This is Spinal Tap

Corrected entry: During 'Big Bottom', not only are all three band members playing bass guitars, but Derek is playing double necked bass. This is a parody of Jimmy Page's double necked Gibson SG (which he used on Stairway To Heaven), with one neck having six strings with the other having 12. Both of Derek's bass necks have four strings, which defies the point of a double necked guitar.

Correction: Derek Smalls' double neck BC Rich Bich bass actually has an 8 string on the top and a 4 string on the bottom. The 8 string bass has 4 guitar strings in addition to the 4 bass strings (E, E one octave up, A, A one octave up, D, D one octave up etc). The effect is similar to a 12 string guitar but an octave lower. Listen to Pearl Jam's Jeremy (especially the beginning) or practically every Cheap Trick song, even though these were 12 string basses (E, E octave up, another E in unison, A, A octave up, another A in unison etc), the effect is almost the same. This neck has 4 tuners on the head stock and 4 tuners behind the bridge at the end of the body. The original BC Rich Bich was designed as a 10 string guitar (a twelve string with the low E and A octave strings removed) with the 4 additional tuners mounted on the end of the body. That is why it has it's unique cut to the body. The 2 necks on the bass give you 2 different sound and playing options although the guitar is heavy as hell.

Corrected entry: When the group is playing at the air force base Jeanine's clothes change from when they first get there (she is wearing red) to when Nigel storms off stage (she is now wearing a purple outfit).

Correction: If the band are allowed to get changed between arriving at the gig and playing the show, then surely the manager is also? General Hookstratten tells them they have thirty minutes before they are due onstage. While they band are setting up, Jeanine can change her outfit.

Correction: This is untrue since Rob Reiner admitted the Nigel Tufnel was based on Jeff Beck.

Corrected entry: During the song 'Big Bottom' you can briefly see Jeanine standing at the side of the stage. She isn't meant to be part of the band yet. I think this is only visible in widescreen.

rabid anarchist

Correction: Often at shows, girlfriends, roadies, photographers, etc., hang at the sides of the stage, so they can actually watch the show. This is not at all uncommon, but usually the audience can't see.

Corrected entry: When reading the reviews of Spinal Tap's various albums, Marty reads a review of an album called "The Gospel According to Spinal Tap." However when the picture of the album cover is shown, the album's actual title is revealed to be "Rock N Roll Creation."

Correction: Marty is only stating the concept of the record and not the title.

Corrected entry: When Nigel reappears at the gig at the end where he is invited back on stage, he walks in moments before the band go onstage. The stage is already set and the road crew are unlikely to set up and check equipment that won't be used. So, why is Nigel's custom Les Paul and wireless out on stage when he walks on? The band wern't expecting him back and David had already said they wouldn't be working together again.

Correction: Trust me, as a long-serving gigging musician, it comes as no surprise that the roadies set out all Nigel's gear - in real life, this often happens; wrong gear, wrong place, etc....

Corrected entry: When the group is playing "Big Bottom" David St. Hubbins is play Derek Small's Bass from the previous performance.(it is white with glitter strips on it) Then the Guitar changes into a regular 6 string guitar. But that's just nit picking isn't it?

Correction: Actually, the joke is that ALL THREE are playing bass guitar for the song, instead of the usual arrangement of 2 six-string guitars and 1 bass.

Continuity mistake: While the band is performing Stonehenge, the windscreen on Nigel's microphone appears and disappears a couple of times.

More mistakes in This is Spinal Tap

Nigel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Martin: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel: Exactly.
Martin: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Martin: I don't know.
Nigel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Martin: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel: Elevn. Exactly. One louder.
Martin: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
[Pause.]
Nigel: These go to eleven.

More quotes from This is Spinal Tap

Trivia: The band's name was originally going to be spelled "Spynal Tap," but it was changed because the band members wanted to fit in with the trend of misspelled band names. Harry Shearer later commented that "we later learned we spelled it right by mistake."

More trivia for This is Spinal Tap

Question: What's the difference between a "normal" guitar and a bass guitar?

Answer: A guitar has normally got 6 strings while a bass has got 4. Also the bass guitar got thicker strings to sound "deeper" hence the name bass.

Mortug

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