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Bill Bartolini: Something to Share
Meet Bill Bartolini –
This article was published in the Tri-Valley Herald (Livermore, CA area) in the late ’60’s or early ’70’s. I have lost the original and cannot credit it properly from the dog-eared copy I found recently.
The Sound of History
Ray Orrock
As I get older, I keep bumping into bits of information that I feel I should have known all my life, but which no one ever bothered to tell me.
For example, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the invention of the loudspeaker, a device that is now an integral part of our daily lives. Edison’s original phonograph was a purely mechanical device, and the sound it produced was mechanically enhanced by the use of a large goosenecked horn. Until 1915, so was the sound emanating from any sonic device – a weak sound, incapable of being heard clearly from a distance of more than a few feet.
It wasn’t until the loudspeaker was invented, to electronically amplify these puny mechanical vibrations, that the groundwork was laid for the panoply of sound that currently surrounds us – radio in our cars, television and stereo speakers in our homes, ghetto blasters on the street, public address systems at the ballpark, all the voices and all the music that now inform and entertain us every day.
And it wasn’t until just last week that I learned the loudspeaker was invented in my old hometown, just a few blocks from where I grew up.
My hometown is Napa, and the revelation came by way of an article in the Napa Register, by staff writer Kevin Courtney, earlier this month.
From it, I discovered that the human voice was amplified for the first time by two men working out of a farmhouse on F Street in Napa. I suppose I passed that little house hundreds of times in my youth without ever being aware of the history that had been made there.
The two men were Edwin Pridham and Peter Jensen, a pair of San Francisco inventors who came to Napa in 1911 because it was “an isolated place” and, as Jensen later wrote, “permitted us to work along with a single purpose in mind, undisturbed by expert technical advice and by businessmen who certainly could predict nothing but ultimate failure for our new adventure.”
Pridham and Jensen had originally set out to invent a wireless telephone receiver. When that went nowhere, they tried to improve the conventional telephone, but their final device was so bulky no one would buy it.
One day a blacksmith friend of theirs named Ray Galbreath suggested they might put a horn on their telephone and make it talk louder. This set them thinking about a process that might amplify any sort of sound, and they began to work out a system for doing it.
They took a horn from an Edison cylinder phonograph, microphones from some of their earlier unsuccessful experiments, a transformer and a 12-volt battery and wired them together into what – even though they didn’t know it at the time – was the equivalent of a 25-watt sound system.
Then they turned the rig on and spoke into the microphone – and the sound nearly blew the roof off the house.
It tickles me to think about that moment. It’s hard to imagine what the first amplified sounds must have done to the mind of someone who had never heard amplified sound before.
In his journal, Jensen wrote: “The howling was probably thousands of times louder that any we had heard before, and it burst upon us so unexpectedly that we were amazed.”
“We disconnected the system again, but we knew now we stood on the threshold of something great. In the shortest possible time, we ran a line up to the roof of our bungalow and we placed the loudspeaker on top of the chimney, with the horn pointing northwest, out towards the open country.”
Jensen stood outside, and Pridham spoke into the mike. “It sounded like a voice not of this earth,” Jensen recalled. “Had I closed my eyes it would have been easy to imagine that a supernatural colossus was shouting up the chimney.”
And then, overcome with excitement and elation, Jensen began to run. He ran down roads, across open fields-almost a full mile before he could no longer clearly hear his partners voice.
And when, breathless, he finally got back to the little house, Pridham ran outside, jumped on his bicycle, and began to pedal away from the source of the sound.
“There was great jubilation among us that day,” wrote Jensen. “We felt sure we had taken part in history in the making, for on that winter day in Napa we had heard a human voice which was far louder than any ever heard before anywhere in the world.”
The company Pridham and Jensen formed to market their invention was the one we know today as Magnavox (Latin for “great voice”). Pridham stayed with that company all his life; Jensen later established the Jensen speaker empire.
But there was another entry in Jensen’s journal that delighted me. “The nights in Napa Valley are frequently surprisingly quiet, and conditions are very favorable for sending sound through the air over great distances. Using our powerful sound system, we often played music in the early evening for the entertainment of all the townspeople. We would put the loudspeaker on the chimney and point it towards the town and our music could be heard plainly all over.”
What a marvel that must have been to anyone who heard it.
How come nobody in Napa ever told me about that when I was a kid? Until last week, I’d never heard it mentioned.
Gear News
New Gear: Spector Doug Wimbish USA Custom Series Basses
Spector offers Doug Wimbish USA Custom Series basses…
Spector, a leading authority in bass guitar design, unveils two new Doug Wimbish USA Custom Series basses. Synonymous with bass excellence since 1987, Wimbish collaborated with Spector’s USA Custom Shop to create the DW-4 and DW-5 models, echoing the iconic instruments that have been favored heavily throughout his recording and performing career.
These signature basses faithfully replicate Wimbish’s originals, down to the smallest details like neck contours and nut widths. Customized EMG pickups, developed in collaboration with Wimbish, capture the distinctive sound that has shaped his monumental musical impact. These models invite players to explore the feel and response that have defined Wimbish’s signature style over the years.
Available in 4-string and 5-string versions, each model boasts unique features & finish options. The DW-4 comes in Amber Stain Gloss and Black Stain Gloss options, while the DW-5 offers Dark Blue Stain Gloss and Faded Natural Gloss. Every purchase includes a certificate of authenticity signed by Doug Wimbish. Wimbish comments, “Spector took the time to get every little nuance right, and that to me is dedication and being thoughtful enough to know ‘I want to nail it,’ and they did. I’m able to pick these instruments up for the first time and play them like I’ve already had them for years.”
For more information, visit spectorbass.com/doug-wimbish-usa-signature-series/.
Photo: Doug Wimbish, pictured with the new Spector Doug Wimbish USA Custom Series basses
Bass CDs
New Campaign: Alberto Rigoni, Nemesis Call – Queens Of Strings
Italian bass master and composer ALBERTO RIGONI is thrilled to announce his brand new project “Nemesis Call – Queens Of Strings”.
Nemesis Call – Queens Of Strings features a super talented drummer from Japan (TBA) and tons of female guitarists such as SAKI, Giusy Busetto, Alexandra Zerner (TBC) and many many others (TBA). Furthermore, Alberto has also launched a Fundraising Campaign for the project. 20% of the income will be donated to Lega del Filo d’Oro legadelfilodoro.it/it, an Italian association that helps deaf and blind children!
Alberto shares:
“Hello friends and music lovers! I’m Alberto Rigoni, an Italian composer and.. a BASS GUY! Between 2008 and 2024 I released 13 solo albums, spanning from progressive, rock, ambient to funky and experimental music, which also features contributions from musicians such as keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) and Marco Minnemann (the Aristocrats), keyboardist Kevin Moore (ex Dream Theater), singer John Jeff Soto (ex Goran Edman (ex Y. Malmsteen), bassists Nathan East, Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani), Nik West (ex Prince) and many others. I’m also bass player for BAD As, Sunset Groove Society, Kim Bingham, The Italians bands and co-producer of Mistheria’s Vivaldi Metal Project.”
Alberto on the new project Nemesis Call:
“Even if my latest album “Unexpected Lullabies”, dedicated to my newborn Vittoria Parini Rigoni, will be released on June 4th, 2024, when Vittoria came to life I felt the need to compose new music (yes, I really can’t stop!!!!!). This time will be quite challenging because I’m willing to release an instrumental ambient/prog/rock/metal album, that will feature a talented and young drummer (TBA) and tons of female guitarists (that’s why I will call the album “Queens of the Strings”) such as Alexandra Zerner, YOKA and many others (TBA/TBC)). It won’t be easy to manage all such great musicians but I will make it!! Are you ready to face a new prog experience? The album will be released in Digipack CD and in high-quality digital format approximately at the beginning of 2025.”
The Fundraising Campaign:
As an independent artist, Alberto is looking for supporters who can help him reach the budget for the production (recordings, mix, mastering, artwork etc.) of this new album and has started this fundraising campaign that will end successfully on October 15th, 2024.
Get further information about Alberto Rigoni’s new project Nemesis Call Fundraising campaign at albertorigoni.net/nemesiscal
Bass Videos
Artist Update With Bassist Derek Frank
Bassist Derek Frank…
Many of you will remember the last time I chatted with Derek Frank was back in 2017. The main thing that impressed me was how busy Derek was and how he juggled playing with many huge acts.
Now, I am happy to hear that Derek launched a new album last March titled “Origin Story” where he digs deep into his roots and pays homage to Pittsburg.
Join me as we get caught up after all these years and hear the details about the new album, how Derek gets his sound, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Stephen Bradley
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Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Gear News
New Gear: Alberto Rigoni Signature Bass, the VPR5 by Gaetano Costanzo!
Alberto Rigoni Signature Bass, the VPR5 by Gaetano Costanzo!
Internationally renowned bassist ALBERTO RIGONI (soloist, BAD AS, Vivaldi Metal Project, TwinSpirits, etc.) is proud to announce the release of his signature bass VPR5 made by renowned Italian luthier Gaetano Costanzo!
The bass is entirely handmade in Italy, without the use of CNC or other machinery, and has rather special features. The VPR is a 5-string bass (but also available as a 4-string) with 30 frets, Seymour Duncan pickups, Music Man Alnico style, passive electronics (volume, tone and a switch to select series/parallel/single-coil mode), alder body, and American maple neck and fingerboard. Gotoh tuners that ensure perfect intonation. The bass is totally painted white (nitro finish) but other colors can be requested. The VPR has a weight of about 2.9 kg and suitable for any genre.
For more information contact Gaetanobass77@gmail.com or visit online at www.instagram.com/gaetanocostanzoluthier or www.facebook.com/GaetanoCostanzoLuthier
New Gear: Spector Doug Wimbish USA Custom Series Basses
Artist Update With Bassist Derek Frank
String Instrument Humidifiers
Interview With Bassist Graham Stanush
Review: CrystalBright Rombo Picks
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Artist Update With Bassist Derek Frank
String Instrument Humidifiers
New Gear: Spector Doug Wimbish USA Custom Series Basses
