back to basic´s

As the "pbp-band" is in progress. You´ll find more about it at another blog-site. 

park bench petting

During me last weeks I´ve been at the Westcoast paradise. Trying hard to repair our car and make the yacht ready for the 2012 season. But some days it´s been raining cats n dogs so I´ll been inside playing music, and trying hard to find the perfect version of those songs Ive written. 

Already when the last word and note is placed on paper, in my ears i could hear the finished product, song. I know exactly how it should sound, what style, rhytm. Its then up to me and my different recording gadgets to make it come true. Something that seldom happens, possibly cause I dont have the right skills with all the electronic studio gadgets, or even the fact that I´m not that good as a musician!

One thing I know for sure is that my skill´s in playing lead-guitar could make anyone cry. Already as a youngster I forced me fingers to produce the most delicat chord´s on the guitar. Maybe it all started when I was learning to play  the chords to "If I fell" by the Beatles. An endless row of difficult chords put together in a perfect harmony.

So I became a Rhytm-guitar player no doubt about that, and if it was a qusetion of playing melodic lead-tunes there was no problem, maybe cause I knew how to read music.

I do still envy all those fantastic guitar-players that can listen to the harmonies of a tune, and then in a second play the perfect lead-riff.

So why  the hell do I write and complain about this?

During a late night hour a few days ago i wrote a new song, its kind of rock n roll with a rather simple harmony structure. An hour or so later - or earlier cause by now it was a new day the backing to the song was recorded! With no lead-guitar riffs!!!

By now I spent at least 10 hours in hope to learn how to perform some kind of lead-guitar riff suitible for that song. with almost no luck at all. So the work on me new song continues in hope that i will learn to play a lead-riff that suit´s the song. Over and over again i try different versions...

A couple of weeks ago a Facebook friend of mine Mr Rob Taylor living in Canada with a new forum-site for musicians. NuMuBu. A great way to get new contacts all over the globe, contacts who share your interest for music. Try it out!!!! By the way, Rob seams to know all great musicians in the world and natuarly He also do  own a couple of nice Burns guitars.

NuMuBu

 Already in the 60-ies Burns made one of the best electric 12-string guitars in the world. Used by world renown artist like the Searchers, Mark Knofler, Elvis Presley...

Burns Double Six and Elvis Presley

the New Burns Double Six Apache

As this model isnt in my Burns collection I set up this pic in hope to make my very own 

"BURNS DOUBLE SIX"

 my Double Six´s

And so back to my thought´s and findings of nice guitar´s and amp´s.

A quick trip to the nearest town Uddevalla gave me the opportunity to not only see but also try a realy nice guitar.

Jim Burns

Once upon a time Jim Burns in London wanted to produce a guitar to compete with the Gibson ES serie´s. The result was a hybrid between an electric guitar and a C&W styled guitar, baptised the Virginian. I dont know how many that actually was produced, and I have only seen a couple of those guitar in real life.

the Fender Jaguar 1962 and the Gibson ES 335

The lead singer of a very popular pop-dance group "Sven Ingvars" use to play one in the early 60-ies. 

Sven Ingvars witha Burns Virginian

Trio me Bumba, popular band in the 60-ies that play´d as one of 

the bands at the Beatles first tour in Sweden.

What strike´s Me is that caused by importproblems from the US lots of Scandinavian bands used different Burns guitars, instead of the Fender and Gibson models.  So did the gentleman in Uddevalla who bought this Burns Virginian new in 1966, and kept it ever since. So I got the opportunity to meet with a 46 year old guitar.

Burns Virginian 1965

Have to admit, even if it was in need of new strings and a set up, it was still a great guitar. The neck was strait, the guitar only show some dents in it topfinish caused by age. Just before my arrival the owner Tom Nordblom lifted the guitar and heard a noice inside of it. Just to realise that inside the guitar was still the original tool-kit!!!

Tom Nordblom Orchestra in the 60-ies. 

To me a fairly new band called the Bejing Beatles show up playing all Burns guitars on the YouTube video. 20 minutes of nostalgia in Asian style.

the Bejing Beatles

Playing heavy metal rock on Burns guitars is to be found at this to me unknown Russian Rockband.

are you lucky

Are you lucky some might ask You, and somewhere down the line I´m told it can actually happen. My search for a COOL Bassplayer to the band ended up at a Bassplayers forum where I did place an ad! As a result of this ad several answers was to be found in me mailbox. 

F-ing brilliant musicians that seamed eager to be a part of our band. aged 21 - 52 years educated over their head´s! I was up for some real problems for sure. Witch one of em would have the qualifications that we hoped to find.  Not only a great bassplayer but also someone who was keen on the idea´s with this very special band. The last question to be answered, someone ready for the challange of the "kinky-scene!?"

In those  mail´s there was questions in regards of musicstyle, gigs and everything. Questions that somehow was real hard to answer.  Among those mail´s was a polite mail coming from a young bassplayer, in my direct oppinion He was far to young to push into the Fetish-BDSM scene. Still He was the only one that gave his phone-number. 


So I started off with sending a couple of answering mail´s to those a bit older bloke´s. While i was building up me confindance to make the call to this youngster!


My intention was to scare Him off right away, and that bugger made a fool out of Me! After a long conversation I was confident that this 21 year old bassplayer would be perfect for our band! further calls and a couple of mail´s told Me I was bloody f-ing Right!







Still we dont know what to call him, but maybe the perfet name for this Bassplaying Monster would be "Friar Tuck"

music gang

Extra, extra read all about it!!!

 

"pbp" is rocking. In other words alive and kick´n but at this very moment we are in desperate need of a bassplayer, 

 

Maybe this talented "bassplayer" also is a guitarplayer, someone who plays keyboard or violin...if you´re insteressted in Our project, give me a call.

 

We would prefere if you do live on the Swedish Westcoast or Stockholm area, but will consider musicians from the UK.

M-J

"second rehersal"

Once again I packed me gear in the car and headed of to the old yellow house in Haninge for yet another rehersal session. This time I picked another road, that made the trip much faster and shorter. So me and "Builder Bob" sat down playing drums and guitar, lucky for me I didnt forget to buy earprotection, a gadget much needed sitting a meter from this hard banging man and his drums.

crowded rehearsal basement in Haninge

Later that afternoon "miss october" arrived to the house. Possibly a bit nervous. One of her main hobbies is to sing at Kareoke-bars and the thing with singing in a band was totaly new to her. My attemt to make her sing "Itsy bitsy spider" failed totaly but soon she became used to the idea of singing for only two guys in a rehearsalroom.

 "miss october"

Time passes by in a hurry when you have fun and on my behalf the session was a huge sucess for the three of us. As far as I can see it the band now does have three talented female vocalist´s. Its now a question if We, the guys playing does have the same amount of talent.

A question popped up at me Facebook regarding the importance of the make of a musicinstrument. Among guitarplayers theres always been some kind of stardom connected to different Guitar makers. Something that have lead to some old guitars have the value of a nice car or a house today, if its the right brand on the headstock. Can a lowpriced guitar become a great guitar?

for many young guitarplayers in Scandinavia their first cheap elctric guitar.

priced in 1964 at 50,oo euro

Italian made EKO sold at app 60,oo euro

A great guitar? todays value app 300,oo euro

this old Fender Stratocaster could be yours for 1500,oo skr in 1965

 and has today a value of app 100000,oo skr! Agreat guitar?

I would say Yes, to that. Years ago a freind of mine bought a cheap Fender Stratocaster copy. It looked like the real thing but wasnt near the original in quality. So we exhanged the tuners, a new set of microphone and revired the electrics of the guitar. After a couple of hours adjusting the guitar it proofed to be almost as good as the real thing. All to a price of far less then half the price of an original Fender.

Fender Stratocaster Jaguar edition 2005, 

priced new at more then 4000,oo euro

Top of the line at Gibson in 1968 was this Barney Kessel guitar.

costing 900,oo euro new. (app 3  to 4 month sallery at the time)

Some weeks ago I found me self owner of a guitarshaped piece of wood. I was in the small town of Köping where "Gitarrdoktorn" does have his store and workshop. The guitar as such was brand new, but had been scrapped caused by a small crack in the top surface near the neck (see pic). There for it was useless and couldnt be sold. Together with a set of secondhand tuners and a new set of string it was soon put back to a nice guitar. Could be useful in during sailing in our boat, at no cost at all it could even be used as a paddle!

small crack near the soundhole

Some minor adjustments was made before I fitted a Schaller micrphone in its soundhole. Still there was a big hole left at the guitars sidesurface where originaly a preamp was fitted. The guitar showed of to be a really nice guitar much better then I thought to beguin with. So a piezo unit was found second hand and fitted. 

My question was at this stage should I use only the new microphone or should I keep them both. I went for the last sollution and instead of connecting the two different units yet another hole was drilled to cater for a second guitar cable. Some kind of weird Stereosound, or what?

The Schaller microphone 

and the instrumentpanel to the piezo microphone installation.

The result is a really nice guitar with a wide range of sound buildt in coming from two separeted microphones. Giving both the sounds of an acustic guitar and an electric. All to the price less then a new set of tuners!!!

Stereo-cable connections.

"on the road again"

Time to sit down and reflect over yesterdays session/rehersal. As what will become usual in a while I carried the VOX amp and 2 guitars with me in the car. Are you going to move out, our nabour asked politly. But no, not at all, it just takes a lot of gadgets to make music. 

Anyway there was a first stop at me Jaguar freind Allans house at Ekerö (he does have a magnificient veiw. 

Then further on to the ferry taking me back to the mainland in the south of Stockholm. 

Havnt yet figured out the best, shortest road yet. But arrived at Haninge en the "Yellow Villa" to meet with "Builder Bob" the bands drummer who was waiting. 

Have to admit i was a bit nervous in regards of this our first meeting with instruments and music. Anyway after carrying all me gadgets down to the basement we did our first attemt to make something  called music together. 

Just a huge set of drums and a guitar. Alright there was ahuge stack of loudspeakers and amplifiers that could help me lonley guitar to create db enough to if not "out-loud" so at least make the guitar heard a little.

A couple of different songs was tested and the noise was enormous. My head started to ring like a firealarm, but we did keep on playing. 

"Builder Bob" asked every now and then if this or that was what I wanted and somehow we did find a way to produce something that was at least one step ovr the noice that was heard during the first hour of rehersal.

App 2 n half hour later me gadgets was restored back to the car, our first session was Done and i have to admit, I loved every minute of it, exept for that bloody noice in my head that kept on ringing the rest of the day. Next time for sure Im gonna get some earplugs to help me out.

PBP

Is it even possible to form a band with members that still have´nt met? Today it seams like a possibility. Still there´s a few missing link´s but as far as I can see it the band is almost ready for some kind of serious acting.

This is <<pbp>> of 2012.

"miss Paddington"

oldest member in the band and do have a magnificient voice. Lives on a suburban island somewhere (and might be in love)

"miss amimna"

latest vocal instrument who alrady proofed her qualities.

Live near a wellknown waterhole in our country.

"miss xxx"

still a missing link in the band, but hopefully She´s out there somewhere.

"Builder Bob"

the man with pots and pans, who keep the rhytm.

Is to be found in a rehersal studio not far from our capitol city.

"Mr Patriiik"

Bass-man who just love to hug his Bass.

Cituated mainly on the westcoast of Sweden, former pro-bass man.

"Mr Gura"

the one who can play for your soul, still missing in the band.

"Master-J"

hmm, the man behind this weird idea and dreams of a band.



aint it funny

During the last month´s or so I´ve started to wonder, who the hell is it who read my blog-site. A blog-site about an overaged man who still is a Wannabe" among all agegroups, hoping that someone like´s what I do. So who have any interesst in my site, especially when its easy to see that more then 7000 times the pages have been read!!??

It would be ever so nice to hear-read a comment from you all every now and then. Telling Me what makes you interessted.
The last 5-6 weeks I´ve been fully occupied in restoring Jaguar V8 motor, but as its extremly cold outside and my heart doesnt work properly I spend app 3-4 hours a day in the garage. The rest of my time is used for playing music-recording, and composing new songs for you to listen to one day.

Here´s the latest tune in its first instrumental version.
link below:
use-me