March 2020 Issue 2 Newsletter

This idea has been brewing between GG and myself for quite some time. Gordon loves to stretch himself over many different styles of guitar and has made very good use of a small guitar in the past. I think he sort of issued a challenge to me over this without putting it in quite in those words. It usually goes something like this - “Rog, what do you think about …?”

The back and sides are very very old Brazilian Rosewood, deep chocolatey brown, from the stock of Harald Petersen, once a well-regarded classical maker from the Lake District. Most of it was far too small, or full of wormholes, cracks etc, but these pieces were perfect for the job.

The soundboard is Sinker Redwood that Moira and I brought back from Mendocino, California. Again, it’s a small piece, but wonderful quality, stiff and resonant.

Rosewood bindings. Laminated Mahogany neck with black and red lines. 515 mm scale Ebony fingerboard with notched square abalone inlays (and a cheeky little bit of colour!). The neck is a copy of a Fylde GG model, 46 mm wide at the nut, and the same taper, but because of the short scale, the string spacing at the bridge is less than normal. Gordon can play anything.

The bevel/cutaway was formed from four layers of black veneer, moulded “round the corner”, to remove the ugly, pointy, sharp bit.

The tone is huge, lively and full. It probably doesn’t need a pickup, but it has a K&K just in case.

I can’t wait to hear it live.

Gordon's site

Well, happy birthday to Remis' Sketches - 100 videos. It's wonderful for us to see something like this - an astonishing guitarist playing one of our babies so well, and so often! Just right for times like this, we all need encouragement.

Well done Remi.

Remi's website

Put the clocks forward an hour, but a whole week before it was due. Not referring to anybody in particular of course.

We are still working but absolutely no visitors (and no exceptions, I’m sorry to say) for the time being, I can answer most queries via email from home and delivery services are still working, I'm very impressed with couriers etc, and very grateful to them.

We are taking it in turns to be in the workshop, it's plenty big enough to keep 2 meters apart but we don't need to take the risk, yes it will slow us down, but we'll manage. I've discovered that methylated spirts is the strongest alcohol for hand sanitiser and we have plenty of that. Moira has bought a steam cleaner to go round everything we touch and she has tested it out, I'm a bit pink but at least I don't need to shower for a while and now I know it works.

I'm working a lot from home, so you might get emails at weird times, 4 am is common at the moment, but there might be tea stains and toast crumbs on the emails.

I had been asking people to post more videos etc so that I can help get music “out there”, then someone mentioned they were planning a “streaming” event, and the idea began to form.

If you look at the home page of our website, you will find links to various musical streaming events, many of which allow the artist to earn a little during the current lockdown or at least lay down some publicity for the future.

The idea will depend upon getting enough content, and keeping it up to date, so please do your best to send me any such links. I'm not going to keep it strictly to Fylde related things. If like it, I’ll try and use it. If I don't like it, well - what do you think?

I've already used a live stream from Gordon, playing live for the nationwide “clap for the NHS” event. We clapped in the garden, with the squirrels.

John Smith, Tristan Seume, Will McNicol and Hattie Briggs have also featured, I’ve just put up Snake Davies' list. Keep them coming.

Will is one of the hardest working guitarists I know in terms of "strings to his bow", the bits and pieces that support his main intention of making music. We've often discussed all the different parts that make up the whole package of a professional life.

Here are two parts of Will's catalogue of “product".

https://www.willmcnicol.co.uk/scores

www.willmcnicol.co.uk/giftcards

What a splendid video by our latest mystery guitarist.

His name is Richie Carr, he is a student of Will's and a regular at Ullapool. Just in the middle of exam years and being rather good at disciplining himself.  Well done Richie. Watch this space everyone.

The piece is composed by Will (I told you he was a busy lad).

This is quite appropriate in some ways, many of us will be making music from home.

Stuart is a recently retired vicar, and as is often the case, has a nice line in edgy jokes. The guitar is a Custom Ken Nicol.

John had his Australian tour cut short because of the epidemic. It was shaping up to be a huge success, selling amazing numbers of CDs.

He also played at Adelaide, where my daughter Sophie is now living. I had told John that she would be there, and he shouted out a greeting from the stage, that made Sophie's night, and her Australian boyfriend, Ben, thought it was "Bonzer". (Hello Ben, we haven't met in person yet, but WE WILL). John had to "have a word" with someone who was filming from the audience, but the light was bad, and he didn't know who it was.

You won't tell him, will you?  Sophie is very sorry.

John's website

We all know how much we owe to nurses or doctors. Can we extend our support to all those who are delivering things? Posties and carriers are working flatout, and are fairly visible, but what about the lorry drivers? Everything we use has to be transported, all the usual stopping / feeding places are closed, and we are going to see some very malnourished truckers. We might get to the point where we don’t say “Respect”, we say “Big Clap” instead?

Any musician will be jealous of the hits on this link, 64,000 on the first day. Troy is playing his Oberon, which, with Nightwish, has probably been heard by more people worldwide than any other Fylde.

The guitar dates from 1996, it's not one of the early ones, it's only 23 years old! This sort of thing is beginning to make me feel ancient. We've recently "added" a cutaway to it and repaired a "bit" of damage. caused by the rock and roll life it leads. I don't know the story of this video, perhaps the rest of the band didn't turn up at the studio. Hangovers most likely.

That worked out well, here we have another Oberon, demonstrating that lovely recording sound I mentioned. Ben deserves to be much better known, and I think it might happen. Lovely guy, great talent and very well paired with Nina’s lovely voice.

Let's make it as realistic as possible:

If you have a reasonable length ‘stream’ to watch, or a series of YouTube clips, even a DVD, set them up on your widescreen TV, etc. and collect all your dining chairs, office chairs, kitchen stools, tea chests etc, and arrange them in nice lines in front of the screen.

Pick the seats in the very middle for yourselves, it's important not to snatch the best seats just because it's your show, that wouldn't feel at all like a proper gig. Place large soft toys on all the other seats to simulate a full house (or not). We have three generations of such things gathering dust around our house. Be sure to put the giraffe on the seat right in front of you, or possibly the big bear with the wobbly head that won't keep still.

If you have a steel pillar or awkward corner, put one of the seats just behind it, and arrange the rows so there isn't quite enough room to put a beer glass on the floor.

Sit down in your chosen seat at least twenty minutes early, or about a minute after the video starts. Nothing in between is allowed,

You must use ridiculously squashy plastic glasses and overfill them each time you struggle out to the bar (Kitchen). Depending on what type of venue you are simulating, you might have wonderful beer, and struggle out between every song, or terrible beer and make it last until half time. Of course, it's important to use the squashy glasses correctly, and deposit a little down the neck of the giraffe each time you get a drink. If you have six pints, well, just imagine, and of course there is always the cheap red wine to consider.

Turn the lights down of course. No bare feet or carpet slippers allowed, keep it real.

I would wear my favourite T shirt that says, "Will the person sitting behind me, please shut the **** up". Well, I would do if ever I'd got around to getting them printed. That's copyright by the way.

This is a very convenient link to the next feature, I just need something with a "Part One" in the title. Clive has completed the second part of his intrepid adventure. Unfortunately, the next step has been postponed because of the general lockdown. We were hoping to see him at our special place, Staithes in North Yorkshire, but it will have to wait.

Clives Website

I want to see part one and part two.

Great backing on this classic track. When "Drum and Bass" meant, well, drum and bass.