Tony Levin's 3 String

[bovinehost]

Hey, you EBMM guys. Someone elsewhere wondered if Tony knew this photo existed. I figured he had nicer copies than this, but maybe he doesn't. I know this bass is no longer exactly, um, playable.

Just thought you might let him know that there IS a decent photo of the thing.

 

[Evil_Ernie_Ball]

why the hell would you play on a 3-string bass ???
Sometimes I think 4 strings aren't enough....
(Not that I'm that good or so but still ...)

Rock On !!!

 

[Mantaray]

Yes...... It looks TOO stupid even though I'm 100% EBMM lover. Sometimes when the G string is broken, I don't replace it immediately and it is good(well, sort of) for slapping. Other than that.......

As for Bovine's comment on the playability of the aforementioned instrument, yes, it was burned together with most of his bass gear. N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E !!!!

 

[oddjob]

I've seen one even worse... there was a band around in the early '90s called D.A.D. and the bass player had a 2 string (looked like a Fender P) - 2 STRINGS! Talk about stupid... sad thing is I think he could have done all the stuff on a 1 string 1 fret.

But looking at Levin's 3 string I have to think that Lord Bovine, Ruler of All Bongos both Foreign and Domestic, is in trouble... you know there will be a 3 string Bongo sometime soon, in H, HS, HH, HP, HSP, and HHP configurations. He'll just have to get them to keep his title safe

 

[Mantaray]

I've seen one even worse... there was a band around in the early '90s called D.A.D. and the bass player had a 2 string (looked like a Fender P) - 2 STRINGS! Talk about stupid... sad thing is I think he could have done all the stuff on a 1 string 1 fret.

But looking at Levin's 3 string I have to think that Lord Bovine, Ruler of All Bongos both Foreign and Domestic, is in trouble... you know there will be a 3 string Bongo sometime soon, in H, HS, HH, HP, HSP, and HHP configurations. He'll just have to get them to keep his title safe

I wouldn't be surprised if I saw the burnt Sr3 in Bov's collection.....

About these DAD.......My God that is stupid. Like what Jeff Berlin said once 'those unable to be musical on the 4 are less likely to be so on the 5 or 6'. I'd use this for the guy from DAD.

 

[TheAntMan]

Well, seems that TL is not alone...

http://www.hotwire-bass.com/frames/indexframeset_eng.html

Click on "Custom Bass" and scroll down to look at the MPC Three...

Also, check out the Double bass link.

 

[cgworkman]

The new Aug04 Bassplayer mag has Les Claypool with a one string bass on the cover.

 

[nismaniac]

Hey, you EBMM guys. Someone elsewhere wondered if Tony knew this photo existed. I figured he had nicer copies than this, but maybe he doesn't. I know this bass is no longer exactly, um, playable.

Probably old news, but what exactly happend to Tony Levin? From what I gather from some other posts, something happned to his gear. Just curious to know what happened.

 

[midopa]

The new Aug04 Bassplayer mag has Les Claypool with a one string bass on the cover.

You sure that wasn't the whamola thing he jams on sometimes?

 

[bovinehost]

His barn burned down while he was on tour....the barn having been converted to his music studio where all his gear was housed. He took it amazingly well.

I'm on the other side of the tracks as far as two and three strings basses go. I'd play one. I was working on some Sheryl Crow song a while back (good chick singer) and discovered I could play "My Favorite Mistake" using only two strings and never getting above D on the A string. I was thinking - now THIS is cool. Economy of motion!

But hey, I ain't no flashy player, so there you are.

 

[cgworkman]

You sure that wasn't the whamola thing he jams on sometimes?

Yeah it was. Still, you need at leat two strings...

 

[danny-79]

Just been reminded of this one and can’t seem to find anything about it on google. I know it was destroyed in a fire in 96 but if anyone has any photos or video of it in action (pre fire!) could you put them up please and thank you!

 

[strummer]

There was this really cool picture in Bass Player with Tony Levin riding a motorcycle with the 3 string strapped to his back. Also, the bass is on the cover of said magazine, can't remember the issue but there are a couple small scans I found on line. I wonder what happened to the picture @bovinehost mentions in the original post?

 

[danny-79]

There was this really cool picture in Bass Player with Tony Levin riding a motorcycle with the 3 string strapped to his back. Also, the bass is on the cover of said magazine, can't remember the issue but there are a couple small scans I found on line. I wonder what happened to the picture @bovinehost mentions in the original post?

I saw the cover of the magazine when I googled but it’s not that good of quality and can’t find a video of him playing it anywhere

 

[danny-79]

View attachment 36421

Google Image Result for http://www.ericgarland.co/wp-content/uploads/pix/2012/09/tony-levin-in-the-beginning-god.jpg

That’s the best photo I can find

 

[Morrow]

There was also a pic of the prototype Levin , some hair and pre mustache .

 

[tbonesullivan]

I would love to have been in the room when Levin first tried to describe the concept of the "funk fingers" and a three stringed bass to Big Poppa.

 

[bovinehost]

Whatever photo I posted back in the Mesozoic was probably in my photobucket account, long since abandoned and password forgotten. Was it the one of TL's crispy bass hanging on the wall during the first EBMM Bash in SLO? I'm sure I still have that on a HD somewhere. Hoo, that bass did not smell good.

 

[danny-79]

Whatever photo I posted back in the Mesozoic was probably in my photobucket account, long since abandoned and password forgotten. Was it the one of TL's crispy bass hanging on the wall during the first EBMM Bash in SLO? I'm sure I still have that on a HD somewhere. Hoo, that bass did not smell good.

can only find photos of it in its well done state. (There is a horrific one of a charred body, hanging by what’s left of the truss rod, is that the photo you mean?)

 

[danny-79]

This photo?

View attachment 36431