drTStingray Posted September 12, 2018 Author Share Posted September 12, 2018 7 hours ago, Dad3353 said: Drum kits were very different 'back then', too, and, as you mention, there was no micing up of the drums, either (so no over-loud foldback for the drummer to try to drown out...). Look up 'Edgware' drums, for instance, or look at the typical ride cymbals used at the time. Few drummers had money for those 'washy' Swiss cymbals; even less the American ones. No, loud wasn't the 'norme' then for drummers, I'd say. I'm not surprised as a lot drummers tended to sound like redeployed jazz or dance band drummers - nevertheless acoustic drums with sticks can be relatively loud even with a lighter touch drummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, Dad3353 said: The famous quote from the Mo Foster book 'What are we going to need all these 17 watts for..?' is quite telling. And bearing in mind that lead vocals, two guitars and a bass were probably all going to be going through that single Watkins Dominator! And the pick-up on at least one of those guitars would be the scavenged mic from an Army surplus field radio or an RAF flying helmet shoved into the f-hole. Edited September 12, 2018 by TrevorR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted September 12, 2018 Author Share Posted September 12, 2018 Excellent. My quote related to the Shadows circa 1961 - after they'd taken delivery of their AC 30s. The guitars and bass were played through these live - not sure whether the vocals went through the PAs of the venues they played in at the time. The drums appeared to be acoustic only. Certainly not enough bass power!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 I love Mo Foster's book. I got him to autograph my copy at a Bass day at ACM some years ago. Lots of the things the writes about happened to me. Back in 1964 it really was what you could afford. I was using a Framus short-scale Star bass through a Linear 30 into a home-made 4 x12 using Bakers Group 25 speakers from a shop in Croydon. The lead guitarist however was using a Vox ACV30 through a Vox T60 (15 +12) cab which his parents had bought for him. The PA was Grampian valve amp bought at a Jumble sale through two home-made 4 x6 columns using ex-TV speakers bought from Exchange & Mart. It sounded awful but no-one cared because it was new, raw and live. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 2 hours ago, obbm said: I love Mo Foster's book. I got him to autograph my copy at a Bass day at ACM some years ago. Lots of the things the writes about happened to me. Back in 1964 it really was what you could afford. I was using a Framus short-scale Star bass through a Linear 30 into a home-made 4 x12 using Bakers Group 25 speakers from a shop in Croydon. The lead guitarist however was using a Vox ACV30 through a Vox T60 (15 +12) cab which his parents had bought for him. The PA was Grampian valve amp bought at a Jumble sale through two home-made 4 x6 columns using ex-TV speakers bought from Exchange & Mart. It sounded awful but no-one cared because it was new, raw and live. Snap..! Almost word for word, even up to the 4 x 12 Baker speakers and Linear amp..! A short-scale Vox Clubman bass, though, then on the better things (drums..!). And there were very few drummers in the UK playing Ludwig drums in the early '60s, as I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 When did the Bells catalogue first appear? Far more onanism inducing than any Health & Efficiency!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Apparently!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 20 hours ago, obbm said: I love Mo Foster's book. I got him to autograph my copy at a Bass day at ACM some years ago. Lots of the things the writes about happened to me. Back in 1964 it really was what you could afford. I was using a Framus short-scale Star bass through a Linear 30 into a home-made 4 x12 using Bakers Group 25 speakers from a shop in Croydon. The lead guitarist however was using a Vox ACV30 through a Vox T60 (15 +12) cab which his parents had bought for him. The PA was Grampian valve amp bought at a Jumble sale through two home-made 4 x6 columns using ex-TV speakers bought from Exchange & Mart. It sounded awful but no-one cared because it was new, raw and live. A lot of the groups had 3 Vox AC30 combos with the vocals doubling through the rhythm amp. And don’t forget the Watkins Copycat sitting on top. Later all sorts of crude home made pa outfits appeared. My dad liberated a whole lot of old ‘music while you work’ speakers from the biscuit factory. Brother gutted the 9”x 4” elliptical drivers and put a whole load into a column, major axis vertically. As you can imagine the distortion was a bit challenging but bro’s finest hour came when the Stones ran Mick Jaggers vocals through them at Reading Town Hall. Jan 1962 I think. As OBBM will no doubt agree, there was neither money or availability around back then. You made a lot of your own kit. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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