Quote:
Originally Posted by David Powell
I think when I was younger it made more difference to me who was playing which guitar through what, but that was greatly connected to the signature sound of the gear as well. Like Ritchie Blackmore just wouldn't have sounded the same on a Gibson, nor would Donald Roeser sound the same on a strat. For instance when I saw Geddy Lee, he used a Rickenbacker for almost all of the set, and switched to a Fender for Working Man only. He was still Geddy Lee, but the sound that stuck in my head was the sound of the Rickenbacker. When he switched to the Fender, he sounded different. It probably wouldn't have mattered who was playing those two basses, I could hear a certain sound there. And I never would have liked Rickenbacker based on a photo of Geddy Lee holding one. I'd have to hear him playing it. Same with the other gear. Hearing it in a live situation in a big hall was how my preferences developed.
If I remember right, the first Smith bass I saw live I didn't know what it was and it wasn't a particularly famous player then, but he might be by now. I made certain that I could remember the headstock, because the sound was really clear and full. The note definition was quite remarkable. Of course the fellow had great technique, but there is a great deal of the live sound that has to do with the instrument. The guy was playing with Maynard Ferguson's band in a pretty large school auditorium and I was pretty far in the back. So it is good to have that distinctive headstock because it really was a kind of "What is he playing" kind of thing. And after I checked out what had that headstock, I could spot a Ken Smith visually as well as by sound. During the eighties, those headstocks began to pop up with great regularity among the better pro players I saw.
I guess I still pay attention to what I see being played, but if I can get hold of one to play, that makes more difference. And I think my tastes in sound have changed, perhaps refined a bit as I listen to different music types. One instrument that really impressed me when I first saw it was the Clevinger. So I have a question that I'll frame Ken. In that you play fine double basses but build electric basses, have you ever considered building an electric bass that could be bowed double bass style? The name "electric upright" has never sat to well with me, I'd prefer "electric double bass" as a name for a vertical electric bass that has arco capability.
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First, I don't know who the player was with Maynard. At first I though Gordon Johnson but he was with Chuck Mangione.
Second, the Bowable Bass
has been made and exhibited in my Booth both at the NY Guitar Show (c.1986?) and NAMM a time or two back then but I was not the maker or brand. We did make some Fingerboards for the maker and sold him some parts as well. The builders name was Danny Augustino and he called it the 'Bass-o-lin'.