Jessica has been Slash’s main stage guitar since 1988 when Gibson sent him the original Jessica, a factory second. Now Gibson adds the Slash “Jessica” Les Paul Standard model to their Slash Collection—a new model based on Slash’s old favorite, street-priced at $3,199.
Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver fans will undoubtedly be familiar with the guitar that Slash named “Jessica.” Jessica has been Slash’s main stage guitar since 1988. The original Jessica was a factory second and one of two Les Paul™ guitars that Gibson sent to Slash in the late 80s. Now Gibson is proud to introduce a new model based on Slash’s old favorite.
Jessica features a three-piece plain maple top on a non-weight-relieved mahogany body and a mahogany neck with a ’50s vintage neck profile—a 12" radius Indian rosewood fretboard with a 24.75" scale length, plus medium jumbo frets over binding. The nut is a Graph Tech. Jessica is powered by a pair of Custom Burstbucker™ pickups with alnico 2 magnets that are hand-wired to Orange Drop® capacitors. The tuners are vintage deluxes with keystone buttons, and there’s an aluminum Nashville Tune--o-matic bridge. Originally a bright cherry sunburst, Slash had Jessica refinished, which is reflected, minus the considerable road wear on the original, in the gloss nitrocellulose honeyburst with red back finish used on the new model. Slash’s signature is reproduced on the truss rod cover, and Schaller Strap Locks are preinstalled on the guitar. Other extras include a Slash pick set, a USA leather strap, a multi-tool, and a blank truss rod cover in the included hardshell case.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
The PG Video crew of John Bohlinger, Perry Bean and Chris Kies recall a pair of killer Rig Rundowns with Nuno Bettencourt & Pat Badger of Extreme and Sammy Boller. Then the trio focus on new gear pieces from Keeley, Danelectro, Gibson, Line 6, and Schecter, before dishing out their opinions on relic guitars, sharing new music they're excited about from Gary Clark Jr, Charley Crockett and Black Country Communion. And they conclude their hang with a discussion about how AI will continue shaping music and songwriting.
The hard-rocking Aussie butt-kicker goes minimalist for his band’s current tour: a Line 6 HX Stomp, three guitars, and a modest pedalboard. And yes, he’s slowly working toward a new album, too.
When we walked into Nashville’s Eastside Bowl for this Rig Rundown with Wolfmother’s alpha canine, Andrew Stockdale, it sounded like he was playing his SG through a Marshall stack at head-ripping volume. Nope! Stockdale was blasting skulls apart with a Line 6 HX stomp doing the heavy tonal lifting. Surprise!
It's part of his strategy for traveling lite in support of Rock Out, the Australian outfit’s 2021 album, on a make-up tour of the States that was preempted by the Covid shutdown. For Stockdale, the rest of his formula for playing his blood-and-guys rock 'n' roll live includes an SG, a White Falcon, and a vintage Supro, and … no traditional amps.
“I used to have, like, three Voxes–cabs and everything up there. And we had a trailer behind the bus and two guys to carry it, who'd have a beer and high-five each other after they loaded out,” Stockdale recounts. “Now they‘re gone, all the amps, and them gone.”
Here’s a close-up look at what’s onstage with Stockdale right now, as he uses minimalist gear to create maximum sound!
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The Red Dog
This ’61 Gibson SG reissue with 61T humbuckers is a loaner. Stockdale flew from Australia without guitars—part of his smart-travel initiative. He strings his electrics with .010 to .042 sets from Ernie Ball. He also uses EB’s .88 mm picks. His SG’s control dials? They’re all the way up, my friends! At home, or in Europe on tour, he plays an ’80s black SG and an Epiphone Explorer
Supro, Man
This vintage mother-of-toilet-seat Supro was a gift from Seasick Steve—who Stockdale went surfing with … in England. (Right?) Even more odd is Stockdale’s testimony that Steve is an excellent surfer. This 1-pickup model appears to be a late-’50s Belmont, replete with the original pickup. If you haven’t played a guitar with one of the big-footprint Supro pickups, you're missing a truly special experience. Just ask Ry Cooder.
Big Bird
Stockdale uses this Gretsch White Falcon on the song “Apple Tree.” It had a neck break near the body joint on a flight in Australia, and Stockdale glued it up himself, letting it set in a clamp. This model was introduced in 1954, but it sure as hell does more than twang.
Board to Be Wild
Stockdale moved from traditional amps to Line 6 a few years ago, and blends in with his own pedals, to “give it more character.” His board’s layout is a Snark floor tuner, an EHX Micro Synth (a Wolfmother staple), an Xotic AC Booster, an EHX Micro POG, a Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah, a Boss TR-2 tremolo, a CIOKS DC5 power supply, and Shure GLXDC+ wireless. Unfortunately, he left the wireless transmitter in a guitar case at home for this tour. Whoops!