“You can have all the pedals you want, but the guitar/amp combination makes the sound. Pedals are just some extra paprika”: Rich Robinson reveals what’s on his pedalboard
Why a Black Crowe seeks the company of a Red Lama and an Angry Troll but finds the meaning of life (tone-wise) lies in the magic that happens between guitar and a vintage tube amp
(Image credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
“I don't focus on my pedals too much. I use them, but in some ways, they’re hidden in my sound. The 'board I have is basically the same one I’ve been touring with for years. But again, the idea of my 'board is to give me a boost during a solo or a little extra here and there. I believe it comes down to the amps, and I rely on vintage amps as much as possible.
“I’ve got the RJM Music Technology MIDI controller [Mastermind GT]. It’s great and it’s functional. Aside from that, I’ve got my Boss Waza Craft Chromatic Tuner, a Strymon Lex Rotary, a Lehle volume pedal [Volume 90] and a Fulltone [Clyde Standard] wah. I also have a Lehle Little Dual, which allows me to switch between amps without hum.
“From there, I’ve got a Black Volt Amplification [FDR] overdrive, a Way Huge Red Llama overdrive [MkII] and another overdrive, a Free the Tone String Slinger. Then I’ve got a Way Huge Angry Troll Boost [WHE101] and a Strymon Flint [V2], which I use for tremolo and reverb.”
“I use the various overdrives and boosts for solos, not for the entire song. There’s a reason I buy old amps that have tubes, valves and fucking capacitors; they sound great, and they move air. That’s the key.
“You can have all the pedals you want, but the guitar/amp combination makes the sound. Pedals are just some extra paprika.”
If I had to choose one pedal for a full show
“I guess I’d go with the Angry Troll. I like that I can set it to where it gives me a good lift and boost during a solo. It doesn’t have to be overdriven; it just gives a perfect, versatile boost that doesn’t overdo it.”
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Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World, scribes for Rock Candy, Bass Player, Total Guitar, and Classic Rock History. Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm player), Keith Richards, continues to elude him.