hhoward Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Does anyone know where i can get some funk fingers from, i have wanted them for years Anyone help me please, please i have tried to make them but they were way too heavy though i loved the sound and i need some for recording thanks HowardH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Make your own with chopsticks and gaffertape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhoward Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 errr thanks but i need proper ones and i wouldnt know where to start with chopsticks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allighatt0r Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 [quote name='hhoward' post='1116526' date='Feb 5 2011, 01:51 PM']errr thanks but i need proper ones and i wouldnt know where to start with chopsticks[/quote] tape 2 or 3 inch lengths of chopsticks to your right hand fingers and use them as funk fingers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) Google Tony Levin funk fingers and see if anyone is selling them otherwise make them yourself not from flipping chopsticks, those wont last two minutes but use exactly what Tony Levin uses, which are drumsticks (one cut in half and with the smoothed edges) then get some wide rubber bands or velcro belts. If these were ok for TL, I am sure they'll be ok for the man in the street. Edited February 5, 2011 by Grand Wazoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 There are (or at least were) instructions on the Japanese TL website IIRC. Conversely buy a copy of TL's 'Beyond The Bass Clef' which also has them (kind of). You occasionally see them on Ebay but they are as rare as rocking horse poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhoward Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 thanks guys, i think i will get someone to make them for me so they last and are balanced, i want the bounce to do most of the work to get the speeds up. chopsticks are too light and the ends must percuss so the weight down that end is important (at least to me) the trick (again for me) is to have little weight for speed and enough weight for bounce so i am talking to someone here that owns a factory he thinks we can work it out. thanx again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Have a read through this... explains how Tony Levin came out with the idea and design of the ff [url="http://www.papabear.com/pbtlff.htm"]http://www.papabear.com/pbtlff.htm[/url] Quote: "Who invented them? [i]From Tony Levin: "It started when, on Peter Gabriel's SO album, Jerry Marotta drummed on the bass strings for Big Time . Later, on tour, I was trying to simulate the riff with one stick - one day Peter looked at me doing it and said 'Why don't you attach the sticks to your fingers?' I turned to Andy Moore, my tech at the time, and asked him, 'Can we do that, Andy?' (Of course, I said 'WE' but HE's the one who designed a way to do it - first with a strap, then with a cutout and elastic loops for fingers.) We modified them a lot, and came up with a comfortable shape and different lengths for the two fingers." What's on the ends of the sticks? We've decided that rubberizing tool handle dip is the best hitting surface so far, so funk fingers will now be shipped with rubber ends. They can still be wrapped with other material. "[/i] Here's an HD video that shows them in use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhoward Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 thanks for that great clip, i only wish i knew how to download it. others seem to get angry when i say that i think that tony levin isn't human hehe either that or he come out of the womb with bass in his little hands anyone heard Elephant Talk, to me that is impossible and i have played for over 30 years always striving to get better. i have just discovered lead guitar recently since building a small recording studio and after doing lead bass for so long it seemed like a toy to me, the same speed but a 3rd of the work i love bass and always have since i was a kid, when someone told me bass is a four stringed guitar so i picked it up thinking it would be easier, so young so stupid hehe once again thankyou all HowardH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Well you know he plays Elephant Talk on the Chapman Stick? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKhXQr1gcio"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKhXQr1gcio[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soliloquy Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Yeah, drum sticks, not chop sticks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverickwood Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 when I was younger I did not realise he played stick on elephant talk and figured the main parts by tapping them on my bass; sounds like Primus got a few ideas from that stuff! I did purchase some funk fingers from TLs site about ten years ago - they are pretty much the butt end of a drum stick with a groove cut which holds and adjustable strip of velcrose. Send me your email if you want me to take a pic so you can robthe design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhoward Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 hi again, yes i did know what instrument he played elephant talk on, but his speeds even so are incredible, i have seen him play on that both hands doing both ends in the same way, at the same time, such as chords and fingering so fast that notes are almost indistinguishable. Thankyou for telling me though Steve thankyou and i will send my email to you i always thought it funny hearing that joke that bass players are failed guitarists, but i started on bass and am now also playing guitar, a job that i avoided for years, i was wondering what that would make me lol maybe a general failure hehe i am recording a song at the moment that has a dual track bass end, one for a busy funk slap, and one just a pump, sounds good so far, busy yet, rhythmic very big its only on a br1600cd so if anyone has one then you could see how you can improve it, and mail me the tracks thankyou all again for your interest , advice and help regards HowardH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhoward Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 [quote name='steverickwood' post='1119073' date='Feb 8 2011, 12:40 AM']when I was younger I did not realise he played stick on elephant talk and figured the main parts by tapping them on my bass; sounds like Primus got a few ideas from that stuff! I did purchase some funk fingers from TLs site about ten years ago - they are pretty much the butt end of a drum stick with a groove cut which holds and adjustable strip of velcrose. Send me your email if you want me to take a pic so you can robthe design.[/quote] Hi Steve thankyou for your help, i appreciate it My Email is [email protected] it is always nice to hear people's comments that have the same interests Regards HowardH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverickwood Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 [quote name='hhoward' post='1119109' date='Feb 7 2011, 05:03 PM']Hi Steve thankyou for your help, i appreciate it My Email is [email protected] it is always nice to hear people's comments that have the same interests Regards HowardH[/quote] I'll try get on it tonight - camera just ran out of battery so hopefully in a couple of hours. Hope it helps:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhoward Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 [quote name='steverickwood' post='1120469' date='Feb 9 2011, 03:26 AM']I'll try get on it tonight - camera just ran out of battery so hopefully in a couple of hours. Hope it helps:)[/quote] Hi again Steve, i haven't received them yet, i will keep checking the email Could you please also take photos of the back as i want to see how the Velcro is anchored to them, i think it may be stapled, i am not sure thankyou again Steve Regards from HowardH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I've still got my old pair somewhere, not planning on getting rid of them though. Basically, they're percussion sticks (drumsticks without the tapered end and tip) that have been cut in half, with finger indents carved into them, and a short length of Velcro to secure them. One is also slightly longer than the other to accommodate the different lengths of your index and middle fingers. The ends have also been dipped in silicone rubber to soften the attack a little. I've seen pairs change hands for £200 before on Ebay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circle_of_Fifths Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 [quote name='hhoward' post='1118747' date='Feb 7 2011, 03:50 AM'][b]thanks for that great clip, i only wish i knew how to download it.[/b] others seem to get angry when i say that i think that tony levin isn't human hehe either that or he come out of the womb with bass in his little hands anyone heard Elephant Talk, to me that is impossible and i have played for over 30 years always striving to get better. i have just discovered lead guitar recently since building a small recording studio and after doing lead bass for so long it seemed like a toy to me, the same speed but a 3rd of the work i love bass and always have since i was a kid, when someone told me bass is a four stringed guitar so i picked it up thinking it would be easier, so young so stupid hehe once again thankyou all HowardH[/quote] Here's a Downloader add-on page from Firefox users::[url="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCIQFjAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Faddons.mozilla.org%2Fen-US%2Ffirefox%2Ftag%2FDownloadHelper&rct=j&q=downloadhelper%20firefox&ei=jUdTTcKaFZLEsAObnvCbBw&usg=AFQjCNGug_PEOuLK79UjqYIUE89lpi-JIg&sig2=Dz56Up6xtA1xaDpDWKj1Mw&cad=rja"][b] LINK[/b][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 [quote name='hhoward' post='1120899' date='Feb 9 2011, 03:59 AM']Hi again Steve, i haven't received them yet, i will keep checking the email Could you please also take photos of the back as i want to see how the Velcro is anchored to them, i think it may be stapled, i am not sure thankyou again Steve Regards from HowardH [/quote] Here you go: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhoward Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Thankyou again Steve I got your email and pics, this has been so helpfull to me and i will use this info to get them made up thankyou also Russ combined with steves's pics your description helped heaps and also thankyou to circle for the video downloaders with firefox, i will be downloading many clips thanks to you Thankyou to everyone, it shows the strength of our bass-playing community HowardH ps (they will be made professionally so if anyone else wants to get some then please drop me a line, i want to revive this type of playing ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryancowell25 Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Resurrecting an old thread http://expandinghandsmusic.com/funkfingers.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.