ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, along with PANTERA's surviving members, singer Philip Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, would tour as PANTERA.

According to a report by Billboard, Wylde and Benante's involvement in the project has been approved by the estates of PANTERA's late co-founders, Dimebag and drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott.

Zakk discussed his participation in the PANTERA celebration tour during an appearance on "Sunday With Ola", the YouTube program hosted by Ola Englund, the Swedish guitarist, record producer and owner of Solar guitars. Regarding how his involvement in the PANTERA tribute came about, Zakk said: "There's always been talks about it, for years, especially when Vinnie was still alive. And it was just, like, well, I'll just wait till that day comes. 'If you guys decide you wanna do it, you know I'm always gonna be here for ya.' Phil called me up one night, and he was just, like, 'Zakk, I was talking with Rex. We're thinking about doing this. We were wondering if you would wanna honor Dime.' And I was, like, 'Of course, man.' How could I say no? So now, it was just, like, 'All right. Well, send me the songs for the setlist so I can start learning this stuff, man.'"

Wylde told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about how he planned to approach the PANTERA gig: "You approach it the same way as you do when I'm playing with Ozzy. Obviously I've gotta learn [Randy] Rhoads's stuff and I've gotta learn Jake's [E. Lee] stuff, and when I was doing the [BLACK] SABBATH stuff, you learn it and do it as faithful as you can. Charlie's gotta learn all of Vinnie's parts. You approach it as if you're in a cover band. When we do the ZAKK SABBATH stuff," referring to his BLACK SABBATH cover band, "I don't start changing lyrics midway through 'War Pigs'. You learn the songs — so that's what you do."

PANTERA recently played seven shows in Mexico and South America and will next headline a number of major festivals across North America, Europe and Asia, and stage some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.