music shop shopping

In comfort behind the wheel of me car I went out in hope to wisit a couple of music shops. 

Me first stop was at Hellbound Music in hope to find a nice Burns Split Sonic Bass- Well there it was, a realy nice bass still with main part of its redburst colour intact. (they tend to become brown). Here the asking price was app 1000,oo£. The bass was almost original, the knob to the switchcircuit was exchanged and the coverplate was missing. Oterwise it show off to be a nice bass.

A block away i entered the premesis of "Halkans vintage guitars" Already in the shop window I found a rare item in the form of a original set of Burns guitarstrings in a black package. Whow! Inside the shop I found the Baldwin Shadow bass unsold and a highly modified Jazz Splitsound.

Asking about the stringpackage He let me in to the inner rooms. There was yet another Split Sonic Bass in what seamed to be great condition. A case with Split Sonic guitar was reveal´d and inside it a Split Sonic guitar in mint condition. 

It did look as new, and in the case was not one but three sets of original Burns guitar strings. I didnt dare to ask about the price of the guitar, but I do imagin its expensive.

The roundtrip continued and He show´d some of those guitars that was in his private collection. A collection of Fenton-Weill guitars. A brand of guitars link´d to Jim Burns.

Leaving the shop I went to Gitarraffären just to realise that the nice Green Marvin de luxe was sold at its price of 1600,oo£.

A nice day searching for Burns guitars in Stockholm.

yesterday & today

Yesterday mid 60´s: a small musicshop in a rather small town in Sweden, in the afternoon. Some youngsters is looking at electric guitars. 

rather cheap "EKO" guitars from the 60´s

A young man-boy sitting on  a big amplifier with a guitar plays the latest leadpart from  "The last time"(Rolling Stones). Yet another young man a few metres from him, is trying to play the same tune. More wannabee Rock stars enters the shop, all of them testing different guitars and amplifiers playing the same song. 

top of the line among "LEVIN" archtop guitars.

all of theme sharing the same fashionstyle, long hair, US-army coats and high heel´d boots. We sell pic´s and some of them actually is about to buy a guitar or some other equipment for their bands. In the eye´s of those youngsters you could almost see their dream. A dream of beeing on stage, and a massive crowd screaming. You could see the stars!!!! At this very moment they all are in heaven. Is it a church? 

"Höfner" one very common guitar among wannabe pop-rocks stars in the 60´s

In music heaven a place where they can dream. Dreams about a new guitar and new gear. They all seam to share a love for those guitars on display, similar to the love boys/man have to a woman.

Some of those youngsters stay in the shop for hours, while others leaves after a short while. New customers enters the shop and seam to act in the same pattern. 

A man in suit and tie enters the shop, he brought his son. Suddenly youll find the two of them playing guitars, the same tune. After a short while the man starts a discussion regarding the price of a certain guitar. When they finally leave the shop the youngster is carrying a guitarcase, in his face you can see a grat big smile out of happiness. Now he is one step closer to fame and fortune.

Today mid 2010/ A much bigger shop in the capital of our country. Hundreds of guitars hanging on the walls, amplifiers and staff that seams to know everything about their products. Young customers playing the latest tune on different guitars. Some much older man actually doing the same. Looking in to the eyes of a man age possibly 60+ and I´ll see the same dream. The dream of him on stage and a sreaming audience, fame and fortune. It´s a holy place, the guitarshop may me larger with much more instruments to try out, dream about. But the customers share the same dream, looking at the guitars as if it was a new love affair, filled with dreams of a bright future.

The younger customers testing brand new guitars, while the older generation seams to look for those old second hand guitars. The same guitars they play´d in the 60´s. Maybe the could not afford to buy them as youngsters, and today they can. 

the Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman, made famous by Chet Atkins and George Harrison.

A quick look at the pricetag of a 40-50 year old Gretsch change their minds in a hurry, they find a brand new guitar looking exatly the same, and a much lower pricetag. They realise that the old guitars of their dreams is now collectors item, even the extremly cheap KENT and Höfner guitars of the 60´s is expensive.

A couple of days later they may be back for an hour of playing different guitars, maybe they even buy one and bring it home with a satisfied smile on their faces. The start of a brand new LOVE affair.

the Greatsch 6122 Electromatic, 

same design but much lower price then its orignal 60´s guitar.

It was some time since I last wisited this guitarshop in Stockholm. One of me favorite shops in the capital city. JAM!!!!!!

My intetions was to try find an electric mandolin for a freind of mine in UK. But I started with trying out a couple of different Bariton-guitars. With the late Jet Harris in mind and a sound ringing in me ears I really wanted to see what the market had to offer.

the BURNS Barracuda Jet Harris, bariton guitar.

With the exellent Burns Barracuda in mind, fingers I found me self playing on a Fender Jazz-Jaguar design´d instrument. Have to admit I do like the design of this instrument, but somehow it didnt make bells ring in my heart. It felt more like a tool, then a delicius instrument suitible for a love affair.

Fender Pawn shop Bass VI

Swapped for a bluish strange design´d Schecter. Loads of switches giving lots of different sounds. In a split second I realised that this was a very special Lady. It´s playability, the look the feel and the sound of this guitar was amazing. That with a pricetag that could make about everyone scream out of happiness.

the Schecter Baryton Guitar.

 after and hour or was it two, I went on to look for an electric mandolin. Trying out different models, have to admit even if Im not a lover of roundback guitars there was a rahter nice Ovation mandolin on sale. I felt good and was for sure a nice instrument. But on the other hand compared to the 50+ year old Framus 10-string mandolin it was soon to be forgotten. What a fantastic mandolin. It was a great player and its design and feel made me fall in love in a split second. Anfortinutly its pricetag showing almost 500,oo Euro made me place this little dream instrument among dreams!

Framus  10-string electric mandolin 60´s

Busy in the kitchen

A week ago me nice Bjärton J-65 fell down and the reinforcement in top. Suddenly there was caused by the cold outside time enough to repair it. Our kitchen caused by the cosy warm feeling was used as me workshop.

So my attemt to repair the guitar begun, and after a couple of hours work the guitar was repair´d. After the glue had dry´d I actually once again hade a really nice western guitar.

I then realised that there was yet another guitar hanging on the wall, so I went ahead and dismantled the neck from me Ovation copy, that seam´d impossible to repair. With a string high´t of more then 1 inch.

After drying the guitar was in action. and even if it was´nt the greatest guitar in the world it still was a good guitar to play on.

Still remaining among the projects was me Bass. It was in need of a clearcoat of laquer and paint on its backside. A lot of sand-grinding and layers of filler. 

Then the first coat of laquer on the top and paint on its backsurface. I think it looks real good, its not a Burns for sure, just a cheap DIY bass but it both sound good with its 4 pickups and is a great player.

So tomorrow I´ll be back working on my car, and no more music work.

What about ????

Here in Sweden we just finished the Swedish version of Eurovision Song Contest. Millions on people watching and sometimes wondering how the hell could that song - artist be the winner. During the existance of this program that started already in 1959 I´ve been a faitful veiwer. My favorites seams to lose most of the time. 

So how come some of the songs win, or even is among the songs in the competion. I cant tell, must be someone in the management. Years ago both You and I hade the possility to write a song, that might have a winning ticket and be among the other songs in this competition. Today the team that arrange this program is dicatators. They decide who will be offered to partisipate as composers and artist. No use for me and You to send our super hits!

Year´s ago a Swedish jury and the people shared the possibility to wote for each song. Today this jury is to be found among the compiting countries. Witch song will be the next HIT-song in Europe.   This year I had two favorite´s. In fact the best of them was a Heavy Metal singer and a Grand piano set on fire! While the other favorite was some kind of Japaneese Manga doll. The song performed by this "doll" was far from the best Ive heard with that artist, but still it felt like something new!

Talking to me teenage daughter I realised that Her favorite was a Justin Bieber clone, a cute boy who might well be a great artist one day, but he may also follow the crowd of new artist and become forgotten in a short while.

It´s kind of fun to ask the younger generation in regards of their taste for music! Taking a huge step back in time, it stands clear to me that nothing have changed.

In those days it was for a young boy like me, stars like Elvis, Tommy and not to forget Beatles and Stones that was the big Idols. Those artist was our dream. We wanted to be exactly like them, and did almost anything in our struggle to be some kind of copies. 

Among the girls, the situation was different. They dream´d of the same artist as their wannbee Partner in life. The perfect MAN! was number one. their music might have been second.

Talking to youngsters today (worked as a music teacher a load of years) it seamed to me that all of them did listen to the same music. But it also seam´d that the girls was hade a liking to the Boys-music. Asking them as a single person their favorites was totaly different. In regards of songs the girls often prefered female artist singing sweet ballads.  hope you readers understand what I try to say. There is a differance in male and female music for sure.

Back to the competion where the jury woted for one of the boy-artist, and my favorite was placed way down on the list. When finally the Swedish people woted this manga doll suddenly did get the main part of peoples wotes. Without the foreign jury he-she would have been the winner, not the first runner up.

To be a Rock´n Roll artist seams to be extremly dangerous. If the artist doesnt die and a airplane - car crash He-She seam to become a drug addict. Some of em die young, some survive but dissaperes from the Scene.  Reading the news the young Justin seam to have found the joy of drugs. A bit early in my oppinion. What will happen next?

Music whyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!

I LOVE MUSIC!!!!

I was a couple of day´s ago faced with the fact that I almost lost my hearing on me left ear. Some how trying hard to write the most fantastic song in the world that would make me both famous and rich, I contintue writing music that almost no one will ever hear. Well maybe when I´m dead my kids will listen to some songs and realised that their father spent hour´s, day´s even monthes in his attemt to write the one and only great song.

So here I was with no hearing on me left ear, every sound coming out from my music system trying hard to show me what I acomplished just a few minutes before sounded like pure shit. Left channel did not have any treble, well midrange and bass was also crap. 

When there is problems at least I try hard as hell to find a proper sollution. The thing in my ear, vax is some kind of grease. Grease can be degreased with a solution made for the purpose. So with no medical gadgets in the house, I filled me ear with washingcream for plates, and fryingpans. Does it work with that kind of grease it might well cure me ear.

It didnt!!  The following day I went to the pharmasist and bought a small bottle och problem-solver. At first attemt it did´nt work at all. Still no hearing on me left ear, but I didnt give up that easy, so the next morning I made yet another attemt to get cured.

Praise the Lord, suddenly i could once again hear.

so I went back to the studiogadgets and tried hard to get the proper sound out of this magnificient recording of yet another new song. 

Somehow the idea to a new song pops up in my mind, and nothing in the world can stop me from writing, and composing untill the song is ready. Long before the last note is placed on a blank sheet of paper and the last word is written I know exactly how the song would sound as a finished product. It keeps playing in my mind. Not that many times but still sometimes I end up with a song that I actually think is good. Sometimes even great, but as I wrote earlier, no one will ever know!!

the feeling when a song is almost ready, the first recording is complete is in fact similar to the feeling I had the honour to have when becoming a father.

couldnt deny you readers this nice dress, 

dont know the girl inside and to be honnest i dont bother 

about her, but for sure I would enjoy if my love was dressed in it.