If you happen to take heed to early electrical blues and R&B data, you’ll typically discover the unique classes have been lower with out a bassist. To recapture that Forties and ’50s vibe, McKinley James recorded his new album, Working Class Blues, with simply guitar and vocals, backed on drums by his father, Jason Smay, who has performed with J.D. McPherson and Los Straitjackets. The result’s a joyous explosion of sound, captured over a weekend within the household barn. Much more, these fats guitar tones you hear are coming from James’ ’54 elements Strat and – no kidding – a solid-state Peavey amp!

What’s it prefer to be in a band together with your dad on drums?
Pops and I join on a number of ranges, personally and musically. Once we play reside or are recording within the studio, it’s all the time a straightforward move. We arrange shut collectively in a single room.

Which guitar gamers impressed you?
I take heed to all kinds, particularly residing in Nashville, the place I’m uncovered to a number of killer gamers. However to slender it down I’d say Magic Sam, Steve Cropper, Eddie Taylor, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. I reside and breathe soul and blues, so it’ll all the time come out in my taking part in.

For an album with a lot guitar, the main target isn’t on in-your-face solos.
I’m into songs as a complete and taking part in easy. To me, significant solos are simply expressing a special side of the tune, holding it flavorful and attempting to not lose observe of what the tune is about. I like breaks that say what they should, and never get fancy with it.

What tremolo impact is that on “Only a Little Bit”?
That’s a Fender Vibratone cupboard, which sounds actually killer. They’re mainly Fender’s model of a Leslie. I needed to maintain the Leslie sound within the mixture of tones once we went to a duo, so this was the most suitable choice. I’ve tried utilizing the usual Leslies, however the Fender sounded one of the best with my guitar.

What’s the story behind your ’54 Strat?
It means a lot to me. We have been on the highway in Detroit in Might of ’23, and a buddy gave it to me, as he had it for years simply sitting round. He received it from an outdated blues file collector in my hometown of Rochester a few years in the past, and that man received it off the ground after a Cramps present within the ’70s.

How did you get it again into taking part in situation?
After I received it from him, it had a one-ply pickguard and woodgrain I’d by no means seen. So a buddy, Deke Dickerson, really helpful we contact luthier AJ Peat. That July, I flew out to satisfy AJ in California and had him authenticate it; till then, I’d by no means heard of a sassafras Fender! Then I discovered period-correct repro knobs and a deep-C form Allparts neck. My expensive buddy Matthew Bascetta, of Home Of Tone pickups, made a killer set of true-spec ’54 pickups with rounded-edge covers. I introduced all of the elements to my Nashville buddy, Spencer Connell, to assemble. As my second guitar, I additionally love utilizing my ’82 ES-335 within the duo. I choose to not use pedals, although often a reverb tank if I’m utilizing an amp with no reverb.

Do you hybrid decide with fingers and a plastic decide?
I do. As a fan of Lightnin’ Hopkins, I began utilizing a thumbpick. For extra of the blues-type songs, I’ll lean towards the thumbpick and fingers, however for soul and rock-and-roll materials, I’ll go for normal Dunlop medium picks.

“Get to My Child” captured some unimaginable guitar tones. Why did you employ a solid-state Peavey Pacer amp?
The Peavey truly wasn’t deliberate for the file, however I used it on a demo for “All the time On My Thoughts” and favored how it may be clear and never too soiled at occasions – or it could possibly get soiled fast! So I simply went with it. We have been fairly quiet whereas recording, however the amp can provide the phantasm that it’s loud [and] obtain nice thick tones at low volumes. I’ve messed round with it loud a handful of occasions – only for enjoyable, although (laughs).

Your rhythm taking part in is locked in and groovin’ all through Working Class Blues.
I take heed to a number of totally different kinds and genres of music and love listening to what the rhythm guitar is doing simply as a lot as lead. Additionally, Pops and I actually lock in collectively once we play, in order that helps, as effectively. Working with Pops has all the time been a blast.

This text initially appeared in VG’s October 2024 problem. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.