5 Guitarists That Could Replace DJ Ashba In Guns N' Roses
What we've got here is failure to communicate...
Inevitably, Guns N' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba must now be referred to as former Guns N' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba. He joins a long list of axe-slingers to gain the "former" prefix, with everyone from Paul Tobias, to Slash, to Izzy Stradlin, to Buckethead, to Robin Finck, to Gilby Clarke joining and exiting the band over the years. There's been a huge number of guest guitarists too, including Brian May and Dave Navarro, meaning that guitarists are to GN'R what drummers were to Spinal Tap - disposable entities that change with the seasons. Ashba had a decent innings. He was with the band for about 6 years, touring several times, although - in typical GN'R fashion - he has yet to appear on an official studio release. Mainly because there hasn't been one since 2008's long-awaited Chinese Democracy. There's no doubt that Ashba's decision to leave (which is probably due to the band's inactivity) will hold up any potential music that they were working on yet further, but that doesn't mean that speculation hasn't already begun as to who his replacement will be. Assuming Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal stays (he has hinted that he may leave), Axl Rose has Thal and Richard Fortus (rhythm guitarist) filling two of the three guitar slots in the new band. So who would fit as the third member? Five gifted and intriguing options are pondered here. Sadly, the legendary Slash isn't included. Yes, he is the most important and influential guitarist that the band has ever had, but Axl has made it quite clear that a reunion with the top-hatted guitar god will never happen. These five, crazy and odd though each of them may be, are at least somewhat realistic. The idea of Slash ever returning to Guns N' Roses is nothing more than a pipe-dream, sadly.