Rig Rundown: Guns N' Roses

In 1987, Gibson enjoyed an enormous jump in sales when Guns N’ Roses released Appetite for Destruction. To show their appreciation, Gibson gave Slash this ’87 Les Paul Standard, the first of many endorsement guitars. This battered ’87 LP has been broken, burned, and abused since the first tour and remains one of Slash’s favorites.

Appetite was recorded on a ’58 Les Paul replica built by Kris Derrig. Gibson built this nearly identical guitar, and labeled it the Gibson Les Paul ‘AFD’. Slash tours with the Gibson replica while the Derrig remains home.

Since the Use Your Illusion Tour, Slash has been rocking this back-breaking Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck, with a 1988 factory re-fin.

In 1990, Slash bought a 1958 Les Paul that was the first 2-piece sunburst produced, according to Gibson’s original handwritten ledger. It’s too valuable to tour with, so Slash had Gibson build this identical replica for the road.

Slash has been a B.C. Rich fan since high school. Currently his tour arsenal includes a B.C. Rich Bitch 10-string, commissioned to Slash’s specs. Slash plays it as a standard 6-string.

All of Slash’s guitars are strung with Ernie Ball strings (the gauge depends on the tuning). GNR’s main tuning is standard half-step flat. These guitars get Ernie Ball Paradigms .011–.048. Two guitars are tuned standard half-step flat, with a dropped D. They also use .011–.048 string sets, with the .048 string substituted with a .052. For standard A440-tuned guitars, string gauge is .011–.048. For the two songs in standard A-440 with dropped-D tuning, the gauge is .011–.048 with the .048 string substituted with a .050. The electric 12-string Gibson 1275 gets .09–.046 strings. All acoustics are strung with Ernie Ball Earthwood .012–.054 sets. Slash uses Dunlop Tortex 1.14 mm picks and most of his straps are made by Red Monkey.

A lifelong Marshall man, Slash tours with a combination of vintage Marshall JCM2555 Silver Jubilee heads and his Slash Signature JCM2555SL for a total of seven heads. Three amps are set for a dirty rhythm sound, (EL34 output tubes).

Three amps amps are set for clean sound, (KT88 output tubes and a 12AX7 in the phase-inverter position). One amp, featuring EL34 output tubes, is set for his Heil Talk Box. An additional Matrix slave amp serves as a feedback generator, powering a Marshall 1960 B 4x12 cabinet onstage. All other amps feed Marshall 1960 B 4x12 cabinets loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers and hidden in large isolation boxes off stage. These cabinets are miked with an assortment of mics, including Shure SM57s, SM58s, a Sennheiser 421, and a Stager SR-2N ribbon mic.

The backside of Slash’s Silver Jubliee heads.

Slash’s signal path starts with a Shure UR4D receiver that flows to a Ebtech Hum Eliminator, a RJM Effect Gizmo 1, an MXR EQ, Boss NS-2, Dunlop Cry Baby, RJM Effect Gizmo (for loops), and a second RJM Effect Gizmo which sends the signal to dirty amps, clean amps, the talkbox amp, and Acoustic DI. A Boss DD-3 Digital Delay and CAE Boost/Line Driver runs though the dirty amps’ effects loops only. In the effects loop, there is a CAE Boost/Overdrive, MXR Slash Octave Fuzz, MXR Chorus, dbx 166 compressor, Boss DD-3, Line 6 Echo Pro, and a Line 6 Mod Pro.

Tech Adam Day places multiple wah controllers throughout the stage so Slash can rip “Sweet Child” wherever he pleases. The rest of the effects are controlled by Day with a Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro.

Duff McKagan started out with a Japanese Fender Jazz special he bought with his record advance money. That bass, now stored safely at home, served as the model for the Fender Custom Shop Duff McKagan bass models. Duff tours with several of his Fender signature basses; the primary is a mid-2000s model.

Followed closely by the prototype of a new Duff signature, which will be out next year.

For a bit a variety, Duff plays his 2017 Fender Custom Shop version of the Aerodyne model. All basses use stock Fender neck pickups and Seymour Duncan Hot Stack STK J2b pickups (more output and noise-cancelling). All basses are strung with Rotosound RS66LD .045–.105 strings. Duff uses Jim Dunlop .73 mm Tortex picks. A Hipshot Bass Extender allows for a quick D-tune.

McKagan has played through Gallien-Krueger amps since the beginning. Currently he tours with two Gallien-Krueger MB 800 amps that run into two Gallien-Krueger RBH 115 cabs.

For some tube-warmth, Duff also runs two Fender Super Bassman heads into two Fender Bassman Pro 4x10s. All cabs are miked and combined with the direct out of the MB 800s (post EQ switch on).

McKagan gets most of his tonal variety from his hands or pick, but occasionally he will have his longtime tech, Mike “Mcbob” Mayhue engage an MXR M109 6-Band Graphic EQ and/or an Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus pedal (1980s vintage). McBob also uses a Radial JX44 switcher for bass changes. The JX44 also has an effects loop used for the chorus and EQ pedal. Everything is powered by a T-Rex Fuel Tank. Flow starts at the bass out to four Shure UHF-R dual band wireless receivers (switching to Shure Axient Digital next year). The four receivers route into the four inputs of the JX44, out of the JX44 (four outputs, two are stereo), and out to Duff’s two Gallien-Kruger MB 800s (one main and one backup), out to two Fender Super Bassmans (one main and one backup).

A shot of Duff’s rack that is home to his Korg DTR-1000 tuner, Tech 21 1U rackmount SansAmp RBI, and another GK MB 800.

Richard Fortus tours with a large arsenal of guitars, too many to cover here, but let’s start with a few of his Gretsch guitars, including a Gretsch White Falcon and Black Falcon, both Players Edition models upgraded with Arcane pickups.

Next in the Gretsch list is Fortus’ one-of-a-kind Stephen Stern Custom Shop Gretsch, built for Chicago Music Exchange. This stunner features Arcane pickups and a pearloid top. This guitar and all of Fortus’ standard electrics are strung with D’Addario NYXL .010–.052.

Fortus has a rack full of customized guitars built specifically for him by famed luthier Leo Scala. All Scalas are one-offs and feature Arcane pickups. Fortus’ Scala signature model, the 445, has a 335-style body, but thinner, featuring a solid 1-piece maple top on a 1-piece mahogany body that’s been chambered and vented all the way around. The maple cap is the same thickness as a Les Paul at the bridge.

The black T-Rod Scala is similar to a T-style shape with flame-maple top, mahogany back, and two lap-steel style picks slanted away from the high-strings, opposite of a standard Telecaster bridge pickup.

This Scala Underdog Burst has a chambering system featuring Scala’s unique “Sound Vents” design.

Here’s a close-up shot of the “sound vents.”

Fortus’ Scala White Spell somewhat resembles a Les Paul custom, but with a customized aesthetic and Arcane pickups.

Fortus’ PSE is a black 335-style, custom built with a single Arcane pickup.

Fortus’ Carbonetti is an Italianesque offset semi-hollow with cedar top and a single Arcane Filter’Tron-style pickup.

Fortus’ G Sharp is a signature baritone with a Jetsons vibe and a Lollar gold-foil pickup, strung with D’Addario EXL158 baritone strings.

Fortus tours with two of his R4 Singles, his signature amp built by Voodoo Amps (one is his main amp, one is a backup). The R4 feeds a 4x12 Voodoo cab loaded with Celestion G12-65s and Celestion G12 Alnico Golds in an X-pattern. Fortus uses WireWorld power cables on his amps, and WireWorld wireless cables and Mogami cables everywhere else.

In addition to the Voodoo, Fortus runs a Supro Black Magick combo with Celestion creamback Alnico.

Fortus’ signal runs from his guitars to Shure ULXD4Q wireless into a Shure UR4D wireless receiver routed through a Coleman Audio GT6 instrument selector. His effects routing and controllers include an RJM Mastermind GT, Dunlop Cry Baby rackmount wah, Mission Engineering expression pedal, an RJM Effect Gizmo, and an Eaton 9PX 3000VA.

Pedals include an Electro-Harmonix HOG, Joe Gore Cult Germanium Overdrive, Mojo Hand FX Sacred Cow, Lovepedal Eternity Overdrive, Arion Stereo Chorus (dates back to Chinese Democracy), Origin Effects Cali76 compressor, Salvation Audio Vivider, DOD FX25 Envelope Filter, and MXR Phase 90.

The next drawer down has a MXR Reverb, Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe, Catalinbread Adineko Oil Can Delay, Catalinbread Talisman Plate Reverb, DigiTech Whammy, and a Strymon TimeLine Delay. Pedals run on a Voodoo Labs power supply.

Fortus keeps a Fractal Axe-Fx II in his rack as a backup for effects and uses Graph Tech Dry n’ Glide (for those hot and sweaty gigs), Jim Dunlop Ultex Jazz III picks, and D&A Guitar Gear Starfish + Active Guitar Stands.