Issue #923
Including:

From Russ
From Lorne
The Ontarion

Hi All,

Sound, the type we refer to as music, is very subjective. What one person hears is not the same as what another person hears, and there is really no way of ever knowing how someone else hears what you hear. This is not about musical taste, thats a whole different subject and I’d probably find myself disagreeing on the merit of most other people’s musical choices. I’m talking about musical sound quality, an example being how the same thing is heard differently by different people, kind of like hearing the same music through different speakers. In this case however, its how sound is produced from two different guitars that have similar specifications and have been fit with identical, new strings.

The two guitars are my Martin HD-35 and my Gibson Songwriter Custom. They have identical dimensional measurements, identical neck widths and string spacing. Where they differ is in the tone woods used. The Martin is Indian Rosewood body and neck with spruce top, ebony fingerboard and bridge. Bone nut and saddle. The Gibson is mahogany body and neck with a spruce top. Finger board and bridge are rosewood. Nut and saddle are bone. So, as you can see, the only differences are the types of wood that makes up the instrument. The play-ability and ‘feel’ are identical.

I replaced the strings on both guitars at the same time, using identical new strings on both. (Obviously new strings because it wouldn’t make any sense to use strings that were already used and had lost their tonal qualities). The only factors effecting sound difference should therefor be the tone woods. And thats exactly the case. Ironically, the best I can do for this article is to try to use words to explain the tone differences. And that is of course subjective but here goes….

The Martin produces a mellow yet slightly louder sound with more base and mid tones. It really shines for finger picking and lite strumming, and to my ear is best for quietly playing alone or in a small group setting. It works well when amped and works very well when used for recording.

The Gibson produces a brighter yet dryer sound with more highs and mids. It can cut through a group of players better and therefor works best when playing at a jam session or some such thing. It is too bright for the type of recording I do but can work well for the lead parts. It also amps very well, and remains predictable when played hard.

So actually, about the only thing this has told you is that tone woods have an effect on sound and sound quality, and sound quality is again subjective because both instruments are very high quality and have very high sound qualities that differs between the two.

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And of course we can’t get away without a brief mention of the weather, this is Canada… up here in our neck of the woods we have had measurable precipitation every single day for well over a month. From mid December until NOW, and still counting, it has either rained or snowed each and every day. There were days when that rain or snow happened over night and the sun actually poked through during the day part of the day but they have been few and far between. Most of the time its just been coming down hard. And this week we’ve seen way over a foot of rain. That’s wet!

doug

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From Russ

Groundhog Day

I could never keep them straight – Birthdays and Groundhog Day; I knew Mom’s was around that day, so I ‘held’ her Birthday (by sending her a card or paying her a visit) on Groundhog Day. She was a little disappointed but always forgiving – Bobbie – not so much. Hers was on February 4th and, she who must be obeyed, made me feel I’d ‘betrayed’ her if I ever forgot her birthday! Then followed Valentine’s Day, and this day was even more important than her Birthday! If I would have ever forgotten her in some special way on that “Romantic Day” – You would not be reading this Column - - ever!!

But, I digress. Does it matter whether the ‘over-size rodent’ sees his shadow or not? Is Groundhog Day just some excuse to break up the long winter? A myth? I’m curious, so come with me while we take a quick look at the ‘origin’ of Groundhog Day:

Falling midway between the winter and spring equinox, February 2nd is a significant day in several ancient and modern traditions. The Celts for instance, celebrated “Imbolc”, a pagan festival marking the beginning of spring.

As Christianity spread through Europe, Imbolc evolved into “Candlemas”, a feast commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the holy temple in Jerusalem. In certain parts of Europe, Christians believed that a sunny Candlemas meant another 40 days of cold and snow.

Germans developed their own take on the legend, pronouncing the day sunny only if badgers and other small animals glimpsed their own shadows.

German immigrants settling in Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th Centuries, brought the custom with them, choosing the native groundhog as the annual forecaster. (Google)

Did you know Canada has only 3 official weather forecasting groundhogs? Ontario has “Wiarton Willie”; Alberta has “Balzac Billy”; and Nova Scotia has “Shubenacndie Sam”. (try pronouncing that when you’re sober!)

The most famous groundhog in USA is “Punxsutawney Phil”, who has lived in a town by the same name in Western Penn. Since 1867. Some old rodent, that!

I’ve heard it told that the groundhog prediction is;

A little more accurate than the Farmer’s Almanac,

Much more accurate than the ‘Weather Network’,

And decidedly more accurate than the return of the Robins!

These birdbrains return to Ontario around the beginning of March only to find it’s still winter! They can’t find anything to eat! Either too much snow, or the bare ground is frozen solid down 6 feet!!

Conclusion: I’ll take Wiarton Willie with a ‘grain of salt’, and keep my long underwear on until June.

Uncle Russ.

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From Lorne

Not much change from day to day except some are better than others. My computer is also under the weather, not letting me send in the usual way. And lost the side bar that provided all my contacts. The Squad. I know by heart. To-morrow, the 1st. of February, we can joyfully say, the month after next is April already. Where did the winter go? I get calls from people that have crossed my path over the years that have heard of my illness and were kind enough to get the story. As is quite evident, not much to write about when one is confined day after day, week after and month after month.

Lorne

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THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello everyone!

Well it’s the start of a new month and we’re that much closer to spring! YAY! I’m looking forward to the nice warm weather so I can get the MG back on the road once more.

This winter although it’s been a relatively mild one seems to be dragging on and on. Maybe it’s just me but don’t you all find it that way? I guess maybe not those of you who like the snow but when you ask around, most folks don’t really like the cold or the snow! Oh well, what can we expect when we know where we live? Just have to accept that we’re living in The Great White North! At least we all have central heating in our Igloos! LOL! Way back in the early to mid 60’s when I was a 15-year-old bugle player in the Preston Scout House Drum and Bugle Band, we traveled to Port Huron Michigan. That as you know, is just on the other side of the border between Canada and the USA. We were scheduled to play our field show at a drum corps competition. After our early evening performance we had some free time before heading for our motel for the night. We were just hanging around behind the bleachers at the stadium and talking to the local girls who were seeking autographs from the band members. We of course talked about the difference between the USA and Canada and we were dumbfounded by their lack of knowledge when it came to Canada. They actually asked if we had to watch out for Polar Bears where we lived! So, we played their game and told them that we lived in Igloos and the bush grew so quickly where we lived that we had to carry machetes everywhere we went so we could keep the dog sled trails open year round. They asked how we managed to travel to Michigan by bus and we said that we traveled by dog sled to within 10 miles of the border and then switched to the bus with chains on the tires until we reached the border! We were amazed how much of this bologna they believed. It just showed us how little they learned in school about any country other than their own. I’m sure with the advent of the Internet things have changed down there but one never knows! I have many fond memories of my three years in the drum corps but I won’t bore you with those stories this time. I’ll save them for a time when I have nothing else to write about. Today I have many things popping through my feeble mind so I’ll bore you with that stuff this week. I’ve been watching the news again and have been shocked by the number of shootings in Waterloo Region this past couple of years. It seems that from the police service reports that the latest trend in shootings has been perpetrated by out of Towner’s. The WRPS have traced the majority of shootings to criminals from the Toronto area. I guess they figure they can shoot to kill and then just hop into their common coloured sedans and hit the 401 to blend in with the traffic flow, never to be seen again. Oh well, they may be absolutely right about that since most of the shooting crimes have gone unsolved by our local police force.

There was a shooting in Waterloo last week that resulted in the death of a 46 year old man and it was in what is supposed to be a quiet residential neighbourhood. I guess that’s what they always say!

Then, early this week, there was a shooting in the Doon area of Kitchener but I think that victim survived. Thursday morning on the news they said that a 61-year-old Forest Hill man was charged with the attempted murder of his wife on Wednesday evening. They declined to say what type of weapon if any was used to try to do her in. When I think of the two latest areas where these crimes were committed, they are both in areas that are in close proximity to the Ontario Hydro line right of way. They say that the power transmitted through these lines can cause strange things to happen. Such things as health problems etc etc have been attributed to this power frequency. I’m beginning to thing that there may be some correlation between this thought and the shooting sprees going on in our region. The power surges cause people to have fits of rage and then in turn they commit these acts of violence. Come to think of it, we live directly adjacent to the Hydro right of way and that leads me to think that I’d better be careful not to tick Carole off just incase she gets any ideas from the latest spree of killings! LOL! Just kidding of course but one never knows does one? Hahahahaha……. I’m sure she loves me and needs me too much to even entertain such thoughts! Best I move on with something less dangerous in my writings.

I was out for breakfast with my cousin this morning who has just arrived home from a month long trip to of all places, a cruise to Antarctica! He and a friend of his from BC flew down to Chile a month ago where they boarded a ship called the Coral Princess. It is a ship that holds 2000 passengers and 1100 crewmembers. Quite a large vessel for sure! They then cruised south around Cape Horn and over to the Falkland Islands to begin their tour. They spent a day on the islands seeing the sites of the Falklands 4 day war battlegrounds etc. He told me that the entire population of these islands is 3500 people. Three thousand of them in one small city on the southeast tip of the one island and the rest scattered about the two islands that make up the Falklands in groups of small villages made up of five to ten houses in each location. His reaction was “Why anybody would want to live there is beyond me!” but whatever the attraction is, the British have a large military base there to protect their sovereign claim on the islands. The Falklands are off the east coast of Argentina and back in the 80’s I think it was there happened what is called the Falkland’s War in which the Argentine Air Force attacked the British fleet of ships anchored in one of the Falklands harbours. This ignited a quick four-day war between the two countries of Britain and Argentina. Once the Argentinean forces realized that they had “poked the sleeping bear” by pissing of Margaret Thatcher, they didn’t waste much time in gathering what was left of their ground forces and split for home! Since then, the Brits have maintained a battle ready air command and naval fleet on the islands just in case Argentina tries something again! I think the Argentineans would rather dance than fight when it comes right down to it. Their “Gauchos” are better left on the ranches than suited up for battles.

The tour then took a relaunch from the islands and headed back around Cape Horn and south toward their main destination of Antarctica. They sailed for two days before reaching the eastern most shores of that cold and desolate continent. My cousins traveling companion Peter who is a photographer from BC had planned the trip to satisfy his photographic wanderlust and had asked my cousin to tag along. While on the ship and ashore at various spots Peter apparently shot several thousand pictures with his expensive equipment. I hope he managed to photograph all of the exotic sites and items he thought this trip would show him! It should be interesting to see the results once he sends my cousin a selection of his pictures! I’m sure it’ll take him some time to sort through and edit the photos. With the ease of digital photography these days it’s easy to take more pictures than one actually wishes to keep once they are reviewed back home. I hope after traveling all that distance and spending the time, he at least got some pics of a real penguin! LOL! After a 14-hour flight to get home from Argentina I think it’ll be a while before my cousin takes another trip of any great distance. The main drawback to the whole affair was the fact that, as he put it, there are only three people that speak English in South America! LOL! Thank goodness for a cell phone App that translates English into Spanish! Hahahaha …

Enough said about that!
That’s about all for this week folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report!

Bye for now … Greg

PS: Something To Think About>
When you travel be sure to either know the language of the people at your destination or at least take your cell phone along with the appropriate App downloaded!

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Have a good one..
the doug
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