Bee Gee's Robin Gibb has Liver Cancer

The Bee Gees have been my band throughout my life.  I know to some that may sound strange, but I wasn't always a blues man.  The Bee Gees got my attention in 1968 when I first heard "I Started a Joke" and  "Massachusetts" on my little AM transistor radio.  I was lying in bed at the age of 13 and had to sneak my radio under my pillow, since it was a school night.  I heard Massachusetts and was stunned by the strains of music including a full orchestra, and the vocal containing sad, moving lyrics.  This song was sung by none other than Robin Gibb, one of three brothers in the Bee Gees.  Robin was the twin brother of Maurice, who passed away in January 2003.  Maurice's passing was hard to swallow and it has changed the history of the Bee Gees forever, since the remaining two brothers were committed to never playing again as the Bee Gees without their third partner.

Today I was watching television and caught the ticker tape news at the bottom of the screen which said, "Robin Gibb, who has been in and out of the hospital...diagnosed with liver cancer."  My heart sank immediately.  Robin wasn't the main Bee Gee, in my humble opinion, Barry held that distinction.  Barry had the great mellow vocal ability that made their sound what it was and led the group as the guitarist/singer on the front of the stage.  He was three years older than the twins.  Barry was the characteristic voice on songs such as "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and "It's Only Words."  Barry later discovered that great falsetto ability that helped the group parlay their new R&B sound into the soulful music style that was later labeled "disco" (a label the Bee Gees as a group did not relish).

But Robin was the uniqueness of the Bee Gees.  Robin's shrill, nasally voice stands alone in rock and folk history as one of the most startlingly beautiful in character and oddly different in style, above all others.  Robin was the gentle soul with a sharp wit and a great need to be known as the voice of the Bee Gees.  He was arguably so, at times, such as when they released "New York Mining Disaster," "I Started a Joke," and "In the Summer of His Years" (my personal favorite of his).

I am very sorry to report this news about one of the all time great rock and folk singers and a critically important piece in the puzzle of the Bee Gees' success for six decades.  I am going to pull out one of my many albums by the Bee Gees (I own approximately 50 vinyl records, Cd's and Cassettes of their music, not to mention DVDs) and enjoy his voice while he is still with us in this unpredictable life on earth.  Robin, your contribution to music has been priceless.  -- Guitar Man

Note:  Another Gibb brother, Andy, much younger than the other three, was not a Bee Gee as many assume.  He did tour with the Bee Gees in the disco era and also had his own LP's that gained great acclaim.  He died tragically in his early thirties. 

Left to Right: Robin, Maurice (center above), and Barry (center below Maurice)

Fender Champion 600

Thank you to the maker of this informative video, I am able to properly introduce this little honey of an amp! The Fender Champion 600 is a compact guitar amplifier that revives the historic Fender Champ sound and look of over a half century ago.  This reissued Champion 600 is a simple, one volume dial entree in the guitar amplification arena.  A single preamp tube and a single power tube drive the pure Fender sound which features classic cleans, and when turned up to the high end, loads of natural, warm distortion perfect for blues.  I have ordered my mint used version on Ebay.  Mine is coming with mods such as an upgraded Weber Alnico Speaker and 4-5 capacitors replaced to give it even more power and clarity.  I will do a review of mine as soon as it arrives.  Thank goodness I had that old Sterling Silver Elvis Stamp to sell-- it was just gathering dust-- this amp I will play and play.  I can take it anywhere-- the backyard, the garage, the front porch or a friend's house for a jam session. -- Guitar Man

Great Blues-y Setting with Fender Strat Bridge Humbucker

Just found a great new blended sound on my Strat and Fender Deluxe 90 DSP Amplifier.  I switch the pickup selector to the second position (second spot furthest removed from the player, on the bottom) and this engages my middle pickup (Texas Special) and the bridge Pearly Gates Humbucker made by Duncan Seymour.  I then mixed the knobs as follows:

Volume on 7 or 8, first tone (mid pickup tone) on 10 and the final tone knob for the bridge is on 1 (one).  This creates an amazing old school blues sound.  On the Fender Deluxe 90 I have the first switch for overdrive selected and a moderate amount of reverb.  The overall volume in the channel one is set on 1 or 2.  The sound is incredible!

What I get is a crunchy dark and bluesy sound.  It mellows out with a softer stroke of the pick and becomes more intense with a harder pluck.  Well, then the great thing about this is the way the humbucker sounds when starved of tone!  Amazing slight remembrance of Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum, without the big echo thing!

Try this with your bridge pickup, better yet if it is a humbucker.  I plan to record a sample of this sound for you to hear soon.  Thanks for stopping by.  -- Guitar Man