Let's spread some musical misinformation

[Jay2U]

In the 70s and 80s, Fender was obsessed with Japanese miniaturization of electronics. Sensing a trend, Fender tried to develop a line of miniature guitars and basses. They were very successful and had fully functioning prototypes of all their guitars and basses.

Unfortunately, they quickly realized that there was very little demand as few players could play the instruments.

View attachment 4015111View attachment 4015105View attachment 4015106

The strings of these instruments are so thin, that they obey quantum mechanical laws. Hence the annoying entanglement!

 

[1bassleft]

The miniaturisation string theory that started in the 50s lead to the collapse of jazz, as cats like Schrödinger abandoned the upright and Heisenburg was uncertain that excess luggage costs in taxis was really worth it. Just as Nobel Prizes were about to rob popular music of their best bassists, rock 'n' roll came along and shy players - uncomfortable with advances from groupies - found that being a rock bassist was less likely to attract floozies than being a physicist.

 

[TH63]

In the 70s and 80s, Fender was obsessed with Japanese miniaturization of electronics. Sensing a trend, Fender tried to develop a line of miniature guitars and basses. They were very successful and had fully functioning prototypes of all their guitars and basses.

Unfortunately, they quickly realized that there was very little demand as few players could play the instruments.

View attachment 4015111View attachment 4015105View attachment 4015106

Pretty nice. Can I get one in short scale?

 

[Shannon]

Thunderbirds were the first miniaturised basses. To play them successfully required a technique called Supermarionation. A band was formed in its honour but, typically, guitarist and vocalist took Thunderbirds 1 and 2 and everybody remembers Scott and Virgil. Bass got Thunderbird 4 and the solo venture sank without trace.

 

[1bassleft]

Fuzzbox (originally We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It) were all under two feet tall and hired mature-looking male babies still in diapers in their videos to appear standard height (it was the 80s) and Jo Dunne (RIP) took advantage of the miniature Gibson guitar, but the obvious choice of a Thunderbird bass for the single International Rescue was passed in favour of a shoulder-strap keyboard (it was the 80s). A trick missed, I'd say.

 

[pklima]

You mean We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It, who originally called themselves Fuzzbox but then changed it because they were worried there's probably at least two or three bands with that name already. A band I discovered without needing somebody to post "Love Is The Slug" on Talkbass!

 

[felonious69]

We never learned who the WHO were, but we all had our options or
N who the GUESS WHO were. I guessed right!

I never even figured out Guess What!

 

[PillO]

The Who named themselves after the famous Abbott and Costello routine 'Who's on First' on the assumption that the band (in the words of Roger Daltry) "would never round first base".

 

[Killing Floor]

Turns out people from Austin don't know anything about tacos.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

This trend would be bucked by inverse scale basses, released without headstocks and barely any body. Oddly, this would prove popular in the '80's due to, like, a totally temporary lack of proper tonewoods.

There was a temporary lack of good music for about half the 1980s so lack of tonewood wasn't an issue.

 

[1bassleft]

You mean We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It, who originally called themselves Fuzzbox but then changed it because they were worried there's probably at least two or three bands with that name already. A band I discovered without needing somebody to post "Love Is The Slug" on Talkbass!

I did double-take when they appeared on Top of the Pops after they'd signed to WEA; quite an image change.

 

[Scooter Johnson]

The only true way to play double bass is with four hands but most people only have two or fewer hands. so the single bass was invented .

 

[datasmog]

Bicycle Thieves Cooperative.

 

[datasmog]

The Upstairs Mob

 

[felonious69]

There was a temporary lack of good music for about half the 1980s so lack of tonewood wasn't an issue.

Well trees doesn't grow on hair ya know.

 

[PillO]

Bicycle Thieves Cooperative.

The Upstairs Mob

This is not the coded message forum. To find that, search for "The Icing is on the Pumpkin"

 

[felonious69]

^What he said

 

[felonious69]

Bob Dylan was kicked out of the band

 

[PillO]

Bob Dylan was kicked out of the band

It was Bob Dylan's band. He kicked them out for suggesting he play an electric guitar. And then he did it anyway.

 

[Scooter Johnson]

The Mosquitoes first appeared on the tv show Gillian's Island were the first band who didn't need amps or power to play their electric guitars!