Robben Ford

is without doubt the only musician who can lay claim to performing or recording credits with Miles Davis, Kiss, Burt Bacharach, and Muddy Waters - not to mention George Harrison, Michael McDonald, Joni Mitchell and countless others. Raised in the remote town of Ukiah, California, Robben moved to San Francisco at 18 and was immediately scooped up (along with older brother Patrick on drums) by blues harp legend Charlie Musselwhite. Leaving to form the Charles Ford Band (named after their father) with Patrick and younger brother Mark on harmonica, the short-lived group recorded only one album but left a legion of fans many of them guitarists who owe a huge debt to Robben 25 years later.

Stints with blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon and the fusionesque L.A. Express (touring and recording with Joni Mitchell) preceded Robben's long-awaited solo debut, 1979's Inside Story. The album also marked the formation of the quartet that would become the Yellowjackets, with whom Robben performed until 1981. A year later Ford enlisted bassist Roscoe Beck and in 1986 drummer Tom Brechtlein began sitting in, joining officially after the release of Robben's next solo outing, 1988's Talk To Your Daughter.

In between Ford played with one of his jazz heroes, Miles Davis, thanks to an intro from Tommy LiPuma. "I first met Tommy when he signed and produced the Yellowjackets," recalls Robben. "I worked with him in some other situations, like Randy Crawford, and then he was the guy who told Miles about me. It's a real auspicious coincidence that Tommy came to GRP at this point and had already been thinking about the Blue Thumb idea. We wanted to be presented in some way so that people didn't see the GRP logo and automatically think we were a jazz act."

On his current tour Robben is playing several models versions of his Signature Custom Shop Model. In addition he is using a 1961 Blonde Telecaster with a rosewood neck. Robben has owned this instrument for a while and it is a stock model. As for amplification Robben relies on Dumble Amplifiers for touring in the US. While touring outside of the US he uses Fender Twin Reverbs. We will be adding more information about Robben's instruments in the coming weeks as well as pictures of his set up.

Robben Ford Ultra Ford (USA Custom Shop) Fender Musical Instruments Co., Inc.

Designed under the direction of modern blues and jazz great Robben Ford.

Body: Dbl cutaway style, multibound Carved figured Mpl top, solid
Mahogany back and sides w/tone chambers;
Neck: Mahogany w/bound Ebony frtbrd, Mother-of-Pearl frtmrkrs, 22 jumbo
frets, 12" radius, 24.625" scale;
E-tronics: 2 HB pu's, 3-pos. ssw, coil tap sw, 2 Vol, 2 TBX;
Other: gold hrdwr, lock-strap system, Schaller tuners w/Ebony buttons;

Models:

010-3060

Robben Ford Model Ultra FM, split block inlays,
multi-bound top and frtbrd

010-3050

Robben Ford Model Ultra SP, same as 010-3060 except
carved Spruce top and solid Alder back and sides

010-3020

Robben Ford Model Elite, thinline solid body version of
010-3050 except dot inlays and chrm hrdwr

Home Page | Robben Ford- Bio | Roscoe Beck - Bio

Tom Brechtlein - Bio | Bill Boublitz - Bio