| The Guitars. These guitars are played by Jim, Wanda or Mark at one time or another. If the band has a gig where they need to waste some time, they will not hesitate to bring 100 items to pack, set up, play, repack and bring back to the practice space. Now, where do we start... |
| This rare beast is an Ovation Breadwinner. It is early (a 1971 or so) because it has the cord jack on the side and not on the pick guard, where they tend to crack the guard. This guitar plays beautifully and has active electronics that can make the sound killer bright. I have not yet found the perfect song for this in the set, so it's appearance is a seldom thing. Made by Kaman Music in New Hartford, CT. Now sadly, owned by Fender. She sits in a reproduction 60's flower chair and repro lamp, but is surrounded by vintage electronics, toys and a Gladiator (trademark) helmet from that movie with Russell Crowe. Yes that is a 60's SSP (Super Sonic Power) car on the desk next to the Space 1999 Eagle Transporter. You would pull that "T" handle rip cord to spin the rubber and metal wheel so you could either put it on the ground to race away for 15 feet or onto your sisters head where it would need to cut out of her hair by your Mom after your beating. With a 38 year vantage point, I still remember it being well worth it. |
| Homestar Runner is playing a 1982 Ovation Magnum II bass. This big and heavy instrument is more bass that I am bass player. It has a great quirky personality with tons of tone and versatility that needs to be mastered before it can be taken advantage of. Here I am trying to figure out why the E booms while the A is mostly silent. I have also come down from the 12th fret where the bass sounded more like a taser (a weapon good for touching bad guys with) than what I assumed it was going to sound like, which was a bass played on the 12th fret. I learned to play bass on a Fender Jazz bass and was scared into wishing I was playing one here for a second... But only a second. Made by that Connecticut company that makes those lyrachord snow shoes. These cool Ovation solid bodies never really caught on and that is a real shame. Hiding on the tri-stand are a Mosrite and a Rickenbacher 12. More on the others soon. |
| Ok, not a bad shot of the "Mosrite of California" that I believe was made in Japan. This "The Ventures II" is one of 30 that are signed by Johnny Ramone and set up with the electronics he favored in the Ramone years. This holds tune well, has easy action and a thin neck ...unlike me who can't hold a tune, never gets any action and is getting pretty thick in the neck. Christ, I could be one of the Moody Blues. I guess I am now like one of the vintage cars that look great from 25 feet. [Please note Markraphone head in the background. At least I was not hiding behind a 2" wind screen.] |
| Here Mark will dazzle us with the poop on what ever it is that he be playing in this pic: Stay tuned |
| Here is a fairly excellent pic of Wanda's Gibson SG Bass. Chosen out of 100's of basses for not only it's light weight, but for the ability of Gibson basses to actually bounce when dropped. Dishes and Christmas ornaments would last longer with less damage if they were also engineered to bounce. Webster's Itinerant Dictionary has this to say about bouncing: Bouncing: To bounce; [Common] a reflexive transference of energy as in "Did you see that jogger bounce?" and; [less common] ie the things Tiggers do best. or [uncommon] to speed forward in time. The huge sneeze that Jim is about to unleash is not only extremely distracting, but turns 2 pages in Wanda's music book. This causes her to begin to play "Also Sprach Zarathrustra" instead of "Puff the Magic Dragon" that we are actually in the process of playing. Click for MORE GUITARS. or how about BACK |