/ \ / / - _--__| / | | / \ ________--__- O --- ____ | | \ \ / \ =======/-/=======| |) O --- ___ \ | / / ======/-/=====================| |) O--- ___ | / =====/-/===================================| |) O--- ___ ====/-/================================================| |) -__ ___/_/ _|_ | _ ___ ___ __|__ _ \__ __ \ ___\_\\-_ | |_ / \ | ) __ | | | | / \ | | \ \\ \\\\\\\\\-_ \_/ | \ |-- |--< / \ | \_/ \_/ _ |\ \ | | \__ | \ \__/ | ____ \ o \/\ |_\ /\| \_ |___/ ____---\\\\\\| \ \ \ \ \_ /\| \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\--- \_ \ \ \ _/\/ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\------ \_ \ __-\\\/ ---\\\\\\\- Issue #263 December 3, 1992 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To post: Subscriptions, deletions, requests: bass@uwplatt.edu bass-request@uwplatt.edu (Bitnet: bass@uwplatt.bitnet) (Bitnet: bass-request@uwplatt.bitnet) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today's topics: RE: Under the Bridge tab Good shop for Eden and Music Man? RE: tube amps Ghost Notes / Boston Basses RE: FAQ thoughts Speaker Design Program, Perfect Box original songs = no audienc Fred Smith; Ampeg Alphonso Johnson Clinic Notes from recent clinic w/Alphonso Johnson SWR & pricing ADA MB-1 versatility question. Help in making descision... introduction Nightbass? Should I buy it? Bass Fission. Intro ---------------------------------------------------------- Administrative notes: So apparently the 2 for 1 subscription pricing deal from _Bass Player_ is being sent separately to current subscribers. I haven't received it. Could someone give me all the fine print on the card, so I can organize a pairing scheme? Kevin ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 01 Dec 92 09:30:48 -0500 From: mjkobb@media-lab.mit.edu Subject: RE: Under the Bridge tab D'OOOOH! > Alright, I give up. For some reason, I can't seem to get the pass >part to Under the Bridge right. Anybody got tab/notation/something? I meant to say, "bass part". Sigh. My typing's getting worse... [ Gee, you should see Erik's... oh, sorry bud. :O Bass Mgr. ] --Mike ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Dec 92 9:24:17 EST From: moskowit@panix.com Subject: Good shop for Eden and Music Man? Would someone please recommend a shop offering low prices on an Eden 110T bottom (1 - 10" and a horn tweeter) and a Music Man Sting Ray bass (ooh, this bass is *hot*)? Manny's (in NYC) will special order the cabinet for $295. Sam Ash wants $850 for the Music Man with the case. Thanks! Len Moskowitz (moskowit@panix.com) ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Dec 92 10:02:16 EST From: rm@centerline.com Subject: RE: tube amps Just a little to add to Joel's excellent posting on amp power ratings and relative volume. Probably the biggest single factor in overall loudness is the efficiency of the speaker system, that is, how efficiently does the speaker convert the amp's electrical energy into sound preasure. The efficincy of speaker enclosures covers a wide range- anywhere from about 4% down to about .1%. In the real olden days, enclosures weren't that efficient, but got more and more so, peaking during the era of the monster tube amps, and for the most part, gradually becoming less efficient in modern times. This is a seriously gross over-generalization, as there are certainly many examples of modern enclosures that are very efficient. But for the most part watts are cheap these days, so speaker designers have a lot more scope when designing boxes that are, say, smaller, or have a "tighter" sound. There are also a number of psychoaccoustic factors involved in the "loudness" game. Huamns tend to perceive one signal as louder than another if it has more of its energy in the higher frequencies. Then there are other psychological factors. I don't know about you, but a big old Ampeg head just "looks" a whole lot louder to me than just about anything else (particularly after I've just lugged it up four flights of stairs to a practice room!). rm ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Dec 92 09:36:01 U From: Oz Barron Subject: Ghost Notes / Boston Basses Ghost Notes / Boston Basses Hi Annette! There was a discussion of Ghost notes in a back issue of Bass Player by Uncle Will hisself. 'Twas a good article. Kevin's description is very good as well. I tend to use ghost notes in swing things as "dropped" notes. It's also VERY effective in funk lines. For a great example, I recommend "Funk the Dumb Stuff" from Tower of Power. I can't remember the name of the album right now, but it's got "A Little Knowledge..." and "Miss Trouble". Miss Trouble is an incredible study in displaced rhythms. The album is not more the a couple of years old, I think. What kind of music are you playing, or (the answer I prefer) don't ya know yet? ********* Oh, if ya tried to get me last week and your mail bounced, I was out and my mail overflowed! I will send a message soonest re: the Boston-Area Bassists! -Oz oz@pharlap.com ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Dec 92 10:06 EST From: Karl Nordstrom Subject: RE: FAQ thoughts >From: russell1@ihlpb.att.com >from the FAQ: >>Pickup manufacturers can wire any of these differing >>shapes in similar fashion, so the choice of shape is more >>dependent upon look, or what will fit into the bass, than the >>actual functionality. > >This is misleading and I think it should be changed. One aspect of the >sound of a pickup is the number of windings. If the pickup shell is too >small, you wont get as many windings in it and it will sound different. > >The shape and size is more than just looks. It places physical >limitaion on the pickups design and this affects the sound of the >pickup. I also found this FAQ answer incorrect. In addition to how many windings a pickup has, the shape of and the material that the windings are wraped around is also important. Some pickups have individual pole pieces and some have a bar. On those with individual pole pieces the windings could go around all the poles as if they were a bar or each pole could be wraped separately. Then there are humbucking pickups were the bars are first wrapped in one direction and then in the opposite so that the magnetic fields are opposite and hum is reduced. The FAQ did point out that the J-Bass has more higher end than the P-Bass which has more emphasis on the mids. Russell says this is do to the greater number of windings in the P-Bass. Can we extrapolate this to obtain a general rule that says: the more windings a pickup has the deeper the emphasis will be. Who makes the deepest sounding pickups? How about those hugh Bartolini pickups? Or are they that big because they are humbucking pickups? Also, pickup placement was touched upon in the FAQ. It was mentioned that the Jazz Bass pickup closer to the bridge was higher/thiner sounding. What wasn't mentioned was that pickups seem to be placed were harmonics are obtained. Perhaps a richer sound is obtained this way. What says TBL? [ The problem with this is that the positions of a note's major harmonics change with the fretted note played. I think I read in a BP article that basically pickups are placed according to the property that they sound fuller close to the neck, and thinner close to the bridge. Bass Mgr. ] ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Dec 92 13:41:59 CST From: mortense@matt.ksu.ksu.edu Subject: Speaker Design Program, Perfect Box Hi all: I'm interested in finding Perfect Box, a speaker cabinet design program. Some one mentioned it a while back but gave no ftp site. I would appreciate any information. Thanks. nam mortense@matt.ksu.edu [ I don't remember myself... someone know offhand where it can be found? Bass Mgr. ] ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Dec 92 15:49:26 U From: Paul Desjarlais Subject: original songs = no audienc REGARDING: original songs = no audience > The problem? Audiences! As in, lack there-of! I hear ya. My band gave up! Here's our sad tale: Also a Boston band, we were playing original music at the alternative clubs (the Rat, TT's, Bunratty's, etc.) These clubs have been slowly but steadily dwindling in number over the years, and it has become harder and harder to get a gig. All we were getting was Wednesdays and Thursdays, and nobody goes out to these clubs on weeknights. It's real tough to rely on friends and family, because as much as they might want to support you, they don't really want to go to Bunratty's on a Wednesday night! You need to get a fan base. How do you do that? I don't know! People liked our music. The other bands liked us, the soundmen liked us. We sent out mailers. We sent tapes to the radio stations. We got a manager. None of it worked. No fans, not much airplay, no crowds, and no crowds means no good gigs. So, we gave up playing out, but we didn't exactly quit music; we decided to refocus our energies (and funds) on recording an album. For the last year that is what we've been doing. Once it is finished, we'll shop it around to record companies, radio stations, record stores, etc. We might break up after that. We all have stuff we want to do outside the band, so we don't really know where we're going after this. But the moral of the story is: you're right, playing out is a bitch! I know our story couldn't possibly help Joel in House of Cards. But there must be some success stories out there--anyone??? gig-lessly yours, -pd ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 02 Dec 92 00:57:42 EST From: bluemuse@aol.com Subject: Fred Smith; Ampeg I just got back from seeing Television in New Haven. It was a great show. Am I the only one that admires Fred Smith's simple, yet inventive and essential bass lines? No flash--he's the sort of guy that's easy to ignore--until he stops playing. For the record, he played a single-pickup G&L bass through a Hartke rackmount head and a tiny Fender cabinet with what looked like a single 15" speaker. (This is one of the least equipment-heavy bands I've ever seen. Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd each played though small Vox amps and Billy Ficca's drum kit wasn't large either.) Since there have been so many Ampeg questions lately, I'll pose one as well. I've got an old B-15S Portaflex that I put new Groove Tubes in. I can't seem to get much volume without distortion. I'm under the impression I need to get the amp rebiased. Can anyone tell me about this? My bass is a '72 Fender Telecaster bass with an EMG HB pickup. Fortunately, this isn't my main amp, so I'm in no rush, but I'd like to know if I'm looking in the right direction. Hell, how about another Ampeg question? My main amp is an Ampeg SVT-III head mounted in an SVR-215 enclosure. (The one reviewed in the brand-new issue of BP.) The head has a direct out on the back, but any time I've tried to use it, I get ground loop hum, and I end up having to use a direct box and flipping the ground lift switch. Is this common to this amp, or is it just mine? The feature would be nice if I could use it, but I've tried it at several clubs and a recording studio, and the result is always excessive hum. Otherwise, I love this setup. Thanks! --Bob Farace [ YES! I have this exact same problem with my SVT-III, although I was able to get it to work once with one particular board in Florida. Mail me and I'll discuss it further. Bass Mgr. ] ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Dec 92 17:32:14 GMT From: paular@Eng.Sun.COM Subject: Alphonso Johnson Clinic I went to an Alphonso Johnson clinic last night. Loads of useful stuff was presented. Alphonso played Modulus bassses and a Chapman Stick through Ampeg amps. He provided charts for everyone. Some easy, some next to impossible. He used them to demonstrate how he uses rhythm, melody and harmony in his playing. I for one learned a lot, especially about working with a keyboard player. Alphonso's advice: stay away from the root. The keyboardist always has this covered. At the end of the clinic he invited four members of the audience up to play along with a tape he made. While each players style was different, they all seemed to apply what he had presented, especially when it comes to leaving space. Best piece of advice: when you play with a drummer who is rushing the beat and you want to get his/her attention - stop playing. Rings true to me. Geoff Gould of Modulus was also there answering questions and handing out brochures and advice. I won a Modulus T-shirt which is, according to Mr. Gould, a rare occurence. They are usually offered only at the NAMM show. Ewww! A couple of events of note for those of you in the San Francisco Bay area: Gelb Music is offering a deal on all Modulus basses through Saturday (12/5). I think they said they would discount a bit more than usual and pay the sales tax. In the immortal words of Bruce Wayne: "Alfred, let's go shopping." :-) Stu Hamm Clinic - December 12th (I think) at Gelb. Best call Gelb for the exact date. Brand X with Percy Jones at The Cabaret in San Jose - January 8. Tickets at BASS or The Cabaret. later paul a. ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Dec 92 12:26:20 PST From: Joshua Loftus Subject: Notes from recent clinic w/Alphonso Johnson Just saw Alphonso Johnson at a clininc at Gelb Music, Redwood City, CA. The man is *BAD* on the five string bass. He plays all Modulos Graphite stuff as well as the Chapman Stick. For those of you who have not heard of Alphonso Johnson, check out Weather Report's "Black Market" album on which he shared Bass-of-Doom duties with Jaco Pastorius. Johnson has also played w/ Phil Collins at one point and has toured recently with Carlos Santana and crew. Alphonso approaches bass playing with a divide an conquer mentality. He divides the neck up into lower, middle, and upper registers, and approches a given piece of music by balancing the triad of rhythm, melody, and harmony. Usually, one of those three aspects of a bass line will dominate his playing at any given moment, but he said it is important to stay involved in the rhythm, harmony AND melody at all times, even if you are not emphasizing a particular aspect. He started the clinic by coming in and blazing on a 5 string fretted running through more ampeg gear than you can shake a stick at. He played along with a pre-recorded DAT of the other instruments, including bass lines while he soloed. He proceded to talk about the basic ideas of his approach as outlined above. Alphonso then used the 5 string fretless, 5 string fretted, and Chapman Stick in that order to demonstrate approaches emphasizing melody, rhythm, and harmony, respectively. Alphonso played some pretty awesome stuff, mostly fingerstyle. He did slap for the rhythm segment, but it was relatively sedate compared to some of our more slap-happy comrades in bass-dom. I was very impressed by his lines--plenty of speed, rhythmic complexity, and very tasty choice of notes. The best part about it was that I that whilehe is very talented, his technique is quirky yet accessible. There's nothing he does that no one else in the world can do (technically) and by practicing, I'm sure that most of us bass players could learn to do some of the things he does in our own style (of course). He's very down to earth in his playing with few pyrotechnics and plenty of musicality. Speaking of pratice, Johnson ended with the age old recommendation that you practive at least a half-hour a day. 10 minutes on scales, 10 minutes working out melodies (ANY kind of melody), and 10 minutes improvising (or just foolin' around for those like myself that could improvise their way out of a paper bag witha flashlight and a map!). NOTE: This is just a sketch of what went on at the clinic and you'll just have to imagine the playing. Does anyone out there have any experiences from going to clinics or seminars that they'd like to post. Should I bring a tape recorder to the next one and transcribe the speech parts? For those of you in the Bay Area, Stu Hamm will be at Gelb for a clinic on the 15th of December. $10. Should be pretty cool. BTW I have no association with Gelb or Modulus (I wish!) at all. Good place to shop, though, IMHO! Joshua Loftus ca.jnl@forsythe.stanford.edu --------------------------------------Towhead ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1992 15:18 EST From: Mike Hutchinson Subject: SWR & pricing Re the pricing on SWR Goliath cabinets and such: if you are anywhere in the vicinity of the Central New York area, buy from House of Guitars in Rochester. They won't sell SWR mail-order (nor will anyone) due to SWR's dealer policy -- basically you're supposed to buy from your "local" dealer. But HOG's prices are generally unbeatable. They price everything at 60% of list and will negotiate lower if necessary. I picked up a brand new SWR Redhead there over the summer for $975, which is at least $150 less than I was quoted anywhere else. Re Victor Wooten: my favorite bass player on the scene today. His total mastery of so many diverse styles, and the way he blends them, is impressive. He comes from one of those musical families where every child plays at least one instrument. His only pre-Flecktones recording is with his brothers (appropriately titled "The Wooten Brothers"). Unfortunately this album is a disappointment -- syrupy 70s funk (like a bad porno soundtrack) with average bass playing. Has anyone out there caught the band Dream Theater live? They swung through my town (Ithaca NY) in October, before their album came out, and I missed the show. Their bass player, while hidden in the mix much of the time, does a cool tapping solo on the disc and I was wondering if he stretches it out at gigs. -- Mike ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Dec 92 10:08 CST From: zipfel@ihlpm.att.com Subject: ADA MB-1 versatility question. I want to get an MB-1 as my major bass effect. I understand that purists scoff at this sort of thing, but I'd like to have the compression live, and the neat stuff to play with at home. However, I'd like to know if this processor is suitable for vocal effects as well. We used to use the guitarists ART processor for vocals, but as I expected, it went on the fritz recently. So, Does any one out there have an MB-1? Do you use it for anything besides bass effects? On a non-related note, I was in Champaign IL for a football game two weekends ago, and after a few bourbons, and a few Molsons, I ended up buying a Hohner Professional Acoustic Bass! Wow! I've played it for at least two hours every day (where I used to play my bass maybe 30 minutes a day). The fact that you can just pick it up, and hear what you are doing is an immeasurable benefit in my eyes. So, my collection now includes the Hohner, an Ibanez 800SG, and a Gibson G-3. I can't wait to do a parody acoustic set including stuff like "Sign Sign..." and the classic "All the way home" by Spinal Tap. Thanks a lot TBLers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zip Steelers in 92! | Illinois Basketball: More three point Bubby's Benched!!! | shooters than you can shake a stick at! 'I didn't lose, the Team lost' - Coach Bass players do it with longer wavelengths - me ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Dec 92 15:48:11 CST From: richardr@stolaf.edu Subject: Help in making descision... I've got a problem that I think you folks can help me with. I have an Ibanez-RB800 Deluxe and I'm thinking of getting a new bass. So far I have come up with two options. Sell my Ibanez and get either a Carvin LB70 or LB75. Keep the Ibanez and buy a relatively cheap fretless, like the Yamaha RB200 (I think?). I have started to really enjoy playing on a fretless, but I don't want it as my only bass because of the music I play. Any ideas? Any comments on the Carvin? All comments will be appreciated! R^3 -- Roman R. Richardson |Ibanex-RB800 Deluxe, Roland BN-60, R.Cocco Strings St. Olaf College |Disciple of the All-Mighty Geddy!!! Northfield, MN 55057 |Judoka from Hell...still seeks revenge on Rene Capo (507) 646-2639 |Claim to Fame: Had lunch with Clive Barker at McDons ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1992 16:06:48 -0600 (CST) From: Adam J Kiesling-1 Subject: introduction hello fellow bass mongers- My name is Adam Kiesling, and I've been playing bass for about 4 years. I've been receiving TBL for almost a year thru my dad's office, but I'm now able to post. I am currently a freshman at the University of MN. Influences include the usual: Geddy, Doug Pinnick, Chris Squire, Noel Redding for rock, while jazz influences are Jaco, Charles Mingus, Paul Chambers. Other influences are James Jamerson, Dave Pegg, and John Paul Jones. Equipment: -`71 P-Bass with a Badass Bridge, Bartolini's, and a Hipshot -mid-sixties Gibson EB-2 (anyone know what these run for nowadays?; I picked mine up for $125) -a nameless Fender telecaster Bass copy that I am thinking about converting to a fretless piccolo -Roland BN-60 -I also use a Boss chorus pedal and korg volume pedal for a little flavor Finally, a couple questions - 1) I played a Peavey Palaedium a couple months ago and really liked it. Anyone else out there have any comments to make about this bass? 2) I have'nt been keeping up with my practising like I should've over the past three months since I started school. I am considering buying Jimmy HAslip's book to help my "practice-shock". Anyone have any comments about it? Thanks ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1992 01:03:52 EST From: webb@chopin.udel.edu Subject: Nightbass? Should I buy it? Well, I really like the sound of the ART Nightbass. Im really pondering going into complete debt. FIRST, I need to know: Does anyone out there have and negative stories they have to discourage me from buying it? Anybody have any great stories that will make me want to buy it tomorrow? Any other comments? Thanks, Webb [ We've had a couple of good stories, and one particularly nasty one that really left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Has anyone else had problems with the thing, or is the quality up to snuff? Bass Mgr. ] +-------------------------------+---------------+-------------------------+ | ___ ____ | Factor | webb@chopin.udel.edu | | ( `--' .-' ___ |Hartke Cabinets| Webb Pickersgill | | |8) O O ||||||||||||||[_-~) | GHS Strings | (302) 837-1861 | | (__.--.__| Kubicki Factor |Samson Wireless| Bassist For:Seven Wishes| +-------------------------------+---------------+-------------------------+ ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: 03 Dec 1992 01:55:00 -0500 From: cccbbs!chris.thompson@uceng.uc.EDU Subject: Bass Fission. Just a few ramblings folks... >JWHITE@OPAL.TUFTS.EDU >Is it possible for a band to play their own material and selected >covers and still do well? Yes, absolutely. My next door neighbor plays keys in a local band that is excellent. They have a big following, have played several shows at Bogart's (Cincinnati's BIG club Venue) have 4 self produced albums, T-shirts, etc. They are 5 guys in the 18-19 year old range who play really good alternative U2/The Cure/REM music (if anyone can find a link in those 3 bands, I'd like to hear it! B^>) and have a real knack for songs with musical integrity, but still having a pop twist. They have never played a cover. I think any band can play Originals only. But damn, they better be good! Annette DeSchon >Is there a trick to this (Ghost Notes) I had a real problem with left hand muting/Ghost Notes. Practice Practice Practice. It's a technique that is not really easy to explain. When I do it I lay 3 or 4 of my left hand fingers over the string. This wide dead spot helps eliminate harmonics. I ran into muting when I was learning to slap and pop. I'm really unorthodox about it though. Sometimes if I need a Mute followed by a quick pop on the G-String. I'll mute all 4 strings with my 4 fingers perpendicular to the strings. I've learned to fret a note (like the E at 9th fret of the G-String) with the base of my pinky. that way I get a good mute and I get the pop off without having to pull my finger back. It really seems to me to be one of those things that you need to experiment with to find out what is best for you. *************************************************************************** * Thompson, Chris Thompson * cccbbs!chris.thompson@uceng.uc.edu * * (Licensed to Groove or be Grooved) * 73340.1426@compuserve.com * *************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Dec 92 11:06:36 PST From: Joshua Loftus Subject: Intro Forgot to intro myself when I sent post on Alphonso Johnson. I've played bass now for 5-6 years now, first in the rhythm sect'n for a vocal jazz group at my high school, then a cover band at college, then a long stretch of just noodling around, and now a rock-funk band call Towhead (all six of us have blonde hair). Towhead is mostly original, but we have to have covers to play any campus gigs. We are more than ready to move on to playing clubs in the Bay area, if anyone is interested and listening out there.... I play a Yamaha BB2000 four string bass. Very solid, slap-happy neck-through bass w/ a passive PJ set-up. I play through a Hartke 3500 head, a Hartke 410B cab, and use a Korg A5 pedal when I really feel ambitous about getting a great sound. Like any good consumer, I feel some dissatisfaction with my bass toys and am considereing adding another cabinet and/or upgrading my bass (Carvin and MusicMan Stingray come to mind). If I practiced enough, you'd be able to hear the follwing players influence my playing style and approach: Jaco Pastorius Stanley Clarke Sting Flea John Patittucci Unfortunately, I can only state with certainty that I have listened to these players quite a bit and wish I could emulate them even a little. I also like, but haven't heard tons of: Alphonso Johnson, Marcus Miller, Anthony Jackson, Scott Lafaro, Ray Brown, Rufus Reid. 'Nuff Said. Get in touch if you're in the San Francisco Bay Area and want to jam, talk, show off, whatever. Let me know if you know of any good bass teachers around here... Joshua Loftus ca.jnl@forsythe.stanford.edu -------------------------------------Towhead (415) 497 2259 ---------------------------------------------------------- Anonymous ftp access for back issues, etc.: kappa.rice.edu (128.42.4.7) in the /pub/bass directory (Username is 'anonymous', password is your e-mail address. Try typing 'help' for more info once logged in.) _The Bottom Line_ is a digest dedicated to the art of playing electric and acoustic bass. It is distributed on a basis that coincides with the amount of material received, from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville, USA; Kevin Tipple, Erik Habbinga, editors Copyright _The Bottom Line_, 1992 The contents of _The Bottom Line_ are solely the opinions and comments of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the authors' managements or the digest management. The editors do not assume responsibility for copyright infringement of submitted material. *************************** End of The Bottom Line #263 ***************************