Rob Balducci: Violet Horizon

I received Rob Balducci's Violet Horizon last Thursday, ripped it to mp3 & had the tracks in my phone & mp3 player. I've been listening to it every day...

Many people whom I've talked to do not quite fancy Mr. Balducci's playing because it's wah-drenched. But upon careful listening, it's not entirely true. Mr. Balducci here might have constantly punctuated his phrases with the wah but when he's not, I think many of us weren't listening. Ditto his playing style- after an initial listening, the impatient among us would ask, "Hey, where's the shred?" but RB is one who takes his time to craft his tunes. He would bend & vibrato at will then plunge into some shred; if it's done differently then it's not Rob Balducci.

Violet Horizon contains more shred moments than RB's two prior releases, it also features guest soloists Dave Weiner & Guthrie Govan. There are also some lush moments attributable to the Gilmour-esque school of guitar ambience as cited by Mr. Balducci himself.

Rob Balducci took time to have a Violet Horizon promo site up to share bits on the tracks & inspiration behind the tunes. Click here: Take me to the Violet Horizon promo site

Ex-basses, a summary of sorts

My first bass was a Squier Affinity model. It was the simple features which attracted me to it & that split pickup has that unmistakable P-bass tone. I bought this one late '90s, it was the grunge era, anti-guitar sentiments were everywhere so my ownership of a bass was an escape. However, the Affinity's neck wasn't as sturdy as expected, it warped repeatedly. The neck width was a little wide, I definitely could use something more comfortable. After selling this bass, I wasn't in a hurry to find a replacement as the guitar distractions got the better of me.

My subsequent bass was a serious investment, it's the discontinued Music Man SUB model. At that point in time Davis GMC had these in store together with the SUB1 guitar (so I bought 1 each...). The $900 asking price was too good to resist. The bass was thoughtlessly swapped with my dad's Ibanez RD500... *sigh*

This is perhaps the most playable & versatile bass I ever owned, featuring an active circuitry but the pickups remain passive. It looks rather retarded but the Ibanez RD500 had one of the best tonal palette without being too costly. This bass was sold to a relative who has a performance need for it. Reliability & rumbling good tones- the RD has plenty.

I then discovered the joy of a shorter scaled bass; it's not as excessive as a full scale unit which promotes playability for someone who is predominantly guitar-inclined. The Ibanez GAXB was a cheap & cheerful player which sounded good despite the sparse appointments. A young chap came over to try this bass because we share the same preference, something shorter scaled to address playability for occasional playing. There was immediate interest as mine was better set-up than the store's. It was a quick deal & I thought I could easily get another GAXB as it's readily available here. I waited for a non-black version- still waiting. The GAXB was discontinued about 2 years ago but I am still waiting.

Because I missed my SUB bass too much, the OLP MM2 was purchased as a consolation but the tone from this one wasn't Music Man grade. No, it's not bad, it's just... different. Just goes to show  we can't get cod roe to satisfy a caviar craving. Someone in planet bass read my review of this one & offered me a good price for it because it's exactly the finish he wanted. FYI- the OLP brand name had been discontinued & superseded by the Sterling label which manifested a clear revision in QC & tones.

I was still canvassing for a worthy bass after the OLP episode & chanced upon the BB414 when I was at Beatspot to purchase an amp (my Blackheart Killer Ant head). Gave this white model a try & it was superb to say the least. I was specifically looking for a model sporting a P/J pickup combo, tried the Squier version but wasn't too pleased with the tone. The BB414 features the same pickup arrangement but it's not about similar offerings when it comes to desirable tones; it's the wood, electronics & craftsmanship chemistry not some fancy brand names. This bass is very appealing (Yamaha makes better basses than guitars!) but proved too bulky for a small-built person like me. It went for an attractive price & was purchased by a close acquaintance.

So that's the brief about all my ex-basses. As I am a guitar person first & foremost, I have a loose attachment to my basses but this might change. Wishing everyone a good Sunday morning.

The other scoop

I was flipping the pages of an old magazine when I stumbled upon this guitar- it's the Alvarez electric, featuring the dana scoop. It's essentially the manufacturer's take on upper fret access, merging the guitar's treble side cutaway with the neck pickup's slot. The obvious compromise here would be the neck pickup & the overall instrument's rigidity. For those of us who keep whining about not having real upper fret access, this guitar might just work for you but it's extinct...

Despite the backing of Lita Ford- rock's femme fatale of the '90s- this guitar didn't live to see the turn of the century.

Remembering my ex... (Part 6)

This was my first proper acoustic guitar, an Ibanez PF-40. It's strictly acoustic, with no plug in feature. The highlight of this guitar was its very playable neck. As I gave it more playing time, I was incapacitated by the big body. It's not the manufacturer's fault but the player's inability to adapt. I am more used to the electric guitar's body profile which remains snug when played both sitting & standing up. Also, I need not arch out my picking arm to strum/ pick, this is a very important factor for me as it affects my picking. So this guitar was put up for sale for slightly more than half its retail price & was bought by an eager strummer.

Thumb

It was all bass all day today. The hours of playing, I realized, strengthened my thumb. Also, when one is predominantly a guitarist, upon playing bass, there has to be a switch in the mind frame; one has to think bass which is what I need to do. I kept playing the bass like a guitar, with all those fast runs, it gives very little meaning to a bass embrace. However, I can't simplify my phrasing for this to happen, I keep treading on complexity, which is more suitable for guitar.

Listening to Jaco Pastorious now...

The Blacktops

Fender has these new Mexican models, the Blacktop series, which are rather alluring & appealing to the drive/ distortion inclined.

The common feature in these models (all 4 of them) are those black knobs...

...& humbuckers. All models feature humbuckers less the Jazzmaster which has a neck single coil.

Those of us who wish to own the Jaguar/ Jazzmaster models but do not wish to deal with complicated controls & such, these are the models to consider.

I feel like getting...

...all 4 guitars.