NancyJohnson

The only time I've ever done festivals has been as the guest of a label and have done many pees next to many people. While Brian Adams at Milton Keynes Bowl was somewhat standoffish, I'd say Mick Mars from Motley Crue was an absolute delight; Motley had just opened the Monsters Of Rock show at Castle Donington and we urinated freely together in the backstage area minutes after he'd come off stage. He was still in his stage clothes. He actually opened the dialogue with a cheery 'Hey, how are you?' thing while I was already at the trough. We discussed Roy Thomas Baker's remix of Too Fast For Love.

Probably wouldn't take much work for someone with the knowledge to re-fret it and if authenticity isn't your thing, find a suitable bridge. The bridge area looks in reasonably straight condition, so no plugging of holes etc.

Honestly couldn't say. We were staying with friends in Venice, I asked if there were any guitar stores locally, my mate had an office in Sarasota so we were passengers while he drove us around. You in the area?

My mum called me once around the time Blink 182's Enema Of The State was out, she was watching MTV and said, 'There's a boy on TV who looks like you.' Turns out it was Mark Hoppus. Interestingly, I was in a music store somewhere in Sarasota one time and two girls followed me around and plucked up enough courage to ask me whether I was Mark Hoppus. Maybe it's just the hair.

My consultant always maintained the clickiness will not cure itself and steroids are a temporary fix, so surgery is the preferred option and it's an instant fix. Instant. While the surgery is minor...15 to 20 minutes...it can be painful up the whole arm for a day or two; the pain on my last one was horrific, largely down to me putting off surgery due to gigging activity which ultimately led to more damage to tendon and pulley. Full recovery though.

All under local, but I had an additional procedure done on the same arm at the same time. A two for one special. Ol' Charlie said it was the first time he'd done that, so expect some bruising. I have a grizzly photo of my forearm in glorious purple and brown if anyone wants to see it.

Cheers War. I've had four done so far, left thumb and middle finger and the two middle fingers on my right hand. I saw a consultant called Charles Pailthorpe...top bloke, ex-Army. Alarmingly, my little finger on my right hand is showing signs of sticking now, first thing in the morning it's all clicky, so I suspect that'll be the next one. On the upside, blue goes with my eyes.

It's funny, this lead singer syndrome. The guy that I bought in to sing was already playing in a Dr Feelgood style RnB band, but he left them as he clearly felt my band (alternative/punky) were better suited to his remit. Prior to his arrival, we were a more fun unit; it was more about having a hoot and doing the odd gig rather than being too serious about things, but gradually he just took over, like an invasive species. The whole band became more confrontational, there were times when no one spoke to each other and the absolute testicles that we had to put up with individually made rehearsals and gigs a chore rather than a joy; thing is, while I would never question his commitment, he was an unmovable object and the rules of the band didn't seem to apply to him. Better out of it. Life's too short. As an aside, last week the old band played a radio show and they were terrible, truly terrible. I took a bit of joy out of that.

There's another one from me, too. I used to attend credit circle meetings and struck up a good friendship with a guy from a comptetitor, who was a big alternative music fan. He contacted me one time and said he had a spare ticket for the Manic Street Preachers, I think it was at Brixton Academy. Not being a fan, I declined. A while later, different Manics tour, spare ticket. And again. Four or five times this happened, one time the offer included all access passes. I jokingly asked him why he was always touting Manics tickets, to which he responded, 'I've told you the story haven't I?', to which I just kind of replied, 'Err, no what story?' Turns out James Dean Bradfield is his brother in law. D'oh.

So about eight days ago, I start a new job. My background is in credit management and analytical poop; I'm supervising a team of eight ladies, they're all pretty lovely to be honest. A couple of days in and I'm facing a battery of questions, you know, 'Are you married?' (Yes), 'Do you have kids?' (No, cats), 'What you you do outside of work?' (I play bass and read a lot). The latter question is always a way of saying that I do music, used to gig a lot, but don't now, it's a studio project and so on. I rarely make an effort to big myself up, I mean why would I? One of the ladies says that a heavily pregnant member of the team has a husband who plays drums, so I make a mental note, because drummers are hard to find. I sat down with her last week and we're just chatting and the conversation moves to music. She asks, 'You in a band then?' I explain yes, but no, but yes and it's all studio stuff. I mention I'd heard her husband played drums and - wondering whether he'd be up for a jam sometime - I ask whether he plays in a band. 'Yeah, he's in Scouting For Girls. They've been on Sony for about ten years.' I just wondered why the ground didn't open up and swallow me.

Never been sacked, but left the band I started about eight years previously after the new singer pretty much took over and things became intolerable. I guess sacking or leaving, just try to rise above it, irrespective of how much it hurts now. Whatever you're feeling now will pass and you can move forward and take some pleasure in the failings of the unit that felt they no longer needed you. I certainly know that my current project (Lutz) if a country mile better and more challenging than the old one.

I'd speak guys we shared stages with and pretty much every guitarist wanted a Junior. If Gibson actually did their diligence they'd know there's a huge groundswell of players who want to see (and would buy) a reissue based on 50s specs, not the Tribute model that they're currently selling.

Money? There's money to be made from this malarky?

Ben Harding contributes to the 3CR Fanbase Facebook page regularly. Lest we forget, he was also in Senseless Things.

I'll give it a miss this year I think.

I don't miss it; it's been 18 months or so. I used to think it was the peak of musical creativity; getting it out there. Meh. The constant drudgery of midweek 100+ mile round trips to play 'well promoted' shows to a handful of people, the stream of two faced promoters and club owners who never even offered to cover our fuel expenses, or the one who actually charged us for water and two Magnum lollies after we'd driven 100 miles to get to his shitfest and had to pay for parking (he told us there was limited parking to the rear of the venue for staff and he would clamp us if we parked there). Ooh, I could go on. That nasty smell of cheese, beer and smoke that I just couldn't shift from my gear after playing the St. Moritz. The way that if you supported a 'biggish in the 80s', C-list name band how they just ignored you. Travelling to Italy and gigging in Milan and Turin; the realisation that you really don't like the other guys in the band and how we just split into three factions for the duration. Oh, it was crap, generally. Recording is so much nicer. Decent coffee, pizza delivery, easy, home by 10.30pm.

I just can't get past the my-dog-took-a-bite-out-of-the-headstock headstock. The pre-bitten ones look much nicer.

There's a tech in Reading I know who has one. I was surprised how well it intonated for a 1960s guitar with a wraparound bridge. As previously posted, it was light as a feather.

This company seem to have a very short memory. Does anyone remember when Gibson announced this Jimi Hendrix monstrosity? Looks familiar? I really just don't understand how they even went as far as building prototypes without someone at Gibson going, 'You know what? I think this is a bad idea, doesn't anyone think it looks a little too much like one of our competitors instruments, so perhaps we shouldn't build any.' Perhaps the R&D team were just too feeble to say no to the captain of the ship, but mind you, when ol' Henry was at the helm, it was probably very much a case of any goes, eh?

I've found a few guys doing something similar; once guy built a Telecaster clone out of old SD cards set in acrylic. If woodturning is your thing, there's a guy called Andy Philips/Phillips who has a You Tube channel that's fascinating to view. He just gets these gnarly old lumps of wood, turns them, then sets them in acrylic and turns them again. It's just joy to see these old bits of wood transformed into something stunning.

I seem to be going through a phase of obsession with guys either turning wood or building guitars out of scrap. This is a build where the guy has used coloured pencils and acrylic pours.

I was searching for some old Bell Musical catalogues a few days back...these are from 1974:

Before I even owned my first bass (I had a classical guitar for Christmas one year...), I used to borrow the exact same bass as this from a guy who lived round the corner from me. He also had a WEM Dominator III. I owe a debt of gratitude to that bloke. Simon Kellet, wherever you are, thanks!

Somewhere in the depths of a box of old bits, I still have the original cable that came with my first proper bass. Mid-70s. It's a bit crackly and the rubber has perished a bit, but last time I plugged in with it, it worked OK. Insofar as instruments go, I have a mid-70s Epiphone FT-140 acoustic I bought new with some money my grandmother left me and a 1950s/60s Zenith Josh White parlour guitar that my mum procured for a couple of pounds at a Salvation Army jumble sale in the late 70s/early 80s. While I have some oldish basses, these are fairly recent acquisitions.