Posts

Showing posts from March, 2015

Animals As Leaders 8 String models

Image
Two guitars from Animals As Leaders - both show off their latest signature 8 strings... nice guitars great playing

2 million dollar guitar

Image
Gibson made this announcement a few days back... Now... if I had $2,000,000 - which sadly I've not - I've just checked with my bank.   They're still laughing btw....  and I could spend in on guitar(s) ... I don't think I'd be buying that. So here's a game what would you buy instead? Me... hmmm....    Probably some silly PRS Private Stock 513 to start.   An old Strat, early 60s rosewood board, an ES-175 with PAFs, 335?... more likely knowing me a 355 again early 60s preferably or a good modern one....   A Les Paul - a real late 50s?  Don't know possibly one or more from the great current custom range a "Gabby" or a "Dutchburst" of the ones I've seen recently....    Maybe that original prototype Custom that sold for $300K recently - that was one of Les's own guitars and whilst not what was claimed a really important piece of history.  Or could I get hold of Rory Gallagher's beaten to death Strat?  I doubt hi

Book Review - Quarter Past Two On a Wednesday Afternoon

I got this after hearing it reviewed on Radio 2 last year sometime. It is Linda Newbery's first novel for adults although she is an established children's story writer. The story is mostly set in the present time and focused on Anna a young woman who when a teenager her elder sister, Rose, disappeared at a Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon.  The narrative then flips back and forth to times before Rose's disappearance and just afterwards as well as further back as part of the story involves her mother and her loss of her brother (Anna's uncle) when he was a teenager in a drowning accident. The book deals with loss, sibling rivalry, love, deception, etc.  It is a complicated weaving of various components which I found intriguing.  Not a rip roaring fast paced page turner, more a sitting back middle of the afternoon with a cup of tea and a bun type book.  Maybe more geared to female readers than male but I still enjoyed it.  In fact I did get quite engross

Gordon Smith for Sale

No not my bright red Graduate 60 that has graced the top of this blog for a long time now but the company! Yes in one of the fan facebook sites someone put up a link to the fact that John and Linda Smith are looking for a buyer after 40 years in the business. I'm half tempted.  I wonder how much they want?  Is this madness?  For me to take it on...  They state that the business would need to relocate anyway so the fact they are in Manchester and I'm in Kent seems little concern - a hand over period then a relocate to Kent. Business plan.... 1. Relocation 2. Consider the model line - push unique designs like the Ghostrider and Gryphon bass in particular. 3. Endorsements - land a couple of high profile endoresees 4. Adverstise in press - Gordon Smith used to advertise but hasn't for years. 5. Dealership - build on curent network. USP?...   One thing is the Carvin like ability to order a custom build for you off a menu selection in effect. Given you a one-off un

BBC's adaptation of A Casual Vacancy

When I saw that the BBC had taken the decision to dramatise J.K. Rowling's A Casual Vacancy I was looking forward to it.  I read this book about a year ago and was impressed by it.  The number of characters weaved into the story line and also that the storyline was hard hitting.  Almost really a modern day take on Dickens exposing injustice in society and dealing with greed, lust, power etc.  Sadly the BBC's adaptation was a let down.  Not because the setting failed - they nailed Pagford well.  Or that the cast and acting wasn't top notch - a quality cast saw to that.  However for some reason someone somewhere decided it should be just three one hour episodes only.  This then led to a massive re-write by Sarah Phelps.  I think she presented a good coherent story... it's just that it wasn't really A Casual Vacancy as in the book.  (I'll return to this below.)   Here's an observation.  It is replaced by an updated version of Poldark (which has been adapted

Book Review - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins What a terrific read!  A stunning first novel from Paula Hawkins.  Written as though sort of diary entries from a series of women mostly our heroine Rachel it describes the events before, during and after the disappearance of a young wife one Saturday night.  Rachel is the central character who used to live in the same street as the woman who disappeared and has come to "know" her through seeing her from the train every morning as she passes by on her way to London.  When the woman disappears Rachel becomes embroiled in trying to identify the person who has abducted her.  A really good page turning thriller that introduces the characters and events via some time hopping and perspective changes and continues in the early part to make you continually want to find out what fills in the full picture. I'd totally recommend this book.  It is very close to my top accolade on the FTUBRS* (i.e. with a grin) and only just misses out as jus