Rich Robinson is the guitarist who, with Marc Ford, formed the two-guitar lineup at the heart of the Black Crowes during the peak of the band's run, a pairing Premier Guitar's rig rundown described as the band's "Ronnie and Keith"1. In 2017 the two reunited in the newly formed The Magpie Salute, which Premier Guitar called "a two-guitar snarling attack that grooves hard with tube-driven tone"1.
When Guitar World toured his pedalboard in December 2023, Robinson said the board was nothing new: "The 'board I have is basically the same one I've been touring with for years."2
Amps first, pedals second
Robinson's philosophy of tone puts the amplifier at the center. Asked about his sound, he told Guitar World:
"You can have all the pedals you want, but the guitar/amp combination makes the sound. Pedals are just some extra paprika."
He does not name specific amplifier models, but his general rule is simple: "I believe it comes down to the amps, and I rely on vintage amps as much as possible."2 For a player building a board with a similar outlook, that means the pedals are there to push or decorate an amp that already does the main work, not to create the core tone.
What is on the pedalboard
The board Robinson described in 2023 covers five jobs at once2:
- Drive: three overdrives and a boost
- Modulation: tremolo, reverb, and a rotary speaker effect
- Pitch and expression: wah and volume pedals
- Utility: tuning
- Switching and control: amp switching and a MIDI controller
The individual pedals break down like this2:
| Pedal | Type | Role on the board |
|---|---|---|
| Black Volt Amplification FDR | Overdrive | One of three overdrives2 |
| Way Huge Red Llama MkII | Overdrive | Second overdrive2 |
| Free the Tone String Slinger | Overdrive | Third overdrive2 |
| Way Huge Angry Troll Boost WHE101 | Boost | Pushes the amps for solos2 |
| Strymon Flint V2 | Tremolo and reverb | Both effects in one box2 |
| Strymon Lex Rotary | Rotary speaker effect | Leslie-style modulation2 |
| Fulltone Clyde Standard | Wah | Wah pedal2 |
| Lehle Volume 90 | Volume pedal | Level control2 |
| Lehle Little Dual | Amp switcher | Switches between amps without hum2 |
| RJM Music Technology Mastermind GT | MIDI controller | Runs the board2 |
| Boss Waza Craft Chromatic Tuner | Tuner | Tuning2 |
The Lehle Little Dual earns a specific mention from Robinson for a practical reason: "I also have a Lehle Little Dual, which allows me to switch between amps without hum."2 The RJM Mastermind GT MIDI controller gets a similarly functional endorsement: "It's great and it's functional."2
Overdrives and boosts
Robinson runs three overdrive pedals plus a boost, and he is specific about when they come in: "I use the various overdrives and boosts for solos, not for the entire song."2 That matches his amp-first philosophy: the base tone comes from the guitar into a vintage amp, and the drive pedals are solo tools rather than always-on grit.
Tremolo and reverb: the Strymon Flint V2
The one pedal on the board handling tremolo and reverb is the Strymon Flint V2, which Robinson told Guitar World he uses for both effects2. Strymon describes Flint as "a studio-class effects pedal" that is "essentially two pedals in one, with tremolo on one half and reverb on the other"3.
The V2 models three vintage tremolo circuits and three reverb types4:
| Effect | Types modeled |
|---|---|
| Tremolo | '61 Harmonic, '63 Power Tube, '65 Photocell4 |
| Reverb | '60s Spring, '70s Electronic Plate, '80s Hall Rack4 |
Delicious Audio describes it as a stereo exploration of vintage territory4, and Pedal of the Day framed the pedal as "the history of tremolo and reverb in a pedalboard friendly format"5.
The Flint on Robinson's board is the V2. The original Flint earned a Guitar Player Editors' Pick award in 2013, and the V2 carries the same three-by-three tremolo and reverb lineup in an updated pedal6.
Of the V2, Guitar World's reviewer wrote:
"It's the most popular reverb/tremolo pedal on the market for a reason. You can't get any better for what it is."
Questions
What amps does Rich Robinson use?
Robinson does not name specific models, but he is clear about his approach: he relies on vintage amps as much as possible. In a 2023 Guitar World rig rundown he said the guitar and amp combination is what makes the sound, and that pedals are just extra seasoning on top of that pairing.
Does Rich Robinson use overdrive pedals?
Yes. His board carries a Black Volt Amplification FDR overdrive, a Way Huge Red Llama MkII, a Free the Tone String Slinger, and a Way Huge Angry Troll Boost. He says he uses the various overdrives and boosts for solos rather than leaving them on for an entire song.
What reverb pedal does Rich Robinson use?
He uses a Strymon Flint V2, which combines tremolo and reverb in one pedal. Robinson told Guitar World he uses it for both effects. The Flint V2 offers three tremolo types and three reverb types, modeled on vintage amplifier and studio circuits.
Sources (7)
- The Magpie Salute: Gear Secrets of Robinson & Ford, Premier Guitar, 2017-09-13
- Rich Robinson reveals what's on his pedalboard, Guitar World, 2023-12-12
- Flint V2 Tremolo & Reverb, Strymon (www.strymon.net), 2026-09-02
- Strymon Flint V2 Tremolo + Spring Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2023-10-25
- Strymon Flint Tremolo & Reverb V2, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2022-11-21
- Flint Tremolo & Reverb receives the Guitar Player Editors' Pick award!, Strymon (www.strymon.net), 2013-03-12
- Strymon Flint Tremolo & Reverb V2 review, Guitar World, 2026-09-16