FT feeler- Authentic Tony Levin "Funk Fingers"

shriekback · #1 09-19-2010, 08:05 PM

I bought these years ago, used them a fair amount for a while, but haven't picked them up lately. The string spacing on my Steinberger is just a bit too tight for them, or perhaps I am getting less coordinated.

They show cosmetic wear, but have no defects and perform just as new, the velcro and rubberized ends being perfectly intact. (You wear the longer one on your index finger and the shorter one on your middle finger, and you 'drum', so to speak, with your fingers on the strings.)

They do take a bit of practice to get them under control, but sound great (very clanky and percussive) when you do. To hear them, check out "Sleepless" on King Crimson's Three of a Perfect Pair album, or on any number of Peter Gabriel recordings. They also get a LOT of attention when you use them in a live setting.

I really don't know what they are worth in actual money. Levin hasn't made them in years and they are VERY scarce on the used market. As a result, I offer them for trade.

What I might be interested in:

First:

Odd, boutique, rare, or unusual effect boxes (fuzzes, overdrives, delays, Zevex, Devi Ever, DHA, perhaps an Aguilar, etc.)

After that:

A nice gigbag that would fit my Kubicki Factor bass (igig, mono, etc.).

A pair of Telefunken 12ax7 black plate tubes in good health.

Something unusual I would not have thought of?

shriekback · #2 09-21-2010, 06:52 PM

No one feeling up to the challenge of these? They aren't really that hard to master and are quite useful when you have.

They are a great collector's item for any King Crimson/Peter Gabriel/Tony Levin fan.

seungkoo · #3 09-22-2010, 08:43 AM

these do work really well. I first discovered to use drum mallets and it sounded great!

gusonbass · #4 09-23-2010, 01:39 AM

I would be willing to buy the funk fingers,
Let me know how much.
I am in Australia.
All the best

soong · #5 09-23-2010, 03:02 AM

I dont doubt these sound amazing under the right fingers, but question..
what makes the 'funk fingers' different to a pair of pre-cut-to length drumsticks, with a little added velcro?

shriekback · #6 09-23-2010, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soong

I dont doubt these sound amazing under the right fingers, but question..
what makes the 'funk fingers' different to a pair of pre-cut-to length drumsticks, with a little added velcro?

Since your question is preceded by a "but" I assume you already think you know the answer and that makes me wonder why you ask it.

By way of answer, however, let me ask you what makes even the most exotic 'boutique' pedal, vintage fuzz box, etc. different in respect to a small handful of resistors, switches, etc., none of which are themselves manufactured by the builder?

I wasn't offering to trade them for a Porsche.

soong · #7 09-23-2010, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shriekback

Since your question is preceded by a "but" I assume you already think you know the answer and that makes me wonder why you ask it.

By way of answer, however, let me ask you what makes even the most exotic 'boutique' pedal, vintage fuzz box, etc. different in respect to a small handful of resistors, switches, etc., none of which are themselves manufactured by the builder?

I wasn't offering to trade them for a Porsche.

Easy tiger! Just asking! I wouldn't compare this to a vintage pedal, but more like Bill Dickens' Buddha Rope...

Anyways, all the best for the sale, and free bump.

shriekback · #8 09-23-2010, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soong

Easy tiger! Just asking! I wouldn't compare this to a vintage pedal, but more like Bill Dickens' Buddha Rope...

Anyways, all the best for the sale, and free bump.

Why are you calling me "tiger"? Is there even a hint of aggression in my response to the question you were "just asking"?

It is rather obvious that you were not "just asking", by the way, and your undeveloped comparison to Bill Dickens' idea as to how to use a piece of rope in a practice regimen only makes that clearer. If they are unlike a vintage pedal, I don't see how. (They were both someone's invention--in this case a famous and very distinguished player's, take craft to build out of common and inexpensive components, are useful for making neat music, and are very scarce.)

In any case, this is not a thread appropriate for your passive/aggressive critique of Tony Levin Funk Fingers, but a thread in which I am offering a set for trade. If you aren't interested, please ignore it.

If anyone here would like to try to craft a set of these themselves, just PM me and I'd be happy to send you some measurements and even pictures which might be helpful in doing so. I don't think Tony Levin would mind as he hasn't sold them for years and, as far as I can tell, claims no intellectual property rights on the design. They are, in truth, not particularly high-tech, but they would require some ability and some tools (as well as the materials--drumsticks, velcro strap, some kind of rubbery material) to reproduce.

j.weaver · #9 09-24-2010, 08:29 AM

To answer your question soong, these are quite different from drumsticks -- even though the original idea came from cutting down a pair and adding velcro.

As Tony continued to play with them he would address different issues and experiment with types of wood, the ways it was sawn, and adding little things here and there.

In the end, you have the finished Funk Fingers you see here. They are made out of a specific wood (the details of which escape me) because it worked best. The end is completely rounded like the butt of a drum stick, but not as fat. The rounded tip is also coated in a clear rubber or silicone (again, it was a long time ago and I don't remember exactly) that allows better contact and grab with the string, but in a way that doesn't choke the tone so that it keeps its percussive attack.

He also worked a lot on the velcro end, and the final design works really well. They stay fastened and against your finger instead of flopping around as something fastened at one end might.

So, in the end -- these are similar to (and born from) drum sticks, but the innovation and experimental tweaks over time give you a final product that is a superior design that is built with the upmost care and quality.

Plus, they are a good investment, because they haven't been made for a decade!

shriekback · #10 09-24-2010, 10:15 AM

Thanks for that Jason. I am going to create a thread over the weekend that provides the details I can glean from the set I have--measurements along with detailed photos. If you can dig up any of the details you reference, wood type, rubber-ish coating, etc., please PM me and I'll include them.

Best regards,

Steven

seungkoo · #11 09-24-2010, 10:24 AM

Im not a great slapper especially with narrow string spacing but these help a lot get that tone with ease and comfort.

shriekback · #12 09-26-2010, 08:02 PM

I've given these a week and nothing of real interest for me has come up, so I am going to close the thread and hang on to them.

I will create a thread as soon as I can (it has been a busier weekend than I expected) with detailed pictures and measurements for those who might want to try creating a pair of their own.

Best to all.