The Last Bass Outpost

Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: gearHed289 on November 23, 2013, 11:10:43 AM

Title: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on November 23, 2013, 11:10:43 AM
So a couple of months ago, this local Who tribute band Who's Who opened for my band. They were really good. Bass player is a good, old school rock and roll player. I had met him a few years ago when he was in a Stones band. He made a beeline for me when he saw the white Bachbird I had at the time and we hit it off chatting about old basses. He ended up buying like 3 Bachs. LOL! Anyway, they just did a big show, doing Tommy in it's entirety, plus a greatest hits set at a cool, refurbished old theater west of Chicago. They ended up asking me, our guitarist, and singer to do a couple of guest spots each. Well, as it turns out, about 3/4 of the way through the Tommy set, the bass player's hands started cramping up really bad. He barely got through the rest, so guess who got called up to play the whole hits set? Yup... That was a little bit of jumping into the fire since I'd only seriously learned 5:15. Thankfully I know the stuff so well in my head, and have messed around with a few of their songs over the years to the point where I was able to fake my way through it. What a blast! Dude brought (6) Sunn cabs and (2) Colosseum heads. Only 1 head and 2 cabs were plugged in, but it looked cool. Oh, and a '64 T-bird.  :mrgreen: Hope to have more pics and maybe some video soon.

(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1460978_10201531797395318_1543548380_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Dave W on November 23, 2013, 11:51:11 AM
That must have been a blast.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: TBird1958 on November 23, 2013, 11:58:32 AM

I'd probably wet myself playing thru that rig............  ;D
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: OldManC on November 23, 2013, 01:27:58 PM
Sorry he got cramps but it's cool you got to step in and even cooler that you pulled it off!
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: godofthunder on November 23, 2013, 03:20:46 PM
Sounds like a gas! I'd love to do a Who tribute.
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Basvarken on November 24, 2013, 07:52:32 AM
Cool story Tom! Great rig. Beautiful T-bird.
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on November 25, 2013, 09:35:55 AM
So about the band real quick - the core is the four main guys, plus keyboardist (he's fantastic). For some shows they have another guy on acoustic guitar and violin (really really cool for certain things, and not just Baba...). And for the Tommy show, they brought in (3) female vocalists and a percussionist. I guess the whole thing was shot on video and they're editing it over the next couple of weeks. Here's something from my wife's phone. Me and my singer guesting on Pinball... This might only be viewable to friends of people tagged...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=716791578331495&notif_t=like_tagged

And a pic. The Fenderbird just looks like a white blob in most of the pics.

(https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1474525_10201539869677120_1909717366_n.jpg)

Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: uwe on November 25, 2013, 10:53:01 AM
Quote from: gearHed289 on November 23, 2013, 11:10:43 AM
So a couple of months ago, this local Who tribute band Who's Who opened for my band. They were really good. Bass player is a good, old school rock and roll player. I had met him a few years ago when he was in a Stones band. He made a beeline for me when he saw the white Bachbird I had at the time and we hit it off chatting about old basses. He ended up buying like 3 Bachs. LOL! Anyway, they just did a big show, doing Tommy in it's entirety, plus a greatest hits set at a cool, refurbished old theater west of Chicago. They ended up asking me, our guitarist, and singer to do a couple of guest spots each. Well, as it turns out, about 3/4 of the way through the Tommy set, the bass player's hands started cramping up really bad. He barely got through the rest, so guess who got called up to play the whole hits set? Yup... That was a little bit of jumping into the fire since I'd only seriously learned 5:15. Thankfully I know the stuff so well in my head, and have messed around with a few of their songs over the years to the point where I was able to fake my way through it. What a blast! Dude brought (6) Sunn cabs and (2) Colosseum heads. Only 1 head and 2 cabs were plugged in, but it looked cool. Oh, and a '64 T-bird.  :mrgreen: Hope to have more pics and maybe some video soon.

(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1460978_10201531797395318_1543548380_n.jpg)

Austerity is overrated.  8)
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: TBird1958 on November 25, 2013, 04:29:54 PM
Quote from: uwe on November 25, 2013, 10:53:01 AM
Austerity is overrated.  8)


Ah, but Chrome is never overrated  ;D
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on December 05, 2013, 09:32:14 AM
Better shot of the bird. I'm doing a full show with these guys on the 14th.

(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1473005_10201606557744280_261096244_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: godofthunder on December 05, 2013, 10:08:25 AM
I'm Envious! I'd love to do a WHO tribute! Rock that Fenderbird!
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: leftybass on December 05, 2013, 01:51:51 PM
It would be cool. You could do early stuff with a Ric or Dano Longhorn too. And at some point in the Fenderbird set your drummer could "pass out" and you could call someone from the audience to play drums on a song.  ;)

Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Wilbur88 on December 06, 2013, 03:27:05 AM
Nice Pink Paisley too.
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: dadagoboi on December 06, 2013, 06:46:19 AM
Looking Good, Tom!
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on December 06, 2013, 09:20:57 AM
Quote from: godofthunder on December 05, 2013, 10:08:25 AM
I'm Envious! I'd love to do a WHO tribute! Rock that Fenderbird!

Come to Chicago. Their guy moved to Florida I guess.

Quote from: leftybass on December 05, 2013, 01:51:51 PMIt would be cool. You could do early stuff with a Ric or Dano Longhorn too. And at some point in the Fenderbird set your drummer could "pass out" and you could call someone from the audience to play drums on a song.  ;)

Ha ha! Right! What was that - the Cow Palace? I'm actually thinking of putting flats on my Ric for some of the Tommy stuff.
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Highlander on December 11, 2013, 03:17:21 PM
Good Grief, Tom... you even "look" like JAE with that beard in the last of those pics...!

Enjoy...
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on December 12, 2013, 08:32:46 AM
Yeah, I've been getting a lot of that. Ronn Roberts advised me to avoid the Vegas Hard Rock hotel.  ;D
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Highlander on December 12, 2013, 05:05:56 PM
Ho Ho Ho  ;D
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: dadagoboi on December 13, 2013, 05:58:54 AM
Quote from: CAR-54 on December 12, 2013, 05:05:56 PM
Ho Ho Ho  ;D

Them, too!
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on December 19, 2013, 10:07:50 AM
Ready for show #2 last Saturday. And there's the '70 Ampeg B-140 2x15 I just re-habbed to the right.

Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Barklessdog on December 21, 2013, 03:20:19 PM
So how do you like your Fender bird?
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on December 22, 2013, 02:06:06 AM
Sounds incredible. Plays quite well. But it's a boat anchor! I don't know why Warmoth makes the bodies so thick. But whatever, people love it. Always gets compliments. It's fun to bring out once in a while.  And the TONE!:mrgreen:
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on March 21, 2014, 03:14:55 PM
They just posted a video of my little solo spot. Fenderbird sounds cool! Running direct after my Sadowsky pre and Hematoma clean boost/overdrive pedals. Hopefully most of you can see this, as it is on facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/tomheslin1/posts/10202297926428065?notif_t=like
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Dave W on March 21, 2014, 03:34:48 PM
Quote from: gearHed289 on March 21, 2014, 03:14:55 PM
They just posted a video of my little solo spot. Fenderbird sounds cool! Running direct after my Sadowsky pre and Hematoma clean boost/overdrive pedals. Hopefully most of you can see this, as it is on facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/tomheslin1/posts/10202297926428065?notif_t=like

Bass solo time! Nice!
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Highlander on March 24, 2014, 01:33:33 AM
JAE... tapping...?!?!  :o

Very nice sound... ;)

What strings are you using...?
Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: gearHed289 on March 24, 2014, 08:59:52 AM
Quote from: CAR-54 on March 24, 2014, 01:33:33 AMJAE... tapping...?!?!  :o

I know, weird, but he did do some tapping in the later days. His solo is a bit more long-winded than mine, but you can jump to 7:47 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd6S0BrI9zw

Oh, the strings are Dean Markley SR2000 medium.

Title: Re: Fenderbird put to proper use
Post by: Highlander on March 24, 2014, 09:47:54 AM
I see what you mean... I don't remember him doing much in the way of soloing the one time I saw him, but that was 38 years back now, and although I listen to the old stuff and have some vids from the era, not much else... cheers for the pointer... some of that was reminiscent of Clarke, imho...