Wednesday 1 May 2013

Guitars

Apparently, I have been quiet about guitars recently, so I will put that right today!
 
I have been generally busy recenly, so my guitar playing has been in 10-15 minute bursts. 
 
I have recently dug out The Baby again.  This was built specially for me when I was 18.
 
 
The pic is of me in my band days - I was probably 20 when this was taken?  It is a great guitar, very over-powered and ideal for the sort of stuff we played.  At the time I had intended to get a V-bass to go with it, but that didn't happen until a couple of years ago when I picked one of these up really cheap.

 
I immediately decided that it needed more pickups, so removed the original 2 and gave it 4 new ones.  This involved chopping more holes in the body of the guitar...

 
I almost finished the project, just never made a permanant panes for the switches and nobs. But I am going to do that now! I picked up some plastic mirror sheeting that will be perfect.  Watch out for a demo of the final product some time soon!
 
 
As the weather warms up, I tend to spend a lot of my lunch breaks in one of the gardens of the Cathedral.  I take one of my electric guitars with me (my blue mid-life crisis guitar) and listen to it through headphones.  This has 2 advantages - I don't disturb anyone while the volume to me can be ear-melting and I don't get mistaken for a busker.  Today is looking promising, so I might go there today...
 
Hope this makes up for my silence about guitars!

17 comments:

CiCi said...

Do you take the guitar to work on the bike or do you have some equipment at work so you can play at lunch time? I am looking forward to the next video. Glad you are having nice weather. I just got home from two week road trip with beautiful weather but the weather here is rain. Guess the farmers have to wait a while to plant.

Rock Chef said...

CiCi - I keep a guitar at work, along with a battery powered box that powers the headphones. Next week is looking good here.

Looks like you picked a good time for the trip. Funny, with your profile pic I keep thinking of Thelma and Louise...

ShadowRun300 said...

I can rest easy now. Thank you.
And thanks for sharing your rock star pic! I'd love to hear more about those days.
My hubby is a guitar fanatic too. Mostly acoustic though. He plays solo at quite a few different wineries in the area, and is very good in my opinion. :) Do you sing too?
Can't wait to see how your V-bass turns out. I'll be expecting another video....

Rock Chef said...

ShadowRun300 - I had fun in bands but got tired of big egos. I don't sing in public. In fact I only tend to sing when messing about. Yes, I will do a video to show off the V's awesomeness...

Betty said...

That's a beautiful guitar! I think it's great that you have one at work too, although don't buskers make money for their music? Free lunch everyday!

wigsf3 said...

Forget the guitar. DENIM VEST!!!

Abby said...

Well, look at you all Bad Boy! And I mean that in a good way.

I've wanted to learn guitar for the longest time, but it has yet to get off of my bucket list. Middle son has started playing and is not too shabby.

I like hearing more about your collection and look forward to updates on the V-base.

And now I want to use "buskers" in conversation.

Riot Kitty said...

Mr. RK has made several guitars, writes music, plays them, etc. The best I can do is sing in the shower.

Rock Chef said...

Betty - The town has plenty of buskers (some very good, some dreadful) and does not need me joining in.

Wigsf - Oh yes...

Abby - You should have a go at learning - a cheap guitar and a songbook that has the chords in it is all you need!

Riot Kitty - Singing in the shower is good!

meleah rebeccah said...

I totally LOVE your rock star pic!!

Rock Chef said...

Meleah Rebeccah - Thanks - not a rock star, though...

Abby said...

My son's been learning via Youtube - gotta love the internet!

Shammickite said...

I learned a few chords on a friends acoustic guitar back in the ancient folk music days of the 60s, but I didn't really have the talent, or eventually even the enthusiasm. So now I just play the radio.

Rock Chef said...

Abby - yes there is some amazing stuff out there!

Shammickite - I think it is something that either gets you or doesn't. I played lots from my teens into my early 20s, then more or less gave up until I was about 40...

terri said...

I'm amazed that you can modify your own guitar! Very cool!

I think you still look a lot like you did in your "rock star" days. Maybe rockers are onto something... they don't age! (Wait. That's not true for all. Keith Richards. Nuff said.)

Rock Chef said...

Terri - My wife "complains" that I don't age. Personally I like myself much more now than I used to, both in looks and as a person. If I was a bottle of wine, now would be the time to pop the cork :-)

agg79 said...

Great to hear more about your guitars. I am amazed how you have the skills/know how to modify Baby - don't know if I would have the stones to do it to my baby, but that is the sign of a true artiste.