New hi hat stand

Had $60 in gift cards to Guitarget from working GRC...so  bopped on down and picked up a used Mapex hi hat stand for just about that much. The Sugar Glider had been complaining that mine sticks...which I'd never noticed before (could be why I can't play hi hat for shit? perhaps). It's first test drive will be on Wednesday...when TD unexpectedly plays a 5 song set ON TV (complete with band interview...what? WHAT?!?). Yeah, seems like the right time to test out something new.

Ten Inch Tom

A while ago I found a 10" Sonor Force 2000 tom in the garbage on a bike ride home from work. I took it home and cleaned it up (it smelt moldy...so I sanded the bearing edges and wiped the rest of the interior and exterior down with vinegar). Lubed the lugs (old style Sonor). Yesterday I got in new heads and a clamp and installed it and it sounds great and fits into my kit configuration fairly well. I'm hanging it off a boom cymbal stand. It sounds great.

The clamp I bought is a Pearl Ax-25 Adapter 2 Hole Revolving and it is kind of awesome. I think I probably could have gotten the Sound Percussion version of this for a couple less dollars or this weird  Mapex AC903 Multi-Purpose Clamp , but it was really hard to tell from the photos online how things work. I'm really happy with the Pearl thing...it is exactly what I needed. I wish I could hang it off my straight stand instead (it is more sturdy and I prefer the straight stand on my left) but it seems to work the way I set it up. 

It makes the hi hat position a little tricky, but I really like having a tom in that position. It surprised me. I was reading an article in some drum magazine about someone moving their toms to the left because they had trouble getting around the kit. This struck me as out-and-out cheating at the time...but it IS shocking how much one can accomplish on the left side there and how much more comfortable it is.

Found

So I recently started biking to work again. I'd forgotten that a side effect of biking is trash picking. On my way home from work the other day I found what appeared to be a perfectly functional white gloss 10" Sonor Force 2000 tom drum. The ever-helpful Sonor Museum tells me that Force 2000 was a nice mid-line drum line with German made 9-ply poplar shells. The mounting system is old-school tube, so it doesn't match my kit (or the GRC kit that is looking for a tom replacement), but I can mount it from a cymbal stand. The thing is detoxing in my basement in case there are any visitors on it, but this weekend I'll probably take it apart and clean it up and evaluate. And then there will be yet another 2 head purchase in my future...and a mounting bracket. I should buy stock in Musician's Friend.

The New Baby

I don't know why I got it in my head that I wanted a circa 1987 MIJ Fender '62 P bass reissue in Fiesta Red. It really isn't neccessary to be so precise. But I wanted it anyway. I did some research along the way (surely documented on this blog, but I'm too lazy to look it up right now like here) and found them hard to find...at least in the correct color...and generally more money than I wanted to spend (not over the top money, but more than I wanted to spend). Along the way, Fender put out a new model...the Squire 60's Vibe P Bass. I've always avoided Squire products, believing them to be inferior in quality. I always figured that one could get any crappy instrument for less money and that you really were just paying for "Fender" to be written in very tiny letters. But I read some decent reviews of this new model (in comparison to other Squire products) and learned that, actually, in 1987 the '62 reissue was a Squire product...they just didn't put Squire on the headstock at the time. That's what I heard anyway. New the bass sells for $335...and that's more than I wanted to spend for what it was. I decided that if I ever found one really cheap (like under $200) I'd pick it up. I wanted to try it out, but it seemed unlikely that I'd ever see one in a store (though I looked at every store I stepped into).

So on Friday things were slow at work and I went and did my occasional check for basses on the internet. There were two Squire 60's Vibe P Basses in Fiesta Red on ebay for under $200. I decided that I didn't even want to spend $200 though...that I wanted to spend more like $160. That knocked one out...and the other had $40 of shipping tacked on...bringing the final total over my $160 cap. Plus, the idea of buying an instrument online sight unseen and having it shipped (who knows how well), kind of gave me pause.

The next day I decided to go over to GC because I'd recently bought a prepack of drum heads and they came with a kind of shitty bass pedal slam patch (cheap bastards...Remo used to include a regular falam slam with these prepacks). I wanted the regular falam slam patch and I wanted it right away...I went to get it.  I walked into the store and strait ahead. In a bit of a fog I thought "hmm, what did I come for and where do I need to go". As I'm working this out, my eyes start to focus on what I'm standing in front of. It was a used Squire 60's Vibe P Basses in Fiesta Red for $179. I kind of thought I might be going insane. I double checked the label. I took it to an amp. Played like a dream (I'm not thrilled about the tone range, but it is good enough. Also the strings were pretty new and bright and buzzy...but the action was really good...it played comfortably). Bought it. Took it home next day (it was on a hold until the next day).

Once I got it home I took off the tortoise shell pick guard. There was only a half shield underneath (this is how Squire builds em so cheap) and it was a sticker on the back of the pickguard. I read somewhere along the way (who knows when or where...the constant obsession) that she didn't like the white pick guard, so took it off and left the "shield" underneath exposed. So I went online and bought a full '62 reissue shield, which seems like it will fit based on my research.  It isn't meant to be used as a pick guard, but I'm hoping I can jerry rig it (there is certainly precedence). It'll be here in a few days. And then the thing will look kinda like this:

I did not need this instrument. It is essentially the exact same instrument as my Yamaha P bass. And no one actually will care that I have the proper looking bass (and what is proper is subjective anyway, since this is just the Doolittle era bass...and I'm not going out and also getting an Aria, a Music Man, and a Steinberger...I think this is the bass she is most known for, especially since the reunion). But it is one fewer obsession for me to have. The funny thing is, I probably will only have ONE chance to play it with CJ on stage this year...Oct 11th....since our June gig is acoustic, we'll likely take off July, Aug-Oct will be spent learning non-Pixies tunes for our special Halloween show, and Nov-Dec are notoriously slow gig months due to holidays and post-Halloween malaise (why do we agree to do Halloween shows year after year when they only end up making us sad?). But here's hoping that we pretend to be the Pixies for enough years to come that this won't have been a TOTAL waste.

Actual photo to come once I get the shield on.

UPDATE: Here she is.  Realizing that the shield alone would be too thin to support the input jack (this I suspect is what led to that duct tape on KiD's bass), I simply put the shield over the tortoise shell pickguard. There is a strip of shielding tape under the pickguard, so all should be well. I rest my thumb on the end of the finger board and it turns out that there is a sharp edge on the shield there, so I put a little bit of masking tape over the edge and it seems to be safe enough. I played it for an hour or so last night and didn't cut myself. I may invest in black knobs to replace the silver, but we'll see. I've already fallen down the rabbit hole so I might as well go all the way (UPDATE 6/10/2013...Happy Birthday KiD! A little research today and I'm fairly convinced that the black tone/volume knobs are not original to this instrument. Those appear to be jazz bass knobs. I suppose it is possible that they came with hers, but seems unlikely. Anyway, 12 bucks will correct the situation).

I like the way it plays, especially at the high frets, because the action is super low. It MAY be too low, as I'm getting a tiny bit of fret buzz, but I think that might lessen as the strings deaden. It's hard to tell right now if it is just a brightness thing or actual buzz. It sounds really great played with a pick. Loud and clear. Played with fingers the tone is very muffled and the volume low...more so that with my other basses...even with the treble turned up. So I guess I'll have to start playing with a pick most of the time on this one, which for accuracy sake wrt to Pixies is actually more appropriate anyway. For the same reason, this may not end up being a great bass for the ska band, because I don't think that I'm going to be able to learn to play fast moving lines with a pick any time soon, but I may try using it at the ska show on Sunday and see how it goes. 

Speaking of Upgrades

Oh...and I put a fresh set of strings on the acoustic bass. I got Ernie Ball Earthwoods. The thing is BRIGHT now, but that's okay because I need it to cut through unplugged.

Good Head

At the show last Thursday I noticed that my heads on the black kit are pretty pitted. The floor tom sounds pretty bad too.

So my current drum situation is that

• The Red Pulse is at TD practice space with all Remo heads on it except for the resonant bass, which is a Pulse. The heads are old, but in good shape. All my extra hardware is there and so is all of my extra cymbals.
• The Sonor is at my house with all Remo and the newest heads on it. I use the Sonor for personal practice, I loan it for ska practice, and I use it for TD gigs whenever possible. My best hardware and cymbals are with the Sonor.
• The Black Pulse lives in my gig bags and I use it for SSW gigs and for any outdoor gigs. It has very old Remo batters and the stock Sonor resonants. I grab hardware and cymbals from one of the other kits when I need it.

So this week I bought a full set of Remo resonant heads and a pinstripe Remo Rock Pack of batters and a Remo Powerstroke bass resonant. Basically a complete set of everything. This cost me just about $175 online.

I'm now debating what to do with the new set...put it on the Sonor or put it on the Black Pulse. If I put it on the Sonor I'll move the Sonor heads to the Black Pulse. Not only is this twice the work, part of me wants to see what is the best case scenario for how the Black Pulse can sound. So probably I'll put everything on the Black Pulse and get new heads for the Sonor in a year or two...or maybe just replace the tom batters sometime soonish. If we ever get around to recording TD I'll certainly replace everything immediately before that.

Cymbals

Surely I've posted about cymbals before. I do so today because I got in a frustrating discussion with some people the other day. It was one of those situations that, as soon as I left, I knew what I SHOULD have said...but while I was there I felt stupid and frustrated.

What cymbals should you buy?

No one can decide that for you. You have to decide for yourself based on your own limitations and preferences.

Factors to consider:
-how serious are you
Are you 12 years old and might drop this drum thing tomorrow? Are you going to college in music? Is this for your basement or shows? Invest according to your committment.

-cost and your ability to pay
Do you have trouble making rent? Than stop worrying about your cymbals. Do you make shit tons of money? Buy something nice. Think of cost over the long term too. Yes, you can buy cheap now...but will it last? Will you have to buy again soon?

My favorite compromise with respect to cost is buying used cymbals. I prefer cymbals that are "broken in" because their sound changes as they age (see below). I basically did some research, decided what I liked, thought about what I'm willing to pay, and now I keep an eye out. I basically am looking for any Sabian AA cymbal in good condition that is less than $120. This is more than half off retail in most cases. I also have a priority list...right now I'm looking for a ride first, but if a nice crash showed up cheap I'd pick it up.

There are two things to watch out for with used cymbals...keyholing and cracks. A cracked cymbal is useless. The crack will get worse. Only buy it if you know how to repair or it is dirt cheap and you are okay losing it later. I've repaired cymbals and they never sound the same. So it will likely sound like a trashy effects cymbal after you fix it rather than what it was sold to you as. Keyholing refers to the center hole distorting from a perfect circle. I think this is less of an issue, but in general to be avoided. You can prevent it in your own cymbals by always using proper sleeves and felts on your cymbal stands and by not over-tightening (or leaving too lose) your cymbals. Secure but not over tight (over tight can cause cracking too).

Used cymbals can be bought via ebay, Craigslist, or Guitar Center. The Guitar Center website lists what used items are for sale at every store.

-durability
Ah yes...will it last?  With cymbals this is really hard to know. There are cymbals that really aren't meant to be durable and there are those that are. A good cymbal can last 100 or more years. A bad one can last just one hit.  But there are cases of bad cymbals lasting and good ones not lasting. There are rules of thumb but they don't always apply. It is an item that you hit. It can break no matter how nice.

Also there are thin cymbals and thicker cymbals. If you are a hard hitter, you probably don't want to get a really thin cymbal.

-how you play (how hard and how good is your technique)
A good instructor or the internet can tell you how to properly hit a cymbal. If you can't be bothered to look into that, odds are that you are hitting the cymbals wrong and you are more likely to damage them. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't bitch if you constantly break cymbals and haven't bothered to look into this. Hitting hard isn't neccesarily bad...but how you hit (glancing blow versus hitting through cymbal...hitting on edge or center, etc) can make a difference. That said...you also don't always have to hit hard. Personally I don't worry too much about this. I buy decent cymbals and they seem to last.

-type of music you plan to play
Every cymbal manufacturer has a website that tells you what kind of music each cymbal is meant for.  Beyond that, look into what your favorite players use (this only goes so far, cause they probably get their shit for free and may be promoting something crappy...yeah, I'm looking at you Tre and Travis...or they may promote something you can't afford). All of this is guidelines, because any cymbal can be used for any kind of music

-what sounds good to you
You can't know this without hitting lots of cymbals. Complicating this is that the way a cymbal sounds changes with age and how dirty is it and how often and in what way it has been hit. And cymbals sound different when hit in isolation than when used with the rest of your kit. So you can start by going to Guitar Center and hitting all of their cymbals, but that only takes you so far. Playing other people's kits helps...as does critically listening to recordings online. Cymbal websites often have sound samples you can compare too.  You could spend a lifetime figuring this out. Or you could figure out general principals and move forward.

A note here on dark versus bright: These are industry terms for the quality of the sound. Certain types of music historically use certain qualities of sound and I don't know the total history of that. All those rules get broken all the time too. But it is useful to know if you prefer a bright or dark tone.

I also find decay a huge factor. Cymbals, in general, annoy me. I want them to sound and then fade quickly. You may want them to ring forever. You have to figure that out yourself. Then you can use cymbal websites to find out what a certain type of cymbal does or try them in person.

-material
Cymbals are usually made of brass or bronze and are either cut from sheets or poured into a mold. Brass is crap. Bronze is the way to go. Sheet bronze is cheaper and less durable than poured and it doesn't sound as good (in my opinion).  Really it is up to the person though, and some people may prefer the sound of sheet cymbals (or find them a reasonable compromise for their needs). Various manufacturers use various types of bronze...the main types are 8% (cheaper/worse) or 20% (more expensive/better). Again, you may like a certain alloy better even if it isn't the "best."

So what should you buy?

Here's some basic research I've done on lower end cymbals:
-Wuhan. Wuhan is known for chinese cymbals and gongs. They have a small line of other cymbals. 16” = $44 (B20 alloy). They are thin, but a higher quality alloy than other low end cymbals. I like the way they sound for some things. A good deal for the right person.
-Meinl HCS is brass
-Meinl MCS is B8 alloy (16” = $72)
-Paiste PST is brass
-Paiste PST5 (CuSn8 Bronze 16” = $89)
-Paiste PST8 (CuSn8 Bronze)
-Paiste alpha (CuSn8 Bronze 16” = $140)
-Sabian SBR is brass
-Sabian B8 (B8 alloy) (16” = $79)
-Sabian B8 Pro (B8 alloy)
-Sabian APX (B8 alloy)
-Sabian XS20 (B20 alloy), vintage bright
-Zildjian ZBT (16” = $75), sheet bronze (unclear of alloy, but it is a grade below ZHT)
-Zildjian ZHT (16” = $115), B12 sheet bronze
-Zildjian ZXT, old series made with titanium
-Zildjian Z3, a new series introduced in 2009, these are no longer listed on their website, may be discontinued. They were advertised as "Hard hitting cymbals as you know them have just changed. Now introducing the new Zildjian Z3 line with the ultimate mix of Power, Projection and Playability for your Rock." They were 20% cymbals but not sure if sheet or cast. Likely sheet.

Once you get beyond low end...you move up to professional grade. Generally these are cast cymbals of a 20% or similiar quality. You can't go wrong with these if you have the money to buy them (look for used like I do). Each line has several models and weights (extra thin, thin, medium-thin, medium, heavy). That is all personal preference. Unfortunately it is up to personal preference. Most manufacturers also have artist lines.
-Paiste. A note that I am not a fan of Paiste cymbals and so know less about them. They have lots of lines. The two main pro lines are 2002 and Twenty. They've had lots of middle of the road lines over the years (Rude, 200 series, 300 series, 400 series, 600 series, 900 series). I just think they all sound cheap
-Sabian AA, vintage bright sound
-Sabian AAX, modern bright sound
-Sabian HH, vintage dark sound (HH stands for Hand Hammered)
-Sabina HHX, modern dark sound
-Sabian Paragon, bright (expensive)
-Sabian Vault (expensive)
-Sabian SR2, these are used floor samples of B20 cast. Can't typically find at music stores. It is kind of a grab bag
-Zildjian A, bright
-Zildjian A Custom, bright
-Zildjian fx, typically special effects cymbals
-Zildjian K, dark
-Zildjian K Custom, dark
-Zildjian K Constantinople, their top-of-the-line and most expensive cymbals
-Dream. A new player on the scene. Don't know much about them. Less available. Likely more expensive.

All manufacturers also have old models and series that aren't made any more (like Zildjian Simitar) and you run across them from time to time on the used market. A quick internet search will tell you what you are looking at (alloy & sheet/cast, etc).

Cymbals

I've been slowly upgrading my cymbals for years now. At some point I decided that I liked the way Sabian AA's sounded...and so I've been looking to pick those up cheap. I think I've completed the set for the most part.  Last weekend I bought an AA medium thin 16" crash.

So now my best cymbals look like this:
-Zildijian 13" New Beat Hi Hats (bought used for $185)
-Sabian AA 16" Medium Thin Crash (bought new on sale for $139...had $30 in gift certificates)
-Sabian AA 17" Medium Crash (bought used for like $80)
-Sabian AA 18" Medium Thin Crash (bought new on sale for like $119...had $20 in gift certificates)
-Sabian AA El Sabor 18" Ride (bought used for like $60)

-Wuhan 12" Splash (bought new at conference for like $25)

I'm gonna take the 17" out of the performance lineup and use it as a backup along with my 16" Paiste Color Sound Crash and my 10" Sabian HH Splash and my 18" Paiste 302 Ride and my Zildijian Scimitar Hi Hats. The HH is a nicer cymbal than the Wuhan, but I really like the sound of a larger splash.

So essentially I now have two full sets of cymbals. I also have a set of brass cymbals that I probably should donate to GRC but I just can't bring myself to part with them yet. And I have a couple of cheap Zildjian crashes that are cracked that I use at TD rehearsals and that are probably ready for the trash.

In theory, I should not need to ever buy cymbals again unless one breaks. However, I would like to get a different ride. I'm not sure what I want out of  a ride cymbal though.

Effects Pedals

Not having a fully developed identity as a player yet...and not having a great ear for sound quality...means that I don't mess much with effects. KiD plays a pretty clean, straight signal bass...so I haven't needed to mess much with it. I have takent the baby step to notice and react to the fact that she played a different kind of bass at different points in the Pixies' career and that this changed the tone. I might not have noticed this on my own admittedly, but I read it online.

Aria Pro II Cardinal Series – The Pixies' first bass belonged to Kelley,and is heard on Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa and seen on the Town & Country live video. It later reappeared in the Kelley Deal 6000.

1962 Fender Precision Reissue– Acquired for use on Doolittle on Gil Norton's insistence. It appears in the video for "Here Comes Your Man". On the Bossanova album, the Precision was used on "Dig for Fire" for its "lazier, growlier sound" that was "not as boingy-boingy-sproingy".

Music Man Stingray – Added in time for Bossanova "because it was active and had a different sound" and became her main live bass "because it was a little less country-sounding than the Fender". The instrument was afterwards played by Josephine Wiggs in The Breeders and Luis Lerma in The Amps.

Steinberger headless (but full-bodied, two-cutaway) bass – Bought during the recording of Trompe Le Monde because the other basses were out of tune on the higher frets. Deal described it as having a "weird, organ-y sound".

The upshot for me as a practical matter is that there are a few songs that I either play with a pick or turn the tone knob "brighter" on. Well...now that I think about it...I really only do this for one song...Bird Dream. I turn the knob all the way bright (I normally play all the way the opposite). I play with a pick on Debaser, Blown Away, and Is She Weird...not for tone reasons per se, but because there are parts of those songs where I play alone and the boys couldn't clearly make out the notes (and thus the tempo) because they were too muddy. So I play with a pick to make them more articulated and louder. But as we are getting into the last of the Trompe le Monde and Bossonova songs I AM more aware of the different, brighter, tone. And I will probably adjust the tone.

My only other experience with effects or tone was for the Flaming Lips tribute. I bought a bass distortion pedal for that (that, even though it is the actual pedal that Michael Ivins uses live, I only ended up using on one song for an over the top punch in wall of ridiculous sound)fuzz pedal for that and borrowed a Peach Fuzz pedal (which is awesome, but pricey). I also briefly experimented with a multi-effects pedal on one song...but we ended up having the keyboard player use that pedal instead for that song.

I don't much fiddle with the knobs on my amp. I'm not sure what I'd even be trying to accomplish. I also have a modern and a vintage channel on my amp...but I don't much know the difference. I know that I like a fatter, less treble, bass sound. That's all I know.

I feel like I ought to try and understand more about effects and the quality of sound. Not so much because I care, but because it is part of the language. It would be nice, when RS and CT are debating this or that tone, if I had any idea what they were talking about.

So I've been obsessed with R Ring lately. And they use some serious effects...and in weird ways I gather. I took some pictures of their pedals the other night.

Here's KeD's guitar pedals. It is a little hard to make out what they are. Left to right it looks like...Boss tuner, Boss Digital Delay DD7, Ibanez/Tube Works Tube King Overdrive TK999 (maybe an older one), and Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano Reverb.  It helps to look at these pics on Flickr blown up and flipped right side up.

Here's KeD's vocal pedals. She kneels on the floor and adjusts these throughout the songs that she uses them on (personal side note here...the setlist is in this photo!). Left to right below is Boss Digital Reverb Delay RV-3, Boss Distortion DS-1, and...and...the label is covered...but it sure looks like a second Boss Digital Reverb Delay RV-3. I'm not sure if she runs these through her amp or through the PA. There's a direct box sitting there. I'm pretty sure that the acoustic guitars were run through the amps, so there's good odds that that direct box is for the mic that runs through the pedals. I don't remember her switching mics though. She would unplug her guitars/keys and run them through the same cable. But I don't remember that with the vocal mic. Hmm.

Last but not least here's MM's board from two angles. Top left to right: Boss Delay DM-2 (red), Boss Tuner, Radial Tonebone JX2 Pro Switchbone AB/Y Pedal. Bottom left to right: Boss Equalizer GE-7, Death by Audio Fuzzwar

I really have no idea how these particular combinations result in the sounds they produced on stage. But at least I know what they were using.

Cymbals...the final frontier

So the kit is coming together nicely. I'm happy with the drums, snare, pedal, throne, and hardware. But the cymbals still need tweaking.

I love my Zildjian New Beat hi hats. Those are keepers. I also love my 12" Wuhan splash.  And the Sabian AA crash (17"?) is also great.

I'm not totally happy with my ride selection and I'd like a different 16" crash. The Paiste 16" Colorsound, while a great cymbal, doesn't really sound right in the kit anymore. I cracked my CB 16" crash that I'd been using as a kind of China. As for rides, I've got a 302 Paiste which is kind of crap and Sabian AA El Sabor.  The El Sabor also doesn't sound quite right.

I think that I've decided that I like Sabian cymbals...preferrably the AA series. You don't see them around much though...usually you see AAX or HHX or HH.  So I'm keeping my eye out for an AA 16" crash and an AA ride used. No rush.

The Snare

So when I bought the Sonor I noticed a bunch of sympathetic snare wire vibrations due to the massive and awesome bass drum. I read somewhere that you could minimize this by getting snare wires with the center wires removed. These were harder to find than I thought, but I got a Puresound 16 wire snare with the middle taken out for a reasonable price online. I installed it and found to my dismay that, while it did cut down on sympathetic vibrations, that it essentially was impossible to get a clean "snare off" sound. The things virbrated like crazy in the worst possible way when the snares were off. I think this might be because essentially you are tightening the wires from the center...and that's where there's no wires. So the sides kinda hang loose all the time. I'm sure that a good drum tech could fix the problem, but I couldn't...so I took them off and put the old wires back on. I also put on a new reversed dot controlled sound and the snare sounds and feels great.

Related, this snare...my maple Pacific (by DW) has a chronic detuning problem. I've since read that this is really common with snares. Literally the lugs will fall out onto the ground after just one session of playing (I'm worried about forgetting this and losing some screws someday). I bought some tuning locks a while back to help with this, but think that I was using them wrong. So I put the entire set on the bottom lugs and we'll see how it goes. I went to Guitar Center to buy a second set for the top and they didn't have them any more. They also didn't have any snare straps (string, but not straps) or bass drum pedal straps (I wanted a spare). I went over there to be nice and buy local and all that crap (though it isn't really buying local) and they didn't even have what I needed. Same thing happened at Office Depot. All of this makes me want to always just shop online. Which I know isn't very progressive, but what am I supposed to do?

The maple Pacific snare does look great with the maple Sonor kit and I think it sounds good too. It's a slightly different color, but totally complimentary.

Floor Tom Leg Memory Locks.

I've been looking for floor tom leg memory locks with no luck. My Sonor has 12 mm floor tom legs (the black Pulse kit has more like 9mm legs). I had never thought of memory locks for floor tom legs, but it came up while I was looking for a replacement memory lock for the 3/4 inch tom mounts for the Sonor (the replacement parts from Gilbralter KIND of work, by the way, except the tab doesn't fit in the hole). I remember borrowing someone's kit once and they had used duct tape to create tom leg memory locks. This worked great for them...but horribly for me because I couldn't adjust the height (and he was tall). Adjustable floor tom leg memory locks would create the best of both worlds...easy set up OR adjustment. Anyway, floor tom leg memory locks seem to exist, but don't seem to be easy to find, especially not as replacement parts.

On some forum I read that a guy used hose clamps. I wondered if this would lock terrible and might scratch the legs or the tom. But I was looking at hose clamps for another home repair project and so I picked up three of the smallest clamps that they had at the store. They just fit on my finger.

 I wrapped each tom leg in old rubber bicycle tube (to avoid scratching the chrome, if there is any) and put the clamps on.

They work great and there's nothing that seems in danger of scratching the tom finish. It doesn't even look that bad. The below pic is upside down. The locks are such that the legs can easily be removed entirely for storage or transport.

Oh My God

Pixies Central just posted this photo and it totally takes my breath away. I've been looking for a good still of this instrument forever. This pic is just amazing. You can see every little scar and the cracking of the finish. More than ever I think this is faded Fiesta Red.  And the hand closeup with little green turtle pick and everything. Just. I can't even say. So awesome.

'62 Reissue P Bass Colors

So some day I'd like to own at least one of the basses that Kim Deal played in the Pixies. It isn't a priority...but if and when I ever buy a decent bass...I'll be looking. With my own preferences in mind...I'd lean towards the 62 Reissue Fender Precision.

I've hashed out her basses elsewhere on this blog (see link above)...but one thing that has long bothered me is...what the hell color is that '62 Reissue? I was just reading an article in which she says it is Coral. But doing a little bit of research...Coral doesn't seem to be a color used on 62 basses. Fiesta Red is though...and that's damn close. There was also Shell Pink...but that doesn't look right. I suppose that it is possible that the reissues were made in colors not used for the originals.

Colors below from here. Fender has a red color chart here (no sign of Coral or Shell Pink).

But I will give her that it sure as damn well does look Coral (2nd pic from left).

The second question becomes...what year was the thing? I mean...it was a 62 reissue...but a REissue. It was first used during fall of 1988 recordings for Doolittle. So if she bought it new...it was likely an 88 model. But who the hell knows if it was new. Even if it were from a shop it could have been used...or just a leftover from a year or so before.

If and when the time ever comes...maybe these guys can help.

Update: Somebody on the internet says this...which would explain quite a bit if true:

"Where the incorrect "Coral" and "Shell" descriptions come from is this. Even fresh Fiesta Red really isn't predominantly red, it has a tangerine or orange hue which comes from the white pigment in the mix. What happens to give birth to the "Coral Pink" or in your case "Coral Red" descriptions is that the red pigment is very reactive to light, so the more daylight a vintage Fiesta Red finish sees the more the red pigment fades. The white pigment doesn't fade of course so it gradually becomes more prominent causing the finish to appear pinker as as the red continues to fade over time during exposure to light. Fiesta Red will in fact turn a shade of pink that perfectly fits the inaccurate "Coral Pink" description or in your case "Coral Red."

Almost always colors described as "CORAL" or "PINK" from that era started out as Fiesta Red."

New Babies

The new babies. $450 all maple Sonor Force 3005. Added Road Runner bags for $50.

I took my pinstripe batter heads and ambassador resonant heads off of my black Pulse kit and put them on the Sonor. They are old, but have only been played at shows...maybe been played 10 times total...so they still have some life. Stuck some older emperor batters on the black kit and used the stock Sonor Remo UT heads for the resonant heads for the black kit.

I haven't tweaked the tuning much yet, just tried to get it in the ballpark. They sound good already. The bass drum is intense. I left the solid Sonor front head on there and forgot to muffle before putting the heads on...so it booms but in a good way (no annoying overtones, buzz, or wah). I'll need to muffle for sure (because the sound is out of proportion with the rest of the kit) and might actually put a ported head on before the first show.

I have to say that my two old shit Pulse kits weren't so bad for sound. Aside from the crazy bass drum...the sound isn't slap you across the face different. What is pretty different is the hardware, which is just outstanding. Very adjustable and sturdy and easy to use. Even with the deeper than normal toms I'm well able to get things into the position that I want.

The bags that I bought for $50 are very basic...but that's really all I wanted...and online the same ones were selling for $120-$300. So it was worth it. They have some tears in the lining, but nothing major. They really will only protect against scratches (not major dents) but that's ok. I'm pretty careful.

I think I did really well. It wasn't an expense I'd planned until next spring...but the deal couldn't be beat. I was expecting to pay more in the $750-$1,700 range for decent drums (plus the cost of bags). What I got is totally acceptable quality-wise (pretty much exactly the level that I wanted) and under $500.

Pro Gear

I've always been of a mind that cheap musical instruments are okay so long as they are set up correctly. To that end, I am the happy owner of two totally shitty electric basses (a Yamaha and a Lotus) and have great action and decent sound. I also own two Pulse drum kits...with good quality heads and some hardware updates.

But there comes a time to upgrade. I had decided that I ought to look into buying a "real" set of drums...and that I would make that purchase in spring 2013 with my tax refund. Which gave me plenty of time to research.

But research has a way of leading you places.

Brand
Somewhat randomly I've narrowed my interest to Sonor drums. I borrowed a Sonor kit from a friend for about a year and really liked it. And I've heard good things about the brand. That's about the extent of my reasoning.

Wood
Similiarly, I've decided that I'd like an all maple kit. I'm willing to settle for birch...but basswood and poplar are out for me.

Sizes
I am not a fan of 8" and 10" rack toms...what's the point really? I do like the portability and punch of a 20" bass drum though. So my ideal configuration is 20/12/13/16...but no one makes that set up off the shelf...so I guess I'm stuck looking for a 22/12/13/16. Best case scenario the rack toms would be short in depth to allow for more adjustments. On that topic I've learned the following:

• A pair of standard depth rack toms are 12x8 and 13x9. This "classic" configuration was popular from the 1950s, and has made a comeback.
• Power toms are one inch deeper than standard, so a standard pair is 12x9 and 13x10. This depth overtook the classic setup in polularity during the 1980s, and remains popular despite the comeback of the classic depth.
• Cannon depth toms are an inch deeper than power toms, so 12x10 and 13x11. Once seen as a logical extension of the power tom setup, this depth never gained popularity.

So I guess when I say shorter is better...I'd ideally want 12x8 and 13x9...but in a pinch would settle for 12x9 and 13x10.

It is worth saying that I already own a maple snare drum that I'm pretty happy with...so I don't feel the need to buy a kit that includes a snare. I also plan to one day buy a brass snare (like a Black Beauty of knock off of same)...so I feel like the snare isn't a deal breaker on a shell pack purchase. If I can exclude the snare to save money I'm all for that.

Price
I'm a cheap skate. I just am. But upgrading has an implied cost.  So I guess I'm looking to drop between $500 and $1,200 but would lean towards the lower end. This puts me in the used market. Drums in this price range aren't going to be top of the line (even used) but I can get a decent "pro-quality" or pro-ENOUGH quality kit for sure. Many, many steps above what I am playing currently for sure. Respectable. Perhaps even a kit to last me a lifetime or at least until I make more money (if that ever happens).

Finish
Finish isn't a deal breaker, but I'm partial to a natural or clear finish. So the drums look like wood.

Models
So settling all the issues above actually gives one a pretty good guideline on how to proceed.

Leaning towards modern era drums, I'd be looking for

• Force 3005 or Force 3007 or Select Force (these are all maple models)
• Force 2005 or Force 2007 or Force 3000 or Essential Force (these are all birch models)
• Stage 1 configuration (22/12/13/16) or similiar. The depth varies a bit by year.  The rack toms in this configuration seem to be 12x10 and 13x11 a few years ago and more like 12x9 and 13x10 now.

So...what should I find today on craigslist but a Force 3005 maple in natural clear finish in 22/12/13/16 with no snare for $500 and within driving distance. The rack toms are the deeper ones...but still. I sent the guy an email. I hate to be an impulse buyer and throw out the playbook about waiting until next spring...but DAMN.

Here's the very kit in question in all of its beautiful and tempting glory.

UPDATE 5/29/2012: I emailed the guy about coming to look at these last weekend and he didn't respond so I figured that it was all for the best. But then I saw that he'd reposted the set with a reduced price...so I tried again. He never got my first email. So if these haven't sold I'm gonna go grab them next Saturday on my way to SB unless there's something obviously wrong with them.

DIY 12-String TLC

Some time ago, I'm going to guess it was in about 2005, a coworker alerted me to the fact that a friend of hers was moving away and looking to sell his bass guitar. At the time I'd been playing bass for a couple of years...first a borrowed one...and then a cheap white one (The story of my basses is here). I didn't think I needed another bass...but what the hell. So I went and talked to the chap. Turned out that he wanted to sell me a bass, a practice amp, and an acoustic 6 string guitar all for $75. And who could say no to that. I had a habit of collecting cheap instruments at that time and somehow this turned into me trading the 6 string for a 12 string.

And essentially that is the end of the story of the 12 string until summer of this year. It sat at my house unused.

It was determined that "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 1" needed no bass...but rather a 12 string guitar on top of the pre-existing 6 string part. And so began the life of my 12 string.

I noticed a slight string buzz and friends drew my attention to the fact that the saddle is too low...so that some of the strings rub against the bridge and buzz. I was told this was an easy fix...just raise the saddle with a shim. I feared breaking it in the process though...so ordered a back up saddle. Research was useless regarding the saddle...there are dozens of saddles on the market and nothing to indicate which one I needed. I took a crap shoot and ordered an all around type from Musician's Friend. It arrived yesterday and seems to be close to right. A bit big but that is apparently better than too small and I can sand it to size. Still not sure if all saddles work on 6 or 12 strings...but no where on the web could I find a 12 string specific saddle.

It never occurred to me that I'd have to take off the strings for this operation...and never mind that I've never changed them before anyway. So a trip to Woodwind Brasswind in South Bend and subsequent realizations that 1) they were closing their retail store and 2) I have no idea what kind of strings I wanted (extra light, light, or medium). I got two sets of lights...thinking ahead to a future broken string. No discount despite WWBW being in liquidation mode.

Whilst waiting for the saddle to arrive it occured to me that the strap is always falling off the guitar. There's a pin holding it is (later identified as an END PIN). I kind of want a more permanent situation. And so today's research and total uncertainty whether or not it is appropriate or possible to make a more permanent solution. All of the strap pins on the market seem to be designed for solid body electrics. I guess folkies aren't supposed to stand up. Anyway...it's off to Guitar Center tonight to see if an in-person trip will yield better results.

Either tonight or later this weekend I will take the whole thing apart and probably totally fuck it up. If I remember, photos of the destruction to follow.

All of this, of course, could be done for more money and an uncertain time frame at a shop...but it seems well within my abilities. The best option would have been to undertake the entire enterprise on my own, but under qualified supervision and guidance, at the shop of a former-friend...but I seem to inexplicably be dead to her suddenly.

And here an unneccessary and ill-advised tangent on that. First dropped off the jam contact list (more than a jam list, really, I thought I was the drummer for one of her bands) with no explanation and later unceremoniously "un-friended" on Facebook...the modern equivalent to being given the finger. I've searched my brain and am fairly certain there is nothing in my actions or words to have precipitated such treatment. I tried to be fair and kind all the way along and there was no indication from the other side that I'd not been. I can only assume that a mutual "friend" has influenced things (either by direct request, or just an uncomfortable silence), which is too bad. I've been more than my share of an asshole over the years...and this suspected "friendly" influence certainly bore a brunt of that behavior. It is my lot in life to regret those mistakes and to be banished for them...and that I can live with...and I do live with that...every day. But it feels unfair that the punishment should expand to everyone that we mutually know. To people who I've never wronged. I suppose folks always pick sides in a divorce...but the picking usually happens much sooner. Mostly it feels disappointing and a betrayal that a fellow person living in the middle ground of weird would choose the popular girl over her brother. It's easy to love a winner and to want to be on their team. It's hard to stand in strange. Of all people on this earth I thought this one person was more willing to stand in strange than anyone else I'd ever met...but put to the test it just wasn't true. I'm sure she has her reasons and feels totally justified...but it's sad and makes me sad that this is the way of people. Loyalities are fleeting. You can't really trust anyone. And in the end we are all out for ourselves.

Side note...it is an acoustic and this gig is most certainly electric. I'm going to use a Dean Markely humbucker pickup I bought several years back when I thought I was going to have a solo career or become a singer-songwriter/band leader. But I suck at both song writing and band leading. The pickup just sticks in the sound hole with a cable running out. So it too sat unused until in March 2010 Crackity Jones put it into service on RS's acoustic. It was returned to me last night after he bought his own (aparently my solution was a good enough balance of cheap and good). It is slightly beaten to hell, but still fully functional. He offered to give me the new one instead, but I kind of like that the Pixies rang through this one and sweated all over it. I'm planning to just plug the guitar into my bass rig and hope for the best (I am well aware that the reverse is not a good idea...that is, plugging a bass into a guitar rig).

The New Baby

I decided to go ahead and buy the Ampeg BA600-115 amp. And just in time...it was out of stock and discontinued at every internet vendor I checked except Amazon...who had ONE LEFT. So I ordered it and hopefully the inventory was correct and it is actually on its way.

I'm hoping this is the last bass amp I'll ever need to buy. It was a financial stretch, but I had a little money from teaching coming in and I just couldn't get over the balance of tone, power, price, and weight. It was just exactly what I was looking for and once I had a testimonial and the chance to try it myself I was hooked.

Just for the record, I weighed my existing amp last night and it is 65 pounds. The new one is supposed to be 50. Awesome.

Tympani Mallets

This one



or this one

Bass Amps

Oh...so when I forgot to post in a timely manner about the Mr. Roberts show I also forgot to mention the amp I used. And that's a real omission.

When we arrived at the show the Dead Beat Club had already backlined their equipment (pros). The bass player...who I THINK is named Andy and MIGHT be the bass player for The Shabelles too (dear internet...is this true? It is? Great!)...offered for me to play through his amp. Since his amp was nicer than mine...and mine was still in the car...and space was tight...I said "sure and thanks".

I did not get the model...which is a shame and might need to be righted (dear internet...can I friend Andy on facebook and ask him? I can? Great!). It was maybe the best amp I've ever used. And that is saying something, because for the Dane101 gig last December I played through a REALLY nice amp (note: I can't believe I didn't mention THAT amp in THAT show summary EITHER. I am really slacking and missing the whole original point of these gig summary posts. It was an Aguilar AG500 and GS412).

This one at Mr. Roberts was better, though...and here's why:
1. It weighed like...nothing. Less than my amp, and my amp is pretty light for a 15" combo amp
2. It was a human sized combo amp...it would fit into your car no problem. None of this giant cabinet bs.
3. Frankly I just liked the sound. Very clean and clear and loud. Just great. The boys commented on it too.

So...what the hell was it? It was Ampeg brand combo amp...probably with a 15" speaker. It had two channels...Andy told me only the "vintage" channel worked. It had two input jacks for different "dbs". It probably was an older model since one of the channels was broken. If he even knows what model it is...I'll be able to ask him pretty soon if I manage to remember. All the powerful combos listed at Ampeg now are more than 50 pounds...and this thing seemed to be more like 35.

Someday when my amp dies I want to be able to buy a new one based on some understanding of what I like and don't like in an amp. It's nice to have the Sun to fall back on, but it is too big to haul around and I don't feel comfortable using someone else's equipment long term due to the potential of damaging it and then having to figure out how one deals with that (fixing or replacing a decent vintage amp).

UPDATE: It was indeed an Ampeg BA600 just as I guessed. It sure did not seem like it weighed 50 pounds...but maybe mine, which I thought was 55 pounds is more like 60 or 65 due to replacement speaker. At Sam Ash this amp will run you $849...which, while more than I have to spend right now, might be a very decent deal in a year or so. 600 Watts in a compact package for less than 900 bucks is reasonable...and would be a solid step up from where I'm at currently. A side note...the 300W version of the same amp is $649 and is listed as only 40 pounds. I have heard bad things about Ampeg in the past...but maybe this is only with respect to the low end products. If it is good enough for Kim, it's good enough for me.