Happy belated birthday Toby! 
Studio is looking good 
I will park myself here and wait for NGD photos 
2 Likes
Looking like a shredder’s paradise there, Toby! 
Love how you’ve replaced the plates with those rad tour/gig posters, excellent! 
Plus look at all those axes you’ve got stashed away! 
I need to really dig back in this thread and see what each of them are 
Good luck on sourcing that Tele, can’t wait to check it out once it (hopefully) gets sorted 
Also, happy birthday for the other day mate!! 
1 Like
None of my doing, all down to the missus and my daughter, like most blokes I would have just left it for the next 10 years or so. Hoping for more Tele news later this week but being cautious, just in case. Thx for the birthday wishes !
1 Like
Studio looking awesome, Toby.
Will hold thumbs that the tele comes through.
1 Like
Missed the day mon ami, but at least I’m still earlier than the Tele
Have a good day today instead
1 Like
MONDAY TELE UPDATE
You may have guess I was less than pleased with the service I received from Thomann. A blanket “order cancelled” with no explanation, lit some fuses at the weekend. So pleasantly I got a wholehearted explanation this morning.
I will still keep you guessing on make and model but the two Thomann were expecting - one would have been mine - never materialized, so this was something completely out of their control and the confirmations I got on the 28th were well founded, So I summarily apologised for kicking off. We remain good friends,
So back to the end of last week. Despite the finish I lusted over Andertons ala Lee and Danish Pete, had my second choice colour. Already smitten on the actual guitar and confident in the supplier I hit the BUY button, happy but a little disappoint it was not my first choice but still an excellent piece of kit IMHO !!
Roll forward to Friday and a day running around helping my daughter pack up for her return to Plague Island and finally some respite late afternoon. No updates from Guildford but we did some more surfing.
Hens teeth and just not out there was the reply from Google. One hit from Global Audio Services in Toulouse initially looked promising but some due diligence revealed that it was run by some dodgy geezers and its reputation made the gutter look enticing.
Then my daughter announced she found the guitar in Paris ala Rome International. All sounded a bit suss to me, guess I am so untrusting these days and the last months experience laid heavy on my mind. But a deep dive into the enterprise suggested they were kosher and the “unit” was “en stock” but I was still sceptical.
Daughter said go for it !! Paypal x 4 meant I could minimise risk and levy a dispute, if nowt turn up in the next few weeks. So I went for it and all looked good, until I saw the order status change to “awaiting renewal of stock”’ He we go again or words to that effect with several Anglo Saxon additives. This purchase was never going to happen.
Roll on Monday morning. Order status changed to “in preparation”, then an mail to say “unit” passed to courier. Quick check of the tracking status showed “tracking number not recognised” 
Left it a few hours and it had changed to awaiting handover. Then finally email and message from courier to advise delivery tomorrow. THERE IS A GOD.
So plan was to cancel the Andertons order if Paris turned out cool. Next thing, plan explanation to the missus, who had been disappointed the birthday present went awol. BANG email from Andertons “unit” now with DHL and winging its way to France. Bolleaux too late to cancel.
Shoot its going to be raining Teles !!! Andertons arrives later this week.
I’ve just explained all this to the missus very quickly to ensure the actual occurrences were difficult to follow but as usual she was very supportive, And chuckled when I said there would be no more after this. Yeah, as if !!
So that’s were we are right now, a sufficient spray of ground bait to keep you enticed and biting.
Hope its all worth it come delivery day(s)…
Over and out.
6 Likes
You made me smile, Toby . Reminds me of a child at Christmas who finally gets the long-desired R/C car, just to see Santa forgot to add the batteries…
I had my guitar setup yesterday and spent some hours in a bigger guitar shop and tried a tele. Had to think about you and: I can feel your pain! They gave me the sweety, plugged into a Blackstar Tube Amp,… nothing more to add… .
Fingers crossed your babies arrive well and in time!
1 Like
After all the trials and tribulations the Teles finally arrived today and I was blown away.
A brace of G&L Tribute ASAT Specials. It was the Antique Sunburst that first caught my, which has always been my favourite guitar finish - you can keep your butternut Teles - and then I saw the Leo Fender Locking Bridge, which looks absolutely stunning in the flesh and more eye catching than the normal shiny meccano plate.
When the ASB failed to be delivered to Thomann and I was still resigned to getting on of these, the only other colour I liked was the Irish Ale finish. It looked pretty matt in most ads I’d seen and even in some review videos but I am pleased to say its not only gloss but a near Identical hue to my beloved Cherry LP. Win win all round. With the post Brexit complications of import duties, VAT etc shipping the IR back to Andertons was always going to be complicated and a complete PITA that would have likely set me back around 150 euros, so I decided to keep it and rearrange the stable.
As you can see the rack now takes all the electrics bar one of the bases and the acoustics stack on solo stands, even my ancient Encore.
Don’t worry the thermo on the rad is virtually in the off position.
All neat and tidy and readily to hand, with the Mustang and POD Go under the desk.
Despite all the aggro it was worth the wait. Yet to plug and play as I have had virtually no practice time over the last 2 and half weeks and one of the OM songs is going a bit pear shaped. So with just 3.5 days to show time I am cracking on with that for now, rather than sitting around chasing orders or waiting for deliveries.
Turned out alright in the end.
12 Likes
Hi Toby,
Happy NG`sD
Greetings
1 Like
Great collection, Toby 
. Have you ever thought of opening a guitars museum 
.
Happy NGD by the way . I’m curious to see and hear one (or both?) of them in action on Saturday 
.
@TheMadman_tobyjenner Toby you’re running out of room, next year ask for accessories for your Harley
5 Likes
Thanks Nicole but acoustic on Saturday all being well,
1 Like
Now that would guarantee months and months of rain !! Still waiting to get out this year 
Still have these from the old forum.
Not sure about that last one
1 Like
Happy NGDx2
Hopefully we see them in action soon
1 Like
Wow! What a nice collection you have! 
1 Like
Hey, Toby, welcome to the world of G&L. In spite of your best intentions, I foresee additional purchases in your future.
1 Like
After all the years of nudging, you end up with not one but two . Belated happy NGsD, Toby.
Thanks David, still not played them properly with so little OM prep time. So hoping for a little noodling, easy as Sunday morning once the dust settles. Heck I am happy just looking at them
1 Like
Great lineup
I have an orange G&L custom classic ASAT
1 Like
MADMAN’s ROADCASE - HALF YEAR UPDATE.
Well there is about 36 hours before the Blues Immersion Course (BLIM) kicks off in anger. Some of you may have seen the news that I was signing up for it somewhere !
I am not one for using these Learning Logs for recording frequent progress and practice routines. Coming from the old forum I still like to do it Old Skool and the Roadcases were a case of periodic lines in the sand and a showcase of what gear had been bought in between.
So for starters I better clarify there is no new gear, since the ASATS arrived but I did get a Tab Notebook which will be abused over the next six months.
So where exactly am I at the end of June 2024 ? Guess it would be easier to just link my latest diary chapter that summarises what I have been learning, developing and playing.
So rather than reinventing the wheel, here you are …
The Madman’s Diaries - The Blues Chapters - Chapter Four (The calm before the storm)
So where I can summarise the last six months in a single line, the last four weeks may take a little longer.
So having been accepted onto BLIM, we all got a shed load of prep work, so the last few weeks have been pretty hectic but all good fun.
So apart from listening to countless Blues artists in the Immersion playlists Justin had created, I also went a bit mental on Spotify and literally been listening to every flavour of Blues out there whenever I had the time. Discovered old masters that were new to me, rediscovered artists from the 60s and 70s I’d long forgotten about and founds some fairly new Blues Rock bands to keep the blood pumping ! And on top of that been watching loads of Blues documentaries to feed the beast !
Aside from the audio video history immersion, there have been some recordings, all neatly tied up in the last diary release.
Wrote the lyrics to a Blues that may see the light of day later this year
The Blues Immersion Blues
Well I cant find my Blues, from my head down to my shoes.
Yeah I cant find my Blues, from my head down to my shoes.
Ive never had to struggle, life for me’s been one long cruise.
When the back man plays the Blues, Blues to him comes naturally.
Yeah when the back man plays the Blues, Blues to him comes naturally.
Too much discrimination and those years of slavery.
When the white man plays the Blues, its from his head not from his soul.
Yeah when the white man plays the Blues, its from his head not from his soul.
Coz he’s probably never struggled like them Blues masters of old.
But there’s some that really get it, yeah its like they see the pain.
Yeah there’s some that really get it, yeah they understand the pain.
But I try an try an try, just cant make my Blues the same.
So I’m trying Blues Immersion, deep deep dive its gonna be.
Yeah I’m trying Blues Immersion, a deep deep dive its gonna be.
But I hope that after six months, it will let my Blues soul free.
Yeah I hope that after six months, it will let my Blues soul free.
Got to get my head around Hound Dog Taylor’s Give Me Back My Wig for this one, so may take some time.
The biggest achievement was transcribing, something I have run as far away as possible from over the years I’ve been here. Too hard, too old, life too short yada yada with a big dose of CBA - plenty of Tab online ! But one of the BLIM Prep exercises was to transcribe a 48 bar solo, as this will form an integral part the course. So after all the years of kicking and screaming, I dragged myself up to the PC and over the last few weeks, deciphered the whole piece as best I could. The more I did the easier it got and I kicked myself for not doing it early in my playing journey. So added to the “practice” routines is Justin Transcribing Course, which I think will help with the BLIM lessons.
Another achievements that shows things are eventually coming together, was learning a new Corey Congilio solo last week. Its still needs a lot of polish and I won’t be recording yet but I managed to get the nears two minute solo under my fingers and into my head in about 90 minutes !! The last ones and my acoustic Blues ones have taken weeks and months. Can an old man say stoked ? If he can I was really stoked about that and the transcribing.
So another half year is nearly over and the next half looks pretty exciting. All being well there will be some Madman’s Diary Chapters to chart the journey, so folks in the city can see what happening over the hedge !
Maybe the odd Open Mic appearance depending on slot availability and workload in the coming months. But a big thanks to @Richard_close2u and the JGC OM team for keeping things rolling while I take a sabbatical. A huge thank you to all who posted in Mr Coles’ Applause thread, truly appreciated the warmth of the comments.
So that will do for now, long read but hey what else would you expect.
Take care peeps, keep practicing. keep playing and above all keep rockin !
7 Likes