What strings does Slash use?

Ernie Ball Power Slinky Cobalt (.011–.048), SKU 2723. Cobalt-iron wrap over a tin-plated hex core. He's been an Ernie Ball artist since the 1980s and moved onto Cobalts at the 2012 launch.

What gauge does Slash play?

Eleven to forty-eight (.011–.048). Heavier than the default .010s most rock players use, but lighter than the .012+ sets metal players favor. The .011 plain high E is what gives his bends that thick, slightly-resistant feel.

What tuning does Slash play in?

Eb standard (a half step down from E) for the majority of the Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver catalog. Some tracks are in E standard. His Gibson Les Pauls are set up for Eb first.

Is Slash paid by Ernie Ball?

Yes, he's a documented Ernie Ball endorser and has appeared in Ernie Ball marketing for the Cobalt line. His quote is featured on the Cobalt product page.

Can I get Slash's tone with Ernie Ball Regular Slinky?

Partially. You'll get the nickel-plated version of his string character but miss the output and midrange bump of the Cobalt alloy. Regular Slinky is .010–.046; Slash runs .011–.048 Cobalt. For a closer match, get Power Slinky Cobalt.

Did Slash use these strings on Appetite for Destruction?

No. Appetite was recorded in 1986–87; Cobalts launched in 2012. He was on nickel-wound Ernie Ball sets in the .011 range at the time. The Cobalt era is Chinese Democracy (2008, nickel still) forward into the reunion-era Not in This Lifetime tours.

Slash's guitar strings: the Guns N' Roses rig, sourced

What's on the guitar

Slash's rig is one of the most documented in rock:

Guitars: Gibson Les Paul (primary). Multiple signature models, most with '59-voiced humbuckers.
Strings: Ernie Ball Power Slinky Cobalt (.011–.048), SKU 2723. Cobalt-iron wrap, tin-plated hex core, uncoated.
Tuning: Eb standard (half-step down) as the default. Some material in E standard.
Amps: Marshall JCM 800 (2203) and Marshall Slash signature heads.

The .011 gauge on a Les Paul's 24.75-inch scale feels comparable to a .010 on a 25.5-inch scale Strat. That's the setup sweet spot, slightly thicker than default, tuned a half-step down, pushing a vintage-voiced humbucker.

See our full review of the Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky line for what makes the cobalt wrap voicing different from nickel-plated steel.

Endorsed vs. verified use

Slash is a documented Ernie Ball endorser and a verified Cobalt user. Both are on the record, Ernie Ball features his quote in Cobalt marketing, and Guitar World's January 2012 launch video documents him testing the set. This alignment matters because many artist endorsements don't match actual studio use. Slash's does.

Why Cobalts for a Les Paul

The Cobalt voicing adds roughly 2–3 dB of output and a tighter upper midrange through a passive humbucker. On a PAF-voiced Les Paul, which is naturally warm and slightly scooped, that extra presence reads as articulation without needing to push the amp harder. It also tightens the low end on Eb standard tuning, which can otherwise feel slightly slack with .011 gauge.

The takeaway: Cobalt isn't a metal-only string line. It's a voicing choice that pairs especially well with low-output humbuckers and medium tunings. Slash's rig is the best-known example of that pairing.

Sources

"Slash Discusses Ernie Ball Cobalt Electric Guitar Strings." Guitar World video, January 5, 2012. https://www.guitarworld.com/features/video-slash-discusses-ernie-ball-cobalt-electric-guitar-strings
Ernie Ball Cobalt product page, featured artist quote. https://www.ernieball.com/guitar-strings/electric-guitar-strings/slinky-cobalt-electric-guitar-strings
Premier Guitar "Rig Rundown: Slash" coverage (multiple tours).

String brand, gauge, or tuning specifics change across tours and albums. This page is re-dated when Slash's tech publishes a rig update.

Electric guitars

Recorded 1986–87 · The Appetite Burst

Kris Derrig 1959 Les Paul Replica

The instrument used to track Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction (1987). Built by Kris Derrig in 1986 as a 1959 Les Paul Standard replica with Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro pickups. Manager Alan Niven bought it for Slash and delivered it the night before the Appetite overdub sessions; it became his main guitar thereafter.

Source: Premier Guitar: The Legend of Slash's Appetite Les Paul.

2020+ · Current production main

Gibson Slash Collection Les Paul Standard

AAA flamed maple top, solid mahogany body, C-shape neck, Gibson Custom BurstBucker Alnico II pickups, hand-wired electronics with Orange Drop capacitors. Available in Appetite Burst, November Burst, Anaconda Burst.

Source: Gibson: The Slash Collection.

Tour use 1990s+ · Backups

Multiple Gibson Les Paul Standards (vintage and reissue)

Including a 1958 reissue and various Custom Shop Slash signatures across the years. All carry Alnico II humbuckers in some configuration; most are Burst-finished.

Source: Slashparadise: Slash's guitars.

Amps

1996–97 · Limited run, 3000 units

Marshall JCM 2555SL Slash Signature

Slash's first signature amp, based on the Silver Jubilee 2555. Only 3000 made between 1996 and 1997. Discontinued, then reissued through the AFD100 line. The Silver Jubilee circuit was the Slash live tone reference from the Use Your Illusion tours forward.

Source: Slashparadise: Marshall JCM 2555SL Slash Signature.

2010–11 · Limited edition, 2300 units

Marshall AFD100 Signature Head

100W signature head launched in 2010, designed to recreate the modded 1959 Super Lead used on Appetite for Destruction. Two switchable voices: the AFD ("Appetite") tone and the tone of his "#34" modified JCM800. Built-in power attenuation from 100% down to 0.01%.

Source: Premier Guitar: AFD100 launch, Slashparadise: AFD100.

Studio classic · Appetite era

Modified Marshall JCM800 / 1959SLP

The amp used to track Appetite for Destruction was a modified Marshall 1959T Super Lead rented from S.I.R. in Los Angeles. The "Stock #39" amp was modified by S.I.R. tech Tim Caswell (the unused tremolo-circuit tube re-purposed as an extra preamp stage, with a master volume added). Per later reporting, the amp actually delivered to the sessions was Stock #36, modified by Frank Levi after Caswell had left S.I.R.; Slash was unaware of the swap at the time.

Source: Tony McKenzie, AFD100 amp history; Slashparadise, Slash's amps.

Effects

Signature pedal · Long-running staple

Dunlop SW95 Slash Cry Baby Wah

Fasel-loaded Classic circuit, footswitchable distortion, red LED. Used on every Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, and Slash solo album since the late 1990s. The wah on the "Sweet Child o' Mine" intro lead is the canonical reference.

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Studio + live · Delay tools

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay + Boss DD-500

A Boss DD-3 sits on his Blues Ball pedalboard per Premier Guitar's 2024 Rig Rundown. In the main Guns N' Roses touring rig, two Boss DD-500 digital delays run in their own effects loops, switched from a MIDI floorboard.

Source: Premier Guitar: Slash Blues Ball Rig Rundown 2024, Guitar Chalk: Slash pedals.

Strings

Endorsed since 2012 · Eb standard primary

Ernie Ball Power Slinky Cobalt (.011–.048)

Cobalt wrap adds 2-3 dB output and tighter upper-mid presence through passive humbuckers. On a PAF-voiced Les Paul tuned to Eb standard with .011s, that's the Slash studio + live tone reference.

Full review →Buy on Amazon

If you want this rig

Ernie Ball

Power Slinky Cobalt (.011–.048)

Price tier: $$

Why this one: Slash's exact set. Cobalt wrap drives passive humbuckers hotter than nickel at the same gauge; .011 in Eb standard is the Les Paul sweet spot.

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