What's This Ric + Glastonbury Footage

[spongebob]

Don't know how well know it is in the US, but over here the Glastonbury festival is about the biggest outdoor music event there is!

The good old BBC have set up a website which you can access loads of bands on.

I was watching some of the footage today, and noticed Franz Ferdinand's bassist (I think he's called Bob Hardy) playing a Ric - is it a Hamburg? I'm no expert on these, having only ever seen one on E-bay!

He used to be a 4003 JG man, played something else for a bit, but now seems to be back on the Rics. I'm not really a fan, but on record he always had quite a good bass tone.

They come on at around 45 mins into the link - if I've done it right, it should kick straight in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... nand_Live/

[espidog]

Hi Iain,
I've got an orrible feeling that the BBC iPlayer is deliberately nobbled so that it can't be made to work from any IP address in the USA. Something to do with DRM and performing rights and all that. It's a total PITA, 'cos there's lots of stuff my friends in the States would love to watch on the www.bbc.co.uk website, but they can't. If any of our American members knows me to be wrong on this score, or knows a way round the issue, do pipe up!

Anyway, about that Franz Ferdinand RIC bass. Yes, I noticed it too, and was intrigued. Trouble is, the camera footage was so fleeting and the stage so dark that all I could make out was the headstock shape. I'll have a look on the iPlayer and if I find a good clear frame I'll freeze playback and do a screen grab, then I'll post the picture on here for folks to peruse. Watch this space...

[espidog]

OK folks, here we go. The lighting was very strobe-driven and backlit, but I've managed to isolate a couple of halfway decent shots. Good enough for ID purposes, anyway. Here they are:





To me, it looks smilar to a 2030 Hamburg, but with a 4000 series bridge on it and only one pickup. Curious...

[jdogric12]

Looks like a 3000.

Check out one here: www.rickbeat.com

[anoukane]

Isn't that just a a Walnut 3001?

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/3001/3001.htm

[espidog]

I think you've got it, anoukane. Looks like a full-scale neck in the gig pics.

[spongebob]

Well done RR, and well done Ken for getting that footage!!

[antonius]

Did anyone see what one of the guitarists from Kasabian was using? The Rickenbacker guitar with the same shape as a 4001 bass. Was that a 481? You don't see many of those around. I'd love to play around with one of them. Interesting tone...

[psychomatthias]

In my opinion, the music oriented programming on the BBC is far superior to anything seen on the American cable channels. I've had to bittorrent a few programs to get my music documentary fix, like Prog Rock Brittanica and documentaries on the Rough Trade label, Factory Records, and I even watched ones devoted to Hawkwind and Jethro Tull on Youtube. This is not to mention some of the BBC live performances of artists not featured on VH-1's BBC Crown Jewels, like the whole 1977 Sight & Sound broadcast with Jethro Tull from the Hippodrome.

It makes me wish I lived in the UK sometimes, as most of my favorite bands ARE British (Punk, prog, and metal are what I prefer), but, then again, I have to remind myself of the saying "The grass is greener on the other side" and realize once again that it is usually not.

[ilan]

I love the pickguard sticker. "So... how is this thing tuned, again?"

[doctorwho]

Did anyone see what one of the guitarists from Kasabian was using? The Rickenbacker guitar with the same shape as a 4001 bass. Was that a 481? You don't see many of those around. I'd love to play around with one of them. Interesting tone...

Yes, it was a 481 FG ... I saw them a while back on a late night program ... took notice when I saw the 481!

[wints]

I love the pickguard sticker. "So... how is this thing tuned, again?"

My first thoughts as well Ilan!

Much of the BBC content is not available in the US, and it's a shame and a pain, but there are ways to get around it on occasion...

[kiramdear]

Wish I could enjoy this one too

[jaymi]

Wish I could enjoy this one too

Too bad someone across the pond couldn't burn this to DVD...then we can make our own...

[espidog]

Wish I could enjoy this one too

Too bad someone across the pond couldn't burn this to DVD...then we can make our own...

What...? Make your own 3001? Now there's ambitious!

Seriously though, there's always been a stumbling block to the idea of sending UK TV material to the USA or Canada - and I'm not talking about region codes. Anything we record off broadcast here in the UK will be in the PAL TV format (50 frames a second/625 lines, or more if it's in HD). Such a disc would play OK on your computer, but would be incompatible with the vast majority of your domestic TV equipment, which can only handle video signals in NTSC (60 frames a second/525 lines/different colour encoding system).

However, there is good news! I have a friend in the Washington DC/MD area, and for several years I've been sending him PAL DVDs of stuff I've recorded off broadcast, and he's been watching them on his old NTSC telly. How come? Well, a few years back, at my recommendation, he bought a Philips DVP642 DVD player. Remarkably, this dirt cheap entry-level machine contains a chip that automatically converts the PAL signal to NTSC on-the-fly! This is a feature that's not even provided on many expensive models. I've no idea why Philips included it on such a cheap machine, but I'm awfully glad they did - it works a treat!