Jim Root (Slipknot) guitar rig

Jim Root, aka. James Root, aka. Number 4, is one of the guitarist for [insert descriptive word here] metal band Slipknot*.

If you’ve heard Slipknot, you know the guitar tone is down tuned and heavy, and that is exactly the type of gear you find when you take a look at Jim Root’s Slipknot rig.

At the time of Jim Root’s appearance in the Guitar World Vulgar Displays of Power column (seen scan below), his rig featured two Rivera Knucklehead Reverb 100 watt amplifiers.

These are set up to function as a ‘Master’ and ‘Slave’ setup, the Master head fitted with KT88 power tubes, and the slave with 6L6 power tubes. The signal then went into two Rivera Straight-Front 4×12 cabinets loaded with Celestion G12T-75 speakers.

As well as sending the signal to the traditional speaker cabinet, it is also sent to a Randall Isolation 1×12 Cabinet loaded with a Celestion G12T-75.

Guitar wise, Root favoured the Fender Flathead Telecaster with an EMG 81 fitted in the bridge and EMG 60 in the neck, strung with Ernie Ball (.011, .015, .018, 0.028, .038, .058), tuned to Drop-D down 1 1/2 steps (low to high: B F# B E G# C#).

Since then, Fender have also released the James Root Signature Series Telecaster. The James Root Signature series is also fitted with EMG 60 and EMG 81 pickups as well as a Strat-like pickup switching system.

Other guitars he has been known to use on tour with Slipknot include a Jackson SL1 Soloist, Jackson SL3 Soloist and a PRS Private Stock guitar based on the Standard 24 (this can be seen in the Disasterpiece DVD).

All his effects pedals are rack mounted through a Digital Music Corp. GCX Switcher and switched via a Digital Music Corp. Ground Control Pro, switched by his tech.

The pedals, in order from loop 1 to loop 7, are: Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter, MXR Auto Q Filter, Maxon OD-9 Overdrive, Digitech Synth Wah Envelope Filter, Digitech Hyper Phase, MXR Bass Auto Q Filter, Dunlop JH-3S Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz. Prior to going into the GCX Switcher, the signal is sent through a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor.



Other gear in his rack includes a Dunlop Crybaby Custom Shop DCR-2SR rackmounted wah, Korg DTR-1000 Tuner, Whirlwind Multi-Selector, Audio-Technica AEW-R5200 Receiver and Furman PL-Plus Power Conditioner.

Going back to 2001, he was reported as using a relatively minimalist rig, with a Jackson Soloist through a Digitech WH-1 Whammy Original and Dunlop Rotovibe into a Mesa/Boogie Dual Caliber DC-10 and Mesa/Boogie Straight 4×12 cabinet and Carvin Straight 4×12 cabinet.

There is also a video posted on YouTube with Root, and fellow guitarist #7 (Mick Thomson not Thompson), conducting a walk through of their gear. Not sure of the date the video was taken, but it’s interesting to watch all the same.

* Root also plays in StoneSour, however, this information just covers his work with Slipknot.