Helen Arthur .................... |
Amplify Your Fiddle...
in about 30 seconds What if...
A couple of years ago, back when I was working for Eastman Strings, I got a call from an old friend who used to play bass in the iconic British Rock band Jethro Tull. It turns out that Ian Anderson (Tull's frontman) was looking to buy a mandolin and he asked me to bring a couple to a show here in Washington DC for Ian to try. I arrived during the sound check and watched as the musicians and the sound guys tried desperately to coax enough sound out of the fiddle players instrument so it could be heard without causing all kinds of audio feedback. When I met Ian backstage later on I suggested he give John Littler at Headway Electronics a call and have him send a sample of the new violin pickups for Tull's violinist to try. A couple of weeks later I got a call from Ian to say that this "new Band pickup thingy" was amazing. Apparently he was thinking of ordering enough pickups to electrify an entire string section to be used on a "Pops" tour in Europe where they were to be backed by various high profile orchestras. We heard from Ian again just recently and he sent us a picture of himself and the "Sturcz Quartet" all equipped with "The Band". |
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