I just love this picture! In case you don't recognize the 'Muppet' in the tux, it's "ME!" Yes I was younger once. And there I am with my pals Kermit the Frog, Floyd the bass playing Muppet, Jim Henson and Frank Oz.IT's a CLASSIC!
Well the Rocket Scientists tour went extremely well... I just got back (yesterday actually but mentally today). John Payne (of Asia) sung with us and "what a guy, whatta singer!" He is incredible, if you get a chance to see him with Asia or better yet, us in Rocket Scientists, 'do it!'. Great singer great entertainer.
Okay some NS/Stick 'tech talk' here. Bear with me, I'll try and make it interesting for those of us that:
1. Don't care about the 'tech' stuff ...lol or
2. Don't play the NS but like the stories.
I followed through using the HEAVY gauge NS/Stick gauge. "SURE, I wanted to change back to the lighter gauge by the third rehearsal... but I vowed to play the gig with it to give it the 'proper' testing grounds.
The heavy (and I to mean HEAVY) sounds wonderful. It did exactly what I wanted it to. The 'string tension' per string is far greater giving it a more electric bass set up feel. The bass to melody strings glided nicely continuing the 8 string bass feel.
In this show I have a 'solo'. It's actually more a "So Loud" than a "So Low" BRUMP BUMP! Sorry folks, (you can take the man outta Las Vegas but ya can't take Las Vegas outta the man.)
Okay, so in this solo there is the "Plethora" of techniques involved, (C'mon... how often do ya get to use that word!! Ya gotta do it when ya can).
Plucking, tapping, strumming even the slide gets used. So the 'new gauge' got the FULL work out. It works brilliantly. Let me list the gauge here:
NS Heavy gauge set:
1-Bb-13
2-F-20
3-C-30
4-G-44
5-D-65
6-A-87
7-E-106
8-B-128
You definitely feel the tension difference in both hands whether tapping or plucking. When using the slide I needed to be a little more careful as the tension is greater on the melody strings. I broke string two at rehearsal when soloing. Hitting the metal slide against the higher tensioned string snapped it against the "fret like a cleaver".
(I digress here for a moment "I guess I could have called that moment the "Leave it to Cleaver" moment!)
(Okay we'll continue now... I heard the groans and moans lol).
Let's get right to my preference and why and what I've learned.
I have switched back to the regular gauge with the exception of .009 on my first string. I bend the 'heck' outta the melody strings and any gauge above that, the string will snap after the third bend. (It's a real mood killer when that happens).
I bend the bass strings a lot just for vibrato mainly and occasionally a whole step as well. The heavy gauge can do it... the lighter gauge I feel I have more finesse in doing it. and there is the ease of execution.
Throughout the neck and especially 'high on the neck' when tapping, thicker gauges will give you a 'thicker, huskier tone', the lighter gauge provides a 'singing, ringing tone'.
The heavier gauge to my ears sounded a little darker in tone on the melody side, the lighter treble-ier. Down low on the (frets 1-7 especially) the lighter strings need to be plucked with a lighter touch or it will 'thwack' and you get the "I overplayed the string" tone (not always desirable - though desirable is a 'subjective tone.
I've done a session where the producer said, "Give me a new and different tone!" So I said "Hand me that metal ruler over there, I'll give you different."... as I proceeded to smack the the strings with the metal ruler while playing!!" the result, "I love it" the producer said.... Like I said, desirable tone is subjective.
I followed through using the HEAVY gauge NS/Stick gauge. "SURE, I wanted to change back to the lighter gauge by the third rehearsal... but I vowed to play the gig with it to give it the 'proper' testing grounds.
The heavy (and I to mean HEAVY) sounds wonderful. It did exactly what I wanted it to. The 'string tension' per string is far greater giving it a more electric bass set up feel. The bass to melody strings glided nicely continuing the 8 string bass feel.
In this show I have a 'solo'. It's actually more a "So Loud" than a "So Low" BRUMP BUMP! Sorry folks, (you can take the man outta Las Vegas but ya can't take Las Vegas outta the man.)
Okay, so in this solo there is the "Plethora" of techniques involved, (C'mon... how often do ya get to use that word!! Ya gotta do it when ya can).
Plucking, tapping, strumming even the slide gets used. So the 'new gauge' got the FULL work out. It works brilliantly. Let me list the gauge here:
NS Heavy gauge set:
1-Bb-13
2-F-20
3-C-30
4-G-44
5-D-65
6-A-87
7-E-106
8-B-128
You definitely feel the tension difference in both hands whether tapping or plucking. When using the slide I needed to be a little more careful as the tension is greater on the melody strings. I broke string two at rehearsal when soloing. Hitting the metal slide against the higher tensioned string snapped it against the "fret like a cleaver".
(I digress here for a moment "I guess I could have called that moment the "Leave it to Cleaver" moment!)
(Okay we'll continue now... I heard the groans and moans lol).
Let's get right to my preference and why and what I've learned.
I have switched back to the regular gauge with the exception of .009 on my first string. I bend the 'heck' outta the melody strings and any gauge above that, the string will snap after the third bend. (It's a real mood killer when that happens).
I bend the bass strings a lot just for vibrato mainly and occasionally a whole step as well. The heavy gauge can do it... the lighter gauge I feel I have more finesse in doing it. and there is the ease of execution.
Throughout the neck and especially 'high on the neck' when tapping, thicker gauges will give you a 'thicker, huskier tone', the lighter gauge provides a 'singing, ringing tone'.
The heavier gauge to my ears sounded a little darker in tone on the melody side, the lighter treble-ier. Down low on the (frets 1-7 especially) the lighter strings need to be plucked with a lighter touch or it will 'thwack' and you get the "I overplayed the string" tone (not always desirable - though desirable is a 'subjective tone.
I've done a session where the producer said, "Give me a new and different tone!" So I said "Hand me that metal ruler over there, I'll give you different."... as I proceeded to smack the the strings with the metal ruler while playing!!" the result, "I love it" the producer said.... Like I said, desirable tone is subjective.
"EXCELLENT" (This was a donut light tour - none to be found- so I compensated with "Rice Pudding!").
Don
PS
Hi To George and Tim who I saw on tour SUPER WONDERFUL to see you all.
