Slash (musician)

2008-08-26T23:15:24Z

Funcleman:

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{{Articleissues|refimprove=June 2007|OR=January 2008|weasel=February 2008}}
{{Infobox musical artist 
|Name = Slash
|Img = Slash 1.jpg
|Img_capt = Slash performing live with [[Velvet Revolver]].
|Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
|Birth_name = Saul Hudson
|Alias = Slash
|Born = {{birth date and age|1965|7|23}}<br>[[Hampstead]], [[London]], [[England]]
|Died =
|Instrument = [[Guitar]]
|Genre = [[Hard rock]]
|Occupation = [[Musician]], [[Songwriter]]
|Years_active = 1983 - present
|Label = [[UZI Suicide]], [[Geffen Records|Geffen]], [[Koch Entertainment|Koch]], [[RCA Records|RCA]]
|Associated_acts = [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Slash's Snakepit]], [[Slash's Blues Ball]], [[Velvet Revolver]], [[Hollywood Rose]], [[Tidus Sloan]]
|URL = [http://www.slashonline.com/ www.slashonline.com]
|Notable_instruments = [[Gibson Les Paul]]
}}

'''Saul Hudson''' (born [[July 23]], [[1965]]), more widely known by his stage name '''Slash''', is an [[England|English]]-[[United States|American]] [[guitarist]] known as the former [[lead guitarist]] of [[Guns N' Roses]] and later[[Velvet Revolver]].<ref>[http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=34451 BLABBERMOUTH.NET - SLASH Named 'Best Guitarist' By ESQUIRE Magazine]</ref><ref>[http://www.rockwalk.com/inductees/inductee.cfm?id=170 Guitar Center's Hollywood Rockwalk]</ref><ref>[http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/article/?id=46671 Metal Hammer - News Article]</ref><ref>[http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_guitarsolo.html 100 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos]</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
Slash was born in [[Hampstead]], a middle class [[suburb]] of [[London]],<ref name="R1">[http://www.belowempty.com/vr/articles/2004/040701_Q.php Belowempty.com] Q Magazine 2004-01-07</ref> to a white [[England|English]] father and [[Nigerian]] [[American]] mother. Slash's mother, Ola Hudson, worked as a [[costume designer]] for [[David Bowie]], and his father was an artist who contributed live [[ensembles]] for famous musicians including [[Neil Young]] and [[Joni Mitchell]].<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/15808331/slash_the_rolling_stone_interview 'Rolling Stone' interview], issue #596</ref> Slash was raised in the city of [[Stoke-on-Trent]], [[Staffordshire]], until the age of 11, when his parents relocated the family to [[Los Angeles, California]] in the mid-1970s; however, they separated, and afterward, he lived primarily with his mother and lived next to [[David Geffen]]. He was given the nickname "Slash" by family friend [[Seymour Cassel]], according to whom Saul "was always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another."<ref>[http://www.snakepit.org/bio.html Snakepit.org]</ref><ref>[http://swindlemagazine.com/issueicons/slash/ Swindle Magazine]</ref>

At 16, before dropping out of [[Crespi Carmelite High School]], Slash was given his first guitar by his grandmother. It only had 1 string. He spent hours each day practicing. Eventually, his entire focus was put on music and he made the decision to quit school. In a ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine article, he remarked:

{{cquote2|My big awakening happened when I was fourteen. I'd been trying to get into this older girl's pants for a while, and she finally let me come over to her house. We hung out, smoked some pot and listened to [[Aerosmith]]'s ''[[Rocks (album)|Rocks]]''. It hit me like a fucking ton of bricks . I sat there listening to it over and over, and totally blew off this girl. I remember riding my bike back to my grandma's house knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something.}}

In addition to Aerosmith, Slash's early influences included [[AC/DC]], [[Alice Cooper]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[Jeff Beck]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Rory Gallagher]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[David Bowie]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], [[Rolling Stones]], [[Thin Lizzy]] and [[Van Halen]].

In 1983, after failing to join [[Poison (band)|Poison]] with childhood friend [[Steven Adler]], they together formed [[Road Crew]]. Slash placed an advertisement in a newspaper for a [[bassist]], and received a response from [[Duff McKagan]].

When Road Crew disbanded, Slash joined a local band known as Black Sheep. Headed by Willie Bass, the band shared an agent with another new group known as [[Hollywood Rose]]. In 1984, both bands opened for Christian metal band [[Stryper]]. After the show, Slash and [[lead singer]] [[Axl Rose]] were introduced to one another by a friend. The two quickly became friends, and several months later, Slash and Steven Adler were invited to join with [[Axl Rose]], [[Duff McKagan]] and [[Izzy Stradlin]] as the band, [[Guns N' Roses]].

===Guns N' Roses===

Guns N' Roses toured bars and opened for larger acts throughout 1985 and 1986. It was during this period that they wrote most of their classic material, including "[[Welcome to the Jungle]]", "[[Sweet Child o' Mine]]", and "[[Paradise City]]". During this time, they were scouted by several major record labels, and signed with [[Geffen Records|Geffen]]. From the start, they spent half of their advance on clothes, and the other half on alcohol and drugs. It was during this period that the "Most Dangerous Band In The World" tag was first attached to them. In 1988, Slash remarked:

{{"|text=For some strange reason, Guns N' Roses is like the catalyst for controversy, even before we had any kind of record deal.|sign=}}

After the release of ''[[Appetite for Destruction]]'' in the summer of 1987, a tour with [[Iron Maiden]] was canceled when Slash was packed off to Hawaii to kick a drug habit, while Axl ended up in intensive care at an LA hospital after attacking a police officer. By 1988, Guns N' Roses scored its first #1 hit with "[[Sweet Child o' Mine]]", a song spearheaded by Slash's memorable riff and guitar solo. There are a number of lists that place him as one of the greatest guitarists alive, and many of his riffs and solos are still featured in "best of" lists around the world. With 15 million copies sold in the United States, it is the second highest selling debut album of all time, behind [[Boston (band)|Boston]]'s debut album.

In 1988, Guns N' Roses released ''[[G N' R Lies]]''. Though this album only had eight tracks (four of which had already been released), it was highly successful, selling over 5 million copies. After a four year hiatus, Guns N' Roses returned with ''[[Use Your Illusion]]'' discs. The albums indicated a change in musical direction for Guns N' Roses, including more artistic and dramatic songs like "November Rain" and "Estranged". As Rose expressed a desire to pursue more progressive genres, Slash and McKagan fought to maintain their traditional sound as a punk/blues-based [[hard rock]] band. Slash later cited this issue as a key component to his inability to work with Rose on any creative level.

In 1991 the band released ''[[Use Your Illusion I]]'' and ''[[Use Your Illusion II]]''. While both discs received warm reviews, critics lauded Slash's work as "sublime"{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. In 1991, Guns N' Roses embarked on the 28-month long Use Your Illusion Tour, to promote their new albums. Upon completion of the tour, Slash was [[naturalized]], becoming an [[United States citizen|American citizen]].

In the mid-90s, Slash wrote several songs for what would have become Guns N' Roses' follow up album to ''Use Your Illusion I'' and ''II''. Rose rejected the material, leading Slash to form [[Slash's Snakepit]], a side-project that saw support from [[Matt Sorum]], [[Gilby Clarke]], [[Dizzy Reed]], [[Mike Inez]], and [[Eric Dover]]. The band recorded Slash's material and released ''[[It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (album)|It's Five O'Clock Somewhere]]'' in 1995. Critically, the album was praised for ignoring the conventions of [[grunge]] and alternative music. It also fared well on the charts, eventually selling over 1.2 million copies in the United States with little promotion from Geffen.

In an attempt to salvage Guns N' Roses, [[Zakk Wylde]], initially of [[Ozzy Osbourne]] fame in the late eighties and early nineties, was invited to jam with the band, but both Slash and Wylde agreed that Gn'R did not have space for two of the world's pre-eminent lead guitarists, although they remain good friends to this day.

On October 30, 1996, it was discovered that Slash was officially no longer a part of the band, as lead singer Axl Rose sent a fax to [[MTV]] stating he and his former guitarist had experienced several disagreements regarding the band's musical direction, and ultimately parted ways.

A crucial moment leading up to Slash's decision to quit the band occurred when Rose removed a section of Slash's guitar track on a cover of "[[Sympathy for the Devil]]". Without his consent, Rose replaced Slash's guitar overdub with the work of [[Paul Tobias]], a friend of Rose whom Slash and the rest of the band vocally disapproved of for years. Additionally, as revealed on a [[VH1]] special, Slash stated that he never truly forgave Axl for his spiteful rant regarding some of his fellow band-mates during a [[1989]] concert.

===After Guns N' Roses===

After his departure from Guns N' Roses, Slash focused on his side-project, The Snakepit, playing a few tour dates before disbanding the group in 1998. Over the next decade, Slash would become an in-demand [[session musician]], recording music with the likes of [[Alice Cooper]], [[Sammy Hagar]], [[Insane Clown Posse]], [[Ronnie Wood]], [[Bad Company]], [[Cheap Trick]], [[Ray Charles]], [[Stevie Wonder]], and [[Aaron Weddle]].

In 1990, Slash was contacted by [[Michael Jackson]] on his album, ''[[Dangerous (album)|Dangerous]]''. He played guitar on two hit singles, "[[Black or White (song)|Black Or White]]"(song intro) and "[[Give In to Me]]", touring with Jackson in some special occasions during the [[Dangerous World Tour]], as well as being featured on videos for the singles. In 1995, he appeared on stage with Jackson for the [[MTV]] Music Video Awards. Slash also played guitar in "[[D.S. (song)|D.S.]]", a controversial song from the 1995 ''[[HIStory]]'' album. In 2001, Slash once again collaborated with Jackson, on the ''[[Invincible (Michael Jackson album)|Invincible]]'' track "Privacy". Also in 2001, he joined Jackson on stage at the [[Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special]] performing guitar for "[[Black or White (song)|Black Or White]]" and "[[Beat It]]".

In 1995, [[Quentin Tarantino]] asked Slash to contribute music to his famed adaptation of [[Jackie Brown (film)|Jackie Brown]]. Several Snakepit compositions can be heard throughout the film. In 1996, Slash collaborated with [[Marta Sánchez]] to record the flamenco inspired "[[Obsession-Confession]]" for the ''Curdled'' soundtrack. The song was received well by [[Smooth Jazz]] radio stations. Later that year, Slash also played live with [[Alice Cooper]] at [[Sammy Hagar]]'s club [[Cabo Wabo]] in [[Cabo San Lucas, Mexico]]. The show was recorded and released the following year as ''[[A Fistful of Alice]]''.

In 1997, Slash (alongside the late [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]] and hit [[alternative rock]] band [[Fishbone]]) appeared on [[BLACKstreet]]'s [[Rock music|rock]] remix version of their hit single "Fix". In 2003, he participated in the [[Yardbirds]]' comeback record ''[[Birdland (album)|Birdland]]'', released on the [[Favored Nations]] label. He played [[lead guitar]] in the track "Over, Under, Sideways, Down." In early 2003, Slash also made an appearance at a rally to protest the coming [[War in Iraq]] called "Peace on the Beach." Specifically, Slash performed the song "[[Imagine]]" by [[John Lennon]]. [[Ed Kowalczyk]] provided vocals during this performance.

In 2000, he chose to regroup [[Slash's Snakepit]] to release his second solo effort, titled ''[[Ain't Life Grand (Slash's Snakepit album)|Ain't Life Grand]]''. The album did well on the charts, reaching platinum status. To promote it further, Slash embarked on an extensive world tour with AC/DC in the summer of 2000.

In 2002, he reunited with [[Duff McKagan]] and [[Matt Sorum]] for a benefit/tribute concert for [[Randy Castillo]]. Realizing they still had the chemistry of their days in Guns N' Roses, they decided to form a new band together. The band that featured Slash, McKagan, and Sorum also featured former [[Buckcherry]] members [[Keith Nelson]] and [[Josh Todd]]. Later Duff put out a statement that Josh and Keith didn't quite fit with the band, and they added [[Dave Kirschner]] as rhythm guitar and, after a long search, [[Stone Temple Pilots]] singer [[Scott Weiland]]. In 2006, Slash performed a guest spot on keyboardist [[Derek Sherinian]]'s solo album ''[[Blood of the Snake]]'' covering the 1970 [[Mungo Jerry]] hit single "[[In the Summertime]]", also featuring [[Billy Idol]] on vocals. A video was also made featuring Slash, Billy, and Derek for this song.

===Velvet Revolver and future endeavors===
[[Image:SaulHudson.jpg|thumb|left|Slash with Velvet Revolver in 2004]]
[[Velvet Revolver]] began as "The Project", a venture by Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum to find a new lead singer. On rhythm guitar, they initially worked with [[Izzy Stradlin]], and they were offered to open for [[The Rolling Stones]] but Slash, Duff and Matt wanted to have a lead singer; after this Izzy became less involved. They would find their second guitarist in the form of [[Dave Kushner]], who had previously played with McKagan in "Loaded" prior to this project. For many months, the four of them listened to demo tapes of potential lead singers, a monotonous process (documented by VH1). After many months, Slash and the others were almost ready to give up. However, [[Stone Temple Pilots]] had recently imploded, allowing lead singer [[Scott Weiland]] to volunteer to record a song with the band. Realizing there was chemistry between each member, Weiland officially joined the band in 2003.

Velvet Revolver played several concerts in the summer of that year and released their first single, "Set Me Free" as part of the soundtrack for ''[[The Hulk (film)|The Hulk]]''. In June 2004, they released their first studio album, ''[[Contraband (album)|Contraband]]''. A 19-month long tour ensued, as the album went double platinum and re-established Slash as a mainstream performer. After the tour concluded, he and his bandmates took a lengthy break before beginning work on their second album. In July 2007, Velvet Revolver released the critically acclaimed [[Libertad (album)|Libertad]], a follow-up to their multi-platinum debut. Following their second studio album, Velvet Revolver embarked on another fantastic tour. Fans travelled all over the globe to see their favourite band. But, fans were shocked when Scott Weiland (lead vocalist) announced to their audience at their [[Glasgow]] gig that they 'were watching something special,' 'the band's last ever tour.' The remaining bandmates knew nothing of this so called 'last tour.' This announcement was one of the final straws in the bands reasons to release Scott from his position. On 1st April 2008, Scott Weiland officially split from Velvet Revolver. Even though they are currently without a singer, Velvet Revolver are planning a third album and are currently undergoing auditions for a new vocalist.

On [[May 31]], [[2006]], Slash was joined by [[Rob Zombie]] on vocals, another former GNR axeman [[Gilby Clarke]] on rhythm guitar, [[Scott Ian]] of [[Anthrax (band)|Anthrax]] on bass, [[Mötley Crüe]] drummer [[Tommy Lee]] on drums, and surprise guest [[Ace Frehley]] of [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] for a rendition of ''[[God of Thunder (album)|God of Thunder]]''. The occasion was a one-time supergroup tribute to Kiss for the [[VH1]] Rock Honors Award Show.

[[Image:Guitar-hero-iii-cover-image.jpg|thumb|125px|right|Cover for the [[video game]] ''[[Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock]]'' with Slash in the middle and two other playable characters in the game, Judy Nails (left) and Lars Ümlaüt (right).]]
Slash is a playable character in the [[video game]] ''[[Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock]]'', and his likeness appears on the game cover. Slash did motion capture with RedOctane to record his movements for the game. Beating Slash in a one-on-one competition (playing an original composition he recorded solely for the game), unlocks him as a playable character. Beating him in this challenge leads to the player and Slash playing the master track of "Welcome to the Jungle" as an encore song.

In 2007, Slash performed with [[Paulina Rubio]] on the hit Latin single "''Nada Puede Cambiarme''".

On March 12, 2007. Slash and Velvet Revolver paid tribute to [[Van Halen]] by inducting the band into the Rock N' Roll hall of fame. The band also played 2 covers.

Slash appears on the cover of [http://www.guitarworld.com Guitar World] magazine for their July 2007 issue, the "20 year salute to Appetite for Destruction". The title is "''The Cat In The Hat Is Back''" and it pictures him holding his guitar with a snake crawling up the neck. The issue also includes a detailed interview with the artist, and what promises to be the start of a new column entitled "''The Cat In The Hat''".

Slash made numerous contributions to ''[[The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star]]'' by [[Nikki Sixx]], published September 18th, 2007.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0743486285 The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star]</ref> He also played guitar with them at Crüe Fest.

An autobiography titled simply ''[[Slash (autobiography)|Slash]]'' was published on October 30th, 2007.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Slash/dp/0061351423 Slash] bio from [[Amazon.com]] (pub. 29th in UK)</ref> It was co-written with [[Anthony Bozza]]. Slash will also be appearing in the HBO book and Documentary The Black List vol.1, he can be seen in a portrait on the cover of the book.

It was announced by [[kerrang]] Magazine that Slash was going to appear on [[Ace Frehley]]'s next solo album

===Honors===
Slash won the "Best Guitarist" prize in the 2005 Esky Music Awards in ''Esquire'' magazine. A write-up in the magazine announced Slash's win read as follows:

"He's who we see ourselves as every time we strap on an [[air guitar]]. The top hat. The hair. The dangling cigarette. The near-death experiences. He'll always be Slash of Guns N' Roses to us, but we also congratulate him for beating the comeback odds with a surprisingly legitimate and vital outfit, Velvet Revolver."<ref>[http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=34451 SLASH Named 'Best Guitarist]' By ESQUIRE Magazine</ref>

Accepting the award, Slash has issued the following statement:

This is my first guitarist award ever. It's very humbling. I'd like to thank my parents, and I'd also like to thank everyone I've ever fucking worked with in the music business from the point I started at up until now — the bands I've been in, the sessions I've done, and the artists I've worked with. My wife is at least half of the reason I'm still walking. I'd also like to thank Robert Wolin; he got me to switch from bass to guitar. Thank you.<ref>[http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=34451 Blabbermouth.net]</ref>

In January 2007, Slash was honored with a star on the Rock Walk of Fame; his name being placed side by side with friends and legends [[Jimmy Page]] and [[Eddie Van Halen]].

In 2007, Slash was awarded the coveted title of "Riff Lord" during the fourth annual Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards.<ref>[http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/article/?id=46671 Golden Gods Awards 2007: the winners]</ref>

Slash was selected to perform "Hey Joe", a [[signature song]] of the late great [[Jimi Hendrix]] in a [[posthumous]] tribute at the [[UK]] [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] with [[Steve Winwood]] as vocalist, [[Billy Cox]] playing [[bass guitair|bass]], and [[Mitch Mitchell]] on drums (the only original member left from the [[Jimi Hendrix Experience]]) playing.

"Welcome to the Jungle" is considered to be one of the greatest hard rock hits of all time. It was ranked #2 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs. In addition, "Welcome to the Jungle" ranked #467 on Rolling Stones' "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Also, it was #764 on Q Magazine's 1001 Best Songs Ever and #26 on VH1's 100 Greatest 80s Songs. Most recently, the song was named the "Greatest Song About Los Angeles" by a poll in Blender magazine.

"Sweet Child o' Mine" placed #37 on Guitar World's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos." It also came in at number three on Blender's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born, and at number 196 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 6 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The introduction's famous D-flat based riff was also voted number-one riff of all-time by the readers of Total Guitar magazine. It was also in Rolling Stones 40 Greatest Songs that Changed the World.

"Paradise City" is ranked #21 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time,[1] #3 in Total Guitar Magazine's list of the 100 greatest solos of all time, and has won various similar awards over the years. It ranked #453 on Rolling Stones' "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

"November Rain" holds the record for the longest guitar solo in a U.S. top 10 hit. The song is also listed at number 6 in the "The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos" by Guitar World. Additionally, "November Rain" was voted #1 on the Rock 1000 in 2006, an annual countdown of the top 1000 rock songs by New Zealand radio listeners.

===Personal===

Slash is notorious for his intoxicated acceptance speech at the 1990 [[American Music Awards]]. Upon receipt of Guns N' Roses' second award of the evening, he and Duff McKagan stumbled to the stage appearing very drunk, holding drinks, and smoking cigarettes. Within a span of 20 seconds, Slash managed to curse twice in his slurred speech before being interrupted by a music overdub and positioning of a camera on a curtain with the AMA logo. After the first swear word, an audible gasp was heard from the crowd, prompting Slash to cover his mouth, cigarette and drink in hand, and utter "Oops". When accepting an award the following year, via live satellite feed, a much more sober Slash made mention of the incident, promising to "keep it clean this time".

In 1990, a heavy metal video called "Hard N' Heavy" was released containing music, concert footage and interviews. The video included Slash and McKagan appearing with the band [[Great White]] at a "Children Of the Night" Benefit concert in LA for abused homeless children, the performance helped raise money for housing to aid the underprivileged.<ref name="R2.2">[http://www.snakepit.org/discvid.htm] Slash Official Fansite Discography</ref>

Slash is married to Perla Ferrar, with whom he has two sons: London Emilio and Cash Anthony.<ref>[http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/04/slash.html Slash and family at Speed Racer premiere], ''Celebrity Baby Blog'', [[April 27]], [[2008]], accessed April 27, 2008.</ref>

===Feud With Axl Rose===
In March 2006 [[Axl Rose]]'s lawyer released the following statement:

{{cquote|In October of 2005 Slash made an unannounced 5:30 AM visit to Axl Rose's house. Not appearing to be under the influence, Slash came to inform Axl that: 'Duff was spineless', '[[Scott Weiland]] was a fraud', that he 'hates [[Matt Sorum]]' and that in this ongoing war, contest or whatever anyone wants to call it that Slash has waged against Axl for the better part of 20 years, that Axl has proven himself 'the stronger'. Based on his conduct in showing up at Rose's home, Axl was hopeful that Slash would live up to his pronouncements that he wanted to end the war and move on with life. Unfortunately that did not prove to be the case.}}

Slash didn't comment on Rose's press release, but a Velvet Revolver spokesperson did promise that Slash would be heard from "within days". Slash's press release never came. On [[May 13]], [[2006]], Slash appeared on the Camp Freddy Show on Indie 1031 FM and denied having visited Rose's house or saying anything that Rose claimed.

In 2007 Slash admitted to going to Rose's home, but qualified the rest of the story as nonsense. He said that his intentions were to settle a long-standing legal dispute and make peace with his former band mate. Slash elaborated on the incident in his autobiography, claiming that what actually occurred was that he simply went to Rose's house while intoxicated and left a note asking Rose to contact him to settle a pending lawsuit. He also added that he had not actually spoken to Rose in person since leaving Guns n' Roses in 1996 <ref name="book">Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. pp. 446</ref>. Slash further stated that incident's publicity created a rift in Velvet Revolver; as his bandmates were unsure of what Slash had actually done and Slash had confronted Weiland over his scathing reply to Rose, feeling that Weiland did not have the "right" to criticize Rose, not actually knowing him. <ref name="R8.0">[http://texasrat.com/gunsnroses/h/guns_n_roses_news_095.html] Slash news</ref>

==Equipment==
{{Unreferencedsection|date=August 2008}}
===Guitars===
Slash owns over 100 guitars. His main live guitar is a 1987 [[Gibson Les Paul|Les Paul]] Standard with 3 piece top (Factory Second). It has a cracked neck in 2 places, but he has had it repaired and continues to use it. Most of Slash's electric guitars have [[Seymour Duncan]] Alnico II Pro pickups which are low output pickups.

His guitars include:
*[[B.C Rich Mockingbird]]
*[[Fender Stratocaster]]
*[[Fender Telecaster]]
*[[B.C Rich Bich]] Double neck
*[[Gibson EDS-1275]]
*[[Gibson Flying V]]
*[[Gibson Explorer]]
*[[Gibson Melody Maker]] (used for slide during "[[Psycho Killer]]")
*At least 30 Les Pauls
*********************************************************************************************

He favors [[Ernie Ball]] Slinky R.P.S gauge 11-48 strings as well as [[Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc.|Dunlop]] Purple Tortex (1.14 mm) picks and [[Seymour Duncan]] APH-1 Alnico II Pro and Vintage Gibson PAF pickups. He keeps his guitars in tune with a Peterson Strobe tuner.

Some of his favorite effects boxes are:

*Dunlop Rack Mounted Crybaby (controlled with an Ernie Ball volume pedal for live shows)
*Rocktron Hush II CX
*DBX 166 Compressor
*Yamaha SPX 900 Multieffect
*Boss DD-5 Delay (for solos)
*MXR 10-band graphic EQ
*Dunlop Heil [[Talk box|Talkbox]]
*Boss GE-7 (for solos)
*Dunlop Q-Zone

===Amplifiers===
On stage, he only uses [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall amps]]. He used a rented vintage 1960's Marshall 1959 modified by [[Tim Caswell]] at SIR studios for the recording of [[Appetite for Destruction]]. Slash liked the amp so much he tried to keep it, telling the store that it had been stolen, but it was returned accidentally by a roadie. During the 80's Slash was using a Marshall JCM 2555 Silver Jubilee Anniversary amplifier made in 1987. It featured EL34's
power tubes and three ECC83 preamp tubes.

For the recording of Velvet Revolver's debut, he used a [[Vox AC30]] and small Fender tube amps (for "oddball" sounds). For the recording of Velvet Revolver's second album, he used the new Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 amp.

== Signature Equipment ==
===Gibson Custom Shop===
Gibsons ''Inspired by'' Slash Les Paul is replica out of one of the two guitars given to Slash by Gibson in 1988. The guitar is finished in a faded Heritage Cherry Sunburst, fitted with Seymore Duncan Alnico II Pro pickups and the neck is made to the exact specs of Slash's original Les Paul.

===Gibson USA===
Slash Les Paul Standard is a recreation of Slash's favorite Les Paul and is made of solid mahogny and is finished with a Antique Vintage Sunburst. Just like the custom shop version the guitar is fitted with Seymor Duncan Alnico II Pro pickups and a neck modeled after Slash's orginal. The guitar will be made in a limited run of 1600 guitars.He says
“It’s sort of a trip for me to see it because it looks exactly like the guitar after I had it refinished in 1988. This is what it looked like when it was brand new.”

===Epiphone===
The [[Epiphone]] Les Paul Standard Plustop is made to be a more affordable version of the two Gibson versions while still being able to offer a high quality instrument. As the Gibson versions it is equipped with Seymore Duncan Alnico II Pro pickups and finished in Dark Tobacco Burst.

===Marshall Amplifiers===
Slash was the first musician to own a signature amplifier created by Marshall for him. In 1996 the Marshall Slash JCM 2555SL was launched it was built with the specs of Slash's own original 1987 Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 amplifier. A total of 3000 of these amplifiers were made before it was discontinued.

==Discography==
=== Guns N' Roses ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Title
!Release Date
!Label
|-
|''[[Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide]]''
|[[1986]]
|[[UZI Suicide]]
|-
|''[[Appetite for Destruction]]''
|[[1987]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[EP (Live from the Jungle)]]''
|[[1987]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[G N' R Lies]]''
|[[1988]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[Use Your Illusion I]]''
|[[1991]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[Use Your Illusion II]]''
|[[1991]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[The Spaghetti Incident?]]''
|[[1993]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[Use Your Illusion]]''
|[[1998]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[Live Era: '87-'93]]''
|[[1999]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|-
|''[[Greatest Hits (Guns N' Roses album)|Greatest Hits]]''
|[[2004]]
|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
|}

=== Slash's Snakepit ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Title
!Release Date
!Label
|-
|''[[It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (album)|It's Five O'Clock Somewhere]]''
|[[1995]]
|[[Fontana Records]]
|-
|''[[Ain't Life Grand (Slash's Snakepit album)|Ain't Life Grand]]''
|[[2000]]
|[[Koch Records]]
|}

=== Velvet Revolver ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Title
!Release Date
!Label
|-
|''[[Contraband (album)|Contraband]]''
|[[2004]]
|[[RCA Records]]
|-
|''[[Libertad (album)|Libertad]]''
|[[2007]]
|[[RCA Records]]
|}

==Guest appearances==
*2008 -[[vasco rossi]] -> "Gioca con me"
*2008 -[[Edgar Winter]] - "[[( Edgar Winter album)|"Rebel Road"]]" -> "Rebel Road"
*2008 - [[Alice Cooper]] - "[[Along Came a Spider (Alice Cooper album)|Along Came a Spider]]" -> "Vengeance is Mine"
*2008 - [[World Peace One]] - ''[[Theme Song]]'' -> "Give Your Love"
*2006 - [[Daughtry (band)|Daughtry]] - ''[[Daughtry (album)|Daughtry]]'' -> "What I Want"
*2006 - [[Paulina Rubio]] - ''[[Ananda]]'' -> "Nada Puede Cambiarme"
*2006 - [[Derek Sherinian]] - ''[[Blood of the Snake]]'' -> "In the Summertime"
*2006 - ''[[The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift]]'' (Original motion picture soundtrack)'' -> "Mustang Nismo"
*2006 - ''[[The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift]]'' (Original score) -> "Welcome to Tokyo"
*2006 - [[Sarah Kelly]] - ''[[Where the Past Meets Today]]'' -> "Still Breathing"; "Out of Reach"
*2005 - [[Ray Charles]] - ''[[More Music from Ray]]'' -> "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand (version 2003)"
*2005 - [[Eric Clapton]] - ''[[Save The Children Benefit Single]]'' -> "Tears In Heaven"
*2005 - [[The Beatles]] - ''[[Benefit Single for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]]'' -> "Across the Universe"
*2003 - [[Elan]] - ''[[Street Child]]'' -> "Street Child"
*2003 - [[The Yardbirds]] - ''[[Birdland]]'' -> "Over, Under, Sideways, Down"
*2003 - [[Matt Sorum]] - ''[[Hollywood Zen]]'' -> "The Blame Game"
*2003 - [[Robert Evans]] - ''[[The Kids Stay In The Picture Soundtrack]]'' -> "Love Theme From The Godfather"
*2002 - [[Ray Charles]] - ''[[Ray Charles Sings for America]]'' -> "God Bless America Again"
*2001 - [[Rod Stewart]] - ''Human'' -> "Human"; "Peach"
*2001 - [[Cheap Trick]] - ''Silver'' -> "You’re All Talk"
*2001 - [[Michael Jackson]] - ''[[Invincible (Michael Jackson album)|Invincible]]'' -> "Privacy"
*2001 - [[Bad Company]] - ''[[Merchants of Cool]]'' -> "Wishing Well"; "Crossroads"
*2001 - [[Ronnie Wood]] - ''[[Far East Man]]'' -> "Assorted Songs"
*2000 - [[Doro]] - ''Calling the Wild'' -> "Now or Never"
*1999 - Various Artists - ''Humanary Strew: A Tribute to Alice Cooper'' -> "No More Mr. Nice Guy"
*1999 - [[Chic (band)|Chic]] - ''[[Live at the Budokan (Chic)|Live at the Budokan]]'' - "Le Freak"; "Stone Free"
*1999 - [[Graham Bonnet]] - ''Day I Went Mad'' -> "Oh! Darling"
*1999 - [[Duff McKagan]] - ''Beautiful Disease'' -> "Hope"; "Mezz"
*1998 - [[Ella]] - ''El'' -> "Bayangan"
*1997 - [[Alice Cooper]] - ''[[A Fistful of Alice]]'' -> "Lost in America"; "Only Women Bleed"; "Elected"
*1997 - [[Sammy Hagar]] - ''[[Marching to Mars]]'' -> "Little White Lie"
*1997 - [[Blackstreet]] - ''[[Another Level (album)|Another Level]]'' -> "Fix"
*1997 - [[Marta Sánchez]] - ''Azabache'' -> "Moja mi Corazón"
*1997 - [[Insane Clown Posse]] - ''[[The Great Milenko]]'' -> "Halls of Illusions"
*1996 - [[Marta Sánchez]] - ''[[Curdled Soundtrack]]'' -> "Obsession Confession"
*1995 - [[Quentin Tarantino]] - ''[[Jackie Brown]]'' -> "Jizz Da Pitt"
*1995 - [[Mario Peebles]] - ''[[Panthers Soundtrack]]'' -> "The Star Spangled Banner"
*1995 - [[Michael Jackson]] - ''[[HIStory]]'' -> "D.S."
*1994 - [[Paul Rodgers]] - ''[[Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix]]'' -> "I Don't Live Today"
*1994 - [[Gilby Clarke]] - ''[[Pawnshop Guitars]]'' -> "Cure Me...Or Kill Me..."; "Tijuana Jail"
*1993 - [[Paul Rodgers]] - ''Muddy Water Blues: Tribute to Muddy Waters'' -> "The Hunter"
*1993 - [[Duff McKagan]] - ''Believe in Me'' -> "Believe in Me"; "Just Not There"
*1992 - [[Motörhead]] - ''[[March ör Die]]'' -> "Ain't No Nice Guy"; "You Better Run"
*1992 - [[Spinal Tap]] - ''[[Break Like the Wind]]'' -> "Break Like the Wind"
*1991 - [[Lenny Kravitz]] - ''[[Mama Said (album)|Mama Said]]'' -> "Fields of Joy"; "Always on the Run"
*1991 - [[Alice Cooper]] - ''[[Hey Stoopid]]'' -> "Hey Stoopid"
*1991 - [[Michael Jackson]] - ''[[Dangerous (album)|Dangerous]]'' -> "Black or White"; "Give In to Me"
*1990 - [[Iggy Pop]] - ''[[Brick by Brick]]'' -> "Home"
*1988 - [[Alice Cooper]] - ''[[The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years]]'' -> "Under My Wheels"

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Slash}}
* [http://www.slashonline.com/ Slash Official Site]
* [http://www.velvetrevolver.com/ Official Velvet Revolver Website]
* [http://www.guitarherogame.com/gh3/ Official ''Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'' Site]
* [http://www.gibson.com/Slash/ Gibson signature equipment]


{{start box}}
{{succession box| title=[[Guns N' Roses]] Lead Guitarist| before=[[Tracii Guns]]| after=[[Robin Finck]]| years=[[1985]]-[[1996]]}}
{{end box}}
{{Guns N' Roses}}
{{Velvet Revolver}}

{{Lifetime|1965||Slash}}
[[Category:African American guitarists]]
[[Category:African American songwriters]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:Black rock musicians]]
[[Category:California musicians]]
[[Category:English people of African-American descent]]
[[Category:English rock guitarists]]
[[Category:English songwriters]]
[[Category:Guns N' Roses members]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:People from Hampstead]]
[[Category:People from Los Angeles, California]]
[[Category:People from Stoke-on-Trent]]
[[Category:People of mixed Black African-European ethnicity]]
[[Category:Slash's Snakepit members]]
[[Category:Velvet Revolver members]]

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[[es:Slash (guitarrista)]]
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[[he:סלאש]]
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[[lb:Saul Hudson]]
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[[fi:Slash (kitaristi)]]
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[[tr:Saul Hudson]]
[[zh:史萊許]]

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