Adam Jones's guitar strings: the Tool rig, sourced

Adam Thomas Jones (born January 15, 1965, Park Ridge, Illinois) is the founding lead guitarist of Tool, the Los Angeles-formed progressive-metal band whose six studio records across 1990-present (Undertow 1993, Ænima 1996, Lateralus 2001, 10,000 Days 2006, Fear Inoculum 2019) define modern progressive-metal as a genre. Tool's compositions are characterized by polyrhythmic meter, extended song structures, and the interlocking rhythm patterns between Jones, bassist Justin Chancellor, and drummer Danny Carey.

Jones is also a visual artist with an extensive credit list in stop-motion animation and special effects (he worked on Jurassic Park, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Edward Scissorhands before Tool's success), and he creates the band's distinctive music videos and album art. The Gibson Adam Jones Les Paul Custom Silverburst signature has been in continuous production since 2020.

His 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst is the canonical Tool instrument across the catalog. The Norlin-era Gibson humbuckers, the rosewood fretboard, the multi-ply Custom-grade binding, and the silverburst finish (a metallic-grey-and-charcoal sunburst variant Gibson produced in the late 1970s) are the canonical Adam Jones spec. Gibson's 2020 signature reproduction faithfully replicates these details.

For strings, Ernie Ball Power Slinky (.011-.048). Tool's tunings span Drop D, Drop D tuned a half step down further, and Drop C on heavier material; the heavier gauge keeps the down-tuned strings at workable tension.

His signal chain into Diezel VH4 and Marshall Super Bass tube heads at heavy saturation drives the Tool-era rhythm tone. The Diezel + Marshall combination produces the layered, harmonically-rich saturation that suits the band's polyrhythmic compositions; multiple amplifiers blended in parallel is part of the standard Tool stage and studio rig configuration.

The Norlin-era Les Paul Custom humbuckers deliver high output with a slightly compressed, mid-saturated tonal profile that suits the heavy-rhythm vocabulary of Tool's catalog. The .011-.048 string set on Drop D tuning sits at workable tension; lighter gauges on the down-tuned strings would go floppy under his picking attack, heavier gauges would over-tax the neck and slow the right-hand articulation needed for Tool's polyrhythmic riffs.

The Diezel VH4 + Marshall Super Bass parallel-amp configuration is the canonical Tool tone formula. The Diezel provides the high-gain saturation needed for the riff weight, while the Marshall Super Bass adds harmonic complexity and warmth. Multiple amps blended in parallel is unusual for a single guitarist; the configuration is part of why the Tool rhythm tone is hard to replicate with a single-amp rig.

A Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst (Adam Jones signature in current production), Ernie Ball Power Slinky .011-.048 in Drop D, and a high-gain tube amp (Diezel-style or Marshall Super Bass variant) gets you in the territory.