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In their 35-plus years as perhaps the greatest metal band of all time, Iron Maiden has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. They led the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and they forever changed the sound of heavy metal. Directly or indirectly, Maiden’s influence permeates the sound of countless bands from yesteryear and today—including hot-shot young bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Dragonforce, and Trivium. In fact, it’s fair to say that classic Maiden albums like The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, and Powerslave are essential listening for any true headbanger.
Like their iconic, zombified mascot, Maiden shows no signs of faltering— even in the midst of an economic crisis and the changing face of the music industry. The band’s latest release and 15th studio album, The Final Frontier, debuted at #1 in 28 countries and at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US, making it their highest-charting US release ever. The album—which is also the band’s longest to date at 76 minutes and 34 seconds—features the expected epic compositions imbued with some unusually challenging prog-inflected escapades.
Premier Guitar recently caught up with Maiden guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers to get the inside scoop on The Final Frontier. About an hour before doors opened at their sold-out show at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, we sat down for the interview at a hotel 40 miles away in midtown Manhattan. The band was pretty wrapped up in the final game of the World Cup, but Murray, Smith, and Gers soon got around to amiably discussing the new album and divulging secrets of the Maiden sound before making the trek back to the venue.
What was the songwriting process for this album?
Murray: It was pretty much the same as always. Everyone would bring in ideas, which eventually went to Steve, who is like the nucleus of the band. He’d take the parts and get the songs into shape. He also wrote a lot of the lyrics on this album.
Smith: Because Steve’s a bass player, he thinks a little bit differently. He gets you to play things you normally wouldn’t play and sometimes it can be a bit uncomfortable. “El Dorado” was Steve’s song, and he had everything written down to the last detail from start to finish. With Steve’s stuff, you have to play it exactly the way he hears it and that can be very rigorous. Janick volunteered to do the parts. Steve showed him what to play, and it took Janick a lot of work to do it the way Steve wanted him to.
That’s how it used to be in the old days when Steve would write a lot of songs. We’d sit down and go through it the way Steve wanted it, even so far as the picking accents, using downstrokes or upstrokes.
Gers: There’s no set way of doing it, and that keeps it fresh. I think if you get into the rut of doing it the same way every time, you lose the spontaneity. You never quite know what’s going to work and what isn’t. I’ve brought in stuff that I thought was amazing and it didn’t get on the album.
Classic Maiden albums like Piece of Mind, Powerslave, and Somewhere in Time were recorded at Compass Point Studios. More than two decades later, you returned there to record The Final Frontier.
Murray: Compass Point hasn’t changed much in 25 years, although [producer] Kevin Shirley brought in all of this new equipment to keep the album sounding current. We embrace new technology. It doesn’t change the sound or the identity of the band—it just makes the whole process more spontaneous and keeps everything fresh. We like to get an analog feel, but we used Pro Tools on this album—like we have on the last few albums—to speed things up. You can record really quickly on it and jump sections around. We had a two-and-a-half-month window to record, but we finished recording in six weeks and Kevin took the tracks to California and did the final mixing.
Yet you still incorporate such old-school methods as recording without a click track.
Murray: Music has to live and breathe and move around. If you put a click track to any Iron Maiden song, it’s going to be moving around. The thing is that it moves in the right places so it adds dynamics. It might lift up a little bit in the chorus or the solos, but I think if you listen to the great rock bands from the ’70s, you’ll hear the same thing. Everything’s moving around, but it’s like a pulse.
Gers: Yeah, isn’t that what music should do? It’s supposed to breathe. You listen to the Beatles, Zeppelin, and Hendrix, and doesn’t everything fluctuate? It’s supposed to come from here [points to his heart]. That’s where all the greats come from. The Berklee guys that play the same riff for 12 hours—that comes from the head. I’m talking about feeling— about guys like Paul Kossoff or Tommy Bolin. It’s a technological age we live in now, and producers are always trying to bring in their own ideas to make things more “solid.” But music should move—it’s organic and it grows.
Smith: We don’t overly concern ourselves that every beat has to be perfect, as long as it feels right.
Dave Murray during the Somewhere on Tour tour at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit,
Michigan, May 18, 1987. Murray is playing his trusty black Fender Strat,
which appears to be outfitted with a Kahler tremolo. Photo by Ken Settle
Does one of you ever go in a different direction, tempo-wise, than the rest of the band?
Murray: Sometimes one of us might get excited and start moving, and the band might follow that. It’s kind of a natural thing, because of the adrenaline or the way the audience is reacting to the song.
How would you address that in the studio?
Murray: Well, with Pro Tools you can move stuff back into time, if need be [laughs]. Obviously, the timing is an important factor, but what’s more important is how it feels.
Are your solos worked out or off the cuff?
Murray: On this album, they were basically all spontaneous, although there may have been a few melodies I had worked out in advance for some songs.
Gers: Same here. It’s spontaneous, but if I have a melody I like, I’ll use it. Even live, there are certain things you keep the melodies for. I find it impossible to play the same thing twice. And if you’re playing how you feel, how can you play the same thing twice?
What makes a good solo?
Smith: A little bit of melody, a little bit of flash. And it should be something memorable. There’s a song on the new album called “Isle of Avalon” that has more of a fusion-y kind of solo. It’s over an unusual time signature—7/8. That was nice, because it makes you play something different. You can get into the trap of playing the same old thing over and over again. I was happy with that one.
Gers: It has to be something that enhances the song. It’s not about me doing a solo—not about, “Now it’s my chance to shine.” It’s about making the band sound better.
Adrian Smith rocks his Floyd Rose-equipped Jackson on the World Slavery tour, June 12, 1985,
at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan. Photo by Ken Settle
With three guitarists, how do you get the subtle nuances of harmonized bends and vibrato to sound cohesive?
Murray: We sit down and listen to each other, and you hear what someone is doing and naturally go there. It’s not hit or miss. Obviously, if anything is bent totally out of key, we’ll just go back and redo it.
Gers: If I need to match them, I’ll match them, but more often than not we don’t plan out these things. The whole point is that you have three very different guitarists. I mean, if we both sound exactly the same, why don’t we just track Adrian? Music is personal. I’ll play how I play. Smith: It can be very difficult with three guitarists, though. I’m really sensitive to tuning, intonation, and bending right together. I notice that a lot of people don’t hear it, but I hear it and it really bothers me. Kevin doesn’t hear it, and Steve doesn’t hear it. Sometimes I have to fight to say, “That does not sound right.”
So you will redo a track to, say, match the rate of a vibrato?
Smith: Yeah. Dave and Janick probably have similar vibratos—a quicker vibrato—and I have a slower vibrato. Sometimes, if it’s for the good of the song, I won’t do a vibrato. I’ll just play it straight and it fits in with their vibratos. I’ll compromise. Performing live is easy, but recording three guitarists is very difficult.
Gers: However, you can take it to the extreme and get us to play it exactly the same, and put the bends in exactly the same place. But then you might as well have just one guitarist do all the tracks. If you listen to [Deep Purple’s] Fireball, you’ll hear two voices and one might be slightly off kilter. Ian Gillan did this a lot in the old days of Deep Purple. I love that. If you listen to the early Sabbath solos, Tony [Iommi] would play two solos and one would be doing a completely different thing than the other. I love that!
Adrian, I know you sometimes tune down to D or lower, but Janick and Dave don’t. Was that the case on this album?
Smith: I actually pleaded with the other guys to tune down for one song, “Mother of Mercy,” because they don’t really like doing it. The original demo was in E, but it was too high for Bruce to sing so we moved it down to D—which isn’t really a heavy key. I played with Bruce’s solo band, and he was really into the dropped-D tuning. Steve didn’t tune down though.
Since you use Floyd Roses, do you have a separate guitar for the dropped-D tuning?
Smith: Yeah. You have to.
What piece of gear do each of you consider essential?
Smith: In the studio, I just use what I use on stage—a 100-watt Marshall DSL and an American Strat loaded with DiMarzio pickups. Sometimes I’ll use Stevie Ray Vaughan singlecoils just to get a different sound. Kevin Shirley isn’t really into messing around with different amps and different sounds. Sometimes, in the past, I’ve recorded with just a guitar straight into a Marshall. I wanted to go back and try it with different amps and stuff, but I wasn’t able to because the band wants to keep it like a live setup. It can be a little frustrating, to be honest. For example, because you want to keep a pure sound straight into the amp, you have to compromise on the clean sound in the studio. Instead of getting a nice Fender Twin for a clean tone, you’d just use a Marshall with the guitar volume down, which isn’t really ideal.
Murray: I just got a Fulltone Deja’Vibe I really like. Also, using just a little bit of delay is nice for ambience, so it’s not completely dry. With Maiden, because there are three guitarists, you need to cut through everything, and having that ambience helps. And maybe a little bit of a chorus—anything that can add some spark and make it more musical and less flat.
Gers: A Marshall amp.
Adrian Smith and Dave Murray live at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel,
New Jersey, July 11, 2010. Photo by Rod Snyder
One of Maiden’s trademarks is your harmonized melodies. Since you started out as a two-guitar band and later added Janick, how do you arrange your two-part harmonies?
Gers: Well, you can do three-part harmonies.
Murray: Yeah, none of us ever stops playing— even if the other guitarists are playing a harmony. It could be rhythm guitar behind the harmony, or a unison part.
If it’s a harmonized line, would you do a unison on the upper melody note or the lower harmony note?
Murray: Boy, you’re asking some technical questions! It’s hard to answer that exactly, because when we learn and do a song in the studio, usually after we’re done, we just move on to something else and forget about it. There’s really no set way, it’s more of whatever works. There’s no formula. In fact, we try to step outside of formulas. Sometimes, if one of us has parts worked out already on a demo, we’ll just show the parts to the other guys. That way we can get it close to the way we had it on the demo. Or, sometimes we’ll make up a part on the spot.
Smith: Whoever brings the song in usually plays the main solo, and whoever figures out the best part to go with the solo will play that part.
Gers: Sometimes, if we’re playing the same thing, I might play a note, say, on the 3rd string and Adrian would play the same note on the 4th string, which thickens the sound out. I mean, if we really want to sort it out, I’ll say, “I’ll play in unison with you, but on a different string.” If you listen to those old albums, there are more than one or two guitars on it. On Tattooed Millionaire [Brduce Dickinson’s first solo album, released in 1990], I recorded eight guitars playing one chord, but at different levels—high, low, a chord in between, etc. If you mix them all together, it sounds like one big chord, but it isn’t. It’s all about making the guitars sound bigger, like a wall of sound. These are little tricks of the game.
What acoustic guitar did you use in the intro to “The Talisman?”
Gers: I did all the tracks for that. It was a Taylor, which was very lovely sounding. There were probably three or four acoustics mixed in on “The Talisman.” Some had different tunings. When we play it live, it’s just me on the acoustic, however. I have to play one of the parts, and you have to imagine the other. In these cases, I have to decide which of the parts to play, and which harmony parts to leave to your imagination.
Janick Gers summons a “wall of sound” live at the PNC Bank Arts Center in
Holmdel, New Jersey, July 11, 2010. Photo by Rod Snyder
How do you keep Maiden fresh, yet still distinctly identifiable, after more than 30 years?
Murray: Whatever that magic ingredient is, we don’t know—it just comes out of the air. We don’t tour as much anymore, and we record an album every couple of years. It’s just about doing something that you really love doing. For example, after Rock in Rio, we took a couple of years off. When you’re off, it’s good to just step away from the band stuff so that when you come back, it’s totally fresh. I would jam here and there. I jammed with Alice Cooper and Mick Fleetwood at a charity function, and that was a lot of fun.
Gers: We look at each other and feel each other, because to me, bands are all about chemistry. It’s not about the individual players. You can get the best players in the world and still have a shitty band if the chemistry isn’t there.
Smith, Murray, and Ger's Gear Box
Adrian Smith
Guitars—Two Jackson Adrian Smith signature models, Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, S-style Jackson
Amps and Cabinets—Marshall JCM2000, Marshall 9200 power amp, Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabs with Celestion Greenback speakers, two Randall Isolation cabs with custom Celestions
Effects—Lexicon MX200, original Ibanez TS808, Dunlop Crybaby wah rack system controlled by Boss FS-5L footswitch
Miscellaneous—Rocktron Hush noise reduction, Tour Supply Inc. Custom Whirlwind rackmount MultiSelector footswitch, Yamaha MFC10 MIDI foot controller, Shure UHF wireless with UR4D receiver, Peterson tuner, Fender padded guitar straps
Strings—Ernie Ball (.009 .011 .016 .024 .034 .044)
Picks—Custom, heavy-gauge Ernie Ball
Dave Murray
Guitars—Two Fender American Standard Strats, 2008 Fender Dave Murray Signature Strat with Floyd Rose, sunburst Fender California Series Strat, 2010 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
Amps and Cabinets—Three Marshall JCM2000 heads, two backup Marshall 9200 power amps, two 4x12 cabs with 75-watt Celestion speakers, Marshall JMP-1 preamp
Effects—Fulltone Clyde Standard wah, Fulltone Deja’Vibe, TC Electronic G-Force
Miscellaneous—Rocktron All Access MIDI controller, Pete Cornish switcher, effects loop, and power supply, Korg DTR-1 rack tuner, Fender padded leather straps
Strings—Ernie Ball (.009 .011 .014 .024 .032 .042)
Picks—Ernie Ball .70 mm
Janick Gers
Guitars—Fender Strat, Gibson Chet Atkins electric/ acoustic
Amps and Cabinets—Four Marshall 9200 power amps, two Marshall JMP-1 preamps, Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp, Marshall JCM800 Bass Series 4x12 cabs
Miscellaneous—Korg A4 effects processor (used as MIDI controller), Boss TU-12 tuner, Pete Cornish power supply and switcher/EQ, Pete Cornish cables, Ernie Ball straps
Strings—Ernie Ball (.010 .012 .017 .026 .036 .046)
Picks—Ernie Ball
Dig deep. That’s the advice of Jonny Coffin and Lynda Kay, two gearheads whose very different careers have more in common than you might think.
Jonny Coffin and Lynda Kay could make a good run for the title of Guitardom’s Most Interesting Couple. She’s Gretsch’s newest endorser. He makes the most recognizable guitar case in the world. She’s an expert on tenor guitars. He saved a 1950 Broadcaster from an unthinkable fate—being retrofitted with humbuckers by a kid who didn’t realize what he had.
Coffin and Kay, who have been married four years, live in Venice Beach, California—a place where artists thrive within like-minded communities while drawing inspiration from other niches. There’s a kind of unity among the eclectic range of artists and musicians there. In other words, you don’t necessarily have to be 100% into psychobilly, steampunk goth, deathrock, or any of the gazillion other scenes there in order to appreciate or feel comfortable getting involved with them. Open-mindedness tends to prevail among people who know what it’s like to be into something that isn’t exactly mainstream.
Kay, who comes across like a mix of Hank Sr., Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison and Wanda Jackson rolled up into one vibrant ball of retro goodness, is riding the wave of buzz surrounding her debut solo release. Dream My Darling is an album filled with twang, torch songs and reverb tanks that echo like a classic country record from years past—but with a modern touch. Kay is also known for playing with rockabilly favorite Danny B. Harvey in a duo called the Lonesome Spurs.
Coffin is a mysterious entrepreneur with a Count Orlok air about him. His story reads like the kind of tale every gearhead tinkerer dreams about… his prototype was a hit, he started making stuff for artists like Slash and Keith Richards, and, just like that, a company was born. His recent gear-related projects involve the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Graveyard Disciple guitar and a line of effects pedals. He also produces records and plays in a spaghetti western-sounding band called the Death Riders that does a lot of soundtrack work.
I recently had the chance to talk to Coffin and Kay about their careers, their latest projects and of course, what it’s like when two gearheads get married.
Let’s start with the gear… I’m assuming you both have G.A.S. How does that work in your relationship? Most couples involve one person who doesn’t play and that person tends to enforce the clampdown on gear purchases.
Coffin: Funny you should ask! We have never denied each other gear. The gift of music is big around the holidays. So if one of us needs a piece of gear, we usually see what we can do to adjust our budget to compensate. A few years ago, Lynda came across a real nice Gibson tenor from the ’30s at TrueTone in Santa Monica. We didn’t have the money to buy it outright, so I offered to trade my old Martin electric for it. It was an old hollowbody from the ‘60s that I never played, and it just sat there. Lynda ended up with a great-sounding Gibson tenor and I never missed that Martin. We have a great understanding when it comes to gear. Guitars and amps are tools we use to create and we never deny or guilt each other when a purchase is made.
Lynda, your music is a modern take on old-school country. What is it like doing what you do? The road you’re on is certainly different from the path that most artists take.
Kay: I just do what I do best. It’s nice to see that people get it and understand the need for emotion in music. Classic country from the ’50s and ’60s had more of a kick-in-the-gut approach. The songs were saying something that people could relate to. It seems like most commercial artists now are jumping on the money train and cashing out. I’m into timeless songs that will be around long after I’m gone.
Most artists get the usual kind of kudos after a gig, but, Lynda, I understand people actually thank you after your shows—thank you for bringing that vibe back.
Kay: Well, almost every time I finish a show and I’m loading out my gear someone approaches me and says “Thank you for bringing back the music I grew up on.” Lots of people grew up hearing Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Rose Maddox, George Jones and other greats on their parents’ record players. There’s an undeniable connection when I’m playing a show and people have such a glow in their faces, because I believe they are relating sonically and visually. Not a lot of artists are out there tugging on those heart strings.
Congrats on the Gretsch endorsement.
Kay: I feel truly honored to be endorsed by Gretsch. It was a dream come true when Joe Carducci offered me an endorsement deal. Gretsch was reissuing their 1955 Knotty Pine Roundup guitar and asked me to be the featured artist for that model. The Knotty Pine is a semi-hollowbody with two DynaSonic single-coils to create that great Gretsch sound. And with its bookmatched knotty pine top, tooled-leather trim around the mahogany body, and western motif belt-buckle on the tailpiece, this guitar is a work of art.
Jonny, how did the Epiphone Zakk Wylde coffin-shaped guitar come about?
Coffin: It started with Zakk. He had been talking to the guys over at Epiphone for years about this, to their custom guitar guys that he works with, and that turned into them contacting me for the cases for it. Jim Rosenberg contacted me, and then he ended up coming down to the warehouse. He said, “The coffin is really your thing. We want you behind this, so can you do the cases? Let’s get this thing going.” Then they sent me the guitar. That thing was amazing. I designed the case for it. Zakk wanted a specific logo—a cross logo of his that features his skull on the cross. So we did the prototype case. Everyone loved it, so they went into production last October. I think it was released last Halloween in a limited run. Now they’re going to make some with more graphics. It was launched at NAMM this year. We featured it in our Coffin fashion show that we had at the NAMM show.
Jonny Coffin with the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Graveyard Disciple guitar, which rests in peace in a case designed by Coffin.
Slash was your first customer. Who was your second?
Coffin: Keith Richards. A few months after Slash got his, I got a call from Pierre, Keith Richards’ assistant. He had heard about Slash’s case and told Keith, “Hey, you’ve got to get one of these things.” They were recording at the time, so I went down to the studio and met with Keith and hung out with him for a couple of days in the studio—that was an experience in itself. Keith’s comment was great when I walked in to the studio with some custom cases. He saw them and said, “Can you make one big enough to put Mick in it?” [Laughs]. He was on his hands and knees opening one up. He looked up at me and said, “You know, Jonny, we’re all vampires.” And I was standing there looking at Keith Richards and thinking, “Yeah, you know… he probably is.” At that point, I realized I was onto something because I had the ear of these guys. And then I started to get around making these cool, high-end cases for people, and no one else was doing that. The niche started there.
It’s interesting how you two are so dialed in to what you do.
Kay: As far as Jonny and me carrying a kind of torch for the genres we’re a part of, it really came naturally for both of us. I wouldn’t say that we looked at these genres and decided we wanted to take them on. They were already a part of us. The funny thing is, even though Jonny and I appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, we’re really not far from each other at all. For example, when you consider the old-school country that we both really gravitate toward, the reason that we do is that we both really appreciate the dark edge that it has.
It’s interesting. Jonny’s company really appeals to a lot of horror, metal, and rock guys. He also has a lot of folks from the old-school country world that gravitate toward his company. Not to mention psychobilly, rockabilly…
Coffin: Garage, punk... we’re very careful about keeping our fan base broad with Coffin Case. We love all styles. We could easily become just a heavy metal case company if I allowed it. With our love of music, we really try to make it for everybody.
Kay: Every time I play a show, I am pleasantly surprised at the varying age groups, and the different hair-dos. People in mohawks, people with studs and everything—from the gray hairs to the ones who are barely old enough to make it into the club. You never know who’s going to show up.
I bet your audiences are just a trip to look at from the stage
Kay: It’s unbelievable—not just in different demographics, but the random friends who show up to my shows. They’re really appreciative of the fact that I’m still doing the old-school country. I’ve had Lemmy from Motörhead show up at my shows. Lucinda Williams has shown up. The guy from Slayer…
Coffin: Dave Lombardo, the drummer. The beauty of it is that everyone can relate to the message there. It’s a universal message. It’s in all genres of music, really. There’s always a dark side to everything. You look at old bluegrass records…
Kay: Now that’s dark!
Coffin: Some of the darkest stuff…
Jonny, I’ve heard about your 1950 Broadcaster. How’d you find it?
Coffin: The journey this guitar took is pretty unbelievable. I was contacted by a kid in Alaska looking for a case for a project guitar he was working on. I asked him what kind of guitar he needed a case for and his answer was “My grandfather’s old Tele.” His grandfather bought a Fender Broadcaster back in 1950 and played it until he passed it on to his son in the ’70s. The guitar sat in an attic in Alaska for 30-plus years until it was passed down to the grandson, who was tempted to throw some humbuckers and a Floyd on it. He had removed the blackguard but I got him just in time! I made him promise me that he wouldn’t touch it because I was interested in purchasing it. He agreed to send it down for me to check out. One month later, I received a box from Alaska. This guitar had gone from his little town by mail plane to Anchorage to catch the UPS plane to LA. I can’t describe the overwhelming feeling I had as I opened the box and saw an all original Broadcaster with the Fender patent-pending serial number 0099. Yes, it was a 60-year-old Broadcaster with a neck pocket date of October 26, 1950. The Fender Broadcaster is basically the prototype of the Telecaster, and it’s the rarest of the rare. It’s estimated there were less than 250 Broadcasters ever made. And nothing sounds like it, because the wood is almost petrified after sitting in a dry Alaska attic for 30-plus years. I purchased the Broadcaster and bought him a guitar of his choice. He took that money and moved to Arizona to start a band. When he’s in LA, he drops by to play the Broadcaster. We’re great friends. I use that guitar on all my recordings. Pretty good deal—I saved a Broadcaster and he got out of that small town in Alaska.
Lynda, what guitars did you use on your new album?
Kay: In addition to the Knotty Pine, I used a Gretsch Rancher Jr. to get this acoustic wash throughout the album. It’s a great-sounding guitar. I also used my tenor on a few tracks. I have a custom tenor built by a gentleman named Everett Fulton who’s from Texas, a little town outside of Austin called New Braunfels. I found him randomly online. He built that guitar for me when he was 92 years old. It’s one of the most phenomenal guitars I’ve ever played—probably the finest acoustic tenor I’ve ever played.
Coffin: The tone on that guitar! He has these little tricks. He’s still making guitars at 95. Building them by hand. He’s handmade the tools he uses to make them.
What is it about tenors guitars for you?
Kay: I really do love them for the ease with which you can play them. They’re wonderful to write songs on because of the simplicity of the strings—you can find chord structures that would never normally come to you.
Coffin: There are so many cool voicings with the tenor, and Lynda knows them all, believe me. She knows more chords than I do. I grab a tenor and I’m lost. She works with some other great people like James Trussart, too.
Kay: That’s right. My Tenorcaster. He calls his brand a Steelcaster, but I have the one and only steel electric tenor. He made that especially for me. I played it with the Lonesome Spurs. It was great for that project and it’s great to record with.
Coffin: The tenor was a transition guitar long ago. It was a transition from banjo into guitar. So, to try to find a modern one, something that is actually functional, that’s tough. People don’t make bridges for four string guitars. We had to look at the whole thing as a challenge. James did an amazing job.
Kay: He had borrowed my electric tenor and he wanted to make another one, but mine was the only one. There are a lot of tenor players who love them. Robert Plant loves tenor guitars. Neko Case loves tenor guitars. Marty Robbins played them, too.
Coffin: There’s a certain frequency you just can’t get out of any other guitar.
Jonny, your Batula and Blood Drive pedals were cool. Are there more pedals in the works?
Coffin: The pedal market is exciting to us. Cases are a backstage item, so it’s great to get the players interacting with our products onstage. I worked with Jimmy Dunlop on the coffin-shaped overdrive pedal and it was manufactured in the USA by MXR. We limited the Blood Drive to 2500 pieces to keep it highly collectable. We may be launching more pedals under the MXR brand this year. Last year, I designed a bat-shaped fuzz pedal called the Batula that was based on the sound of an old Fuzz Face. It was a unique pedal that was handcast, handwired and handpainted. We actually had people fill out an application for the Batula and presold the entire run prior to manufacturing. We plan on developing more sculpted pedals cast in precious metals. Look for John 5 demoing our new Skull Pedal this year.
Lynda Kay’s Gearbox
Guitars: Gretsch G6130 Knotty Pine Roundup reissue, James Trussart 4-string Tenorcaster, Everett Fulton acoustic tenor, Gretsch Rancher Jr. acoustic.
Amps: Gretsch 6163 Executive 20-watt combo, Fender Blues Jr. combo.
Jonny Coffin’s Gearbox
Guitars: 1950 Fender Broadcaster serial no. 0099, Gibson ES-135 reissue, 1973 Fender Tele Deluxe in tobacco burst with two Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbuckers.
Amps: 1967 blackface Fender Super Reverb, blonde 1972 50-watt Marshall head with EL34s, 1982 Marshall JCM800, Peavey 5150 head, 1963 Gretsch 6162 combo, 1968 Marshall gold face 4x12 straight cabinet, 1972 Marshall salt-and-pepper-grilled slant cabs, 1960s Airline tube head.
Pedals: Batula by Coffin, Blood Drive by Coffin, Alien Space-O-Verb, Morley wah, Jim Dunlop Uni-Vibe, MXR Phase 90, Hiwatt Custom Tape Echo, Boss TU-2 tuner.
Jonny Coffin and Lynda Kay could make a good run for the title of Guitardom’s Most Interesting Couple. She’s Gretsch’s newest endorser. He makes the most recognizable guitar case in the world. She’s an expert on tenor guitars. He saved a 1950 Broadcaster from an unthinkable fate—being retrofitted with humbuckers by a kid who didn’t realize what he had.
Coffin and Kay, who have been married four years, live in Venice Beach, California—a place where artists thrive within like-minded communities while drawing inspiration from other niches. There’s a kind of unity among the eclectic range of artists and musicians there. In other words, you don’t necessarily have to be 100% into psychobilly, steampunk goth, deathrock, or any of the gazillion other scenes there in order to appreciate or feel comfortable getting involved with them. Open-mindedness tends to prevail among people who know what it’s like to be into something that isn’t exactly mainstream.
Kay, who comes across like a mix of Hank Sr., Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison and Wanda Jackson rolled up into one vibrant ball of retro goodness, is riding the wave of buzz surrounding her debut solo release. Dream My Darling is an album filled with twang, torch songs and reverb tanks that echo like a classic country record from years past—but with a modern touch. Kay is also known for playing with rockabilly favorite Danny B. Harvey in a duo called the Lonesome Spurs.
Coffin is a mysterious entrepreneur with a Count Orlok air about him. His story reads like the kind of tale every gearhead tinkerer dreams about… his prototype was a hit, he started making stuff for artists like Slash and Keith Richards, and, just like that, a company was born. His recent gear-related projects involve the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Graveyard Disciple guitar and a line of effects pedals. He also produces records and plays in a spaghetti western-sounding band called the Death Riders that does a lot of soundtrack work.
I recently had the chance to talk to Coffin and Kay about their careers, their latest projects and of course, what it’s like when two gearheads get married.
Let’s start with the gear… I’m assuming you both have G.A.S. How does that work in your relationship? Most couples involve one person who doesn’t play and that person tends to enforce the clampdown on gear purchases.
Coffin: Funny you should ask! We have never denied each other gear. The gift of music is big around the holidays. So if one of us needs a piece of gear, we usually see what we can do to adjust our budget to compensate. A few years ago, Lynda came across a real nice Gibson tenor from the ’30s at TrueTone in Santa Monica. We didn’t have the money to buy it outright, so I offered to trade my old Martin electric for it. It was an old hollowbody from the ‘60s that I never played, and it just sat there. Lynda ended up with a great-sounding Gibson tenor and I never missed that Martin. We have a great understanding when it comes to gear. Guitars and amps are tools we use to create and we never deny or guilt each other when a purchase is made.
Lynda, your music is a modern take on old-school country. What is it like doing what you do? The road you’re on is certainly different from the path that most artists take.
Kay: I just do what I do best. It’s nice to see that people get it and understand the need for emotion in music. Classic country from the ’50s and ’60s had more of a kick-in-the-gut approach. The songs were saying something that people could relate to. It seems like most commercial artists now are jumping on the money train and cashing out. I’m into timeless songs that will be around long after I’m gone.
 Lynda Kay with her Gretsch 6130 Knotty Pine Roundup. The guitar has a one-piece, chambered mahogany body, a bookmatched knotty pine top, DynaSonic pickups, and a Synchro-Sonic floating bridge. |
Kay: Well, almost every time I finish a show and I’m loading out my gear someone approaches me and says “Thank you for bringing back the music I grew up on.” Lots of people grew up hearing Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Rose Maddox, George Jones and other greats on their parents’ record players. There’s an undeniable connection when I’m playing a show and people have such a glow in their faces, because I believe they are relating sonically and visually. Not a lot of artists are out there tugging on those heart strings.
Congrats on the Gretsch endorsement.
Kay: I feel truly honored to be endorsed by Gretsch. It was a dream come true when Joe Carducci offered me an endorsement deal. Gretsch was reissuing their 1955 Knotty Pine Roundup guitar and asked me to be the featured artist for that model. The Knotty Pine is a semi-hollowbody with two DynaSonic single-coils to create that great Gretsch sound. And with its bookmatched knotty pine top, tooled-leather trim around the mahogany body, and western motif belt-buckle on the tailpiece, this guitar is a work of art.
Jonny, how did the Epiphone Zakk Wylde coffin-shaped guitar come about?
Coffin: It started with Zakk. He had been talking to the guys over at Epiphone for years about this, to their custom guitar guys that he works with, and that turned into them contacting me for the cases for it. Jim Rosenberg contacted me, and then he ended up coming down to the warehouse. He said, “The coffin is really your thing. We want you behind this, so can you do the cases? Let’s get this thing going.” Then they sent me the guitar. That thing was amazing. I designed the case for it. Zakk wanted a specific logo—a cross logo of his that features his skull on the cross. So we did the prototype case. Everyone loved it, so they went into production last October. I think it was released last Halloween in a limited run. Now they’re going to make some with more graphics. It was launched at NAMM this year. We featured it in our Coffin fashion show that we had at the NAMM show.
Jonny Coffin with the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Graveyard Disciple guitar, which rests in peace in a case designed by Coffin.
Slash was your first customer. Who was your second?
Coffin: Keith Richards. A few months after Slash got his, I got a call from Pierre, Keith Richards’ assistant. He had heard about Slash’s case and told Keith, “Hey, you’ve got to get one of these things.” They were recording at the time, so I went down to the studio and met with Keith and hung out with him for a couple of days in the studio—that was an experience in itself. Keith’s comment was great when I walked in to the studio with some custom cases. He saw them and said, “Can you make one big enough to put Mick in it?” [Laughs]. He was on his hands and knees opening one up. He looked up at me and said, “You know, Jonny, we’re all vampires.” And I was standing there looking at Keith Richards and thinking, “Yeah, you know… he probably is.” At that point, I realized I was onto something because I had the ear of these guys. And then I started to get around making these cool, high-end cases for people, and no one else was doing that. The niche started there.
It’s interesting how you two are so dialed in to what you do.
Kay: As far as Jonny and me carrying a kind of torch for the genres we’re a part of, it really came naturally for both of us. I wouldn’t say that we looked at these genres and decided we wanted to take them on. They were already a part of us. The funny thing is, even though Jonny and I appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, we’re really not far from each other at all. For example, when you consider the old-school country that we both really gravitate toward, the reason that we do is that we both really appreciate the dark edge that it has.
It’s interesting. Jonny’s company really appeals to a lot of horror, metal, and rock guys. He also has a lot of folks from the old-school country world that gravitate toward his company. Not to mention psychobilly, rockabilly…
 One of Jonny’s custom Coffin cases. This case features a burled maple top. |
Kay: Every time I play a show, I am pleasantly surprised at the varying age groups, and the different hair-dos. People in mohawks, people with studs and everything—from the gray hairs to the ones who are barely old enough to make it into the club. You never know who’s going to show up.
I bet your audiences are just a trip to look at from the stage
Kay: It’s unbelievable—not just in different demographics, but the random friends who show up to my shows. They’re really appreciative of the fact that I’m still doing the old-school country. I’ve had Lemmy from Motörhead show up at my shows. Lucinda Williams has shown up. The guy from Slayer…
Coffin: Dave Lombardo, the drummer. The beauty of it is that everyone can relate to the message there. It’s a universal message. It’s in all genres of music, really. There’s always a dark side to everything. You look at old bluegrass records…
Kay: Now that’s dark!
Coffin: Some of the darkest stuff…
Jonny, I’ve heard about your 1950 Broadcaster. How’d you find it?
 The 1950 Fender Broadcaster that Jonny Coffin saved from unwitting desecration. |
Lynda, what guitars did you use on your new album?
Kay: In addition to the Knotty Pine, I used a Gretsch Rancher Jr. to get this acoustic wash throughout the album. It’s a great-sounding guitar. I also used my tenor on a few tracks. I have a custom tenor built by a gentleman named Everett Fulton who’s from Texas, a little town outside of Austin called New Braunfels. I found him randomly online. He built that guitar for me when he was 92 years old. It’s one of the most phenomenal guitars I’ve ever played—probably the finest acoustic tenor I’ve ever played.
Coffin: The tone on that guitar! He has these little tricks. He’s still making guitars at 95. Building them by hand. He’s handmade the tools he uses to make them.
What is it about tenors guitars for you?
Kay: I really do love them for the ease with which you can play them. They’re wonderful to write songs on because of the simplicity of the strings—you can find chord structures that would never normally come to you.
Coffin: There are so many cool voicings with the tenor, and Lynda knows them all, believe me. She knows more chords than I do. I grab a tenor and I’m lost. She works with some other great people like James Trussart, too.
Kay: That’s right. My Tenorcaster. He calls his brand a Steelcaster, but I have the one and only steel electric tenor. He made that especially for me. I played it with the Lonesome Spurs. It was great for that project and it’s great to record with.
 Coffin Case’s limited-edition Batula was based on a ‘60s Fuzz Face. |
Kay: He had borrowed my electric tenor and he wanted to make another one, but mine was the only one. There are a lot of tenor players who love them. Robert Plant loves tenor guitars. Neko Case loves tenor guitars. Marty Robbins played them, too.
Coffin: There’s a certain frequency you just can’t get out of any other guitar.
Jonny, your Batula and Blood Drive pedals were cool. Are there more pedals in the works?
Coffin: The pedal market is exciting to us. Cases are a backstage item, so it’s great to get the players interacting with our products onstage. I worked with Jimmy Dunlop on the coffin-shaped overdrive pedal and it was manufactured in the USA by MXR. We limited the Blood Drive to 2500 pieces to keep it highly collectable. We may be launching more pedals under the MXR brand this year. Last year, I designed a bat-shaped fuzz pedal called the Batula that was based on the sound of an old Fuzz Face. It was a unique pedal that was handcast, handwired and handpainted. We actually had people fill out an application for the Batula and presold the entire run prior to manufacturing. We plan on developing more sculpted pedals cast in precious metals. Look for John 5 demoing our new Skull Pedal this year.
Lynda Kay’s Gearbox
Guitars: Gretsch G6130 Knotty Pine Roundup reissue, James Trussart 4-string Tenorcaster, Everett Fulton acoustic tenor, Gretsch Rancher Jr. acoustic.
Amps: Gretsch 6163 Executive 20-watt combo, Fender Blues Jr. combo.
Jonny Coffin’s Gearbox
Guitars: 1950 Fender Broadcaster serial no. 0099, Gibson ES-135 reissue, 1973 Fender Tele Deluxe in tobacco burst with two Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbuckers.
Amps: 1967 blackface Fender Super Reverb, blonde 1972 50-watt Marshall head with EL34s, 1982 Marshall JCM800, Peavey 5150 head, 1963 Gretsch 6162 combo, 1968 Marshall gold face 4x12 straight cabinet, 1972 Marshall salt-and-pepper-grilled slant cabs, 1960s Airline tube head.
Pedals: Batula by Coffin, Blood Drive by Coffin, Alien Space-O-Verb, Morley wah, Jim Dunlop Uni-Vibe, MXR Phase 90, Hiwatt Custom Tape Echo, Boss TU-2 tuner.
