[ WM ] I first met you when you were with Fernandes Guitars / Hiwatt Amplification . What was your role there ?
[ Rich ] In 1994 I went to work for them as a set up guy . I did this for about 6 months when we lost our bookkeeper . I told the boss that I could do this work . I became accounts payable and payroll and then over the course of 10 years became the controller by adding accounts receivable as well as doing all the monthly and year reports for Fernandes Japan . I also met many great people and artists . One of the key people I met was Darrell Smith who was a product manager at Line 6 . He came to see me play with an artist named Tom Lillo and we became friends .
[ WM ] You left Fernandes at some point to pursue engineering and mixing records . How did this come about ?
[ Rich ] Through the mid to late 90s , I was in a band called Yellow House with a guitarist / producer named Bobby Harty . The funny thing about being in a band with him was the fact that we knew each other for seven years before we were on a stage together . I met Bobby in Jim ’ s garage when he visited from Westmont College to order his first Tyler guitar . I have met so many good friends over the years but sometimes you just meet someone , and you know that there are deeper bonds than just friendship . Bobby is one of those guys . Sometime in the early 90 ’ s after I quit a band I started called The Tories , David Brighton called me to play in his band Brighton with Bobby Hartry on guitar . Brighton was a super cool band that were on Pakaderm Records and gained some notoriety , so it was an honor to be asked to play with him . Bobby and I bonded and formed the band called Yellow House . Our singer loved Van Gogh and who Van Gogh was as an artist and follower of Christ . So all of our songs were written with Van Gogh paintings in mind . Crows in a Wheatfield , Sorrow , Potato Eaters , etc . We played the Los Angeles club scene and started making our own demos in our little studio . This led to Bobby becoming a sought-after producer and
At NAMM for Fernandes Guitars / Hiwatt Amplification 1999
he built up a very small studio . In 2004 when I compressor , octaver , vintage tube screamer , left Fernandes I started engineering and mixing Q-Tron , SansAmp Bass Driver into a ‘ 73 SVT records Bobby was recording . I would play on at church . many of the recordings as well . One highlight was working on Mike Stand of Altar Boys ’ solo [ WM ] At some point here in the story you record Full Circle . went to Line 6 . That was early in the company ’ s history . What were your duties there and what Another major life changing moment came products were you involved in ? when I hired Darrell Smith from Line 6 to play keyboards on a record . He is an incredible [ Rich ] When Darrell Smith saw me with a multi-instrumentalist . I loved his playing and pedal board and SVT , he asked me if I needed asked if he wanted to come and play with me a job because they were looking for a new at a church I was playing at . We already had product manager . At first I said no but I was a Hammond organ and Leslie on stage so he intrigued because in 2005 Line 6 had become came and we threw down . It was a blast and a very hip and innovative musical instrument he saw me with my Jazz bass into an RNC company . They would create so much buzz at