Dean Guitars emerges from its USA Custom Shop right in time for the 2023 NAMM Show, introducing a brand-new Artist Series electric guitar, the Dean USA Custom Shop Kerry King Signature Overlord. A second collaboration with Kerry King, the trailblazing co-lead guitarist of the thrash metal band SLAYER, the Overlord is the pinnacle of craftsmanship and completely handmade in the U.S. Sleek, stylish and downright savage in tone, the USA Dean Kerry King Overlord arrives ready for players to unleash the heaviest of riffs and most blistering of solos.

King is an iconic and highly regarded figure in the thrash/punk/metal scene. His pioneering contributions over four decades have led to the creation of some of the most brutal and revolutionary music in history. Among his notable achievements are the writing and co-writing of SLAYER classics such as “Mandatory Suicide”, “Repentless”, “Hell Awaits”, “Disciple” and “Raining Blood”. He’s an outspoken, opinionated individual who remains true to himself, and that’s exactly the authenticity he’s brought to the Overlord collaboration.

The Overlord features a solid mahogany body and maple top finished in Dark Gray. The 24.75-scale guitar has a set-thru 3-piece maple neck, with a custom Kerry King C-shaped neck profile and 12-inch fretboard radius. Twenty-four jumbo frets and an ebony fingerboard facilitate rapid soloing. Handcrafted SLAYER-inspired pearl custom inlays are accompanied by ultra-vibrant LED fret markers along the side that further aid playability on a dimly lit stage. Aesthetically, the sharp-angled body and highly figured headstock make a bold statement.

The USA Dean Kerry King Overlord features a powerful combination of the Sustainiac neck pickup and the EMG 81 with PA2 Preamp Booster pickup at the bridge. At the neck, the Sustainiac enables players to achieve endless sustain, extending the vibrational energy of the strings and creating prolonged feedback that won’t damage gear. At the bridge, the EMG 81 pickup with PA2 Booster furthers the fluid sustain, while adding intensity and incredible amounts of high-end cut. Together, these pickups help the tone slice right through the mix. Well-planned circuitry allows players to dial in their exact sound, with Volume, PA2 Booster on/off, 3-way toggle, Tone, Sustainiac on/off with mode switch, and a 25K pot to further control volume and tone.

Dean and Kerry King put the final touches on the iconic Overlord with Kerry’s own Kahler KFK Tremolo System, built to withstand the most extreme dives. Grover 18:1 tuners provide added tuning stability and prevent slippage of the custom KK Dunlop signature strings.

Meticulously handcrafted and ready to raise hell, the Dean USA Custom Shop Kerry King Signature Overlord is a fully equipped axe designed for the most discerning of players.

MAP/street price $6499, with hardshell case included.

NAMM Show attendees can learn more and get a closer look in Hall C, meeting room C206. Visit deanguitars.com for more information.

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Kerry‘s wife Ayesha King said that there is “not a chance in hell” that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances. In August 2020, she once again shot down the possibility of her husband and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya sharing the stage ever again under the SLAYER banner.

That same month, SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph confirmed that he is involved in a brand new project headed up by Kerry. Paul told Australia’s Riff Crew that the new band will “sound like SLAYER without it being SLAYER — but not intentionally so. I mean, Kerry‘s been writing songs in SLAYER his entire career, and he has a style,” he explained. “And that style, as a songwriter, you just don’t change your style because your band is done… So, all I can say is if you like heavy music and you like SLAYER, you’ll like this.”

King has said in previous interviews that his post-SLAYER musical efforts would not be much different from the sound fans have grown accustomed to hearing from him.

“If someone quit, I’m not going to go around with a made-up SLAYER,” he told AZCentral.com back in 2010. “But my next band would sound like SLAYER, that’s all I know.”

SLAYER‘s final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band’s intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.