Jim Root has revealed that, despite once asserting he’d steer clear of using digital amp modelers, he’s been using the Neural DSP Quad Cortex for some Slipknot shows.
The digital amp modeler versus tube amp conversation has hit new heights in recent months. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the likes of Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray, John Mayer and even Eric Johnson experiment with advanced amp tech.
Now, Root has joined that pool of players dabbling in amp modelers, and while the Quad Cortex hasn’t completely replaced his tube amp and pedalboard setup, it has been given a more prominent position in his rig.
The Slipknot guitarist says as much in a new interview with the Tone-Talk podcast, telling hosts Dave Friedman and Marc Huzansky he’s been using a new setup for smaller venues that recruits the popular multi-effects amp modeler.
“Just recently, and this is sort of blasphemous and sacrilegious, and I told myself and everybody out there that’s listening in the guitar world that I talked to on my Instagram, I might have fibbed a little bit and said ‘never’ with the digital modeling shit,” Root reveals (via MusicRadar).
“But we have new racks for smaller venues and I do have a Quad Cortex, but I’m trying to do a workaround with that. And it’s working and I used it at Pappy & Harriet’s, and I used it for Sick New World.”
That latter show, notably, was a full-blown festival headline slot in Las Vegas that Slipknot played last month.
Root is clearly impressed with the experiment so far – “It’s great, I love it, it’s working,” he offers – but is hesitant to dive too far down the digital rabbit hole.
He goes on: “I’d like to stay away from the digital world as much as I possibly can. But it’s kind of getting to the point where it’s pretty good and it’s functional, and it’s making things efficient.
“But I’m still hanging on to the… nothing’s ever gonna be a tube. You’re never really gonna get that sag, you’re never really gonna get that organic feedback coming back. It is what it is.”
As well as detailing his digital epiphany, Root also reveals his plans to shake up his guitar arsenal for Slipknot’s upcoming anniversary shows, which will celebrate the release of their debut album by playing it in full.
That will see the Charvel and Fender artist relegate his usual signature guitars in favor of some old Jacksons – and even a PRS Custom 24.
“I’m trying to bring some of these old guitars out, especially since we’re getting ready to do this 25th anniversary stuff and we’re getting ready to play the first album in its entirety,” he goes on.
“I have a couple of Jacksons and a couple of PRSs that I used way back to 2000, and I’m gonna bring those guitars with me and similar guitars that I had.”
Following a performance on May 19 at Sonic Temple Festival, Slipknot will hit the road with Knocked Loose and Orbit Culture for a North American tour. The tour will kick off August 7 and wrap up September 18.
The band is also slated to feature at a handful of festivals over September and October, before embarking on a string of European and UK dates. Whether the Quad Cortex will get a run-out at any of those shows remains to be seen.
Head over to Slipknot’s website for full dates.
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