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Speaking of mysteries, I belonged to an online guitar forum that disappeared a month or so ago. The url just suddenly stopped returning anything. I was getting helpful advice there on this guitar I'm building, so now it feels a bit more like I'm flying by the seat of my pants, and there was nice camaraderie and stuff there too. Because I often forget to turn off my VPN it's hard to sign up for new forums: I'll try and register only to be instantly banned forever because the forum software thinks I'm a Russian spambot based on my ip address or whateverb and it links my mac address too so if I disable the VPN and try again it still won't let me join. Or sometimes they'll let me register but never send me a verification so I can post. Frustrating. There are one or two other guitar forums where I'm pretty sure some of the same regulars are active from the one that disappeared and I could ask those people if they know what happened...if only I could create an account and have it approved!
Clear your cache, switch VPN locations and try again. I only have to play the picture game, never had any permanent ban or anything.
 
Speaking of mysteries, I belonged to an online guitar forum that disappeared a month or so ago. The url just suddenly stopped returning anything. I was getting helpful advice there on this guitar I'm building,
You mentioned a while back that you want a guitar that sounds like an electric as well as an acoustic. That’s what the line 6 Variaxe was designed to do. It uses a cat 5 (or6) cable to communicate with the pedal board for power or you can use a battery. The cat5 also commands the pedalboard to change various parameters to compliment the sound you select on the guitar or it can work to other way where you tap a foot switch and it changes the guitar. Getting an acoustic to sound natural when electrified is really hard. They end up sounding electric. The Variaxe actually sounds pretty good in my opinion but I use my Martin when playing acoustic mainly because people have a hard time accepting an acoustic sound from a guitar that looks like an electric.

Also, having multiple guitars on stage can be an advantage in that you can have different tunings on the guitars or even a capo sometimes (most times) messing up your tuning a little (or a lot).

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Speaking of effects pedal boards, I bought a new one last week. It’s a Line6 POD Go loaded with all the Helix models. The Helix is the big daddy of digital guitar models right now. The competitors are Kemper, Fractal Audio, Axe, etc

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I used it for the first time at rehearsal last Wednesday. Sunday will be the first time live. I’ll be using my Les Paul guitar with it. This unit is wireless with a transmitter that stores and charges right in the pedal. You just pull the transmitter out of the pedal and plug it into the guitar and you’re ready to go.

Check out David Hislop.

He has many videos on guitar sound. The new thing in digital sound is the “IR’s”, impulse responses which are a combination of amp cab, mike, mike placement, and room ambiance all combined in a single setting. ie, 2x12 Greenback cab, 545 mike, off axis placement, and a Vox AC30 tube (valve) amp, in a medium sized room. These IRs are built in studios with tons of equipment and can be imported into modelers manufactured in the last few years. Add to the IR’s your modulation, delay, reverb, compression, etc.



You may say, But I’m a purist! I just want a guitar and an amp without anything affecting my sound. I was just reading about Jon Fogerty of Credence ClearWater Revival. It took him thirty years to duplicate the “pure” sound of his first couple years with CCR. Turns out his pure sound was colored by his one of a kind amp and guitar at the time. Combine that with how his amp was miked for large venues and size and shape of the venue and all the sudden, it’s not so pure or simple.



Jimi Hendrix pioneered jumping both channels of his Marshal Stack and boosting the gain to achieve the warm tube distortion that gave his guitar a pleasing tone. It took digital modeling a long time to achieve this tone but now we have a hundred models available in a box.

Pod go demo
 
We've come a long way from the days that a speaker box and a mike were placed in the bathroom to get a special effect. My son still has a Fender amp with a spring reverb.

On vacation once I caught a Flatt and Scruggs 'whistle stop' show in my home town. It was in the court room and for some reason the front row was empty (the audience must have thought they were in church). My wife and I sat right in front of Earl Scruggs. He switched to guitar when they played Cabin on the Hill. Earl had what I would call a parlor size guitar and he held it high with his ear against the upper bout for the guitar solo break. Later I read that he loved that sweet sound that never made it out of the guitar. Today with Fishman pickups and such we are able to get some of these nuances.

Ron, can your new 'box' model the Peter Green Les Paul. I love Gary Moore on that Les Paul playing Still Got the Blues Over You.
 
Worked for an older woman one time who heard us talking about guitars. The kid working with me played in jazz clubs on the weekend. She showed us her late husband's old guitar. It was an original Les Paul from the early fifties. We both tried to buy it, but she would not sell.
 
@Ron Van, I don't have time to read your whole comment just yet. You did mention the Variaxe to me on here before, and showed pictures then too. FYI (not sure if your comment covered this) my guitar is all designed, my hardware (except the magnetic pickups...gonna probably be the Jimi Hendrix signature SD in the neck and SD JB in the bridge) is all purchased: a Fishman piezo TOM-style bridge and Powerchip onboard preamp.
 
On guitar forums I always try a Karlson cabinet search and often get some hits. I confessed to liking gimmicky designs.
 
Zannej, I think I did remember you mentioning your sister. What I'm curious about is how your dad went from zoologist in Guam (& SE Asia?) to question-mark-occupation in rural Loozyana. Also the way you describe your mom sounds like she was pretty awful, maybe borderline or even not-so-borderline abusive, but that your dad was fond of you, so I have trouble understanding why your dad would, upon his passing, sentence you to a life of caring for this woman who was rotten to you and treats you like a servant. Also by extension, having to clean up after a brother who is about 1/6 the maturity he should be for his age (surely your dad noticed). These are mysteries that might not be solved by scientists or philosophers in our time.

Speaking of mysteries, I belonged to an online guitar forum that disappeared a month or so ago. The url just suddenly stopped returning anything. I was getting helpful advice there on this guitar I'm building, so now it feels a bit more like I'm flying by the seat of my pants, and there was nice camaraderie and stuff there too. Because I often forget to turn off my VPN it's hard to sign up for new forums: I'll try and register only to be instantly banned forever because the forum software thinks I'm a Russian spambot based on my ip address or whateverb and it links my mac address too so if I disable the VPN and try again it still won't let me join. Or sometimes they'll let me register but never send me a verification so I can post. Frustrating. There are one or two other guitar forums where I'm pretty sure some of the same regulars are active from the one that disappeared and I could ask those people if they know what happened...if only I could create an account and have it approved!

I'm curious, what guitar forum? I've heard of a couple.
 
Hoping for an estimate on Monday for the mold remediation stuff. The guy stopped by earlier today.

Got a massage yesterday, first one since having Covid in December. It was wonderful. Next week in addition to a massage, I am going to try a 15 minute foot detox.


@zannej This arm problem is going to become permanent if you dont get some type of PT going, have you had an MRI?
 
Flyover, I tried to load guitarforums and got blank white page. Loaded in incognito mode and it was a list of stuff unrelated to the forums. Looks like they must have closed down.

Shan, they won't do MRIs on anyone who is uninsured and they only do them on people who get approval from insurance. No self pay. A lot of specialists no longer see self pay patients here. They flat out refuse to let us have appointments. I've talked to clerks at my doctor's office and they confirmed, that no place in the entire state will do an MRI without insurance. I may have to talk to my doctor about a referral for PT (can't get PT without a referral in this backwater place). I suspect it may be too late to regain full mobility of my arm but I'm going to keep trying. I just need to be careful not to pull anything again.

I added the first coat of aquadefense to the last edge of the cement board. This one won't be cut at all. The other 3 boards have to be cut. I cleaned up the hallway and took the trash bag out of the can in the kitchen. Had to use mostly my right arm to do it but I got it. It's a large enough bag that I can put more stuff in it now that it is out of the can (55gallon bag).

I'm still trying to figure out how to shim out the left side wall next to the tub. Can't access the studs. Any ideas?

I need to get it so the cementboard will sit flush against the front of the flange or have a very slight gap but not stick out too much on the edge. There's a pretty big gap in the one corner.
 
Thanks, Shan! I'm looking at the page now. I've been doing #1 quite frequently. #2 I'm having trouble with. I was doing better on it before I hurt the muscles again. I'll have to try the stick thing. I need to look for some bungee cords to try some of those. Sharing it with my brother because he has problems with his right shoulder.

I rotated the cement board to try to dry fit it in place but it keeps sliding. Its going to take more strength to get it positioned correctly. I want to get it set in place and level so I can mark where to not put screws. X for no and O for where I can put them. I messed up my tape and plastic so I'll have to fix them back into place. Right now the spacer shims keep sliding. Probably going to need a 2nd person to help. But, I still need to figure out how to get the sides squared up. I might have to go grab some shims from one of the big box stores (local stores don't have any).
 
I finished grouting my shower in my basement project. Installed the vanity, vanity light fixture, and finished the trim. Need to get some PVC cove for the small gap at the ceiling of the shower, a mirror for the vanity, towel racks, and a TP holder to call the bathroom project done. Oh, and touch up the paint. Next up is LVP for the rest of the basement floor.
 
Simmered a pot of great northern beans on low heat. Rinsed a pound of beans then placed beans in a pot and covered with water to two inches over beans, brought water to a boil, turned off heat and let beans soak for one hour. Added water to recover beans and simmered for a couple of hours on low seasoned with eight beef bullion cubes.
 
Simmered a pot of great northern beans on low heat. Rinsed a pound of beans then placed beans in a pot and covered with water to two inches over beans, brought water to a boil, turned off heat and let beans soak for one hour. Added water to recover beans and simmered for a couple of hours on low seasoned with eight beef bullion cubes.
Lately I've taken to doing less seasoning in the boiling/cooking process and more afterward once the beans are fully cooked and drained. I've found dry beans absorb some but not a lot of flavor while soaking/cooking. I do still use a lot of bacon fat in the cooking process.
 
I may try making some hummus using the beans. I was thinking of mashing some beans with a bit of minced garlic and toasted sesame seed oil.

BTW great northerns cook faster than pintos.
 
I made a wicked Coconut Curry with lentils last night with an Instant Pot, first time I have used it for that. I usually use it for slow cooking because it's convenient, and because I thought pressure cooking would kill off the nutrients. It turns out that is completely backwards...

I have followed Dr. Gundry for a long time, so I don't question his article..

https://gundrymd.com/pressure-cooking-healthy-kill-nutrients/
 
Sparky, sounds like you've been busy!

I should make some beans but already have gas. LOL.

Spicoli, coconut curry sounds good!

I did a dry fit of the cementboard and remembered the general heights of the screws so I could avoid them. Had to use my mini ratcheting manual screwdriver to get the screws started because they kept falling when I tried the powered driver. With that board up it can help me figure out where to put shims and get the other boards in place. I will still have to pull it down and do some tweaking and stuff. Got so much aquadefense I might just coat the entire backs of each panel so it doesn't go bad.
 
Eddie, you're talking about making hummus with...great northern beans?? You can get away with favas, just add cayenne pepper and call it fuul. But great northerns? The hummus police are going to be knocking on your door.
 

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