Slash is aware that his playing has changed since he sobered up: "I tend to play a lot faster"

[ludurigan]

Talking about his sobriety, Slash acknowledges that his playing has changed since he stopped intoxicating himself

 

"The only thing I've noticed the difference is, I tend to play with more energy and a lot faster than I did back when I was drunk — which led to some great long notes, but..."

 

 

Yeah. It is clear to see that, huh?

I miss those great long notes. And I could easily do without the faster playing and the million-notes-per-second-thing that Slash has been doing for the last years

Yeah. And I know this likely won't happen but i just wish that Slash could try and "educate himself" to play slower, bluesier again without having to intoxicate himself

 

 

source = http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/slash-says-seeing-axl-rose-perform-with-ac-dc-was-awesome-he-pulled-it-off-and-it-was-great/

Edited October 6, 2018 by ludurigan

[Nosaj Thing]

Replace 'a lot faster' with 'nonsensical noodling' because the latter is what Slash does.  It's unfortunate because it is exactly what I always loved about Slash, the sustain his guitars had and how much he could hold or bend a note.  That doesn't happen very often anymore, sadly.

[DieselDaisy]

I have noticed that he has adopted a far cleaner/thinner tone in recent years - not sure of the technical specifics. 

[Nosaj Thing]

Just now, DieselDaisy said:

I have noticed that he has adopted a far cleaner/thinner tone in recent years - not sure of the technical specifics. 

That fat, jet engine guitar tone is long gone.  The amps are to blame, I think.

Another reason I stopped giving a shit about the reunion.

[Free Bird]

2 hours ago, ludurigan said:

Talking about his sobriety, Slash acknowledges that his playing has changed since he stopped intoxicating himself

 

"The only thing I've noticed the difference is, I tend to play with more energy and a lot faster than I did back when I was drunk — which led to some great long notes, but..."

 

 

Yeah. It is clear to see that, huh?

I miss those great long notes. And I could easily do without the faster playing and the million-notes-per-second-thing that Slash has been doing for the last years

Yeah. And I know this likely won't happen but i just wish that Slash could try and "educate himself" to play slower, bluesier again without having to intoxicate himself

 

 

source = http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/slash-says-seeing-axl-rose-perform-with-ac-dc-was-awesome-he-pulled-it-off-and-it-was-great/

A lot of the solos on the new record are very "old school Slash" with these long notes and nice bendings.

[ludurigan]

3 hours ago, Nosaj Thing said:

Replace 'a lot faster' with 'nonsensical noodling' because the latter is what Slash does.  It's unfortunate because it is exactly what I always loved about Slash, the sustain his guitars had and how much he could hold or bend a note.  That doesn't happen very often anymore, sadly.

yeah i agree

1 hour ago, Free Bird said:

A lot of the solos on the new record are very "old school Slash" with these long notes and nice bendings.

that is good news

[appetite4illusions]

No bueno.

He went the opposite route most guitar players go, they begin building their technique and then proceed to just bust out over-the-top scale runs and chromatic notes. They have to learn to slow down and think about the coherency of each note and how it relates to the next. They have to build up a good vibrato and train their ear not to fail them.

Slash had an amazing ear and signature vibrato, from the beginning, as he got older though, both of those things began to fail him and he began to fall back on comfortable techniques that are cool, but really don't sound musically pleasing - at all.

Also, he began to use all sorts of channel switching systems, rack processors and other tone-sucking equipment that was designed to make life easier - and made his fat, rich tone sound thin and weak. He was never The Edge so why he needed a space-shuttle rig setup is beyond me.

 

Can you imagine going back ten years to the release of Chinese Democracy and hearing the Finck and Bucket solos on some of those songs - Better, Sorry, If The World, The Blues, There Was a Time - and trying to tell the people who really idolized Slash that one day he would come up with his own solos for those songs - and they would be completely disposable, almost, garbage!

Granted, if Slash had ten years time to come up with really inspired takes on those songs, I have to believe he would find his footing and come up with some truly great note selections, but as it is, those guys outshined Slash completely and cemented their place in the writing of those songs.  Slow bluesy takes are always better than fast legato work!

[LA_0013]

6 minutes ago, appetite4illusions said:

No bueno.

He went the opposite route most guitar players go, they begin building their technique and then proceed to just bust out over-the-top scale runs and chromatic notes. They have to learn to slow down and think about the coherency of each note and how it relates to the next. They have to build up a good vibrato and train their ear not to fail them.

Slash had an amazing ear and signature vibrato, from the beginning, as he got older though, both of those things began to fail him and he began to fall back on comfortable techniques that are cool, but really don't sound musically pleasing - at all.

Also, he began to use all sorts of channel switching systems, rack processors and other tone-sucking equipment that was designed to make life easier - and made his fat, rich tone sound thin and weak. He was never The Edge so why he needed a space-shuttle rig setup is beyond me.

 

Can you imagine going back ten years to the release of Chinese Democracy and hearing the Finck and Bucket solos on some of those songs - Better, Sorry, If The World, The Blues, There Was a Time - and trying to tell the people who really idolized Slash that one day he would come up with his own solos for those songs - and they would be completely disposable, almost, garbage!

Granted, if Slash had ten years time to come up with really inspired takes on those songs, I have to believe he would find his footing and come up with some truly great note selections, but as it is, those guys outshined Slash completely and cemented their place in the writing of those songs.  Slow bluesy takes are always better than fast legato work!

I may be reading that wrong - but are you saying Slash needs 10 years to come up with a solo that beats a Buckethead solo on Chinese, because his fast legato work doesn’t trump slow bluesy takes?

[appetite4illusions]

1 minute ago, LA_0013 said:

I may be reading that wrong - but are you saying Slash needs 10 years to come up with a solo that beats a Buckethead solo on Chinese, because his fast legato work doesn’t trump slow bluesy takes?

No, but he has yet to do it. As you know, there was a ten year production period on chinese democracy so those guys had more time to think about it and run themselves into the ground in the studio.

[Rovim]

Just now, appetite4illusions said:

No, but he has yet to do it. As you know, there was a ten year production period on chinese democracy so those guys had more time to think about it and run themselves into the ground in the studio.

Robin said he came up with his Chinese solos fairly quicky, something like that. It's possible it didn't take them long to come up with solos. For Safari Inn, Slash said he improvised for half an hour and then they used the best parts on the studio version. His playing is different. Sometimes it's just too many notes but not all the time. 

Edited October 6, 2018 by Rovim

[Towelie]

1 hour ago, appetite4illusions said:

No bueno.

He went the opposite route most guitar players go, they begin building their technique and then proceed to just bust out over-the-top scale runs and chromatic notes. They have to learn to slow down and think about the coherency of each note and how it relates to the next. They have to build up a good vibrato and train their ear not to fail them.

Slash had an amazing ear and signature vibrato, from the beginning, as he got older though, both of those things began to fail him and he began to fall back on comfortable techniques that are cool, but really don't sound musically pleasing - at all.

Also, he began to use all sorts of channel switching systems, rack processors and other tone-sucking equipment that was designed to make life easier - and made his fat, rich tone sound thin and weak. He was never The Edge so why he needed a space-shuttle rig setup is beyond me.

 

Can you imagine going back ten years to the release of Chinese Democracy and hearing the Finck and Bucket solos on some of those songs - Better, Sorry, If The World, The Blues, There Was a Time - and trying to tell the people who really idolized Slash that one day he would come up with his own solos for those songs - and they would be completely disposable, almost, garbage!

Granted, if Slash had ten years time to come up with really inspired takes on those songs, I have to believe he would find his footing and come up with some truly great note selections, but as it is, those guys outshined Slash completely and cemented their place in the writing of those songs.  Slow bluesy takes are always better than fast legato work!

I think it's been a mixed bag when it comes to the CD solos. His solo on Better is a nice variation, and a song like Chinese Democracy doesn't really need anything other than a bit of mindless shredding, so he accomplishes that just fine.

But his solos on TIL, Sorry and Catcher have been pretty awful. You just can't improvise during a song like TIL. That song especially is begging for those big money notes that Slash is known for, and he just treats it like a backing track to jam over.

Edited October 6, 2018 by Towelie

[Silverburst80]

 

[appetite4illusions]

2 hours ago, Rovim said:

Robin said he came up with his Chinese solos fairly quicky, something like that. It's possible it didn't take them long to come up with solos. For Safari Inn, Slash said he improvised for half an hour and then they used the best parts on the studio version. His playing is different. Sometimes it's just too many notes but not all the time. 

I tend to agree with guitar players that inspiration is what comes to you quickly - in the moment - but that can also be a trap.

Kirk Hammet, for instance, does pretty much the same thing with every guitar solo he has - fast runs while rocking a wah-wah. When he was working on The Black Album, there was a creative tension because Bob Rock was trying to get more melody out of him and it became a battle because Kirk became uncomfortable with the situation. Sometimes, uncomforbility breeds really great results.

With Slash and Robin, i'm sure they're following their instincts in terms of where to start, how to start, whether the tempo of the solo is fast or slow - but they really should be willing to do a 360 on another take and try another approach.

Lets ask ourselves, what is the last really, truly great guitar solo Slash laid down? Slither? Fall to Pieces? Those two have a lot going for them, but I would say Streetchild was the last time he really approached those heart-wrenching notes in a really effective way.

Edited October 6, 2018 by appetite4illusions

[El Guapo]

7 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I have noticed that he has adopted a far cleaner/thinner tone in recent years - not sure of the technical specifics. 

This is kind of the typical change for many players over the years - think Clapton, for example. 

As a player myself, when you're young you tend to use more distortion and go for a big, fat humbucker tone. Later on, you try to use less and less dirt and many start to appreciate single coil pickups, Strats etc. because it's more musical and has more clarity. I used to play Les Pauls, then Teles, now Strats.

That being said, it's not always a change for the better. Many prefer Clapton's earlier, Les Paul stuff with Cream.

Personally, I loved Slash's UYI era tone and playing best, but I understand his journey to different tones. BUT the fast, noodling aspect of his playing these days just sucks to my ears. Since he is aware of it, it might change again for the better though, especially in the context of new Guns material. I hope so.

[ZoSoRose]

3 hours ago, appetite4illusions said:

No bueno.

He went the opposite route most guitar players go, they begin building their technique and then proceed to just bust out over-the-top scale runs and chromatic notes. They have to learn to slow down and think about the coherency of each note and how it relates to the next. They have to build up a good vibrato and train their ear not to fail them.

Slash had an amazing ear and signature vibrato, from the beginning, as he got older though, both of those things began to fail him and he began to fall back on comfortable techniques that are cool, but really don't sound musically pleasing - at all.

Also, he began to use all sorts of channel switching systems, rack processors and other tone-sucking equipment that was designed to make life easier - and made his fat, rich tone sound thin and weak. He was never The Edge so why he needed a space-shuttle rig setup is beyond me.

 

Can you imagine going back ten years to the release of Chinese Democracy and hearing the Finck and Bucket solos on some of those songs - Better, Sorry, If The World, The Blues, There Was a Time - and trying to tell the people who really idolized Slash that one day he would come up with his own solos for those songs - and they would be completely disposable, almost, garbage!

Granted, if Slash had ten years time to come up with really inspired takes on those songs, I have to believe he would find his footing and come up with some truly great note selections, but as it is, those guys outshined Slash completely and cemented their place in the writing of those songs.  Slow bluesy takes are always better than fast legato work!

What complex rack and switching systems does he use? He still doesnt use something like a Fractal. Putting amp heads on a rack and a midi controller doesnt suck tone. That's a myth. A lot of high end processors like Axe FX and Helix sound really good now, too. All arena acts use racks of some sort and put cabs on stage for show. A lot have switched to digital systems now too with good results. Either way, love tube amps too and Slash still uses them in spades.

[appetite4illusions]

Just now, ZoSoRose said:

What complex rack and switching systems does he use? He still doesnt use something like a Fractal. Putting amp heads on a rack and a midi controller doesnt suck tone. That's a myth. A lot of high end processors like Axe FX and Helix sound really good now, too. All arena acts use racks of some sort and put cabs on stage for show. A lot have switched to digital systems now too with good results. Either way, love tube amps too and Slash still uses them in spades.

What I'm talking about is signal loss. He has lots of GCX and processors to achieve different tonal combinations, but the more wires you have, the more signal you lose.

I have to believe the difference in his tone today compared to the glory days of Guns N Roses is the fact that there is much more of signal path which robs you of the transparency of the tone. I realize he can't simply go from a head to a cab to guitar like it was the club days, but as technology has evolved, Slash's sound has gotten thinner and I don't know how else you could account for that.

As far as fractal goes, they are very good and pretty cool, but at the end of the day, the dynamics of them don't work very well if you are a volume player - someone who looks for the sweet spot on your volume knob to either get less or more out of the amp. Good tube amps will provide those dynamics, Fractal has yet to emulate the minutia of that.

[El Guapo]

Look for GNR rig rundown on youtube if you want to learn more about it and see it. Slash's rig is super complicated and technical these days.

[Rovim]

54 minutes ago, appetite4illusions said:

I tend to agree with guitar players that inspiration is what comes to you quickly - in the moment - but that can also be a trap.

Kirk Hammet, for instance, does pretty much the same thing with every guitar solo he has - fast runs while rocking a wah-wah. When he was working on The Black Album, there was a creative tension because Bob Rock was trying to get more melody out of him and it became a battle because Kirk became uncomfortable with the situation. Sometimes, uncomforbility breeds really great results.

With Slash and Robin, i'm sure they're following their instincts in terms of where to start, how to start, whether the tempo of the solo is fast or slow - but they really should be willing to do a 360 on another take and try another approach.

Lets ask ourselves, what is the last really, truly great guitar solo Slash laid down? Slither? Fall to Pieces? Those two have a lot going for them, but I would say Streetchild was the last time he really approached those heart-wrenching notes in a really effective way.

As far as pushing himself in the studio goes, Slash only really did it with Guns and Contraband. Other than that I think his focus was always more on the live shows. Most of his albums are almost an excuse to go out there and play. He said that Elvis pushed him a little to try harder and do more takes when it came to the solos on world on fire and that he "wanted to kill him" for it.

Kirk said his Unforgiven solo was something he was really proud of and before coming up with it he wanted to write that kind of solo for years. Slash seems content with banging it quickly. My guess is he needs the occasion to be big enough to really step out of his comfort zone which means to put more work in the studio. I honestly don't think he enjoys laboring over solos in the studio so I can't really fault him for his process with his solo band. If he'll ever get a chance to do it, I think he'll adjust his process as much as he can for a Guns album.

 

Edited October 6, 2018 by Rovim

[Sydney Fan]

12 hours ago, Nosaj Thing said:

Replace 'a lot faster' with 'nonsensical noodling' because the latter is what Slash does.  It's unfortunate because it is exactly what I always loved about Slash, the sustain his guitars had and how much he could hold or bend a note.  That doesn't happen very often anymore, sadly.

I agree with this and the fast and crunching guitar solo i like is in the song dont damn me.

[ZoSoRose]

5 hours ago, appetite4illusions said:

What I'm talking about is signal loss. He has lots of GCX and processors to achieve different tonal combinations, but the more wires you have, the more signal you lose.

I have to believe the difference in his tone today compared to the glory days of Guns N Roses is the fact that there is much more of signal path which robs you of the transparency of the tone. I realize he can't simply go from a head to a cab to guitar like it was the club days, but as technology has evolved, Slash's sound has gotten thinner and I don't know how else you could account for that.

As far as fractal goes, they are very good and pretty cool, but at the end of the day, the dynamics of them don't work very well if you are a volume player - someone who looks for the sweet spot on your volume knob to either get less or more out of the amp. Good tube amps will provide those dynamics, Fractal has yet to emulate the minutia of that.

I used to feel the same way but now I have to disagree. Digital guitar technology has advanced leaps and bounds in the past decade. The high end ones like Axe FX and Helix absolutely respond to volume knob dynamics. I dismissed all digital setups but recently switched to a Helix and its even more responsive than my tube amp. I use my volume and tone knobs a lot, too.

I'm not saying I want Slash to switch over to a Fractal or Line 6 rig, but I dont buy that his tone is different because of a complicated rack system. He had a pretty big rack for the UYI tour, too. Its more of an EQ thing and how he is dialing in his equipment. Guys like David Gilmour have immensly complicated rack systems with tube amp and digital units and he has incredible tone every show. For the record, I like Slash's NITL time quite a bit. I think the UYI tour tone is better, but I think Slash has always been a guitar player that has had fantastic tone. 

Also, I dont mean to be argumentative but I love talking about this stuff lol.

[MaskingApathy]

On 10/6/2018 at 11:21 AM, appetite4illusions said:

What I'm talking about is signal loss. He has lots of GCX and processors to achieve different tonal combinations, but the more wires you have, the more signal you lose.

I have to believe the difference in his tone today compared to the glory days of Guns N Roses is the fact that there is much more of signal path which robs you of the transparency of the tone. I realize he can't simply go from a head to a cab to guitar like it was the club days, but as technology has evolved, Slash's sound has gotten thinner and I don't know how else you could account for that.

As far as fractal goes, they are very good and pretty cool, but at the end of the day, the dynamics of them don't work very well if you are a volume player - someone who looks for the sweet spot on your volume knob to either get less or more out of the amp. Good tube amps will provide those dynamics, Fractal has yet to emulate the minutia of that.

That's an old photo from 10 years ago. He's got less stuff now and they're all on separate loops in the switcher, so anything that's not being used is out of the signal chain. The main difference really with his setup now vs UYI is that the gain on the dirty amps is turned down a bit.

[Sydney Fan]

On 07/10/2018 at 4:50 AM, appetite4illusions said:

I tend to agree with guitar players that inspiration is what comes to you quickly - in the moment - but that can also be a trap.

Kirk Hammet, for instance, does pretty much the same thing with every guitar solo he has - fast runs while rocking a wah-wah. When he was working on The Black Album, there was a creative tension because Bob Rock was trying to get more melody out of him and it became a battle because Kirk became uncomfortable with the situation. Sometimes, uncomforbility breeds really great results.

With Slash and Robin, i'm sure they're following their instincts in terms of where to start, how to start, whether the tempo of the solo is fast or slow - but they really should be willing to do a 360 on another take and try another approach.

Lets ask ourselves, what is the last really, truly great guitar solo Slash laid down? Slither? Fall to Pieces? Those two have a lot going for them, but I would say Streetchild was the last time he really approached those heart-wrenching notes in a really effective way.

American man off libertad has that kind of playing.

[Free Bird]

On 6.10.2018 at 7:50 PM, appetite4illusions said:

I tend to agree with guitar players that inspiration is what comes to you quickly - in the moment - but that can also be a trap.

Kirk Hammet, for instance, does pretty much the same thing with every guitar solo he has - fast runs while rocking a wah-wah. When he was working on The Black Album, there was a creative tension because Bob Rock was trying to get more melody out of him and it became a battle because Kirk became uncomfortable with the situation. Sometimes, uncomforbility breeds really great results.

With Slash and Robin, i'm sure they're following their instincts in terms of where to start, how to start, whether the tempo of the solo is fast or slow - but they really should be willing to do a 360 on another take and try another approach.

Lets ask ourselves, what is the last really, truly great guitar solo Slash laid down? Slither? Fall to Pieces? Those two have a lot going for them, but I would say Streetchild was the last time he really approached those heart-wrenching notes in a really effective way.

Are you serious? First of all that's a matter of taste, isn't it?

But let me be as ignorant as you this time:

All you have to do is listen to Slash's music unbiased.

There are great guitar solos, and I mean truly great guitar solos, on every fucking record. They're there! All you have to do is listen to 'em.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Free Bird

[appetite4illusions]

11 hours ago, Free Bird said:

Are you serious? First of all that's a matter of taste, isn't it?

But let me be as ignorant as you this time:

All you have to do is listen to Slash's music unbiased.

There are great guitar solos, and I mean truly great guitar solos, on every fucking record. They're there! All you have to do is listen to 'em.

I'm sorry to offend you. I am certainly unbiased and as a guitar player who loves Slash, I have a high standard for his performance. I don't believe I'm being ignorant in my assumption that Slash has gotten a little lazy, a little comfortable and a little less creative in his solos throughout his career.

When you look at what he achieved sonically and culturally through the voice of his guitar, he did his best work as a young man and the consistancy of that work hasn't carried over as much in his solos. Again, my opinion, but I don't think it's ignorant, I think it has a basis in reality.

[Free Bird]

1 hour ago, appetite4illusions said:

I'm sorry to offend you. I am certainly unbiased and as a guitar player who loves Slash, I have a high standard for his performance. I don't believe I'm being ignorant in my assumption that Slash has gotten a little lazy, a little comfortable and a little less creative in his solos throughout his career.

When you look at what he achieved sonically and culturally through the voice of his guitar, he did his best work as a young man and the consistancy of that work hasn't carried over as much in his solos. Again, my opinion, but I don't think it's ignorant, I think it has a basis in reality.

It's not ignorant to say all that while saying it's your opinion. Unfortunately many people do not saying that and it seems like they state such things as being facts.

IMO on every Slash record are some great solos and especially on his last one most of the solos could have easily been used for classic Guns.

Yeah, the songs these solos are used for have not Guns quality but the solos are exactly what I'm expecting from Sash.