A start, at last!

Today is the day! Time for the pictures.

This one is a Canadian Odyssey, made in Vancouver in the 70's.
I have started with this one, as it is one of my favourites and I have family in Vancouver.
Seems like a good place to start.

This is a really nice instrument that just does everything I want it to.
It balances nicely and has a very "Punchy" sound, which I like.
I often describe my favourite bass sound as "BOWWW", as opposed to "Wump" or "Thud"
Weird but it makes sense to me.
Two DiMarzio Precision pick-ups provide lots of BOWWW.


If you have a look here, there are a lot of details about Atilla Balogh and his Company.
Odyssey
















Canadian Craftsmanship, at it's finest.

That's all for now.
Next time. . . . perhaps one of the many Peavey basses I have.

:)

Time for an update. . . .

Time is flying by, almost half the year gone, so I thought I had better
get back to this before another month goes by.

The "Whole Collection" thing is still bubbling under but it is going in the
right direction, some great stuff in there and some not so great but still
interesting, all the same.

I have been managing to play some instruments that I haven't played
for ages and am now making plans to start photographing them, ready
for listing.
So, sit tight and you never know, something might happen before
another month goes by.
So for the time being, I leave you with one of my favourites.
Gigged this a couple of weeks ago.
Just Great.

Keyboards killed the Guitar Stars!

With the advent of all the keyboard/synth bands of the late early
80's, Ultravox -Vienna, Soft Cell - Tainted love, Depeche Mode
Just can't get enough, etc there was a shift from guitar based music
to keyboards.
All sorts of gear came into the shop for sale. Muso came in, did a
deal and shot off with the cash to "go keyboard"
Because of this we ended up with a lot of stuff, that is nowadays
called Vintage and Rare but was then called something that's been
around the block a few times and could be sold to raise some £$£$£$.
If I'd have known then. . . . . . . :(
To give you an example of this, I bought a 1962 Gibson EBO for. . . . . .
£72.00!!!!!! To make this even more laughable, I hadn't used it for
sometime by the later 80's and was was told by a shop that "there
was no call for them and he would offer me £150.00.
Well, at least I would have doubled my money but I thought better
of it and still have it today.
I had a Hofner Verithin. . . . . £60.00!! Sold that along with many
others, around the same sort of time.

I was going through some old guitar magazines, the other day and
it made some very interesting reading.
I shall get round to scanning some of them in, so anyone who may
read this can cry into their beer, of a Friday night.
How things have changed!
:)

Back to the story. . .

I needed some components for the new guitar and headed

off into town.

I called in at a new shop, told them what I was after and

placed the order.

I then spent the next two hours drinking coffee and talking

to one of the owners, until I realised I had to get back home

and left, thanking him for the coffee and the chat.

It was a couple of weeks before I went back and when I did

I was greeted very warmly.

During my previous conversation, I explained about my

fascination with guitars and some of the things that I had done.

It turned out that they had taken in a couple of minor repair

jobs, hoping I would be able to help.

I was given free use of the workshop, with the promise of a

Chinese meal for my efforts.

Somehow, by accepting the meal I had now joined the team!

Saturdays, for some time, were going to be different and in

only a couple of months, it would be week days as well.

These week days were long days - 12 hours a day, six days a week
and this is where I worked in the late 70's, and where a lot of my early
experience and knowledge of guitars came from.
Yes, we worked 72 hours a week, with the odd day off to do other stuff
but I was always very keen to get back to the shop.
I got to meet a lot of characters in those days and saw a lot of talented
youngsters strike up with Smoke on the water, Stairway to heaven and
half a dozen other tunes that used to ring around the shop.
If anyone out there has a dream job, they will understand how I felt
everyday.
I walked through the door and into an Aladdin's Cave -
turn the lights on, answer machine checked and coffee made.
Turn on a couple of amps, grab a few pedals and reach out to the wall
for the desired instrument.

Now I'm going from memory and it was a very long time ago but on
any given day, the selection could be an Ibanez Jazz Guitar,
CSL Les Paul, Gibson L6S, Les Paul Junior, an Antigua Strat,
all sorts of stuff.
On the other side of the room, the basses.
A Guild B301, a Shergold/Hayman, bit of slapping on a
Fender Jazz and then it was time to get down to the business of
selling something.

Happy days!

"We interupt this story!"

I had intended to detail the story in the order it happened
but something has taken my eye off the ball, so I thought
I would have an intermission. :)


As a player, I have my favourite instruments but as a collector
I am, I guess, similar to a cigarette card collector, or any other
type of collector, for that matter - always interested in the next
item that may come along.

I have managed to find some really great and iteresting things,
including some unique intruments, like this Peter Cook Twin Neck,
being posed with Del Bromham, from Stray.



Del had one of these years ago and I believe there are only two of
them in existance.

Well, to cut a long story short, I have been offered a pack of
unusual cigarette cards, so to speak, in the form of a collection
- the whole thing.

I am quite excited by the offer and am looking forward to
seeing it in the flesh.

Time will tell.

Time passes. . . .

I had the Sumbro for about 3 years and as I had something

half decent, I found that I could do a swap with someone for

a week, which lead me down all sorts of paths.

I remember that the first Telecaster guitar I borrowed, was a

"Jedson" and it was completely different to what I had got

used to with the Sumbro.

After a week, this went back and I then went looking for

another swap.

I can't remember all the swaps. I do, however, remember

a "CSL" Gold Top Les Paul, which was stunning to look at

and seemed to me to have a lot more poke than mine.

There was also an old "Burns" that I had for a short while

but thought at the time it felt a bit dated and couldn't get

on with it.

By this time, I had done all sorts of things to various guitars

and had several given to me to improve or alter them.

I had now learned a lot more and memories of the first incident

with the file, started to fade a little.

I had also started building a guitar, using acquired parts and

a neck, mated to a body that I had made from ash.

Not long after that project, I was asked to make one for a friend

and there the story takes a dramatic turn.

The Story Continues. . . .

The story continues from last year. . . . .
What followed was a sucsession of "planks", mostly from
second hand shops, that were my victims for the next few
months, selling ones that I had done to fund getting another one.

Myself and three other friends were in a band at the time,
loads of enthusiasm but not much skill. It was during this time
that I was introduced to democracy.

"You can play the bass". Oh well, two less strings to worry about.

It was at this time that my dad and me decided to make a bass.
Boy was that a learning curve!
It was very crude and our attempts to calculate fret postions
weren't that accurate. The neck, with no truss rod, was best
described as erm, "Chunky" - a little on the thick side.

It did, however, play and this did the trick for a while.

I managed to persuede someone I knew, that the "Kay" or
Teisco bass he had was not for him, as he was better
on guitar.
I bought the bass and took it home for some of my
special treatment!

Over time, we all got better and thoroughly enjoyed getting
together to practice.

After about six months, we had a change around and I ended
up on guitar and the bass was handed over to my friend.

At this time I yearned for something better and during trips
into town, would stare into the windows of the local
music shops, dreaming!

This desire grew even greater when our bass player arrived
with a brand new bass!

It was an "Ibanez" Ric copy, thru-neck and was absolutely
georgeous.

I just had to have that black Les Paul copy, the one I had
been looking at for weeks.

At the time, it seemed like ages but I guess was only a few
weeks after the unveiling of the Ibanez, that I went into
town with my dad.

Now, I don't remember hounding him to get me this thing
of beauty but when I asked if we could drop by the music
shop, he said yes.

Anyone who remembers this experience, will know what I mean.

We walked in, I went straight to it and just stood there.

A black "Sumbro" Les Paul copy, it all it's glory.
"Do fancy a go", came from behind me, "I'll get it down for you".
The salesman lifted off the wall and handed it to me.

My palms began to sweat as he plugged it in and although
I could play at the time, all I had learned just vanished.
I sat there, fumbling up and down the board, two people
looking at me and it just was all going wrong.

The kind salesman said "it'll take a bit of getting used to"
which I took as "it suits you, buy it".

You cannot imagine my surprise when my dad said "do you
want that one"?

The rest of the transaction was just a blur and the next thing I
recall is being at home, in my bedroom - lead plugged into the
amp, here we go.

The next hour was electric, literally - my first real guitar,
plugged in and sounding so good.

I was Joe Walsh, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page,
Peter Frampton - in reality a very poor attempt at the heroes
of the time but I didn't care!

Didn't get much sleep that night!!!

This was the start of a life-long love of guitars.
Their looks, sounds, colours, switches, knobs, bridges,
anything connected with them, was of great facination.

The collection had begun!

A long time has passed!

Today I decided to re-visit my blog, as I started it some time ago and have been sort of distracted for a while. A lot going on and I have found myself logging on to several guitar based forums, when I have moments to spare - mainly first thing and at lunch.
So, lunch will now be blog time for at least a couple of days a week.
If anyone actually starts to read this.. . . . .Say Hi!

Here is a pic to keep the ball rolling. :)



Cheers.