JIM ROOT

Jim Root’s verdict on lockdown life is succinct and relatable. “I’m going mildly insane,” says the Slipknot guitarist, with a chuckle. But quarantine isn’t without its moments. This morning the 48-year-old took delivery of one of the first production versions of the new Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster V4, his fourth Fender signature model, and an instrument that marks two decades of working with the world’s biggest guitar brand.

“It blows my mind,” says Root when we point out the long association. “I grew up playing Charvels and Jacksons – I never really got into pointy ‘metal’ guitars. When we did Ozzfest in ’99, Fender had DeArmond guitars there. That’s how I met [Fender Custom Shop guru] Alex Perez. I asked him, ‘Hey, man, can I get Strat with an EMG 81 in the bridge?’ Because I love the classics, y’know? Whether it’s jean jackets or Ray-Ban sunglasses, to me they’re timeless – and it’s the same with a Fender Strat or Tele. I said to Alex, ‘Man, if I could get you guys to make me a mahogany-bodied maple-necked Strat with either an ebony or maple fretboard, that would be the perfect storm for me.”

Root got his EMG-loaded Strat – and soon found that there was something about twisting a golden-era design into a format that worked for his style of music that well and truly struck a chord. The pair continued to work together, eventually revealing the stripped-down Custom Shop Flat Head Telecaster a few years later. It certainly wasn’t what Leo had