| Author | Message | ||
| jagerphan84
Intermediate Member Username: jagerphan84 Post Number: 167 Registered: 10-2003 |
I've been digging around the 'net lately looking for pics of musicians that have influenced me, and for some reason pictures of Alembic basses in action keep popping up. Imagine that! Keith Emerson and Greg with his Scorpion:  Cool shot of Jack with #001...  And a couple shots of John...   -Adam | ||
| richbass939
Advanced Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 207 Registered: 11-2004 |
Adam, Those are some cool pictures you found. Any idea what Emerson is holding? Some sort of percussion instrument, maybe? I like the stripes on John's bass. Very interesting pattern. Rich | ||
| jagerphan84
Intermediate Member Username: jagerphan84 Post Number: 168 Registered: 10-2003 |
I was trying to figure that out myself. It sure looks like his hands are positioned to be playing something with his thumbs, though. Whatever it is, I want one. Same goes for that bass Jack's playing, and John's too, for that matter... | ||
| moonlinermusic
New Username: moonlinermusic Post Number: 1 Registered: 3-2005 |
The thing Keith is hold is a pitch ribbon controler. He often used it on the tune "hoedown" by Aaron Copeland. The thing also shot fireballs over the audience! All the bands I loved as a kid seemed to have Alembic's in the bass slot as well.... no doubt that is why I love them so! | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1971 Registered: 9-2002 |
Ok Brother Keith, what an entrance for a new club member ...welcome welcome. Talk about your Alembics later ...now you got our (moders ??? about 1200 members now???)FULL attention and we all sitting down in a big circle to listen to the story about that "pitch ribbon controller ...thing". What does it do?? Hold upo his pants?? Is he compensating for something ...huh ...seeing ...nei-eih! Paul the bad one | ||
| moonlinermusic
New Username: moonlinermusic Post Number: 2 Registered: 3-2005 |
Thanks for the welcome. I've been visitng the club site as a voyuer for a few years now... (sheepish grin). Keith Emerson's ribbon controler could only play one note at a time... he would hold a note and then run his finger up and down the ribbon (getting much the same effect as a Theramin). I saw ELP a few times and once when the controler seemed to be malfunctioning, he played it by wiping his ass (pants still on mind you) with it... Doh! I'll post a picture of my current Alembic soon. Keith | ||
| richbass939
Advanced Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 210 Registered: 11-2004 |
Can anyone comment on the striped bass that JE is playing? I had a little flashback of a Jethro Tull concert I went to a long time ago (wider stripes on Hammond-Hammond's bass, though). Rich | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 503 Registered: 6-2002 |
Comment? Well, it's zebrawood. And drop dead gorgeous in person. There is nothing like zebrawood under one of them old 1974 finishes! My opinion anyway. I just think the older finishes bring out the best of zebrawood. Michael | ||
| bigredbass
Advanced Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 380 Registered: 9-2002 |
Well Paul, back in the prehysteric(!) sixties/seventies, Mr. Emerson went on the road with an analog (!), monophonic(!!) MOOG modular synthesizer that was truly the most unplayable, unreliable, and truly aggravating piece of crap that was dazzlingly cutting-edge high tech in its time. Remember this is FIFTEEN years before DX7s. (By the way, DXs pioneered BREATH CONTROLLERS, but that's a bedtime story for another day) The ribbon controller operated as indicated above by Mr. MoonLiner. As I remember, he had to wipe his pants with it quite a bit ! J o e y PS Someday we'll talk about arpeggiators and ADSRs ! | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1976 Registered: 9-2002 |
Brother Joey! thanks for explaining! I don't know all the stuff but I once "demonstrated" -yeah ...right I was 17 or 20 back than- in a Brussels Musicshop on a Haymann (really) bass. The guitarist was on a black Gibson Les Paul, the Drummer on Ludwig, we had Faylon amps (a Belgian brand from the stone age)and the keyboard player was surrounded with 3 Mellotrons, a Fender Rhodes, a Moog synth and an Oberheim Expander. Huh ...I guess I was part of that stone age back than?!?! Paul the bad one | ||
| richbass939
Advanced Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 220 Registered: 11-2004 |
There's a picture of KE shooting sparks from the thing at: http://www.emersonlakepalmer.com/photo41.html There are a bunch of other cool photos on their website. Rich Edit: Here one that appears to be the front/top shot of it. There is smoke in the air near it. http://www.keithemerson.com/images/1750.jpg (Message edited by richbass939 on April 05, 2005) | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 527 Registered: 6-2002 |
Ah, Joey, throw in an LFO, an S&H, and there was that variation on an ADSR with one item missing. Gotta miss those ARP 2600, though not the patch cords. Did someone say ring modulator? | ||
| bigredbass
Advanced Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 385 Registered: 9-2002 |
And from deep in the vaults of Arcania: Any of you who've seen the Spielberg UFO epic 'Close Encounters', remember the scene where the huge ship comes to the pad behind the mountain? And they begin playing the 'tones' from a keyboard? Well, the slightly nerdy looking guy playing is none other than Alan R. Pearlman, the A-R-P in Arp synthesizers! J o e y | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 528 Registered: 6-2002 |
Help me out Joey, an Unidentified Frequency Oscillator? ROFL | ||
| bigredbass
Advanced Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 386 Registered: 9-2002 |
THAT's IT! The old Moogs and ARPs put out a LOT of unidentifiable frequencies. Thank God Jupiter 8's held me till FM came in. Joey | ||
| gare
Intermediate Member Username: gare Post Number: 178 Registered: 11-2003 |
Dont forget frequency shifters..where would Tomita be without his Bode FS's ? Interesting on the Close Encounters scene where the computer takes over and the 2500's sequencer kicks in with the mechanical keyboard. A friend recently showed me a VHS tape of ELP from '69 or '70, they were doing The Barbarian, and it appears it was the first time KE used the Moog live. It really looks like he was learning as he went along. Modulars aren't dead, they're far more stable etc. But pricey....owww G |
