What working guitarists actually play, cited from interviews, rig rundowns, and official press. Endorsed relationships and verified use are labeled on each artist's page.
Showing 19 guitarists tagged Metal.
Documented string gauges and tunings Adam Jones uses with Tool on his 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Silverburst. Ernie Ball Power Slinky + Drop D and lower tunings + the Tool rhythm-prog vocabulary. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges and tunings Dimebag Darrell used with Pantera and Damageplan on his Dean Razorback / ML / signature instruments. Light-gauge .009-.042 + deeply down-tuned material. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Fredrik Thordendal uses with Meshuggah on Nevborn / Ibanez / Strandberg 8-strings. With citations.
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings James Hetfield has used across Metallica's career. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Jason Richardson uses for solo work and his ex-tenure in All That Remains and Born of Osiris. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Jeff Loomis uses Ernie Ball strings (reported .009 to .046 plus a .062 low string) in B flat on 7-string guitars. Documented gauges, guitars, pickups, amps, and tunings, with citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Jim Root uses with Slipknot and Stone Sour. Dunlop signature strings (.011 to .056 for Drop B, .012 to .064 for Drop A), Fender Jim Root signature Telecaster / Stratocaster / Jazzmaster with EMG humbuckers, Orange Rockerverb 100 amps. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings John Petrucci uses with Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Keith Merrow uses for his solo material and Conquering Dystopia, including the Schecter KM-7 MKIII signature spec.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented strings, guitars, amps, and effects Kirk Hammett uses with Metallica. The Ernie Ball RPS-10/RPS-11 hybrid set (.010 to .048), the ESP KH signature line, the Mesa Boogie Rackmount Dual Rectifier years, the Randall KH signature era, the current Fractal Axe-FX III live rig, and Greeny. Every claim cited.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Mark Holcomb uses with Periphery and on his PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN signature. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
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.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Misha Mansoor uses with Periphery on his Jackson Juggernaut signature. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges and tunings Randy Rhoads used with Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne's solo band on his Jackson Concorde and Karl Sandoval polka-dot Flying V instruments. With citations.
Documented string gauges and tunings Synyster Gates uses with Avenged Sevenfold on his Schecter Synyster Gates Custom signature instruments. Ernie Ball Slinky variants + Drop D and lower tunings. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges and tunings Tom Morello uses with Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage on 'Arm the Homeless,' 'Soul Power,' and the Fender Tom Morello Stratocaster signature. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges and tunings Tony Iommi uses with Black Sabbath on his Gibson SG. La Bella custom-light .008-.032 set + tunings as low as C# standard and B standard. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Tosin Abasi uses with Animals as Leaders on his Abasi Concepts Larada 8 signature. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Wes Hauch uses across 6-, 7-, and 8-string guitars for Alluvial, The Faceless, and Thy Art Is Murder. With citations.
Endorsed · paid relationship documented
