Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

Great news George! Will be here, let me check the gig calendar as many come up with little notice. Flying out to NE on the 23rd for Thanksgiving week to visit family so, this could totally work..

I'll check dates - possibly...

Awesome! Would be great to see you guys (and any others in the Bay Area) again.
Keep me posted.

 

[RedVee]

Point taken, but washboard is more common in Zydeco or folk blues maybe than Bluegrass. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing a Bluegrass band with a washboard. It's really cool in a Zydeco band.

Works in folk / country. Well that’s what I use it in… hope it works!

 

[JJR58]

Speaking of which - Chuck, my girlfriend and I will be up in your area (Monterey) from the 15th to the 21st of November. Any chance we can catch one of your gigs? If so, if anyone else wants to join in, we could possibly make a mini GTG out of it. I’ll even bring up some interesting basses if ya’ll want.

2 GTG’s in one year?!
Do it!!!!

 

[JJR58]

Just can’t figure out how to plug it in.

View attachment 7061345

Needs a piezo.

 

[dagrev]

View attachment 7061337
Yes, washboards are sometimes used in bluegrass music as a handheld percussion instrument. They are often used along with other percussion instruments like spoons and egg shakers. Washboards and spoons can add a clicking beat to bluegrass music.

Yes, they can and no doubt have been, but it's uncommon and not normal at all. Likely more the folk/jug band style than actual Bluegrass. I have liked BG since a kid and even played some Bluegrass, have friends and family who have been professional players (one was Bill Monroe, who thought we were related--but could't stand his singing, but never told him that), seen no telling how many bands, and I don't recall seeing a washboard used. Never saw an egg shaker used either. The bass is really more percussion than "musical" as in other styles. Which is one reason I never liked playing it in a BG setting. I suspect even finding a pic online of a Bluegrass band with a WB could happen, but only after passing over no telling how many pages without. Not trying to be argumentative, just pointing out it's very rare when/if it happens. I'm sure somebody does it, but it's very atypical. They are always present in Zydeco bands. Those are great. However and whenever it gets used, if it brings joy to people, bring two!

 

[dagrev]

Just can’t figure out how to plug it in.

View attachment 7061345

Needs an input jack.

 

[Engle]

Needs a piezo.

And a High Pass Filter...

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Hollister gets very close…..

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Yes, they can and no doubt have been, but it's uncommon and not normal at all. Likely more the folk/jug band style than actual Bluegrass. I have liked BG since a kid and even played some Bluegrass, have friends and family who have been professional players (one was Bill Monroe, who thought we were related--but could't stand his singing, but never told him that), seen no telling how many bands, and I don't recall seeing a washboard used. Never saw an egg shaker used either. The bass is really more percussion than "musical" as in other styles. Which is one reason I never liked playing it in a BG setting. I suspect even finding a pic online of a Bluegrass band with a WB could happen, but only after passing over no telling how many pages without. Not trying to be argumentative, just pointing out it's very rare when/if it happens. I'm sure somebody does it, but it's very atypical. They are always present in Zydeco bands. Those are great. However and whenever it gets used, if it brings joy to people, bring two!

I absolutely love BG, would love to join an ensemble on upright…….they do a yearly 3 day BG festival here (Tres Pinos) and the talent is incredible…..last year there was a very young asian female fiddle player that just RIPPED IT UP….come to find out, most of the up and coming BG pickers all have doctorates in music…..

 

[Gaolee]

All this Bullock talk reminds me we had a heavy rock band in the early 70s called Buffalo. They even got picked up by Vertigo record label, like Sabbath & Quo.

This Chuck Berry cover is from 76, when they tried to be more approachable and commercial and had lineup changes. Notably a very toned down album cover. Rose Tattoo’s Pete Wells is on Bass, Dave Tice remains as singer.

That sounds insanely loud played quietly. I can imagine the impact it would have turned up to eleven.

 

[Gaolee]

That’s the idea. The BL would be the guitarist. He plays a Firebird. He just needs a drummer.

CWish is usually simple enough for me to handle it. But I'm not in the Bay Area. Oh, well.

 

[Gaolee]

and jugs and washtubs……humans will make music regardless……

My son and daughter in law gave me a washtub, broom handle, and roll of string for Christmas one year. I punched a hole in the washtub for the string and put a crutch tip on the end of the broom handle to make it a little more controllable. It works pretty well as a washtub bass. It was in the basement and was probably the only bass that didn't come out to play. No pickup. That's probably why.

The girl, my daughter in law, is a classical oboe player, so I gave her a washboard and thimbles one year to loosen up her attitude toward unwritten and unwashed music. It seems to have worked. The boy is a jazz and funk player, so he has no problem with unwritten and unwashed.

 

[GonePlaid]

Needs a piezo.

Deep dish or NY style?

 

[Gaolee]

Yes, they can and no doubt have been, but it's uncommon and not normal at all. Likely more the folk/jug band style than actual Bluegrass. I have liked BG since a kid and even played some Bluegrass, have friends and family who have been professional players (one was Bill Monroe, who thought we were related--but could't stand his singing, but never told him that), seen no telling how many bands, and I don't recall seeing a washboard used. Never saw an egg shaker used either. The bass is really more percussion than "musical" as in other styles. Which is one reason I never liked playing it in a BG setting. I suspect even finding a pic online of a Bluegrass band with a WB could happen, but only after passing over no telling how many pages without. Not trying to be argumentative, just pointing out it's very rare when/if it happens. I'm sure somebody does it, but it's very atypical. They are always present in Zydeco bands. Those are great. However and whenever it gets used, if it brings joy to people, bring two!

I beat the slobbers out of my upright playing bluegrass. It's a completely different kind of slapping than rockabilly though.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

My son and daughter in law gave me a washtub, broom handle, and roll of string for Christmas one year. I punched a hole in the washtub for the string and put a crutch tip on the end of the broom handle to make it a little more controllable. It works pretty well as a washtub bass. It was in the basement and was probably the only bass that didn't come out to play. No pickup. That's probably why.

The girl, my daughter in law, is a classical oboe player, so I gave her a washboard and thimbles one year to loosen up her attitude toward unwritten and unwashed music. It seems to have worked. The boy is a jazz and funk player, so he has no problem with unwritten and unwashed.

still have the tub bass? always wondered how they anchored the broomstick to the tub when they originally devised the contraption…..

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Deep dish or NY style?

LOL…just wrong…

 

[JJR58]

Deep dish or NY style?

Thin crust.

 

[Engle]

This is my new "learn to play" challenge:


Looking for some live versions, I came across this interview:


Which removes any doubt about who the Nigel Tufnel character in Spinal Tap was based on

 

[dagrev]

I absolutely love BG, would love to join an ensemble on upright…….they do a yearly 3 day BG festival here (Tres Pinos) and the talent is incredible…..last year there was a very young asian female fiddle player that just RIPPED IT UP….come to find out, most of the up and coming BG pickers all have doctorates in music…..

In the last 20 yrs or so it's become a "trendy" thing drawing in some who seem to not fit the pattern at all. Around here there are people that a decade ago would have laughed at seeing or playing BG (and at the people tho played it), but now they find it the in thing. Kind of funny to see hipsters digging hillbilly music. I'm not sure if it's the new cool weird thing to latch onto or what. I hope they actually end up appreciating the music. I don't like some who screech, but when the singers do wonderful harmonies it's often just amazing. And the pickers--some of them are top notch musicians. Very under appreciated IMO.

 

[Engle]

still have the tub bass? always wondered how they anchored the broomstick to the tub when they originally devised the contraption…..

I think it's just held on top.