It's been.....

.....awhile since I last posted here. Well I'm back. I've had some changes in my bass stable recently. I let a couple go and bought another. Pictures and details about the new addition will be coming soon. I still have my Rickenbacker, she'll be with me forever. The Ric did have a very bad accident a few weeks ago though. More on that when I have more time.

Just a bit of rambling

Just playing with my phone. While I'm sitting in the parking lot at the grocery store. What a beautiful Sunday morning. It's a bit on the cool side but the bright blue sky with a dotting of puffy white clouds is just amazing.

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Jim Clench bassist for April Wine and BTO dies

Jim Clench, a Montreal bass player and vocalist who played with April Wine and Bachman Turner Overdrive, has died. He was 61. Clench died Tuesday in a Montreal hospital after a battle with lung cancer, according to April Wine's Brian Greenway.
Clench was with April Wine, the Montreal band known for hits such as You Could Have Been a Lady and The Whole World's Goin' Crazy from 1970 to 1975, then rejoined as the band underwent a resurgence from 1992 to 2007.
He was with BTO from 1977 until the band's breakup in 1979.
His musical career began with a band called the Coven, before he joined April Wine.
Clench played bass on four April Wine albums — 1971's April Wine, 1972's On Record, 1973's Electric Jewels and 1975's Stand Back.
He also took over lead vocals from Myles Goodwyn on songs such as Weeping Widow and Oowatanite, a song he wrote. His growling voice was a distinctive element for the band.
He left to join another band with Greenway, who eventually joined April Wine as a permanent member after that other group failed to get a recording contract.
Clench then played with BTO, taking over bass and sharing lead vocal duties with Fred Turner in the period after Randy Bachman left the group.
Clench played on 1978's Street Action and 1979's Rock N' Roll Nights with BTO before the group disbanded.
In 1992, Goodwyn reformed April Wine and Clench returned to record four more studio albums, 1993's Attitude, 1994's Frigate, 2001's Back to the Mansion and 2006's Roughly Speaking.
April Wine paid tribute to Clench on the band's website, but Greenway said they had lost touch with him after he left.
"He was a very private person, when he left the band he sort of stayed on his own and we were travelling a lot — and as happens with bands when you change members, you sort of lose contact sometimes," Greenway said.
Clench was not married and had no children. His funeral is scheduled to take place next week in St. John's.

Courtesy of CBC News Canada

Quote Of The Day

"The bass, no matter what kind of music you're playing, it just enhances the sound and makes everything sound more beautiful and full. When the bass stops, the bottom kind of drops out of everything. " ~Charlie Haden

Lazy Days Of Summer

I have just been relaxing today doing nothing at all. I thought about mowing grass or doing some other work related chore around the house but I quickly decided against it. A quote from a movie comes to mind. "We like to plan ahead, so we don't have to do anything now". That's me today and I don't feel a bit guilty about it. We all need an off day now and then. Do I hear an Amen.

Zon Guitars Announces Standard Series Line

Redwood City, CA -- Zon Guitars announces the release of their new, affordably priced Standard Series line of bass guitars. Offered in Mosaic, Sonus and Legacy models, these basses are handcrafted in Korea to Zon’s exact specifications and rigid quality requirements. All of these basses are final-inspected for fit and finish and setup at Zon Guitars’ Redwood City, California, facility before final shipping to dealers.

 

 

According to company President Joe Zon, “There are a lot of players out there who want to own a Zon bass, but their budget has restricted them from doing so. This new Standard Series now makes that possible.

“From their inception, we wanted to offer players a workhorse instrument of exceptional quality, worthy of the Zon brand and reputation--a bass with the sound and playability that would make it a genuine value for the dollar, an affordable bass that didn’t need to be hotrodded by upgrading the pickups and hardware to make it a good-performing instrument.

“All Standard Series basses feature U.S.-made Duncan pickups and Hipshot brass bridges, as well as 3-band active/passive electronics. The necks are three-piece maple with rosewood fingerboards and dual-action truss rods, and the bodies are made of quality tone woods with highly figured Maple, Bubinga or Walnut veneer tops. Even the gig bag is high-quality, thick and very protective.”

All models of the Standard Series import line are available in 4- and 5-string versions with either gloss or satin finishes. U.S. Retail prices start at $1599.

For more information:
Zon Guitars

Gibson Releases Joan Jett "Blackheart" Melody Maker

Nashville, TN -- In anticipation of the forthcoming film release The Runaways and her recent release of the Joan Jett and The Blackhearts Greatest Hits album, Gibson Guitar has announced the launch of the Joan Jett “Blackheart” Melody Maker. Gibson released a white Joan Jett signature Melody Maker in 2008. The “Blackheart” Melody Maker will be available beginning March 19th.

“I needed a black guitar. This guitar has the same body and the neck runs smooth as silk, “ said Joan Jett. “ I wanted some flash of color, so the fret inlays are bright red, and the 12th fret is marked by mother of pearl inlay hearts lying end to end. I am using it onstage now, and it sounds ferocious. But of course, she can play gentle as well. Just like the earlier white Joan Jett Gibson model, it is a great guitar for anybody.”

The guitar features a mahogany body and neck with an ebony fingerboard. The single pickup is a Zebra Coil Burst Bucker 3. MSRP $1533.

Boss Unveils The BR-800 Digital Recorder

BOSS continues its top-selling tradition of portable, affordable multi-trackers with the new BR-800 — a battery-powered studio to go. The sleek new design is made possible by touch-sensor switches and SD-card recording media. Up to four tracks can be recorded or eight tracks played back simultaneously, plus an additional stereo track dedicated to the built-in rhythm generator.

Whether you’re creating intricate, multi-layered songs or point-and-capture field recordings, the BR-800 makes the recording process fast and easy. Beginners will love the new EZ Recording mode that interactively guides you through the recording process. Other helpful features include the convenient RETRY function, which re-cues automatically to fix mistakes, and SONG SKETCH recording for instant, one-touch capture. There’s also a built-in stereo condenser microphone, plus a DR-880-quality rhythm generator for adding drum and percussion tracks to your songs.

Enhance your recordings with the powerful BOSS effects onboard the BR-800. Many of the effects are derived from BOSS’ flagship processors, including vocal effects from the VE-20, COSM® guitar/bass effects from the GT-10 series, and modeled acoustic-guitar body effects from the AP-1 preamp, which imparts pro-quality miked-up sound and rich body tone to line-recorded acoustic guitar. You’ll be amazed at how much processing power is built into this little recorder, and how excellent the effects sound.

You can power the BR-800 from the included AC adapter, or for ultimate mobility, it can be powered from six AA batteries. Record anywhere! The BR-800’s USB compatibility enables a variety of functionality with computers. Connected to a PC, the BR-800 will function as an USB audio interface for recordings that utilize the internal effects. The BR-800 can also function as a control surface for DAW software.

No matter where you roam, you’ll never miss a moment of musical inspiration with the portable new BR-800. The BR-800 is expected to be available in May with an MSRP of $525.00. For more information, please visit www.RolandConnect.com.

Fender News:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Flashback: Pink Floyd

This is a very informative article from Fender.com. Enjoy.

Great artists have been making history using Fender instruments for decades. Many of these greats are featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which celebrates its 2010 induction ceremony on March 15. Join us as we take a detailed look at some at some of the artists who’ve been inducted in previous years and who make the Hall of Fame one of the world’s greatest monuments to one of the world’s greatest musical forms.

Pink Floyd is simply one of the biggest groups in rock history, with a story that now spans five decades and a musical legacy that ranks among popular music’s most innovative and influential. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Read more at the link below.

Fender News:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Flashback: Pink Floyd

Long Cold Winter

It's been a tough winter around here. December, January and February brought snow, snow and more snow. In all about 60" of the white stuff was dumped on us. Our normal snow fall is about 16 to 18 inches.

Now that the weather has turned a bit warmer we're getting rain, rain and more rain. Since last Thursday alone we have gotten almost 5" of rain. We have been under a flood watch since last Friday. I sure hope this weather pattern shifts soon. I need some sun and warm temps. My motorcycle fusses at me every time I walk through the garage. I keep telling her that it's not my fault but you know how bikes can be some times.