My exchange with Tony Obrohta, the renowned guitarist of Chicago, offered a revealing glimpse into the musical journey of one of the band's pivotal members. As an admirer of Chicago's music, I reached out to Tony to gain insights into his tone, my charts, and how he fills the role of Terry Kath, who Jimi Hendrix himself once said was the greatest guitarist.
In my email, I expressed my admiration for Tony's playing and shared my appreciation for his contributions to Chicago's iconic sound. I also got the opportunity to inquire about his thoughts on achieving the perfect guitar tone, particularly when playing alongside a horn section, and eagerly sought any tour stories he might be willing to share. Tony's response was both gracious and informative. He offered valuable advice on playing with a horn section, emphasizing the importance of articulation and tone control. On a guitar amp, there is usually bass (the lowest tone), mids (middle tones), and treble (the highest tones). Tony told me the way to cut through the horns is to add a little more mids and boost the treble to hear you pick every note. Additionally, he shared insights into his own gear setup, including his Fractal 3 amp and custom-built Original Senn guitar, modeled after Jeff Beck's iconic instrument.
(Fractal Amp.)
(Terry Kath, original guitarist of Chicago who passed away in 1978.)
What truly got me was Tony's knowledge of capturing Terry Kath's soloing style. He emphasized the importance of blues roots and that Terry used light strings. Tony said, “Terry was unlike anyone else when he soloed. He was full on attack mode, and it’s really hard to get close to his style, but it’s blues based with some jazz flourishes. He used really light strings, that’s why it sounds so “snappy”. Whatever you do, be yourself, I’m trying to play in the style of Terry, but I’m not copying his solos, I’m still being myself. Play with conviction and don’t be afraid to make mistakes if you’re going for something.” Tony’s gear gets close to Terry’s sound but has his own personality to it. I really enjoy hearing encouragement to be yourself.
My exchange with Tony Obrohta was a great learning experience into the world of Chicago's guitar magic. Tony throughout all of our emails asked about me as well. He was generally curious about where I was going to school and everything about my guitar playing. His professionalism, expertise, and passion for music shone through in every word, leaving me with a deeper appreciation for Chicago's legacy and a renewed inspiration to continue my musical pursuits.