Magazine article - Guitar Player 1987
ROBBIN CROSBY by Jas Obrecht – from Guitar Player / April 1987
Gentle Giant Robbin Crosby, 26, took up guitar in his youth, and then abandoned it in favor of sports. Influenced by Billy Gibbons and Jimi Hendrix, he returned to the instrument in the mid 70’s. His bluesy lines, side-of-the-pick harmonics, and wild vibrato antics are a cornerstone of Ratt’s sound.
Is there much give-and-take involved with being in a two-guitar band?
Yeah, but it certainly has never been a problem for us. We have always known who should do what when, and we have never fought over a solo or anything like that. On Out Of The Cellar I was probably trying to play faster, sort of competing with Warren a little bit, whereas on the last two records we’ve both found ourselves and our places within the band.
Are you comfortable with your role?
Oh, definitely.
What’s your approach to writing songs with other Ratts?
Usually either Stephen or myself will come up with the initial riff on guitar, and then we take it through the assembly line from there. Sometimes we have new ideas we can Tinker Toy together with other songs from the past, or sometimes a whole song will be created new on the spot. Stephen is a pretty good guitarist, so he comes up with some of the initial riffs. Warren and myself come up with them, too. That’s why we have all the multiple songwriting credits.
Onstage, who do you listen to for cues?
Bobby and I work together totally. I listen to the drums only. The biggest appeal of working with Juan and Bobby is the fact that they have been playing together forever and a day. They really know each other’s style, which is a lot better than having a bass player that goes do, do, do, do, and a drummer that goes boom-shoo-bop, bup, bup, bup. We got a good punchy live sound because they really know how to work together. A lot of rock rhythm sections are a little but too simple. Not that we do anything mindblowing, but it just really locks in.
“Warren is really flashy with his new style, and I’m concentrating on keeping that big groove.”
Do you ever have trouble hearing the bass?
No, I stand right next to him (laughs), so I don’t. The only time I really notice Juan is when his gear goes down or he drops a note or something, and then I really feel how much you rely on that. When it’s just guitar and drums, the whole bottom end drops out.
What’s the best way to get a good guitar sound on record?
Go back to basics. At first we tried plugging everything into everything, and running it through this, that, and the other. On Dancing Undercover we went through about 20 Marshall heads and as many old bottoms as we had. We tried vintage Celestions, the 30 watts, and Electro-Voices. Finally we came up with three or four good amps and really only one cabinet—an old, beat up funky Marshall with 25-watt Celestions. It just has that twang to it, that classic Marshall sound. So rather than the high-tech stuff, we both plugged straight into a good little Marshall amp for most of the album. We didn’t over-process, over-equalize, or do anything to it.
Do you use many effects?
In the studio, not really – we use a little bit of echo. On the new record it’s basically dry. Live, I sometimes use a little bit of echo and chorusing, and that’s about it. The echo is from a Lexington PCM-42, and the chorus is from a Yamaha SPX90. I’ve got one side of the SPX90 going down slightly and the other side going up, so it’s full stereo imaging. I used to use the PCM-42 for chorus, and it just had that whoosh-whoosh sound, so this is definitely preferable.
Are you a guitar collector?
I own a lot of guitars, but only a few that are of any value. My ’58 Gibson Flying V is my pride and joy; I got that last year. I just bought a left-handed, candy-apple-red ’62 Strat from [drummer] Bun E.Carlos of Cheap Trick, who got it from Elliott Easton of the Cars. It’s a real nice guitar. I’ve got a real nice white Gibson Firebird VII that I used in the “Dance” video, and a clear Dan Armstrong guitar. My other guitars are Jacksons, a few Guild acoustics, and some Gibsons that I’ve either picked up or they’ve made for me. I had them make a couple of Firebirds with Floyd Roses and humbuckings, and I’ve got a Les Paul reissue.
Which do you use for recording?
I use the same guitar that I use live. In the past and on this record, it’s always been the Jackson. I used to prefer my red Flying-V shaped one, but I switched over to the Firebird-style body. For some reason, it just sounds a whole lot better. I use Seymour Duncan’s Allan Holdsworth pickup, but they don’t make it anymore. It’s got a double row of screws in it. If I can’t get those, I use a regular Jeff Beck model.
Do you have other special requirements for your guitars?
In the past I leaned towards wide necks, just for the spread of the strings. But my new guitars have a little more standard neck size, and I think that I play them better. I don’t mind if a neck is a little bit flat, as long as it’s wide enough. I don’t like my action too low, and I only use Floyd Rose whammies. The Kahler is too flimsy for me. I tend to be a bit of an animal on stage, and I also rest my hand on the bridge sometimes, so I can’t really have it floating. I have the Floyds butted down so they can’t go up.
Can you describe how you attack the whammy in your “Drive Me Crazy” solo from Dancing Undercover?
It starts with a regular stretch and I pull-off on the G string between the 12th and the 14th frets. I pull the bar back and forth with the motion of the string.
Did you multi-track part of that solo?
Yeah, the part that sounds like harmony. But we didn’t mix it for harmony sound; we just wanted to give it some texture because live I just do it myself. We didn’t want to break there for a double guitar solo, because the song is so pumping. At that point you don’t want to lose that rhythm guitar sound.
Do you open your “Looking For Love” solo with side-of–the–pick harmonics?
Yeah. As a matter of fact, I listened and listened to that rhythm progression, and I thought of a lot of ways of approaching it. But that technique---striking the note and having it really count---just seemed to fit the opening best.
Dancing Undercover’s liner notes spell out who plays which solo on the LP. What are your best solos on earlier releases?
On Out of the Cellar, “Wanted Man”--- Warren does the first half and I come in when it changes the key to E. I also play the solos on “She Wants Money,” “Scene of the Crime,” and “Lack of Communication,” which is total Gibbons city [laughs]. “I’m insane” is split up: He does the fingering and I do the wang-bar noise. On Invasion Of Your Privacy I solo in “Never Use Love” and “What You Give is What You Get.” “Closer To My Heart” is all mine---the intro, the acoustic, all that stuff. In “You Should Know By Now,” I do the intro and the out, and we split the middle solos which come together for a harmony. I did more soloing on Invasion than on anything we have ever done before. I think that’s why I took a back seat to Warren on the new record, which doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, a couple more of the solos----as always with us---were intended for me, but I went in and said, “Know what? He can do this better.” And he did. I don’t have a problem with that.
Do you and Warren swap parts or stretch out certain solos in concert?
No, we always try to do things as close to the record as possible. So whoever did it on the record always does it live. I definitely try to do the same solo.
When do you play your best?
Live and when I’m in a good mood. When things are right, I don’t even feel like I’m standing on my own two feet. When the crowd is happening and we’re rocking, I get to smoking. Sometimes when I’m sick or feel the presence of the stage, it’s almost like a weight. That’s the only time I feel hindered. I like playing in the studio because I can take it over [laughs]. For me, once I get a part the way I want it in the studio, that’s the way I do it live, because that’s what I hear.
Do you differentiate between practicing and warming up?
For me, warming up is warming up, and practicing is really songwriting. Like if I just want to blow some chops to keep my licks up, that’s swell. I’ll do that at home. Otherwise, I’ll sit down to create something. Before the show I just sort of have at it---a little bit of everything, just to loosen up my fingers.
Does the band ever jam before a show?
Yeah, but not a whole lot. A little bit of blues or boogie or something..
What would you most like to improve about your playing?
I would like to have it so that people would say when they hear it, “Hey, that’s Robbin Crosby.” I suppose every guitarist wants that. I can stand to work on my technique. I tend to let my slowhand side dominate, which is probably just out of laziness. Plus, Warren is so hot and flashy with his new style that it would be silly for me to try to do that. We have got the best of both worlds. I’m trying to concentrate on keeping that big groove, sort of Gibbonsy-with-a-twist type sound. I mean, if we both played like him or me, we’d be boring. Most bands that have two “guitar player” guitarists---God, that gets old. Two Yngwie Malmsteens in a band or something---can you imagine?
Do you sense competition among hard rock guitarists?
Between myself and the rest of the world? Absolutely not. I have removed myself from the competition. I refuse to compete. I play the way I play because I like it and I want to. A lot of these hotshot guys think, “I’m better than he is.” Where the hell is that at? These rock pukes don’t impress me.
Is being a good musician enough to make it these days?
I would have to say no. We all know that there are plenty of hot musicians out there not working, so there’s got to be another element. I can’t put my finger on what it is though. If I could, I’d set up a patent. These days you have to be a recording artist, a live performer, and a performer in the sense of videos. You have to be a persona more now than in the past.
How does the reality of life in big-time rock stack up to MTV images?
Any real musician would tell you that that’s all pretty much bullshit. When you are on tour, you can’t party all the time and stay up all night screwing or whatever they think we do, and then perform at your best the next day. From that respect, it definitely is different from the glorified MTV portrayal. But it’s not disillusioning for us at all; we are doing what we want to do.
What advice can you offer aspiring guitarists?
First of all, they should be doing it for the right reasons, and not because they want to get laid, or whatever they think it’s gonna be like. Make sure you’re doing it because you like the art. Keep at it. If your heart is in the right place, you’ll end up in the right place. I truly believe that. Like Warren and myself, we never wanted anything else; this was not a second choice. So if you work hard and your heart’s in it, you’ll get there, too.
Have you done much playing outside of Ratt?
No. We don’t have time to turn around. We are basically always on tour or recording. This year was the first time we really ever had a break. I had about eight weeks off, and my guitar was not the first thing on my mind. It’s good to take a break from it for a while sometimes, because otherwise you stagnate. Sometimes I get inspired by seeing a player who has something different or new to offer. I saw a guy like that last year in a seedy little blues bar in Chicago. I believe his name was Dion Payton, and I couldn’t believe the way the guy played. Man, this guy was smokin’. I talked to him for a while and then talked to a record company, but it was like beating a dead horse. Blues records---they’re just not interested. As far as pro guys go, Steve Vai is certainly a monster. I like Steve Stevens a lot, too. He doesn’t show off too much, but he can do it. Great guy, too.
What would you like to accomplish?
I just want longevity for the group. Whatever course we take will always be rock and roll. I’d like to see the band grow with it’s fans and be around to entertain for a long time.