Guitar Center announced today a new partnership with legendary metal musician Zakk Wylde, reports BroadwayWorld.com. The partnership encompasses a private Master Class program for unsigned artists and a new line of Zakk Wylde guitars called Wylde Audio. The guitars are available at Guitar Center and the iconic guitarist will also appear on the cover of Guitar Center's April 2016 Guitar Buyer's Guide.

"I'm very excited for the launch of Wylde Audio. For me, it's the next logical step. You start as a player, manager, VP of Team Operations, then Team Owner. I've surrounded myself with super talented people to make this vision become a reality. It only makes sense to join forces with Guitar Center for a retail partnership, with their history of encouraging talent and supporting musicians." - Zakk Wylde

The guitarist's brand new line of guitars, which currently comes in three models (Odin, Viking and Warhammer) are arriving in April for purchase at select Guitar Center stores or online at GuitarCenter.com. All three models feature a solid mahogany body with a set 3-piece maple neck and the ebony fretboard has a 24.6" scale and 14" radius with 22 jumbo frets. Each guitar also includes a pair of Wylde's signature EMG active pickups, a time-tested combination of EMG 85/81, that have helped define Wylde's sound.

Additionally, unsigned guitar players can compete to be part of a private, exclusive Master Class experience with Wylde. To be considered, fans can upload videos of themselves playing Wylde's latest single "Sleeping Dogs" and submit it through the official contest platform, here. Wylde himself will then hand-select the top fiveguitarists to win the grand prize.

Guitar Center's Master Class Grand Prize Winners Will Receive:

- A VIP trip to Los Angeles for five guitarists to attend a private master class with Zakk Wylde
- A Wylde Audio Odin Signature guitar
- New gear from Dunlop, EMG, Monster Cable and MXR
- A feature write up in Revolver Magazine

Previous promotions have included artists as varied and prolific as Slash (Guns N' Roses), Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold).

Watch Zakk Wylde discuss the Master Class program below:

Zakk Wylde will release Book Of Shadows II on April 8th, via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music), his first solo release in 20 years. This release is the highly anticipated follow up to 1996’s Book Of Shadows LP, a classic album Wylde released between his work with Ozzy Osbourne that has since become a fan favourite.

The fearlessly introspective melancholy and melody of Book Of Shadows helped to make its follow-up one of Rolling Stone’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2016. As fierce and diverse as his work in Black Label Society and as large as his accomplishments as lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne have been, Book Of Shadows II offers an even richer look into the spirit and psyche of one of the most beloved pillars of the hard rock community. Brand new tracks like “Sleeping Dogs”, “Tears Of December”, “Darkest Hour”, “Harbors Of Pity”, and “The King” are bold proclamations of intense feeling and powerful catharsis.

Zakk Wylde’s powerful pipes, mayhem-inducing charisma, mischievous humor, and instantly recognizable pinch-harmonic driven blues based histrionic guitar shredding have made him the world’s most beloved American Guitar Hero.

Tracklisting:

"Autumn Changes"
"Tears Of December"
"Lay Me Down"
"Lost Prayer"
"Darkest Hour"
"The Levee"
"Eyes Of Burden"
"Forgotten Memory"
"Yesterday's Tears"
"Harbors Of Pity"
"Sorrowed Regret"
"Useless Apologies"
"Sleeping Dogs"
"The King"

“Sleeping Dogs” video:

A pre-order bundle is available offering a Book Of Shadows II CD signed by Zakk plus a 17"x11" poster. Limited to 1,000 bundles.

Catch Zakk Wylde on tour in Europe this spring. Dates are listed below:

May
25 - London, United Kingdom - Shepherds Bush Empire
26 - Paris, France - Cabaret Sauvage
27 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Pilharmonium
28 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Den Atelier
29 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex
31 - Stuttgart, Germany - Theatrehaus

June
1 - Linz, Austria - Posthof
3 - Lodz, Poland - Wytwornia
4 - Plzen, Czech Republic - Metalfest
6 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska
7 - Zagreb, Croatia - Tvornica Club
9 - Milan, Italy - Teatro Degli Arcimboldi
10 - Grenoble, France - La Belle Electrique
11 - Bordeux, France - Le Bocher de Palmer
13 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
14 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Barts
15 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana 27
17 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
18 - Munich, Germany - Circus Krone
19 - Nuremberg, Germany - Serenadenhof