A c.2011 McSwain Zombie electric guitar in natural, covered in blood. Owned, stage-played, and made for Scott Ian of thrash metal band Anthrax during the Worship Music tour from 2011-2013. Ian has signed the back of the guitar, and can be seen discussing the guitar and its use in the set in the 2012 Premier Guitar Anthrax Rig Rundown hosted by Rebecca Dirks.

Built by Steven McSwain, this guitar is a tribute to classic zombie horror, with its DNA deeply rooted in George Romero movies. The neck is bound with wood from the Evans City Cemetery in Pennsylvania from the film Night of the Living Dead. It also uses real coffin nails as side dot markers. On top of that, the wood used for the body was buried for a month and then exhumed as if it had gone through the zombification process. There’s also a prop ribcage made by special effects makeup artist Greg Nicotero, who worked his grisly magic on the hit TV series The Walking Dead. And then, like the glaze on a donut or the final coat of shellac on a masterpiece, the guitar is covered in dry prop blood.

Altogether it’s a gory sight of solid-body horror, but the guitar sounds as sick as it looks thanks to its 24.75” scale mahogany neck with a 22 fret maple fretboard, splattered blood as position markers, six vintage style tuners, and a headstock with voids as if eaten through by the undead. Two humbuckers, two volumes, and a master tone control. Tune-O-Matic bridge and string-thru ferrules.

Fittingly, Ian used the guitar live for the song “Fight ‘Em 'Til You Can’t.”

Includes hardshell case with built-in tuner, and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by both Ian and McSwain.

Guitars & Instruments