What are John's influences?
John has a diverse style and with it a wide range of influences. As John’s style is so different and varied he has also been influenced by a great swath of artists, including KISS, Hendrix, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Steve Vai, Buckethead, Albert Lee etc etc. John was also influenced first and foremost by the Hee Haw tv show that ran in the 70’s.

Was John kicked out of Marilyn Manson?
No, he wasn’t. John and Manson split amicable after five years of working together. Both came to a point in their career’s where they wanted to try new directions. John was working on his first solo album after being prompted by Les Paul himself. Manson was looking into new directions, including his paintings and filmmaking. So after the Grotesk Burlesk tour they came to an amicable agreement and went their own ways. The two still have contact and still hold a great deal of admiration for one another. And John is still a big a fan of the band and their music as he was before he joined.

What happened at Rock AM Ring ’03?
Okay. One time and one time only. As seen on footage for the gig, Manson caught John with his boot during the opening bars to "The Beautiful People. Unnecessary gossip has speculated that this was deliberate. It wasn’t. Here’s why John reacted. The Grotesk Burlesk tour had been pressurising for all band members, and RAR was not one of the easiest concerts ever. During the opening bars of The Beautiful People, Manson, pranced towards John and accidentally caught John’s head with his boot...He reacted with frustration and as he has noted himself "unprofessionally". The reason was in the week before the RAR concert he had suffered some very close family losses. John lashed out. There is no bad blood between Manson and John over this incident and it can be written down to the pressures of touring (John had suffered from panic attacks during the Grotesk Burlesk tour, and Manson also had difficulties and pressures during the tour), and the personal happenings behind the scenes.

Is John going to join Guns 'n' Roses?
John has been linked with Guns ‘N’ Roses ever since he left Marilyn Manson but there is no truth behind this rumour.

What kind of gear does John use?
In the June copy of Guitar Player, John lists the equipment he uses on the Songs For Sanity album and that he also uses predominately on tour with Rob Zombie:

GUITARS: Fender John 5 Signature Telecaster, Fender John 5 prototype acoustic, ’53 "clack guard" Fender Telecaster, ’55 Fender "white guard" Telecaster.
AMPS: Marshall Mode Four, ’55 Fender Champ.
EFFECTS: Electro Harmonix Bass Micro Synthesizer, Digitech Whammy, Ibanez Tube Screamer, ‘70’s Marshall fuzz.
STRINGS: D’Addario EXL 120 (.009 set) and EXV 145 (.012 set for baritone guitars only)

Are those John's kids on the cover of "Vertigo"?
No, those are kids of a member of the production team on the album, even though John does have a son and a daughter.

Will John be touring with his new solo album?
At this time there are no plans for a solo tour.

Is there a meaning behind the "5" in John's name?
When Manson first bestowed the moniker of "5" on John it was said that the name had a biblical significance (Book of John Chapter 5)– the album Mechanical Animals draws much on numerology, Kabballah for it’s inspiration. However Manson has said he bestowed the name on John for being the fifth member of the group. Fans have also said that the name was given in homage to Johnny 5, the robot from the Short Circuit movies, after John 5’s moves on stage when he plays.

Where can I find guitar tabs for John's songs?
You can get all of John’s tabs for his solo albums via the two official tab books that have been released via Hal Leonard Corporation, who are responsible for many of the official tab books out there. Both books are available for purchase from the official store on this very site. Out on the net there are a variety of sites that claim official tabs, but please only look here for official.

Who makes his cool clothing?
John is endorsing Sheri Moon Zombie’s clothing line Total Skull as well as Piggy D's clothing line Black Victory.

How many Marilyn Manson albums has John appeared on?
John has appeared on four: The Last Tour on Earth, for which he was the live guitarist (and plays on Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes, a track that he co-wrote for Manson and that appeared on the Celebrity Death Match soundtrack. It was a song that had originally been looked at during the Antichrist Superstar days but was shelved until John looked at and it was resurrected). Holywood: In the Shadow of the Valley of Death, The Golden Age of Grotesque and Lest We Forget. John’s image also appears on Mechanical Animals (technically making that five album appearances) but John had been drafted in as live guitarist for the tours promoting that album after guitarist Zim Zum left.

Is it true that he could have been on the Antichrist Superstar tour but he was late for the audition?
John had auditioned earlier for the band, but was late for audition and so the role went to Timothy Michael Linton (Zim Zum).