“A good tone will make your whole body tingle with energy,” says Rich Robinson, “and I think the way many guitarists are using digital technology has destroyed that.”

This is hardly a surprising comment from Robinson, who has epitomized roots-rock guitar in the Black Crowes, where he has rendered an inspiring range of timeless tunes on an array of vintage gear since the days when shredder axes and effects racks were the rage. Not that he ever cared about trends.

Robinson and his brother, Crowes singer/ frontman Chris, have a history of being at odds with the music biz, each other, and their lead guitar players. Over the past seven years, however, the brothers have been relatively quiet. The band was on hiatus from late 2001 to early 2005, while Chris went solo and settled down with his now ex-wife, movie star Kate Hudson. Rich scored a film, Highway, and founded the short-lived Hooka Brown, before finishing a solo album, Paper, in 2004. The Crowes started touring again in 2005. In 2006, the Robinsons toured as the duo Brothers of a Feather (documented on the DVD/CD Live at the Roxy), and released The Lost Crowes—a dual CD consisting of Tall (essentially a rough draft of Amorica) and Band (a fully realized Crowes effort recorded in 1997 that was shelved in favor of By Your Side). This year, the rough-and-tumble Robinsons released their rootsiest record ever right at the height of the American Idol era.

Warpaint [Silver Arrow] is loaded with greasy electric tones, driving acoustic sounds, and slide galore, and every nugget of lead guitar gold—except the slide in the final choruses of “Oh Josephine”—is courtesy of a fresh face who is actually an old hand at Southern rock. As the frontman for Hill Country blues revivalists the North Mississippi Allstars, new Crowes guitarist Luther Dickinson has released six CDs, including last year’s raunchy Hernando. His father is producer/musician Jim Dickinson—who has worked with everyone from Dylan to the Stones—and his own brand of low-down rhythm vamps and sinewy lead work have driven the Allstars to the hub of the jam-band circuit. However, while Dickinson is no mere sideman, the Crowes have tended to go through second guitarists like barbeque sauce at a rib roast.

Robinson became unhappy with lead player Jeff Cease—who played on the Crowes’ breakthrough album, Shake Your Money Maker—and the band replaced him in 1992 with Marc Ford, who stepped in the week before the Crowes cut The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Ford became the perfect Ron Wood foil to Robinson’s Richards- like role in the Crowes’ rock revival, but the duo drifted apart by 1996’s Three Snakes and One Charm, and Ford was let go. Robinson was the sole guitarist on 1999’s By Your Side, although Cry of Love guitarist Audley Freed joined in time for the tour, and played on Live at the Greek, as well as the Zeppelin-esque studio effort, Lions in 2001.

After the band’s hiatus, Ford—who Robinson bashed for having “regressed” in GP’s October 1998 cover story—was suddenly back in the fold. A stint at the Fillmore yielded the Freak ’n’ Roll into the Fog DVD and CD, but on the eve of a fall 2006 tour, Ford and keyboardist Ed Harsch backed out. Rob Clores held the keyboard spot briefly before Adam MacDougall joined, and Paul Stacey—who produced both of Chris Robinson’s solo efforts, and, eventually, Warpaint—filled in on guitar. But the Robinsons knew they needed fresh blood on the second ax.
“We don’t like having to find new players,” admits Robinson. “We would love to have Marc and Ed in the band always, but it’s just not going to happen.”

The Black Crowes and North Mississippi Allstars first met on the road in 2001. In 2006, Robinson and Dickinson started jamming together in the band Circle Sound. When crunch time came to christen a new Crowe, Robinson called his friend.

“Anyone who can play our style can learn the old stuff,” says Robinson, sitting with Dickinson in the Crowes tour bus across from San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium. “But can that person move forward? When we brought up playing new songs on the fly, Luther said, ‘Great,’ and we just did it. He didn’t freak out. We’ve always been about letting things happen naturally. After all, this has been such an unbelievable ride. I essentially graduated from high school and made Shake Your Money Maker. We went from playing to a dozen people in an Atlanta club to playing for over a half-million people in Moscow on the Monsters of Rock tour!”

How did it feel when you and Chris started writing together again?
Robinson: It was difficult at first, but although we’ve lived on separate coasts for a long time, the process quickly became the same as it ever was. I’ll write some musical ideas and send them to him. He develops melodic and lyrical ideas. He may feel the verse is the chorus, or whatever, and then we’ll get together to solidify the complete arrangement.

Dickinson: We played “Walk Believer Walk” instrumentally during my audition, and it was totally different from the final version. They changed the arrangement to suit Chris’ vocal ideas, and I thought that was so cool of Rich. He was completely willing to throw one part away, or make the verse the chorus to take the song to the next level. He wasn’t precious about it at all.

Do you usually write on electric or acoustic?
Robinson: My dad gave me his 1953 Martin D-28, so that’s what I use most of the time. I also use a Martin OMC vintage reissue. I use tons of different tunings. On this record, “Walk Believer Walk” is in open C. I also use a lot of open E and open G configurations that I’ll tune down or up to F or B or whatever feels right. Sometimes, I use dropped D, as well. “We Who See the Deep” is in standard. I run the gamut.

So you’re always tweaking the tuning pegs as you’re writing?
Robinson: I tune a lot, yeah [laughs]. It depends on how I feel, and what it sounds like. A lousy-sounding guitar will not inspire me to write anything, but the sonics of a great guitar like the ’53 Martin—or this old Dobro I have—will move me to write something. I just let it happen. I’ve never learned scales, and I never sat in my room practicing for hours. I’ve always felt that if I’m moved to play guitar, then when I do play it’s going to be better than if it’s this laborious duty. Players who never put the guitar down drive me crazy, because their playing seems obsessive, instead of natural.

Dickinson: I used to practice playing lead all day long, but, at a certain point, I realized it wasn’t productive. I started focusing on songs, and I adopted the mindset Rich is talking about. The trick is to know when you have something. I can’t remember my ideas, so I have to record them, and then sift back through them.

How solid were the songs when you entered the studio?
Robinson: Chris and I finished these songs a week before we went into the studio, so we were literally working them out during the recording process. We didn’t have to tweak the first eight much, but we spent the next two weeks solidifying the other songs.

Dickinson: A lot of arrangements came together on the floor, so the songs sound really fresh. We’d screw up, screw up again, and then just nail it.

Can you explain how you put yourselves in position to capture the best moments?
Robinson: We recorded at Allaire Studios, which is in a mansion on top of a gorgeous mountain in upstate New York. We brought enough gear to cover our bases, but we didn’t have so many options as to be counterproductive. We choose the “dinner hall” that had an old Neve 8068 console in the room with us. They put Luther and me out on the porch for the acoustic stuff. “Whoa Mule” was interesting, because we all set up outside. You can hear the birds singing. Luther and I had some really cool moments playing guitar in the summer sunshine. One day, we looked down, and there were three baby bears and a mama bear eating blueberries. The music on the album feels organic because it was born organically.

What was the first song you recorded?
Robinson: Well, it was actually the intro for “Moving on Down the Line.” I was messing around with that descending melody, and then Adam and Luther jumped on it. That was the first bit for the first song we recorded, and it just kept growing.

Dickinson: I tuned to open-G with Rich, and I ended up playing slide, using a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo to produce a doubling effect. The Crowes have four of those units. They’re a big part of the live rig.

That’s a pretty tripped out song to tackle first.
Robinson: Yeah. It wasn’t an easy one like “God’s Got It.”

By the way, why did you choose to cover “God’s Got It”?
Robinson: Our friend Gordie Johnson from Big Sugar turned us on to the writer of the song, Reverend Charlie Jackson. He gives sermons onstage playing something like a Fender Mustang through a blackface Twin. Every solo sounds sort of like that descending blues bit you hear in our version, and there is so much passion in his delivery. Chris wanted to do it, so we sat around and knocked it out.

“Locust Street” is a beautiful acoustic song.
Dickinson: I like “Locust Street” because I learned it and tracked it on Rich’s Gibson mandolin. I didn’t even know what the chords were. I just played it once, and it turned out well.

Robinson: We recorded together with Luther on mandolin and me on acoustic. We set one mic between us.

Dickinson: I overdubbed the solo with Rich’s Tele in standard tuning.

“Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution” sounds like an instant Crowes classic.
Robinson: The electric on that one was my Gretsch White Falcon through the Matchless, and I doubled the part on acoustic.

Dickinson: That song is kin to “Moving on Down the Line,” which we had already cut. It’s in open G, and the progression is similar. In fact, they’re more like twins, so I was searching for the right part. Right before we did the take, Rich said, “Do some chicken pickin’.” I played rhythm guitar in that vein on the track, and then I overdubbed an off-the-cuff solo.

The “Evergreen” solo is a highlight, as well. Was it overdubbed?
Dickinson: No—it was recorded live off the floor. We did a few takes, and then we took a break to listen. “Good solomanship,” Chris said to me as he walked into the control room.

What was the inspiration for that solo?
Dickinson: When I was growing up, I read that Van Halen had learned Eric Clapton’s live “Crossroads” solo, so I learned it, too. After playing it a while, I told my dad that I realized the whole trick was just alternating between major and minor licks. He said, “That’s it, boy! You can make a whole career off that [laughs].” Lord knows, I have. “Evergreen” is a perfect example of that approach. It’s in open G, and the chords start from Bb to C, and then go F to G. You can play the whole thing in D blues, but I play the first two bars in G minor, and then I go to G Mixolydian to accentuate the contrast of the chords.

I like how you work the wah, and cop the vocal melody in the last few bars.
Dickinson: Hitting the vocal melody was Chris’ idea, and it’s so easy to jump on the wah now that I’ve got a Dunlop 95Q because it’s touch-activated. I set the pedal’s volume most of the way up, and I set the variable Q almost all the way to the bass side because I like the vocal-like “wow,” but I don’t want it to sound piercing. The 95Q doesn’t alter my tone too much—it’s nice and smooth.

The Black Crowes are certainly not breaking new ground on this record. If anything, it’s more roots-oriented.
Robinson: That’s right.

Dickinson: It’s just a band playing good old-fashioned rock and roll. Playing in a trio is a lot of fun because there is space to do whatever you want, but I’ve always wanted a guitar-playing partner, and Rich and I are just beginning. We’ll learn to interlock more in the future. This is a band experience, and vocals are the most important thing. A fine vocalist like Chris can take the music to an emotional level that gives you goose bumps.

How do you play off his voice?
Dickinson: On “Walk Believer Walk,” he wanted me to follow the vocal on slide like on Fred McDowell’s “You Got to Move.” That’s right up my alley, but it was tricky because Chris’ phrasing can be unpredictable. I was nervous when he overdubbed his voice, because it had been so hard to match when we were doing it together. But he nailed it, so I didn’t have to replay my part. I also followed him on the chorus to “Wounded Bird.” It’s fun to take that old Delta slide concept and use it in a pop song. I took more of a George Harrison-style melodic approach. Overall, though, I’m still learning what works on the established songs. For example, I played a harmony guitar part to the breakdown on “Jealous Again,” and when we got on the bus, Chris said, “Hey, don’t do that because you throw me off.”

Robinson: It’s way different than it was just before Marc and Ed left, because there were six dudes onstage playing all the time. Now, there isn’t a ridiculous wall of notes hitting you. Adam and Luther are sympathetic and supportive onstage. It’s not just about standing out on their solos.

Did you give Luther any guidelines when he joined?
Robinson: I already knew what Luther was going to be like, so I didn’t have to say anything. Luther knows that he’s playing guitar in the band, and that’s it.

What does Luther’s playing bring to the Crowe’s table?
Robinson: I always loved the depth and spectrum of Luther’s playing in the Allstars, but he’s also limited in that situation because he’s singing and playing a lot of slide. He’s obviously a phenomenal slide player, but I was interested in hearing him play with his fingers, and try some other different things. That’s where “Oh Josephine,” came into play, as well as the country things on “Gold in Them Hills.” It’s also interesting to hear Luther play the concrete parts on our established material because it sounds like us instantly. It’s not jazzier, or slightly heavier—it really fits. It’s almost like we all came from the same school.

Luther, how does playing with the Crowes inform your playing?
Dickinson: As I was learning the back catalog, I noticed that Rich writes a lot of odd bars of three, five, or six beats. They sound totally natural when you hear them, but you have to watch out as a player. “High Head Blues” is a good example. I get off on the challenge. They definitely hear it if you hit one wrong note. To get on stage with these guys in front of a big crowd and not screw up too bad is totally satisfying. Also, while making the record, I was surprised that I didn’t play any of my Allstars slide or fingerstyle licks. A lot of my phrasing comes from the drummer and the vocalist, so if you change them, the phrasing is totally different. I’m always listening for things to accentuate or go off on.

What’s it like playing with Rich?
Dickinson: It’s natural, because we have the common background of playing in open tunings. When I first got a guitar, my dad tuned it to open E, and he showed me a Bo Diddley song. I grew up listening to the open tunings used by Ry Cooder and Little Feat, as well as blues, gospel, country, and classic rock artists.

Do you usually match Rich’s tunings?
Dickinson: I did on Warpaint, but a lot of the classics such as “Hard to Handle,” “Sting Me,” and “Sometimes Salvation” are cross-tuned, meaning that Rich is in an open tuning—often G, and sometimes capoed up—and the second part is in standard tuning. Rich wants his parts accentuated, not doubled. If I’m in standard, and he’s in an open tuning, then I can play slightly different inversions.

Rich, how is the guitar dynamic between you and Luther?
Robinson: It’s a natural fit, but it takes a good while for a band to really gel. Luther and Adam are way ahead of the game right now, and it sounds like this is going to be a springboard for something much cooler. We used to really hold onto the future, but it’s better to appreciate what you have. I’m just happy where I am right now with these guys.

Where do you typically pull your riffs and solos from?
Dickinson: I mainly use minor blues, Dorian, Mixolydian, major, or what I call the “Allman Brothers scale,” which is a major scale with no VII. This reminds me of something Rich said to me when we played New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden. He said, “You play all the same old stuff, but somehow it doesn’t sound like a cliché.” That was funny, because I thought the same thing about Marc Ford’s playing in the Black Crowes.

What were the workhorse guitars on Warpaint?
Robinson: I used my Gretsch White Falcon on “God’s Got It,” “Walk Believer Walk,” “Oh Josephine,” and a couple of other songs. I used my James Trussart Steeltop as well. Luther borrowed it too. It has two TV Jones Filter’Tron pickups. The other main electric was the same blond ’60s Tele I played on Shake Your Money Maker. It used to be black before someone sanded it down. I bought it for $400 bucks in Atlanta in 1988. My main acoustic on Warpaint was a ’64 Gibson Dove.

Dickinson: I believe I used the Trussart on “Daughters.” I borrowed a lot of Rich’s guitars—including an old Dan Armstrong Plexi for “Walk Believer Walk.”

Robinson: That’s from the ’60s. Tom Holmes made the humbucking pickup.

Dickinson: I’ve always loved Dan Armstrongs because Black Flag was one of my major influences growing up, and Greg Ginn played one. After I joined the Crowes, they gave me my own. Anytime you hear me playing a Telecaster on the record, that’s Rich’s, too. I call it “The Moneymaker.” I figured it was good luck because it has already been on a bunch of hit records. Chris has this crazy acoustic with a DeArmond pickup that I used on “God’s Got It.” It has flatwound strings, which were weird to play, but they sounded totally appropriate. On “Whoa Mule,” I played slide on Rich’s National. I also used some of my own guitars. I played my Gibson Country & Western acoustic on “Movin’,” and I also used it to bolster the bridge on “Josephine.” I used my Les Paul Standard on “We Who See the Deep,” “Movin’,” and “Wounded Bird.” “Evergreen” is my black Strat. I like how the Burns single-coils make it sound a bit fuller than a typical Strat, and I used the old Van Halen trick of dipping them in wax to help prevent feedback. I also have Marc’s Telecaster and Stratocaster. He left some guitars with the brothers, and said, “Feel free to play whatever you want.” I use DR strings on all my guitars.

You were playing totally different instruments at today’s soundcheck.
Dickinson: This is the “B” team. All of our main stuff is in Australia right now.

Robinson: We’ve actually got a “C” rig on its way to Paris for a TV show we’re going to play.

I’m used to seeing Luther play Gibsons with the North Mississippi Allstars.
Dickinson: I love Gibsons, but I grew up playing a Tele that I bought when I was 17.

Is there something to playing in this ensemble where the thinner Fender sound is more appropriate?
Dickinson: It depends on the type of tune. Some of the classic tracks are obviously a Tele or a Strat.

What amps did you use most on Warpaint?
Robinson: I used a high-powered Twin-style clone that Wayne Jones at Headstrong amps made for me [a Prima TTHP Custom]. I used my Matchless Clubman on “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution,” and maybe “Wounded Bird.” It’s one that Mark Sampson made us for Amorica. I also used a plexi Marshall on one song. Paul would tweak my amp after I set it up, and then I’d put it right back where I originally had it after he left the room.

Dickinson: I used Paul’s vintage Ampeg VT40 combo. It has that Stones/Faces vibe, and I was familiar with it, because I’d used one at Ardent studios in Memphis—it’s the amp used by Big Star. I put it in the fireplace at the studio. It was a pain to move, so I left it there the whole time. I didn’t even move the knobs after I’d dialed in the tone, which I like on the bassy side. Later on, I realized that my amp, and the amps used by Rich and Sven [Pipien, bassist] were pointing right at the drums. That meant there would be no fixing anything later, because everything was bleeding all over everything else on the basic tracks.

Robinson: We recorded live for the most part, but this is the first record we’ve done fully in Pro Tools. It sounds better now, and we use it like a tape machine. We like to jam and write pieces in parts, and Pro Tools is really helpful for arranging everything later. For Lions, we split the signals to Pro Tools and analog tape. It was a silly experiment, and, of course, we wound up using the tape tracks. But, this time, we were financing the record ourselves, and tape is expensive. Tape can also be a time-consuming medium, and as we had a ton of songs that we didn’t do a lot of pre-production for, going to Pro Tools made lots of sense.

I must admit, it sounds strange to hear the Crowes embracing digital.
Robinson: Digital recording can be a great tool. The problem is that too much of today’s music gives no thought to warmth or tone. Sonics are important creative elements, and a lot of people aren’t putting much time or effort into crafting great sounds. It’s almost like they’re seeing in two dimensions instead of three.

Lots of players these days plug their guitars directly into the computer and dial up sounds using amp-simulation plug-ins.
Robinson: Which is the weirdest thing in the world.

Dickinson: It does not give you goose bumps.

Robinson: A computer will never make an amp sound right, because it can’t account for the physics. A speaker will always sound different in every room because of the room’s size, how hot or cold it is, and how many people are in there. It’s silly. People also spend thousands of dollars to build ridiculous racks, but all you have to do is plug into a damn Fender and it will sound good.

Luther, does your setup change for the live shows?
Dickinson: I use two Marshall plexi reissues running into a pair of 4x12 reissues with Celestion Greenbacks. The Bright channel on those is really bright, and the Normal channel is really bassy, so connecting the two is the best way to get a balanced tone. I use the 100-watt for rhythm, and I kick in the 50-watt for lead. You can’t go wrong when you plug into a pair of Marshalls and turn them up—it sounds like rock and roll. I’ve simplified my pedal setup for the Crowes. The Ernie Ball volume pedal actually controls Rich’s Fender Deluxe that’s set on my side of the stage to provide a great-sounding reference at whatever level I like. I’ve also got an Analog Man King of Tone overdrive, a Dunlop 95Q wah, a Boss TU-2 Tuner, a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo, and a Radial Tonebone Switchbone AB-Y. Derek Trucks hipped me to the Switchbone, and it’s the key to my rig. The polarity switch is so important, because hitting it makes an out-of-phase issue obvious.

What was behind the pedal rethink?
Dickinson: Well, I want to sound like John Coltrane or Little Walter when they “overblow” the sax or harmonica to get natural harmonics, but I just can’t get there. Derek Trucks told me, “If you just plug right into your amp and crank it up, you can find that sound.” So I’m trying to wean myself off boosters and distortion pedals. If you can turn your amp up and let that natural distortion occur, those beautiful tones are there. That’s a wonderful epiphany. But I have not yet mastered Derek’s level of volume-knob subtleties. I still play with my guitar volume pretty much wide open all the time, and that’s why I need a booster.

Can you explain the mechanics of your slide technique?
Dickinson: The main thing is not to set the action too low. You want it to be able to sing, and if you’re action is too low, you can hear it fretting out. So I usually raise the action and change the intonation. Sometimes, I reverse a saddle or two to get it to intonate right if I can’t get it to move far enough to be in tune. I take the saddle off, and I reverse it to get a little more legroom. I always try to emulate a lap-steel sound—it’s such a pretty tone—and I tend to go for that lazy, slow and easy Mississippi vibrato. I never use a pick when I play slide, because there’s so much muting going on. I lay the thumb of my plucking hand at an angle to mute the lower strings while I pluck the higher strings with my fingers, and I use my little finger to mute the higher strings. I like single-note passages to sound well isolated, and I hardly ever slide across four or more strings simultaneously. I’ll do some fretting-hand muting, but, usually, I just let it go because there are so many pretty harmonics that will jump out. I’ll also do the old Sonny Landreth trip of fretting behind the slide. That’s a really cool trick. In addition, while there are great box-type positions for playing slide, I prefer linear playing. I love to slide up to really large intervals—say, an octave-and-a-half up to the major 3rd, or, slide from the 5th up to the major 3rd. It’s just such a pretty sound. It’s like what Ry Cooder did on John Hiatt’s “Lipstick Sunset.” Whoa, that’s a beautiful slide part! I learned a lot by playing with John Hiatt and studying Ry Cooder.

What kind of slide do you favor?
Dickinson: I like the Dunlop 212. It’s Pyrex, and it fits my ring finger perfectly. I’ve been using them for years.

Can you describe your fingerstyle attack?
Dickinson: I flip my finger back and forth on the string like a sitar player. Fingerpicking is so cool because you can pluck, thump, or snap the strings. You can flick back and forth with your first or middle finger for faster lines. It’s really freeing. I’m not really conscious about it. I learned a lot of fingerpicking growing up listening to Mississippi John Hurt and Doc Watson.

I noticed Rich played with a pick throughout soundcheck.
Robinson: I play with a pick a lot on electric tunes, but I’ll mix in fingerstyle, as well—like on the chorus of “Oh Josephine.” I mostly play fingerstyle on acoustic.

Luther, how are the North Mississippi Allstars dealing with your being in the Crowes?
Dickinson: Cody [Dickinson] and Chris [Chew] started a new band called the Hill Country Review with Garry and Duwayne Burnside on guitars, and another player named Kirk Smithhart. They made a stomping record, and they’re touring. But the Allstars are going to keep going. Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes have proven it’s possible to keep multiple bands together. It’s also good to take a break. I wouldn’t say the Allstars burned out on the road, but we tore it up for a lot of years.

Rich, what it was like playing Zeppelin tunes with Jimmy Page?
Robinson: That took a while to fathom, but it sounded great, and there was a lot of chemistry right off the bat. My favorite thing was hearing Jimmy play on my songs. He did this great B-Bender solo on “She Talks to Angels.” I was happy that someone still plays sincere, beautiful music because you don’t hear it much. Rock and roll used to have a sense of real electricity—not these putzes jumping around onstage with really loud amps. He’s not jaded. The nuanced beauty of rock and roll is really alive in him, and in what we do, and that inspires me more than anything.

Producer Paul Stacey on his Warpaint Strategies

The last time GP readers were introduced to Paul Stacey’s work—if not his name—was in the September 2000 feature where Noel Gallagher discussed making Oasis’ Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Stacey did some engineering and played guitar on that album, and then plied his multi-instrumentalist and production/engineering talents in the service of other artists (Finn Brothers, Elkie Brooks), ultimately finding work on Chris Robinson’s solo projects and joining the Black Crowes camp.

How did you hook up with the Black Crowes?
I hooked up with the Black Crowes for the first time when I went to their concert with Noel Gallagher in the late ’90s. We were summoned backstage where we met the band. Chris and I hit it off, and he eventually invited me to co-produce his first solo record New Earth Mud. We’ve been friends ever since.

You played guitar in the Crowes for a brief period. What was the experience like for you?
During 2006, I went to see the Black Crowes at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. Their manager, Pete Angelus, said that Chris and Rich were interested in having me produce their next record. I did a week of pre-production with Rich—whom I’d never worked with before—at Electric Lady in New York, and then did a week in L.A. with Chris. The sessions went well, and I returned to London. An hour after I arrived in London, Pete called to tell me that Marc Ford had left the band, and due to the fact there was a gig the following night, he asked if I could jump in temporarily on guitar. Once I’d got through a couple of gigs, it was suggested that I might as well stay on—which would enable me to work with them on the road. This was not a band I ever expected to play guitar with, but it was a great experience.

Did you play guitar on Warpaint?
I played 12-string on “Whoa Mule.”

Did Chris?
He’s a great guitar player, but he didn’t play on the record. He played harmonica and percussion.

How did your experience in the band inform your approach to recording them?
After playing with the band for a year, I decided the recording should be a pretty natural process. Why mess with a band’s internal dynamics, when they play as well as they do? I experimented with more distant miking—mostly using four Neumann U67s that were run through a Neve 8068 console, and then to Pro Tools at 96kHz with very little compression.

How did you record the guitars?
Rich would suggest a guitar and amp, and I’d walk into the room and listen. We’d either agree on the sound, or change it until it worked. I usually captured the sound with a U67. That’s it.

With Luther?
It was similar. He’d choose his own amps, and Rich and I miked them up with a U67.

How do you approach recording acoustic guitars?
A lot of the acoustic recording was done with Rich and Luther playing together at the same time—sometimes outside. I miked them with whatever was lying around—AKG C24s, Neumann U47s. We recorded “Locust Street” on a porch at the side of the studio, and we captured the ambience as well.

How did you set up “Whoa Mule”?
When we walked to breakfast every morning, we went through a courtyard area where the band would sit and play. Somebody—probably Chris—suggested we should set up out there and record a song. It turned out to be quite an ordeal, as I didn’t want to use long mic runs that might compromise sonic quality, and everyone was playing in such close proximity that signal bleed was a factor.

Did you add anything to the guitars in the mix?
Not really. Occasionally, I’d add a short delay, some compression, or a touch of EQ. Due to the fact we recorded everything live, there was bleed on all the mics—which worked to my advantage, because I couldn’t mess with the sounds too much without affecting the other instruments and the overall sonic spectrum.

Inside Rich Robinson’s Flight Cases

Electric Guitars: 1969 Gibson goldtop Les Paul Standard, 1968 Gibson SG Special, 1964 Gibson ES-335, 2006 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Special (with Lollar P-90s), 1969 Dan Armstrong Plexi (with Tom Holmes pickup), 2006 Dan Armstrong Plexi, 2005 Zemaitis Disk Front, 2005 Zemaitis Diamond (with custom DiMarzio pickups), 2006 Zemaitis Metal Front Duo Cut, 2007 Zemaitis Disk Front #2, James Trussart Steeltop prototype, James Trussart Steel Deville, James Trussart Steelcaster (with custom DiMarzio pickups), James Trussart Steeltop (with TV Jones Filter’Trons), 1962 Gretsch White Falcon, 2007 Fender Custom Shop ’56 Stratocaster reissue, 1968 Fender Telecaster, Fender Telecaster (with B-Bender), 1994 Fender Custom Shop Telecaster, 2005 Fender Mary Kaye Stratocaster (with custom DiMarzio pickups), ’90s Zitlau (Supro-style with korina body and two humbuckers), Bill Asher lap-steel, Sadowsky nylon-string solidbody, Rickenbacker 360/12C63.
Acoustic Guitars: Gibson Dove, Guild 12-string, Taylor 6-string, Taylor 12-string, 1929 National Duolian.
Amps & Cabinets: Harry Joyce Custom 50 (3), 65 Amps Royale Albert (2), 65 Amps 2x12 (2), 65 Amps 4x12 (2), 65 Amps Custom 2x15.
Signal Processors: Custom Audio Electronics Switching System, Ernie Ball Volume, Vox wah, Demeter Tremulator, Moog Moogerfooger MF-103 12-Stage Phaser, Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere, Pro Analog Dual Driver, Fulltone Full-Drive 2, CAE/MXR Boost+Overdrive, Dunlop UniVibe, DOD Echo FX/96, Headstrong Tube Reverb/Vibrato, Fulltone Tube Tape Echo (2), DigiTech Whammy Pedal, Line 6 DL4, Boss TR-2 Tremolo, Peterson StroboStomp, Pete Cornish buffered line selector.
Strings & Things: Dunlop Heavy Brass Slide, GHS Bright Bronze Extra Light (acoustic guitars), GHS Sub-Zero Boomers .010-.046 (electric guitars), Shubb capos.

Thanks to tech Elwood Francis and band assistant Adam “Cutlets” Richards for all the info.

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