Front view
Willie Barnett recently spotted a picture on Facebook of a little three-piece “band” made of capacitors, resistors and LEDs.
He liked it but felt it was a little crude. “As soon as I saw it I was inspired, and started building my little masterpiece!”
Barnett was morning announcer, music director, production manager, traffic manager and chief engineer (all at once) for most of his 20 years at WFIF(AM) in Milford, Conn. He now is a part-time engineer at WIHS(FM) in Middletown and works as a service tech at Krell Industries. He also worked for several years in a small electronics shop, assembling, troubleshooting/repairing, prototyping and assisting in product development.
It had never crossed his mind to make a sculpture out of parts until his Facebook find inspired him. But he has several musician friends and has acquired a reasonable level of knowledge regarding band equipment and how it is set up. His project took about 10 hours.
Rhythm and lead guitar/vocals.
Keyboards and bass
This is the view if you have a backstage pass.
I asked him what kind of reactions he has received to his creation. “Overwhelmingly positive! Anyone with even a small interest in electronics, or who has at least seen the inside of various electronic devices, appreciated it that much more.” He has declined suggestions to sell it on eBay.
I think it’s boffo. Willie dubbed the band “High Capacity & The Resistors” at the suggestion of his spouse Kim; he also thought of “High Fidelity,” “Clear Circuitry” and “The Components.” (Turns out “L.E.D. Zeppelin” is spoken for.)
Any other suggestions for band names? Write to radioworld@nbmedia.com. Best suggestion wins a Radio World T-shirt.