Post by cofi on Mar 2, 2007 23:46:46 GMT
Here is an interview with Warren Haynes, in Ultimate-guitar.com,
www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/warren _haynes_doing_whats_in_my_heart.html
Warren Haynes is one of the hardest working guys in the music business. As a fully paid up member of legendary Southern rock exponents, The Allman Brothers Band as well as his own Gov’t Mule, Haynes is never one to rest on his laurels. Instead, he continues to record and tour year in and year out.
“Well it’s all work that I love so much. And that makes everything
a lot easier” answered Haynes when asked how he coped with having such a hectic playing career. It is a statement that also underpins much of Haynes’ impassioned playing and down to earth persona. In this exclusive interview with Joe Matera, Haynes discusses working with the Allman Brothers Band, his huge love for Les Pauls and the secret to his success.
Ultimate-Guitar: First up, The Allman Brothers Band are about to go out on the road for a handful of shows?
Warren Haynes: Yeah we do a run of shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City every March and this year will be no exception. There is going to be around 13 shows over a three week period. We’ll be recording every night and I think there is going to be some sort of web cast involved this year as well.
Was it an easy transition for you when you first joined the Allmans or was there a lot of pressure on you since you were filling some big shoes?
Though I joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1989, I had a very big initiation period with Dickey Betts where I played in his band for three years prior to joining the Allman Brothers. I’m sure that made it much easier for me than just going straight into the Allman Brothers Band. Dickey and I were able to forge a relationship, musically speaking, over the three year period that was very valuable. That had a lot to do with how good the Allman Brothers sounded in 1989 because Dickey and I had spent three years honing in our guitar tandem. And it also helped me to not feel so intimidated. I was playing some of the same music with Dickey in smaller places, so it was a very good buffer zone for me to be in. Unlike Allen Woody who just auditioned and the very next day was in the Allman Brothers Band. That would have been much harder.
You’ve been credited with actually putting back the fire into the band. How do you feel about that statement?
That’s not an easy question to answer. I think Allen Woody deserves a lot of credit as well. The bass player doesn’t always seem to get the credit that the guitar player gets in a situation like that. And I think Allen being a very aggressive bass player, in a similar way to Berry Oakley, had a lot to do with the way the band sounded when it reformed in 1989 as well. And of course, the original members of the Allman Brothers had the insight to kind of let these things happen and let everybody be themselves. A band like the Allman Brothers that depends on chemistry and depends on improvisation can’t afford to bring in people that aren’t going to interject their own personalities. So I think picking the right people and letting them do what they do was very important.
While the late great Duane Allman was using a lot of open tunings you utilize a lot of standard tunings when it comes to bottleneck and slide, why?
When I first started playing slide I learned how to play in open E but I didn’t study it very intently. Then for some reason, I started concentrating on playing in standard tuning and I felt like it allowed me to have more of my own voice. It allowed me to think just one note at a time and to not be trapped inside the parameters of an open tuning. Maybe subconsciously, it had to do with sounding less like Duane, I don’t know as I’ve never thought of it that way. I think it was more of a search for me to just to find my own voice and style.
How does the songwriting process in the Allman Brothers differ from that in Gov’t Mule?
It’s always nice to have a vehicle to write for. In a situation like the Allman Brothers, if there is an Allman Brothers record pending, then Gregg and I will write songs for the Allman Brothers where we’re thinking about and writing in accordance with the strengths of the band. Conjuring up a musical image of what the band sounds like and can’t sound like, helps you have something to write for. In the same way that Dickey Betts and I wrote songs together, we always had the sound of the band in mind when writing. Of course the same happens in Gov’t Mule as well when it comes time for us to make a record. I’ll be thinking more about the type of songs I’ve already written and what’s missing and what type of songs are needed to complete the overall picture. But that’s one approach. Sometimes I do a lot of writing where I’m just writing for the song and not worrying about it until after the fact where then I decide what band it might work in or not. I tend to have an abundance of singer-songwriter type songs laying around that need a home and gradually they tend to get recorded in some form or another, so every situation is different.
What about the mindset with either band, is it hard for you to put yourself into a frame of mind with each respective band?
It actually happens much more naturally. As soon as I go from one project to the other, a natural change happens almost automatically. I think it’s most important that you respond to the people around you as what ever is going around in your environment will influence what you play and how you play it. And though in each band I take a little different approach by taking different equipment, different guitars and amps with me, I think it has more to do with the other musicians. The way I play tends to be a response to who I’m playing with.
Lets’ talk gear, first up when it comes to guitars you very much favor Gibson Les Pauls?
Yes, Gibson Les Pauls are probably my main guitars and have been for quite some time. In the studio, I mainly use a 1961 ES-335 and my 1958 Les Paul Reissue. I also have a variety of Firebirds too, some vintage, some new custom shop ones. Some of the Firebirds are non-reverse while others are normal Firebirds. A lot of times in Gov’t Mule, I’ll tune the Firebird down a half-step. A lot of the songs on our newest record High & Mighty were recorded that way and performed that way live too.
You have a signature model Les Paul in the works?
Yeah it’s going to be launched sometime this year. The guitar will be based on a 1958 reissue and the differences in the signature model to a normal guitar include the pickups; BurstBuckers that are fitted in the neck position and in the treble position. It’ll have a Tone Pros bridge that I have on all my guitars too. The main feature that will be most unique about the signature guitar is in the circuitry which was designed by Peter Miller and John Cutler, both of whom used to do a lot of work for Jerry Garcia. It’s an active circuitry that allows you to have the option of turning the volume control without the tone changing if that’s what you prefer. Or if the circuitry is not engaged, the volume pot will act like a normal volume pot where the tone gets duller as you turn down, thus giving the guitarist a lot of different options.
Your guitar tone has an almost lyrical quality to it. Is that due to the fact that before you picked up the guitar you had started out singing?
I would think so. I was always drawn to guitar players that were singing through their instruments. And musicians in general any instrumentalist that was singing through his instrument always appealed to because I was in love with singers before I started being in love with instrumentalists.
What about when it comes to amplifiers, what do you use?
The three main amplifiers that I tend to use are a Cesar Diaz CD-100 which was custom built for me by Cesar Diaz. There is a similar commercial model available, a Warren Haynes model that is similar but not exactly the same. I use those onstage live as well. I also use a Soldano SLO-100 which has been modified by Mike Soldano. In the Allman Brothers sometimes, I use a reissue Marshall Plexi. And between those three amps, usually two of them are switching A/B back and forth but never at the same time.
Do you like to experiment in the studio when searching for a guitar sound?
Yeah the main thing we experimented with on the new Gov’t Mule record was in using different guitars for almost every song. As well as we came up with an amplifier combination that seemed to work really well; the Cesar Diaz and the SLO-100 both through a 4X12 cabinet in different rooms. We combined that with a little Fender Pro Junior that was in the room with me, and positioned very close to the guitar so I could get some sort of proximity effect. Then we blended the sounds of all three of those amps together for virtually every tone on the record. So because of that, every song seemed to cry out for a different guitar. We probably recorded eight songs before I even picked up my main les Paul which is very rare for me because that’s the guitar I play the most. But I was really happy with all the sounds we eventually got. So over the course of all the sessions, I played like ten different guitars, something that was really new for me.
While some other artists would shy away from incorporating any sort of cover songs into their sets, you’re never been afraid to add them into your performances?
For bands like us, we play a long time. We play for two and half hours so it’s okay and very welcomed in our eyes and the audiences eyes to pull out a cool cover in the course of a long show.
So what has this year got in store for Gov’t Mule?
We recently found a very nice audience in Europe that we didn’t know existed so we’re going to keep working on that and will be going overseas a few times this year. We’ll go to Europe at least twice this year. The new record High & Mighty is getting really good critical acclaim in Europe and we’re excited about that. We’ve toured a lot in the States and we’re going to continue to do that. But we did like 108 Gov’t Mule shows last year so we’re going to take short break first and then regroup and get back to it as we still have a lot of promotion to do on the new record.
What do you think has been the secret to sustaining a successful career in such a tough business?
All the good things that have happened to me career wise, I think has happened as a result of just doing what’s in my heart and not trying to compromise and second guess the market place. I’ve been very fortunate that way. For any musician who wants to have a career and not just for a short period of time when they’re in demand, then they’ve got to just do what they do and do it the best that they can. That’s really all you can do.
Taken from Ultimate-guitar.com
Thanks
www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/warren _haynes_doing_whats_in_my_heart.html
Warren Haynes is one of the hardest working guys in the music business. As a fully paid up member of legendary Southern rock exponents, The Allman Brothers Band as well as his own Gov’t Mule, Haynes is never one to rest on his laurels. Instead, he continues to record and tour year in and year out.
“Well it’s all work that I love so much. And that makes everything
a lot easier” answered Haynes when asked how he coped with having such a hectic playing career. It is a statement that also underpins much of Haynes’ impassioned playing and down to earth persona. In this exclusive interview with Joe Matera, Haynes discusses working with the Allman Brothers Band, his huge love for Les Pauls and the secret to his success.
Ultimate-Guitar: First up, The Allman Brothers Band are about to go out on the road for a handful of shows?
Warren Haynes: Yeah we do a run of shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City every March and this year will be no exception. There is going to be around 13 shows over a three week period. We’ll be recording every night and I think there is going to be some sort of web cast involved this year as well.
Was it an easy transition for you when you first joined the Allmans or was there a lot of pressure on you since you were filling some big shoes?
Though I joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1989, I had a very big initiation period with Dickey Betts where I played in his band for three years prior to joining the Allman Brothers. I’m sure that made it much easier for me than just going straight into the Allman Brothers Band. Dickey and I were able to forge a relationship, musically speaking, over the three year period that was very valuable. That had a lot to do with how good the Allman Brothers sounded in 1989 because Dickey and I had spent three years honing in our guitar tandem. And it also helped me to not feel so intimidated. I was playing some of the same music with Dickey in smaller places, so it was a very good buffer zone for me to be in. Unlike Allen Woody who just auditioned and the very next day was in the Allman Brothers Band. That would have been much harder.
You’ve been credited with actually putting back the fire into the band. How do you feel about that statement?
That’s not an easy question to answer. I think Allen Woody deserves a lot of credit as well. The bass player doesn’t always seem to get the credit that the guitar player gets in a situation like that. And I think Allen being a very aggressive bass player, in a similar way to Berry Oakley, had a lot to do with the way the band sounded when it reformed in 1989 as well. And of course, the original members of the Allman Brothers had the insight to kind of let these things happen and let everybody be themselves. A band like the Allman Brothers that depends on chemistry and depends on improvisation can’t afford to bring in people that aren’t going to interject their own personalities. So I think picking the right people and letting them do what they do was very important.
While the late great Duane Allman was using a lot of open tunings you utilize a lot of standard tunings when it comes to bottleneck and slide, why?
When I first started playing slide I learned how to play in open E but I didn’t study it very intently. Then for some reason, I started concentrating on playing in standard tuning and I felt like it allowed me to have more of my own voice. It allowed me to think just one note at a time and to not be trapped inside the parameters of an open tuning. Maybe subconsciously, it had to do with sounding less like Duane, I don’t know as I’ve never thought of it that way. I think it was more of a search for me to just to find my own voice and style.
How does the songwriting process in the Allman Brothers differ from that in Gov’t Mule?
It’s always nice to have a vehicle to write for. In a situation like the Allman Brothers, if there is an Allman Brothers record pending, then Gregg and I will write songs for the Allman Brothers where we’re thinking about and writing in accordance with the strengths of the band. Conjuring up a musical image of what the band sounds like and can’t sound like, helps you have something to write for. In the same way that Dickey Betts and I wrote songs together, we always had the sound of the band in mind when writing. Of course the same happens in Gov’t Mule as well when it comes time for us to make a record. I’ll be thinking more about the type of songs I’ve already written and what’s missing and what type of songs are needed to complete the overall picture. But that’s one approach. Sometimes I do a lot of writing where I’m just writing for the song and not worrying about it until after the fact where then I decide what band it might work in or not. I tend to have an abundance of singer-songwriter type songs laying around that need a home and gradually they tend to get recorded in some form or another, so every situation is different.
What about the mindset with either band, is it hard for you to put yourself into a frame of mind with each respective band?
It actually happens much more naturally. As soon as I go from one project to the other, a natural change happens almost automatically. I think it’s most important that you respond to the people around you as what ever is going around in your environment will influence what you play and how you play it. And though in each band I take a little different approach by taking different equipment, different guitars and amps with me, I think it has more to do with the other musicians. The way I play tends to be a response to who I’m playing with.
Lets’ talk gear, first up when it comes to guitars you very much favor Gibson Les Pauls?
Yes, Gibson Les Pauls are probably my main guitars and have been for quite some time. In the studio, I mainly use a 1961 ES-335 and my 1958 Les Paul Reissue. I also have a variety of Firebirds too, some vintage, some new custom shop ones. Some of the Firebirds are non-reverse while others are normal Firebirds. A lot of times in Gov’t Mule, I’ll tune the Firebird down a half-step. A lot of the songs on our newest record High & Mighty were recorded that way and performed that way live too.
You have a signature model Les Paul in the works?
Yeah it’s going to be launched sometime this year. The guitar will be based on a 1958 reissue and the differences in the signature model to a normal guitar include the pickups; BurstBuckers that are fitted in the neck position and in the treble position. It’ll have a Tone Pros bridge that I have on all my guitars too. The main feature that will be most unique about the signature guitar is in the circuitry which was designed by Peter Miller and John Cutler, both of whom used to do a lot of work for Jerry Garcia. It’s an active circuitry that allows you to have the option of turning the volume control without the tone changing if that’s what you prefer. Or if the circuitry is not engaged, the volume pot will act like a normal volume pot where the tone gets duller as you turn down, thus giving the guitarist a lot of different options.
Your guitar tone has an almost lyrical quality to it. Is that due to the fact that before you picked up the guitar you had started out singing?
I would think so. I was always drawn to guitar players that were singing through their instruments. And musicians in general any instrumentalist that was singing through his instrument always appealed to because I was in love with singers before I started being in love with instrumentalists.
What about when it comes to amplifiers, what do you use?
The three main amplifiers that I tend to use are a Cesar Diaz CD-100 which was custom built for me by Cesar Diaz. There is a similar commercial model available, a Warren Haynes model that is similar but not exactly the same. I use those onstage live as well. I also use a Soldano SLO-100 which has been modified by Mike Soldano. In the Allman Brothers sometimes, I use a reissue Marshall Plexi. And between those three amps, usually two of them are switching A/B back and forth but never at the same time.
Do you like to experiment in the studio when searching for a guitar sound?
Yeah the main thing we experimented with on the new Gov’t Mule record was in using different guitars for almost every song. As well as we came up with an amplifier combination that seemed to work really well; the Cesar Diaz and the SLO-100 both through a 4X12 cabinet in different rooms. We combined that with a little Fender Pro Junior that was in the room with me, and positioned very close to the guitar so I could get some sort of proximity effect. Then we blended the sounds of all three of those amps together for virtually every tone on the record. So because of that, every song seemed to cry out for a different guitar. We probably recorded eight songs before I even picked up my main les Paul which is very rare for me because that’s the guitar I play the most. But I was really happy with all the sounds we eventually got. So over the course of all the sessions, I played like ten different guitars, something that was really new for me.
While some other artists would shy away from incorporating any sort of cover songs into their sets, you’re never been afraid to add them into your performances?
For bands like us, we play a long time. We play for two and half hours so it’s okay and very welcomed in our eyes and the audiences eyes to pull out a cool cover in the course of a long show.
So what has this year got in store for Gov’t Mule?
We recently found a very nice audience in Europe that we didn’t know existed so we’re going to keep working on that and will be going overseas a few times this year. We’ll go to Europe at least twice this year. The new record High & Mighty is getting really good critical acclaim in Europe and we’re excited about that. We’ve toured a lot in the States and we’re going to continue to do that. But we did like 108 Gov’t Mule shows last year so we’re going to take short break first and then regroup and get back to it as we still have a lot of promotion to do on the new record.
What do you think has been the secret to sustaining a successful career in such a tough business?
All the good things that have happened to me career wise, I think has happened as a result of just doing what’s in my heart and not trying to compromise and second guess the market place. I’ve been very fortunate that way. For any musician who wants to have a career and not just for a short period of time when they’re in demand, then they’ve got to just do what they do and do it the best that they can. That’s really all you can do.
Taken from Ultimate-guitar.com
Thanks
