I have a new Waterphone, a “Whaler” – much smaller than my original “Megabass”, and a lot easier for me to play live.
the Whaler and the Megabass Waterphones, side by side (note to self: I must tidy up and fix the rope on the “exhaust” of the big one…)
Thank you, Richard!
It arrived for my birthday, but I was out of the country. A neighbor took care of it, and handed it over to me on Tuesday – just in time for our almost regular Wednesday jam. We played for about an hour. Here are the last 11 minutes and a quarter – a bit of slightly oriental sounding abstract ambiance, very quiet, mainly Bass and Guitar: Reprise (12.5 MB, in the iTunes/iPod MPEG4/AAC format, opens in a new window).
Bellows: Allsorts, including the Wok and Pebbles which I have already used on several Cork City Gamelan pieces
Metalizer: Electric Guitar
Sonikjahz: Bass Guitar
Yours Truly: my new “Whaler” Waterphone
Most of the time my Waterphone is just barely there in the mix, but I like it a lot. I don’t always need to be loud and obvious, eh? Actually, I am using a new extended technique about three quarters into the piece which is loud and obvious – but it doesn’t sound like a Waterphone: I placed a metal protector for a saxophone reed on the top of one of the rods. Striking the rod produces a very subtle complex rattle.
Enjoy and feel free to share, but don’t remix, please – see, it is a group improvisation and not entirely my own composition. I’ll be posting music for remixing again, promise…
Before sliding the neck wrap up on the MegaBas, put some clear silicon on the neck. This will make it hold. Richard
that’s the plan, Richard, thanks!
I hope you are all right – I keep hearing about really bad storms in your part of the World.