In a recent Guitar World interview, Slash talked about how he deliberately chose his guitars to avoid looking like Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page on stage. The rock scene was dominated by Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton, making it tough for Slash to stand out and establish his own style.
Critics and fans frequently compared rockers to one another, adding to the pressure. When Slash required a 12-string guitar for the ‘Use Your Illusion’ tour, he couldn’t help but recall Jimmy Page’s confident on-stage persona and his iconic double-neck Les Paul.
When Slash needed a 12-string guitar for the ‘Use Your Illusion’ tour, he initially didn’t want to resemble Jimmy Page, but it was challenging since Page was known for playing a double-neck guitar. However, his guitar tech, Adam Day, found a solution. Day told Slash about a black double-necked guitar, a 1966 EDS-1275, that had its own unique style and character, which Slash liked after researching it. He bought the guitar and used it on stage for the song ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ during the ’90s tour, and he has continued to play it ever since. Slash believes he has established his own image enough not to be compared to Jimmy Page while playing the guitar.
Regarding his black double-stringed guitar:
“The color is one of the reasons why I bought it. I really needed a 12-string for application purposes. I wanted to avoid a switching guitars kind of situation if I could, so the 12/6 felt like a great idea. But at the same time, Jimmy Page made that guitar famous, and I didn’t want to look like I was trying to be him by using the exact same guitar because it’s so recognizable and unique.
Adam told me about this double-neck that was available, and it was black, so I looked it up. It had its own kind of character and look to it, so I ended up buying that and have been using it ever since.”
It was indeed a challenge for Slash to avoid resembling Jimmy Page while playing a double-necked Les Paul, but he was fortunate to have his guitar tech, Adam, help him find a way. Although playing a double-necked guitar was closely associated with Page, Slash was able to find a black double-stringed guitar that matched his unique style and character.