Michael Landau Organic Interview

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What can you say much about the amazing Michael Landau, a guitar player that is probably one of the most recorded guys I know of. Although he has been one of the hottest session players in the musical planet, Michael is absolutely a giant as a solo artist. He has always achieved to make a very personal statement through his music, and his new album “Organic Instrumentals” is no different. It stands out as one of his finest work.

Abstract Logix: “Organic Instrumentals” from Michael Landau, what is the story behind the title ?

Michael Landau: I’m a minimalist and wanted to just call the record Instrumentals but decided to put Organic in the title partly because it fits the record sonically with most of the sounds being straight ahead amp tones, but also because its humorous to me as well with everything being organic these days. It also sounds serious and light at the same time, It has a good flow to it, its easy to say. Most of the song titles are of a nature subject, I guess its my modern day New Age record.

AL: Lets talk about this record, what’s the inspiration behind the new songs ?

ML: I’d been wanting to make an all instrumental record for a while, half of the songs we play live are vocal songs and it seemed like it was time for instrumentals only. I love non-vocal music, its completely open to interpretation. Some of the compositions are intentionally simple, the most important thing being a strong emotion and setting a mood on the recording. I’m also inspired by crazy things that make perfect sense, music can be like that.

AL: How do you write nowadays, is it all on guitar ?

ML: I play all the time, not necessarily practicing, but more so just playing. I’m truly addicted to the feel and sound of the guitar and music. These tunes eventually come out and are then organized into a form. Recently, I have also been writing songs away from the guitar, these have mostly been vocal songs though, I can sometimes get a better picture of the song away from the instrument, writing for me is imagining what I’d like to hear in my head, its an escape.

AL: Great choice of drummers, Novak, Colaiuta and Drayton . How are these guys different in your ears and what’s your reasoning in selecting the tunes that they play on ?

ML: Any one of those mentioned could have played on any of the songs on the album, like you said, they are all great drummers. In general, Gary played on the tunes that have more of a jazz influence, we have been playing some of those songs live for a while now. I imagined Charley playing Woolly Mammoth when I first had the riff in my head and the tune Sneaker Wave with Vinnie was recorded a few years ago, it was originally intended to be a vocal song. All three of them have their own voice on the drums, such great musicians.

AL: I just love the way you have integrated the sound of Hammond on your records, really gives it a vintage sound to the music, can you share your thoughts ?

ML: I’m a huge Hammond Organ fan and especially a huge Larry Goldings organ fan. The Hammond works so well with the guitar sonically, its very easy to sit it in the mix at the same time being very different from the guitar. It can add so much to a song, it has a similar grit to the guitar with the big wood cabinet through the tube amp. Hammond is considered to be a retro – vintage sound, but what Larry plays on the organ sounds very modern to me, some of my favorite moments on the record are the colors and parts he adds to the songs.

AL: Listening to “Organic Instrumentals”, I cant help but guess that you must like Derek Trucks . Are you playing any slide on this , it surely does sound like it ?

ML: I play a small slide part on Sneaker wave but all the rest of the guitar on the record is done without a slide. Yes, I’m a big Derek Trucks fan, I don’t see how anyone with a soul and a heartbeat could not be. Its obvious to me that he’s all about the music and how it makes our lives better. I was going to dedicate the song The Big Black Bear to him, instead I imagined how he, or an Indian Classical Musician would phrase the melody. I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m imitating him, its really meant to be a tip of the hat if you know what I mean. He truly has his own voice on the guitar, its not an easy thing to do these days.

AL: I believe Renegade Creation just recorded a new album. Can you give us a sneak peak on it ?

ML: Ed Cherney is mixing it now, we are about half way through. This second record is very much song oriented, I think we have some good ones this time around. We’re hoping to have it out in April with touring to follow this summer. Robben has a beautiful ballad called Nazareth, its probably my favorite song on the record.

AL: “I’m Buzzed” has become such an important signature tune of Michael Landau . I have personally heard a few different spin of it at different live settings, have you thought about recording it on acoustic or even release a record of just different versions of it ?

ML: That song has a definite place in my heart, it reminds me of the good times in the late ’80s. Its usually in the set when we play live, so I’m not sure it needs to be recorded again, hopefully the improvising takes it to a different place each night.

AL: Mike you have done it all in studio setting over the years, what are some of your favorite session work over the years ?

ML: I’ve been very fortunate, some of the highlights for me were Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd, James Taylor, Ray Charles and BB King. Joni, for letting us pretty much do as we heard, at the same time being very much in control. Pink Floyd, I’m still not sure why I got a call to play on a Pink Floyd record but I’m glad I did. After I played on a couple of songs David Gilmour showed me his setup he was using at the time, very sweet guy, I could tell he really loved working out his tone and the whole recording process. JT, Ray Charles and BB King, what can I say, they are American Masters.

AL: I am such an admirer of your guitar work on Joni Mitchell albums among others, have you considered on recording some of the classics ?

ML: Thank you, although I have to say that I’m not a big fan of tribute / cover records in general, they’ve never made any sense to me, especially when they’re released while the artist is still alive. I know the intent is usually good, but I would almost always rather hear the original version by the artist that wrote it and performed it. The tribute records always sound like T.V. commercials to me. I know, I’m a bad person…

AL: I love that video with Joni Mitchell (Refuge on the Roads) with Larry Klein, Vinnie and and Russell Ferrante, can you share any stories from that tour ?

ML: That was ’83 – ’84, it was a blast for all of us. Vinnie and I were hanging out a lot in those days and also working in the studio with her so when we got the call to tour with Joni we just continued the party on the road. Joni and Larry were new in their relationship and it seemed like Joni was truly having a good time performing live again. We were her new young rocker dudes, there was no drama on the road, only good times. I was 24 years old, when you’re that young, you can still play a show with a hangover and have fun.

I can remember a few times Joni taking a break at the end of the song Wild Things Run Fast, she would walk off the stage Miles style and let us go nuts…

AL: How have you evolved as a musician over the years ?

ML: Less is more for me these days, but also what I do play is hopefully more intense. I try to make every note count and what I don’t play is just as important to me as what I do play. I’m always excited to improvise with my fellow band mates and create something together with the audience. I think I’ve evolved into a better improviser over the years.

AL: I know so many guitar geeks would love to know about your set up in studio recording this album , fill us in ?

ML: ’63 Fiesta Red Stratocaster
’52 Telecaster
’65 Jaguar
’68 Gibson 335
’63 Gibson SG
’54 Martin 0-15 Acoustic
Amps:
Dumble 100 watt Overdrive Special
Suhr 18 Watt Badger
’64 Fender Super Reverb
Kerry Wright open back 4×12 with Celestion Heritage Series G12-65 speakers
Pedals and Rack Gear:
Maxon SD-9
Vintage 808 Tube Screamer
Rodger Mayer Voodoo-1
Fulltone Plimsoul Overdrive
Boss RT-20 Rotary Pedal
Boss FV-500H Volume
Line 6 Echo Pro
Api Mic Pre
Shure SM 57 mic
Royer R-122 Ribbon mic

AL: How long do we have to wait to see a Instructional DVD from you ?

ML: I’m sorry to say, I’m just not a good formal instructor, I don’t have the personally for it, but I would love to do a live DVD this year, lets do it Souvik.

AL: We surely are going to do it!!. Thanks to you and Jimmy Johnson for the invite to see the James Taylor gig. I felt that I was listening to a audiophile recording. What the secret ?

ML: I know it sounds like a cliche’ but that group of musicians really listen to each other and we are all there to support James. When the songs are written that well, you don’t have to do very much except compliment the song with a sound that adds to the music, keeping the parts simple and to the point.

AL: Have you heard some cool music lately ?

ML: I’ve been buying a lot of vinyl lately so I’ve been listening to a lot of the old Blues, Jazz and Classical recordings. Its so great to hear an actual record again, I really love it, but to answer your question, I guess not, I’ve been going back to the past, again.

AL: Mike, enough of music questions, what’s some of you favorite – Beer, Vacation Spots, Books, Food,

ML: Boddingtons make a great pub style ale in a can, super tasty… I like the Stout beers as well.
My wife and I love the Big Sur area on the coast of California, maybe some day we’ll move there permanently…
I’m reading the Keith Richards book now, I’m not a very big reader but I do enjoy it once I’m in the thick of it…
I love all foods. Everything from fancy foods to simple foods. We recently got into making bison burgers instead of beef every once in awhile at the house, I’ve tried being vegetarian, sorry to say I couldn’t stick to it.

AL: If you weren’t a musician, what would you like to do ?

ML: I think It would be great to be a successful sports athlete of some kind, maybe a Basketball or Hockey player, they are the new rock stars after all. Or maybe a comedian like Chris Rock or Larry David.
Or maybe I should be a Monk, I’m not much of a talker.

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Michael Landau Interview

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Michael Landau is easily one of the most widely respected guitarists in the world.

An intense player with a fiery blues-meets-jazz style, his highly charged playing and mastery of killer guitar tones has made him a legend in the guitar community for years. As a first-call session musician and sideman, Landau has appeared on thousands of recordings, and shared the stage with Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Seal, and countless others. That alone would make for a fine career, but Landau is also a solo artist with several critically acclaimed albums under his belt including “The Michael Landau Group – Live” (2006), “The Star Spangled Banner” (2001), and the instrumental guitar classic “Tales From the Bulge” (1990).

Landau has also led several great bands over the years including Burning Water and the Raging Honkies, and has joined forces with other west coast jazz luminaries in bands such as Karizma and Jazz Ministry. Landau is a stunning, highly dynamic live performer who can often be heard at the legendary North Hollywood jazz club The Baked Potato. In fact, Landau recently took part in the club’s two-day 40th anniversary jazz festival, performing with both his solo band, and with Jazz Ministry. He also sat in with Larry Carlton for a surprise jam that was a real treat for everyone in attendance. As someone who was there, I can tell you first-hand that Landau was fantastic both days, and came away as the de facto MVP of the festival.

For his latest venture, Landau teamed up with guitarist Robben Ford, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Gary Novak for a blues / rock band project entitled “Renegade Creation”. Their album was released in April through Blues Bureau International, and features great playing and exceptional guitar tones from both Landau and Ford. I asked Landau recently about the “Renegade Creation” album, how he got some of those amazing tones, and what he has in store for the future.

Abstract Logix: How did the “Renegade Creation” album come about?

Michael Landau: Robben and I have been wanting to do a Rock ‘n’ Roll band project for a long time. Originally we wanted to find a lead singer for the band, we considered a few singers but then ended up singing the songs ourselves. Jimmy Haslip produced the record and worked out the deal with Mike Varney at Blues Bureau Records.

AL: You’ve played live with Robben many times, but have you ever recorded together before this album?

ML: Only very briefly a long time ago. He was doing demos for his first record, it was just one day of recording, I don’t think anything can out from that session.

AL: Some readers may not know that you played in Robben’s band for a tour way back in the late 70s when you were still in your teens. How did you get that gig?

ML: To be honest I can’t remember! It must have been through Russell Ferrante or Jimmy Haslip, that was the band at the time. Good question, sorry I don’t have an answer for that one!

AL: You have four songs credited to you on “Renegade Creation” (not counting The Darkness which was written by the whole group). Did you write those songs specifically for this band? Or were some or all of them written prior to this project.

ML: All of my songs were written for this band. We knew we wanted to make a Rock ‘n’ Roll record, they came together pretty quickly while I was on the road with James Taylor. It was fun to write them with this band in mind.

AL: Do you have a particular process you go through when writing songs? For example, do you come up with riffs or chords first, then develop melodies to go over them? And do you have a different approach when writing instrumental stuff versus a vocal tune?

ML: It’s always a little different for me. Some of the instrumentals I write come out of just playing around the house, some of the vocal tunes I write are written in my head without the guitar. I wrote Where The Wind Blows while I was vacuuming the house one morning after I found out we needed a couple more tunes for the record. I try to hear it in my head first.

AL: You and Robben fit in great together on this record, both with the solos and the rhythm parts. For the songs that you brought in, would you give Robben specific rhythm parts to play? Or would you just give him the tune and let him come up with something.

ML: Thanks. We have a very natural give and take thing between us, we don’t really suggest parts for each other. He always comes up with great stuff.

AL: I think Peace is one of the best examples of the two of you working together for the greater good of the song, so to speak. It’s Robben’s tune, but your whammy bar work adds just the right touch to the song, which probably wouldn’t have been there otherwise since Robben’s not a whammy bar kind of guy. Did he ask you to add those whammy bar inflections or was that your idea?

ML: Robben described Peace as kind of a modern day Ventures tune. I just went for a Surf style on it, I did the solo on the basic track, its very live. Robben then overdubbed a second eighth-note guitar part later on. I think it’s a great tune.

AL: On Who Do You Think You Are, you and Robben do a lot of trading off. Did you record your solos separately on that one? Or did you actually trade off live in the studio.

ML: Yes, we did it live, trading on the basic track. We then did one more pass of trading together as an alternate take, but I think we used most of the original take though.

AL: Overall, the music on this album is pretty bluesy. Even songs that you wouldn’t call blues have strong bluesy vibes. Did you guys make a conscious decision to go in that direction for this album?

ML: Yea, we knew from the beginning we wanted to keep it in the Rock-Blues vein.

AL: You get some killer tones on this record. What gear did you use for recording?

ML: I used my ’63 Fiesta Red Stratocaster and my ’68 Gold Top Les Paul for all of the record except on Where The Wind Blows where I used my ’63 Gibson SG. I recorded the whole record using a Suhr Badger 18 watt head through a Kerry Wright open back 4×12 cabinet with Celestion Heritage Series G12-65 speakers. The effect pedals were: Love Pedal COT 50, Love Pedal FUSE, Maxon SD-9 and a Boss RT-20 rotary pedal. All the reverb and delay on the guitars was done later on during the mix.

AL: What are you using for your leads on God and Rock n’ Roll? Is that the VooDoo Vibe?

ML: It’s the Boss RT-20 Rotary pedal.

AL: I have to ask about your setup on The Darkness. That tone is just gorgeous. What were you using there?

ML: That’s the ’63 Strat straight into the Badger head; no pedals on that one.

AL: As a player who seems to have mastered the art of getting great tones, what general advice would you give to other players about getting a good tone from, say, a Strat?

ML: Less is more in my opinion. I would say always use single coils even if its a bit noisy, the single coils sound the most clear and open.

AL: One thing I’ve noticed about your playing, is though it’s always had a strong bluesy side, your blues vocabulary seems to have gotten more unique and free form over the years. I often hear you mixing major, minor and dominant blues ideas within the same solo; more so than you used to. And you seem to play off the 9th and major 6th more than you did years ago; say in the Burning Water days, for example. Is there some truth to that, or am I totally off base with this?

ML: No I think you’re right on. It all comes from trying to keep things moving and interesting. There are lots of melodies out there!

AL: Speaking of the blues, another recent release you were involved with is Kirk Fletcher’s new album, “My Turn” which you co-produced with Gary Novak. What can you tell me about that album?

ML: My whole thing is getting the sounds people want and creating a loose environment for them to play in. I became friends with Kirk a few years ago and we’ve always talked about recording at the house. He wanted to do something different from his last records and the timing was right so I set up some mics and he threw down as only Kirk Fletcher can! He wanted to do a more musically open, not as straight ahead a record as he’s done in the past, and he also wanted to sing a little which we all encouraged him to do. We had a great time making it.

AL: Another of your recent projects was the Hazey Jane album “Holy Ghost” with your wife Karen. I really dig that record – it’s cool to hear your chordal ideas applied in this other alt-country-folk sort of style that you don’t normally do. Will we be hearing more from that band in the future?

ML: Yes hopefully so. We play live a bit and Karen is always working on new songs. We might also do a covers record in the near future, still in the Alt-country vein.

AL: You’re obviously well known as an in-demand studio musician and sideman. How has the studio scene changed since your early days?

ML: The technology has changed the music business in a big way, some ways for the better, some for the worse, obviously there are less session / tracking sessions these days, most pop records are done these days by people with home studios, all in house. I miss the hang of the old days.

AL: You’ve recorded and toured with countless artists over the years. Not to put you on the spot, but do you have any favorites that you’ve worked with?

ML: Sure. Working with Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Robben are definitely highlights of my career for me, the creative types.

AL: Do you have any new projects in the pipeline?

ML: Yes, I’m finally going to finish up a studio record of my own and hopefully a DVD in the near future.

AL: Will you be doing any touring this year with your own trio, or with the “Renegade Creation” band?

ML: Yes, both bands – I have a great agent now, I’m playing with my group at a Jazz Festival in Brazil coming up and also some west / east coast shows with Renegade Creation and my group as well in June. Renegade Creation is also going to Japan in August. All my live show info is on mikelandau.com

AL: I have one last question that you can probably answer better than anyone – You’ve been playing at the Baked Potato in North Hollywood for years now; I saw you there with Greg Mathieson’s Jazz Ministry band in 2008 and was blown away not only by everyone’s playing, but by the whole vibe of the evening as well. What is it about the Baked Potato that makes it so special compared to other clubs?

ML: It’s not too fancy! It really has a home style feeling to it, nice people!

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Guitarist Michael Landau Interview

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Michael Landau is one of the most important guitarists of this era. An ace studio sessionist, he has appeared in more records than we can count, in fact he has even lost track of it. James Taylor, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Seal just to name a few. An ace sideman he is constantly touring, most recently with James Taylor along with musical director and ace bassist Jimmy Johnson.

Based out of Los Angeles, Mike has always been revered by musicians and fans alike, his various musical incarnations with The Raging Honkies, power trios or quartets with Vinnie Colaiuta, Scott Kinsey, Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Babko, Toss Panos, Ron Bruner, wife Karen Martin Landau speaks very high volumes of his impeccable grasp of his instrument and a deep emotion and sound that he brings out in his music.

In spite of such a big career as a sideman and sessionist, we have not had steady output of solo material as hardcore fans would like to. But that might change… After a outstanding record with Toss Panos, Jimmy Johnson and keyboardist Jeff Babko in 2002, Mike’s new Release [Michael Landau Group, “Tone Center”] is definitely one of the hottest guitar records of the year. Recorded Live at the world famous Baked Potato it features Abstract Logix Recording artist Scott Kinsey on keyboards, Jimmy Johnson and Chris Roy on bass, Gary Novak and the flamboyant Ron Bruner Jr. on drums. The music on the record is full of emotions, rich tones and everything you would expect from Michael Landau.

AbstractLogix: I still remember being in my early teens and stumbling upon Joni Mitchell’s Wild Things Run Fast and completely in awe with your guitar sound and approach? How were those days? How did you guys work?

Michael Landau: That period of recording and touring with Joni was definitely a highlight for me. The tour was a world tour that lasted about 8 months. I think I was 24 years old then and yea, we were all haven a good old time and gettin’ crazy drinking too much. Joni gave us all a lot of freedom to go where we wanted to take the music, she liked the harder sounding side of that band (Vinnie, Larry Klien & Russel Ferante) so we went with it.

AL: How were you guys writing the tunes, did Joni come with the melodies in piano and guitar and you would put your take on it ? Was any of the live material improvised or everything was structured out?

ML: Joni would show us the chord changes to the tunes on guitar or piano and she left it up to us what to play on it, sometimes we would try different ideas, but we usually stuck with the initial feelings.

AL: I was reading somewhere that you played with Miles, did that happen?

ML: I’ve only recorded on one Miles album on one track on the “Amandla” record. George Duke was producing in Los Angeles and I’m sorry to say that I never had the experience of meeting Miles or playing with him live.

AL: Mike, someone was telling me about a band you had with Vinnie Colaiuta called ‘Dog Cheese’, what was that all about?

ML: Dog Cheese was put together right after Joni’s tour. It was Vinnie, Larry Klein, Steve Tavaglione and myself. We played original music that Larry and I wrote, and played around L.A. mostly at the Baked Potato. There are some rough cassette’s floating around of live shows, it was some pretty slammin stuff. We never did a record though… Its too bad.

AL: What’s the probability that some of the rough tapes can be gotten hold off ? What was the material for Dog Cheese, were you guys taking some of Joni’s compositions at all?

ML: There just a stereo mike walkman recordings, too rough to put out… It was all original material by Larry, Steve & myself.

AL: Mike, for me your music speaks for itself. Everything about it, your feel, passion and tone all comes out in your music. Nevertheless, what’s going through your brain when you are up there?

ML: I try not to think, I try to play the melodies that are in my head.

AL: Speaking about this new record, you decided to do another live album. I know you are a studio pro as well.

ML: I had a lot of new songs that Bob Bradshaw recorded live over the last couple of years. I realized it would be a good record with some good improvising on it, and It seems to take me forever to put together a studio record these days so, here it is…

AL: I got to tell you man, the intro cut “ The Mighty SB” sounds that you must been hearing some Charlie Brown. That solo you take at the end gave me the chills. Am I wrong or was the music at the moment ? Even Scott Kinsey felt a bit like me, and he was up there playing with you…

ML: Yea, its all about the 3 or 4 of us playing together right then, listening to each other…It becomes something larger than the 3 or 4 individuals that are playing if you know what I mean, it becomes this one big beautiful monster… It starts out as an emotion, then gets moulded into a composition, then the live performance takes it wherever it goes on that particular night. I’m glad you like it…

AL: Mike, you play in Los Angeles with your bands, and probably does not make sense for you to go out and play on the road much? Have you thought about making shows available for downloads, even maybe have a DVD released?

ML: I plan to tour in Europe and Japan on a regular basis and am also talking to some people to help book me in clubs on the East and West coast. I hope to do a live DVD in the near future.

AL: Mike its great that you are thinking of playing live, what’s the band you are thinking of or do you want to keep rotating the rhythm section.

ML: It will probably be a rotating lineup depending on peoples schedules.

AL: Mike, do you by any chance keep a track on the number of records you have played?

ML: No, I lost track a long time ago… allmusic.com has a pretty accurate listing, I know its over 500 records.

AL: Your wife, Karen (congrats on the marriage) has a beautiful voice and an uncanny ability to write great tunes. What can we expect of Stolen Fish in the near future?

ML: Yes, Stolen Fish plays live about once every couple of months. Those people are my second family, its always a good time. Right now were recording a new album of Karen’s music. The band is called Hazey Jane. It will have Charley Drayton on drums, Greg Leisz on pedal steel, Scott Kinsey on keys, myself and others on it. I’ll keep you posted. The basic tracks we’ve got so far are really special, beautiful songs.

AL: Have you heard the Kinsey album [“Kinesthetics”], Jeez man your solo rips (what’s new ?).

ML: Yes, Its a great record. I was very proud to be a part of it. Scott is a very special, juicy musician and composer.

AL: How is it touring with someone like James Taylor and then adapting the next day and doing your thing?

ML: I love playing with James, His music is harder to play than it may seem, most of the cords he uses are very pure voicing’s, you have to stick with that or it doesn’t sound right. Its an easy transition for me to go back to playing my music, just a different thing.

AL: Are you listening to any other music now?

ML: My new favorites are Kirk Fletcher (The Fabulous Thunderbirds), Derek Trucks and Dustin Boyer (soop records). There’s also a great new guitar / roots soul record by a young guitar player named Josh Smith. All those guys are on My Space.

AL: So you have you heard Derek Trucks or Jimmy Herring . They are also playing sort of a blues influenced rock.

ML: I think Derek Trucks is a huge musical force, I love it. Guitar playing doesn’t get any better than that. I’ve not heard that much of Jimmy, I’ll check it out…

AL: Mike, kind of a awkward question, you played on so many records and been the best guitar sideman that I can think of, sometimes I feel that people at large did not really get a chance to know how kickass Mike Landau really is. Do you ever think of it in that sort of way? Sorry Mike, you know I love what you do and don’t mean to disrespect you.

ML: No disrespect taken, but if your saying do I think I deserve to be more famous? Of course not, that’s not why I play and write music. I would like to tour more in the future though, play different cities, spread the word a little…

AL: What I mean is the decision of you being a great sideman maybe took some time away to establish you as a solo artist ? You ever think about it that way?

ML: I try to make time to do it all, its hard to turn down sideman work when its someone you respect & enjoy working with.

AL: Mike, You have been everywhere done probably everything , what’s driving you now, what’s new from Landau can we expect in the future?

ML: What drives me is the great pleasure I get from playing / recording music with people that I admire. I am also addicted to the sound and feel of the guitar, I need it…I am also going to tour next year (Europe, Japan).

AL: Gearheads would love to know if you are going to get your secret out on your tone and what gear are you playing now.

ML: My live setup is pretty simple. I use a Custom Audio Classic OD100 or a Dumble Slide Winder head through an open back 2×12 cab with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. Guitar into Custom audio RS10 switcher. The pedals are all before the amp, they are: Maxon DS9, Rodger Mayer Voodoo 1, Arion Stereo Chorus (I use it in mono), Boss VB-2, Tycobrahe Octavia, Custom Audio Super Tremolo, Custom Audio Black Cat Vibe, Cry Baby Wah Wah, Boss volume pedal (high impedance). I also use a Lexicon MXP-1 Processor in the effects loop of the amp for reverb and delay or I mic my cabinet and send it to the Lexicon MPX-1 which then goes to a pair of wet cabinets (2 Custom Audio 2×10 cabs with Celestion Vintage 10 speakers). I use Tyler and Suhr Stratocasters with Suhr single coil and humbucker pickups , a ’68 Gold top Les Paul, a ’63 Gibson SG and a ’63 Stratocaster. I use D’Addarrio 10 thru 46 strings on the standard tuned guitars and 11 thru 49 on the guitars that are tuned down a half step.

My studio setup is as follows: I mic my cabinet with a Shure 57 through a Chandler mic pre. That signal is fed to the line in on my effects rack. The rack has the following in it: Eventide H3000 D/SE Haromonizer, Lexicon MPX-1, Lexicon PCM 70, Two Lexicon PCM 42’s, DBX 160A Compressor, TC 1210 Stereo Chorus, Tri Stereo Chorus 618 and a Custom Audio Super Tremolo. This studio setup only works for recording because the line level processing is after the cabinet sound (I insert the rack effects between the dry cabinet and the recording console). Sometimes I’ll use this small pedal board that I hooked up, Its light and easy to cart around: All my pedals are before the amp. the pedals are: Maxon SD9 Sonic Distortion, Roger Mayer Voodoo-1, Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe, Boss volume pedal, Real Macoy Wah Wah and a Arion stereo chorus. I also use a Lexicon MXP-1 Processor in the effects loop of the amp for reverb and delay or I mic my cabinet and send it to the Lexicon MPX-1 which then goes to a pair of wet cabinets (2 Custom Audio 2×10 cabs with Celestion Vintage 10 speakers)

AL: Hey Mike, thanks for the time to speak to us. We hope to hear much more from you in the future.

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