A Rick For All Seasons

Here's a great bass guitar that I bought used but in excellent condition from the Guitar Center store in Asheville last summer that is the best, most beautiful bass I've ever owned or played. This particular Rickenbacker 4003 in Mapleglo in cherry condition is uniquely balanced, smooth playing, and with sustain up the ying/yang that makes playing the low end seem easier and more fun. With its many elegant features like stereo output, body and neck binding, solid maple body and neck, neck-thru-body construction, a vintage tone selector to boost the high-end, distinctive triangular fret inlays in the rosewood fretboard, and Schaller Deluxe machine heads, I can't compliment this bass enough - it's one hell of an instrument. I love it, love it, love it!

My Growing Family as a Seasoned Citizen

Some people aren't lucky enough to collect anything except unpaid bills. Being retired, as I have been for about 7 years now, affords me the luxury to collect fun toys like guitars, and beautiful objects that could actually accrue value in the years ahead, assuming our great country and larger world don't implode from corporate greed because our so-called leaders (the minority of humans organized as wealthy pirates who prey on the rest of us) finally manage to pull the plug on us all.

Be that as it may, suffice it to say that being born to educated, upwardly mobile parents a few short years after World War II didn't hurt my chances for having what I can call an easier-than-average time of it growing up in the midwest.

Even when I went to college and without a clue about what I wanted "to be", my loyal parents didn't throw me out, or demand too much from me when I didn't rise to their expectations academically. Sure, they were disappointed in my seemingly underachieving behavior and apparent lack of ambition, but they never called me lazy, and never, entirely, ever gave up on me, although sometimes I think maybe they should have.

After failing miserably numerous time at numerous schools, my parents did, however, give up on their dreams for me to become a dentist (oy) and finally let me enroll in a film school in Hollywood where I quickly found my creative groove, a woman who loved me the way I was, and the beginnings of a career as a filmmaker. After that I was, "Off to the races", as my dad used to say.

Now, after a successful 45-year career as a commercial filmmaker, I have recycled myself into a guitar player. Ta Da! Now, instead of cameras, lights, and editing software, I collect electric guitars and bass guitars. My life of creative obsessions continues. If you don't believe an old dog can learn new tricks, please check out my music offerings at my ReverbNation page.

Give a dog a bone!

After Practice

In my confident high-standing, I was raw humanity 

with no prearranged adornment. 

Reproduced in front of a microphone, 

a quiet design, multiplied by pandemonium 

with the appearance of facts in an ocean's charm, 

I performed manifested obstacles once again

and feigned acceptance.

Billy Radd

Asheville

A Demanding Answer

3 am

A new musical offering from Billy Radd

Gibson 2013 SG Deluxe Guitar

Here I am again touting a new guitar in my collection. I know, I know, you might not really care about my obsession with guitars, but at least it is legal (at the moment anyway).

This one was acquired by pure chance. My wife Anita Gayle and I were shopping for some gardening supplies and made the mistake of "just dropping by" our local Guitar Center store on our way back to the car. We made our way back through the store making jokes with the sales staff about offering them a little snack from a small veggie fertilizer bag I was carrying. As we approached their wall of used guitars, one stood out from the rest, a new-looking Gibson SG Deluxe. "Oh, that's a lot of guitar there, and the price seems a bit low considering the excellent, spiffy condition," I thought innocently.

Anita Gayle sensed my mental drooling and asked, "Would you like to have that guitar?"

"Well, sure, but I have a few really nice ones now," I said, not taking my eyes off this orange beauty.

"Why don't you try it out. Maybe you should get it," she countered. Then, she said something about me not living forever, which is actually very logical, but a little morbid and sweet at the same time.

Anyway, I called over one of the sales staff who took it off the wall and handed it to me. I looked it over very closely and remarked it looked new. He agreed and told me it had likely set in a guitar case (included in their price, BTW) and hardly ever played since it was bought three years ago by some rich guitar collector. He had brought in three of these 2013 SG Deluxe models and traded up to something (or things?) of more value two weeks ago. The other SG Deluxe models were blue, and lime. This stunning orange one was the only one left.

Anita Gayle was listening intently and asked what this guitar sold for new three years ago, got an answer from the sales guy, looked at the price tag and said to me, "If you want it, I think you should get it". And, I am a firm believer in not arguing with your partner when she is handing you what you want.

So, I did get it, along with a nice strap. I played with it for about two hours yesterday, and another two hours so far today. It is another very sweet guitar "ride" in my stable and I will be surprising my guitar teacher with it for my lesson in two days. It has more features than I had discovered at the store so I did get a pretty good deal.

As you can gather from the previous fortuitous tale, I am one lucky camper on a number of levels, right?

Rain Wave

Seeing Not Seeing

Les Paul, An Inspiration

Les Paul, one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, was born in 1915 in Wisconson. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, Gibson Guitars, a company who owes a lot of its success to Mr. Paul's vision and inventiveness, honored him by adding a "100" to their Les Paul Signature Logo on many of the Les Paul models made in 2015.

Today, I am the proud owner of one of them, a beautiful Les Paul Classic in Sea Foam Green. In honor of Les Paul, and in order to make the most of his beautifully-designed instrument now residing at my home, I will be starting to take guitar lessons from a private teacher here in Asheville next week.  I need to develop some real "chops", and at my age, I need to progress in music theory which I've heard will help keep my brain functioning a little better through regular practice under the tutelage of a teacher/coach. And, as anyone who knows me can tell you, that is an ambitious but worthy goal.

This particular Les Paul model has many modern features (too numerous to name here) incorporated into its classic design.  You can check out Gibson's page to find out more details about this handsome musical icon, the 2015 Classic Les Paul guitar.

I've wanted a nice Gibson Les Paul since I saw Joe Walsh play his 1960 Les Paul Standard in a basement bar in Kent, Ohio, in around 1968. It's taken me a while, but I've finally got one. Now, if I could only play like Joe . . .

Spring Drone

Age of the Drone

Moog Sub Phatty - bottomless range

It has taken me a year of un-concentrated effort to sound the depth and breath of my Moog Sub Phatty analog synthesizer. This thing is challenging my creative limits and I am not disappointed by this in the least.

Living in Asheville for five years now, and becoming somewhat familiar with the local electro-music community here, has given me some insight into electronic music expression that I never intended, but welcome. I have bought and sold a few synths in my life and felt almost obligated to have one in my home studio after moving here 5 years ago since the Moog plant is in Asheville.

As the Moog site states,  "The Sub Phatty features a wide range of parameters just below the surface, and all the features are easily accessible from the instruments front panel, or via the free standalone plug-in editor. Select filter poles, assign wave mod destinations, or specify pitch blend amounts - it's all there."

Besides being able to also use the keyboard as a midi controller, the free plug-in editor provides a nice screen interface to explore the depths of all the features and goodies the Sub Phatty has to offer, and seamless integration control for various pro DAWs like Logic Pro, which I personally use.

All in all, I'd say the Sub Phatty's price point of under $1K is one hell of a deal for an analog synth with digital features considering its built-in Bob Moog legacy, versatility, depth, and quality build.

But, if you get one for yourself, bring a shovel to the party - it can get pretty deep in there!

The Tone Cloud

Well, I have to admit, in the great scheme of my life, I really don't deserve anything as beautiful as this Gretsch guitar. I mean really! Even in this photo I just took it appears to be magically floating above the guitar case it rests on.

Anyway, here's my story. 

I got back into playing stringed instruments about 5 years ago when it abruptly appeared that my wife, Anita Gayle, and I were actually going to be able to retire and pursue different interests (like music, art, and our Standard American Diets) that we felt were not viable enough to invest much time into during our careers and family life together. Our kids were on their own, we'd had enough of working for other people, and our health was slowly declining, which we figured was a natural process when you live long enough.

We moved to Asheville in 2011, a beautiful eclectic town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina with a thriving art and music community. State politics aside, we have enjoyed our time here very much.

As we had decided, Anita Gayle and I jumped into our retirement with all the vigor we had engaged while performing our job descriptions when employed, but with an emphasis on the idea of starting second careers. To address our health issues, we decided to drastically change our diets and adopted a plant-based way of eating which dramatically reduced our blood pressure and diabetic issues virtually over night (see Anita's Healthy Life and Vegan Minus Oil blogs for details on our healthy transformation).

Anita Gayle at first, because of her former working experience in Family Consumer Science, began creating plant-based recipes and videos through a blog promoting the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. After a few years she has added painting to her interests having painted, so far, over 40 acrylic paintings in various sizes of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and legumes. (see AnitasAcrylics.com).

Meanwhile, I began exploring music where I had left off after college and began collecting, playing, and recording various instruments, AND writing this blog (and a few others). Slowly, I progressed in my knowledge of music (with the help of my bass teacher, Kevin Lampson, and uke friend, busker Neil Laurence, and others), and began to recognize elements in music like the nuances of tone and harmonics that made my appreciation of musical instruments even more intense and varied.

As an effect of my new-found insight into hearing and making music, I began designing and building instruments on my own - simple stringed affairs that I made from old film cans I had collected during my 40+ year career as a film maker. I called them canjos, and I learned a lot about the nature of sound from making them as well, the least of which is that each one possesses individual, distinctive tonal qualities unlike any other.

Armed with this newfound aural sensitivity, I began listening more critically to each of my guitars and bass guitars and began noticing the differences in tonal quality between acoustic and solid-body electric guitars. Thus I noticed, as so many guitarists throughout the history of electric amplified instruments attest to, my Fender Telecaster sounded very different than a semi-hollow body Gibson Les Paul or Gretsch White Falcon. This realization on my part manifested itself as what I might call "need", although I believe that a more precise term for what I was feeling was "want", or maybe "great need", or simply, just greed.

So, my quest to fulfill my need/want/greed began. After a few months of research (and coming to the realization that I could never justify paying $3,000 and up for an exemplary Les Paul or White Falcon (damn you, Neal Young and Steve Stills), I had my greedy eyes on a double cutaway Gretsch Electromatic (one third the price, but possessing much the same tonal quality and cosmetic features of a full-blown Falcon).

What sealed the deal, and actually made it possible for me to buy this particular electric guitar at this time, was that Sweetwater Music Instruments and Pro Audio, an up-and-coming online store, had a limited-time finance deal I could not pass up - 36 equal monthly payments with nothing down and no interest! I have not heard of any such deal for a long time, especially not with online musical instrument merchants.

So, I made a deal with Anita Gayle who, after all, actually owns half interest in anything I buy, to drop an ice tea that I usually order every day at our fav hangout, and go for the free water instead, saving $1.50 per diem (the guitar and case will only cost $1 a day for 36 months). Voila! Me get guitar!

Such a deal! Sometimes modern capitalism does indeed work.

Levy's Straps, As Good As It Gets

From time to time, I write posts about musical products or accessories I come across that I regard as exceptional values. So, here's my take on one such product, Levy's Leathers guitar straps.

I already own two other Levy's guitar straps, wide and made from soft, beautiful suede leather, which have helped me be a better bass player since they make my two thumpers more comfortable on my shoulder so I can play longer. So yesterday, when I was practicing with my Telecaster which weighs almost as much as a bass, I decided that I needed a new strap that might be a bit more comfortable than the nylon web strap I was using. Plus, I figured I should buy a strap that was not only better on my old shoulder, but looked cool, too, and matched the black and white motif of my guitar.

I headed down to Asheville's Music Center store where I was greeted by one of the sales staff, Jim, who always helps me find just what I need. I told him what I was after and he said, "Well, your timing is good, Bill". The store had just received a shipment of straps from Levy's and he proceeded to go through a large carton of straps with me until I found just the right one at a very reasonable price. Sold!

As you can see, I got a perfect strap for my black and white Tele with soft, black cloth webbing and white accents. Ta Da! Problem solved.

But, while looks aren't everything, this strap, like all Levy's products I've seen, are built to last with great design, quality materials, and the highest workmanship. And best of all, this strap, about an inch narrower than my other two Levy's straps, is just as easy on my shoulder as the wider straps. I really like that feature the most.

So, am I happy with my Levy's Leathers straps (all three)? Well, if you don't know the answer to that question by now, you might want to read this post again.

Note: I see that Levy's motto is Your Guitar Is Worth It. I would add that their guitar straps are worth it, too.

Sony PXW-X70

During my long career as a professional film and video maker, I used and owned many really wonderful state-of-the-art film and video cameras, so I've seen the rapid evolution from silver halide emulsion imaging to orthicons, vidicons, plumicons, saticons, newvicons, trinicons, and then into CCD's, HD and now 4K.

In my work. I used cameras made by Arriflex, Panavision, Cinema Products, Ecair, Bell and Howell, Bolex, Mitchell, Beaulieu, Canon, Panasonic, RCA, Ikigami, JVC, Sony and recently, GoPro.

But, I'm retired now and last year I sold my 4-year-old pro video camera (a beautiful Sony EX1) while it still had some life left in it. So, when my wife, Anita Gayle, wanted me to shoot more videos for her cooking blog and promotional videos to help market her paintings of fruits and vegetables, I thought that I could shoot them with my really nice Sony Alpha 65 DSLR since it shoots beautiful HD video images as well as 24MP stills..

That's what we did and her videos turned out pretty darned good, if I do say so, etc., etc.

But, there were some issues with the camera that presented me with particular challenges I had not experienced before during my career-for-pay.

First, the audio. The thought of using a built-in camera microphone is as foreign to me as a surgeon using a butter knife to remove an inflamed appendix. It can be done but the results take longer and are less than optimum. Sure, the A65 does have a little mini jack that allows plugging in an external mike, but there is no manual adjustment of audio levels  possible, no limiter, and no headphone jack to monitor sound quality when recording. But, hey, you might get lucky, right?

Second, the kit lens that came with the A65 camera is f3.5 and gets slower as one zooms in. No chance of using "available" light without shooting at ISO 800 or above resulting in a big increase in grain. And, oh yes, the zoom lens only operated manually and not very smooth, either - not acceptable if desiring professional video results.

True, the images were stunning enough, but I had to play back each shot to check the audio and pump light into the scene when shooting indoors, and oh, yes, NO MOTORIZED ZOOMING, rather like attempting to trim the branches of a fruit tree using a shovel - less than satisfactory.

So, we kept the Sony A65 since we also take stills and it is perfect in that role, but, after much research, came up with the best, most economical professional video camera I could find in the long, drafty halls of the internet stores - Sony's PXW-X70. It's lightweight, sports a new 1" Sony CMOS imager, has all the audio controls one could ever want, and a relatively-fast Zeiss zoom lens. I won't bore you with the specs, but you can find out for yourself at Sony's site about their PXW-X70

I note on the portrait I took of the camera above:  I took that image today on our kitchen table. The reason I choose the checkered tablecloth and the blue-tinted 50's look to treat the subject was because if, in the late-1950's when I first became interested in cameras, movies and TV shows, this Sony digital video image and sound capturing device would have magically appeared on my mom's kitchen table, we would not even have recognized it as any kind of camera at all.

So, the bottom line is that it's great living in the future - even for a "seasoned" Camera Geek like me.

Fender Rumble 40 Combo Amp

The Fender Rumble 40 Combo Amp is a great addition to my bass kit. Shown with my Gibson SG Special Bass, the combination really provides a versatile lower end for any type of music. The newest models in Fender's Rumble series are much lighter than previous models with completely new designs from the ground up.

Ibanez Gio 6-String Bass

This Ibanez 6-string electric bass is the latest addition in my growing musical arsenal of deep-end stringed instruments. It's built like a tank and really opens up my possibilities as a bassist by adding more notes at both the high and low sides of the scale.

With a beautiful mahogany body, rosewood fretboard and maple neck, it's not really as heavy as it looks, but it does sound heavy - very heavy.

This affordable but quality-built Ibanez 6-string bass features a DXH-6 neck pickup and a DXH-6 bridge pickup, and Phat EQ active bass boost which adds additional low-end power, reportedly more that any other 6-string bass in its price range. It really gets down on the get low.

Paired with my Fender Rumble 40 combo amp, I've recently been shaking the foundations of my home with this 6-string monster. I've also noticed that playing it makes going back to my other two 4-string basses seem easier. 

But hey, this is a good thing and I'll take whatever I can get, right?

Buncombe Built Exhibit Opening

 Me, Billy Radd, and some of the quirky instruments I've Built on display

Laura Graziano, cellist, Steve Miller, instrument maker, and Derek Graziano, musician, luthier and lapidarist. 

Kitty Love welcoming attendees to the show

Last Friday evening, the Asheville Area Arts Council held an opening for their Bunbombe Built Exhibition of musical instruments built in our county. Held at the AAAC Gallery in Asheville's Grove Arcade, the three-hour event was hosted by Executive Director Kitty Love, and curated by Linda Go and Gar Ragland.

As far as I could tell, a good time was had by all. I certainly had fun talking to the public about why and how I make instruments out of film cans and cigar boxes.

The Babicz FCH Difference

Yesterday I replaced the stock bridge which came on my 2014 Gibson SG Special Bass, that I received from Anita Gayle last year for my birthday, with a beautiful Babicz FCH (Full Contact Hardware) eCam Saddle System. The resulting increase in the tone of my bass is dramatic with much more dynamic range. I liked my Gibson SG Bass before, but now? I love it!

The FCH saddle also allows hight adjustment of each individual string and the ability to fully lock down the bridge saddle so that string height and intonation adjustments remain secure even when changing strings, features not found with my original stock saddle.

Jeff Babicz designed his FCH to gain the maximum amount of direct string coupling to the body of the instrument providing over 50 times more contact service per saddle compared to the conventional stock saddle. In fact, the new 2015 version of the Gibson SG Special Bass and other models now come stock with a Babicz saddle just like my new one.

It literally took me only 10 minutes to change out the old bridge with the FCH and adjust and set the intonation of each string. And, tricked out with some RotoSound black nylon flat-wound strings, I suspect that my bass looks and sounds like no other (I might be wrong about that, but I'm sure there are not too many other bass guitars with this particular combination/setup at this moment).

So, all in all, this is the best upgrade I have made on any of my stringed instruments - bar none.

Back to Basics Video

Billy Radd - Back to Basics from Anita Gayle on Vimeo.

Musical Stuff I've Built

Please, click on the links below each pic for more info.

Original Kodakaster

My First Acoustic 3-string Canjo Build 

250 Watt GE TV Set Cabinet Combo Amp  

Left Handed Kodakaster 2 Acoustic Canjo

The Dymaxion Film Can Combo Amp/Speaker

shown with Kodakaster 1 piezo pup upgrade and Berringer preamp

 

Kodakaster 3 with Flatpup Humbucker UpGrade

 Kodakaster 4 Sapele Gold 3-String Canjo

 Utah Plates 4-String Tenor Electric Guitar

 Kodakaster Duo 4-string Electric Canjo

Kodak Film Can Snare Drum

Padron Cigar Box Kalimba with Platpup Humbuckers Upgrade