BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Guns N’ Roses formed in 1985. They wouldn’t really blow up until 1987. But then at that point, it was all over. Guns N’ Roses took over rock and roll for a while. They had the impact of the greatest bands of all time, but didn’t last long enough to really secure their place on the Mount Rushmore of rock. Close though. REALLY close. Like Queen close. Queen is another band that came in and made a HUGE impact, but for completely different reasons didn’t carry on.
Why didn’t Guns N’ Roses keep going forward and become the greatest rock and roll band of all time? Fighting! That’s all it comes down to. Axl Rose couldn’t get along with the rest of the band or there was always drama. That drama would result in people being fired from the band, quitting the band, the band breaking up, and then the band coming back with all but one (and sometimes two) being people who were barely walking when the band came out, that alone playing an instrument. It’s basically become “Axl Rose and the GNR Minor League All-Stars”.
And that sucks too. It’s not fair to criticize the “new GNR” because they’re just doing what they love. They’re playing music for HUGE crowds and getting to play some of the best written rock and roll music each and every night. We can bitch and say “I miss the old band” all we want, but these are the dudes out there kicking ass every night. There is a respect there that’s criminally misplaced.
We all have our preferred line-up for Guns N’ Roses. For me, it’s that Use Your Illusion crew. I always liked Matt Sorum more than Adler. But to be specific, I’d take Izzy Stradlin over Gilby Clarke as well. But this is all subjective. You put any of these guys in front of me with Axl Rose howling in the background and I’ll be a happy camper.
Today, I’m going to take a look at my picks for the Top 7 guitarists of Guns N’ Roses. Lead, Rhythm, whatever… if there are strings, you’re in!
7: TRACII GUNS
(Lead Guitar, 1985) - This spot was the hardest. I was tempted to go with “Bumblefoot” Ron Thal because he’s just awesome and I had a hard time not putting Gilby Clarke on this list. Gilby is an awesome guy with an awesome career, but he justwasn’t around long enough to really make an impact. He’s in the “November Rain” video which makes me even more hesitant in not including him. Ah well. I had to go with the original. Without Tracii Guns there would just be “N’ Roses”. He was there at the start and despite not sticking around for the heyday of the band, his contribution in even name alone is worthy enough to get the number seven slot on this purely subjective list.
6: DUFF MCKAGAN
(Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/etc., 1985-1997) - Duff “The Stuff”, as no one calls him, is easily one of the foundations of the Guns N Roses we’ve all grown to love. He was there for the long haul. He came on board right at the start and was there for some of the best rock albums of all time. While the others in the band always seemed wreckless in their performance, Duff always had this “too cool for school” chilled out vibe that made him seem like the coolest guy in the room despite rarely ever being the loudest. That says a lot for someone when you’re in a band with Slash, Izzy, and Axl.
5: DJ ASHBA
(Lead Guitar, 2009 - Current) - DJ Ashba is an outstanding guitar player. He has worked with tons of awesome people, but he seems settled in nicely with Guns N Roses. The band’s current guitar identity is pretty much on this guy’s shoulders. He’s also a fellow “Hoosier”, being born in Monticello, home of “Indiana Beach”. If you were from Indiana, you’d know how “important” Indiana Beach is. It’s seriously like the only family destination in the state. That aside, Ashba is the real deal. He’s obviously come into some big shoes to fill, but he’s more than comfortable.
4: IZZY STRADLIN
(Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals/Lead Guitar/Sitar/etc., 1985 – 1991, 1993) - Indiana strikes again! Izzy Stradlin was from Lafayette, like Axl. He was on board from jump street. He was a founder and killed it for the main chunk of the band’s awesomeness. He was almost like a really smart poker player or stock broker. He left at a high and didn’t have to stick around for the fall out. He got clean and moved on. He co-wrote stuff like“Don’t Cry” and “You Could Be Mine”. What more could the dude prove? His impact on the band and modern rock is summed up with just a solid stamp of awesomeness.
3: ROBIN FINCK
(Lead Guitar /Acoustic Guitar/Keyboards/etc., 1997–1999, 2000–2008) - If there’s anything I like more than Indiana, it’s most things. One of those things is Nine Inch Nails, my favorite band of all time. When I first got into NIN their guitarist was the always great Robin Finck. The head shaving/make up montage from the “Downward Spiral” tour VHS always stands out. He just seems like an interesting and fun dude. When I went to my first concert, he was the first real lead guitarist I got to see on a stage. The dude is just a hug personal favorite. On top of my personal connection, this guy brings an energy to a band that I’ve not seen anyone else I’ve replicate or duplicate in the hundreds of concerts I’ve been to since.
2: BUCKETHEAD
(Lead Guitar /Acoustic Guitar, 2000–2004) - Buckethead is named Buckethead because he infact wears a KFC bucket… on… his… head. It’s pretty simple, folks. If you’ve ever seen this man, you have him etched in your brain. He has a blank face mask, a bucket on his head, and a variety of accessorized bizarreness. He has a crazy and memorable look. That counts for something. The fun part is that he’s also a virtuoso. He was voted in the top ten fastest guitar players of all time by “GuitarOne” and one of the top twenty five weirdest guitarists by “Guitar World”. So pretty much the guitar nerds love the guy. I wish he’d stick around with a band that gets big so he’d get the exposure he deserves, but sadly and probably to his credit, he is pretty much an enigma.
1: SLASH
(Lead Guitar /Acoustic Guitar/ Backing Vocals/Banjo/etc., 1985-1996) - Slash picked up the guitar in 1979. He was friends with Steven Adler, drummer extraordinaire, who had a guitar while Slash was more into bikes. He messed with the guitar and before he knew it, he was playing it constantly. Six years later he would be in Guns N’ Roses and part of what would be the biggest rock band of the probably the late 80’s and early 90’s. With long hair in his face, a cigarette sticking out of his mouth, a bad ass hat, and a confident stumble Slash is one of the most iconic guitar players of all time. He has the iconic image down, but he’s seriously one of the best players and musicians of all time. That solo in “November Rain” still sends chills up my spine and there’s the crazy great riffs in “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and all of the classics. It’s hard to see with it right in front of you, but he’s literally GREAT. Not like a casual ,”oh he’s a great guitar player”. I’m saying that in 20 years people should look back on Slash the same way people look back on the greatest of all time. He is up there with the best of the best and he’s still out there playing today. Imagine if you had the chance to see a Hendrix or Chuck Berry play guitar. You DO have the chance to see Slash. If you respect yourself as a rock and roll fan, you should try to find a way to cross this off your bucket list.
Who is YOUR favorite GNR guitar player? How about top two considering Slash is part of this equation?
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