I love the early Johnny Guitar Watson stuff on King, Federal, and RPM. I've been searching the web and I can't find any information on the studios used or the recording process/ studio set up. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

https://youtu.be/eQiiu2z-JoQ

King and Federal (Syd Nathan) were based out of Cincinnati.

https://www.citybeat.com/music/music...ture-potential

Don't know what the status is of this project is and probably the best person to answer what gear was on the inside is Bootsy Collins and you can try to contact him through his foundation. There might be a local or two on GS who may have some inside info.

Thanks, swafford. I could find info on Syd, but nothing on the studios. I'm not even interested in the gear as much as how the band was set up... how many microphones, where they were placed, how the band was arranged in the room. I'd love it if there were photos of anyone recording for King at that time. Essentially, I would like to approach that sound when I record blues. I don't need to mimic it. I've wondered if some of that stuff was one microphone.

I'm also curious what amps Johnny Guitar Watson was using on those recordings. They sound like they're turned up to 11. They must be four watts or something.

I'm looking for the exact same info, but focused on the drums (and specifically, the breakbeat section of "Funky Drummer"). The impression I'm getting is that the studio itself was probably not anything overly mind boggling for the time. What's amazing is the quality of the artists and the records they created. Cool stuff, and I look forward to seeing what happens with the studio complex!

A friend of mine is working on a book about American studios in the 60s. I'll send him an email to see if King is being covered.

Gotcha. I managed a photo reproduction project that Patti Collins brought to the lab I worked for in the late 90's. Mostly I recall Bootsy promo shots, but there were a lot of pictures and I didn't go through all of them and I'm sure they didn't bring everything they had. There's not a lot at the Bootsy foundation site, but those folks are pretty accessible and sweet and might have a suggestion on where to look.

https://bootsycollinsfoundation.org

Also the Cincinnati Public Library

https://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/fe...ngrecords.html

and Xavier U.

https://www.xavier.edu/communitybuil..._Month2018.php

Also I think a friend of mine worked on this as an engineer and I'll reach out to him to see if he has thoughts:

https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Treasu.../dp/B0014CYVF8

Awesome, swafford!

I've always known Bootsy was cool, but he's even cooler than I ever imagined. We need more people like him.

And THIS is awesome:

https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/king_every_day/37/

You can actually see how they have a band laid out in the studio, even where the drums are set up, and you can see that did use multiple microphones. There might even be a close mic on the guitar. Hard to really see.

This one's good too. I imagine Johnny Guitar Watson would have been similarly set up as his vocal is the closest thing to a microphone by far, followed by his guitar, which must have been right behind him. I love how the bass microphone is so far from the bass. I long to have a room where I can do that.

https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/king_every_day/39/

Leslie Heaven:

https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/king_every_day/31/

WHOA!:

https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/king_every_day/35/

30 foot ceilings might have something to do with the sound. I imagine the Watson sessions could have been done here. One microphone for the horns, one close up on Johnny and maybe another over on the drums. It was very courteous of the people at King to put that fine art deco ashtray near the piano... And this that a guitar amp off to the side?