IRON MAIDEN's ADRIAN SMITH On Playing KIRK HAMMETT's 'Greeny' Guitar: 'The Mojo Is Off The Charts'

In a brand new interview with Eonmusic, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith has spoken about playing Greeny, the historic Gibson Les Paul once owned by FLEETWOOD MAC's Peter Green, and subsequently Gary Moore, now owned by METALLICA's Kirk Hammett. Enthusing that the instrument has a "mojo" that is "off the scale", the guitarist made his comments while discussing the upcoming tour with his SMITH/KOTZEN project.

Although Smith was pictured holding the fabled instrument, a 1959 Gibson Les Paul standard, along with Hammett, by rock photographer Ross Halfin in Toronto in 2017, he hasn't talked about the hows or whys.

"Well, there's no doubt about it, that is a special guitar", said Adrian, when asked by Eonmusic's Eamon O'Neill about what it was like to play it. "The mojo is off the charts. Peter Green and Gary Moore, you know? And the classic middle position, the out-of-phase neck pickup; [you flick it over], and there it is, the sound!"

Going on to talk about how he came to play the guitar, Adrian stated about the instrument's current owner: "Kirk's a great guy. He's a lovely guy, and I bumped into him in a hotel in Canada. We were just waiting for the lift. We're just checking in, and METALLICA were there, and the first thing I said to him, I said, 'Oh, you bought Greeny.' He goes, 'Yeah.' He says, 'I've got it. You want to play?' I said, 'Yeah.' So I went to his room. Ross Halfin was there as well, because he's a mutual friend, although I know Kirk a little bit, and we sat, and he gave me the guitar and a little practice amp, and of course, I did 'Oh Well' [FLEETWOOD MAC song], you know, of course."

Although its sale price has never been fully revealed, it apparently sold to Hammett for "less than $2 million" in 2014, and it's believed to be one of the most valuable guitars in existence. All of which makes the next part of the story all the more surprising.

Smith recalled: "[Kirk] says, 'Look, I've got to go out.' Him and Ross were doing photos, so he said, 'Take the guitar.' So I took it to my hotel room and I had a little practice amp in there, and I just played it all afternoon. It plays great. It's the intonation, the feel, the sound. I mean, it's just a wonderful, it's a great guitar. I'm glad somebody's using it, and it's not on a wall in somebody's air controlled, climate-controlled guitar locker. It's out there being played, as it should be."

Elsewhere in the extended chat, Smith talks about the upcoming SMITH/KOTZEN tour, the difference of writing and playing in SMITH/KOTZEN compared to IRON MAIDEN, the secret to MAIDEN's 50-year success, and much more.

Read the entire interview at www.eonmusic.co.uk.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie