Is there a more iconic figure in rock and roll than the great Slash? Slash or Saul Hudson as he was born in England back in 1965, has always had rock and roll written into his very fabric. Both his parents were involved in the music industry. His mother styled John Lennon and the enigmatic David Bowie, while his father designed album covers for Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.
Slash would go on to solidify his place in the pantheon of American rock music with hits such as Sweet Child O’ Mine and Welcome to the Jungle. He did all of this while playing for Guns N’ Roses, a band that would go on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. When Guns N’ Roses came to its end, Slash would continue to collaborate with the greatest musicians of the modern era. Slash has collaborated with everyone from Michael Jackson to Myles Kennedy, showing off his versatility and proving that he isn’t a one-trick-pony.
But there’s more to Slash than just his music. Read on to learn more about Slash and his deep love for the guitar as an instrument and the hobby that keeps him busy when he isn’t shredding at your local stadium.
Gibson Collection
Getting your own signature guitar is a milestone for any musician’s career but Slash has certainly taken this one step further. While it’s not out of the ordinary for musicians to have a signature guitar, Slash is the first musician in history to collaborate with Gibson for a signature collection. His collection debuted at the 2020 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show and features all-new signature Gibson Les Pauls and even a signature J-45 acoustic guitar.
When asked about the new collection by Guitar.com, Slash revealed that it was great that these new guitars would be far more accessible compared to his previous signature guitars with the brand. This is because most signature guitars were usually limited edition, while his new collection would be part of Gibson’s regular line of guitars. This is good news, as it means everyone can now get a guitar worthy of the Guitar God himself.
Love For Poker
Slash is also quite the poker player. In fact, when he put his home up for sale back in 2011, the LA Times revealed that the main area of his house was a games room with a custom-made black poker table. He probably got a lot of use out of the poker table, as it would be hard for Slash to play at casinos without getting pestered by fans due to his mainstream notoriety.
This is why it’s refreshing for rock stars like Slash to see poker enter the digital era, allowing him to play in private. With today’s technology, superstars can feel like normal people again, and are able to enjoy a round of cards with friends on a quiet evening. Case in point, PPPoker’s LinkedIn account highlights the social aspect of the game, with its virtual rooms letting players choose who they play with, whenever and wherever they want. Someone as high profile as Slash could even reconnect with his old poker buddy Robbie Williams, for a quick round of Texas Hold’em. This wouldn’t be Slash’s first foray into the world of online poker. He also used to play in online tournaments with fellow musicians, such as Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Anthrax’s Scott Ian. The Anthrax guitarist even joked once in an interview that the online tournaments were “a way for me and my friends to try and take each other’s money.”
