“Steals the spotlight”: Schecter bestows Avenged Sevenfold’s Zacky Vengeance with a new familiarly styled signature guitar – could a headless model for Synyster Gates follow in its wake?

Schecter guitars are a quintessential part of Avenged Sevenfold’s sound, having been used as far back as their second album, Waking The Fallen. 

Both the band’s guitarists, Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance, have wielded their own respective signature guitars for years – and Vengeance has now been bestowed with an updated signature model. 

Named the ZV-H6LLYW66D, Vengeance’s new guitar shakes things up with a decidedly SG-style aesthetic that's not too dissimilar to Kim Thayil's own signature Guild build.

Like its predecessor – the 6661 – it’s a mahogany-centric construction, with the rich but heavy wood used for both its body and three-piece neck. The guitar has suitably spiky horns for upper fret access, with eye-popping gold hardware, including a TonePros Tune-O-Matic fixed bridge, which Schecter notes, “Steals the spotlight.”

Its gold-plated Schecter USA Pasadena Plus bridge and Pasadena Classic neck pickups continue that trend, with Grover tuners, Grip Tip Speed volume and tone knobs, and a three-way pickup switch also making the cut.

The Pasadena humbuckers are the same passive, Alnico V pickups found in many of Schecters' Solo-II models, which also channel the essence of Gibson with their Les Paul feel and playability. 

Notably, too, the pickup choices see Vengeance step away from the Seymour Duncan JB SH-4B and JB SH-4N found in the 6661. 

Although oozing the classiness of an SG, flipping the guitar around shows it further differs from the Gibson staple by employing a through-neck construction to accommodate its 22 X-jumbo fret ebony 'board. 

Elsewhere, the thin C-profile neck is built for speed and hosts a 14" fretboard radius – with a 20mm thickness at the 1st fret rising to 22mm at the 12th – as part of a 24.75" scale length. 

Upon that fretboard are white dot pearloid inlays for a more muted affair than the block inlays and Deathbat 12th fret inlay found on his earlier model. 

Luminlays with black circles run up its side for improved visibility on darker stages, iced with just a touch of goth. 

And, since Vengeance is a left-handed player – which allows the duo to cut excellent back-to-back silhouettes when unleashing their signature harmonies – the guitar is available for both dexterities.  

As mentioned above, Vengeance isn't the only Avenged Sevenfold member who is loyal to Schecter, and the ZV-H6LLYW66D might not be the only A7X signature we'll see the firm put out this year.

Synyster Gates’ all-curves-and-angles Avenger signature has been one of the American firm's most popular guitars since its launch back in 2008. 

However, Gates has been unleashing his arpeggio acrobatics on a headless model during their recent live shows, which poses the question: could the release of Vengeance’s new model be the start of a quick one-two by the brand?

Synyster Gates’ use of what appears to be a headless Schecter – complete with the same signature 'SYN' inlays found on his Avenger models – is something of a left turn, as is its gold finish. 

It would also represent the brand’s first foray into headless builds, but it makes sense. Headless designs have become increasingly popular over the past few years, helped on by the rise of Strandberg, which recently released its most affordable model yet. 

Meanwhile, Gates himself is accustomed to sparking gear-based speculation. Last year there was a mystery amp on show in the announcement video for his signature Ernie Ball strings.  

The ZV-H6LLYW66D typically costs $2,149 but is currently available on the Schecter website for a cut-price $1,499.

For more information, head to Schecter.