GUNS N' ROSES Guitarist RICHARD FORTUS: I Identify A Lot With IZZY STRADLIN

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GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus recently talked to Reverb.com about his love of Supro amps. Whether vintage or reissue, he's been able to find a spot in his rig for a whole host of Supro's amplifiers. Check out the video below to hear Fortus discuss how he became a member of GUNS 'N ROSES, how he defines his sound, and which amps he uses in the studio and on the road. Regarding his involvement with GUNS N' ROSES, Fortus said: "I came into GUNS N' ROSES because some of my friends were in the band. Josh Freese was playing drums, Tommy Stinson was playing bass… Robin Finck [was on guitar]… It was, like, 'Yeah, sign me up. Let's do this.' And it was great during that time to play with those guys and to make 'Chinese Democracy'. It was a fun experience, 'cause we were all such great friends. I also identify a lot with [former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Izzy [Stradlin], personally and musically and what he does and where he came from. There's a lot of similarities. We, actually, when we were together, when we've played together, we have a lot of fun playing old [THE ROLLING] STONES stuff, AEROSMITH… We came up with the same type of stuff. So I think I approach it in a similar way that he did, where I tend to go for a lower-gain type of sound, maybe a bit more 'vintage-y' than Slash's high-gain sound. And I think that's sort of where he just naturally went as well. So I think there's similarities in that." Fortus joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2001 and became the band's longest-serving post-Slash guitarist. GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" stadium tour features classic lineup members Slash, Duff McKagan (bass) and Axl Rose backed by Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

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