LIVE WIRES: Slipknot

Guitar Player
July 2002

 Slipknot guitarists Mick Thomson and James Root may look like friends of Freddy Krueger, but concealed beneath the masks are two players whose distinct styles are an essential part of the group's furious, multi-platinum-selling sound.
 On the road, Thomson's arms of choice are four В.С. Rich guitars loaded with EMG-81 (bridge) and EMG-89 (neck) pickups. Two Warlocks are strung with Ernie Balls, gauged .011, .015, .018, .028, .038, .058 for dropped-B tuning, and an ST and a flame-maple-topped Warlock are strung .012, .016, .020, .030, .040, .068 for dropped-A tuning. He uses Dunlop Jazz III picks that he scores on the sides for a better grip.
 Thomson runs two wireless systems—a Sony WRR-800 and a Sennheiser E-S ries—to simplify guitar changes. Both wireless receivers are patched to a Whirlwind Multi-Selector, and routed through a Boss NS-2 noise gate to a Custom Audio Electronics 4x4 Audio Controller. Next, a Whirlwind A/B/Y box is used to split the signal to two VHT Pittbull Ultra-Lead heads. Two Boss GX700 multi-effectors are inserted in the effects loops of each amp, and an Electro-Harmonix Bass Balls envelope follower is connected through a loop in the C.A.E. 4x4. One VHT head powers two Carvin 4x12 cabinets loaded with Carvin BR12 speakers, and the other powers an offstage Randall Isolation box loaded with a Carvin BR12 speaker. Rack power and light are furnished by a Furman PL-Pro, and Thomson's tech, Kevin Miles, uses a C.A.E. RS-10 master controller to manage all amps and effects from offstage. 
 Root favors four custom-built Paul Reed Smith Custom 24s loaded with EMG-81 (bridge) and EMG-85 (neck) pickups, single volume controls, and 3way pickup selectors. Root uses the same Ernie Ball set as Thomson for dropped-B, but chooses .012, .016, .020, .034, .044, .064 for dropped-A. He prefers D'Andrea 1mm picks. 
 Root's guitar signal is transmitted to his rack via a Shure UHF wireless system patched to a Whirlwind Multi-Selector, and then to a Korg DTR-1 tuner, an ElectroHarmonix Micro Synthesizer, and a Boss NS-2 noise gate. Finally, a Whirlwind Selector A/B/Y box disburses the signal to two Mesa/Boogie Dual Caliber DC-10 heads. One DC-10 powers a pair of Boogie 4x12 cabinets loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s, while the other DC-10 powers a Randall Isolation box also loaded with a Vintage 30. Rack power and light are provided by a Furman PL-Plus.

(Article by Lisa Sharken. Thanks to Kevin Miles and Martin Connors for providing technical info.) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

(MUSE) Matt Bellamy: the ONLY guitar interview!

Image
Total Guitar December 2003 (Issue 117)  As anthemic as it is experimental, Absolution is Muse's greatest achievement yet. Matt Bellamy tells us about taking chords apart, getting the ultimate tone, and the making of a masterpiece.   It starts with the sound of massed armies approaching, and ends with a single dying power chord. It's called " Apocalypse Please " and it's the opening track on Muse's extraordinary new album, Absolution . From here on in it's a non-stop lunatic ride through some of the grandest, most unashamedly epic guitar music ever created, taking in mournful death marches ( Blackout ), sound-and-fury riffing ( Stockholm Syndrome ), as well as thunderous end of the world anthems ( Time Is Running Out ).   In the months leading up to the album's release, Matt Bellamy told the press that the coming Muse record would be more 'uplifting' than previous efforts. We needn't have worried. From it's portentous opening bars to its...
Read more

Corey Taylor On Why Craig Jones Doesn't Speak (Transcription)

Image
c. 2011 COREY: One more? Okay, one more question. You... MAN: Why doesn't Craig ever talk? ( Laughter from audience ) MAN: I've been waiting years to ask that... COREY: Seriously, or... MAN: No. Seriously. COREY: For real? Or as a joke? MAN: No, no, no...really like...even in Voliminal , they ask him like "How many bodies you have in your backyard", and he doesn't even say anything COREY: Several. There are several, uh, joke answers I can give you. One of which is, he's an Android. ( Laughter ) Another of which is that secretly he's a serial killer ( Laughter ). Which we all call him. We're just like, "You're just a killer, dude." And he just goes...( does a silent nodding/sniff impression )...and he doesn't say a damn word. He's...the honest answer...is that that's just the way he us. He's never...I mean, I'm talking about a dude who I knew, before Slipknot was even a band. You know, we used to go to Rocky Horror Pict...
Read more

Muse summer single announced

Image
NME 6th April 2002 Single and DVD set for June Release  “We've got a new single coming which is really fucking heavy rock" — Matt Bellamy  Muse release a brand new double A-side single this summer, and also hope to finish their third album this year, NME can reveal.  Speaking exclusively to NME , singer Matt Bellamy said that the group had started recording demos for the follow-up to their 'Origins Of Symmetry' album, and will release double A-side single, 'Dead Star'/'In Your World' on June 3. Both tracks are taken from a new DVD, Hullabaloo , which follows on June 17.   Hullabaloo is a double DVD release, with one disc featuring 18 live songs from their 2001 tour, recorded over two nights at the Paris Zenith, and the second containing documentary footage from a number of dates across the world.   Bellamy said, "We did a concert in Paris which we recorded for a DVD. One ( disc ) is the concert and the other is loads of us getting up to weird ant...
Read more