Pat Travers
Rock Guitar Powerhouse

By Jas Obrecht

FROM THE OPENING notes of his first album to the screaming twin-guitar T finale of the recent Go For What You Know LP, one characteristic of Pat Travers's music has remained unchanged: The guitar reigns supreme. During the mid-';70's, while many rock and roll axemen were retrying old licks or struggling to rekindle the spark of the late-'60s, Travers was busy fronting a power trio, refining his spontaneous go-for broke leads and highly developed rhythm style, and experimenting with blends of new effects. Today he can make his strings sing with joyous legatos, jump in tightly fused rhythms, or cry with bent notes packed with enough blues to stop a dawn. And with the addition of Pat Thrall, a brilliant player in his own right, the Pat Travers Band can now boast of having one of the best dual guitar teams in rock and roll.

The Pat Travers story begins in eastern Canada, shifts across the Atlantic to London, and finally settles on the stages of the largest venues in America, Pat was born on April 12, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario. A year after he picked up his first guitar at age 12, he witnessed Jimi Hendrix [[GP, Sept.'75] perform in Ottawa. During his teen years Pat fronted his own band, playing dance and rock music in French clubs around Quebec. Some of the gigs, he remembers, were less than easy: "One place was so tough that even the police were afraid to go in there. We played seven nights a week, five 40-minute sets. We did have one day off when the place caught fire." By the time he was IS, he had begun teaching himself drums and keyboards.

One night, while playing the Nickelodeon club in Toronto, Travers was spotted by Ronnie Hawkins, one of the original '50s rock and rollers. Soon afterwards, Pat quit the Ottawa-based French group he was in, Merge, to go on the road with Hawkins. He spent the next year with him, playing rockabilly, country music, and old rock and roll standards. The gig gave him the chance to improve his playing and develop his singing voice.

Early in 1975 Travers took stock of his life and decided to leave Canada. Just 20 years old, he had already played in bars for more than five years. He traded in the tuxedo and tie that was part of the Hawkins routine and flew to England; the decision proved to be a fortuitous turning point in his career. A benefactor provided him with a Marshall amp, a wah-wah pedal, and a few hours of studio time. Travers put together a demo tape of some non-original material and began making the rounds of record companies. He hooked up with David Hemmings, his current manager, and signed a recording contract with Polydor. With Peter "Mars" Cowling (who has been his close friend and bassist throughout his recording career) and drummer Roy Dyke, he formed a power trio. Pat recorded his debut album, Pal Travers, in April 1976. In addition to lively covers of the classics "Hot Rod Lincoln" and "Maybellene," the album also included five Travers originals, including his show closer, "Makes No Difference." Even during his first tour in support of an album, Pat managed to establish the easy rapport that characterizes his relationship with his audiences. Clad in a jump suit bedecked with a maple leaf, he frequently appeared onstage barefoot.

Makin' Magic LP and went on their first headlining tour of the United Kingdom, Pal recorded one more album in England, Put ting It Straight, before moving to the U.S If, as the Chinese proverb says, a picture is worth a thousand words, then the before and-after jacket photos on the Putting h Straight album speak volumes. On the front cover Travers, standing in an office in front of enough equipment to make the neighbors two blocks over call the cops, appears ready to strike a chord as a bespectacled, cigar chomping, "Kid, I could make you a star" type music mogul looks on with a bored expression. In the back photo the office is totally trashed. The mogul, clutching the remains of a broken teacup and what was once a cigar, stares in disbelief through shattered lenses as Pat steps out of the frame with a cocky thumbs-up pose. Such is the power of Travers-style rock and roll.

In autumn 1976 Dyke was replaced by Nice McBrain. The band recorded the In 1978 Travers finally found in Pat Thrall a guitarist capable of adding a new dimension to the group. He also replaced McBrain with Tommy Aldridge, who had drummed with Black Oak Arkansas. With this lineup he made Heat In the Street and the recent live album, Go For What You Know. Recorded in Florida (the band's current home base) and Texas, Go For Far What You Know finds Travers and Thrall tossing riffs back and forth as if they had been doing it all their lives. Unquestionably, the marriage of their guitars was one made in heaven.

Aside from being an exceptionally gifted rhythm player and an expert lead guitarist (despite his claims to the contrary, he can be very fast), Pat Travers is also a talented songwriter and arranger. With each successive album he has featured an increasing number of original cuts. On Go For What You Know the compositions range from "Stevie" a piece of brotherly advice set to a haunting melody, to the autobiographical "Hooked On Music" and the no-holds barred call for individual freedom of "Makes No Difference."

How do you compose songs?

It varies. Usually what I do is come up with a riff or a section of chords, or even a kind of rhythm or sound, and 1'11 put that down on tape on my Teac and sort of add ideas, experiment with things. A lot of the tunes that we do are very difficult to play and sing at the same time, so I have to disassociate myself from the rhythm or the riff and just be the vocalist, so when they're down on tape I can hear them in different ways.

Do you usually do the music first?

More or less. There are very few things I have written the lyrics for right away, like "Dedication" [Putting It Straight] and 'Stevie" [Makin' Magic and Go For What You Know], which was written for my little brother. I usually just write as I go along. For some of the new material we've done, I just came in and played a progression on the organ. Pat Thrall and 1 were together at the time, and he plays drums, so we put it down on tape. I immediately grabbed a mike and started jamming vocally along with it, and the whole thing came together in like 15 minutes. I have no real set way. I wish I did; it would sure make it easier because it's frustrating when you lose that creative thing.

Can you just sit down and be creative or are most of your ideas the result of sudden inspiration?

Most of the time it's just spontaneous. I'11 get an idea and I'11 go for it, or I'll get an idea and store it for a while, come back to it later, and be able to approach it in a totally different way.

Do hooks ever come to you when you don't have a guitar in hand?

Sometimes, I dream. You know, I'11 wake up after having a dream of something really  really neat.  Luckily, my manager gave me one of those portable dictating things, and if I've got a line I'll shout things into that. Not only that, 1 have a really good memory. 1 can remember things for months and months. I write very few things down.

Was the guitar your first instrument?

Yeah. because it was the most accessible.

When did you get into playing key boards and drums?

Oh. I guess when I was about 15. I've always dabbled on both because I get bored with the guitar.

Do you play bass. too?

Yeah. I'm not a very good bass player, but I do have a different style. I just like to do everything. I'm into the production side of things. And I'm also looking forward to producing other artists; you know. getting capable enough in the studio where I could do that.

What made you decide to start playing?

I guess the first time I saw the Beatles and the Rolling Stones on the Ed Sullivan Show--the excitement. That whole thing of being special appealed to me. I wanted to be respected as a musician. In fact, I've been a professional since I was 14. I always had faith in myself. 1 knew I was good.

What music were you listening to as a kid?

Everything, everybody. I was into all the guitar players, but 1 listened to all the other bands, too. My influences are nobody in particular and everybody in general.

You saw Jimi Hendrix when you were young.

When I was very young--I was 13. It probably had some effect on me because it was very awe-inspiring. I don't even remember the show that much. It was in Ottawa, believe it or not, of all places. He actually played there. He was so cool.

When did you start playing guitar?

When 1 was 12 I got my first guitar, which my uncle gave me, and an easy guitar method book. I learned all the notes on the guitar, a few basic chords. and this and that. I'm not really super technical. I know a lot about music--timing, modulations, voice. and things like that. When it comes to super technique on the guitar, I've always been more spontaneous than anything else. I come up with my best things just like if they were just laid on me and 1 haven't had time to think about them.

Did you start with an acoustic?

For a very brief period of time. I got a Gibson Les Paul just after my fifteenth birthday. It was one of the ones they reissued in 1968.

Did you spend a lot of time practicing?

No. See, I'm not one to practice all the time. What I do is sit down once every three or four months for two weeks and just do stupid scale things or things that are difficult, even if they don't sound neat--just things that are difficult to play. I use the electric guitar for sounds and for sustain. A lot of what people dig about my playing is just purely on a sound level--making the guitar have some cadence or whatever. making it speak or sing. I'm not a fast player by any stretch of the imagination.

What was your first band?

Red Hot. We started out when I was 15. We played high schools and church basements. Then we went into the clubs around Quebec and Ontario. I played in the bars for about four or five years. We were just doing cover versions of other people's tunes, and I was backing up strippers and country and western players, getting drunk every night and doing a lot of speed. This kind of work just gave me the stamina: If you play that often you just can't help but be good.

Did you gig every night?

Gigged every night, five sets. It was crazy. But then I hooked up with Ronnie Hawkins and played rockabilly, early rock and roll music, and some country and western. Did that for a year. After I played with him I took stock of my life and where I was at. I was 20 years old; I didn't want to play in clubs anymore. I wanted to write my own music and become a recording artist-just become something more than a local hero. So I up and moved to England. 1 was very lucky. 1 met up with some nice people right away, and it was a very inspirational period for me.

Did you know any people in England before you went over?

I knew nobody. Peter La Fay, a guy from my hometown, had been very lucky in his business, and he wanted to see somebody make it, or at least give somebody the opportunity to make it. So he bought me a plane ticket, gave me enough money to survive without having to work for four months or so, and paid for my demo sessions. After that I hooked up with my manager, David Hemmings, and my bass player, Mars. It was all very exciting. Things were happening. All of a sudden there was a lot of tension.

What was your life like the first few months you were there?

Well, I went through a certain amount of culture shock, but I adapted pretty easily. My mom's English, I was by no means rich; I had $25 a week for a long time, man. It was like being total unknowns, total nobodies. But we believed in ourselves so much that we got through that.

How did you find other musicians for your band?

I just went through Melody Maker and hired two musicians and a rehearsal studio, went in, rehearsed unoriginal songs for two hours, and then hired a 16-track recording studio and made my own demo. Then I just started knocking on record companies' doors.

Didn't you achieve your first success in England?

Well, moderately. When we started doing our really good stuff and started sounding good, the whole punk thing and the new wave phenomenon came by and we got totally ignored by the British rock press, which in the United Kingdom is basically the only communication information on what's happening. They were very indifferent towards us. We sold a respectable amount of records and all our tours were sell-outs, but I just got fed up.

What made you decide to front your own band right from the start?

I guess I wanted to be the one responsible. I didn't want to have to make excuses for anybody else.

When did you record your first album, Pat Travers?

In '76. It was my twenty-first birthday present to myself. We had just signed with Polydor Records at the time, and they were very anxious to get us into the studio. Even though 1 didn't have enough original material to fill an album, we went in anyway and filled it up with songs like 'Boom Boom" and J.J. Cale's "Magnolia." "Magnolia" was my own interpretation, but it still had that lazy Cajun Louisiana kind of feeling to it. 1 think it was good.

Did you double-track the guitar on that tune?

Yeah, I did. I did the first solo first, and then we moved my amp into the fire escape and put mikes all around it and got a natural echo sound. I double-tracked that and just used it as an echo.

What guitar did you use on that album?

A black Fender Telecaster Custom with a Fender humbucking pickup on it. I've still got it. Pat uses it as a spare. That's a great guitar, man. You can kick the shit out of that sucker and it never goes out of tune. But I prefer a doublecutaway. That's why I originally wanted a Les Paul double cutaway, but I found this Gibson Melody Maker that felt real nice, so I got that guitar. Then 1 got another Melody Maker in San Diego about a year ago, and I use that for half a set now.

Are your Melody Makers modified?

Not really. I've been really lucky. When I bought them they had those little slim pickups on them, which were pretty useless. I thought. They just didn't have a whole lot happening. So I dumped those and had straight Gibson humbucking replacement pickups put in them. The pickups on my black Melody Maker didn't sound the same as the ones on the red Melody Maker, which I use most of the time, so I had the wiring changed inside. They were just rewound or something. So now the guitars are a little closer in sound, but the black one. for some reason, seems to be a little hotter. In a way it's a drag because it tends to squeal a little bit. But the red one doesn't squeal at all. I can pretty well hold it up to the speakers at full blast, and it won't make any noise at all. Melody Makers are great guitars because they stay in tune, and you can bend the necks and do all kinds of things to them. 1 don't like wham-o bars [vibrate bars] because the tuning problem just drives me up the wall, so 1 just got into bending the necks.

Do you have any special techniques for doing this?

I just grab it and push it forward. I do it with any guitar; I've been doing it as long as 1 can remember. It doesn't throw them out of tune at all. Melody Makers don't have string trees, and I use new strings every night. every gig.

What kind of strings?

Dean Markley--.009,.011, .016,.024, .032,.042, starting with the high E. It's been a long time since I actually changed the strings myself. I don't have the time.

Who takes care of your guitars?

A couple of guys. The main one is Graham Cook, who's been with me for two-and-a-half years. We call him Cookie or the Indelible Man because he's got all these tattoos.

What other electric guitars do you have besides the ones you've mentioned?

I've got a Les Paul Junior doublecutaway; it has the stock big black singlecoil on it, which I left on, but I've added a humbucker next to the neck. I have no idea what year it is. The Telecaster. 1 know, is a '73, but the other ones, 1 have no idea.

Do you own any Acoustic guitars?

No, I had an Ovation acoustic that my manager gave me--top of the line, goldplated. I had it for three months and it got stolen. I haven't had another one since. See, I'm not a collector or anything like that. With my electric guitars I ask only that they stay in tune, don't feed back, and have lots of sustain. That's all that's important to me.

How do you tune up before a show?

Usually one of the guys will tune my guitar up before I get there. Then I'11 yank the strings out a bit, play it 10 or 15 minutes, and hopefully it will stay in tune. We jam in the tune-up room every night; that's how we get ideas for new material. Recently I've been real lucky because one of our coach drivers likes to play guitar, and so 1 tell him that if he feels like picking it up, play it, because it saves me a lot of time if I can't get to the gig soon enough. It's just a question of the guitar's having been played for a while. It's not real cool to stretch the strings out too much because they lose all their tonality. Usually three or four real good tugs on each string and then bending them out really hard with the left hand will do it.

How do you finger the strings when you tune them?

I start in the middle of the guitar instead of at the low E or high E. I'll tune the E on my D string--the second fret--to the E note on Mars's G string on his bass. Then I'11 tune the guitar in fifths or octaves, starting with my A string next. I'11 tune the A to the E note; that's a fifth. Then I'11 tune my B and my G strings: I'll play an A note on my G string. After that I'D go down to the low E and tune that an octave below the E in the middle, and then I'11 work back to the high E on the other end. This way there's equal tension all the time, every time you tune up, especially if you're coming up from being flat. I've found that if you start tuning at one end. by the time you get to the other end the guitar has gone sharp, and it's a never ending battle. at least for me. I don't know about anybody else, but sharp always sounds flat to me. It's really easy to panic on-stage and think that a string is flat, and then you jack it sharp. Then all the other strings sound flat to it, so you tune them up. Then you end up a semitone sharp. You really have to take a deep breath and just go down. I'll always tune the string flat and then go back up again; it's easier to hear the waves.

What kinds of fingerboards do you prefer?

I usually like rosewood. Ebony is nice; it takes a little while longer to work it in. A rosewood neck is very porous, and it only takes about 10 or 15 minutes before it has absorbed some sweat. It's not as slick as the ebony. It takes ebony longer to absorb sweat, so it's a little slipperier. I have a Telecaster with a maple neck, and it took me a long time to get used to playing that.

You've gone to using wireless transmitters.

I use a Schaffer-Vega SVDS wireless transmitter [Ken Schaffer Group, 10 E. 49th St., New York, NY 10017], the top of the line one they make. I've modified that a bit. I changed the antenna because I found I was having a lot of trouble with crackling noises and stuff. The unit itself does have a squelch control on it and a noise gate, but the noise gate is really sensitive, and any kind of sound at all that comes from the transmitter will automatically open the gate. Because the signal is all so compressed, it comes out just as loud as everything else. So we changed the antenna wire on the transmitter itself, and that got rid of all the noise and now it's perfectly quiet. I've been using it for nearly two years now, and I'm really happy with it.

Have you had any other problems with them?

I've really had few problems with them. Just the odd things shorting out, but that's because the transmitter gets bashed around so much. They give me more control over my input level to my Marshall amps; I don't have to run them as high. A wireless transmitter has compression, like an FM station that uses limiting. You have to completely readjust the settings on your guitar. Plus using one gives me a little more freedom on-stage. Like everybody says, "Oh, how far can you go?" I can go 300 yards. The only problem is that as soon as you get 30 feet away from your amp, there's a delay. Radio waves travel faster than sound waves, so you're hearing it after you've played it.

Does that throw you off?

Well, that's why I have the person who does our monitors follow me around when I'm on-stage. Hell bring me up to whatever monitor I'm next to, because otherwise I'd just lose it. [Ed. Note: For an overview of wireless transmitters for guitars, see Tom Mulhem's article in GP's March '79 issue.]

How do you set the tone controls on your guitar?

I don't have any tone controls. I basically just have two volume controls, one for each pickup. I set the rhythm volume at 8, the lead volume at 10. The 8 setting seems to drop the guitar down quite a bit in volume, and it also changes the sound slightly. You lose a lot of your top end. But then if I back it down even more for some real quiet stuff, down to about 2 or 3, it seems that the top end comes back again. I don't know why.

Do you remember what effects you used on the Pat Travers album?

Just a Cry Baby wah-wah and an MXR Phase 100. I've had the same effects pedalboard for nearly two years now.

What 's in it, going from left to right?

First I have the Phase 100. I've had the controls sawed off it with a hacksaw because 1 got fed up with either knocking them with my foot or having people readjust them. They have slots in them and can only be changed with a screwdriver. I set the phase cancellation control on the left to the most extreme setting, clicked all the way to the right. I run the speed about a little right of midway position. I've had this effect for about three-and-a-half years. From there I go into an MXR Blue Box, which adds a second pitch two octaves lower than the note you hit. I set the output control up full, and I vary the blend control between having it full right, so it gives me almost a distortion box sound, and blending it with the lower octave. You can't play real, real fast with that thing at all because it's just so noisy, fuzzy. I use that for real slow, sort of growly things on the low strings. It only works well in conjunction with a phaser; you really have to have the two together. After that 1 go to the Cry Baby wah-wah.

Where do you go from there?

I come out of the pedalboard. Go to a 50-watt Marshall, out of the 50-watt Marshall to two Maestro Echoplexes. I adjust one for whatever the tune is; usually it's sort of on a long repeat. The next one is set on a real fast repeat, the closest one I can get. It's almost like an ADT [automatic double track] sound. And that goes from there into my A/ DA flanger [Analog/ Digital Associates, 2316 Fourth St.. Berkeley, CA 94710], so I in effect flange my echo repeats as well. So if I hit something, I'm not only flanging what I'm playing at the time, but also the repeats, so you get a spacey, ethereal sound. But because the repeats only go into the two 100-watt Marshalls I use, I get a nice stereo effect on-stage, especially on the real short delay. I also go into a Leslie, but that's a separate output from the pedalboard. That's on all the time; it's just part of the overall sound I get.

Do you ever blow speakers?

Not really. because 1 don't run them real, real loud. I'm also using a 100-watt Altair power attenuator [C202 W. Bennett St.. Saline, MI 48176] onstage. I'm going to try and look for another brand, I think, because the Altair's controls aren't infinitely variable--it only has positions. It has like 10 or 12 different position settings on it, but as soon as the thing is clicked in. you lose so much volume it's incredible. And it changes the sound; it makes it a lot fuzzier. But it has made the up-front sound a lot easier to work with. I have to run it up louder in the monitors to compensate for it. I've also got four Marshall bottoms on-stage, but I usually only use two of them. The other two are backups. I did blow a speaker not so long ago, but that was the first one I've blown since I've been using Marshalls. They can take quite a bit, and I have heavy-duty speakers in them.

Do you use one guitar for rhythm and another for lead either on-stage or in the studio?

No, I like to just stick to the one. Varying between the back and front pickup is enough of a tone difference. And also with the way 1 play or pick I can get enough of a tone difference, relying a little bit on the mixing of my effects. I think they change things around a lot.

Your tone has changed a lot over the years.

Yeah, I've been going for a wider kind of rhythm sound. In a way it's taken away a little bit of the sustain on my lead sound, but I'm getting that back together now. The Altair sort of helped that out a bit. But then again, it works in the opposite direction; it makes your rhythm sound a little fuzzier. But I will persevere and get it worked out. I'm happy with the sound I'm getting now. especially in the studio. The last time we were in the studio I really worked on it, and now I'm getting a killer guitar sound; it's not just in the studio, it's everywhere. It's just a fine balance between the Leslie and the 100-watt and 50-watt Marshalls.

Has your recording strategy changed very much?

A lot. Mainly it's been influenced by the live album, and just sort of live albums in general. A lot of the new wave stuff, like the Police's first album [Outlandos d'Amour, A&M. 4753], really impressed me with the sound. You know, that just recorded-live sound. Also, instead of trying to EQ the shit out of everything in the studio to get it to sound good, I've spent a lot more time with [producer] Dennis MacKay. studying the different types of microphones that are available and finding the proper mike for the proper job because they all sound different. Miking up is so important. Use the right mike and don't just slam one on and EQ it until it sounds right. Experiment with different ones.

What do you find you're using most now?

I use a Neumann U-87 up close and a Sony 414 for an ambiance mike. And I use a Shure 57 on the Leslie.

How many tracks do you usually record your guitar parts on?

My basic sound requires five different tracks, and that's just being played once. The reason for doing this is so I don't have to double-track something to make it sound fatter, or whatever; it's already there. We're trying to really avoid doing any overdubs at all this time unless it's in the vocals or if, say, a solo that was done while we were doing the backing track needs patching up. You get more feeling behind it when you're out there jamming. A lot of the pressure is off, and it's not so difficult. You actually hear the solo and play with it. If Pat's playing, my rhythm will go up and down in dynamics according to what he's playing. That way you get a livelier sounding track.

How do you set up in the studio?

Basically the same way we do on-stage.

Do you get much input from your label? Advice as to what to record or play?

Only positive input. Like they don't really have that much of a say. Let's face it--they pay us to record for them, and if they don't like what we're doing, then we should go someplace else. It's usually just positive. They'll send me ideas. but that's cool. I don't think that anybody should get uptight about that. Generally speaking, the people that I do get input from I respect they have experience and knowledge. It's not like, "Hey, this is what you should be doing." It's, "Here's an idea. Why don't you try this out?" So I always say. "Yeah, 1'11 consider it."

In 1978 Polydor rereleased some of the material from Pat Travers as a red-vinyl record called "The Pat Travers You Missed Mini-Album", Is this material the same as the originals?

No, When they said they wanted to rerelease that, I said okay, fine, but I want to do something with it. Pat Travers was the first album I had ever done--l0 days in a 16-track studio--so I got them to send me the two-track mixes and I recued them at Quad-Radial Studios in Miami, What 1 did was split it up into three different frequencies and isolate things. I also did some limiting. I think the record sounds really good.

Do you know how many of them they put out?

I think just about 1,000 or 1,200. They were supposed to reissue the Pat Travers album with those mixes on it. 1 don't know if they ever did. After I heard they sounded so good, I wanted to get it released. It was a basic and bluesy album, uncompromising. and with very few studio embellishments or anything like that.

Was "Boom Boom" already your signature song back then?

No, it's only just become that way for some reason. We've been doing it the same way for three years now and getting the same audience reactions.

Did you learn that with Hawkins?

No, I first heard the song from another Canadian guy, King Bisquit Boy--a guitar player. Then I found out that it was first done by [harmonicist] Little Walker. It was written by a guy called Stan Lewis, who I don't even know. I just always thought it was a cool tune.

When did you start throwing in the lick from "The Stripper " in a solo?

We don't do it anymore. We just did it on "Statesboro Blues" on Makin' Magic. It was just for fun.

Your arrangement of that song was along the lines of the Allman Brothers' arrangement.

Well, their version is so fucking lethargic and smacked out, you know. I mean, what the hell. the song was written in 1926 anyway.

Do you prefer Willie McTell's original version?

I have never heard Blind Willie McTell's version.

He was a good slide player.

We're going to be doing a gig with Johnny Winter [GP, Aug.'74]; I'm looking forward to that. To me he's the baddest of the slide players when he puts on that tender 12-string. Forget Duane Allman [GF: May '73]. He was so overrated it was unbelievable.

Do you really think so?

Overrated. I think probably he influenced a lot of people in that style, but I've heard better slide players from the same area or even further south. I met a man from New Orleans when I was real young, and this guy was a fuck of a lot better than Duane Allman. If you listen to that thing Duane did with Derek & The Dominoes on "Layla"[Layla. Polydor, 2-3501], he's so friggin' out of tune. Then again, that's personal taste.

Do you remember who the slide player from New Orleans was?

No, I can't remember. It was such a long time ago. It was when I was still playing bars; I guess 1 was 16 or so. And this guy was real hot, played in all different kinds of tunings; it was insane. I should probably attempt to get back into slide again. It's one of those things--you have to be really light with your left hand and yet still be aggressive with your right hand. It's almost frustrating sometimes: You really want to get into it, but you've got to back off with your left hand and make sure you don't hit the frets. If I was going to play slide I wouldn't want to have to change guitars and get heavier strings and raise the action up. because then if you wanted to do anything else, it would really restrict you. It's just been one of these things that I pick up from time to time.

Do you ever use open tunings?

I like to drop both of my E strings down to D sometimes. There are a couple of songs on the new album that will be in this tuning. D tuning is great--it makes the whole guitar sound really different. I leave the A string the way it is.

What instruments did you use on Makin' Magic?

The Telecaster with the humbucking pickup, the Melody Maker and a John Birch guitar. Birch has a little shop around Birmingham, England. I don't have the Birch guitar anymore; I sold it. The only reason I really bought it was because it was the prettiest guitar I'd ever seen. But It was a 24-fret double-cutaway and the neck was so long that if you started to move around violently or do anything to it even just putting hand pressure on it-- it would bend slightly. I could never get that guitar in tune. Never. So I only used it on "Rock And Roll Susie" and the solo of "Makin' Magic"; that's it. It was neat looking, though.

Do you have favorite solos that you've done?

I think that the solo I did in "Off Beat Ride" [Makin' Magic] is one of my best. also "Killer's Instinct" off "Heat In the Street". because these were all done in one take. I think in "I Tried To Believe:' also off Heat In The Street. I played some really nice things.

What effects did you use on the "Off Beat Ride " solo?

To get the growl sound I used the Blue Box. I also used an Eventide flanger, using the two outputs to put it in stereo. Now I can accomplish the same thing with my A/ DA flanger.

How did you achieve the siren-like effect in the very beginning of the title cut of Heat In The Street?

That's bending the necks. Both P.T. and I were bending the necks of our guitars. Now I've got a different sound on-stage, but I still do the same thing. I didn't have my A/DA flanger when I did the studio version. The difference in sound on the studio version and the live version [Go For What You Know] is the A/DA flanger. Boy, you can get some amazing sounds out of that effect. The intro on the live album has got that sound--you almost can't describe it it's just a wild sound. It seems to change as it goes along; the feedback changes on the guitar. The flanger isn't going through the 50-watt Marshall, so the amp is just getting straight feedback, but the 100-watt is being flanged like crazy, so it's going nuts. It' just an interesting sound I've discovered. For some reason all flangers don't seem to do it. With my wireless 1 have so much more input, and I think it tends to drive the flanger a little harder or give it more information to flange. I don't really know.

How do you do the wild ending of "Hammerhead"[Heat In The Street]?

I just click on everything in sight. I'm going to get a new pedalboard made. and I want to get a panic button put on it that hits everything on. When I do that ending live, I click on my back pickup, my treble pickup. then just scream into them with my mouth. and it comes out sounding like that.

Do you have favorite solos by other players?

Yeah. I don't listen to too many guitar players strangely enough. But one that comes to mind real quick--and it's only because I just heard the song the other day --was the Hendrix solo on "Little Miss Lover" off Axis: Bold As Love [Repnse,RS 6281].

You seem to have a Hendrix feel in some of your stuff.

I don't see it. Other people do. Now P.T. does a brilliant Hendrix impersonation - it's great.

What kinds of keyboards do you use?

I have an ARP Odyssey and a Farfisa organ: I don't know anybody else who has a Farfisa. I bought it off the last keyboard player for Procol Harem. I run it straight through my pedalboard. You'll hear it on the next album. It sounds better than a Hammond B-3; it's got way more balls. I can bend notes on it, and I can drop the thing a whole octave. You can do a similar kind of thing with it that you can do on a Minimoog, only you're doing it with a 8-3 type of sound, which is pretty bizarre. It's totally polyphonic as well.

Is there a difference between your studio and live guitar playing?

I'm more in tune and more accurate in the studio [laughs]. When I play live I go a little crazy, right? But I do do some neat things live. I don't play as fast on-stage--you should hold on to things more. The sound is never as good live as you want it to be, and it's easy to lose it. If you get really really fast people can't hear it. Also I think that when we play on-stage I accentuate certain licks or things with a physical movement so they project.

What do you think makes a good solo?

It should be a statement; it should be like a good novel. It should start someplace, grab your interest. work up to a climax, and then go down and lead into either a modulation or a vocal that should complement whatever comes next to it. And it should follow the theme.

Do you think it should change the energy of the song?

It depends. Dynamics are very very important. A solo can build you to a sense of anticipation, so you can anticipate the next part of the song.

Do you usually approach your solos chordally?

Nah, I just do it. Just go for it. I really don't have that much consciousness. What I'm going to play next happens so split second that I'm not actually aware of where those ideas are coming from.

Does this happen when you're composing, too?

Yeah, unless I have a specific melody in mind or a specific tune.

Are there times when you play better than others? Do you ever get into slumps?

Yeah. I just came out of one recently.

What do you do to get out of them?

I don't know. It's just one of those things. Sometimes you can be totally dead tired and have two hours sleep and say, "I'm just not gonna be able to do this," and then you get out there and have one of the best nights of your career. Other times you feel on top of it and really really ready to go and you go out there and clam for a whole set. So it's totally that intangible thing that makes music so interesting. That's what it's all about.

Are there times when you've thought you've peaked?

By no means have I peaked yet. I'm nowhere near peaking. See, we've tried to work it out so we'll have a good night every night, and some nights it'll just be exceptional. The set is so structured, and I can play the same solo four nights in a row. So I have a good solo, and I know it's going to be good. But if I'm feeling hot, then I can improvise. I can't think of any times that stick out, because a lot of times I'11 think I played like garbage, and then 1'11 hear the tape back and it'll sound good.

Do you record every night?

Just straight off the desk. We like to hear it. We analyze and get critical with ourselves.

Will you often change parts of songs, one night to the next?

Yeah. We'll change lots of things, right on the spur of the moment. I've changed things on-stage, just kind of like, "Okay, I don't want...." I've changed the set list. I'll work it out do whatever feels best. That's the nice thing about this band--we're adaptable.

Can you write music?

No. not at all. One of these days I would really like to learn how to write and read music. but I think right now it would affect me. It would influence me, and I would lose some of my spontaneity and become a little too organized.

Have there been turning points in your life as far as playing goes? Things that changed your approach to the guitar?

Yeah, when I first moved to London, the first six months. That's the first time in my life I ever actually seriously practiced and got down and understood the instrument. It had always been so easy for me to play that I had never really had to study it. Like now I'11 see Pat do something and I'11 go, "I really want to do that." So I'11 sit down and just concentrate and do it.

What made you decide to bring in another guitar player?

Well, I had always wanted another guitar player. We auditioned upwards of 75 guitarists and possibly 40 keyboard players. This was in England. I never wanted to be a three-piece band. But rather than have some guitar player around who was competent enough to play what he was told or what he was shown, we held out for someone who contributed, who influenced and stimulated me.

How did you choose Par Thrall?

He came down to this gig we were doing in Long Island on my birthday, and we just got along instantly. We have a communication which, I think, is very rare among two guitar players. Well, I'11 flatter myself and say that I'm pretty good, but like he's exceptional. And there's no kind of, "Hey, I don't get enough solos." or this or that. We work it out. If I come up with a heavy-duty rhythm part and the solo suits him, then he takes it. Or if we're not sure, we'll just like flip a coin; I mean, what the hell. Or we'll both play together. And we stimulate each other. I think it's very rare.

Do you have any unusual right-hand techniques?

I'm a hacker. I use a Herco triangular shaped nylon pick, a medium, and I twist it to get a screeching sound. I get good harmonics, and that's due to the pick. They don't break, either. I hit pretty hard; I get carried away. If I used ordinary picks. they'd break. I'11 use the same pick all night, some times even a month. They just wear down. I hold it between my thumb and first or middle finger.

Do you vary your up and down strokes?

It depends. You get a different sound doing straight eighths up or down. So like if I'm practicing scales, I do a scale for a while with up- and down-strokes. and then I'll do the same scale all in down-strokes. Then 1'I1 do it all in up-strokes.

Do you ever anchor any part of your right hand on the guitar?

Sometimes. Usually I keep it pretty free, off the guitar.

Do you use all the fingers of your left hand?

Yeah. I always do.

How do you like the action on your guitars?

Fairly low. I used to have it high, but now I've got it just so that I can get sustain out of it without slipping into the next string.

Have you ever done any studio work for other artists?

Not really. But [keyboardist] Jay Ferguson has invited me to play on an album. He usually gets Joe Walsh [GP. June '75], and that's why I was really flattered. I think for some reason people just won't approach me for doing that and I'd love to do it. I'11 do it for free. Just for the sense of the event.

What do you think of the state of rock and roll today?

I think there's a lot of good things happening. I really do. I've seen a lot of really good rock and roll bands, like Van Halen. I came in second to Eddie Van Halen [GP, Nov.'78] as best new guitarist in last year's Guitar Player poll! Yeah. I wanna play just like Eddie Van Halen when 1 grow up [laughs]! Well, he deserved it. Eddie Van Halen is the state-of-the-art rock guitarist right now. I don't think there's anybody better for saying more, getting a better sound, or just taking advantage of the straight Stratocaster-style sound. I also like the Police and Joe Jackson. To me this is great rock and roll. Elvis Costello's music is great. He's a great singer, and he's doing some good rock and roll. Cheap Trick [GP, Nov. '79] do good rock and roll. They don't pretend to do anything else.

Are there other guitarists you like?

I don't know. Most of them all just blend into one thing. you know? It's hard to discern. I think Pat Thrall is very original and his potential is yet to be realized. But we've been so busy concentrating on our own thing that I haven't had an opportunity to listen to a whole lot of other stuff.

Have you been on the road a lot lately?

Not really. We don't tour like, say, Cheap Trick, who are on the road 300 days a year. I think we'd be nothing more than vegetable matter if we did that for two years. We'd probably sell more records, but I want everybody to keep hold of their sanity.

Do you like being on the road?

Yeah, it's fun. We always have good gigs. I like the people I play with and work with.

How has your life changed over the last few years?

Just able to afford more things, that's all. I have to do more interviews. I like that most of the time.

What do you do when you're not working with music?

Oh. I get into skin diving.

Have you pretty much accomplished what you wanted by this time?

No. I want to keep making albums and records and just keep doing it. Make that classic, leave a legacy or whatever. It would be nice to be remembered.

Do you think that's a good part of your motivation?

Yeah, I guess so. I've got a heavy-duty inferiority complex, so I have this desire to prove myself all the time. I just want to keep going.

That's interesting, coming from someone with five albums and a good career. What do you feel most inferior about?

Well, I don't know. I guess I have this desire to prove something to somebody, and that, as far as I know, is a symptom of an inferiority complex. I can't be satisfied with pleasing myself: I have to please other people.

Do you ever have trouble making the transition from being in front of thousands of people to being nearly anonymous a few hours later?

No. I like that. When I'm on-stage is really the only time when I feel in control. I don't like big crowds except when I'm in front of them.

Do you prefer big crowds?

I like them. You know, it's easy to lose your audience. Like if` there's 50,000 people out there, it's a little unreal. Most of the people at the back look like balloon heads to me. I like to get as intimate as possible, like try to turn 50,000 people into 5, or at least make them feel like that. Large things are okay. I wouldn't want to do them all the time, because you'd just lose that intimate feeling. I like to get a rapport going with the audience, let them know that we know they're there and we don't take ourselves too seriously. But we're still going to play really good music for you and be very proficient.

Do you have any advice you'd give young players?

I would say don't restrict yourself to one style of playing or one style of listening music. Explore other things, mainly because even though you may not think they are going to have anything to do with the way you play, it's always good to know different styles and techniques. It all adds up to that experience that is eventually going to lead to your own personal style. Practice things that are going to help your dexterity later on, and don't get lazy about things. You know. you'll want to say that it's easier to do something one way later on, when you get into more diverse things, you'll find that finger formation is really important. Also. know the instrument, and at least know all the notes on it. Understand why a chord is called a C7 and things like that. Learn a little bit about music, but don't let that rule your playing, just understand it. Never lose that first rush you get when you actually have something happening. It's just like freedom, and you forget about technique and are just able to play the thing because it's fun to play. So you've got to try to keep the fun in it.

Any plans for the future?

Much more of the same, I hope.

A Selected Travers Discography:

Solo albums (all on Polydor):

Pat Travers, 6079.

The Pat Travers You Missed Mini-Album, PRO 46

Makin' Magic, 6103

Putting It Straight 6121

Heat In The Street 6170

Go For What You Know 6202.

The above article appeared in the January 1980

issue of Guitar Player Magazine

Back