English‑born producer and engineer Warren Huart’s credits range from Aerosmith, Disturbed and Korn to James Blunt, Ace Frehley and Daniel Powter. Asked to select a favourite sound from his back catalogue, he opts for the guitar tone from the Fray’s ‘Never Say Never’.
“There is this particular section of the song, the guitar melody at 2:46, where we knew it had to feel powerful and emotional, not just supportive. The part itself actually came first. Dave Welsh, the Fray’s guitarist, wrote that guitar line before the chorus lyric or melody existed. It was so strong that it eventually became the foundation for the chorus melody, intertwining perfectly with Isaac Slade’s vocal. From the start, we wanted the guitar to stand alongside the vocal, not sit behind it, a true duet between voice and instrument.”
Room To Breathe
“The sessions took place at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California, with the Fray becoming the last band ever to record there before its closure in 2008. To record the sound, we used two amplifiers, a ’65 Fender Deluxe and a Vox AC30, running in stereo. Dave played a Fender Telecaster Deluxe with humbuckers, switched to the bridge pickup for that biting yet warm tone. Both amps were placed in the stone live room to the right‑hand side of the control room, with the door left open so the sound blasted into the main live room, where all of the drum room mics were already set up. That allowed the guitar to bleed beautifully into the ambient mics, giving it a natural sense of width and energy. Each amp was miked front and back with [Shure] SM57s, with the rear mic flipped out of phase to capture warmth and body without losing clarity. The AC30 ran through an Electro‑Harmonix Holy Grail reverb, while we cranked the Deluxe’s spring reverb for extra depth.
“Of course, Dave’s super‑fast right‑hand picking technique added a sharp, rhythmic aggression that made the searing, beautiful melody cut straight through the mix. It is one of those performances where the emotion is in the attack, and the way he plays gives the line its urgency and power. To give the sound its size and sense of air, I also miked both the slate room and the main room. That combination provided an incredible spread; you can hear the articulation and space all at once. A touch of DI was added to bring in the pick attack, just enough to cut through. What makes the sound so special is how all these elements, the different rooms, mics and slight delays, interact naturally, creating a huge stereo image from a single guitar performance.
“For ambience, I used Gefell CMV563s on the parquet floor, and placed a pair of early ’70s Neumann U87s high up in the room for overall atmosphere. The slate room, on the other hand, was extremely bright, so I used a Coles 4038 ribbon mic there to tame the top end. With the bridge pickup and all that reverb, there was already more than enough brightness to work with.
The part carries the emotional heart of the song, even when the vocal steps back.
“Because Dave’s guitar line mirrors Isaac’s melody, the part carries the emotional heart of the song, even when the vocal steps back. You walk away humming both at once, which is why this remains one of my favourite guitar sounds I have ever recorded.”