“The Metallica guys were the first ones I heard about using those live. I was like, ‘Man, what are you playing through?!’” Jerry Cantrell shares his thoughts on digital modelers – and why he’s “not there yet”

Jerry Cantrell may not be completely averse to using digital guitar gear, but as he explains in a new interview with Total Guitar, he’s still not wholly convinced by the wealth of amp modelers that are currently on offer – and doesn’t expect himself to make a permanent switch any time soon.

Behind the scenes, Cantrell has warmly embraced the benefits of digital gear. To track demos, his go-to guitar processor is a Kemper, which he views as “a great tool for not having to carry a bunch of gear around”.

However, when it comes to cranking his rig on stage – or when he sets about properly recording his guitar parts – the Alice in Chains icon favors good old fashioned tube amps. For him, digital replacements still can’t quite capture the intangible sonic magic that comes with physical amps.

“I’m reluctant to use digital gear live, but a lot of compatriots think that the technology is getting better,” he tells Total Guitar. “I understand that moving heads and cabs around internationally comes at an astronomical price.

“A lot of my peers have turned to Fractals as a smaller and inexpensive way to get close to their sound. I have looked at that but I’m not there yet. I’ve done a few gigs outside of the US with those things and it still feels like a fuckin’ electronic toy to me.”

As Cantrell mentions, many of his fellow hard rock guitarists have swapped real amps for amp modelers. Dave Mustaine plays through a Neural DSP Quad Cortex, Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray recently switched to Fractal’s Axe-Fx, and Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett switched to amp modelers for his solo tour. These success stories haven’t fully tempted Cantrell, though.

“I think Metallica guys were the first ones I heard about using those live,” he continues. “I was like ‘Fuck, man, what are you playing through?’ and they’d tell me it was a Fractal. So it definitely can sound good.

“But, like anything else, you’ve got to know that tool and spend the time or have somebody around who knows how to run those things. I’m about as dumb as it gets when it comes to being a gearhead.

“I’m not an audiophile when it comes to every guitar, effect and amp. I try to keep my focus on a narrower zone for creation.”

The final issue of Total Guitar is available now from newstands, and features interviews with Jerry Cantrell, Steve Cropper, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and more.