Fw: Re: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In 1980 I was visiting "wizard of the strings" Roy Smeck, in NY. I asked him about a track he'd recorded, 'Ukulele Bounce', that sounded as if it had electric bass on it - stop time solos and all- and as it was recorded in the 1920s, this seemed highly unlikely. Roy told me it was tenor banjoist Harry Reser, playing a tuned down acoustic guitar. Make of that what you will.
RD

>>> Dennis Michael Montgomery <gaulay2@xxxxxxxxx> 1/02/2011 10:31 >>>
"but one of his guitar players tuning down an octave and played the bass line" 
 
I don't see how that is possible.  Tuning a guitar down from E to E (a whole octave) would cause the strings to rattle like crazy.  You would need some pretty thick strings.  You could tune down to a low C and if you are real lucky a low B.  However, I doubt you tune down to a whole octave.
 
Dennis
 
--- On Mon, 1/31/11, tacopescado@xxxxxxxxxxx <tacopescado@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


From: tacopescado@xxxxxxxxxxx <tacopescado@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement
To: "harp-l L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, January 31, 2011, 3:22 PM


I'm in the midst of reading LW's bio for the second time and at least half of his recordings had no bass but one of his guitar players tuning down an octave and played the bass line as The Iceman stated. Other recordings had Willie Dixon or Big Crawford on bass.

In those days the electric bass was in the infant stage and mic'ing an upright bass, drums or piano were far from perfect and provided a sound that would be unacceptable in today's music.

Taco


On Jan 31, 2011, at 2:39 PM, The Iceman wrote:

> One of the guitar players played a bass line, if memory serves me..bass representation is pretty important one way or the other, as it tends to "ground" the music and define the chord changes.
> 
> 
> I believe Little Walter recorded most of his songs with no bass, just the Meyers
> brothers on two guitars.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: william.lifford <william.lifford@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: Hal Iwan <haliwan@xxxxxxxxxxx>; harp-l-bounces <harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx>; Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Mon, Jan 31, 2011 10:25 am
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement
> 
> 
> Hi Hal,
> 
> I believe Little Walter recorded most of his songs with no bass, just the Meyers
> brothers on two guitars.
> 
> Bill
> ------Original Message------
> From: Hal Iwan
> Sender: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx 
> To: Harp-L
> Subject: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement
> Sent: Jan 31, 2011 3:13 PM
> 
> Hello All
> 
> Anyone one on this list just use harp, guitar and piano or harp, guitar, drums?
> In both arrangements the bass is not represented. Any hidden pitfalls from your
> prior attempts with either of these configurations??
> 
> Thanks as always,
> 
> Hal in MI
> 
> 
> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
> 
> 
>