Since their formation in 1985, no other band has captured the essence of rockabilly quite like The Reverend Horton Heat.
Having spawned a nation of "psychobilly" fanatics, this Texas based trio continues to put miles on the road from touring and gaining more and more new guitar-heads each year. Ryk Weston recently caught up with frontman Jim Heath and got a chance to explore his roots and love for Gretsch guitars.
Ultimate-Guitar: Let's begin with some of your influences. A lot of people assume you were brought up in an almost punk background, but it seems it began primarily with Chet Atkins records. Is that correct?
Jim Heath: I started out just digging blues. That lead me to the fifties thing. However, I liked country and what is now called rockabilly when I was a kid. Getting into Chet as well as punk came later. When I first started trying to play like Luther Perkins (mid-sixties or thereabouts), punk rock had not been invented yet. Well, I liked the Kinks and the Who, but now I'm getting really off-base. After being in bands for several years, I do remember getting into thealternating bass finger-picking style like Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, but doing it my own way. I may have been going a little more for Scotty Moore, but I've tried copying a lot of different people. I really like to focus on the mid-century guitarists. All of that being said, the punk rock thing that came on the scene in the late seventies saved rock and roll. Rock and roll turned into something that is not really rock and roll at a point in the sixties leading through most of the seventies. I remember going to see bands like 999 and thinking it was cool, but it wasn't until I saw the Cramps, which was promoted like a punk show, that I got the idea that rockabilly really was the original punk rock. Seeing them doing Jack Scott's "The Way I Walk", and "Surfin' Bird" by the Trashmen really sealed the deal for me. I knew that rockabilly would work in a then somewhat new punk rock type of venue. It was then I focused almost exclusively on rockabilly. This was about 1980.
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| "A lot of our fans have the vintage style tattoos that were made popular with service guys." |
It's great to hear you mention players like Tommy Crook as inspiring artists. With Tommy being in Oklahoma do you have the occassional chance to catch him play?
I've never seen him play except on video, but, he's got to be one of the greatest all-time guitarists. His two low strings are bass strings, so using what is a very unusual and complicated finger style and left thumb over the top technique, he can play intricate walking bass lines while holding down the melody too. I think that may be why Chet Atkins, when asked if there was anyone better than himself, said Tommy Crook.
Gretsch issued your signature model built to your specifications. Were you pretty happy with the outcome, or any changes you would make to it now?
One change that I've done is that my bridge, which was semi-fixed to the top of the guitar via allen screws, has now been moved around a bit. I needed the bridge to be a little further back.
I've heard it mentioned that there are those who've played the signature model through a Marshall stack, only to switch to a Fender Twin for the true "Rev sound". You happen to play the Super Twins though, right?
My main amp has always been one particular Fender Super Reverb from the mid to late seventies. I have several of these silver face Super Reverbs and I love them. One of them, I have reason to believe (though I cannot verify this completely), was Stevie Ray Vaughn's main amp back when he was doing club dates and small small rooms. But, it's not quite the same as the main one that I like. I also play through a Fender Twin. A mid-sixties black face. I'm not a big fan of Twins because they're too clean even at high volumes. However, I run a little Boss Blues Driver with that one in case I need a little more dirt. The Super is really the loud one, because I run it on 8 to 10. The Twin is never on more than 3 and is there for flexibility. If I need a little more dirt, I can turn up the Blues Driver. If I need a little bit more lows or highs than the Super can give (every room is different...different sound...different power) then I can adjust the Twin to suit me.
What is it about the '59 pickups for the signature model that you like?
Well I've got to tell you that they're not exactly like the old filter-tron's, but they get me in the ballpark. I always liked the DeArmond and P-90 pickups for that vintage sound, but in certain rooms, they buzz almost as loud as the tone. The new TV Jones filter-trons in my new Gretschs are really quiet, with a remarkable sound. It's funny though, all three of my new signature Gretsch's are a little different. I like the clearness of the highs.
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| "Every major city has a rockabilly scene. College towns too." |
Do you have a practicing regimen you use before shows as ways to warm up?
I do a little bit of cross-picking to get that up to speed - if I have time.
I can only imagine the amount of RevHo tattoos you must have seen over the years. Would you agree that the ink and RevHo go somewhat hand in hand?
A lot of our fans have the vintage style tattoos that were made popular with service guys, you know, the Sailor Jerry thing and pin-up girls. I think that's cool. Not a lot of Rev. fans have pot leafs and peace symbols, but if they did...well, to each his/her own.
Are there areas of the globe which you have seen that really embrace rockabilly music?
Every major city has a rockabilly scene. College towns too. California is pretty strong, but, it's everywhere.
Are there any plans to incorporate signature amps in the near future? Has that idea ever sprung up?
That would be great, but I wouldn't use them. For some reason, with me, that one Super-Reverb is more important to me than the guitar I play. The guitar is important - obviously. But, I've changed between Gibson and several different Gretschs, but whenever I try a different amp, it's just not the same - I keep coming back.
I want to thank you for your time in doing this interview. Are there any last words for the RevHo fans out there?
I would like to thank my fans for all of the wonderful support that they've given me and the rockabilly/roots community. We're all keeping it alive and that's a great thing.
Interview by Ryk Weston
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