The KKV also known as the Speed V, is an electric guitar

Electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

 designed by Kerry King

Kerry King

Kerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...

 of Slayer

Slayer

Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

 for B.C. Rich

B.C. Rich

B.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently, most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, operates B.C....

 guitars. Its shape is based on the Gibson Flying V

Gibson Flying V

-External links:*, , , , and , from the Gibson website*, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine*, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players**...

 but with sharp points.

B.C. Rich offers different versions of the guitar in four categories; as a signature model from the handcrafted/custom shop division, a high-end signature version, a mid-range version with lower-end pickups, and a low-end Metal Master version without a tremolo. In 2009 B.C. Rich released the Kerry King V2, featuring active pickups, Son Of Beast headstocks and the "generation 2" tribal graphics.

Non-BC Rich Versions

The KKV has not always been exclusive to B.C. Rich. The guitar was briefly made by ESP Guitars

ESP Guitars

, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...

 when B.C. Rich closed down their custom shop during a period in the 90s. When the company changed hands and reopened the custom shop, King returned to B.C. Rich.

The ESP model featured a George Lynch style headstock and was finished in black, and black with a red splatter with eagle inlays. (Pictured right as of Aug. 09)

As of 2009 ESP has re-released their version as the NV, with a reverse ESP headstock.

Features

• Basswood body (Signature has a Canadian Maple Body)
• Gloss Black w/KKV Tribal graphics
• Hard Maple Neck
• Bolt on Construction (Neck thru on signature)
• Rosewood Fingerboard with tribal KK inlay on 12th fret(Ebony on signature and V2 models with full inlay on the signature)
• Widow Headstock (Signature and V2 models have tribal designs on the Widow and Son of Beast headstocks respectively)
• 25.5" Scale (Signature is 24.625" Scale)
• Black Hardware
• BC Rich Humbuckers Kerry's Signature guitar has EMG Active Pickups [81 and 85] with 20db gain boost)
• Kahler X Tremolo (King uses the 2315 model)