Stub Mandrel

You may worship at my shrine of Hohner Headlessness, Ricky 🙂

Space Ritual Just playing it in the background. The sheer power behind sonic attack is like being hit by a bulldozer.

I emailed my MP who came back with the party line about all the support. I replied explaining the issue in simple, plain detail, others did too, and she said she would take it up with the Chancellor to no more avail than a few small headlines.

My earning music from music days were beyond the 20 year limit. Which is a shame as now I understand the tax system I would have been able to claim a tax rebate as what I spent on gear, practice venues and recording was more than I ever got back. These days many people will come under the £1000 turnover de-minimis rule. A three-piece getting paid £250 a gig could do one a month, for example. And if you do earn more, it's a good reason to make sure you have the finest basses and amps in the land "That 62 Jazz isn't a luxury, think how much tax I've saved!" 🙂

Pine make surprisingly good guitar bodies. I keep looking at the pitch pine doors in the house (which is going to be sold) and thinking the next owner doesn't need those...

I wandered away for a few decades, some of the recent albums, especially The Machine Stops, have been excellent.

A couple for times you can hear the previous note ring on over the start of the fill without its sound changing. But it shows up just how far away I am from playing it properly...

Went to an almost deserted PMT in Nottingham today, looking for a strap for my HB kit-build 'Deathburger'. First one I spotted was a big, baby-blue leather one but it was £49 with some pointless (for me) rapid adjustment feature. The chap spent some time looking for a vegan one (he obviously hadn't noticed I was wearing a leather jacket, but perhaps he sensed my veggieness?) The most appropriate was a vintage looking cheapie. After looking at (but not touching) several basses - I like the Gretsch short-scale ones - then I spotted another rack of straps, with this Ernie Ball one, a touch pricey but spot on IMHO with a slightly vintage feel to suit the bass (I gave it a 50s P-bass headstock). I think it's the best match of any strap and bass that I've seen 🥰😍😘

I was in Nottingham today but not going back soon. If it could divert to Burton upon Trent by Tuesday I could take it to Barry.

Oh stinky poo... I suppose I'll just bin my acoustic guitar, and this Stradivarius while I'm at it...

Rosewood and Maple are very different woods. Neither rosewood nor maple was chosen originally because they sound good, but because they look good, hold frets well, are easily worked and wear well. For a fretless fingerboard, ebony seems to be the timber of choice... Other woods should sound completely different again. there is nothing magic about rosewood or maple - just tradition - so all these other woods: Poplar laminate, amaranth, paulownia, laurel to name a few, there's every chance that one or more of these will actually sound better than rosewood or maple, if properly blind tested with all those many other variables controlled.

I've never even watched Family Guy. I thought Peter Griffin was the leader of the BNP until I you posted that stupid video!

It means the testers they sent into the bog didn't come back... It's like Deliverance down there...

I'm in a different field, but exactly the same place... my work dropped massively, but no help whatsoever.

I get very confused by the 'main source of income' makes you a professional. I'm a Chartered Environmentalist, but in some years less than 50% of my income comes from what I would class as environmental work. Does that mean in those years I'm not doing it professionally? Equally a few percent of my income comes from writing books, is that amateur writing?

I always thought of the Dead as a sort of 'American Hawkwind' but looking back that applies more to the deadheads than the band. Musically I suspect they are more of an American Fairport Convention. I have Live Dead, Dylan and the Dead and Terrapin Station. I'd agree the live ones are much more engaging. Not sure I could handle about 5,000 hours of them though 🙂

The Spondz made me do it! That's your favourite bit, isn't it?

Have no fear!

Tackle a kit, it's much less challenging but still really satisfying!

It's a sort of more tasteful version of an Alembic.

Not much seller feedback for Shelob_666...

It's getting sinister. Amazon sent me a £34.60 gift voucher as my affiliate fees built up over several years! I went searching and looked at bluetooth speakers in the range £15-50. Each page of 10 examples had about 6-9 sponsored links sprinkled through teh list, all priced £32-35. Do you think they know exactly what I have to spend?

The obvious response is something like: "Will you play for free?" "No, but we'll play if you cover our costs." "How much is that?" "About twice what you normally pay."

A 'stan' is an obsessive fan as in the Eminem song..