Nokton48
Veteran
No Money is Good. My Olde Boss always said "There is always a better deal down the road".
I buy parts and create partial projects, for as little as possible. Especially now this seems to me a very smart strategy. Stuff falls from the tree. During Covid I bought a lot of Sinar Stuff, nobody was doing much so it became a sub project.
I buy parts and create partial projects, for as little as possible. Especially now this seems to me a very smart strategy. Stuff falls from the tree. During Covid I bought a lot of Sinar Stuff, nobody was doing much so it became a sub project.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Devil Dan,
Good advice.
Thanks.
Cal
Good advice.
Thanks.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I’m in love with my assortment of tube amps. Pretty much tone heaven
I don’t like the Victoria though with just one tube to go low power. The sound to me gets thin in the bass. Woof tones in the bass if you play like me with heavy attack and big strings.
But with a pair of 6v6’s and a low voltage 5Y3 rectofier mucho great. Kinda has a tweed flavor, meaning lots of warm mids. Muy bueno.
The two new custom color guitars, the Strat and the Thinline, love the three amps currently set up in my studio. Does not get much better than this.
Had a lot of fun plugging in.
So my strength didn’t fade too much. Can still do 50 sloppy push ups in a set. My chest is puffy again.
Cal
I don’t like the Victoria though with just one tube to go low power. The sound to me gets thin in the bass. Woof tones in the bass if you play like me with heavy attack and big strings.
But with a pair of 6v6’s and a low voltage 5Y3 rectofier mucho great. Kinda has a tweed flavor, meaning lots of warm mids. Muy bueno.
The two new custom color guitars, the Strat and the Thinline, love the three amps currently set up in my studio. Does not get much better than this.
Had a lot of fun plugging in.
So my strength didn’t fade too much. Can still do 50 sloppy push ups in a set. My chest is puffy again.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The U.S. gets 28% of its motor vehicles from Japan. Since October there has been a surge of imports from Japan. Rueters reports that this is likely automobiles trying to get imported before tariffs are implemented.
Then I see that these are the many of the cars that the big three automakers in the U.S. don’t build. I’m talking compact cars and sub compact cars.
I bought a “last one” 8-hole Fender 50’s style Strat gold anodized pickguard for the blue Strat (Either Tiffany or Sonic Blue).
Hardware, bridge and tuners are no bottleneck…
I contacted Warmoth and added to my order to save on shipping. Ordered some nuts of which one will be another LSR roller nut for the baritone neck.
So things are moving right along.
I kinda learned that there is a limit to the Victoria Regal for me, but that limit is either a pair of 6v6’s or a pair of 6L6’s. To me Victoria builds beefier more durable mostly tweed Fender clones. Surely I could use other octal output tubes, but pretty much that really isn’t the Fender sound. At least the Fender sound I want to hear.
Cal
Then I see that these are the many of the cars that the big three automakers in the U.S. don’t build. I’m talking compact cars and sub compact cars.
I bought a “last one” 8-hole Fender 50’s style Strat gold anodized pickguard for the blue Strat (Either Tiffany or Sonic Blue).
Hardware, bridge and tuners are no bottleneck…
I contacted Warmoth and added to my order to save on shipping. Ordered some nuts of which one will be another LSR roller nut for the baritone neck.
So things are moving right along.
I kinda learned that there is a limit to the Victoria Regal for me, but that limit is either a pair of 6v6’s or a pair of 6L6’s. To me Victoria builds beefier more durable mostly tweed Fender clones. Surely I could use other octal output tubes, but pretty much that really isn’t the Fender sound. At least the Fender sound I want to hear.
Cal
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
No bike ride to work yesterday.
Got up as usual, morning routine, etc.
Checked the train schedule and the 7:04 train on the Doylestown line was cancelled. Turns out there was a fire at an aircraft parts manufacturer just two blocks away from a major hub/choke point on the regional rail. The fire led to an explosion (that's what happens when you pour water on burning aluminum and magnesium) which caused it to continue all day. There was an evacuation order within a few blocks and a shelter in place order for a mile radius.
Anyway, the trains were all stopped and there was no way I could get to work, and more importantly, no way I could get home.
The fire and its aftermath have closed three train stations in that mile radius, but they are back to a modified schedule.
So today I'm going to try to finish building my Miyata 610 in it's third iteration, as a medium touring bike, so I have something to use in case public transit has me stuck again. I think that was $300 lost. If I had started riding at 6:11 AM when I was heading out the door to 30th St station, I would have made it to work on time. Frozen, but on time. I can't be riding the fixed gear Rotrax path racer 22 miles, at least not at my current level of fitness. There's a 600 foot climb from the Schuylkill River up to Cheltenham, so I need the ability to shift. So today I'm hoping to finish the Miyata, my old faithful touring bike, just to be prepared.
Phil
Got up as usual, morning routine, etc.
Checked the train schedule and the 7:04 train on the Doylestown line was cancelled. Turns out there was a fire at an aircraft parts manufacturer just two blocks away from a major hub/choke point on the regional rail. The fire led to an explosion (that's what happens when you pour water on burning aluminum and magnesium) which caused it to continue all day. There was an evacuation order within a few blocks and a shelter in place order for a mile radius.
Anyway, the trains were all stopped and there was no way I could get to work, and more importantly, no way I could get home.
The fire and its aftermath have closed three train stations in that mile radius, but they are back to a modified schedule.
So today I'm going to try to finish building my Miyata 610 in it's third iteration, as a medium touring bike, so I have something to use in case public transit has me stuck again. I think that was $300 lost. If I had started riding at 6:11 AM when I was heading out the door to 30th St station, I would have made it to work on time. Frozen, but on time. I can't be riding the fixed gear Rotrax path racer 22 miles, at least not at my current level of fitness. There's a 600 foot climb from the Schuylkill River up to Cheltenham, so I need the ability to shift. So today I'm hoping to finish the Miyata, my old faithful touring bike, just to be prepared.
Phil
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
Go with the flow. That’s all we can do…
How steep is that 600 foot climb? Blue Mountain BTW has a 600 foot peak.
Always good to have a plan “B.”
Cal
Go with the flow. That’s all we can do…
How steep is that 600 foot climb? Blue Mountain BTW has a 600 foot peak.
Always good to have a plan “B.”
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Tariff talking placed the indexes in the red, but gold and oil are up as uncertainty is a concern.
Nikola the EV maker filed for bankruptcy/Chapter 11. Separately the other day Southwest Airlines announced 1750 senior management layoffs.
Slow motion is happening…
I feel the tightness in my upper body. I also feel the late day warmth in my body as my metabolism increases to rebuild tissue from the exercise. A certain glow of sorts that is consuming calories. I know my body.
Seems like an evolution is going on, it looks like my bladder has a capacity that is increasing. I have less urgent needs to pee, and when I do I’m surprised by the increase in volume. I feel less urgency, and there seems to be less leakage. Know that during the day I poop a lot, and this can aggravate the accidental leaking.
So I’m not really dealing with incontenence here, but leakages…
The report is that the grandson is a bit of a persona. With his mom and dad or sister, or in public he has a strut and an attitude. When alone with “Maggie” an me he is a good boy, but will his parents he is a bit of a hell-raiser.
He has natural rhythm and is a great dancer. I could name him “Hollywood” because he is that good looking.
He is a big pest to his sister who is now 10.
We will have the kids tomorrow. Will be interesting to see which of my guitars is his favorite. I think it is between the guitar known as “Worm” that is kinda beat up and is made of old barn wood, or the new Candy Apple Red Strat newly named as “Flash.”
Let’s see…
Cal
Nikola the EV maker filed for bankruptcy/Chapter 11. Separately the other day Southwest Airlines announced 1750 senior management layoffs.
Slow motion is happening…
I feel the tightness in my upper body. I also feel the late day warmth in my body as my metabolism increases to rebuild tissue from the exercise. A certain glow of sorts that is consuming calories. I know my body.
Seems like an evolution is going on, it looks like my bladder has a capacity that is increasing. I have less urgent needs to pee, and when I do I’m surprised by the increase in volume. I feel less urgency, and there seems to be less leakage. Know that during the day I poop a lot, and this can aggravate the accidental leaking.
So I’m not really dealing with incontenence here, but leakages…
The report is that the grandson is a bit of a persona. With his mom and dad or sister, or in public he has a strut and an attitude. When alone with “Maggie” an me he is a good boy, but will his parents he is a bit of a hell-raiser.
He has natural rhythm and is a great dancer. I could name him “Hollywood” because he is that good looking.
He is a big pest to his sister who is now 10.
We will have the kids tomorrow. Will be interesting to see which of my guitars is his favorite. I think it is between the guitar known as “Worm” that is kinda beat up and is made of old barn wood, or the new Candy Apple Red Strat newly named as “Flash.”
Let’s see…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I’m following Devil Dan’s advice and am thinking about going the saving money, which is different than “cheaping-out.”
Cheaping-out often leads to remorse and at times later upgrades. I try to buy things in a “one-and done” manner so that actually less is more, and to kinda future proof possessions so they have a long-term future.
So with that in mind the idea of perhaps building out a Strat hardtail, meaning a Strat without a “Tremolo” makes a lot of sense. I have a vintage Strat Callahan hardtail bridge on hand and in house. A new Callahan tremolo bridge is mucho expensive, and the “Flash” already is a Strat with a Trem.
A hardtail generally is a lighter in weight Strat because of the lack of steel inertia block. The strings mount through the body like Tele, so pretty much it has a Tele like vibe, the tone has more of an attack, and hardtails also sustain more and have less decay.
Pretty much a hardtail is a different animal…
So the baritone neck has Arizona Turquoise inlays/position markers, and needs a blue bodied guitar. The Sonic Blue Thinline fits the ticket, although if I secure the body known as “Tiffany” it would be mucho cooler, but that auction is about 5-days from now.
Meanwhile later this afternoon a black Strat hardtail is being auctioned just after lunch. The gold anodized pickguard would look great on this Strat. Hmmm…
Then the surplus neck off the Sonic Blue Thinline could get recycled to the 2-tone alder burst Tele that will be deliver either today or tomorrow.
The Thinline would become the baritone guitar; Sonic Blue body (a light baby-blue); turquoise inlays.
So let’s see how destiny plays out…
Cal
Cheaping-out often leads to remorse and at times later upgrades. I try to buy things in a “one-and done” manner so that actually less is more, and to kinda future proof possessions so they have a long-term future.
So with that in mind the idea of perhaps building out a Strat hardtail, meaning a Strat without a “Tremolo” makes a lot of sense. I have a vintage Strat Callahan hardtail bridge on hand and in house. A new Callahan tremolo bridge is mucho expensive, and the “Flash” already is a Strat with a Trem.
A hardtail generally is a lighter in weight Strat because of the lack of steel inertia block. The strings mount through the body like Tele, so pretty much it has a Tele like vibe, the tone has more of an attack, and hardtails also sustain more and have less decay.
Pretty much a hardtail is a different animal…
So the baritone neck has Arizona Turquoise inlays/position markers, and needs a blue bodied guitar. The Sonic Blue Thinline fits the ticket, although if I secure the body known as “Tiffany” it would be mucho cooler, but that auction is about 5-days from now.
Meanwhile later this afternoon a black Strat hardtail is being auctioned just after lunch. The gold anodized pickguard would look great on this Strat. Hmmm…
Then the surplus neck off the Sonic Blue Thinline could get recycled to the 2-tone alder burst Tele that will be deliver either today or tomorrow.
The Thinline would become the baritone guitar; Sonic Blue body (a light baby-blue); turquoise inlays.
So let’s see how destiny plays out…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Devil Dan’s advice paid off. It made me rethink things.
So I am the owner of a lightweight black Strat hardtail body, that will utilize a bridge I have on hand and in house. This will save money
Bonus is that this body only weighs 3 pounds 11 ounces, and because of no inertia block I expect it to be about 7 pound Strat or maybe under.
The initial bid was $275.00 and that’s what I paid. Add in the tax and shipping and it adds up to be $325.00. Oh-well…
So I like the idea of a hardtail, the likely total half pound or more in weight savings is a big bonus, that held a $25.00 surcharge on the initial bid. Oh-well, I’d pay for this anyday.
There is a great amount of missing paint on the forearm contour and a generous amount of edge chipping to make the body look like it has decades of abuse/wear. The gold anodized 50’s era pickguard will be an eye-popper.
So looks like the baritone neck will go on the sonic blue Thineline. The bonus here is that the roasted maple neck with rosewood fingerboard will get recycled to the 2-tone burst body that now will be delivered this Saturday.
Cal
So I am the owner of a lightweight black Strat hardtail body, that will utilize a bridge I have on hand and in house. This will save money
Bonus is that this body only weighs 3 pounds 11 ounces, and because of no inertia block I expect it to be about 7 pound Strat or maybe under.
The initial bid was $275.00 and that’s what I paid. Add in the tax and shipping and it adds up to be $325.00. Oh-well…
So I like the idea of a hardtail, the likely total half pound or more in weight savings is a big bonus, that held a $25.00 surcharge on the initial bid. Oh-well, I’d pay for this anyday.
There is a great amount of missing paint on the forearm contour and a generous amount of edge chipping to make the body look like it has decades of abuse/wear. The gold anodized 50’s era pickguard will be an eye-popper.
So looks like the baritone neck will go on the sonic blue Thineline. The bonus here is that the roasted maple neck with rosewood fingerboard will get recycled to the 2-tone burst body that now will be delivered this Saturday.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The Economic Boycott dates for “No-Buy” are: February 28th; and now April 18th.
Just like I thought: a monthly event.
Not so hard to at least show unity. Then there are separate economic boycotts that target some companies during certain weeks.
A new form of economic protest and democracy is forming, and it exploits capitalism.
*****************
Took a ride to do some shopping and get more bird feed. We don’t mind the ride up past Fishkill to Wappanger. Adam’s Fair Acres has great whole bean coffee, and we were critically low.
$8.00 a dozen for Jumbo eggs. Ouch…
I enjoyed coffee and had no bladder issues or leakage. This is another rather dramatic advancement. I wonder if this is because I started doing strength exercises. Hmmm…
If tariffs on cars is more than bluster it will be big trouble. Food from Mexico if tariffed is another big problem. Still the markets are “La-La-La…”
When will the music stop? Pretty much it is like a child’s game of “Musical Chairs.”
From my view the FED and Powell are propping up the stock markets. Pretty much I expect eventually a “Trap-Door” effect, then a “look out below” moment where things are good, until they are not.
La-La-La, will be followed by a reality check, then the oh-well moment.
Then a slow-motion economy with likely stagflation. Dumb Americans voted for this…
Cal
Just like I thought: a monthly event.
Not so hard to at least show unity. Then there are separate economic boycotts that target some companies during certain weeks.
A new form of economic protest and democracy is forming, and it exploits capitalism.
*****************
Took a ride to do some shopping and get more bird feed. We don’t mind the ride up past Fishkill to Wappanger. Adam’s Fair Acres has great whole bean coffee, and we were critically low.
$8.00 a dozen for Jumbo eggs. Ouch…
I enjoyed coffee and had no bladder issues or leakage. This is another rather dramatic advancement. I wonder if this is because I started doing strength exercises. Hmmm…
If tariffs on cars is more than bluster it will be big trouble. Food from Mexico if tariffed is another big problem. Still the markets are “La-La-La…”
When will the music stop? Pretty much it is like a child’s game of “Musical Chairs.”
From my view the FED and Powell are propping up the stock markets. Pretty much I expect eventually a “Trap-Door” effect, then a “look out below” moment where things are good, until they are not.
La-La-La, will be followed by a reality check, then the oh-well moment.
Then a slow-motion economy with likely stagflation. Dumb Americans voted for this…
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Looks like Monday’s late afternoon has three Strat auctions going on in the same envelope. One of these is the esteemed “Tiffany.” Hmmm.
Well nothing wrong with securing a hardtail today. I have a need for one. I’m pleased that I bought it with just the opening bid. It certainly will be a cool Strat.
The other two Strats being auctioned Monday in the same envelope are both red, and both are lighter than Tiffany by either 4 ounces or 5 ounces. Tiffany weighs 4 pounds even, but the other two weigh 3 pounds 11 ounces, and 3 pounds 12 ounces.
4-5 ounces is a big deal. Around 4 pounds to 4 1/4 pounds is about average for a Strat made of alder.
50’s Swamp Ash can have bodies around 3 pounds, so an assembled 50’s Strat can weigh in at around 6 pounds.
So the point here is that weight matters a lot and can have an emphasis of greater interest for bodies under 4 pounds.
So perhaps Tiffany will have little interest, and maybe I could snag it for the opening bid like I did for the black hardtail today.
I also suspect that Tiffany might not be so interesting, not only because of her moderate weight, but because she is a non standard Fender Custom Color. Pretty much a bit of a strange oddity, but that kinda is my style. Likely too bold a statement for many, and likely too outside the box.
To be critical, most Americans are “Extra-Medium.”
I would try to buy Tiffany because I happen to think the sonic blue Tele Thinline is a truely nice guitar. It would be great to keep the Thinline together as is. The concept of Tiffany endures and still makes sense.
Three very different Strats is not a lot… Especially for a serious player.
Also tomorrow I’ll ask the grandson which is his favorite guitar. I kinda think he will pick “Flash,” and that means one day when he is older I will likely gift him that guitar.
So anyways I’m diseased…
Cal
Well nothing wrong with securing a hardtail today. I have a need for one. I’m pleased that I bought it with just the opening bid. It certainly will be a cool Strat.
The other two Strats being auctioned Monday in the same envelope are both red, and both are lighter than Tiffany by either 4 ounces or 5 ounces. Tiffany weighs 4 pounds even, but the other two weigh 3 pounds 11 ounces, and 3 pounds 12 ounces.
4-5 ounces is a big deal. Around 4 pounds to 4 1/4 pounds is about average for a Strat made of alder.
50’s Swamp Ash can have bodies around 3 pounds, so an assembled 50’s Strat can weigh in at around 6 pounds.
So the point here is that weight matters a lot and can have an emphasis of greater interest for bodies under 4 pounds.
So perhaps Tiffany will have little interest, and maybe I could snag it for the opening bid like I did for the black hardtail today.
I also suspect that Tiffany might not be so interesting, not only because of her moderate weight, but because she is a non standard Fender Custom Color. Pretty much a bit of a strange oddity, but that kinda is my style. Likely too bold a statement for many, and likely too outside the box.
To be critical, most Americans are “Extra-Medium.”
I would try to buy Tiffany because I happen to think the sonic blue Tele Thinline is a truely nice guitar. It would be great to keep the Thinline together as is. The concept of Tiffany endures and still makes sense.
Three very different Strats is not a lot… Especially for a serious player.
Also tomorrow I’ll ask the grandson which is his favorite guitar. I kinda think he will pick “Flash,” and that means one day when he is older I will likely gift him that guitar.
So anyways I’m diseased…
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I think my over hydration is a kinda workout for my bladder. Also some moderate coffee abuse is kinda like strength training for the bladder.
Know that after a prostate surgery it is recommended t refrain from drinking coffee because it irritates the bladder, but now it seems I’m past that point, and I see coffee has been and is now a great form of physical therapy, at least for me…
Then there is my strength training… that seems to have tightened everything up.
At night I am warmer in bed because my body is expending a lot of calories rebuilding muscle. I have had to shed the T-shirt that I tend to wear as a layer. Now I sleep bare chested.
So anyways rather big advantaces. Generally during the day active bowels generally lead to leakages, but today I’m high and dry.
Also I can pee like a race horse. Kinda like I have a rebuilt pressure washer. Seems like I have new pipes.
Separately my friend Craig called. We talked and I gave him the update, but also we talked about the 4-quarter 12 inch wide fir planks he is almost gifting me.
This lumber will be used for building two sets of 8x8 carriage house doors for my garage.
Lots of value added here. Then I have this construction pressure treated Timbers from the natural gas contractor that gifted me 4 post over 8 feet long.
I’m kinda excited.
Cal
Know that after a prostate surgery it is recommended t refrain from drinking coffee because it irritates the bladder, but now it seems I’m past that point, and I see coffee has been and is now a great form of physical therapy, at least for me…
Then there is my strength training… that seems to have tightened everything up.
At night I am warmer in bed because my body is expending a lot of calories rebuilding muscle. I have had to shed the T-shirt that I tend to wear as a layer. Now I sleep bare chested.
So anyways rather big advantaces. Generally during the day active bowels generally lead to leakages, but today I’m high and dry.
Also I can pee like a race horse. Kinda like I have a rebuilt pressure washer. Seems like I have new pipes.
Separately my friend Craig called. We talked and I gave him the update, but also we talked about the 4-quarter 12 inch wide fir planks he is almost gifting me.
This lumber will be used for building two sets of 8x8 carriage house doors for my garage.
Lots of value added here. Then I have this construction pressure treated Timbers from the natural gas contractor that gifted me 4 post over 8 feet long.
I’m kinda excited.
Cal
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
As per MFM’s recommendation some trees that could damage the house need to get removed from the kid’s new home. Looks like a closing date is sometime in mid April.
My friend Craig is a college educated tree surgeon, and at age 70 still works. He will see if he wants or can do the job. Also the wood chips don’t need to be carted away, and since the kid’s have a wood burning stove in the new house they will keep the wood for fuel.
Then if I help and the husband helps with the clean up, a lowered fee can be had. Also know that Craig is an old high school friend of “Maggie’s.”
One day I was rounding up logs along Reynold’s Hills, alongside the then abandoned house, as a free harvest of clean fill for down the slope.
This guy in a pickup truck stoped to see if I need help, and he also I guess was curious why a skinny old man was using a garden cart to move hundred pounds logs that were long.
I explained that I’m just rounding up clean fill and invited him to see the slope I was remediating. He asked me if I could use brush and wood clippings from his landscaping and tree surgery, and I said, “Sure.”
So this is how I met Craig. I was just minding my own business. It was abou a year or so later in a phone conversation with Maggie’s brother that I mentioned my friend Craig, and Maggie’s brother asked if his last name was XXXX, and it was then the gap in 5 degrees of freedom closed in.
Then I told Maggie.
So maybe I was friends with Craig for about or close to 2 years. In fact Maggie’s best friend from high school was kinda engaged or almost married Craig. We had Chris and Craig over for a lunch, and it was like a high school reunion.
So kinda crazy.
So this 4-quarter Fir is worth mucho money. I had priced some 7 inch wide reclaimed fir that maybe was 7/8 or 3/4 inch thick from Dain’s the oldest lumber yard in Westchester that dates back to the 1880’s, and it was $12.00 a board foot.
Craig offered me his 4-quarter (1 inch thick) for $1.00 a foot. Pretty much a giveaway price. This also is old growth seasoned wood. Not sure you can get wood like this anymore. This is not reclaimed wood, 1 foot wide planks all longer than 8 feet.
So talk about treasure. I’m thinking of buying router and adding a channel to run a strip of 1/4x1 to float between the seams. I would only need 4 boards to creat a 4x8 door.
Know that my garage has 8x8 doors, while many or most garages have 8 by 7 foot high garage doors.
I expect a lot of curb appeal and value added to our 1912 Baby Victorian. Mighty cool.
All sweat equity…
I’ll also will strip and replace the hip roof on the garage.
Cal
My friend Craig is a college educated tree surgeon, and at age 70 still works. He will see if he wants or can do the job. Also the wood chips don’t need to be carted away, and since the kid’s have a wood burning stove in the new house they will keep the wood for fuel.
Then if I help and the husband helps with the clean up, a lowered fee can be had. Also know that Craig is an old high school friend of “Maggie’s.”
One day I was rounding up logs along Reynold’s Hills, alongside the then abandoned house, as a free harvest of clean fill for down the slope.
This guy in a pickup truck stoped to see if I need help, and he also I guess was curious why a skinny old man was using a garden cart to move hundred pounds logs that were long.
I explained that I’m just rounding up clean fill and invited him to see the slope I was remediating. He asked me if I could use brush and wood clippings from his landscaping and tree surgery, and I said, “Sure.”
So this is how I met Craig. I was just minding my own business. It was abou a year or so later in a phone conversation with Maggie’s brother that I mentioned my friend Craig, and Maggie’s brother asked if his last name was XXXX, and it was then the gap in 5 degrees of freedom closed in.
Then I told Maggie.
So maybe I was friends with Craig for about or close to 2 years. In fact Maggie’s best friend from high school was kinda engaged or almost married Craig. We had Chris and Craig over for a lunch, and it was like a high school reunion.
So kinda crazy.
So this 4-quarter Fir is worth mucho money. I had priced some 7 inch wide reclaimed fir that maybe was 7/8 or 3/4 inch thick from Dain’s the oldest lumber yard in Westchester that dates back to the 1880’s, and it was $12.00 a board foot.
Craig offered me his 4-quarter (1 inch thick) for $1.00 a foot. Pretty much a giveaway price. This also is old growth seasoned wood. Not sure you can get wood like this anymore. This is not reclaimed wood, 1 foot wide planks all longer than 8 feet.
So talk about treasure. I’m thinking of buying router and adding a channel to run a strip of 1/4x1 to float between the seams. I would only need 4 boards to creat a 4x8 door.
Know that my garage has 8x8 doors, while many or most garages have 8 by 7 foot high garage doors.
I expect a lot of curb appeal and value added to our 1912 Baby Victorian. Mighty cool.
All sweat equity…
I’ll also will strip and replace the hip roof on the garage.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The baritone neck has been fretted, and along with the other small parts I ordered now has a shipping label. No estimated deliver yet, but I’m mucho excited.
The roasting of maple makes it turn a kinda amber, and this neck had mucho bird’s eye as figure. The fingerboard is maple, so for longevity I upgraded to stainless steel frets that basically are one and done. The SS frets arguably add some brightness, but on an alder guitar perhaps not a bad thing and maybe an asset, especially if you use heavy gauge strings like I do.
So I have a lot of things going on. I’m a pretty great at project management. Kinda goal oriented as well as detailed oriented.
All good.
Cal
The roasting of maple makes it turn a kinda amber, and this neck had mucho bird’s eye as figure. The fingerboard is maple, so for longevity I upgraded to stainless steel frets that basically are one and done. The SS frets arguably add some brightness, but on an alder guitar perhaps not a bad thing and maybe an asset, especially if you use heavy gauge strings like I do.
So I have a lot of things going on. I’m a pretty great at project management. Kinda goal oriented as well as detailed oriented.
All good.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The Sonic Blue Thinline is a great guitar as is. Can’t really bare to convert it to a baritone, something would get lost.
So I need another blue bodied guitar, either Tele or Strat…
Last night I practiced on the Strat and also the Thinline. No favorite, both great.
Every day I feel a tautness in my body from just a little strength training. I’m easing into it, but maybe I need to ramp it up to max sets. I have been easing into it…
Today the grandkids in the afternoon. The granddaughter at age ten is already a teenager of sorts. She got accepted into a private school that will be great for her.
Let’s see if the grandson will be a good boy today.
Cal
So I need another blue bodied guitar, either Tele or Strat…
Last night I practiced on the Strat and also the Thinline. No favorite, both great.
Every day I feel a tautness in my body from just a little strength training. I’m easing into it, but maybe I need to ramp it up to max sets. I have been easing into it…
Today the grandkids in the afternoon. The granddaughter at age ten is already a teenager of sorts. She got accepted into a private school that will be great for her.
Let’s see if the grandson will be a good boy today.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Seems like a destiny playing out where things are just falling in place and all I do is go with the flow.
I’m really excited about having a hardtail Strat and pretty much the spinoff of making it and building it out as a blues guitar. The hardtail has more sustain and a sharper attack than a Strat with a tremolo.
My feeling is that the tremolo Strats soften the attack and then introduce this spongy reverb that is well suited for my Jazz playing.
A hardtail Strat though is a step more towards a Tele in expression, and is kinda more pure and raw at the same time.
So how did it happen that a set of 1959 Tone Specific pickups kinda falls from heaven into my lap? Divine intervention, or just more pure luck?
Anyways going with the flow… I’ll see where this is going, but something big is evolving between Tele’s, Strats, and my 50’s early 60’s vibe amps for plug and play.
Seems a remarkable roll…
Cal
I’m really excited about having a hardtail Strat and pretty much the spinoff of making it and building it out as a blues guitar. The hardtail has more sustain and a sharper attack than a Strat with a tremolo.
My feeling is that the tremolo Strats soften the attack and then introduce this spongy reverb that is well suited for my Jazz playing.
A hardtail Strat though is a step more towards a Tele in expression, and is kinda more pure and raw at the same time.
So how did it happen that a set of 1959 Tone Specific pickups kinda falls from heaven into my lap? Divine intervention, or just more pure luck?
Anyways going with the flow… I’ll see where this is going, but something big is evolving between Tele’s, Strats, and my 50’s early 60’s vibe amps for plug and play.
Seems a remarkable roll…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
A notion came to mind that I would like to share. Part of me is a bit reckless, or crazy, but I believe that is just being passionate.
I think of a few things that have proven I am a man of passion and not “Extra-Medium.”
There were the NYC Meet-Ups that at times went way over the top. Things like a surprise flash mob, or any of the Camera Beauty Pagents. All kinda epic…
Then one year I decided to print digitally, and I drank the Piezography Cool-Aid and bought $10K worth of paper and ink to decidedly become somewhat a master printer in a specialized manner concentrating only on B&W.
So now a new challenge of learning to read music, play Jazz, and become a solo musician. Not an easy task, and perhaps one that could last the rest of my life as a pursuit.
I have to acknowledge an influential man who kinda changed my life. Dr. Ken MacIntire kinda profiled me and taught me a powerful lesson about life, creativity, and how to live and experience life fully, and that was to embrace passion and go all the way.
No “Extra-Medium” or fooling around if you really want to live, experience, or life your life passionately.
Of course there are costs of time, money and isolation. It is a kinda lonely place to exist when you are surrounded by extra-medium. Life and surviving is difficult by itself.
So here I am living in retirement in a stable situation that I earned and accumulated over time. Perhaps only about a third of Americans get to this destination or place.
All I can say is I’m not wasting the opportunity to pursue passion, and in my small way, go all the way.
So pretty much this certainly is the path I am on.
Cal
I think of a few things that have proven I am a man of passion and not “Extra-Medium.”
There were the NYC Meet-Ups that at times went way over the top. Things like a surprise flash mob, or any of the Camera Beauty Pagents. All kinda epic…
Then one year I decided to print digitally, and I drank the Piezography Cool-Aid and bought $10K worth of paper and ink to decidedly become somewhat a master printer in a specialized manner concentrating only on B&W.
So now a new challenge of learning to read music, play Jazz, and become a solo musician. Not an easy task, and perhaps one that could last the rest of my life as a pursuit.
I have to acknowledge an influential man who kinda changed my life. Dr. Ken MacIntire kinda profiled me and taught me a powerful lesson about life, creativity, and how to live and experience life fully, and that was to embrace passion and go all the way.
No “Extra-Medium” or fooling around if you really want to live, experience, or life your life passionately.
Of course there are costs of time, money and isolation. It is a kinda lonely place to exist when you are surrounded by extra-medium. Life and surviving is difficult by itself.
So here I am living in retirement in a stable situation that I earned and accumulated over time. Perhaps only about a third of Americans get to this destination or place.
All I can say is I’m not wasting the opportunity to pursue passion, and in my small way, go all the way.
So pretty much this certainly is the path I am on.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I secured the set of 1959 “Blues” Tone Specific pickups for my black Strat hardtail. Shipping and tax adds up, but oh-well…
Some deliveries will be coming this Saturday. One is the black Strat body. 3 pounds 11 ounces and will likely be under 7 pounds assembled I hope. A lightweight Strat would be a great asset. Know that Tele’s generally weigh less than Strats with Tremolo’s.
I decided to go with a single ply white pickguard that has only 8 screw-holes. This is kinda 1954-mid 1959 era Strat. The pickups are 1959 where they migrated to more powerful Alnico 5 magnets. Pickguards are plastic and are about half the price of the gold anodized I seem to favor, but too much of a good thing gets boring.
I’ll order a roasted maple vintage style neck, but I’ll add a Madagascar ebony fingerboard which kinda has the edgy hardness of maple, but has some brown blended in to resemble rosewood that would be period correct. My research revealed that roasted maple necks while very stable, the brittleness makes them impossible or very difficult to refret if they have a roasted maple fingerboard. Oh-well…
Pretty much ebony has that hardness and brightness of maple, but will allow easy refret for one-and done durability. I also think the look will be good. In 1959 Fender introduced rosewood fingerboards on some of their guitars. 1959 marks a transitional time and era for a Strat, and I’m not only honoring it, I’m also exploiting it.
So I’m going all the way… Take note of the OCD behavior… In my case it is adding focus.
I can slow down. No need to build out everything all a once and there is no sense of urgency…
Cal
Some deliveries will be coming this Saturday. One is the black Strat body. 3 pounds 11 ounces and will likely be under 7 pounds assembled I hope. A lightweight Strat would be a great asset. Know that Tele’s generally weigh less than Strats with Tremolo’s.
I decided to go with a single ply white pickguard that has only 8 screw-holes. This is kinda 1954-mid 1959 era Strat. The pickups are 1959 where they migrated to more powerful Alnico 5 magnets. Pickguards are plastic and are about half the price of the gold anodized I seem to favor, but too much of a good thing gets boring.
I’ll order a roasted maple vintage style neck, but I’ll add a Madagascar ebony fingerboard which kinda has the edgy hardness of maple, but has some brown blended in to resemble rosewood that would be period correct. My research revealed that roasted maple necks while very stable, the brittleness makes them impossible or very difficult to refret if they have a roasted maple fingerboard. Oh-well…
Pretty much ebony has that hardness and brightness of maple, but will allow easy refret for one-and done durability. I also think the look will be good. In 1959 Fender introduced rosewood fingerboards on some of their guitars. 1959 marks a transitional time and era for a Strat, and I’m not only honoring it, I’m also exploiting it.
So I’m going all the way… Take note of the OCD behavior… In my case it is adding focus.
I can slow down. No need to build out everything all a once and there is no sense of urgency…
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
So at this point any leakage is usually due to bowel activity. This is generally concentrated in the morning, and I tend to have to evacuate several times.
Oh-well. Just an update. Know that I’m kinda advanced here with my bladder control. Generally it takes 3-6 months to overcome incontenance.
Cal
Oh-well. Just an update. Know that I’m kinda advanced here with my bladder control. Generally it takes 3-6 months to overcome incontenance.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
A red screen for the indexes, while gold and oil remain in the green.
Walmart is reporting a loss, the first in three years. So I’m not a Walmart shopper, but the cheap imported goods from China spells mucho trouble for China. Evidently the “Walmart-Crowd” a marginalized group that buys cheap goods is already retrenching.
The slow motion slowdown is moving forward like an iceberg.
Meanwhile the fired FED workers is said not to be recorded yet in the unemployment numbers. Remember how I mentioned 400K as a tipping point in new unemployment claims as a signifier of a recession.
I discounted that accuracy because of the GIG economy, but now that 400K seems relevant again…
Look out below. I think the Walmart report is a bit of a tipping point where a slowdown and a downturn is becoming evident. Remember the “trap-door” moment? This might be it, or it is the beginning of a cascade to fully indicate a downturn.
“Look out below,” I say…
Cal
Walmart is reporting a loss, the first in three years. So I’m not a Walmart shopper, but the cheap imported goods from China spells mucho trouble for China. Evidently the “Walmart-Crowd” a marginalized group that buys cheap goods is already retrenching.
The slow motion slowdown is moving forward like an iceberg.
Meanwhile the fired FED workers is said not to be recorded yet in the unemployment numbers. Remember how I mentioned 400K as a tipping point in new unemployment claims as a signifier of a recession.
I discounted that accuracy because of the GIG economy, but now that 400K seems relevant again…
Look out below. I think the Walmart report is a bit of a tipping point where a slowdown and a downturn is becoming evident. Remember the “trap-door” moment? This might be it, or it is the beginning of a cascade to fully indicate a downturn.
“Look out below,” I say…
Cal