2024.03.03 - Gibson TV Japan - Interview with Slash

Starts at 8:20 minute mark.

Excerpts from Ultimate Guitar:
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Guns N' Roses legend Slash said that he plays Gibson Les Paul as his main guitar because of its sonic and physical features.

To this day, there's hardly any guitar player who's so closely associated with a particular guitar model. When we think of the SG, guys like Tony Iommi and Angus Young come to mind, with occasional names like Frank Zappa, Derek Trucks, or Pete Townshend. But when you mention a Les Paul guitar, most people will think of Slash.

And speaking to Gibson Japan, he pointed out that it comes down to the very basic features. Asked why he chose Les Paul as his main guitar, Slash went all the way back to his beginnings.

"The first guitar I ever got was a Les Paul copy," he recalled (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). "And then, that guitar, I remember the neck started bowing. And I ended up sticking that guitar through a wall one day at rehearsal, a little rehearsal studio in Hollywood."

Of course, this obviously wasn't the legendary "Derrig" Les Paul but an old cheap copy. And fortunately, the "Derrig" LP is still alive and breathing. Discussing his guitar journey going forward, Slash then added:

"And so then I went through trial and error with all the main brands of guitars. I think I was using a B.C. Rich for a while."

"But I inevitably ended up back with a Les Paul when Guns N' Roses Started. And I think that was always supposed to be my guitar. So I had to go through some of the other brands and come full circle and back to Les Paul."

So why does Slash play Gibson Les Paul?

"It's a combination of a lot of things," he said. "It's the way that they sound. Because it's the dual humbuckers, and sort of this density of the body has a pretty unique Les Paul sound. And I like that it's thick and it's fairly heavy and has a lot of sustain and whatnot."

On top of that, Les Paul's (in)famous weight is something that he prefers:

"And then I like the weight of it. It's very solid, which is important for me, I guess. I feel comfortable with it."

Finally, we have the most important feature of them all:

"And they look cool. I've always thought that Les Pauls were, hands down, the sexiest guitar."

Jokes aside, a huge role in Slash's choice was also due to his idols. It's the guitar greats who he listened to as a kid:

"But when I was first starting out, a lot of guitar players whose sound I gravitated towards, they played Les Pauls. And it was from Jimmy Page and Mike Bloomfield to Keith Richards... Joe Walsh sometimes. So I'd see a Les Paul on if it was somebody that I really admired their playing. I'd make a mental note about it."

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/gear/slash_explains_why_he_chose_gibson_les_paul_as_his_main_instrument_theyre_the_sexiest_guitars.html