lowregisterhead

All good advice. In the case of the issue likely being experienced the OP, and myself, unfortunately the problems haven't been brought on by bad technique, or wear and tear from decades of playing, in this specific instance it's due to an auto-immune condition. Over the years I've tried all manner of exclusion diets in case there was a link (although the consultants I've seen have said many times that over numerous studies none have been found) acupuncture and herbal remedies, which made no discernible difference, and I still take supplements of high strength Glucosamine and Omega 3 fish oils, which I've personally found certainly do seem to help keep things on an even keel. The human body is an amazing thing, but the truth is there are still huge gaps in medical knowledge about how it all functions. I'm grateful there are some effective treatments available, but I also have a fairly healthy skepticism of sweeping judgements offered by consultants and specialists in the field, who you might think should have the experience and qualifications to know about these things. When I was a teenager, I knew a formidable lady called Marleen Ross, who with her husband Graeme ran a PA hire company in my hometown of Aberdeen in the 70's and 80's. She later went on to manage Celtic rock band Runrig. Like a lot of local musicians, I used to hang around in their shop in the city's King Street and pass the time of day. Before joining Graeme full-time in the music business, Marleen had been a nursing theatre Sister, and one day the subject of medicine came up. We all offered our experiences and opinions, but we really all wanted to know what Marleen thought, so asked for her view on the matter. "Doctors?" she said. "F*cking plumbers in suits!"

You do learn to adapt to compensate for the pain and lack of mobility, but my concern would be that depending on the extent and frequency of the flare-ups, they can cause progressive damage to the joints over time, and eventually leave you in a much worse state than if you used medication long term. I developed 'hot joints' in my hands in my 20's, put up with it into my 30's, and then the specialist suggested I start taking a drug once a week that I've been on for 25 years now. It's a fairly potent immunosuppressant that takes the peaks off the immune response that causes the problem in the first place, and it's generally kept a lid on things for all that time. The potential side effects will depend on the individual, but for me they've been relatively minor. I have a blood test every two months to monitor the effects of the drug on the rest of my system, but I seem to be able to tolerate it well. For me, it's a small price to pay for being able to continue to function pretty normally. And you're right - use ibuprofen with great care. Despite being a seemingly innocuous 'over the counter' generic medicine, it kills thousands of people every year.

Some sayings can be useful, others less so. Years ago I had an issue that was eventually pinned down to an interaction between two medications I was on. I would wake up in the middle of the night feeling really nauseous, jump out of bed in fear of being sick, then black out on the floor. Not pleasant, and it scared the Bejeesus out of the missus. I was given all sorts of blood tests, a 24-hour blood pressure monitor, and a ride strapped to a thing called a 'tilt table' to check for variations in blood pressure and the function my inner ear in different orientations, all to no avail initially. On seeing the Consultant to assess the results, he said, "So, you wake up in the middle of the night feeling sick, jump out of bed, and pass out?" "Yes" I replied. "Well, if you wake up in the middle of the night and feel sick, don't jump out of bed!" Monty Python came to mind...

That could still be it - about 10% of people with some form of psoriasis can go on to develop Psoriatic Arthritis. Red, flaky skin on elbows, knees and nails are all common places where it can appear initially. Best of luck with the diagnosis 👍

Psoriatic arthritis can be tricky to manage - it can pop up anywhere and hang around for a period of time, the only advantage being it tends to settle down eventually, but unfortunately can then just move on somewhere else. It's worth asking your GP for a referral to your local hospital's Rheumatology department, and depending on the severity, they can prescribe various drugs such as Methotrexate, which generally keeps a lid on it. It'll lessen the spikes of flare-ups, but doesn't stop it completely. As it's an auto-immune condition, it's a fine balance between controlling the immune response that causes the flare-ups, and not suppressing your immune system to the point where you become susceptible to all and sundry. I'd recommend getting it assessed by a specialist sooner rather than later.

Very cool. The Star Dust Black one at BD has gone as well now! Anyone on here lift it??

Second rehearsal the other night of a Soul/Funk outfit I got roped into as 2023 came to a close. The rest of the band all know each other, having worked together in various line-ups over the years. I'm the new boy. Despite how it may sound, this has some advantages - they know all the songs in the proposed set pretty well already, having played most of them in other configurations. I did my homework, so by the end of the first rehearsal before Christmas we'd rattled through 10 or 15 numbers effortlessly, and it sounded far better than I would have expected at this early stage. The guitarist, drummer, male and female vocalists are excellent, whereas the keyboard player has great chops, but is overplaying dreadfully, and needs to reign himself in. He's over 50, but hopefully it was just 'youthful exuberance', and he'll settle down with time, otherwise I'll feel compelled to have 'The Talk' with him. But come the second rehearsal this week, a slight hiccup. The female singer had a stinking cold, so very sensibly cancelled. No point in infecting the rest of us. Then the male singer turns up with a young lady in tow, ostensibly to help out in the absence of the lady with the cold. She's very young, and can carry a tune and has decent pitch, but her voice lacks character and substance, unlike the lady she's standing in for, who could knock her into a cocked hat without breaking a sweat. My feeling is she needs to spend a few years gigging in dodgy bars and clubs, sleeping fitfully half-cut the the back of smelly Transit vans on motorways at 4 in the morning. That's what I was doing at her age, but suffice to say I have no intention of doing that now. Hopefully the male singer isn't trying to stage a vocal coup in the absence of the lady with the cold, which could cause cracks to appear in what is an otherwise very solid setup. Thankfully I got the distinct impression the rest of the band felt the same way as I did. The intrigue, twists and turns of being in a band are never ending. I don't mind really. It gives me the perfect excuse to buy new gear.

Traded my Ibanez headless for Phil's DJ5. Another one of those surreptitious meets in a McDonalds car park! Excellent communication, a lovely fellah, and a pleasure to do business with. Buy/sell/trade with confidence.

John East now does a preamp for the Combustion/NG without a blend control (so the existing pickup selector can be incorporated) and a passive tone control. LowEndLobster on YouTube did a conversion using it and a 6-way switch (link below). Worth looking into.