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Norman Watt - Roy


Mr Fudge
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Having a tidy up of my pictures tonight and took a picture of Norm's rig when I had the privillege of supporting the blockheads last November. I did post at the time but I'm sure I didn't include a picture of his rig at the time. As far as I remember there was just a lead from amp to guitar.

and guess what ... he sounded incredible.

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[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='203370' date='May 20 2008, 11:45 PM']Having a tidy up of my pictures tonight and took a picture of Norm's rig when I had the privillege of supporting the blockheads last November. I did post at the time but I'm sure I didn't include a picture of his rig at the time. As far as I remember there was just a lead from amp to guitar.

and guess what ... he sounded incredible.[/quote]

That looks old and beaten up, and i mean the rig :). but i bet it sounds the dogs whatsits.

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[quote name='bottomfeed' post='203410' date='May 21 2008, 12:47 AM']wow!.... who would Adam & Eve it!? .....they be some pretty big speakers in there! & [i]interesting[/i] graphic setting!
Top geezer! :)[/quote]
Looks like he boosts the mids so he can hear himself as opposed to just [i]feeling[/i] the bass on stage..

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[quote name='coasterbass' post='203519' date='May 21 2008, 09:34 AM']I seem to remember a Bassist article on Norman about 10years back where it said that his cabs are customs... as in he made them himself.

Anyone else confirm that??[/quote]

I recall seeing an article a few months ago in one of the Bass Magazines that showed Norman receiving his brand new rig from Trace Eliott. It was taller than him!!

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[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='203370' date='May 20 2008, 11:45 PM']Having a tidy up of my pictures tonight and took a picture of Norm's rig when I had the privillege of supporting the blockheads last November. I did post at the time but I'm sure I didn't include a picture of his rig at the time. As far as I remember there was just a lead from amp to guitar.

and guess what ... he sounded incredible.[/quote]

I saw the Blockheads a few weeks ago at the Solihull Media Centre. Fabulous gig at a great venue (my first time there). Being a small theatre type venue, me and my mate were second row in, literally yards from Norman and it felt like the band were playing in someone's lounge.

Gotta say, just the best sound and performance I've seen for a fair while. These blokes have been doing this for bloody years and it shows. Tight as a nat's chuff and they're playing with the same enthusiasm as they probably had when they were half the age. I was just blown away by the band and being just feet from Norman and seeing his playing up close.

Regarding the rig, beat up Trace Series 6 AH300 into a couple of 15's, exactly the same as the pics from Mr Fudge. He was using a purple-ish Moon Jazz 4 string. The tone was absolutely fabulous, looking at the EQ on the amp, he's obviously a fan of punching the mids and from the sound of it (being so close, heard what was coming off the backline), was no doubt on the bridge pickup of the Jazz.

Someone's already said that it looks like an EQ "to be heard". I'd agree, totally nail on the head punchy sound that worked marvellously considering there were drums, 2 guitars, keys, 3 vox. Obviously the experience over the years from both musicians and crew to know what tone fits within a live context.

What made it such a great night was the whole absence of "us and them". The band came out into the bar afterwards and spent the best part of an hour just talking life, music and all kinds of bollox inbetween. Me and my mate Neil spoke to John Turnbull at length about ukeleles. We then had a chat to Normal, again, absolute diamond of a bloke and we chatted about the hazards of wearing suits on gigs!

Again, the old saying about not meeting your heros couldn't be farther from the truth. Top night, top band, top blokes.

T

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[quote name='rodl2005' post='203522' date='May 21 2008, 09:39 AM']The Speakers LOOK like old JBL 140 type 15" ??? They ARE 15"s aint they???

Congrats on meeting him & Thanx for the pics....Loved his lines in 'wanna be straight???!?!?!?!?!!!??????? D'reckon he does? :)[/quote]

They look like 18s to me, but then again I never was good at judging sizes. Just ask my missus......

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[quote name='Huge Hands' post='203553' date='May 21 2008, 10:23 AM']They look like 18s to me, but then again I never was good at judging sizes. Just ask my missus......[/quote]

The drumsticks are likely (according to the Vic Firth site) to be around 15" long, plus he says in an interview that "My cabs were made in 1978 by a flight case company and fitted with JBL K140 speakers" (which are 15")

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[quote name='Huge Hands' post='203553' date='May 21 2008, 10:23 AM']They look like 18s to me, but then again I never was good at judging sizes. Just ask my missus......[/quote]

No, these definitely look like JBL K140s. I've got a brand new one here ready to fit into a cab when I find one cheap enough. (Any unloaded Trace 1153s for sale out there for ?) Some say it is the world's best driver for bass guitar. I notice that Rocco Prestia has these in his cabs, too.

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[quote name='ahpook' post='203645' date='May 21 2008, 12:18 PM']trace elliot series 6s...

one of the best amps ever made imho. just wish i had the energy to haul one around !![/quote]
One day i WILL own the 200W head! maybe.

Good to see NWR's gear so close up, I wonder if he'll actually ever use the new TE stuff like their press release made out he would?

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[quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='203551' date='May 21 2008, 10:19 AM']I recall seeing an article a few months ago in one of the Bass Magazines that showed Norman receiving his brand new rig from Trace Eliott. It was taller than him!![/quote]


Either that's a very old magazine or he's not using the new rig :)

Re the EQ settings, if his ears are much like mine that's probably a mid peak so what's left of his hearing can work for him and the rest of teh settings are set by the sound man so it sounds good out front ....

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[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='203440' date='May 21 2008, 07:10 AM']Have you noticed the size of his pupils in that face shot? They're ENORMOUS!! Almost like he's on something. :)[/quote]

Is that definitely his pupils? My 90 year old great uncle has brown eyes, but over the years he's developed a blue edge to each iris, a bit like that.

I thought he was on drugs the first time I noticed them - until I spotted the normal pupils in the middle of the brown part of the iris.. It always looks a bit weird to me...

P.S. I stand corrected on the 18's versus 15's bit.

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[quote name='OldGit' post='203656' date='May 21 2008, 12:28 PM']Either that's a very old magazine or he's not using the new rig :)[/quote]

Seems to be the latter. He was certainly using the old Series 6 Trace and the 2x15 cab pictured in Mr Fudge's post when I saw him a few weeks ago.

T

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I've seen him a few times with Wilko Johnson - I love his live bass sound. Very, very "in yer face"

Here's a YouTube clip of the pair of them - I can't hear the bass brilliantly through my crappy office freebie headphones but it should give you an idea:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0sSQtFj42E&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0sSQtFj42E...feature=related[/url]

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[quote name='molan' post='203725' date='May 21 2008, 01:54 PM']I've seen him a few times with Wilko Johnson - I love his live bass sound. Very, very "in yer face"

Here's a YouTube clip of the pair of them - I can't hear the bass brilliantly through my crappy office freebie headphones but it should give you an idea:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0sSQtFj42E&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0sSQtFj42E...feature=related[/url][/quote]

Oh excellent .. Wilko is brilliant too That's a great combination.

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[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='203370' date='May 20 2008, 11:45 PM']Having a tidy up of my pictures tonight and took a picture of Norm's rig when I had the privillege of supporting the blockheads last November. I did post at the time but I'm sure I didn't include a picture of his rig at the time. As far as I remember there was just a lead from amp to guitar.

and guess what ... he sounded incredible.[/quote]Hi Mr Fudge, can you see fit for me to use your photo of NWR as my avatar? If not, I will remove it.
Cheers Steve.

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[quote name='steve-soar' post='203924' date='May 21 2008, 10:12 PM']Hi Mr Fudge, can you see fit for me to use your photo of NWR as my avatar? If not, I will remove it.
Cheers Steve.[/quote]


I think we should all have Norm for our avatars on NWR day on the 15th of Feb each year in recognition of his contribution to stonkin' bass lines.

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