Reelin' in the years (elliot Randell)

[adampeter]

Great song Great guitar work, but what guiatr is it playing the lead work. I think i read some where it was a guy called elliot randell. does anybody know what kit he played on that song i just love that tone. I suspect it might be a strat but im probably wrong

[Hamer Player]

Originally posted by adampeter Great song Great guitar work, but what guiatr is it playing the lead work. I think i read some where it was a guy called elliot randell. does anybody know what kit he played on that song i just love that tone. I suspect it might be a strat but im probably wrong

 

Yes that is teh legendary Elliot Randall playing the solo. I'm trying to find some info on his gear on the www...

 

He played a varity of guitars, a Stratocaster is very possible.

[Jim_Soloway]

I don't know what he played on that cut but the guitar he was associated most closely with was a mid-60's Strat.

[Hamer Player]

The Strat

 

It's a 1963 Fender Stratocaster with a 930xx serial number. I bought it used in 1965 from Jimmy's Music Shop on West 48th street (New York's 'Tin Pan Alley'). Originally, the guitar had a sunburst finish.

 

The neck was broken in 1965, after an unfortunate meeting with the trunk of my drummer's Triumph Spitfire. I've always enjoyed the convenience of soft gig bags; this was one instance where the protection of a hard case would have come in handy. So I replaced the neck immediately (I think I had to wait a week or so for delivery of the 'special part' from California) with a 1965 Fender Stratocaster neck. The reason that the headstock doesn't sport the Fender decal is that in 1966 I painted the guitar metalflake silver, and was thorough enough to do the headstock too, covering over the original decal (Ooops). Two years later, I sanded the guitar down to the bare wood you see today, and even though I've had many offers of 'original-style' decals, I've left it bare.

 

The frets have been in place since my last refret of (hold onto your hat-) 1972! I scored some 'invincible' Gibson bass fret wire, and it's still sitting there atop my rosewood. I have to grind and polish the frets every 2 - 5 years. I suspect that one of the reasons the frets have lasted as long as they have is that I use extremely light gauge strings.

 

The string gauges are: E or 1st 009 / B or 2nd 010 / G or 3rd 013 / D or 4th 026 / A or 5th 036 / E or 6th 046. I get my strings from D'Addario. [Note: I find these particular gauges the right ones for this guitar - I use different string combinations for different instruments.]

 

The pickups: The neck pickup is a 1969 Gibson Humbucker (installed in '69 at the Barney Kessel Guitar Shop in L.A.) The middle pickup is a DiMarzio Stacked Humbucker, in since c. 1979. I wouldn't touch my bridge pickup for love nor money. It's the original, and while it may not have the grounding of the humbuckers, boy can it scream! Serious Fender treble.

 

The tremolo arm: What tremolo arm? Around 1968, I decided to secure the spring assembly that allows the bridge to move. I used a block of hardwood as a wedge, and tightened the two large screws 'til they could go no further. For playing music that requires 'the bar' I use a different guitar. (Hey, that rhymes...)

 

Other parts: Most of the hardware (with the exception of the pickguard) has been replaced at least once due to normal wear-and-tear. Wherever possible, I've stayed true to the original parts. These include the machine-head tuning pegs, the individual bridge saddles, the nut, volume and tone controls, and the three-way switch (which I 'pinch' with a pair of pliers, turning it into a five-way switch).

 

It's a very sturdy instrument. In 1977, while touring with the Doobie Brothers, the guitar was run over by a stretch-limo at Teeterboro airport. It was in a gig bag again. Luckily, all that happened was my MXR 'Phase 90' pedal made this big imprint on the surface of the leather case - the guitar was fine!

[Hamer Player]

Al Pepiak interviews Elliott Randall for Guitar Digest

Surfing the web is a strange pastime and yes, I have become addicted. The vast information available and the amount of music related websites are overwhelming. On one such visit to a news group, a name jogged my memory. The exact nature of the response is not important but the person who answered was Elliott Randall.

 

I immediately recognized this name as belonging to the famed New York Studio guitarist. There was a website address printed under his name Almost instantly I went to the website and was pleasantly surprised that it was indeed "the" Elliott Randall.

 

The website contains music clips, pictures, a biography and other interesting data. Since the biography said he was now living in London, I thought a cyber interview may be interesting. I emailed Elliott and received a message that he would be delighted to take part in the process.

 

The task of assembling questions was rather tedious. Although known to many guitarists for his work in Steely Dan, I didn't want the interview to solely focus on this aspect of his vast career. As a result, I developed a rather good cross section, along with a few obligatory Steely Dan questions. Off they went into the nether-lands of cyberspace.

 

I almost immediately received a response that the questions were received, considered good (hey, I've done this before) and answers would be provided in approximately two weeks. So, I waited......sometimes checking my e mail 4 and 5 times a day. ( Yes, I am obsessed, or as my wife puts it "possessed".) After the Long Island guitar show, I came home to a message that Elliot was still in the process of completion, and that he had to take time out to go to a guitar show in New York. Yes, you guessed it. We were at the same event and didn't even see each other. I didn't have to go to London to do the interview. It could have happened in person.

 

Both amazed at this cosmic coincidence, we continued with the cyber-interview process. Elliott was both gracious and exhaustive in his answering of the questions. I'm positive these are his thoughts and words-not those of a publicist. These questions focused on guitar collecting and the current status of studio guitarists.

 

 

 

 

AMP: Your Website features your famed '65 Strat. The instrument is highly altered in the eyes of the vintage guitar market. What is your feeling on the altering of vintage instruments?

 

ER: A lot of 'hardcore' vintage collectors consider an instrument less valuable when it isn't 100 percent 'stock-from-the-factory'. I can understand that. But some collectors go for instruments that have 'histories'. The two factions overlap. Incidentally, the neck on my strat is '65, but the body is '63. (...talk about a mutt!)

 

 

AMP: What is your take on the current status of the vintage guitar market?

 

ER: If you're referring to prices, they sure have gotten higher - but then, so have prices on virtually everything else. I shake my head when I think that I paid $175 for my '63 Strat (used) in '65. But let's face it, that was a long time ago! I think I paid the Barney Kessell Guitar Shop (in L.A.) about $75 to install my front Gibson 'Humbucker' in '69 - that included parts and labor - even routing out the body to accommodate the larger pickup.

 

 

AMP: What other guitars do you own other than the strat and the Brian Moore featured on your website?

 

ER: I have another '63 Strat - a pretty rare one, without the trem assembly; a Fender Jazzmaster (late 60's); a Sears Silvertone with the amp built into the carrying case. Also a fine PRS; an old Guild Starfire III with a Bigsby, which I've had since 1962; a real rockin' Hamer with a metal bar going through the body, designed by Rick Excellente, a telecaster-like Giulano... and some others. My favorite acoustic is my Martin D-28 (early 70's). Oh yes, and my Harmony 'Roy Smeck' ukulele.

 

 

AMP: Do you use or collect any effects? And if so, which do you feel in particular are most useful?

 

ER: Yes, I have loads of vintage effects boxes. I would never give up the Mosrite Fuzztone I got back in 1966. Been through quite a few wah wah pedals... I used to work for Musitronics, and have several Mutron IIIs (the first commercial 'auto-wah' - actually an envelope follower), Mutron Bi-Phases (a unit with two 90 degree phase shifters, which, when ganged together give you the most beautiful figure-8 stereo phase - reminiscent of a Fender Rhodes), and all the Dan Armstrong mini-boxes (Orange Squeezer, Red Ranger, Purple Peaker etc).

 

Then I worked for a while with ElectroHarmonix. So that gave me a good stock of Electric Mistresses, Big Muffs, Memory Man(s), Small Stones, Golden Throats, loads of stuff! They were cheap, they were undependable, but they sounded great - and still do!

 

In the 80's I consulted for Korg, Akai, and Roland, and collected a number of the more modern digital boxes. The two boxes I use most are:

- the Korg PME-1 pedalboard for live appearances. It's analog, a bit noisy, but warm-sounding and responsive to my instruments.

- the Korg A3 digital effects processor for recording work. It will chain as many as six digital effects per patch, and it's a great 'quick-fix' when working within time constraints. Korg hired me to write software for that machine, and consequently, I've got a lovely library of sounds that's quite personal-sounding.

 

 

AMP: What is your feeling on the current stomp box craze and their constantly rising prices?

 

ER: Well, the prices have gone through the roof, haven't they? I guess if you MUST have that sound, and you're willing to pay for it, then go get 'em! That's the comment about price. As for the 'craze' - well, these boxes are only textures / colors for the artist's palette. They don't make you play better, although they can be the source of some interesting inspirations. But on the other hand, they generally don't hide incompetence. I really enjoy hearing them used well, but I border on homicidal when they're abused.

 

 

AMP: I share your affinity for old Fender amps with 10" speakers, and have for years been in vain trying to convince other guitarists of their merits. How would you describe their sound and why you are so passionate about them?

 

ER: It's purely subjective. I find that in many cases, 12 inch speakers can be a bit bottom-heavy, and my playing feels less encumbered with a 'lighter' low-end output. But the next guitarist may tend to favor that tonal area, so it's just a case of different strokes...

 

 

AMP: Are there any others amps that you own or particularly like?

 

ER: My Fender Super Reverb is still an all-time fave. But I use a Marshall Valvestate 80 most of the time now. It's got plenty of power, and a very wide tonal spectrum. The Marshall engineers have made some really high jumps with their technologies over the last eight years. I also use a small (50w) SovTek that I like a lot. In addition, I've been very impressed with some of the high-end 'Class-A-components-all-the way-through' amps. They tend to be very pricey, but the sounds are usually pretty extraordinary.

 

 

AMP: Guitarists mostly associate with your work in Steely Dan, but you have many sessions logged through the years. Is there any one particular session that stands out for you for any reason? Or which one would you consider most memorable?

 

ER: Gee, I can never answer this question by citing just one experience. There have been so many! Obviously, the ones with Walt and Donald are always challenging and exciting, but it sure don't stop there. I'll always get a warm feeling remembering cutting Bobby Darin's last record. We recorded live at Media Sound (a now defunct New York studio - and one of the best ever!) - There were approximately sixty musicians in the big studio. It used to be a church, and it was BIG) - I've done a fair amount of orchestral stuff over the years, but this was just a notch or two above most. He sang live; Charlie Callelo was the arranger, and Bob Crewe produced. Strings, horns, several percussionists, Gordon Edwards on Fender bass and Richard Davis on acoustic bass... I could go on and on... But there are dozens of sessions that I remember just as warmly. And I could get into a whole dissertation on the most memorable live gigs as well, but I'd better save that for the next interview.

 

[Hamer Player]

CR: Would it be fair to say you're best known for playing with Steely Dan?

 

ER: Their success certainly had a lot to do with bringing me into the public eye.

 

 

CR: Jimmy Page is supposed to have said that Reelin' In The Years contains his favourite guitar solo of all time.

 

ER: ...and a wonderful compliment, too!

 

 

CR: Do you consider it your best piece of work, and if so did it ever become an albatross?

 

ER: It's guitar work that I'm very proud of - an albatross, never! But there is a very large body of my playing that I feel is equally interesting. Needless to say, when one plays on thousands of recordings, the law of averages dictates that a very large percentage of that work will never see the light of day.

 

 

CR: Are you still in contact with Becker and Fagen?

 

ER: Oh, yes. In fact, whenever I can, I use their recording studio in New York for my productions - it's a fabulous facility.

 

 

CR: How did you get involved with them?

 

ER: Donald, Walter and I were part of the back-up band for Jay & The Americans. One of the Americans, a fellow named Kenny Vance produced most of the early Steely Dan demos, which Gary Katz then took out to ABC Records in L.A. to make the deal.

 

CR: Which albums did you play on?

 

ER: Can't Buy A Thrill, Katy Lied, and The Royal Scam. (They had asked me to do some playing on Aja, but I wasn't available at the time.)

 

 

CR: Would you like to have played live with them?

 

ER: I did, on a number of occasions in the 'early' days - a number of times in the New York area, and at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.

 

 

CR: Larry Carlton recently complained that Becker and Fagen used to make people play their parts 15 or 20 times before picking the right take. That must have been pretty stressful.

 

ER: No, not at all. That's simply the way they like to work. In fact, I found recording with them to be extremely enjoyable. We always laughed a lot while 'working'.

 

 

CR: Were they hedonistic times?

 

ER: 'The times' in general, yes. In the studio with Donald & Walter, no. It was a very 'serious' endeavor, in that we were always looking to record something 'a cut above' what was popular.

 

 

CR: And how did the SD experience end?

 

ER: It never did :-)

 

[adampeter]

Thats me sortred then, thanks for the help

[John S. Shinal]

 

Originally posted by adampeter Great song Great guitar work, but what guiatr is it playing the lead work. I think i read some where it was a guy called elliot randell. does anybody know what kit he played on that song i just love that tone. I suspect it might be a strat but im probably wrong

 

 

The version I heard was that the Strat went through an Ampeg SVT bass amp (!!!) that was cranked to extreme levels to get the distortion sound.

 

I've always thought it was a rather nasty bubbly sort of sound, not at all what I'd normally call "good", but it does in fact work very, very well in that song. The low notes seem to sizzle and smear and gargle too much, but it fits the searing feel of the solos. The big bend that opens that last solo is the opposite - that's a very smooth distortion sound, and is a very emotional phrase that carries the coda's boisterous feel to conclusion.

 

Sometimes the "wrong" tone is the best, I guess.