A PRODUCTIVE DAY

[MissouriPicker]

Today, my wife went shopping with our daughter, so I thought I’d do something I’ve been intending to do since last fall.  I changed some guitar strings.  I ended-up changing strings with batteries (where needed) on seven guitars.  Also, I got a little adventurous——I decided to try some strings other than Martin SPs.  Still put the Martins SPs on the Dove, but put Earl Ball Strings on the J200, Johnny Cash D35, Hummingbird, and then Martin Marquis Silk & Steel on the Southern Jumbo and J45tv.    Also put SPs on a Gretch resonator……Also. punctured three fingertips with the strings……lol….  For little-bitty holes, they hurt like hell.  Anyway, now I’m set for the next 18-months or so……..The Silk&Steel are on the quiet side ( I think they are custom lites), but are truly easy to play.   

[merciful-evans]

Well done. 

punctured fingers! That's one reason why I hate changing strings.

Nylon strings are safe, but hose fiddly little knots are a different sort of pain. 

[Murph]

Man, that was a lot of work.

I usually always just do one instrument in a day.

Actually, now that I think about it...

Since I retired, I sometimes don't do anything in a day. That was the whole idea, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it.

I get "tricked" into projects sometimes by my wife, who is very cunning about planting seeds which will later make me think a project is my idea. But I'm on to her.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Murph

[stokes]

Years ago a friend got a string in the thumb doing a change, no big deal..........til he woke up the next day thumb swollen to the elbow. Landed him in the hospital for 3 days draining that arm.

[Pinch]

1 hour ago, stokes said:

Years ago a friend got a string in the thumb doing a change, no big deal..........til he woke up the next day thumb swollen to the elbow. Landed him in the hospital for 3 days draining that arm.

Staph? 

I make sure to kink the string part that sticks out when I change strings. Good way to ensure you don't have any eye or other accidents. 

[kidblast]

Larry, 7 guitars is for sure an adventure.

I usually plan these kinds of things for a Saturday morning.   But 2 or 3 is my limit.   it's the kind of thing were you just take your time and do all the little things once you're there.

til he woke up the next day thumb swollen to the elbow. Landed him in the hospital for 3 days draining that arm.

Staph? 

Sounds like it.  gotta be careful out there kids

[Larsongs]

That is quite a commendable effort by you… That would take me an entire day if I was really trying!

Sounds like the ladies had a productive Shopping day! 😆 

[MissouriPicker]

Yes, it took me all afternoon.   Over five hours with a couple cups of coffee and time out to stop the bleeding…..l’ e seen those videos of some guy changing strings in fifteen minutes or so, but that ain’t me.   Don’t know what got into me.  Once I did the first two, I just kept going.  Get the right tools and take your time…….  So far I’m really liking the silk&steel strings on the J45 and Southern Jumbo.  Definitely on the quiet side, but sooooo-easy to play.  I plug-in at all my gigs, so volume isn’t an issue.  

Edited February 25, 2023 by MissouriPicker

[Whitefang]

Know what you mean.  But for me that would be a real long project as I usually give the guitar I'm changing the strings on a good thorough cleaning as well. With the wood treatment on the fret board too.  And as I only have two guitars(acoustic) I prefer to split up the changeings as one is a 12 string and doesn't need changing as often, and does take me much longer to restring. 

But doing that while the wife's away is a good idea.  Imagine how long it all would have taken you with the constant, "Hon?  Are you busy?  I could use your help in here a minute(which is usually longer)."   and,  "Sweetie, could you put all that down and come in here and help me with lunch?"  and etc., etc., etc.

Whitefang

[MissouriPicker]

1 hour ago, Whitefang said:

Know what you mean.  But for me that would be a real long project as I usually give the guitar I'm changing the strings on a good thorough cleaning as well. With the wood treatment on the fret board too.  And as I only have two guitars(acoustic) I prefer to split up the changeings as one is a 12 string and doesn't need changing as often, and does take me much longer to restring. 

But doing that while the wife's away is a good idea.  Imagine how long it all would have taken you with the constant, "Hon?  Are you busy?  I could use your help in here a minute(which is usually longer)."   and,  "Sweetie, could you put all that down and come in here and help me with lunch?"  and etc., etc., etc.

Whitefang

Or, “Honey, how long is that mess going to be on the kitchen table?” …….My wife has asked a thousand times, “How many guitars do you need?”  I can’t answer because I really don’t know.
 

Anyways….l hope my fingers are feeling good by next Thursday.  Play my 2-hour coffeehouse gig on Thursday and a 3-hour one on Friday night.  Haven’t done 3-hours for many, many moons.

[Murph]

4 minutes ago, MissouriPicker said:

 …….My wife has asked a thousand times, “How many guitars do you need?”  I can’t answer because I really don’t know.
 

 

Dig it.

Great answer!

[kidblast]

57 minutes ago, MissouriPicker said:

Or, “Honey, how long is that mess going to be on the kitchen table?” ……. My wife has asked a thousand times, “How many guitars do you need?”  I can’t answer because I really don’t know.
 

yea that's a chore  just setting up to work on em in the kitchen

I'm lucky..  I have managed to setup a dedicated area with a  padded work surface, neck rest and everything at an arms reach.   

and she want even venture to ask the HOW MANY question,  she knows there's no answering that one, half the time, she's the only telling me to go for it.

yea, I'm lucky..

 

 

[Dub-T-123]

You guys have girly hands get out and touch some grass

[kidblast]

9 minutes ago, Dub-T-123 said:

You guys have girly hands get out and touch some grass

well in the Newish England area. it be the dead winter,  a few inches of hard pack snow from an ice storm this week remains on the ground. 

right now, some where around 20 degrees  and snowing again

so there is that.

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by kidblast

[Dub-T-123]

Just now, kidblast said:

well in the Newish England area. it be the dead winter,  a few inches of hard pack snow from an ice storm this remains on the ground. 

and right now, ti's some where around 20 degrees

and snowing agia.

so there is that.

 

That may complicate the grass part. Tell ya what though I’d love to go back to Boston and get some lobstah

[Murph]

I thought they had beans.

[stokes]

8 hours ago, Pinch said:

Staph? 

I make sure to kink the string part that sticks out when I change strings. Good way to ensure you don't have any eye or other accidents. 

Yeah, staph. After we changed his name from Stanley to staphly.

[Larsongs]

5 hours ago, Murph said:

 

Dig it.

Great answer!

LOL! Great answer indeed.. I’m writing that answer down! My wife always asks. that same question!

[kidblast]

16 hours ago, Dub-T-123 said:

That may complicate the grass part. Tell ya what though I’d love to go back to Boston and get some lobstah

Oh you're good to go there, they're still selling THAT stuff,  you should also try the coast of southern Maine.  (or anywhere along the coast in Maine.)

 

[sparquelito]

Restringing seven guitars in one day!

Man oh man.
One in one day wears me out.

But I'm kind of a sissy.

😔

[Larsongs]

On 2/25/2023 at 8:06 AM, Whitefang said:

Know what you mean.  But for me that would be a real long project as I usually give the guitar I'm changing the strings on a good thorough cleaning as well. With the wood treatment on the fret board too.  And as I only have two guitars(acoustic) I prefer to split up the changeings as one is a 12 string and doesn't need changing as often, and does take me much longer to restring. 

But doing that while the wife's away is a good idea.  Imagine how long it all would have taken you with the constant, "Hon?  Are you busy?  I could use your help in here a minute(which is usually longer)."   and,  "Sweetie, could you put all that down and come in here and help me with lunch?"  and etc., etc., etc.

Whitefang

I figure when it’s time to change Strings it’s time to give it a good Service, Check & Adjust everything as needed, DeOxit anything that needs it, Clean Fretboard & apply Lemon Oil, check Intonation & Relief, adjust if necessary.. Then give the Guitar a good Detail.. Polish & Buff…

I do it in the Kitchen on the Island Bar Top.. Works great but I would really to set up a Work Area in my Garage.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Larsongs

[Dub-T-123]

7 hours ago, kidblast said:

Oh you're good to go there, they're still selling THAT stuff,  you should also try the coast of southern Maine.  (or anywhere along the coast in Maine.)

 

I’d love to! The one thing I’d miss the most if I lived in New England would be Mexican food. I tell my wife if we moved somewhere like that and opened up an authentic Mexican restaurant it would be wildly successful 

[Larsongs]

9 hours ago, Dub-T-123 said:

I’d love to! The one thing I’d miss the most if I lived in New England would be Mexican food. I tell my wife if we moved somewhere like that and opened up an authentic Mexican restaurant it would be wildly successful 

I agree it would be really successful..

I’m from Southern California.. I’ve traveled around the Country but have never had Mexican food as good as it is here & Mexico.. I can’t recall any really Good Mexican Restaurants in the Mid West, up North & up & down the East Coast.. That said, I’m sure there must be some…

That said, I love really good Southern Fried Chicken.. It’s very rare to find anywhere! The best I ever had was in an old Dive Restaurant in New Orleans around the corner from Bourbon Street across from the Mississippi River… I’m getting hungry! 

Edited February 27, 2023 by Larsongs

[kidblast]

2 hours ago, Dub-T-123 said:

I’d love to! The one thing I’d miss the most if I lived in New England would be Mexican food. I tell my wife if we moved somewhere like that and opened up an authentic Mexican restaurant it would be wildly successful 

there's a bunch of them here, but there's only a sparse handful of really good ones.

I have a buddy that moved back to new brunswick back in 2014,  he says there's no Chinese Restaurants there, not even take out.

He says other than the bands we were in, he misses the times when they could go and to a Chinese place.  there's a few good ones around here.

[RBSinTo]

On 2/25/2023 at 12:37 PM, MissouriPicker said:

Or, “Honey, how long is that mess going to be on the kitchen table?” …….My wife has asked a thousand times, “How many guitars do you need?”  I can’t answer because I really don’t know.
 

Anyways….l hope my fingers are feeling good by next Thursday.  Play my 2-hour coffeehouse gig on Thursday and a 3-hour one on Friday night.  Haven’t done 3-hours for many, many moons.

MissouriPicker,

 

The correct answer to that question is " How many pairs of shoes do  you need?"

That is usually enough to make them understand.

RBSinTo

Edited February 27, 2023 by RBSinTo