When it comes to guitar, Exodus and Slayer axeman Gary Holt just eats, breathes and sleeps the instrument. Holt tells The Music Experience's Squiggy that he just loves to play, even when he's not on the road or recording an album. In this edition of Loudwire's Gear Factor, powered by Sweetwater, Holt recalls his musical start and demonstrates some of his favorite riffs (his own and other acts included) for the viewing audience.

Holt recalls the first guitar he ever had being a Montgomery Ward guitar given to him by Kirk Hammett, but when his love for something better came along, it landed him in a spot of trouble. Holt says he purloined a Gibson Les Paul gold top copy, but got busted and spent some time in a juvenile hall.

Eventually Holt legally moved onto a Hondo strat, the guitar featured in the live photo artwork of Bonded by Blood. However, that strat met with an untimely fate and the guitarist regrets his decision to smash the axe.

From there, Holt and Squiggy bond over their love of metal riffs. Holt says it depends on the crowd when deciding his favorite riff to play, but he admits his favorites my not be that obvious.

"Some of my favorite riffs for Exodus are songs we haven't put in the set in years, so I need to rectify that. I always like to play 'Verbal Razors,'" says Holt, displaying some of the song's guitar mastery.

He also recalls his first time hearing Accept's "Restless and Wild," which likely occurred in Hammett's old Skylark, where most of his music listening was done back in the early days.

As for other loves, "The first Iron Maiden album -- that changed the way that music sounded. But nothing sounds like that to me anymore. I had never heard music like that before in my life. It's the same thing with the first Angel Witch album," says Holt.

While Holt's Slayer duties on the band's farewell tour are common knowledge, the guitarist also offers an update on what's happening with Exodus. "I've been writing new Exodus material for like months now, close to a year now and we've got a massive fucking catalog of riffs and songs. Tom Hunting and I are just kind of getting together when I'm home and working on new stuff. We're taking our time. We're not in any hurry. We're going to make sure it's a fucking earthshaking moment when the album's due."

Catch Holt playing with Slayer at these stops. And if you want to follow in Holt's footsteps and need to pick up and instrument, legally of course, be sure to head over to Sweetwater.com.

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