“THE GUITAR IS A MYSTICAL BEING, MAN!”
...SO SAYS BLACK STONE CHERRY FRONTMAN CHRIS ROBERTSON, AS HE DISCUSSES THE GEAR HE’S USED ON THE BAND’S NEW ALBUM THE HUMAN CONDITION
“For the last seven years, I’ve been using the Line 6 Helix, on records and live,” Chris Robertson says. “But this time round there was a sound I kept hearing in my head and the only way I could get it was by setting an amp up and putting some microphones on it. So I used a ’66 Bassman through a 2x12 cabinet with a set of Eminence Screamin’ Eagle speakers in it. And then I used a Splawn Supersport 22 head on the standard overdrive channel... That’s pretty much all you hear as far the amps go. For effects, I used an original Uni-vibe from the late 70s, as well as my signature Dos Fuzz by Analog Pedals, for more of a Scrambler and octave fuzz kinda sound. The only other pedals I used were an EHX Octave Multiplexer and just a standard Cry Baby wah... Oh and maybe a Memory Boy delay on a couple of songs!
“The majority of what you hear on the record was done with one of my signature PRS guitars, one of a limited run they released, which I put some locking tuners on. I picked that one because it was the lightest out of all of them and then put the PRS 85/15S pickup set in for a little more bite. For the solos, it was my old ’88 Les Paul Standard or a ‘71 345 that I like to use. The only other guitar I used was a Lucky Dog Evangelist – they’re just this small operation out of Tennessee, a couple of guys making some of the most amazing guitars on the planet...
“And guitars are my biggest passion. At home, I’ve always got a guitar in arm’s reach. The guitar was my first true love that I found on my own. It’s the one relationship I’ve had that never really gave me any grief. It’s so much more than some wood, wire and magnets. The guitar is a mystical being, man!
“It’s an outlet for any expression – you can feel happy, sad, p*ssed off or just kinda numb for no reason, and still turn it into something powerful and emotional. Honestly, if I didn’t have guitars in my life... I’d be batsh*t crazy. And I’m crazy enough!”