There’s a story about a music shop in Birmingham in the mid-1970s. Two guitarists arrived looking at the same instrument — a vintage Gibson Flying V. One of them bought it. The other one had to go home empty-handed.
K.K. Downing bought it. Michael Schenker didn’t. Schenker himself told Downing this story years later.
That Flying V — a 1967 Gibson, red-refinished, with PAF pickups — became Downing’s main guitar for five of the most important albums in heavy metal history. It played on Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Stained Class, Killing Machine, and Unleashed in the East. It went under the hammer at Bonhams in 2018 with a note in the case that said “Kenny’s Flying V Main.”
K.K. Downing is the wildest half of Judas Priest’s twin-guitar partnership — the one whose solos go sideways, whose vibrato is fast and nervous and doesn’t wait for permission, whose whammy bar dives happen because the moment demands it rather than because the arrangement planned for them. He co-founded Priest in 1969, recorded seventeen studio albums with them, helped sell over 50 million records, and walked away in 2011. Then came back — under his own name, with his own band — to prove he still had plenty left to say.
This is the complete gear story of the original Wild Metal God.
Background: West Bromwich, Kicked Out at Sixteen, and Jimi Hendrix Changed Everything
Kenneth Keith Downing Jr. was born October 27, 1951, in West Bromwich, West Midlands — the same small industrial region that produced Black Sabbath and, across the corridor, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant (who grew up two streets away from Downing’s childhood haunts and whose wife Maureen is from the same neighbourhood). The West Midlands was, improbably, one of the most productive nurseries of British heavy rock in the late 1960s, and Downing absorbed the scene from the inside.
He wasn’t an obvious candidate for musical success. His parents were not supportive — even after Judas Priest achieved worldwide commercial success and critical acclaim, the support didn’t materialise. He developed a passion for rock music and the guitar in the late 1960s, which led to being kicked out of his home at age fifteen and dropping out of school soon afterward. He was on his own, without a safety net, at an age when most teenagers are still arguing about homework.
The guitar filled the space everything else had vacated. Downing bought his first guitar at sixteen — inspired by Jimi Hendrix, whom he said he was “very quick to recognize” as the future. He was largely self-taught, learning from records and from other players rather than teachers, developing the instinctive, physical, slightly unpredictable approach that distinguishes his playing from the more formally trained Tipton.
The other central influences were John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Eric Clapton — the British blues-rock tradition that taught an entire generation of guitarists how to make an electric guitar cry. Downing absorbed the blues vocabulary and then pushed it in a heavier, louder, faster direction. His stated ambition from the earliest Priest days: “I was always wanting Judas Priest to be heavier and more meaningful, and show more emotions and stuff like that.”
He co-founded Judas Priest with bassist Ian Hill in 1969, gradually assembling the lineup through the early 1970s. Vocalist Rob Halford was brought in through a girlfriend of Hill’s (“She used to tell Ian, ‘Oh, you should hear my brother sing'”): Glenn Tipton joined in 1974, two weeks before the recording of the debut album. The twin-guitar identity of Priest — which would become its defining characteristic — was established from the moment Tipton arrived.
His stage name came from a Danish fan who couldn’t pronounce his full name: “K.K.” she called him. It stuck. By 1974, he was K.K. Downing on record sleeves and stage banners, and Kenneth Keith Downing only on legal documents.
The departure in 2011 was, by Downing’s own account, messy. He recalled “an ongoing breakdown in working relationships between myself, elements of the band and management.” He sent a letter saying he was leaving, then sent a second letter saying to ignore the first — and the band chose to act on the first. He regretted the departure and lobbied for a return that never came, despite appearing onstage with Priest at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2022. He formed KK’s Priest in 2020 with former Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens and continues to record and tour.
Tone note: Kicked out at fifteen, self-taught, learned from Hendrix records. That specific origin story produced a specific kind of player — intuitive, physical, unwilling to be constrained by theory or convention. You can hear every bit of it in every solo he ever played.
The Rig: K.K. Downing’s Guitars, Amps & Gear — Complete Era-by-Era Breakdown
Downing’s gear story has the Flying V as its through-line — from the 1964 instrument he bought as a young Priest member through vintage Gibsons, Hamer custom models, and eventually KxK and ESP signature V-shapes. The amp story runs a parallel course from non-master Marshalls to rack systems and back again. Throughout, the tonal philosophy remains constant: bright, aggressive, midrange-forward, with just enough bass rolloff to cut through a mix without losing punch.
Guitars: A Life Defined by the V-Shape
Early Instruments — SG, Strat, and Finding the Flying V
Before Downing settled on the Flying V as his primary instrument, he used a Gibson SG Standard in the earliest Priest years — the same instrument Glenn Tipton was using simultaneously, which tells you something about the local guitar availability in the West Midlands clubs of the early 1970s. He also used Fender Stratocasters at various points in his early career, a reversed-headstock model documented in a 1979 photograph, and various other instruments as band finances and circumstances dictated.
The move to Flying V was partly practical (the shape suited his playing style and stage movement) and partly the result of the kind of instrument encounter that tends to change guitarists’ lives permanently. The 1964 Limited Edition Gibson Flying V, which he purchased from Musical Exchanges on Broad Street in Birmingham, was one of the instruments that did exactly that.
Tone note: SG, then Strat, then Flying V. The progression follows the logic of a player getting lighter (SG to Strat) then finding the shape that works for their body and their music (V). Once he found the V, he didn’t look back.
The 1964 Gibson Flying V — The First Great Guitar
Downing acquired a 1964 Gibson Flying V Limited Edition — one of 200 produced — from a Birmingham shop in the mid-1970s. The guitar arrived with Gibson PAF pickups. According to the Bonhams auction documentation, Michael Schenker had been coming to Birmingham specifically to purchase the same guitar; Downing had bought it just the day before Schenker arrived. Schenker later confirmed this to Downing directly.
The 1964 Flying V in Downing’s hands became a significant piece of British metal history. It was his main guitar through early Priest recordings and touring up through the Sad Wings of Destiny era, before he acquired the later instruments that would define the band’s classic period.
The 1967 Gibson Flying V “Kenny’s Flying V Main” — The Classic Albums Guitar
The 1967 Gibson Flying V was Downing’s primary guitar on all Judas Priest albums from Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) through Point of Entry (1981) — encompassing Sin After Sin, Stained Class, Killing Machine, and the live masterpiece Unleashed in the East. This is the guitar documented in the Bonhams auction, described as: “1967, mahogany body with red refinish, twin pickups, three volume/tone controls, three-way selector switch, rosewood fingerboard with dot markers.”
The “red refinish” note is significant. The original finish was somewhat faded when Downing bought it from Musical Exchanges in Broad Street, Birmingham in the mid-1970s. After playing it for some years, he had it refinished around 1982. The case contained a piece of tape inscribed “Kenny’s Flying V Main” — the kind of handwritten label that only appears on an instrument whose function and identity are not in question.
In the early 2000s, Gibson took detailed measurements of this guitar for use in the production of Flying V reissue models. A prototype based on those measurements was included in the 2018 Bonhams auction alongside the original. This guitar’s measurements shaped Gibson production guitars that countless metal players have played since.
Tone note: The guitar that played “Victim of Changes,” “Exciter,” “Hell Bent for Leather,” and “Unleashed in the East” — sold at auction in 2018. Some guitars carry so much musical history in the wood that a complete accounting would take longer than this article.
The 1970 Gibson Flying V and 1971 Medallion Flying V — Additional Arsenal
Downing’s Flying V collection extended well beyond the 1967 primary. He owned and played a 1970 Gibson Flying V (number 233 out of 500 limited edition) with a Maestro vibrato bar — this was the era when Gibson was producing Flying Vs in small limited runs after the reintroduction of the model in the late 1960s. He also owned a 1971 Medallion Flying V, the same limited series as Michael Schenker’s iconic instrument, providing an interesting tonal comparison between the two guitarists’ approaches to identical instruments.
Downing has described acquiring Vs “whenever the opportunity presented itself,” building a collection across decades that gave him access to different years, different neck profiles, and the subtle variation in PAF pickup character that differentiates individual instruments even within the same production year.
Custom Hamer Vector and KK Mini V — The 1980s Custom Era
Like Tipton, Downing moved to Hamer custom instruments during the 1980s — specifically the Hamer Vector, a V-shaped guitar designed to his specifications. The Vector maintained the Flying V aesthetic while offering the updated specifications that 1980s touring demands required: more reliable hardware, factory-installed active pickups, and the kind of quality control that hand-built Gibsons of the 1960s and early 1970s couldn’t guarantee.
Hamer also produced the KK Mini V — a smaller-body version of the V shape that Downing used in specific contexts, offering a lighter, more resonant character. For major touring, the Hamer instruments were fitted with EMG 81/85 active pickup configurations and Floyd Rose tremolo systems, giving Downing the high-output, stable-tuning platform that his aggressive playing style required.
Tone note: From vintage Gibson PAFs to active EMGs. The tonal character shifted — more output, less dynamic response to picking nuance — but the playing remained the same: aggressive, dive-bomb happy, physically committed.
Gibson Flying V Reissues and Custom Models
When Gibson introduced contemporary Flying V reissues and custom models in the 1990s and 2000s, Downing used several — including a ca. 2004 Gibson Flying V prototype that appeared in his auction collection, suggesting Gibson had been consulting with him on reissue specifications during that period.
His 2004 Guitar Geek rig diagram shows EMG 81 pickups in Flying V-shape guitars as the standard configuration for live use, which remained consistent through the mid-2000s touring period. By this stage, the active pickup setup had become standard across Priest’s guitar arsenal.
KxK Guitars and ESP Custom V — Post-Priest Instruments
After leaving Judas Priest, Downing maintained relationships with KxK Guitars — a US-based custom shop specialising in metal instruments — and explored a custom V-shape developed through that relationship. He also worked with ESP on custom V models for both studio and live use with KK’s Priest. The ESP instruments maintain the fundamental V-shape DNA while incorporating modern high-gain capabilities and the kind of playability that current touring demands.
For KK’s Priest, his primary instruments are custom V-shapes with active humbucker configurations, maintaining the tonal philosophy he developed over decades with Judas Priest: bright, aggressive, midrange-forward, with the neck pickup available for smoother lead textures and the bridge pickup for the cutting rhythm and lead work that defines his style.
Other Notable Guitars
- 1969 Fender Stratocaster (White, left-handed neck) — An unusual combination: right-handed body with a left-handed neck (reversed headstock), documented in 1979 photographs. The reversed headstock on a right-handed guitar changes the string break angle and can subtly alter the feel of the nut and tuner response.
- 1970–1971 Fender Stratocaster (Sunburst) — Standard Strat from the CBS era; used during the period of Strat/V combination in his live rig
- 1965 Fender Stratocaster — Earlier Strat documented in auction materials
- Custom Dan Johnson V — Bespoke Flying V-style built by luthier Dan Johnson
- Ovation Adamas acoustic — Standard touring acoustic for occasional acoustic applications
- Gibson Flying V Ltd. 1964 (1 of 200) with PAF pickups — First major Flying V; the Birmingham shop purchase that preceded the 1967 “main”
- Judas Priest Special V handmade by Daniel R. — Custom instrument built specifically for Priest-branded purposes
- Various ESP and KxK custom V models — KK’s Priest era and ongoing
Amps & Cabinets: Marshalls, Rocktrons, and the Classic British Stack
Marshall 50W Non-Master Volume — The Classic Priest Sound
Like Tipton, Downing’s classic tone from the late 1970s through early 1980s came from 50-watt Marshall heads without master volume controls, with EL34 output tubes. The non-master Marshall circuit — particularly the JMP 1959 Super Lead and MKII variants — produces natural power-amp saturation when driven hard. Downing’s amp settings in this era were documented as: everything high, with the mids particularly prominent to cut through the band’s dense sonic architecture.
Where Tipton’s tone was described as warmer with more bass, Downing’s was brighter, thinner, and more midrange-forward — the classic “Strat through Marshall” character even when he was using a mahogany Flying V with humbuckers. The tonal differentiation between the two guitarists was not incidental; it was the strategic foundation of the twin-guitar approach. Two guitarists playing the same part in different frequency registers creates a sound fuller than either could achieve alone, while keeping each voice audible in the mix.
Tone note: Downing sounds like a Stratocaster even when he’s playing a Flying V. That brightness, that upper-midrange cut, is baked into his approach — not just his instrument. The amp settings confirm it: mids up, bass rolled off, treble present.
Marshall JCM800 — The Mid-1980s Standard
Both Tipton and Downing adopted the Marshall JCM800 as their primary live amp through the mid-to-late 1980s. For Downing, the JCM800 1959 MKII Super Lead (the 100-watt version) became the documented primary — visible in live photographs and confirmed by the 2004 Guitar Geek rig diagram. He ran four Marshall 1960BV cabinets in live use during this period, providing the massive physical presence that Judas Priest’s arena shows required.
He also auctioned his 1978 Marshall JMP 50-watt head — the vintage Plexi-era unit he used before the JCM800 transition — at Bonhams, confirming the timeline and the amp’s ongoing significance to his collection even after it had been retired from active duty.
Rocktron Piranha Preamps — The Rack Era
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Downing moved to a rack-based system featuring Rocktron Piranha preamps — high-gain preamp units that give precise control over gain staging and EQ in a format suited to large touring productions. The 2004 Guitar Geek rig diagram shows two Rocktron Piranha preamps in the rack, alongside Rocktron Midi Mate controller, Rocktron Replifex effects processor, and Marshall 1959 MKII heads still in the signal chain for power amplification.
The combination — Rocktron preamp for tone shaping and gain control, Marshall power amp section for tube character and cab response — is a common approach for touring metal players who want the precision of a rack system without sacrificing the physical response of a real Marshall power section at volume.
| Amp | Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall 50W JMP non-master (1978 JMP 50W Head) | Early-mid Priest (1974–1981) | Classic Priest tone; EL34 tubes; bright, cutting character; auctioned at Bonhams 2018 |
| Marshall JCM800 1959 MKII Super Lead (100W) | Mid-1980s–2000s | Both Downing and Tipton; 4× Marshall 1960BV cabs in live rig |
| Rocktron Piranha preamps (×2) + Marshall power section | Reunion era / 2004 tour | High-gain rack preamps for tonal precision; Marshall power amp retained for character |
| Marshall 1960BV 4×12 cabinets (×4) | Live, 1980s–2000s | Four cabs for full arena presence; the physical wall of Judas Priest’s live sound |
| Mesa/Boogie (various) | Various studio and backup contexts | Documented in auction inventory; used as studio and backup options |
Pedals & Signal Chain: Whammy Bar Over Effects Pedals
Downing’s approach to effects is fundamentally less complex than his amp architecture might suggest — he is a player who generates expression and excitement through physical technique (vibrato, whammy bar, pinch harmonics, aggressive picking) rather than through elaborate signal processing. His pedal choices have always been functional rather than exploratory.
Core Pedals
- Dunlop 535Q Wah — The primary expression pedal in his live rig (2004 Guitar Geek rig diagram). Used as both a traditional swept wah expression device and, following Priest convention, occasionally in a partially cocked position for tonal shaping. The 535Q features a variable frequency selector, giving more control over the midrange character than a standard fixed-frequency Cry Baby.
- Boss OD-1 Overdrive (early career) — Used to boost the Marshall into solo territory; the classic early Boss overdrive with its hard-clip character. Placed before the Marshall input to push the amp harder for lead sections rather than as a standalone distortion source.
- Rocktron Replifex — Digital multi-effects processor for delay, reverb, and modulation; part of the mid-2000s rack system.
- Rocktron Midi Mate — MIDI controller for switching between rack presets and effects configurations during live performance.
- Whirlwind A/B Box — Signal routing for switching between guitars or signal paths.
- Boss Tuner — Standard live tuning reference.
Notably absent from Downing’s documented pedalboard across most of his career: dedicated fuzz, delay in a conventional sense (he typically gets his spatial depth from the Replifex in the rack), overdrive/distortion pedals beyond the occasional OD-1. His distortion comes from the Marshall. His expression comes from the whammy bar. The wah provides the midrange shaping. Everything else is the amp doing its job at volume.
Tone note: His most important “pedal” is the Floyd Rose tremolo on his guitar. More Downing expressiveness comes through the whammy bar than from any pedal on the floor.
Strings, Picks & Setup
Strings: Standard gauge strings throughout his career — not extensively documented in specific gauge terms, but consistent with the .009–.042 or .010–.046 gauges common across Judas Priest’s guitar section. The Flying V’s scale length and bridge geometry suit medium-light gauge strings for the combination of rhythm punch and lead bendability his playing requires.
Picks: Not extensively documented in specific detail. His style — primarily downstrokes for rhythm, with hammer-ons, pull-offs, and legato for fast passages — suggests a medium to heavy pick gauge for rhythm work, consistent with the aggressive attack character of his rhythm playing.
Guitar configuration:
- EMG 81/85 active pickup configuration in Flying V guitars from the Hamer era onward — bridge 81 for aggressive lead and rhythm tones, neck 85 for warmer, rounder lead textures
- Floyd Rose tremolo (Hamer-era and subsequent) — essential for the whammy bar work that defines his lead style
- Vintage PAF humbuckers in the original Gibson Flying Vs for the classic albums
- High-output active pickups in modern KK’s Priest touring guitars
Tuning: Standard E for most of Priest’s classic catalog. Eb standard (half-step down) for live performances since the Halford reunion era. KK’s Priest uses both, depending on the demands of the material.
Tone note: EMG 81 in the bridge for aggression, EMG 85 in the neck for warmth. The 81/85 combination became one of metal’s most common pickup pairings specifically because of players like Downing and Tipton demonstrating its capabilities across a decade of Priest albums.
Tunings & Tone Philosophy
Downing’s tone philosophy is rooted in the blues-rock principle he absorbed from Hendrix and Clapton but expressed at volumes and intensities neither of those players explored. His stated goal from the earliest Priest years was always to be heavier — not just louder, but more emotionally extreme, more willing to push the guitar’s expressiveness to uncomfortable places.
The specific tonal character he pursued — bright, upper-midrange-forward, slightly thin by humbucker standards, with the bass rolled off enough to prevent low-frequency mud — was partly conscious choice and partly the natural consequence of his guitar technique. His approach to picking (predominantly downstrokes, with high pick angle against the string) produces more of the string’s upper harmonics and less of its fundamental frequency. The amp settings reinforced this character: mids boosted, bass rolled back.
The contrast with Tipton’s warmer, more full-frequency tone created the complete sonic picture that Judas Priest projected live and on record. Neither tone was right on its own; together they were the whole.
Tone note: His tone is described as “thin” in isolation. In context — alongside Tipton’s warmth, Ian Hill’s bass, and Rob Halford’s voice — it’s the cutting edge that makes the whole machine sharp.
Playing Style & Tone Philosophy: Wild, Physical, and Unrepentantly Bluesy
K.K. Downing is the wild half. Where Tipton constructs melodic solos with classical architecture and emotional precision, Downing’s approach is more visceral — faster to react, less constrained by predetermined logic, more likely to go somewhere unexpected. They complement each other perfectly for exactly this reason.
The Aggressive Right Hand
Downing relies primarily on downstrokes for rhythm playing — generating maximum attack and consistent tone across strings without the alternating direction changes that can create tonal inconsistency in heavy rhythm parts. This is the same approach Angus Young and James Hetfield use for the same reason: downstroke-driven rhythm playing has a locked-in, driving quality that alternate picking rarely matches for heavy material.
For lead work, he uses hammer-ons, pull-offs, and legato technique extensively, with alternate picking deployed when his melodic ideas specifically require it rather than as a default. This approach — downstroke rhythms, legato leads — produces the combination of heavy-impact rhythm and fluid lead work that characterises Priest’s most celebrated performances.
Tone note: Downstrokes for rhythm, legato for leads. The two techniques complement each other: one provides physical impact, one provides flowing melody. Together they cover the full range of what metal guitar needs to do.
The Whammy Bar as Primary Expression Tool
Downing’s whammy bar work is central to his identity in a way that goes beyond conventional lead ornamentation. He uses the bar for wide-interval pitch drops (dive bombs), for vibrato applied to entire phrases rather than individual notes, for the kind of controlled feedback coaxing that amplifies the emotional intensity of sustained notes, and for the textural variety that makes his leads unpredictable. His vibrato — applied either by hand or by bar — is fast and wide, described as “very fast, fairly wide” and applied “whether it needs to be or not,” which is a characteristically honest description of a player who prioritises feel over formal correctness.
This aggressive whammy bar usage is one reason the Floyd Rose tremolo was essential to his mid-career rig: the dive bomb depths he regularly explored would detune any non-locking system into uselessness within seconds.
Tone note: The whammy bar is not decoration in Downing’s playing. It’s a primary melodic and emotional tool. Every guitar he’s played seriously since the early 1980s has had one fitted.
Pinch Harmonics — The Squeal That Defined a Genre
Downing is one of the most prolific and most natural pinch harmonic players in heavy metal. The technique — slightly rotating the pick so the thumb’s edge grazes the string immediately after the pick strike, generating a high overtone — produces the characteristic “squeal” that became a defining element of 1980s metal guitar. The EMG 81’s high output and compressed character makes pinch harmonics easier to trigger consistently, which is one of the practical reasons active pickups became standard in his arsenal.
His use of pinch harmonics is intuitive rather than calculated — they appear in his solos when the moment calls for an additional exclamation point, not as predetermined compositional elements. This spontaneity is why they sound exciting rather than mechanical.
Tone note: Pinch harmonics from a high-output active pickup through a cranked Marshall. The squeal is built into the signal chain. You’re never more than one pick rotation away from it.
The Twin Guitar Relationship
The Tipton-Downing partnership has been described as the template for twin-guitar playing in heavy metal, and that description is accurate. What made it work was precisely the contrast between the two players’ approaches: Tipton’s melodic discipline and warm, full-frequency tone providing a foundation; Downing’s wild aggression and bright cutting character providing the excitement and unpredictability.
Put on any Priest record with headphones and listen to the two guitar parts separately. One is doing organised architecture. The other is doing controlled chaos. Together they build something neither could build alone.
Tone note: Tipton is the architect. Downing is the force of nature the architect has to account for. Judas Priest is what happens when those two things work together rather than against each other.
How to Sound Like K.K. Downing: Building the Flying V Aggression Tone
Downing’s tone is more immediately accessible than Tipton’s — it’s the brighter, more cutting of the two Priest guitar sounds, and many guitarists find that a Flying V or similar mahogany guitar with active bridge humbucker into a Marshall JCM800 gets them surprisingly close to his fundamental character.
The Guitar
Flying V shape with active humbucker in the bridge position. The PAF-era vintage tone is harder to access without vintage Gibsons, but the EMG-equipped era from Screaming for Vengeance onward is very achievable.
- Gibson Flying V (any era) — The authentic choice; PAF humbuckers for Sad Wings–Point of Entry era; EMG 81/85 for Screaming for Vengeance onward
- Gibson Flying V reissue — The 1967 Flying V reissue that Gibson produced based on measurements of Downing’s actual guitar; the most historically connected affordable option
- Epiphone Flying V — Budget approximation; consider pickup swap to EMG 81 in the bridge for the post-1982 sound
- ESP/LTD Viper or similar V-shape — Modern construction with current hardware reliability
The Amp
Marshall, bright, aggressive, midrange-forward. The difference from Tipton’s settings is that Downing’s tends toward less bass and more cutting upper midrange — the “Strat tone from a Flying V” character.
| Control | Classic Priest (non-master Marshall) | JCM800 Era | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume/Gain | High (amp driving hard) | Gain 7–9 | Bright, aggressive character demands the amp working hard |
| Treble | 7–8 | 7 | Brighter than Tipton’s settings; the Flying V cut comes from here |
| Middle | 7–8 | 7–8 | High mids for the characteristic Priest bite; not scooped |
| Bass | 3–4 | 4–5 | Lower than Tipton — the brightness and cut is the priority; bass rolls off to avoid mud |
| Presence | 6–7 | 6–7 | High presence adds air and definition to pinch harmonics and fast lead runs |
Tone note: Less bass than you’d expect from a mahogany Flying V. Downing uses the guitar body’s inherent warmth as the bass element and then carves most of it out with the amp EQ. What remains is the cut.
The Essential Pedal — The Floyd Rose
This is the component that matters most for Downing’s expressive vocabulary. Any guitar used to approximate his sound needs a Floyd Rose or equivalent double-locking tremolo system. Without it, the dive bombs and wide whammy bar work that define his leads are physically impossible. A single-coil trem will detune. A standard vibrato can’t go deep enough. The Floyd Rose is a non-negotiable part of the setup.
Beyond the tremolo: a Dunlop 535Q Wah for expression work, and any quality digital delay for the spatial depth in his leads. Keep the delay subtle — the aggression is the point, not the atmosphere.
Budget vs Pro Rigs
Budget — Classic Priest Flying V tone:
- Guitar: Epiphone Flying V (with EMG 81 bridge swap and Floyd Rose or Kahler)
- Amp: Marshall DSL20CR — high gain channel, treble up, bass moderate, mids up
- Pedals: Dunlop Cry Baby + Boss TU tuner
- Strings: Ernie Ball Regular Slinky .010s
Pro — Full Downing approach:
- Guitar: Gibson Flying V with EMG 81/85 (wired standard 9V or 18V for extra headroom)
- Amp: Marshall JCM800 1959 MKII 100W into Marshall 1960BV cabs × 2
- Pedals: Dunlop 535Q Wah; Boss OD-1 or equivalent for solo boost
- Tremolo: Floyd Rose Double Locking — non-negotiable for the expressive vocabulary
Tone note: If you’re playing a Flying V with a Floyd Rose through a Marshall with the treble and mids up and the bass rolled off, making pinch harmonics and diving the bar — you’re basically doing K.K. Downing. The rest is attitude.
The Technique
Downstrokes for rhythm. Learn to make them hit hard and consistently. For leads: don’t be afraid to go somewhere unexpected. Downing’s solos aren’t always “correct” by formal standards — they’re exciting, physical, and committed. The unpredictability is the point. Use the whammy bar as a melodic tool, not just an ending ornament. Make the pinch harmonics happen when the moment calls for emphasis, not on every note. And when in doubt, go harder.
Influence & Legacy: Co-Founder of the Heavy Metal Guitar Vocabulary
K.K. Downing’s legacy is inseparable from the twin-guitar partnership that defined Judas Priest and, through Priest, defined much of what twin-guitar heavy metal became. Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Anthrax — every band that built their sound on two guitarists trading riffs and solos learned the template from Priest, and the Priest template was built by Tipton and Downing working together for forty years.
His specific influence is harder to trace than Tipton’s, partly because his style is less systematically teachable — you can explain Tipton’s arpeggios and his classical scales and his melodic construction, but Downing’s “go somewhere unexpected and hit it hard” is more difficult to translate into instructional content. His influence operates at the level of attitude as much as technique: the conviction that a guitar solo can be physically exciting without being technically perfect, that the energy of the moment matters as much as the precision of the execution.
Kirk Hammett absorbed him extensively — not just the Flying V aesthetic (which he has acknowledged) but the physical approach to the instrument, the fast vibrato, the aggressive right hand. James Hetfield cited Priest’s rhythm guitar work as foundational. Dave Mustaine’s use of the Flying V and his aggressive downstroke approach to rhythm guitar echo Downing as clearly as they echo any other influence.
He was ranked 23rd on Hit Parader’s list of 100 greatest metal guitarists — a ranking that probably understates his cultural impact. The twin-guitar approach he and Tipton developed has never been surpassed in terms of its influence on the genre’s development, and the specific character of Downing’s contribution — the wildness, the physicality, the unwillingness to be contained by expectations — is what gave that partnership its electricity.
KK’s Priest, launched in 2020, demonstrates that his musical identity is entirely intact post-Priest. The albums have been well-received by the metal audience that remembers what Judas Priest was and is, and Downing touring and recording at 70-plus years old with the same commitment and physical intensity that characterised his Priest career confirms that the fire that drove a fifteen-year-old out of his family home in West Bromwich and toward the guitar as the only thing that made sense is still burning.
Tone note: He was kicked out of his house for chasing the guitar at fifteen. He’s still chasing it at seventy. That’s not a career. That’s a vocation.
Somewhere in the Shropshire countryside, in the studio and venue K.K. Downing has built on his estate — a place called Steel Mill, because steel and mills are the vocabulary of the West Midlands he came from and never quite left behind — there are Flying Vs on stands and a Marshall stack powered up and ready.
The guitars are not the 1967 “Kenny’s Flying V Main” — that went under the hammer at Bonhams in 2018 — but they have the same shape, the same intent, the same aggression built into every dimension. A Gibson Flying V, by design, looks like an instrument that wants to do something violent to the room. Downing bought his first one in Birmingham in the mid-1970s and hasn’t played anything else of consequence since.
He was the wild half of Judas Priest for forty years. He’s the driving force of KK’s Priest now. The transition cost him the band he co-founded and the songs he wrote with his best musical collaborator, and both losses are real. What it didn’t cost him is the playing, the conviction, or the absolute certainty that a Flying V through a cranked Marshall with the bar pushed all the way down is one of the most honest sounds a guitar can make.
No regrets. No surrender. And next time Michael Schenker is headed to a shop with a vintage Flying V in the window, he’d better get there a day earlier.
For the complete gear story of K.K. Downing’s twin-guitar partner and the melodic opposite to his wild approach, check out our detailed guide to Glenn Tipton’s complete gear history — the Range Master boost, the SG, the Hamer GT, and the career that continued fighting despite a decade of Parkinson’s.
And for the guitarist who absorbed the Downing Flying V aesthetic most directly and acknowledged it explicitly, don’t miss our complete breakdown of Michael Schenker’s gear guide — the other man who almost bought the same 1967 Flying V at that Birmingham shop, and what he did with a different one instead.
FAQ: K.K. Downing Guitars & Gear
- What guitar is K.K. Downing most associated with?
- The Gibson Flying V — specifically the 1967 Gibson Flying V with red refinish that was his main guitar on all Judas Priest albums from Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) through Point of Entry (1981). This guitar was sold at Bonhams in 2018 with a case note reading “Kenny’s Flying V Main.” Gibson used detailed measurements of this instrument to produce Flying V reissue models. He also owned a 1964 Flying V Limited Edition (one of 200 produced), which he purchased in Birmingham from the same shop Michael Schenker had been heading to buy the same guitar — Downing bought it the day before Schenker arrived.
- What amplifiers did K.K. Downing use with Judas Priest?
- The classic Priest live sound used 50-watt Marshall non-master heads with EL34 tubes for the late-1970s/early-1980s recordings. The Marshall JCM800 1959 MKII Super Lead (100W) became his standard from the mid-1980s onward, run through four Marshall 1960BV 4×12 cabinets for arena performances. For the 2004 reunion tour, he used a rack system featuring two Rocktron Piranha preamps with Marshall power amps and cabs. His auctioned 1978 Marshall JMP 50W head confirms his use of the vintage Plexi-era amp in his primary setup.
- What pickups did K.K. Downing use?
- Original Gibson PAF humbuckers in his vintage Flying Vs for the classic albums (Sad Wings of Destiny through Point of Entry). From the Hamer custom guitar era (mid-1980s onward), EMG 81/85 active pickups became standard — EMG 81 in the bridge for aggressive lead and rhythm tones, EMG 85 in the neck for warmer lead textures. The 2004 Guitar Geek rig diagram confirms EMG 81s in his Flying V-shape guitars. Like Tipton, he used active pickups at elevated voltage for maximum output and headroom.
- How does K.K. Downing’s tone differ from Glenn Tipton’s?
- Downing’s tone is described as thinner, brighter, and more upper-midrange-forward compared to Tipton’s warmer, fuller character. This is partly pickup choice (Downing’s Flying V mahogany body and active EMGs create a different fundamental response than Tipton’s Hamer GT), partly amp settings (Downing rolls off more bass for cutting character), and partly technique (his downstroke-heavy, pick-angle approach produces more upper harmonics from each note). The contrast between the two tones is deliberate — it allows both guitarists to occupy the same sonic space while remaining individually audible in the mix.
- Why did K.K. Downing leave Judas Priest?
- Downing has described “an ongoing breakdown in working relationships between myself, elements of the band and management.” He sent a retirement letter in 2010 during a period of personal crisis, then sent a second letter saying to ignore the first. The band chose to act on the original letter. Downing has expressed regret about the departure and lobbied for a return, appearing with Priest at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2022, but a permanent reunion was not forthcoming. He formed KK’s Priest in 2020 with former Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens.
- What is KK’s Priest and how does Downing’s gear differ from his Judas Priest setup?
- KK’s Priest is the band Downing formed in 2020 after his departure from Judas Priest, featuring vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens and guitarist A.J. Mills. The band has released two albums: Sermons of the Sinner (2021) and The Sinner Rides Again (2023). For KK’s Priest, Downing continues to use V-shaped guitars with active humbucker configurations (through KxK custom and ESP models), Marshall and similar British-voiced amplifiers, and the same fundamental tonal philosophy he developed across forty years with Priest. The primary change is the brand of instrument rather than the approach to sound.
- What strings and picks does K.K. Downing use?
- Standard-gauge electric strings consistent with the .009–.046 or .010–.046 gauges common across Judas Priest’s guitar section. Pick gauge not extensively documented in specific terms, but his predominantly downstroke-driven rhythm approach suggests medium to heavy gauge picks for the consistent attack and punch his rhythm playing requires. The Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo on his live guitars is arguably the most important “setup” element of his rig — enabling the dive bombs and whammy bar vibrato that define his lead style.
