Guns N' Roses' Slash reveals his guitar heroes

21 March 2023, 10:40 | Updated: 21 March 2023, 10:42

The Welcome To The Jungle rocker has revealed he looked to the likes of Jimmy Page and Keith Richards when it came to playing the Les Paul guitar.

Slash has talked about some of the guitarists he looked up to the most.

The Guns N' Roses guitarist has revealed he was inspired to pick up the Les Paul after seeing the likes of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Rolling Stone Keith Richards playing the revered instrument.

The Welcome to the Jungle rocker recalled that he was just seven years old when he first heard Zeppelin's 1976 hit Whole Lotta Love and he still regards their Zeppelin II album to be "one of the coolest records ever made".

Speaking in the April issue of Total Guitar magazine, he said: "There were a few guys who influenced me when it came to playing Les Pauls.

"I'd seen Eric Clapton holding one, as well as Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Billy Gibbons ... A lot of players who had a great sound using those guitars."

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The 57-year-old axeman, whose real name is Saul Hudson, added: "I specifically remember hearing Whole Lotta Love from Led Zeppelin II when I was seven years old. And I attributed that sound - from what I felt was the coolest record I'd ever heard at that point in my life - to the Les Paul.

"Still, to this day, I'd say it's one of the coolest records ever made. And I knew it was a Les Paul making those guitar tones because I saw pictures of Jimmy Page holding one - so that's what made me associate the Les Paul with that kind of sound. Looking back now, I think that connection was pretty accurate!

"So I knew I was attracted to the sound of a Les Paul. I had that copy for a while and eventually it broke. I went through a myriad of different guitars to see what they sounded like, just exploring when it came to my tone. I ended up going back to the Les Paul and I've been with that ever since."

READ MORE: Guns N' Roses announce huge world tour for 2023

The November Rain rocker will no doubt continue to inspire the next generation of music fans himself when the band hit the road on their world tour dates this year.

Not only is the classic line up of the band - completed by Axl Rose, Dizzy Reed and Duff McKagan - playing BST Hyde Park this year, but the band will also headline Glastonbury Festival 2023.

The LA rockers will join Arctic Monkeys and Elton John in topping the bill on the Pyramid Stage, marking their first ever appearance at the festival.

GNR have also announced global tour dates, which will see them visit everywhere from Tel Aviv, Israel to Vancover, Canada.

Included in their string of gigs is a previously announced date at Glasgow's Bellahouston Park.

Visit gunsnroses.com for more.

See Guns N’ Roses 2023 world tour dates below:

June

5 Tel Aviv, Israel – Park Hayarkon
9 Madrid, Spain – Civitas Metropolitan Stadium
12 Vigo, Spain – Estadio Abanca Balaídos
15 Dessel, Belgium – Grasspop Metal Meeting
17 Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell
21 Oslo, Norway – Tons of Rock
27 Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
30 London, UK – BST Hyde Park

July

3 Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsch Bank Park
5 Bern, Switzerland – BERNEXPO
8 Rome, Italy – Circo Massimo
11 Landgraaf, Netherlands – Megaland
13 Paris, France – La Defense
16 Bucharest, Romania – National Arena
19 Budapest, Hungary – Puskás Arena
22 Athens, Greece – Olympic Stadium

August

5 Moncton, NB – Medavie Blue Cross Stadium
8 Montreal, QC – Parc Jean Drapeau
11 Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
15 East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
21 Boston, MA – Fenway Park
24 Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field
26 Nashville, TN – GEODIS Park
29 Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

September

1 Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
3 Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre
6 Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
9 St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium
12 Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena
15 Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
20 Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
23 Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Stadium
26 San Antonio, TX – Alamodome
28 Houston, TX – Minute Maid ParkOctober1 San Diego, CA – Snapdragon Stadium
8 Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
11 Phoenix, AZ – Chase Field
16 Vancouver, BC – BC Place

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