This interview with Adam Day was conducted by Steven Rosen quite a long ago, though it is still very interesting. And now, the article is published on Ultimate-Guitar (by the author's authority)!
Adam Day has been Slash's main guitar guru for over sixteen years. He knows better than anyone what the various members are picking, stomping on, and switching knobs on. Here, he reveals the secret behind the ex-Guns 'N' Roses' guitarist sound:
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Really, all the Marshalls are a fa?ade. Slash gets his sound from a little Peavey Mace combo amp. Just kidding!"
At Lavish, Scott Weiland's rehearsal facility, Adam cut all the pre-production demos on a Midas recording console dumped straight to CD. He used isolated headphones for mixing. These stereo tracks were dumped to ProTools in order to allow Scott Weiland the luxury of writing lyrics and melodies and singing in the control room.
In point of fact, Slash's main rhythm sound was the combination of three Marshall heads: the Slash Signature Series model, a JC800 with 65/60 output tubes, and a 1973 1987 four-input, non-master volume top. This mix was fed in a Marshall 100-watt cabinet fixed with 25-watt Celestion greenbacks. Added to this was the sonic characteristic of a Vox AC-30.
"In the past we've used three or four Marshalls to create one voice and blend them together. This time we tried an AC-30 in the mix."
Clean rhythm sounds were created with a 1956 Les Paul plugged into this Vox amp that also employed Celestion greenbacks.
In the past, the amps "Used to be screaming" but during the recording of the Use Your Illusion albums, Slash switched to an old JCM 800 with 65/50 output tubes and set the preamp on 2, the master output on 8, and linked this to a Marshall 100-watt cab. The result was essentially all output distortion and output gain. This was a different sound that what was normally associated with the guitarist and subsequently, the Slash model was added during the Snakepit era.
Duff's 'secret' was a 1987 model Marshall, a 50-watt four input non-master volume head blended with the GK rig. This was pushed through either 12" or 15" Bogner bottoms and run slightly distorted with a Hot Plate [attenuator] to achieve more gain without increasing volume. This created that top end and this setup was recorded on a separate track to allow more flexibility [normally, as was the case with Slash, four or more amps would be bussed to one track].
All bass and drum tracks were recorded initially on 24-track 2" tape and Neve console. Basic tracks were cut at NRG. Keeper drum/bass tracks from this analog configuration were dumped down to ProTools at Pulse, Josh Abraham's studio. Similarly, all guitar overdubs were cut directly to ProTools.
"Josh is very talented, a younger guy who had a different outlook than the last Snakepit album done with Jack Douglas, a real veteran."
Velvet Revolver co-produced alongside Abraham but Josh "Got them in tune and kept them in time." Ryan Williams, Josh's engineer, also proved to be "Very guitar knowledgeable."
Slash, as he mentioned, was initially a bit uneasy with the working environment. Ultimately the studio was set up to his liking and at that point all cabinets were recorded with Shure SM57s. There was an absence of room mikes and some of the overdubs did employ a dash of Poltec EQ as the parts went to ProTools.
Live, all the rigs are bigger and louder. Slash's sound is the compromise of six Marshall heads: two Slash Signature 25/55 tops will be used for a dirty sound feeding two Marshall 4x12 cabs on the back line; an additional pair of Marshalls modified with KT 88 output tubes provide clean tones and these run through to cabinets; one top will power a Heil talkbox; and the final unit will act as a roaming spare.
All cabs are straight Marshall 1960-styled boxes fitted with Vintage 30 speakers. While the guitarist has experimented with different bottoms and speakers, this is the setup to which he always returns.
While he will bring out an array of guitars, his main instrument will be the new Gibson Signature Series model recently unveiled at the NAMM 2004 show in Anaheim, California. The finish is aged tobacco and is a replica of a 1959 model with a standard neck [falling somewhere between a 1960s style profile and a 1959 Paul]. It is customized with a Fishman power bridge and a Piezo pickup with mini toggle switches to shuttle back and forth between the Piezo and magnetic pickups. This will be plugged in DI. He may bring out a couple of these along with a couple re-issue Les Pauls. In addition, he will be shouldering a pair of custom BC Rich guitars: a Bitch with all the ten-string appointments but set up for six-strings; and a Mockingbird.
Slash, along with Guild, designed a double neck that will probably find its way on stage. This is configured with an acoustic neck on top [with Piezos] and a normal six-string neck on the bottom. This is a solid body guitar with Humbuckers. All acoustic parts will be performed with this instrument.
Pedals run through the dirty amp effects loop and will include an MXR 10-band graphic EQ and a Boss DDS digital delay. This latter implement is kicked in for soloing; in addition, the EQ will be set to provide midrange boost to enhance feedback and provide a boost for leads. In the line, these come after the wireless and before the main rig.
A custom shop remote Dunlop wah system will be the sole pedal upstate that Slash would operate himself. This allows him to run up to four pedals at various locations on the stage.
Adam typically does all switching offstage, between dirty, clean, and voice box necessities.
Dave will be using his Fernandes guitars and his array of pedals [see equipment listing box]. All pedals run pre amplifier and there is nothing in the actual effects loop except a Ketner Rotosphere for Leslie effects. They are currently working on a Ground Control switching system enabling Kushner to put the existing effects in a rack drawer and giving him the ability to use more than one effect programmed into one footswitch.
2006 © Steven Rosen
/ my profile 
better start saving those pennies..