Guns N’ Rose’s recent show in Saudi Arabia was so hot, it melted the wax potting in Richard Fortus’s pickups.
The former Psychedelic Furs guitarist joined the American rock heavyweights in 2002 and has since played for hundreds of thousands of screaming fans across numerous world tours.
But few shows will have stood out quite like this one.
“Well, this is a first,” Fortus says in a new Instagram post adorned with a gruesome-looking photo of his signature Gretsch Falcon. In it, melted wax oozes out from underneath its humbuckers like ghostly blood.
Reacting to the post, Ben Eller, who stepped in for the outgoing Brent Hinds in Mastodon earlier this year, said, “Holy moly, dude!”
Alex Skolnick, meanwhile, who has recently spoken about his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stint as Ozzy’s lead guitarist, simply reacted with a shocked face emoji.
Both comments are completely understandable.
Their show at the country’s Mohammed Abdu Arena was the last date in their latest Asian jaunt, which included stops in South Korea, Japan, and India. They were massive outdoor concerts.
The band had come on stage after 10 p.m. in the wake of 113 degree Fahrenheit highs throughout the day. The evening air was meant to be far cooler for a three-hour rock show — which kickstarted with “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Bad Obsession” — but Fortus’s pickups attest otherwise.
For the uninitiated, wax — typically a blend of paraffin and beeswax — is used within pickups to limit mechanical vibrations, which can result in nasty squeals and microphonics. It has a melting point of approximately 115 to 154 degrees Fahrenheit.
That means the heat generated around Fortus’s custom-wound Filter’Tron humbuckers most likely exceeded the daytime temperatures as a result of the stage lights and the sheer heat of his performance.
Speaking to Guitar World, Fortus says his signature Gretsch models were designed specifically for his guitar tandem with Slash and that the guitar was voiced to offer what his Les Pauls didn’t. The eureka moment came after experimenting with a ton of different guitars, including some flirtations with P-90 pickups.
“When I landed on Gretsch, it really seemed to come together,” he says. “There’s something about that classic higher-output humbucker on Slash’s side and then what I’m playing. It really fits together, in the same kind of way Malcolm and Angus [Young] did. There’s a magic to that sound. With less gain, my sound fits around what Slash is doing.”
Aside from his love of Gretsch guitars, Fortus has also championed an independent and boutique U.K.-based guitar builder, Ivison Guitars. Chief builder Neil Ivison crafted Fortus a custom guitar, which paired a Korina Dakota Les Paul body shape with a Firebird pickup. Fortus even used it on stage with GNR.
Meanwhile, Dave Navarro, who has categorically ruled out a future with Jane’s Addiction after Perry Farrell attacked him onstage, says he turned down an offer to join Guns N’ Roses during his first instance away from the ‘90s icons. The guitarist would go on to join Red Hot Chili Peppers instead, replacing John Frusciante. He described that as “a very difficult role to step into.”
And in related news, Guns N’ Roses founding guitarist Tracii Guns has told Guitar Player he has no regrets over leaving the group and thinks Slash was the right man to take his place.
Guns N’ Roses will now travel to Europe for a string of shows with Public Enemy, Rival Sons, and the Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter in tow.
