"Design Philosophy  If Slash's elaborate-looking rig makes your head 
spin, consider this:  it consists of, basically, a Les Paul with a Dunlop 
wah into a router, which sends the signal to a pair of setups, each 
consisting of two Marshall Slash Signature heads and two cabinets 
and various effects.  'It looks more complex than it is,' says Slash.  
'When you break it down, it's actually pretty straightforward.
  
"Control Issues  'I don't like to use a lot of effects, but there are a 
couple of things in the effects loops of my amps,' says the guitarist. 
 'I handle the wah by myself, but all my switching is done by my tech, 
Adam Day.  He's one of the best in the business.  I have trouble doing 
the foot pedals because I don't have any sense of control when I'm 
onstage; there's little chance of me getting back to a little 
three-by-five-inch box and stepping on it at a particular point in a song. 
 The only thing I step on is my wah, and we usually have two or three 
controllers strategically placed around the stage so that, no matter what 
I'm doing, I can get to one in time.
  
"Favorite Piece of Gear  'All things considered, my favorite gear is a 
good-sounding guitar combined with a good-sounding amp.  And for 
me, that pairing's a no-brainer:  it's a Les Paul into a Marshall.
  
"The Secret Weapon  'It's the sweet spots,' says Slash.  'Once I find 
a couple of them onstage, I can rely on them to give me the perfect 
ambience, where everything sounds big and 'just right.'  It's what helps 
me to be 'on' on any given night and play as well as I possibly can, 
regardless of the room.  When I find those spots, 
I can just play my ass off.' "