PaulKing

Gadzooks! Went off reading posts. Sound a bit tensiony. And wait, ROUND wound? Like OLD school. I'll stick with the EP weichs. And prompted by this I just put EP Slap E&A back on the Kay to go back to that really slap-friendly gut thump. And noticed Pirastro started doing D&G Slap in synthetic/chrome too. weren't available when I got the E&A. So bought me a D on the spot. That set is gonna sound sweet with a gut G.

Hmmm ... reading this with interest. I SO expected it to turn out different! Evah Slap E&A get a thumbs up from me. Not as low tension as you might hope. I've swung towards EP weichs though recently, to get more punch and definition. They still slap pretty well, but maybe not for trad rockabilly - a bit too stiff and just slightly metallic on the click where you want soft organic thunk. But in reality they arent much different from EP Slaps. They all settle and hold tuning easy as pie! So, obvs I'm keen to try the Gamuts, just. because. Got any interest in them? Clarky nabbed yet? Out of interest, do you stretch them when putting on? WIth gut and nylon I give them a good old pull and waggle about when on new .. a good inch or more off the fingerboard like I'm about to fire an arrow off the string...

Note the excited and very pleased crowd.

Ha, 'tis me Mr 'Mandrel'! Not so much rockabilly these days, but definitely still a lot of this...

Such fun to play. You nailed it. its quite a work out on upright....

Gaz's Rockin Blues this Thursday, late. Though I might take the Kay instead. Bit of a lull til Feb then. Ooh, got a night with Oli Darling on 8 Feb in St Johns Wood. Jump 66 Gig list .... http://www.jump66blues.com/gigs/4573404851 THU 30 JAN Gaz's Rockin' Blues, St Moritz Club, Wardour St, Soho FRI 28 FEB Old Station House, Chiswick SAT 14 MAR Ram Jam Records @ The Grey Horse, Kingston FRI 27 MAR Old Station House, Chiswick FRI 1 MAY Old Station House, Chiswick SAT 2 MAY Ram Jam Records @ The Grey Horse, Kingston FRI 29 MAY Old Station House, Chiswick SAT 30 MAY The Bull at Barnes FRI 5 JUN Green Banana Blues Club, Worcester Park SAT 18 JUL Ram Jam Records @ The Grey Horse, Kingston SAT 17 OCT Ram Jam Records @ The Grey Horse, Kingston

Heh, almost certainly not. It was a labour of love, over a couple of weeks. Can’t afford to take that time off work!! Would love to though, if I could afford the time. I can see why luthiers charge a couple of grand to do one... probly

Oh go on then, just one more wafer thin picture ...

It’s silent ... gotta leave the lacquer to harden a few weeks before tuning up. No tension on those strings yet. im sure it'll sound exactly the same as before!

Comparing the ‘37 factory version with my diy: 1937 2020: 1937: 2920:

Ta, and as it were, da: Looks even better with some sunshine on. I’m pleased with the result. Followed the pattern of Keeponehandloose’s ex-bass from same year, roughly:

Happy New Year

Ha, I’m risking living on my own! actually it’s not bad ... I just disappear for 5mins now and then. Tiny spray, shut the door ... leave for an hour. It’s fitted really easy around slobby family Christmas.!

Ready for top coat clear lacquer

And then

Latest ... bursting the back in stages ... masks prevent excessive overspray into natural areas, but gotta avoid hard lines! (Note curled edges..). Cheating really but it works. And suddenly there’s flaming...

Happy Christmas matey! yeah I could see the flame lurking under the cack-brown painted-on varnish. I wanted to let it sing! the back is the same ....

Before / after:

Oh and Maude - thanks for top advice! yeh, Steve at Manchester Guitar Tech had good instructions about cold wet weather blooms... and you know in the end I’ve risked doing it indoors. I get a good seal on the door in the room (bed sheet wrapped around it and a blanket across the bottom), windows wide open, I have a proper vapour mask which is 100% effective... and all the junk in the room (including vintage basses 😱), well it’s only dust. They are getting a little dusting but it is dry and brushes off. My wife ain’t that happy but she’s putting up with me... so long as I don’t spray in the evening. There is a bit of a whiff for 20mins after I’ve opened the door, but it’s very slight.

A Christmassy update. Learned a lot along the way, and I’m happier with this side than the other... but I’m pretty chuffed with this so far:

I'm gonna have to put the tent up in the garden and lacquer it out there. Or we're all going to hospital. Already wearing storm-trooper gas mask while spraying... It's going to take a LOT of lacquer. 2-3 cans for a telecaster? Go figure....

Time to get serious. First squirt of paint.

Look what Bob's Decals made me:

Ha, I shoulda painted at least but sadly that’s beyond me. but if drawn on purfling was good enough in Cleveland factory, it’s good enough for me!! ooh show us the rest of yours...