[Closed] Is Slash a great guitarist?

The solo in Sweet Child O Mine is one of not many guitar solos I can think of that somehow avoids being daft and boring - compared to the likes of Iron Maiden, for instance - who I do love, incidentally.

Excellent guitarist IMHO, up there with the greats... he was the main (nay, the only) reason GNR were so huge I think... saw him play at Download and Glastonbury this year, really good show, was awesome to hear Sweet Child of Mine and Paradise City (among a few others) live!

Metallica nothing else matters at the risk of a flaming?? Slash oozed cool tho, always had the obligatory fag hanging off his bottom lip! 😯

Yes.
I'm half way through his Biography, anyone who can play that well whilst living the rock star lifestyle he did ...and survive, deserves a huge applause!

he was

I was in my opinion very lucky to see gnr at the old wembley in the summer of 92. It was ****in awesome!!!

early g n r , had some killer rifts, slash was certainly super cool and a great foil to Mr Rose. Always thought that the early tunes were greatly helped by Izzy Stradlin doing some of the bluesy chords whilst slash did the twiddly bits.

awesome listen to Slither by Velvet Revolver!

As a guitarist he's ok. He did wear a top hat though and that makes him great in my book.

If I could I'd wear a top hat and drive a Morgan and smoke a pipe and wear a quilted jacket at all times. Oh and a monocle.

He did wear a top hat though and that makes him great in my book.

It was good enough for Noddy

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The current GNR guitarists are more technically skilled. But they're not [i]great.[/i] Slash is, in my humble.

great but not one of the greatest

have you lot all got cloth ears ??? he was nothing special... listen to the end of paradise city, the double tempo bit, the solo he plays is total w@nk - A whole load of chromatic runs that make no sense because he can't play proper scales at the tempo the rest of the band are playing

anyone with an ounce of musical talent and reasonable practice can do what he does

slash wrings more tone out of an LP than most could....

> [i]he can't play proper scales at the tempo the rest of the band are playing[/i]

While I agree he doesn't have the best technique, he's still one of the greats (maybe a bit like Angus Young in that regard). Anyway, exhibit 1: Welcome to the Jungle intro.

anyone with an ounce of musical talent and reasonable practice can [s]do[/s] copy what he does

He's from Stoke, so no.

Considering he learnt on a guitar with 1 string he is one of the greats and always will be!!

He's from Stoke so yes obviously 😉

I'd say he's good but he's no Jimi. I personally don't think he's as good as Tony Iommi.

He should of stuck with the bmx 🙂

edhornby - Member

have you lot all got cloth ears ??? he was nothing special... listen to the end of paradise city, the double tempo bit, the solo he plays is total w@nk - A whole load of chromatic runs that make no sense because he can't play proper scales at the tempo the rest of the band are playing

anyone with an ounce of musical talent and reasonable practice can do what he does

Bloody musicians 😀

Technical ability is meaningless to anyone but other musicians.
Dylan is a great singer, but he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket or hold a note to save his life.

It's how you convey emotion that matters and Slash does that pretty well IMO.

To give you another example, Keith Richards is a wonderfully emotive guitarist who isn't too bothered about the odd duff chord.
Yngwie Malmsteen is a technically perfect, emotionally sterile knobster of the first water, who takes the most exciting instrument in the world and turns it into the musical equivalent of trainspotting.

Richards, Hendrix, Young, Townshend... Slash? Nah. He was in Guns 'n' Roses for a start.

Agreed mr spanner!!! Watching that vid earlier brought back vivid memories of slash being uber cool in the day! I'm no musician but I likes what I likes and that was certainly something that brought back many a happy head banging memory!! So bassists, cliff burton anyone???

he was nothing special... listen to the end of paradise city, the double tempo bit, the solo he plays is total w@nk - A whole load of chromatic runs that make no sense because he can't play proper scales at the tempo the rest of the band are playing

anyone with an ounce of musical talent and reasonable practice can do what he does

So you could do what Slash does? Or just a critic?

Kato, Mr Hornby is an excellent musician.

I think he's just bitter that he still has to work in a scruffy office in Manchester rather than touring the world, drinking JD and fondling glamorous groupies. 🙂

Mr Spanner: Nail, head. Couldn't have put it better myself. As you say about Dylan, there are many singers, who, while technically superb, assume that cramming as many notes into each stave and singing at the top of your voice = emotion. Mariah Carey, you stand accused. Sandy Denny is an example of how to do it properly. Paul Kossof could get more emotion from one sustained note than most of the fret****ers like Malmsteen could in an entire song.

I think he's just bitter that he still has to work in a scruffy office in Manchester rather than touring the world, drinking JD and fondling glamorous groupies

makes me bitter and I can't even play! 😉

No. He's not great.

I've most of his albums (Slash and the Slash's Snake Pit ones) and sometimes the guitar is good, but, I never get the urge to puck up my guitar and play along.

The latest album for instance. Compare this to Santana Supernatural. Both created by a guitarist and featuring multiple guest vocals. Slash I'll listen to for the music and vocals (Lemmy is top drawer!). Supernatural I'll listen to for the music, the vocals AND the guitar work.

The boy can play, but he isn't great.

Millions could recognise him from his silhouette, he has a "guitar sound" that's instantly recognisable as being his, he has basically become an archetypal "guitar hero" along with maybe 3 or 4 others in history and is being debated on an mtb site 15 years after his career peaked. He's a legend. Whether he's technically one of the best guitarists, in comparison with ..the best guitarists is, just a bit nit picky imo.

aye, listen to Fall to Pieces by Velvet revolver.

I like his guitar style. I'm never really tempted to learn his stuff, but I think he's good. Really liked his last solo album. Can't stand Gun's and Roses though.
Don't really understand Edhornby's comment about Paradise City outro solo, just had a listen and it doesn't sound like he's struggling to keep up to me. The last ascending run is a little uninspiring for note choice, but just sounds like an improv that's been left in cause it feels good, rather than being note perfect.

have you lot all got cloth ears ??? he was nothing special... listen to the end of paradise city, the double tempo bit, the solo he plays is total w@nk - A whole load of chromatic runs that make no sense because he can't play proper scales at the tempo the rest of the band are playing

But it sounds good and fits the song. More important than being technically "right". Let me guess, your favourite guitarist is someone ****ty like Eric Johnson? 😛

Appetite For Destruction is full of great guitar bits from both Slash and Izzy. His style is instantly recognisable and has written some awesome solos like November Rain as said in the OP.

From what I've seen he can be hit and miss live. When I went to see Velvet Revolver he was spot on.

He's great. In as much as it comes naturally for him. Read his autobiography and you'll realise how much he loves music and all he wants to do is play guitar with as many people as possible. He admits he knows little about theory but I've no doubt he could blow most guitarists away. In the genre he works in, there's no one that comes close, and it's not to say he does anything amazing, but it's harder to play the simpler stuff well IMHO.

Hell, after 20 years of playing I can sweep pick, finger tap, know every note and scale on the fingerboard etc, but I dont think I come anywhere close to someone like Slash in terms of skill and talent

He wore The Hat, he smoked The Fag, he fiddled with his [s]balls[/s]guitar a lot. Genius!

Seen slash a couple of times, once back in 88 with oringinal Buns n Toasties - the who band were shocking - put it down to drugs I guess

then again at a gibson anniversary show at wembley arena - playing and trading 45 mins of solos with Zakk Wilde - Whilst don't like Zak or Slash it was very clear that talent and ability shone from Zakk and Slash was very ordinary.

Both on Les Pauls so thats obviously not the difference

Read his autobiography which is aping Motley Crues the dirt for 'stupid things wot I haz done' style

Legend - in his own head perhaps

Lucky - certainly

Talented - Well he came up with some mighty riffs and great solos

As a person whose been through a lot in his life I find him engaging, as a guitarist I like his style but hate the band he became famous in.

Not like a songle thing hes been on that I heard.

Plum

He quite clearly is great and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to get their head read. The whole of Appetite is driven by the brilliant licks and riffs that he blasts out. And he's still going strong after living a lifestyle that very few can claim to have done and survived. He's definitely no Jimi, but he is definitely great.

Standard Generic Rock Riffing.

Don't see what the fuss is about.

you are right on his technical [in] ability but one should avoid the temptation to dismiss all music , that is technically poor or easy, as bad. Air on G string for example - easy but still beautiful.
It is hard to do I get annoyed when I see them hold the guitar wrong and only use three fingers as the little finger is a passenger then I remember Django Rheinhardt.
Worst thing about learning the guitar is you start dismissing easy or technically poor stuff rather than feeling it.There is some seriously difficult atonal pish for classical guitar that is technically very difficult but sounds incredibly poor. Better if you have both hence why I think he is great but not one of the greatest.
One plays classical FWIW 8)

I think he's a great, if just for Appetite and the Illusions.

Heard a old song (1996 according to Wikipedia) of his I'd never heard before on the radio the other day. Quite surprised when announcer said it was by him, a sort of flamenco style piece called obsession confession...

Richards, Hendrix, Young, Townshend... Slash? Nah. He was in Guns 'n' Roses for a start.

hehe, Richards and Townshend figure in someones' list of great guitarists. i suppose there's enough variation in taste in the world to prove that anything is possible 🙂

No idea whether he is a great guitarist, but enjoy the tunes which is what counts for me

Must say he isn't a patch on Blackmore though

Richards, Hendrix, Young, Townshend... Slash? Nah. He was in Guns 'n' Roses for a start.
hehe, Richards and Townshend figure in someones' list of great guitarists. i suppose there's enough variation in taste in the world to prove that anything is possible

What a snarky comment. I would take Richards and townsend a million times over any number of technically skilled guitarists. With rock electric guitar sound , attitude and 'the way you play it' are far more important than technique.

I don't listen to hard rock anymore really , but I will always regard slash and Angus young as two of the greats

With rock electric guitar sound , attitude and 'the way you play it' are far more important than technique

i agree, just cements the likes of richards and townshend in the rather dull, not very creative category as far as i'm concerned. but like i said, taste offers infinite variation of opinion.

Good but sadly generic. Listen to GnR with Slash and them with A Nother guitarist and you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference. Hendrix he ain't