Jerry Cantrell is best known for his work as the lead guitarist of Alice In Chains. He has been playing a signature Les Paul guitar since the early 1990s. The exact model he plays is the Gibson Les Paul Custom with a special inlay on the 12th fret that reads “ALS,” in tribute to his late friend, Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley. This guitar features three pickups and comes equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo system. Other guitars used by Jerry Cantrell include PRS Guitars, various Ibanez models and a Gretsch White Falcon.
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The Early Years: Jerry Cantrell’s First Guitars
The story of Jerry Cantrell’s career in rock music began early. When he was just a young boy, the future Alice in Chains guitarist already had an affinity for stringed instruments. At age 8, he received his first guitar as a birthday gift from his father. That initial instrument was an inexpensive six-string acoustic that Jerry quickly grew to love and play with passionate enthusiasm.
Jerry’s musical journey continued into his teenage years when he upgraded from the original acoustic to a Stella electric guitar made by Harmony, which belonged to his mother’s cousin. It was a secondhand instrument, but it served its purpose quite well–especially considering its low price tag of only $40. With that new Stella guitar in hand, Jerry started putting together riffs and learning the basics of playing lead guitar. He joined several bands throughout high school while continuing to sharpen his skills on the instrument.
As Jerry’s confidence in his ability increased over time, so did the quality of instruments he chose for himself. By the time Alice In Chains started touring regularly in the late 1980s and early 90s, Cantrell had settled on an iconic Gibson Les Paul Custom model for all live performances and recording sessions. This choice perfectly complemented both his bluesy style and heavy metal sound as well as Alice In Chain’s signature hard-rocking attitude onstage.
Jerry Cantrell’s Signature Model Guitars
For over 20 years, Jerry Cantrell has been the lead guitarist for Alice in Chains. Along with his signature sound and songwriting style, his playing is characterized by heavy metal riffs that have become fan favorites throughout the world. As an integral part of Alice in Chains’ success, Cantrell has worked closely with a number of different guitar manufacturers to develop signature models and related equipment.
Cantrell’s first artist series model was released by Dean Guitars back in 2004 and it was called the “Deceiver”. It featured an ash body with a set-in neck made from hard rock maple, as well as an ebony fingerboard complete with dot position markers. The Deceiver also had two custom humbucker pickups that were specifically designed to replicate Cantrell’s unique tone and playing style.
More recently, Gibson Custom Shop developed three versions of the iconic Les Paul Standard for Cantrell: the DC Signature Custom, Limited Edition ’59 Reissue (2015) and R8 Tribute (2018). These guitars offer classic Les Paul appointments combined with modern features such as coil taps on each pickup and gold hardware accents. Each model is crafted from premium woods including mahogany bodies capped with figured maple tops; long neck tenons providing increased sustain; and rosewood fingerboards accented with mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays along with abalone block borders–all hand-crafted according to exact specifications provided by Cantrell himself.
While all these guitars embody elements of Cantrell’s personal setup and preferences, they’re not just aimed at replicating his sound–they are instruments designed to inspire creativity while pushing musical boundaries forward.
Why Does Jerry Cantrell Prefer Certain Guitar Brands?
Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains has a well-documented history with guitar playing. He is best known for his long standing commitment to certain brands of guitars, particularly Gibson and ESP LTD models. His preference for these two brands can be attributed to the quality craftsmanship they provide as well as the variety of sounds they are able to produce.
Gibson guitars have been popular among rock musicians since their inception in 1952, but this popularity skyrocketed when Jerry first began using them in 1989. The Gibson Les Paul Custom was Jerry’s main axe during the recording of Alice In Chains’ legendary album Facelift, while other favorites such as SGs and Explorers were used regularly throughout his career. It’s no surprise that Gibson remains one of his preferred choices today due to its wide selection of classic body shapes and colors.
ESP LTD guitars are also highly sought after by guitarists thanks to their excellent playability and robust construction. Cantrell has been heavily associated with the brand since 2002 when he released an ESP model in collaboration with Kirk Hammett (of Metallica). Since then he’s acquired several custom versions from ESP, including his signature model complete with double locking tremolos, EMG pickups and even an artwork depicting figures from Chinese mythology painted on it. These features demonstrate how creative Cantrell can get when choosing a guitar – proving just why he prefers these certain makes over others.
The Unique Sound of Jerry Cantrell’s Guitar Playing Style
When it comes to Jerry Cantrell’s iconic guitar playing style, one of the first things that comes to mind is the unique sound that he produces. This unique sound can be attributed largely to the gear he uses in conjunction with his own playing style. One of the main pieces of equipment used by Cantrell is a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.
This particular model has been favored by some of rock and roll’s greatest musicians, including Jimmy Page, Angus Young and Eric Clapton. The reason for this is that it provides players with an extremely versatile set of tones and a fat bottom-end which makes for a thick lead tone when played through distortion pedals or amplifiers such as a Marshall JCM 800 or Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier.
In addition to his signature Les Paul, Cantrell has also been known to use other guitars such as Fender Strats and Teles, although these tend to be less prominent on studio recordings due to their bright character. However they are still used occasionally on live performances where they provide additional tonal variety to give his solos even more dynamic range.
Exploring the Gear and Equipment Used by Jerry Cantrell in Live Performances
As a pioneer of the Seattle grunge scene and one of the leading members of Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell is renowned for his innovative guitar playing. Live performances are where this sound really shines through, so it’s no surprise that he takes great care in curating the gear and equipment used on tour.
From guitars to amplifiers, each element has been carefully chosen to amplify Cantrell’s signature sound during live shows. A key feature of his performance setup is the usage of several electric guitars, including a Gibson Les Paul Custom; it’s from this model that he’s able to replicate some of his most iconic riffs with incredible accuracy. Other models like Fender Telecasters have also made appearances over the years – allowing him to switch between styles on different songs throughout sets.
In terms of amplification, Cantrell usually opts for classic tube amps such as Marshall stacks or Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers which provide a level of warmth and distortion essential for a full rock show experience. He often pairs them with custom-made cabinets designed specifically for his playing style – helping him bring out harmonics and make use of nuanced techniques during solos. To further customize sounds even more accurately, Cantrell can be seen using various pedal boards loaded with effect pedals like wah-wahs or delay units too – often changing up tones mid-performance based on how he wants any given song to sound live.
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