Gongzilla!!!

N

noodles

Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
449
Reaction score
1
I checked out Gongzilla last night at the Warwick NYC custom shop and they were absolutely incredible!

They are quite eclectic in the sense of touching upon different styles within one song. Hansford Rowe busted out his Just-intonation Streamer on one song; that thing made my hands hurt just looking at it. I have a hard enough time with 24 frets let alone 2073 of 'em!
 
That is just wild ... When I first read your post I initially thought "WHAT???" 2073 frets has to be a typo. I have never heard of such a thing so of coarse, I googled it. OMFG!!!! That is just insane! Having first read the Warwick article, link below, and then going to Hansford Rowe's website to read more, I can see it makes perfect sense, but OMFG!!!! I agree with you noodles, 24 frets is plenty for me to worry about.

The Quest for the true tone

So what's next. The Just-Intonation system on one of those twisted necks?

Wow, thanks for the post, I also listened to some of their music ... very cool. I bet it was great to actually see them live.
 
2073 frets is actually a joke, but it sure seemed like a hell of a lot of frets.;) The whole time he was playing it, I was trying to imagine where his fingers would be on a normal bass. I couldn't do it.

One thing I found amazing/disturbing is how relaxed and natural he looked while playing it. It says volumes about his experience and ability.
 
Hansford is one of the nicest artists we have onboard, and he started playing Warwick while I was busy wearing diapers...

You guys need to check out his solo works, and I personnally can't wait to hear his disc with Jordi Torrens (who incidentally happens to be as nice as Hansford, and playing Framus guitars)...

On the just intonation, the idea is actually working. It looks kind of weird for most people, but I got a personal demo of the system by Hansford last year, and I swear that when he's playing chords, right in your face, it'S amazing because it sounds great. Not normal, but great, because there's nothing wrong in them. Because the bass is tempered, your instruments are "relatively" right, like a piano... And there some inherent dissonance to your instruments, due to the fact that your fretted notes actually are "relatively" right, while your strings are developping "natural/perfect" harmonics. That's one of the reason there are keys in which a guitar / piano (depending on the tuning) don't sound great, or that power chords don't have that much notes in it, especially with distortion...At least, that is how I understood it.

That really made me sad that I never had Hansford as a musical theory teacher so I would not suck that much today (at least in musical theory).
 
BassPlyr Randy said:
That is just wild ... When I first read your post I initially thought "WHAT???" 2073 frets has to be a typo. I have never heard of such a thing so of coarse, I googled it. OMFG!!!! That is just insane! Having first read the Warwick article, link below, and then going to Hansford Rowe's website to read more, I can see it makes perfect sense, but OMFG!!!! I agree with you noodles, 24 frets is plenty for me to worry about.

The Quest for the true tone

So what's next. The Just-Intonation system on one of those twisted necks?

Wow, thanks for the post, I also listened to some of their music ... very cool. I bet it was great to actually see them live.
Click to expand...

I wonder if JI & fanned frets can be combined.
On a Torzal Twist neck,of course ;)
We could call it the,
JI/FF/TT bass guitar.

@Damon,
Gongzilla are an amazing band,each member a virtuoso,which makes for an incredible musical experience.
 
Hansford is Warwick Endorser since the early 80's.

He has a interesting and personal way of approaching the bass guitar. I had the pleasure of talking with him, and he showed to me how this "Just Intonation" thing works. It is very musical, and natural.

Anyway, if you don't look at the frettboard you cn play it very easy. Your fingers will go to the right place.

If you look, then you are lost, hihi :-)
 
Just came to my mind: going fretless would not get the same results? If yes, it would feel less weird...
 
drews said:
Just came to my mind: going fretless would not get the same results? If yes, it would feel less weird...
Click to expand...

Yes, more or less I'd think, but it depends on your ears. That's what people playing natural instruments (quartet instruments, trombone...) do...
 
You could play trombone, too. Same results, different sounds.

:o)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top