Carl Bratcher, Musician, Artist, Writer, Dreamer
Musical Stuff
Just updated the CD list, don’t ask me what – I can’t remember the thirty or so I’d picked up since my last update, just did a cut and paste from the text file I keep the names in.
I should also add Edgar Froese’s – Aqua, Synergy’s – Electronic Realisations for Rock Orchestra and Tangerine Dream’s – Stratosfear to the LP list but I just couldn’t be bothered at the moment as I’m kernackered after finishing the item below – Adagio in G Minor, not as complex as I thought it was going to be and fun to do except when you get to the final mix *shudder*
Auctions used to be somewhere where you could go for a bit of a bargain, but not anymore – they’ve become places where people try to get retail or inflated prices depending on whether or not the item is new or “vintage”.
I regularly wander auction company listings looking for keyboards/synths but usually never see any so it’s back to eBay to troll the never ending shite and bullshit prices. Let’s look at say a Korg Kronos 88 – retail is around the $5,500 mark +/- a bit and what is eBay full of? Yep new Korg Kronos 88’s for that price. I’m confused, where is the bargain that an auction is supposed to bring, sure as hell not anywhere near advertisers of Korg Kronos’.
That’s the new stuff what about ‘vintage’ and I use the term loosely. Let’s look at ermm a Korg M1 there is one retailer/spammer on eBay who seems to think they’re worth a small fortune (or their ego is as inflated as their prices on all their stuff which is fucked up) as in $500 to $600+. My personal opinion on the M1 is one of “BLEH” if you want something like that get a T2EX, but I digress. Other sellers look on eBay to see how much they’re selling for, see this idiots pricing structure and follow suit – my response to that is “BAHAHAHA you cretins!” As far as I’m concerned a mint and I mean MINT M1 is worth no more than $350 as they aren’t a rare piece of kit, and if you don’t like my offer then piss off I’m not that fussed.
There was one there the other week that had a dead keybed, broken keys and a fading screen and they wanted $300 as a starter – give me a break sheesh.
It seems to me that if you put the words keyboard and synthesizer together people assume they’re on a winner – you know the type, find a cheezy Casio at a garage sale for ten bux, take it home, grab a few snaps and stick it on eBay for ten or twenty times the price when in reality the damn thing is a door stop, nothing more nothing less.
Ehh I’m bored now, rant over 😉
Knocked over another Cigar Box Guitar, Libro de los Muertos or The Book of the Dead.
Oak Neck, Fretted – dunno what the fretboard timber is, just scrap, but it burns well. Humbucker knicked from an Ibanez, volume knob from an early 70’s Kriesler stereo, DIY tailpiece with Fender type bits, leather strapping knicked from my old club vest.
Just waiting on the tailpiece timber cover to dry and tweak the frets and that is that 🙂 must admit the damn thing is loud!!
What with near to and 40+ degrees it’s been way too hot to spend time in the shed, but I’ve caught up a bit now it’s cooled down. The V-Star Embossed is ready for final assembly, the neck is black with a transparent black fretboard and ebony fret markers, you can see the internal pup assembly in the photo. This’ll be the first and last tin I use unless I can find a thicker one as this one was just that tad too thin.
Libro de los Muertos and Shovellin just need their necks and minor tweaking e.g. edge sanding and the speedo surround fitted and they’re ready to go too.
Yes, four 😉 Seeing as I had a stack of marine ply I cut it all to CBG size so now I’ve got masses of tops, bottoms, ends and sides, with that said I started on one, then another and another to the point where I ended up with five body’s ready to go. Discarded one as the more I looked at it the more I disliked it and have ended up with the four as shown in the pic.
They are as follows:
From LtoR Rock On’ – Three string acoustic, Libro de los Muertos or Book of the Dead for non-Spanish speakers – Three string semi acoustic with humbucker, V-Star Embossed (cheers Con) – Three string semi-acoustic, Shovellin’ – Three string acoustic oh and the Shovelhead engraving is off centre on purpose, I didn’t want the bridge to cover it.
All need final tweakin’ but not gunna say what to which one 😉
Decided to make the box and all with this one 😉 Talk about getting carried away. It’s got a three string Tasmanian Oak neck with Fender type tuners, just waiting on the neck glue to dry before final shaping – taking my time as I’m also waiting on brass corners for the box.
UPDATE 20th Jan: It’s finally finished – damn neck fought me like you wouldn’t believe.
It’s a 270mm long Montecristo box stripped of all paper and dyed Royal Blue, the neck has a 15 degree scarf joint and is dyed Plain White and the Fretboard is Chinese Red – all normal off the shelf powdered food dyes not the over the counter stupidly priced timber ones, it’s got a split pair of piezo’s in it, the tail piece and hinges are from a caravan mob, nut and bridge are cut down bolts.
Picked up three more records, I’ll get around to adding them to the list shortly (now done).
First is a 1957 press of Juanito Valderrama – Ole Flamenco
Second is Manitas de Plata – Flamenco the Spain of Manitas
Third is a WRC (approx 1971 press) of Stomu Yamash’ta – Percussion
