Well it certainly been a busy year for me as far as project building goes even though I only completed one musical instrument and that took only a few days ! My first build was a valve, or if you prefer tube amplifier made from the remnants of a 1960’s hifi receiver that I used to use as a teenager. Then the rebuild of another 60’s circuit a treble booster that incorporated a Tone Bender distortion circuit both using original 60’s transistors. That only finished instrument was a one string diddley bow made famous by Sea Sick Steve. In mid summer I assembled my church pew and we had to throw out an old plywood display cabinet to make space in the kitchen/diner and this gave me the idea of making my first acoustic instrument with real bent sides, a mountain dulcimer, a nice and easy to play a tune instrument which will fit nicely into my local folk club scene…this was coming on well until it got side lined by a winter youth group project which is making radio control yachts, these have gotten as far as being bare wood shells which we can now start fitting the radio gear into before they get a coat of paint inside and have the decks are fitted , after that we will paint them with our own personal colour schemes and move on to making the masts and sails! We are planning a regatta race day event for the spring! So what for 2011? Well I must get back to music and apart from finishing that dulcimer I really would like to complete a cd of my songs, it’s something I’ve never done and even though it will probably only get circulated amongst family and friends-including internet friends! I feel I’ll be able to tick off one of those things I’ve always wanted to do.
One last thought; if 2011 is the start of a new decade didn't we celebrate the new millennium a year too early?
