Hi, I'm Amie!

[Amie]

Bit late to the party but...Welcome to the forum Amie,

Hello Andy, and thanks.

I'm interested in the usual girl stuff, fashion, beauty, etc, but when I'm trying to fit in with the crowd, the subject usually ends up "reality TV" or similar, and I'd rather chew my arm off than watch or talk about such kack, so I've a name for being a bit strange, but it's fun to make people uncomfortable about it!

My friends tend to be people interested in music, (or it seems vintage electronic gear ). I belong to a music group at school run by our music teacher, she is the only one who really seems to have passion for her subject.

Mum and I are actually now on our way to the airport to go on holiday to visit my bestie who is into the ukulele. She bought me a Kuna concert for my birthday this year, and it will be great to see her again, we talk a lot by Skype but rarely meet as she lives in America, she is the same age as me, and is a child actress.

My Mum is a session musician, (Rock Chick Dad called her), we don't seem to find time to hang out as much as we'd like, but we make the best of it when we do. I have an old Spanish acoustic guitar and a Les Paul copy, it's OK, but my fave is one of mum's, an gloss ivory Gibson flying V, she was given it by a band she worked with on an album project. Only problem with it is you have to stand to play it!

There's a story to dad's username, when he worked for an American company he was given a desk in an office with another British guy called George Patrick, George had ginger hair and always wore a lab coat at work. He helped Dad a lot in his job and they became firm friends, so, Pat Pending as George was known became Dad's monicker as a tribute to his friend.

I've seen the guitar wizard site. Dad had actually bought a couple of the guys books, I will have to look them out.

My Dad was a typical hoarder, there's his workshop, that he had filled with forty or so years worth, so the only things I'd be short of would be the treasures that everyone is looking for. I've plans to do a small (~10W) valve guitar amp, but that's a future project.

We're not often north of the Wash but thanks for the invite! What's the expression? Take a raincheck?

Amie.

[Amie]

Amie, I know it's a long way ahead, but you might be able to persuade your mum to bring you to next year's NVCF    https://www.nvcf.org.uk/

Although the date is showing as not confirmed I will be amazed if it's not 10th May 2020. It's normally the Sunday after the Mayday bank holiday.

Could be fun, I've used my brownie points up with mum on this years holiday, time to start saving some more.

Thanks,
Amie.

[ppppenguin]

Amie, I know you said you're not often north of The Wash but if you and your mum are ever in the Lincoln/Newark area you might like to visit a friend of mine (not on GVR) whose collection of kit puts all the rest of us to shame. I must declare a personal interest because we're in the process of forming a charitable trust and possible museum, and I'm the trreasurer. One of our aims is to interest young people in the history of broadcast engineering. So please have look round our website: https://becg.org.uk/

You'll see all of us at work and having fun in the video on this page: https://becg.org.uk/projects/abc-thames/

Besides the trucks and other engineering kit there are also horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens and cats.

Have a fun time on holiday and make lots of great music.

[pwdrive]

Yeah, the Gibo flyin' V, the late great Mr King played one of them, leftie and upside down...classic live performance from way back when, if you listen carefully you can see/hear where the late great SRV got some of his classic techniques from.:

Mr King..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyVhBfIFbiQ

SRV..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6tU2G_Av7o


Lawrence.

[BusyBee]

Gibson Flying V? It is good because it is a Gibson but I always wondered why? Having played the guitar a little I have always had major doubts as to how comfortable they are to use. I am envious Amie as I have never had the chance to play. I'll stick with my old acoustic whenever I have chance to play - or more likely stick with my painting lol

I'm glad you are settling in here. Have a lovely holiday!

Tracy

[Amie]

Thanks Jeffrey, looking after all that gear must be a monumental task!

Lawrence/Tracy, I love mums Gibson because of its sound, and  it's rigid, you'd have a hard time knocking it out of tune ....but you just can't play it sitting down, so yeah, its a gimmick.

Planes been delayed  , but we should see the meteor shower because of it , hope they turn the cabin lights out!

Catch up when I find some WiFi at the other end.

Amie.

[Terry]

Thanks Jeffrey, looking after all that gear must be a monumental task!

Amie, you ain't seen nothing yet!

If you think the kit in those OB vans is crammed in tight, wait until you get see what is stored in the barns there! To say that space is at a premium would be an understatement and moving around can be challenging for someone with my somewhat generous proportions! (There isn't much room in the vans, either!)

Enjoy your holiday and I hope you got to see the meteor shower!

[pwdrive]

Playing a Flying V sitting down:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_GXMEn4a4I

Cool.

Lawrence.

[BusyBee]

Playing a Flying V sitting down:

Cool.

Lawrence.

Yes, obviously possible, but that's mostly playing around the twelveth fret which means little stretching, possibly ideal for that position. I think for fast chord changes lower down where the sound is fuller it could be uncomfortable for extended periods. For me the positioning does not seem ideal but as I said, I've never played one and I have never been a professional musician.

Tracy

[Diabolical Artificer]

No worries, open invite. The Valve Wizard site is about the only one I found when i was starting out that took you step by step, and once I'd powered a valve up and watched the anode voltage/current change as the bias voltage on the grid changed, a lot of things I'd read on the VW site, fell into place. Anyhoo, have a good holiday.

Didn't know you knew Paul Jeffry, his place in mad, packed to the gunnels, he gave me an interesting tour of some of the OSBV's and I've done some bits and bobs for him, mostly making up cables. I hope they can get younger folk interested, non of the group are young AFAIK.....

Flying V's, not a fan of the shape, saw Judas Priest in the eighties, think it was Glenn Tipton who played one? Memory foggy.

A.