Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Jim Root Jazzmaster V4“Let's get my new pickups in there, and let's mess with the neck shape and the fingerboard radius.”
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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Jim Root. Every item links to its public source.
16 items · Last checked What guitar does Jim Root play?
Jim Root plays his signature Fender Jazzmaster, Telecaster and Stratocaster with EMG pickups, now his JR Daemonum set, and Dunlop Jim Root Drop B strings. He has been seen with Orange Rockerverb 100 MKIII heads, and in 2025 he said he uses a Neural DSP Quad Cortex to shrink his rig for smaller venues. An MXR Carbon Copy delay has been on his board for years.
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Top 5
Where to start with Jim Root's gear.
01
02
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Jim Root Telecaster“So, that's when we started working on the specs for the original Jim Root Tele all those years ago.”
03
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Jim Root Stratocaster“If Fender were down for a version two of my Strat, I would be all about that.”
04
Top 5Has said they use
Jackson
American Series Virtuoso“I like the American Virtuoso series; I've been tripping out on those guitars.”
Said in MusicRadar: Jim Root on introducing amp modelling to his Slipknot rig, June 2024
05
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
“The signature pickups have the high output of active pickups but with the response of passive pickups”
Said in Premier Guitar: Jim Root and Charvel unveil signature Pro-Mod San Dimas models, August 2022
What gear Jim Root uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Guitars, pickups and strings
SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Jim Root Jazzmaster V4“Let's get my new pickups in there, and let's mess with the neck shape and the fingerboard radius.”
SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Jim Root Telecaster“So, that's when we started working on the specs for the original Jim Root Tele all those years ago.”
SponsoredHas said they use
Fender
Jim Root Stratocaster“If Fender were down for a version two of my Strat, I would be all about that.”
Has said they use
Jackson
American Series Virtuoso“I like the American Virtuoso series; I've been tripping out on those guitars.”
Said in MusicRadar: Jim Root on introducing amp modelling to his Slipknot rig, June 2024
SponsoredHas said they use
“The signature pickups have the high output of active pickups but with the response of passive pickups”
Said in Premier Guitar: Jim Root and Charvel unveil signature Pro-Mod San Dimas models, August 2022
Seen using
“They're a far cry from the EMG 81/60 combo he's used for his entire career”
Seen using
SponsoredHas said they use
“I feel like my [Dunlop] Drop B set is really slinky in comparison to what some people use when they tune that low.”
Amps and modelers
Seen using
Orange
Rockerverb 100 MKIII“He singles out a new Friedman amp, as well as an Orange Rockerverb 100 MKIII head.”
Seen in Guitar.com: Watch Jim Root give a rundown of his touring rig, September 2019
Uses
Neural DSP
Quad Cortex“Now I can't find anything that beats the Quad Cortex with a specific IR of a Bogner amp I've been using.”
Said in Guitar Interactive: Jim Root on 25 years since Slipknot's debut and chasing authentic tones, August 2025
Has said they use
Fender
Tone Master Pro“I haven't used that in the band situation yet, but I've been using it here at home for home recording”
Said in MusicRadar: Jim Root on introducing amp modelling to his Slipknot rig, June 2024
Pedals and software
Has said they use
“And then I always have a [MXR] Carbon Copy Delay, too.”
Said in Guitar World: Jim Root on upsetting metalheads and Fender purists, and his amp modeling conversion, August 2024
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Guitar Rig“The Radiohead-y sounding stuff is [Native Instruments] Guitar Rig 5!”
Said in MusicRadar: Slipknot's Jim Root on his unlikely guitar inspirations, September 2026
Has said they use
Avid
Pro Tools“the only thing I had to record with was Pro Tools 11.”
Said in MusicRadar: Slipknot's Jim Root on his unlikely guitar inspirations, September 2026
Records he loves
Has said they love
Metallica
Ride the Lightning“And, for me, it was probably 'Ride The Lightning' by METALLICA.”
Has said they love
Mötley Crüe
Shout at the Devil“'Cause up to that point, the only thing I listened to was, like, [MÖTLEY CRÜE's] 'Shout At The Devil'.”
Questions
About Jim Root's gear.
What guitar does Jim Root play?
Mostly his Fender signatures: the Jim Root Jazzmaster, now in its V4 version, plus his Telecaster and Stratocaster. In 2024 he told MusicRadar he has been enjoying Jackson's American Series Virtuoso, and he dug out old Jacksons, Charvels and PRS guitars for Slipknot's anniversary tour.
What amp does Jim Root use?
Orange Rockerverb heads have been his main amps, and in 2025 he told Guitar Interactive nothing beats his Neural DSP Quad Cortex with a Bogner IR for downsizing. At home he has named a modded Mesa/Boogie .50 Caliber, an old Peavey 5150 and Fender's Tone Master Pro.
What pickups does Jim Root use?
EMGs. Guitar.com says he used an EMG 81 and 60 for most of his career, and his newer signature guitars carry his EMG JR Daemonum set, which he says has active output with a passive response.
What strings does Jim Root use?
His Dunlop signature Drop B set, 11 to 56. He has said it feels slinky compared with the heavier gauges other players use that low.
What pedals does Jim Root use?
He told Guitar World an MXR Carbon Copy delay and a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Octavio have been on his board forever. On .5: The Gray Chapter he used Native Instruments Guitar Rig 5 in Pro Tools for the ambient parts of Goodbye.
What album got Jim Root into metal?
Metallica's Ride the Lightning. He said that before a friend played it to him, the only thing he listened to was Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil.
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Named in this guide
JR
Jim Root
About this guide · Last checked
Jim Root is Slipknot's #4 and a former Stone Sour guitarist, on every Slipknot album from Iowa to The End, So Far. This guide covers his signature Fender Jazzmaster, Telecaster and Stratocaster, EMG pickups, Orange and Neural DSP amps, strings and pedals from his Guitar World, MusicRadar and Guitar Interactive interviews, plus the records he has named.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Jim Root didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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