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Quick Bio | Guitarist and StringStation inventor Jim Bartz began his recording career at the age of 21 working as an assistant engineer for the prestigious Royal Recorders in Lake Geneva on album projects with Adrien Belew, Roy Thomas Baker and Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads. Encouraged by studio staff to pursue his stringed recording experiments, Bartz landed a solo record deal with Larry Fast of Peter Gabriels band. Fast signed Bartz to the Audion/Passport label along with notable artists Wendy Carlos and Anthony Phillips. While completing his debut release 'Pictures of Earth & Space' aka P.O.E.A.S. Bartz invisioned a custom stringed instrument that would allow him to re-create live the plush layered sound he was capturing in the studio. A few years after the albums release, he re-energized the idea in Chicago combining his engineering skills with accomplishments as a guitarist. The result is the first working mock-up of his idea; a playable 40-stringed instrument aptly tagged the StringStation. In a life changing decision, Bartz left the pro-recording field to focus his attention on refining his new instrument's playing techniques and at presenting it live on-stage."I had the realization that if I didn't pursue it with total focus right now, it would always end up taking a backseat to life's other demands. I had to commit to it with total focus " With the StringStation, Bartz has developed a playing style that's beyond what anyone has ever experienced with just two hands and a set of strings. "It's a beautiful instrument that I feel will inspire creative people to keep exploring and discovering new worlds of sound and music ". says Bartz, "I'm excited to make the debut recording in 3D. It was custom designed for that. It will truly be an awesome dimensional experience." The StringStation is something one must experience first hand to truly understand its wonderful power. |
Bartz Brief Autobiography ::: I grew up as a record collector and eager nine year old guitarist transfixed by Beatles, Hendrix, Moody Blues and local hero Les Paul. I felt early on that I wanted to record too. I had an open reel 4 track tape deck in my room and experimented endlessly. I did a rock band thing as a teen and then sold my amp to go to recording school at 19 (it had my total attention). The music I dreamed of making was beyond what I could explain so I learned the audio engineering skills for myself so I could tweak that sound into existence. I was hired fresh out of audio school into a high pressure world class recording studio built by the engineer who recorded Eye Of The Tiger. As the studio often went unbooked, I was encouraged to go in to learn the equipment. I was like a kid in a candy store! ...experimenting sometimes for days uninterrupted. I brought my guitars in and plugged every one into every bit of gear there. I recorded what was to become my first international release at those sessions. I discovered the most astonishing sounds from my guitars- now spliced into this matrix of state-of-the-art gear. It truly split the sky open for me and life has never been the same... I’ve been compelled to get back to that amazing audio vista ever since... but this time, with a specific custom instrument designed to focus and evolve the 3D magic I first found. I’m entranced by 3D audio and the evocative power of string groups in precision controlled resonance. I devised my own 40-string instrument that I think can expound a new 3D music and sound that only it can uniquely reveal. I'm here to share it! JB ...First is getting it built to spec. |
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Royal Recorders- a State-of-the-Art Multi-Track digital recording studio located in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. This is where P.O.E.A.S. was written and recorded while on staff as an engineer/producer. It is also the room where the idea for the StringStation was born. Bartz was paid as studio staff and dosen't earn royalties for any of the work. Other albums done at Royal include Adrian Belew's albums for Island and Atlantic. Skid Row's debut, Queensryche-Empire, Red Hot Chili Peppers-Mother's Milk + many others |
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One day I was in a Chicago recording studio when I had one of those life altering realizations during my very first and last jingle session for a radio spot for 'Country Wine Coolers'. It really blew my mind! On that day... as I sat behind the mixing desk, it suddenly became clear to me that 'anyone' could be sitting in my seat turning these dials and pushing these faders ...and this commercial would be made... with or without me... but only I could make my invention of the StringStation come to life. It only exists in my head and can only be done with my hands and efforts ...but my head and hands were being used by these folks selling alcohol. I was still working free lance and full time as a recording engineer/producer (Violent Femmes - Ohio Players - BoDeans) and did several album projects for other new artists while trying to gain momentum with my new instrument idea. I was never quite able to work up my music ideas to full speed while doing others album projects. My stuff was complex and to get to that level of sound took a lot of tweak time so the StringStation stayed in the background as I made a living as an engineer. But that day was a turning point! It became clear... The magic ingredient needed was simply personal TIME... time to focus, design, build and master the playing of the instrument so I could show how awesome it will be. I could see it all clearly in my minds eye. That's when I decided it was now or never to take action! I have heard of these mid-life epiphanies happening and people just up and leave their jobs to pursue what's in their hearts and that gave me courage to do it too. So here I am! |
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I collected my thoughts over the following few months after that session, refined my crude assembly of the instrument and moved back to Wisconsin to do my first gigs. I have a few friends there who believe in and encourage me. I began to get my focus, to practice, doing complete StringStation overhauls to make it more playable and smaller like my designs, making promotional materials, performing on stage for the first times with it and writing letters to anyone who might be able to help me build a real version of the great instrument. I also applied for a patent with a friends help and a bit of money saved and some studio equipment that I could sell off if I needed some extra cash to keep going... and I've sold it all! But I did get a patent! I have determined that the best way to make a great first impression with the instrument is to be able to perform on it as a Master Musician...showing all sides of it. It's a very challenging ambition but I am getting to that point now after maintaining my commitment to progress no matter what the world does! The money to go into prototype is elusive, but I have faith that the right time and place awaits. The instrument is a wide idea but overall it's about the creative human spirit that we all share ...with hopes to see art and music beyond just money making schemes. I hope to find a sponsor who loves the instrument and the sound that abounds from it and has the care and resources to help get it moving in positive directions with me. I am committed to finding a way to make all this come to life and to reveal it as a beautiful new communicative instrument. |
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