Doyle Dykes On The Road With His Sedonas
It's
not easy to find a tone you are satisfied with when you're in the studio (where
every note and noise gets captured) and on the road (where ever gig is in a
different sized room, on a different stage, and with a different-sized audience).
Through years of working with Rivera to perfect a tube amplifier that delivers
great tone and enough muscle for just about any venue, Doyle enjoys an amp that
he feels is a vital part of his sound: The Doyle Dykes signature model Sedona.
We caught up with Doyle a while back, as he was on a stretch of highway between
Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Joplin, Missouri--heading to another gig, of course.
If you'd like to get Doyle's stunning new CD, Chameleon, hear some of his music, or check out news and interviews with Doyle, visit his web site at: http://www.doyledykes.com.
Tell us about the tour so far.
We've done everything on this trip from a concert in a concert hall in St. Louis to the festival in Winfield [Kansas], and I played a church concert in Midland, Texas, with some really fine string players. Tom Keene, who is my string arranger, flew out, and it was great.
So, tell us about your new album.
It's called Chameleon. It has no particular theme. It's just me playing guitar. I did mostly Taylor guitar stuff, and there are a few electric things on there, as well. I'm excited.
What's your amp setup on the road right now?
I
have two Sedonas, and I've been running them in stereo with a TC Electronic
chorus. I use a delay on each one. I don't use a lot of effects, but on the
new CD I have a medley of Coldplay songs and U2 songs that I like to add some
effects to.It gives a little of an edge. And I like it for some of the stuff
I wrote before, like "White Rose For Heidi" and even a Josh Groban
piece I do, with an orchestra. Some things just sound good with a little bit
of echo here and there. Using two amps together with a string section behind
you is phenomenal. It's just the most comfortable and pleasing effect I've encountered
at a concert. I just felt so good playing. And with those people behind me,
I wondered, "Why am I here?" It was a lot of fun.
Do you usually set your amps far apart?
The other night I had them on low amp stands, and you have to be careful not to overpower the cellos and the solo violin on the other side. Otherwise, I usually set them pretty far apart and behind me by several feet. And I stand in the middle and just crank them up. They sound so good with my Taylor. It gives an added dimension. I like a lot of amp in a house. A lot of guys just want enough amp to act as a monitor, but I like a lot of amp and then to fill in space in the house. The other night at the Sheldon Theater in St. Louis, I don't think they put much of my sound through the P.A. Old theaters are great. I'd like to do a recording in 5.1 surround, maybe some of my orchestra pieces and even some of my solo pieces.
Are you using the Taylor Expression System onstage?
I use it on certain things. My DDSM (Doyle Dykes Signature Model from Taylor) has both Lloyd Baggs and Expression systems in it, so I can switch over to the Expression System. I currently have two jacks, but would like to be able to mix them. I like to use the Expression system when I'm playing songs with my daughter Haley. She plays mandolin and sings. So I get a really nice sound with her and her mic'd mandolin. I really like what I get out of it. I'll use in things like "Tenderly," too. I collaborated with Bob Taylor [at Taylor Guitars] and came up with a 24-3/4" scale length for the neck, which I use on all my guitars now. I have one of the Thirtieth Anniversary models with the Expression system, and I used it on my CD. It sounds really good on those jazz songs. It gives a very natural mic'd sound. But I like the Baggs system for low C tuning and things, especially where it's some of my signature sounding things.
When you use a low C tuning, does it help to have the amps up off the floor so that the sound doesn't get too bassy?
Yes. I prefer to have my amps up off the floor, if I can help it. If I'm working at a lower volume, putting them on low stands gives a nice low end. When I'm by myself and the amp is cranked, I use the ol' what I call the Chet Atkins stand: A folding chair. I get a nice reflection off the back of the chair. In fact, I actually prefer those to amp stands. Because the Sedona is an open-back amplifier, you get a little reflection from the back's sound.
I'll have to say that the Rivera Sedona has been right by my side all over the world, and I feel that it's such an integral part of my sound, now matter where I play. I'm one of the few artists I know of who can bring my own amp into the Grand Ole Opry. In fact, I think I'm the only one. They know that this amp is part of my voice. So the crew on the Opry stage are always the greatest. They love the Riveras because they know they're going to sound great. In fact, there are a number of Rivera amps on the Opry stage. They use them all the time. The number 1 Sedona is in my studio at home, and I gave number 2 to the Grand Ole Opry. Whether I'm at the Opry or in a church or in front of a string section at a big hall, it's great. The Sedona works so great. I'm glad to have been affiliated with Paul Rivera for all these years. Chet Atkins was the guy who told me about Paul in the first place.
