Professor Thump

Novoselic and Cobain met in 1985 in their hometown of Aberdeen, Wash., a rural logging community outside Seattle. Their first musical incarnation as the Stiff Woodies featured Cobain on drums, Novoselic on bass and whoever happened to be around on guitar. By 1987 they had morphed into Nirvana; Cobain moved to vocals and guitar, and drummer Chad Channing was added. Nirvana soon gained the attention of the hip Seattle label Sub Pop and their debut album, Bleach, recorded for just over $600, was released in June 1989. Dave Grohl of the Washington, D.C. hardcore band Scream replaced Channing in September 1990.

During the summer of 1991 the band opened for Sonic Youth on their European Festival tour. Nirvana's landmark performance at the Reading Festival was featured in the documentary "1991: The Year Punk Broke" and marked the beginning of their worldwide recognition. Ironically, 1991 marked the birth of Nirvanamania and the beginning of Cobain's mental and physical deterioration. The group signed with Geffen Records to record their much anticipated second album, and when Nevermind was released in the fall of 1991, it symbolically knocked Michael Jackson's Dangerous off the top of the U.S. album charts. The success of the album, which went triple platinum, was fueled by MTV's incessant airplay of "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The song was hailed as the anthem of the grunge generation and its appeal broadened the band's fan base to include mainstream jocks, metalheads and alternative wannabes; the very people Nirvana music was supposed to alienate.

Rumors of Cobain's heroin use were ever-present and as the band grew into a multi-million dollar commercial entity, he began to withdraw into his own drug-induced world. The band's stability was questioned in the wake of a variety of bizarre stunts including Cobain's penchant for showing up at concerts in women's clothing and mocking his way through songs, and Novoselic and Grohl's nationally televised kiss following a Saturday Night Live performance. Cobain's marriage to hardcore diva Courtney Love in 1992 only fueled the negative publicity fire.

NIRVANA MEMBERS
Kurt Cobain - vocals, guitar (1985-1994)
Krist Novoselic - bass (1985-1994)
Aaron Burckhard - drums (1985-1986)
Chad Channing - drums (1986-1990)
Dale Crover - drums (1988)
Dave Foster - drums (1988)
Jason Everman - guitar (1989)
Dan Peters - drums (1990)
Dave Grohl - drums, backing vocals (1990-1994)
John Duncan - guitar (1993)
Pat Smear - guitar (1993-1994)

This Mustang Fender is at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas.  The picture says it all...

DISCOGRAPHY
Bleach (1989)
Nevermind (1991)
Hormoaning (1992)
Incesticide (1992)
In Utero (1993)
Unplugged in New York (1994)
Muddy Banks (1996)
Nirvana (2002)

Led Zeppelin is debatably one of the greatest Rock n Roll bands of the 60’s.  

I actually didn’t like them much when they first came out.  Coming from a musical family I didn’t think that Robert Plant could sing very well.  He only shouted and screamed.   But Led Zeppelin is more like the taste of coffee, acquired at best.  The more I listen to them the more I like them.  I appreciated their molding of their sound stage.  I appreciate the richness and creativity that the brought to the 60’s genre,  I even appreciate the mistakes I can hear in the recording.  They weren’t perfect, they were human, raw and full of visceral conviction.

Led Zepplin is fun to jam to.  The music isn’t extremely difficult except for the high vocal range.  The Les Paul or Tele guitars played by Jimmy Page are varied tones of mojo dripping out his pores.  Why you can even get your violin bow out and experiment with new ways to play your six string.  The thing I find most interesting is how can simple chord progression live in infamy?  Simple sometimes is better.  Especially with AC/DC or Led.

“Combining the gut wrenchin power and intensity of hard rock with the finesse and delicacy of British folk music, Led Zeppelin redefined rock in the Seventies and for all time. They were as influential in that decade as the Beatles were in the prior one. Their impact extends to classic and alternative rockers alike. Then and now, Led Zeppelin looms larger than life on the rock landscape as a band for the ages with an almost mystical power to evoke primal passions. The combination of Jimmy Page’s powerful, layered guitar work, Robert Plant’s keening, upper-timbre vocals, John Paul Jones’ melodic bass playing and keyboard work, and John Bonham’s thunderous drumming made for a band whose alchemy proved enchanting and irresistible. “The motto of the group is definitely, ‘Ever onward,’” Page said in 1977, perfectly summing up Led Zeppelin’s forward-thinking philosophy.

The group formed in 1968 from the ashes of the Yardbirds, for which guitarist Jimmy Page had served as lead guitarist after Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Page’s stint in the Yardbirds (1966-1968) followed a period of years as one of Britain’s most in-demand session guitarists. As a generally anonymous hired gun, Page performed on mid-Sixties British Invasion records by the likes of Donovan (“Hurdy Gurdy Man”), Them (“Gloria”), the Kinks (“You Really Got Me”), the Who (“I Can’t Explain”) and hundreds of others. Page assembled a “New Yardbirds” in order to fulfill contractual obligations that, once served, allowed him to move on to his blues-based dream band, Led Zeppelin.“

"The crowd was cheering, and the stage was rumbling, a dizzying mixture of lights and sound. Then, from behind the smoke, I saw a man, armed with a double-neck electric guitar, a vision that changed my life forever.

He was the best guitar player I've ever seen or heard. He was everything I wanted to be. And from the moment he started playing, I was mesmerized. He was playing in a style that seemed impossible.

I watched carefully how he played. I wanted to learn his style, his technique, to be like him, but man, I couldn't keep up with him, even by just watching; he was playing at lightning speed!

Yeah, there was nobody like Jimmy Page. Every wail, moan, and roar of his guitar tells a story. He was the ultimate guitarist -- a kickass guitar god!"

http://ledzepedia.blogspot.com/2008/08/robert-plant-buys-bootleg-led-zeppelin.html

What tales they could tell.  What lives they have lived.  I would imagine the plane rides alone would be enough for a book.

What ever the combination was, there was a natural synergy to the vocals of Plant and the riffs of Page.  It was poetry in motion for this band.  A fable told throughout the times of Rock n Roll.

December 10th, 2007 Robert Plant and Jimmy Page played in London, England with John Bonham's son Jason.  Will this be there last performance ever?  Why would you ever want to stop?

http://www.galvestonmusicscene.com/Blog-Photos/Led-Zeppelin-Reunion.jpg

Hats off, to Led Zeppelin.  May they perform live again for another day…

P Thump
Keeping it real

For more on Led Zeppelin:

http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/led-zeppelin

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1693348,00.html

Anyone who knows me well, know that I love Paul Reed Smith Guitars, (PRS).  PRS would not be what it is today without the generous help of Carlos Santana.  Santana was an early adopter of the guitar in 1981.  These were considered the conceptual years for the guitar when Paul brought a sample of his custom axe for Carlos to try.  Carlos fell in love with the sustain of the guitar and of course the incredible workmanship.  Since those days of early adoption, Carlos still uses the PRS guitar.  The most famous models for PRS are the Custom (CU 22 & CU 24) and Standard guitars, but Carlos has his own very model called naturally the Santana.

Carlos Santana began playing the guitar at a young age and his unique Latin-Blues style started turning heads almost immediately. In the 1970s, Carlos began breaking the boundaries and fusing his style with other genres.  He is known for heavy throaty sounds with plenty of distorted sustain.  He tends to play primarily on the front (neck) pickup which give him this warm PHAT signature sound. 

Though he is not known to be a ripping speed demon on the frets, Carlos is known for his unending generosity as a musician and a human being.  And to this I give him a "hats off" for his dedication to the human race.

Pictured is a poster promoting his concert at "The Joint", Hard Rock Hotel, LasVegas. 

Here are some of the stage cloths that Carlos wore during his concerts.

An example of a beautiful paint job on a PRS SE for Carlos. 

Carlos later endorsed an SE model for the masses that was a more affordable flat body instead of a premium maple carved top.
PRS now has additional Santana models including:
Santana I
Santana II
Santana SE One Abraxas
Santana MD

Other Gear:
Mesa Boogie has been supplying many custom maple cabinets for Santana.  

For speakers it appears that he uses:

(2) 1 x 15" speakers on the top cabs

(2) 4 x 12" on the bottom

(1) 4 x 10"

Amps:

Dumble Overdrive Reverb — OD-100WR
Alexander Dumble built this amplifier in the mid-1970's.
100-Watt Dumble with buil-in reverb; four Phillips 7581 tubes; three 12AX7 preamp tubes by Phillips; selectable 50-watt or 100-watt amp.
"Honey Dripper Yellow" Premiere Flame figured Maple body made by Mesa Boogie.

Dumble Overdrive  (Picture)
Built for Carlos Santana in 2007
100-Watt Dumble with buil-in reverb; four Phillips 7581 tubes; three 12AX7 preamp tubes by Phillips; selectable 50-watt or 100-watt amp.
"Honey Dripper Yellow" Premiere Flame figured Maple body made by Mesa Boogie.

Dumble Steel String Singer — 150-Watt
Built for Carlos Santana
"Honey Dripper Yellow" Premiere Flame figured Maple body made by Mesa Boogie.

Boogie Mark 1 Amp Head
Original Mark 1 Purchased in 1973
No serial number, no effects loop.
100-watt reverb; graphic EQ (never used); four Ruby Tube 6L6's; three 12AX7 premp tubes by Ruby Tube and one 12AT7 by Phillips.

Recommended DVD

Visit Carlos Santana on the web:
www.Santana.com

I love photo's from the 60's, especially live concert photos.  The gear was simple and this period in time was magical for "beat nicks" creating "Rock n Roll".

Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones in concert in the mid 60's. (1967?)  I am not sure if he played that Tele through the Ampeg amps or if he was using Marshall or Fender.

 Gretsch White Falcon hollowbody guitar and a red Tele from G & L.  Leo Fender would be proud.

Tried as I may, I couldn't get a good shot of this great photo of Charlie, Keith, Mic and Ron from the Stones.

What was it about the Stones that made them a sensation.  They weren't horribly talented, and Jagger could not dance despite Tina Turner, but their music had its own unique flavor that stirs the soul.  Isn't that what it is all about anyhow?

Kings of Leon - Name that guitar...

Linkin Park with a PRS Guitar, Keys and a turntable.  Got any fans?

From The Cult - Sonic Temple ... Not to be confused with Blue Oyster Cult...

The Hard Rock Hotel in LasVegas has a new store.  It is quite a swanky place, that didn't have obvious prices on the clothes.  I knew that if I had to ask I couldn't afford it.  

The interesting thing about the store is that there is not only a lot of eye candy for musicians, It also had a vintage receiver section.  They just don't make em like they use to.  I love these old classics.  Too bad they don't have HDMI.

There was also a vinyl section.  I guess in some ways vinyl is becoming more popular.  That is what I heard at least.  I am not sure I believe it.

There was also a comfy couch with cow pillows.

This guitar was even in the store.  Can you name it?  I will give you a hint that it cost over $4000 and it is not a Fender Telecaster.

I thought I would share my Thump of the Day.  Here is a nice picture of SLASH from Guns-N-Roses. 

Enjoy the flame on his Les Paul!

 Paul is shakin it up with Little Richard at the Hard Rock Hotel.

There is a lot to celebrate at Klipsch these days.  The sun has set on 2009 and everyone at Klipsch is excited to see the new sunrise of 2010.  We have new products announced at the CES Show and the press is gobbling it up.  These products promise to deliver what you want yet make your life easier.     

I will let the marketing team share the good news.  So keep posted.

Oh... and that is just a picture of Lil

                                                  VOIP and Klipsch
 

Did you know you can make a phone call to anywhere in the world for free?  If you use a Klipsch Headset such as X10i, S4i or S2m and one of the VOIP add-ons for your iPhone or iPod touch you can chat with anyone else using the same service.

                                fring is the service that is commonly used to tie VOIP applications to the Apple devices. 

This is done via Bluetooth to the web for Voice Over Internet Protocol or VOIP.  The process is relatively simple to do.  Just add one of the services listed above and add your friends.  You can walk around your college campus chatting with your friends using your Klipsch Headset and not spending a dime on calls.  How great is that?

If you are using the 3 button designs you can also control your iPhone or iPod with the Voice Control feature.  It's a cool little way to control your Apple player without looking at the screen in critical applications.   No need to be distracted by looking down at your player, just hold the middle button down and say a command.  The system does the rest.

                                       Klipsch is not only a concert in your head, it's a PHAT way to live...

Get yours here: http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/headphones-earphones/

P Thump... Peace Out!

                                 Chinese Merchant with Professor Thump

Tom Gospel and I have both been going to Asia for over 15 years now.  When traveling to China on business, there are usually very few days that we can just take off and see the sights.  This last trip was different.  For the first time in our lives we were able take advantage of being in Beijing for business and to walk on the same bricks that the ancient Chinese warriors protected with fierce determination against the Mongols from the north.  The history is rich with ruling emperors and the lineage is as well documented as the bible.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Map_of_the_Great_Wall_of_China.jpg

From wikipedia…

The Great Wall of China (simplified Chinese: 长城; traditional Chinese: 長城; pinyin: Chángchéng; literally "long city/fortress") or (simplified Chinese: 万里长城; traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng; literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li (里)"[1]) is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) of sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

Warring Parties

I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject of the Great Wall, but one thing that is clear is that the borders of China were not always as they are today.  One of the reasons that the wall is so diverse is that the borders of defense kept changing throughout the years.  In the map below you can see that there are 5 major periods of evolution for the wall, starting with the warring states which were much smaller regions of land.  This eventually progressed to the Ming Dynasty which was one of the largest enslavements of the nation's people. 

View Larger Map Here...

I bring up this rich history because words cannot describe the feelings of ones feet placed upon these famous bricks.  No effort in the history of mankind has been greater than the pursuit of the Chinese Great Wall. 

As I walk along these herald fortress trails I can’t help but think about the people previous to me that have traversed this mountainous region.  What was their purpose in this great system?  Were they a common worker enslaved by the emperor for a lifetime of labor to protect his vast empire?  Were they an ancient military leader defending these walls or maybe just the average soldier watching over the fortress from a watchtower?  Ones imagination runs rampant as I traverse these steep ascents. 

The day was as perfect as it gets for visiting the wall.  The temperature was 0 degrees Celsius with fresh snow from the previous days.  The air was cool but clear, a rarity these days in this booming economy of China.  The cold weather coerced me to buy a fur cap as can be seen, but the weather also kept away many tourist to allow for more intimate pictures of the wall. 

Going to the wall has put another checkmark in my bucket list but it has also left me longing to understand more about this magnificent beauty.  What is over the next crest of the mountain top?  Is it even more magnificent than what is observed. This mammoth assembly of granite, dirt and sweat extends for 5500 miles, but I am told that much of the wall is in disrepair.  Vandals throughout the years have torn apart sections of the wall to build their homes and roads for the communities.  Wind and rain have eroded sections of the wall where it was made from mud and sand, especially in the Gobi desert.  Gansu Providence may no longer have a wall in the next 20 years due to the wind errosion, since it was made primarily of mud.  The lookout towers are all but gone and the wall has been reduced from 5 meters to 2 meters in height.  Yet again the Great Wall has stood the test of time, in most areas, surviving generations upon generations of dynasties.  I am humbled by its presence.

As Tom tries to keep us on schedule to visit the Ming Dynasty Tombs, I have a hard time leaving this great creation, but one thing is for sure, it will not be the last time I visit this fabulous wall.  For it has many stories to tell with each one of its bricks.

For more information on the Chinese Dynasties please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynasties_in_Chinese_history

I love my job!

If i need a pat on the back now days all I have to do is go to Apple or Amazon's websites or Google and find a review about S4i.

Here is one from a customer with some savvy for sound...

Beautifully Balanced Sound ...............      Written by HE from San Jose

Sep 17, 2009

I just picked up a pair of S4i headphones at the Los Gatos Apple Store after reading the reviews here and on other sites. I put them on just outside the store, and at first was not happy with the sound. I almost took them back. I decided to fiddle with them, I'm glad I did. Once seated properly in the ear they came to life. They sounded pretty good, but at this point not as rich as my Bose in-ear phones. I decided to take them home and try the different ear pieces. Once I found the right size ear piece for my ears the sound REALLY came to life. These phone outclassed my Bose, Sennhieser, and Sony phones in a noticeable way.

Once dialed in the sound is very well balanced with enough sizzle at the high end to make cymbals convincingly real without fatiguing the listener. Mids have more presence than all my other phones including my HD-650's. I was transported back to the 70s when I heard my first pair of Klipsch Ls Scalas, one of the most memorable musical experiences of my life. Ella was singing and the sound was so clear, I swore I could hear the fabric in her clothing as she moved about the stage on a live recording. When seated properly these inexpensive audiophile quality phones had a similar effect. I was hearing things in the music that I hadn't heard before. Bass is also nicely defined with great reach into the lower frequencies without being muddy or artificial. To those who made negative comments I would advise you to give them a second try with the right ear-pieces attached. I was this >< close to returning them, I'm so glad I didn't. Comfort is high and getting to phones to seat in the ear canal is very easy. The remote works as advertised with my iPod Touch 3rd Generation. Buy these phones they are worth every penny.

Read this review and others Here

I always wanted to be on the cover of the Rolling Stone, I guess because of the song, but I will settle for the cover of Klipsch Webpage.  I mean we are getting a lot of hits here right?

So now that Professor Thump has blabbed on about speakers and headphones, is there anything that YOU, the Klipsch Fan, would like to hear about from me?

I have some things in mind that have been suggested.  Here are a few of them:

How do you evaluate the quality of sound?
How loud is too loud?
How do you design a bandpass box?
Where do you get your Energy?
    …Speakers that is?
Why do more guitar speakers sound better when you are jamming, but one Klipsch loudspeaker sounds better for music?
How do you get a job at Klipsch?
What do Acoustic Engineers eat for lunch?
What kind of Klipsch Headphone should we design?

I could go on… But I want to hear what YOU have on your mind.  Shout it out!

P Thump 

P.S. Don't forget to check out my Tech Blog... Where it really gets dicey!

                               S4                                                           S2m

Many people are wondering why Klipsch price points on headphones are so varied.  S2 sells for $49.99 and X 10 sells for $349.99.  Both products have a place in the market and both products have their reasons for their cost.  I am here to tell you that it is all in the technology when it comes to sound and cost. 

There are different strokes for different folks when it comes to headphone requirements.   Some people can’t afford big buck for critical sound others understand and require the best in audio while enjoying the ultimate in comfort. 

Take Image S4 or S2m for instance.  Both of these designs are moving coil technology as I have explained previously.  Both have their advantages of being great value at low cost with compelling audio.  That is what a moving coil gives you.  You can see the technology of the driver below in the animation.

This design has very few limited parts and a large diaphragm, so it is easy to have big bass in the response of the design.  The diaphragm works like an air pump in a pressure field pumping the sound to your ear canals.  In the scale of things the moving mass is heavy in relationship to the magnetic flux density.  This tends to give most moving coil designs a tubby, under damped sound to the bass.  Some would consider this design not fast.  The S4 minimizes this effect with an extra magnet in the pole piece section.  This is a very uncommon design in the industry thus the S4 cost a little more to make than the average 10-15 mm driver.

                                          X10                                                  X5

Image X10 Balanced Armature compared to a US penny  

The photo above shows the extremely small micro engineering that Klipsch has had to do with Sonion’s premium transducer.  Hold a penny in your hand and imagine working on parts the size of Lincoln’s head.  Now that is small.  Even Professor Thump had to get a new pair of super glasses to see what is going on.  The letter on the penny is as large as the acoustic snout or exit on the can. 

Wanna take a peek inside?

Balanced Armature In Action    

   * Refresh the web page if this video is not moving animation.

When you look under the hood you can start to understand why the KG 926 or KG 623 balanced armatures are complicated to work on.  Imagine tuning the box on this enclosure.  It is easy to understand that the port is uber small, so small that it is difficult to see with the naked eye.  Even with my super glasses on. 

Following through the animation we can imagine electronic audio signal travelling to the fixed coil.  With this magnetic charge occurring the armature gets excited and repels the magnetic field as it sit between two Neodymium magnets.  The armature then servos the push rod, which in turn moved the diaphragm creating acoustic signal in the form of compressed and rarified air pressure.  This air pump pushes air down the snout of the design to the nozzle on the headphone and through the eartip to your ear canal.  As the pressure builds up in your ear canal your ear drum reacts by moving out.  The electronic signals from your MP3 player have now converted to sound in your earballs.  (Earballs... That’s a technical term)  And sound is recreated from your favorite tunes… 

The benefit of this design is that the armature is very light thus the sound is very fast.  Transient attack occurs instantaneously so your highs are buttery smooth and your vocals crystal clear while your kick drum slams your brain to the skull.  Now that’s THUMP!

Cools stuff from none other than Klipsch.

Let the concert begin in YOUR HEAD!

P Thump
Peace Out!

School is upon us again...

Don't forget to buy your S2m's for jamming out while you study.   These headsets include a mic with a mute button so when you get a call you can switch over with one push of the button.

*Works with most cell phones that have a 3.5 mm phone jack