The "Blaster Beam" Is it or ain't it?

Bottleneck slide guitars, B-benders, etc.

Moderator: Dave Mudgett

Post Reply
Donny Hinson
Posts: 21611
Joined: 16 Feb 1999 1:01 am
Location: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

The "Blaster Beam" Is it or ain't it?

Post by Donny Hinson »

User avatar
Bob Womack
Posts: 152
Joined: 14 Jun 2020 6:12 pm
Location: Virginia, USA

Post by Bob Womack »

To understand its use, go watch Star Trek The Motion Picture. Composer Jerry Goldsmith was always out on the ragged edge of new or unusual instruments. The attack scenes were rife with Blaster Beam and Waterphone.

Here is a Waterphone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foSJstDFDfg

Bob
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring


THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (My Little Website)
User avatar
Fred Treece
Posts: 4512
Joined: 29 Dec 2015 3:15 pm
Location: California, USA

Post by Fred Treece »

I saw somebody playing one of these things outdoors at Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus one afternoon in about 1978. It had sustain forever and was the biggest baddest most surreal guitar-ish sound I had ever heard. In fact, given it was such a bizarre sight and sound to behold, and since I never saw anyone ever play one again, I actually doubted my memory of it.

Thanks for posting.
Post Reply

Return to “Almost a Steel Guitar”