Doyle Bramhall 1983

By Shawn Hammond

Chances are, if you recognize the name Doyle Bramhall II, it instantly recalls the 32-year-old guitarist's brushes with musical greats. At age four, Bramhall and his family shared a house with Stevie Ray Vaughan in Austin, Texas. His father, Doyle Bramhall, Sr., played drums in Vaughan's band, co-wrote many of his hits, and was one of his biggest vocal influences. The younger Doyle spent countless hours listening to his dad, Stevie, and Jimmy Vaughan jamming, which eventually led to him joining the Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1989. A couple of years later, he teamed with Austin guitarist Charlie Sexton in the blues-rock band Arc Angels, and then embarked on a solo career that produced 1996's Doyle Bramhall II and 1999's Jellycream.

More recently, Bramhall was handpicked to play and sing David Gilmour's parts on tour with former Pink Floyd-frontman, Roger Waters. If that's not enough, B.B. King and Eric Clapton covered two of his tunes on last year's Riding with the King.

Then Clapton tapped Bramhall's 6-string and songwriting talents for his latest album, Reptile, and invited him to fill the opening slot on the subsequent tour. An impressive resume, to be sure. But what about Bramhall's own music? Many people predicted that Bramhall would step into Stevie Ray Vaughan's shoes and become the next Texas blues king. But Bramhall had no such desire. Staying true to his own vision, he melded his gritty guitar chops with a refreshing soulfulness to create a sound all his own. For his latest album, Welcome [RCA], Bramhall continues in an R&B-flecked vein similar to his previous efforts. However, rejuvenated by a butt-kicking new band -- Smokestack -- and his recent discovery of "the perfect tone," Bramhall has achieved his most compelling musical statement to date.

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Did working with Roger Waters, B.B. King, and Eric Clapton pave the way for Welcome?

Absolutely. When I was writing for Eric, I liked a lot of the songs so much that I wanted to keep them for myself! Roger is an amazing songwriter -- he's one of the great lyricists of our time -- and his arrangements are so great. He would talk to me about my songs, and what he thought my strengths were. The combination of those two experiences really gave me confidence -- because both players are fans of mine -- and I came into the most prolific songwriting period of my life during this record.

How did Clapton and Waters affect your songwriting?

Just being around them rubbed off. "Life" was definitely influenced by Roger. In fact, I wrote it while I was touring with him. I wasn't trying to cop his thing, but when you're playing such great songs as "Time," "Money," "Breathe," "Comfortably Numb," and "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," it's going to rub off -- especially if you're playing them with the man who wrote them. But, overall, those gigs just gave me more self-assurance.

What prompted you to get more guitar-intensive with Welcome, as opposed to Jellycream?

It just sort of evolved that way. We recorded "Cry" first, and the guitar just took off. It was like I got my focus -- not only as a songwriter and a singer, but also as a guitar player -- and I was having fun again for the first time in ages.

How did recording Welcome differ from your previous albums?

Well, I'd been studying the sound of records that I love -- the first two Zeppelin records, Hendrix, the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Marley, and the Chess recordings of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter -- wondering what gave them that sound. I found out those records all have one thing in common -- they were recorded with everyone playing live in the same room with no baffles. For example, I was listening to some outtakes of a Hendrix version of "Red House," and every time the guitar got quiet, I could hear the snare rattling. So a lot of music was leaking into the drum and vocal mics -- and that produces a real unique sound you don't hear much anymore. In order to record live like that, though, you've got to be tight. So we rehearsed for seven weeks beforehand. And even though a lot of the old records that were done that way had overdubbed vocals, we ended up recording everything live because it sounded so fresh and heavy.

Did you improvise your solos?

Yes. There were some solos, like "Send Some Love," where I already had a melody in mind. But others, such as the outro solo on "Thin Dream," were improvised. A lot of times, a solo has to play out a specific melody because it's really important for that song. But it just depends if the song calls for it. For the most part, I just come up with the stuff when I pick up the guitar. Even with the things that I stick to, I don't think I ever play them the same way twice.

How did you get the great acoustic tones on the intro to "Thin Dream"?

I went through about 12 acoustics, but nothing sounded right to me. I had been trying a lot of old Martins that had high actions and weren't intonated very well. I ended up using a Takamine that was extremely easy to play. Then I took another acoustic and tuned it to Nashville tuning -- with the four low strings an octave above standard tuning -- which gives it sort of a 12-string- or mandolin-kind of sound. I played the parts similarly, but not exactly the same, then they were panned hard left and hard right.

That song is nearly nine minutes long and features an extended jam that's a bit of a departure for you.

Because we had rehearsed so much, we had a structure down. But during the first take, it just took off , and we let it carry us. We didn't worry about anything except "this is fun."

What did rhythm guitarist Craig Ross bring to the table?

He has been my writing partner for the last three or four years. And when the band was rehearsing, we were looking for another guitar player who could come in and complement my style while sounding completely different. He ended up playing on every song except "Cry" and "Smokestack." Craig is so great because he listens and adds to everything I play. Like on "Thin Dream," every lick I play he complements by playing something a little different. Then I play off of that. It's really inspiring. We're not greedy in our playing, either -- I want him to play, and I won't step on his toes when he's playing. He's the same with me.

Did you end up doing any overdubs on the album?

The two acoustic parts on "Thin Dream" were overdubs, because I was playing the main part on electric. I had an epic, Zeppelin-like tune in mind. I wanted it to start out acoustically, and then build into this hard song. There were a few more here and there, but my lead vocals weren't overdubbed, and neither were my solos, except the ones on "Rain" and "Soul Shaker."

How about guitar gear?

I've been searching for the perfect tone for years, and I heard that a shop called Norm's Guitars [in Reseda, California] had the only left-handed '60s Strat in the L.A. area. So I went there, and it was a beautiful '64 sunburst Strat -- almost like Buddy Holly's guitar -- with a finish that turns from fiery red and orange right to brown. Then I picked it up, and it was the lightest Strat I've ever felt. The wood must have been really dry before it was painted. Anyway, they also had a 100-watt Marshall 1967 Super Bass head. I plugged the Strat into the Marshall, and it was like, "Wow! That's the sound I've been looking for for years." I bought both of them immediately. It was outrageous how much it cost, but I had to have them. I took them down to the studio to record "Cry," and I thought, "This is it!" I ended up recording the whole record with that guitar and amp.

Which cabinets did you use?

I used a couple of Marshall 4x12s with Celestion Vintage 30s.

What did you use to mic your amps?

I used a Shure SM57, but the reason the guitar sounds so huge is because of my vocal mic. I was directly in front of my amp, and there was a very small baffle in front of it, but the top two speakers were above the baffle, and they were pointed right at my vocal mic. The drums and everything else were coming through my vocal mic. Every time we took it out of the mix, it went back to that normal, dry studio sound. The vocal mic is where all the ambience came from.

How about effects?

I used a Univibe, an Octavia, an Ibanez Tube Screamer, a Vox King Wah, a Fulltone Clyde wah, a Line 6 Delay Modeler, a Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere, and a Fuzz Face --which is my favorite pedal.

What kind of strings and picks do you use?

D'Addario, .011-.054. If I tune down a half step, I use .012s. Sometimes I tune down to C# and use .014-.068 sets. I also use D'Addario heavy picks.

What's your favorite tone on the record?

My solo tone on "Blame" is great, and I felt like I expressed myself really well on that song. I used the Strat, the Marshall, and the Univibe. I also love the tone on the "Thin Dream" solo, which I got with the Fuzz Face.

What's the most important thing guitarists should learn about songwriting?

I don't know if there's anything you can learn. You can perfect what comes naturally to you, but I don't know if you can learn to write good songs or songs with substance. The key is to be emotionally connected to your songs and to convey a message -- even if it's not the most lyrically poetic or heady message. If you're heart isn't connected to the song, it's not worth doing.

Have you noticed a common pitfall among guitarists that keeps them from that?

I think musicians, in general, are so worried about making a song that's three minutes and 30 seconds long and hitting the audience over the head with a chorus first. There are so many overnight successes right now that everybody wants a hit -- a quick fix. There's definitely a flavor-of-the-month thing going on. Clapton gave me some advice. He said to just follow your heart, and if it's good, people are going to come onboard and follow your lead. But you're the only one who has your vision, so don't second-guess it.

What do you think of the current guitar scene?

I don't really listen to guitar players anymore. I don't like a lot of contemporary music, because I don't think it draws from a very deep well. If your only influence is Led Zeppelin, and you don't know who influenced Led Zeppelin, there's not going to be much depth to what you do. If you want to create great music, you have to either shut out everything and create something new, or you have take bits from all kinds of music -- world, jazz, blues, classical, anything. All the great bands did that. The Stones took from classical, blues, country, and traditional music. But now, music is so compartmentalized. It's less musical, and more percussive and angry. I don't think players are really listening to each other, because they're all just pissed off and playing it out.

Who are some of your influences?

I grew up listening to Freddie King, Lightnin' Hopkins, Little Son Jackson, Mance Lipscomb -- a lot of the local Texas blues artists. Here's one that will get you -- I thought John Lennon was a great guitar player. Not many people look at him as a guitar player, but I found him to be really inventive. From a vocal standpoint, I was into Stevie Wonder, Al Green, and Sly Stone. My favorite of all time is Donny Hathaway. When I got into songwriting, I took from all areas -- blues, soul, gospel, R&B. I also borrowed from Jeff Beck and the Beatles.

Having played with SRV, what would you say is the biggest thing that guitarists are overlooking in his playing?

Stevie was one of the greatest players ever, and nobody is ever going to fill that void, so you might as well just get over it and make your own music. There are a lot of cheap imitations out there, and I think they're all missing one thing -- his soul. Stevie was funky. But people are only picking up on the barroom blues and rock licks. They're just interested in hot-rodding. Stevie was a hot-rodder, but he was also a connoisseur of music and a music historian. All these people copying him only know his style, and they take themselves more seriously than he did.

What were the biggest things you learned from the sessions with B.B. King and Eric Clapton?

They inspired me to record Welcome live, because that's how they did their album. It just felt so good to sit around playing and having fun -- "Wow, what a concept. People actually playing in a room together!"

What was the toughest part of the Roger Waters gig?

Having to leave the Ritz Carlton, get off the private jet, and get into a van to do my own tour [laughs].

What inspires you to keep playing guitar year after year?

I'm not the kind of guitar player Stevie was. From the time he was seven until he was 25, he played guitar 12 hours a day. He wanted to be the best, and he became the best. I don't have that kind of patience. What gets me off is being the best songwriter I can be. If I sing, I want my guitar playing to sound like an extension of my voice, or vice versa. My goal is to be a complete artist, not just a guitar player.

Where do you see your playing going in the future?

I don't know. I'm just letting it take me. If I let it happen naturally, it just comes to me -- especially when a challenge is put in front of me, such as being in a room with Eric Clapton and B.B. King, having Eric say, "Okay, you take a solo," and not flubbing it [laughs]. It was a little nerve-wracking to do that in front of two of the greatest living guitarists. The fact that I could do it and not be embarrassed by what I played -- and not overplay or show off -- was a great experience.

From www.guitarplayer.com