2022.02.18 - Metro - Slash Reckons He Owns Over 400 Guitars, And He Hates iPods

Slash reckons he owns over 400 guitars, and he hates iPods

The Guns N’ Roses star, 56, on his first guitar, the evil genius of Pro Tools and too much bass.

What was your first guitar?

My first true guitar was a cheap $150 knock-off of a Gibson Les Paul, made by a guitar company called Memphis. But before that, I did have a nylon string acoustic that I found in a closet, which was what I first started learning on.

It had only one string on it. I learned how to play a few songs on that one string until I learned how to put the other five strings on.

How many guitars do you own?

It’s sort of ridiculous. I would guess it’s a little bit in excess of 400.

What’s your go-to guitar?

The go-to guitar for me when I’m recording is the same one I’ve been using since 1987, which is a replica of a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, handmade by the late, great guitar builder, Kris Derrig.

I recorded Appetite For Destruction with it and I’ve done pretty much every record with it since. It has a unique tone and personality to it.

Your new album, 4, is out now. What’s the biggest way tech has changed making records?

The biggest development for recording has to be Pro Tools. It’s really changed the face of recording. Pro Tools is a genius piece of technology but I’m not a huge fan because it tends to be overused.

It allows you to edit every single note, which means that people actually put records together not knowing how to play a single note.

What’s your home audio set-up like?

I listen to music in my car more than anywhere else because it’s where I’m the least distracted. I recently got a new Bronco that I waited two years for but I have to say that it’s really bassy. I like to keep everything flat.

What’s your favourite portable music device of all time?

Those little flat Sony cassette players that had a tape on one end and the speakers on the other. I used to walk around with that when I was first starting to play guitar.

Since then, there was a period where I had an iPod, which I would take on the road with me for convenience, but the quality of the sound drove me crazy because it was so f***ing digital.

What’s been your most expensive tech purchase?

Probably my home TV rig. I’m a big Samsung guy. I have a Samsung phone and tablet, and all the TVs in my house are Samsung. The two main TVs I have are big curved flatscreens, which are pretty cool.

What retro tech would you like to see make a comeback?

A lot of the analogue gear that we use in the studio is still around, even though it might not be manufactured any more, which is great. We use studio tape machines, some old Neve boards and old API boards.

Then, big companies such as Dunlop are buying all the old pedal brands and bringing back these great retro pedals, so there’s nothing I really miss. But I don’t want to see the 8-track come back.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/02/18/slash-reckons-he-owns-over-400-guitars-and-he-hates-ipods-16126475/