![Why Adrian Smith Is Not Fond of Certain Vintage Gibsons]](https://backingtracksfullcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Why-Adrian-Smith-Is-Not-Fond-of-Certain-Vintage-Gibsons-758x426.jpg "Why Adrian Smith Is Not Fond of Certain Vintage Gibsons] 1")
Adrian Smith might have started his Iron Maiden career with a Gibson Les Paul – alongside a rarebreed Ibanez Destroyer – but he’d soon be converted to playing Jacksons. It was a switch, he says, that came about for one big reason.
Smith and Richie Kotzen are currently on tour, supporting their second album as Smith/Kotzen, Black Light / White Noise, with Bruce Dickinson joining them in London for a run through of Wasted Years. As such, Guitarist linked up with the pair for a set of rig tours – and Smith has revealed what convinced him to trade Les Pauls for Jacksons.
“This has a flat profile that’s modeled off an old Strat,” he adds of his Jackson. “When I first hooked up with Jackson, I took an old Strat to the factory, and they copied the neck dimensions, because it was really comfortable.”
In its place, he shows off a Gibson Les Paul Classic reissue, which he bought in New York: “Its neck is chunkier,” he admits, “but I’ll use it for a few songs. It’s just got that mojo factor.”
In related news, Smith has ruminated on his failed Def Leppard audition and what could have been, and has told Guitar World that his collaborations with Kotzen have been a success because they come from completely different worlds.
