Q for BP

[PzoLover]

Hey BP,
Bear in mind that I was a kid in Muskoka Ontario during the 50s and 60s, with my ear stuck to an AM radio listening to "bounced signals from WWVA, WKBW, WLS and all sorts of other American as well as Canadian stationsCKEY, CHUM, CFGM broadcasting pop and country music, I was only a few miles from where Neil Young was raised, and like all the others of my generation was swept up by the explosion of popular music that radiated from America and the UK, my first guitar was my mom's corn broom, that I would sit on the floor and strum along with Hank Williams and all the other music heros of the dayz, pre-Beach Boys, pre-motown, pre-Cream, pre-Beatles etc ...
Can you please set me on your lap and tell me the story of what were the sperms and the eggs that came together resulting in Southern California becoming the Womb from which our beloved electric guitars, basses and their songs were born ... resulting in what Neil referred to as California being "ThePromised Land" in the late 60s and such bands as Buffalo Springfield were spawned, from there on I'd love to hear more of your and your Dad's stories, and now, here we are, diggin' your legend
Yourz faithfully,
ATB,
/PL

 

[tommixx]

Man that would be awesome! I am in for the evening to!

Peace,

T

 

[TNT]

Pzo,

Yeah, reminiscing is fun!!

I'd like to help you out here with your question, but per the bulletin a while back, I cannot answer any of BP's questions - yes, even in his absence. lol

 

[MadMatt]

i have to second and third this request... BP's stories are simply the best... I grew up in the 70's and 80's but at an early age I developed a strong preference for music of the 60's. Since I was too young to experience any of what was going on back then, reading or hearing BP's insights and stories from that time is a true highlight.

-Matt

 

[drTStingray]

+1 - it's always a pleasure to read BP's reminisences and also see the vintage pics.

 

[cyoungnashville]

yeah bp. and tell us about the cowboys and indians too.... and taco trucks. man i miss those.

 

[Jim C]

I just recently read that Sterling designed the MM bass along with Leo and Forrest White; had no idea. Also found this on Wikipedia:

In 2001, Sterling Ball decided to institute a living wage at the plant. The entry level wage would be $10.10 per hour. One third of the then current workforce of 226 people got a raise. He cited the need to attract and retain high quality employees, and the moral responsibility to provide his employees with a decent income. Fewer than twenty percent of the residents in San Luis Obispo county can afford to buy a house. He had this to say in a New Times interview concerning the decision, "It's contrary to a lot of traditional business theories, I know, but I did it because it's the right thing to do, fundamentally."

I too would love to know more about the California music scene and instrument manufacturing of the 70's and 80's as well as stories about your dad and the early days of MM.

 

[Big Poppa]

OK here it is in sort of a stream of a 55 year old.....I think this is going to be a blog post.
What is normal when you are a kid growing up? What that was normal in your life do you now look back and say....I guess our family was different and I just didn't know it?

In my family there were four kids and each of us were sort of given our assignments for life. Really weird and not right looking back on it....I will not name names...but the oldest was going to be the star, the second the artist, the third the businessman and the fourth a model/actress. I didn't get lessons from my dad on guitar and bass (he did show me how to play Michelle) I got life sessons trailing behind him everyday driving him nuts with my curiosity and hyperacitivity. I wanted to learn about people and commerce and watch my Dad and his interactions. I didnt know it at the time but I did know that I wanted to be like my Dad when I grew up. I ran the cash register standing on a stool at nine...when I would get out of control I had to sit in store fixture...

Maybe it was my Dad....I can remember crawling around and pushing the pedals of his trusted Bigsby Steel Guitar......I know that after every family dinner everybody played. I didnt start until I was 12 though..... Was the first memory my Mom singing 'Oklahoma Hills" or my grandpa singing "Aloha Oi" or my step grandma swinging on the piano with the most killer left hand ever? She was a top keyboard player in LA that happened to be a chick. When she was in her late 70's she was still gigging and died on stage singing a song called 'Entering Heaven" No joke. "She had just finished taking the Cuesta College Vocall Ensemble to Montreaux." It could have been my brother reluctantly playing Release Me at my Moms request... Again maybe it was my Dad who was the best rhythm guitarist I stii have ever heard....sort of a walking, moving, inverting, driving. Sometimes when I miss him I try to play like him. I play Oklahoma Hills by my self sometimes...at my Dads funeral I brought my grandfathers Martin uke from the 20's and the ball kids sang Aloha oi by the casket.

PZO dont worry I will get to the point. IT was all music baby.....now remember that we lived in the San Fernando Valley....back in the 50's and sixties it was horses and orange groves and Cowboys. And my dad. The New Christy Minsrels lived behind us...Guy Mitchell around the block....and my dads store was a block and a half from our house. I spent every minute there when we werent exploring or collecting pop bottles to turn in for our candy dough. THe cats shopped with my dad because he also set up the guitars....He also had the strings....I remember James Burton hanging out briefly...I remember Joe Pass getting out of heroin clinic at Synanon and coming into my dads store and telling my dad he didnt have a guitar or money....He wanted a es175....My dad gave it to him....if he played the stores christmas party that night........How about the day John Lennon called? The Beach Boys would buy a fresh load of Fender amps for each tour...we could get them back at the end......White tolex showmans.....How about the legendaary Ted Greene...(google him if you dont know who he was) taking lessons from my dad and then teaching then deciding that rock was limiting....How about me restringing the Byrds Rickenbackers......How about my dad bringing home Heads Hands and Feet and playing country boy for all of us and then meeting Albert Lee and then becoming friends and him living on my moms couch while I was still in High School....Albert played in my band for Newport Harbor Highs winter dance in 1973.

But really it was the Beatles. Period. we had KHJ and KRLA and Wollensack tape machines and it was a race to see who could learn the songs fast enough. Actually I let the Lee brothers do it and then watch them.....

Everybody was in a band in the valley...its what we did. I guess it just seemed like everybody was in a band......I lived in a musical aquarium...My dad's store evolved into
the scene and a huge teaching operation and the rental stuff was tweed gender amps maple necked duo sonics and late 50's p basses because they were dirt cheap......

I need coffee...thanks for letting me vent.

 

[Big Poppa]

I just recently read that Sterling designed the MM bass along with Leo and Forrest White; had no idea. Also found this on Wikipedia:

In 2001, Sterling Ball decided to institute a living wage at the plant. The entry level wage would be $10.10 per hour. One third of the then current workforce of 226 people got a raise. He cited the need to attract and retain high quality employees, and the moral responsibility to provide his employees with a decent income. Fewer than twenty percent of the residents in San Luis Obispo county can afford to buy a house. He had this to say in a New Times interview concerning the decision, "It's contrary to a lot of traditional business theories, I know, but I did it because it's the right thing to do, fundamentally."

I too would love to know more about the California music scene and instrument manufacturing of the 70's and 80's as well as stories about your dad and the early days of MM.

Ii did not design the music man sting ray Forrest didnt either I was a beta tester, forrest gave them the headstock design and Tommy Walker designed the preamp it was leo...I cannot correct Wiki...

 

[cellkirk74]

Thanks for this glimps of some great stories BP. A lot of music going on.

Also found this on Wikipedia:

In 2001, Sterling Ball decided to institute a living wage at the plant. The entry level wage would be $10.10 per hour. One third of the then current workforce of 226 people got a raise. He cited the need to attract and retain high quality employees, and the moral responsibility to provide his employees with a decent income. Fewer than twenty percent of the residents in San Luis Obispo county can afford to buy a house. He had this to say in a New Times interview concerning the decision, "It's contrary to a lot of traditional business theories, I know, but I did it because it's the right thing to do, fundamentally."

I too would love to know more about the California music scene and instrument manufacturing of the 70's and 80's as well as stories about your dad and the early days of MM.

Yeah, this among other more sound related facts is the reason why I am trying to talk everyone into an EBMM. Good company, good boss, good bass.

 

[Powman]

That was fun reading. Thanks Big Poppa for sharing!

 

[RocketRalf]

Thanks for the post BP. And specially thanks for letting me discover Ted Greene. WOW!

 

[MadMatt]

I need coffee...thanks for letting me vent.

WOW, please vent any time.

Wow... did I say that already?

 

[Yerf Dog]

 

[T-bone]

Wow! I'm thinking biography. Maybe Jack can be your ghost writer.

tbone

 

[ivbenaplayin]

excellent read BP! Thanks for sharing

 

[Jim C]

Ii did not design the music man sting ray Forrest didnt either I was a beta tester, forrest gave them the headstock design and Tommy Walker designed the preamp it was leo...I cannot correct Wiki...

Thanks for the correction; sorry they didn't get the facts straight about your dad either
I'm on vacation this week and while the kids are sleeping-in, got curious about you and the company.
While I'm late to the party here, perhaps others haven't had a chance to read your blogs: good stuff and offers more personal background as asked for in this post

Ernie Ball Music Man Blog

So what's a typical day like at the shop; say today for example?

 

[danny-79]

Thanks BP, that was a cool read.

 

[guenter]

Thanks a lot for sharing and letting us have a view into the musical aquarium.

 

[JayDawg]

Thanks BP for sharing your history with us. I remember when I started playing back in 1987, I bought my first bass from a local music store in El Cajon, Ca. it was a real cheap piece of junk bass that I bought for right around $100.00 but that's all I could afford at the time because I was buying it with my own money. The strings were totally dead on it though so I asked how much strings would cost. The owner of the store re-strung the bass for me with a set of Ernie Ball's and then threw in an extra set for free. I thought I was getting the best deal in the world at the time because 2 sets of strings was probably back then around $25.00. I remember the strings he initially re-strung my bass with stayed bright at least 6 months with me playing that bass every day and the only time it went out of tune was due to operator error of my accidentally bumping a tuning peg or something similar. So my earliest memories of playing begin with Ernie Ball. Your company has really blown me away with the more and more that I learn about it and I am glad to say that I support it.
Thank you for all you and your company does!
Jay