FEATURE
Robert Randolph
Robert Randolph’s best friend is a wooden chair. The steel-guitar phenom
doesn’t go anywhere without it. He’s even had it flown to China in a special flight case for a single show. It just goes to show that there’s so much
more to a player’s tone than meets the eye.
When he sat in that special comfy chair in Milwaukee, Randolph wailed on
a 13-string Sierra pedal steel running through a two-of-a-kind amplifier—
a ’ 57 Fender Twin reissue that’s one of two originally built for Jeff Beck.
During his set, Randolph rocked out passionately through the Twin and
an extension cab on “Purple Haze,” “Them Changes,” and a barnburning
rendition of “Red House.”
Left: Randolph’s must-have piece of gear—an old
wooden table chair that he’ll never do a show
without. The chair even has its own custom flight
case to ensure utmost security and safety.
Bottom Left: Randolph is so proud of the fact that
his ’ 57 Twin and 2x12 cab were owned by Beck that he
left the guitar god’s ID tape on back.
Below: Two additional foot pedals sit under
Randolph’s pedal steel—a Dunlop Crybaby Multi-
Wah and a Goodrich L120 Volume Pedal.
Bottom Right: Randolph’s Sierra 13-string pedal
steel and 2x12 extension cab mic’d with an early
Sennheiser Evolution series mic.
Above Left: Robert Randolph throwing down on “Purple Haze” with his Sierra 13-string
pedal steel guitar.
Above Right: Randolph’s handwired ’ 57 Fender Twin 2x12 combo stacked on a Fender
2x12 extension cab. The combo is one of two specially made amps that were originally
owned by Jeff Beck.
Below: Randolph’s pedalboard is pretty similar to what he uses with his Family Band.
The Experience Hendrix setup included a Peterson VS-F StroboFlip Tuner, Boss FT- 2
Dynamic Filter, Crowther Audio Prunes & Custard Harmonic Generator-Intermodulator, and
Radial Engineering Tonebone JX- 2 Pro Switchbone. The small box in the lower left-hand corner holds spare slides and medium and large Dunlop White Plastic Finger and Thumb picks.
