From las8323@rs175174.ks.boeing.com Wed Aug 22 06:55:45 2001
Subject:Re: left hand bass range

One of the other "whys" is because we're keyboard players. And
keyboards, one and all, have a long and distiguished reputation of
being at the bottom end of the manufacturing and tooling food chain.

K.Emerson used to grouse about how Lake and Palmer would get any
and every thing they wanted for free from reps lined up to get them
to use it. Drums, heads, strings, amps,.. everything; and he would
have to pay for all of his stuff. He doesn't now, of course, but
then where is Lake and Palmer??

I've checked into building my own AGO keyboard controller. Almost
no one is tooled up to actually make the things. One synth manuf.
I know of uses a stash of Yamaha surplus keybeds! Figures it'll
last about 5 more years (he gotta lot) but then he's got no idea
what to do next.

Tradition is thick in these environs and stringing a guitar neck
with plus or minus a string or two is insignificant in comparison.

Just like the bassist will show up with an amp, an axe, and a cord
whilst we schlepp load after load from the van, the building of
a good keybed with good feel and accurate action simply pales any
of these handbuilt luthier creations -- there's just waaaay more
going on. So why tool up to build keys when, for half the effort,
you can build something to compete with PaulReedSmith?? At an
increased profit margin to boot ??!!

I know whatcha mean, though. Many is the time I've wished for a
different range. 61C-C is synth standard cuz it was pipe organ
standard. A Hammond is 73C-C; extra octave is there - they just
happen to be reversed. 88A-C is always nice, but if you want
something useful like 76A-C or 78G-C (this seems like it would be
very musical) you're mostly outta luck for now.

still ranting
Larry

>
> I know that the traditional bass guitar, which is a 4 string, goes down
> to low E. But in the last, I don't know, 15 years or so, there have
> been a lot of 5 and 6 string bass guitars which go down to low B. In
> addition, there are a lot of synth bass parts that go below low E.
>
> I think my point is that these lower notes are useful, musical, and in
> use by a lot of bass players today.
>
> - jarrell
>
> --- In CloneWheel@y..., Larry Schurr wrote:
> > I see the 76 note Electro has E as the lowest note, as is the
> > > standard for 76 note keyboards Why is this? Does this bother anybody
> > > else? I assume it is just historical precedent, because of the
> > > Rhoades, but it means bass playing is limited to the low E.
> >
> > Just like a Bass Guitar.
> > Larry
>