Mick Thomson's guitar strings: the Slipknot lead-side rig, sourced

Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Mick Thomson uses with Slipknot. D'Addario custom heavy-gauge strings for Drop A and Drop B, Ibanez MTM signature with Seymour Duncan Blackouts, ESP LTD MT-I signature, Mesa/Boogie JP-2C amp. With citations.

Slipknot · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-05-01

Mick Thomson is the lead guitarist of Slipknot, alongside rhythm partner Jim Root. He plays D'Addario custom heavy-gauge strings: .012 to .066 for Drop A material with a .066 low E. Long-running Ibanez signature artist with the MTM line (mahogany body, Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups in current production), and more recently announced an ESP LTD MT-I signature (mahogany body with white ash top, Macassar ebony fretboard, reverse inline headstock). Current main live amp is the Mesa/Boogie JP-2C, the John Petrucci signature head, which Thomson called 'probably the best amp I've ever played.' He also has a Rivera KR7 signature head.

At a glance

Role

Guitarist

Active

1996–present

Based

Des Moines, Iowa

Genres

Affiliations

Slipknot (lead guitarist, 1996–present)
Ibanez (MTM signature artist, long-running)
ESP (LTD MT-I signature, recent)
D'Addario (string artist)
Seymour Duncan (Blackouts pickup user)
Mesa/Boogie (JP-2C live amp)

Notable credits

Slipknot (1999, self-titled)
Iowa (2001)
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004)
All Hope Is Gone (2008)
.5: The Gray Chapter (2014)
We Are Not Your Kind (2019)
The End, So Far (2022)

Sourcing7 citations · reviewed 2026-05-01· by Change Your Strings editorial team

Who Mick Thomson is

Mick Thomson is the lead guitarist of Slipknot, alongside rhythm partner Jim Root. He has played on every Slipknot studio record from the self-titled major-label debut (1999) through The End, So Far (2022). His down-tuned rhythm and lead guitar across Iowa (2001), Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses (2004), and All Hope Is Gone (2008) is foundational to nu-metal's transition into modern alternative metal.

A documented Ibanez signature artist with the long-running MTM line, more recently signed to ESP with the LTD MT-I signature. The Premier Guitar Slipknot Rig Rundown is the canonical primary source for the Slipknot-era touring rig; the D'Addario artist page is the canonical primary source for his string-gauge specifications.

Electric guitars

Long-running signature · MTM1 launched 2006

Ibanez MTM signature line

Mahogany body. The MTM1 launched in 2006 with EMG pickups; in 2008 the line moved to Seymour Duncan Blackouts (later iterations use the AHB-3 "Mick Thomson EMTY" signature Blackouts). Multiple finishes shipped over the line's run, including the often-photographed white-and-black variant.

Source: Ibanez Wiki, Mick Thomson series; Wikipedia, Ibanez MTM.

Recent signature · ESP LTD line

ESP LTD MT-I

Built to Thomson's specs on an MH-style body with arched top and reverse inline headstock. Spec sheet describes mahogany body with white ash top, multi-piece maple neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard, and stainless steel frets. Refer to the official ESP product page for the canonical spec list.

Source: ESP LTD MT-I product page; Lambgoat ESP signature announcement.

Amps

Live primary · Petrucci-signature Mark IIC+ derivative

Mesa/Boogie JP-2C

Tube head modeled on the Mesa Mark IIC+, the John Petrucci signature. Thomson on the JP-2C in a 2017 interview: "It's probably the best amp I've ever played and I've been using it over the last year of touring on the Gray Chapter cycle." The IIC+ derivative voicing means tight, articulate high-gain rhythm with cutting upper-mids.

Source: Metaladdicts, Slipknot's Mick Thomson on the JP-2C.

Signature head · Rivera

Rivera KR7 Mick Thomson signature

A 120-watt three-channel tube head built as Thomson's signature amp by Rivera Amplification (the boutique California amp shop founded by Paul Rivera). Thomson continues to use Riveras for some material even after adopting the JP-2C as his primary live amp.

Source: Sweetwater, Rivera KR7 Mick Thomson signature; Metaladdicts interview.

Effects

Lead boost · Front of the chain

Maxon OD-820 Overdrive Pro

Maxon's flagship boost overdrive, a high-headroom relative of the Tube Screamer voicing. Documented in Thomson's pedalboard archive as a lead-boost overdrive into the high-gain amp channel.

Source: Equipboard Mick Thomson archive.

Stage utility · Wah

Dunlop Custom Shop DCR-2SR Cry Baby Rack Wah

Rack-format wah used for stage automation. Equipboard lists it among Thomson's standing rig. Additional modulation and delay devices appear across his rigs over the years.

Source: Equipboard Mick Thomson archive.

Strings

Drop A primary · Heaviest gauge in the Slipknot rig

D'Addario custom .012 to .066 for Drop A

Documented as .012, .016, .020p, .032, .042, .066. The .066 low E (tuned down to A) is heavier than the .056 most metal players default to for Drop A, and reflects Thomson's preference for tight, articulate fundamentals at that pitch under his picking attack. Custom-spec gauge from D'Addario.

Source: D'Addario Mick Thomson artist page; Guitar Lobby, Mick Thomson gear.

Drop B set · Customized D'Addario

D'Addario customized for Drop B

For Drop B material Thomson uses a customized D'Addario set. Public sources have variously described the gauge as based on the EXL117 (.011 to .056) or as a heavier custom build; the canonical published gauge has not been consistent enough to lock to a single specification. Refer to the D'Addario artist page for the current spec.

Source: D'Addario Mick Thomson artist page; UberProAudio Mick Thomson rig overview.

Endorsed vs verified use

Mick Thomson is a documented Ibanez (long-running), ESP (recent), D'Addario, Seymour Duncan, Mesa/Boogie, Maxon, and Dunlop endorsed artist. Across all categories the endorsement and verified use align: Premier Guitar Rig Rundown footage, Slipknot live performance documentation, and the manufacturers' own artist pages consistently show the same brands his endorsement deals reference. The Ibanez MTM signature line shipped for over a decade and the new ESP LTD MT-I shipped to Thomson's exact specifications, both are production-line guitars he plays in studio and on tour, not display-only artist-relations vehicles.

Jim Root, Slipknot's rhythm-and-lead partner. Joey Jordison, Slipknot's original drummer (1995-2013). D'Addario string family. Drop A tuning guide. Drop B tuning guide. Artists index for more documented rigs.

Frequently asked questions

What strings does Mick Thomson use?

Custom D'Addario sets in two heavy configurations. The Drop A set is documented as .012, .016, .020p, .032, .042, .066 (the .066 low E is heavy enough to keep Drop A articulate under his picking attack). His Drop B configuration is also a customized D'Addario set; the publicly cited gauge ranges vary, with some sources describing it as based on D'Addario EXL117 (.011 to .056) and others noting heavier custom builds. He has been a documented D'Addario artist for most of his Slipknot career.

What guitars does Mick Thomson play?

Long-running Ibanez signature artist with the MTM line: mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups. The white-and-black 'storm trooper' MTM is one of his most-photographed guitars and is dedicated to Drop B. More recently he's signed to ESP and the LTD MT-I signature (built to his exact specs) ships in obsidian metallic finish on an MH-style body with arched top, reverse inline headstock, white ash top over mahogany, three-piece maple neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard, 24 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets.

What pickups does Thomson use?

Seymour Duncan Blackouts (active humbuckers). The Blackouts are Seymour Duncan's answer to EMG: high-output, low-noise active humbuckers built for high-gain rhythm work. Different voicing from EMG 81/60: the Blackouts have a slightly thicker low-mid focus that works for the heavily-down-tuned Slipknot lead-side material.

What amp does Thomson use?

Mesa/Boogie JP-2C, the John Petrucci signature tube head modeled on the Mesa Mark IIC+. Thomson is on record calling it 'probably the best amp I've ever played and I've been using it over the last year of touring on the Gray Chapter cycle.' He also has a Rivera KR7 signature head and continues to use Rivera amps for some material; the JP-2C is the current primary.

What pedals does Thomson use?

Documented pedalboard includes a Maxon OD-820 Overdrive Pro for lead boosts and a Dunlop Custom Shop DCR-2SR Cry Baby Rack Wah. Equipboard's Mick Thomson archive lists additional effects including modulation and delay used live.

Mick Thomson vs Jim Root: who plays what?

Both are Slipknot guitarists. Root joined in 1999 (replacing Josh Brainard); Thomson is the longer-tenured guitarist (since 1996). They split rhythm and lead duties across Slipknot's catalog rather than one being strictly rhythm and the other strictly lead. Their rigs differ: Root plays Fender signature Telecasters / Stratocasters / Jazzmasters with EMG pickups into Orange Rockerverb 100; Thomson plays Ibanez MTM and ESP MT-I signatures with Seymour Duncan Blackouts into Mesa/Boogie JP-2C.