“It was so hot in Saudi Arabia that the wax in my pickups melted!”: Guns N’ Roses guitarist proves guitars and desert heat don’t match
Guitars melt for many reasons – emotional solos, face-melting riffs – but Richard Fortus just discovered a new one: actual desert heat.
The Guns N’ Roses guitarist recently took to Instagram to share a bizarre and slightly horrifying moment from the band’s 23 May show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the extreme temperatures caused his guitar’s pickups to actually liquefy.
“Well this is a first,” Fortus writes in his post. “It was so hot in Saudi Arabia that the wax in my pickups melted!”
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The band performed at the Mohammed Abdu Arena, taking the stage just after 10pm, well after sunset when temperatures had cooled slightly. But earlier in the day, the mercury soared to 45ºC (113ºF), leaving the band’s gear baking in the GNR truck.
Unfortunately for Fortus, his signature Gretsch Falcon took the brunt of it. By the time the guitar came out for the concert, the heat had done its damage, with the wax potting inside his pickups turning to goo.
A photo shared by Fortus shows the aftermath: streaks of melted wax dripping down the body of his otherwise pristine black axe, leaving a warpaint of white trails across the finish. The pickups themselves appear intact, but the evidence of heat damage is unmistakable.
The post quickly drew reactions from stunned fans and fellow musicians alike. Testament’s Alex Skolnick replied with a single open-mouthed emoji, summing up what many of us were thinking.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Richard Fortus (@4tus)
Meanwhile, Guns N’ Roses have since wrapped up their Middle East run with a stop in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and will kick off their European tour on 30 May in Georgia. They’re also set to join the stacked lineup at Black Sabbath’s final show this July – hopefully in slightly cooler conditions.
The post “It was so hot in Saudi Arabia that the wax in my pickups melted!”: Guns N’ Roses guitarist proves guitars and desert heat don’t match appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
