James Root

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James Root

Background information
Birth name James Root
Also known as #4
Jim
Born October 2, 1971 (1971-10-02) (age 36)
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Genre(s) Nu metal
Post-grunge
Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s) Guitar
Years active 1992–present
Label(s) Roadrunner Records
Associated acts Slipknot
Stone Sour
Website www.slipknot1.com
www.stonesour.com
Notable instrument(s)
James Root Signature Telecaster

James "Jim" Root (born October 2, 1971) is an American guitarist and member #4 for the band Slipknot. He shares lead guitarist duties with fellow bandmate Mick Thomson. He is also the lead guitarist for Stone Sour.

Contents

[edit] Life and career

James Root joined Slipknot after their previous guitarist, Josh Brainard, left the band during the recording of the self-titled album. Singer Corey Taylor invited James to join Slipknot because he knew him from their previous effort together, the first incarnation of Stone Sour. The only track on the self-titled album on which James can be heard is Purity, but this song was removed from the album due to a lawsuit and subsequent copies of the album do not feature any of James' playing.

At 6'6", he is the tallest member of the band. He worked as a screen printer, waiter, and busboy before joining Slipknot. James has played in previous bands such as Deadfront, Anal Blast, and Atomic Opera. James is also the lead guitarist for Stone Sour, which he and Taylor reformed during the break between the Slipknot albums Iowa and Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). He released a Signature Fender Telecaster Guitar in July 2007. The guitar has an EMG 81 pickup at the bridge and an EMG 60 pickup at the neck.

James has been dating Lacuna Coil singer Cristina Scabbia since 2004. They met on the 2004 Ozzfest tour.

[edit] Masks

When Jim first joined Slipknot, he adopted ex-guitarist Josh Brainard's mask. It was a black bondage mask that covered most of his head. He had pink hair at the time and used to pull parts of it up through a hole in the top of the mask. After a couple of shows and one photo shoot, he decided to change masks, as the bondage mask was too uncomfortable to allow him to concentrate on playing. He adopted a jester's mask, said to represent that side of his personality. His most recent variation of this mask is still a jester's mask, but this one has red diamond detailing around the eyes and a zipper in between the lips.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Slipknot

[edit] Stone Sour

[edit] Filmography

Welcome To Our Neighborhood (1999) - himself

Disasterpieces (2002) - himself

Rollerball (2002) - Slipknot band member

Voliminal: Inside the Nine (2006) - himself

[edit] Guitars

Slipknot:

  • Fender Flat Head Telecaster HH Black (Custom model [2 vol knobs for switching effects])
  • Fender Flat Head Telecaster HH Black (Main)(Custom model)
  • Fender Flat Head Telecaster HH Black (Dropped A Tuning) (Custom model[same as above])
  • Fender Flat Head Showmaster HH Black ("JR" on 12th fret) [1]
  • Backstage Custom Charvel San Dimas HH model built by Fender. (It has a traditional Stratocaster look, but a thinner neck and 2 humbuckers).
  • PRS Private Stock Black (Based around the Standard 24) (In Slipknot- IOWA Tour)
  • Bc Rich customized Assassin (In Slipknot- IOWA Tour) (Dropped A Tuning)
  • Jackson SL1 Soloist Black guitar (In Slipknot Tour)
  • Jackson SL3 Soloist Grey guitar (In Slipknot- IOWA Tour)
  • Maverick JR-4

Stone Sour:

  • Fender James Root Signature Series Telecaster (w/ EMG 60 and EMG 81 pickups, Tele-like pickup switching system, available in Black with white pickguard and maple fretboard and Vintage White with black pickguard and ebony fretboard)
  • Fender Flat Head Telecaster Black
  • Fender H/S/S Strat with EMG pickups-all black
  • Fender Custom Telecaster Flame Maple Top HH Black Cherry burst
  • Fender Flat Head Telecaster Light Gray finish with one bridge pick up (played in late Stone Sour shows in 2003, i.e.: Rock Am Ring)
  • All Jim's guitars are down tuned electrics to C# with a dropped B with the exception of when used for Stone Sour songs
  • Various Martin acoustics
  • Jim previously used Ernie Ball Strings but can now be seen in several Dunlop String ads.

[edit] Amps

  • Rivera Knucklehead Reverb 100 KT88 Tubes (Master Amp)
  • Rivera Knucklehead Reverb 100 6L6 Tubes (Slave Amp)
  • Rivera 4x12 (Celestion G12T-75 Speakers) x2
  • Randall ISOlation Cab
  • Orange Rockerverb 100 & 4 x 12 cab. (with Stone Sour)

[edit] Effects

Slipknot:

Effects Rack:

  • Voodoo Labs pedal power supplier
  • Furman PL-Plus Power Conditioner
  • Audio-Technica AEW-R5200 Receiver
  • Dunlop Crybaby Custom Shop DCR-2SR Rackmounted Wah w/ Expression pedal
  • Korg DTR-1000 Rackmounted Tuner
  • Digital Music Corp. GCX Switcher (Single effect pedals looped to GCX)
  • Electro-Harmonix Small Stone
  • Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter
  • Maxon OD-9 Overdrive
  • Digitech Synth Wah
  • Dunlop JH-3S Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz
  • MXR Auto Q Wah
  • Digital Music Corp. Ground Control Pro
  • Digitech hyper phase

Stone Sour:

  • Electro-Harmonix nano Small Stone
  • MXR Phase 100
  • Dunlop 535Q wah wah
  • BOSS DD-3 delay
  • Maxon Af-9

[edit] External links