Sad to see all the troubles that this year has thrown at you but good to see how strong you have remained through it all. Hopefully, 2026 is much better for you and the boss lady. Looking forward to hearing the latest originals next year.
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Sorry to hear about all the troubles you and your wife had to face this year and I wish you all the very best for the future. There are times in life, where guitars aren’t as important as they used to be, as life gets in the way and that’s perfectly fine.
I missed you and your positive spirit here on the plattform, but thought, you were busy with post BLIM things outside the main forum.
I’m sending you some good vibes and may sunshine come back to your life!
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Hi Toby. I am sad to read what you and your wife had to go through, but I am glad it is getting better. Take it easy with the guitar, as you always say “it is a marathon, not a sprint”. I wish you great 2026.
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Well Toby your wife and you certainly haven’t had your troubles to seek in 2025. Take care of your wife and yourself and enjoy the festive period.
Here’s to 2026! I look forward to some Madman Studio productions. 
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Glad to read some lines from our Madman, Toby.
I’m so sorry to read that the second half of 2025 was so full of trouble for your wife and yourself. Having to worry about our nearest and dearest in that way is one of the toughest things in life. For now, I keep all my fingers crossed for you and your wife that you can spend a lovely festive time together at home and that she keeps on getting better (as well as your fingers, of course)! 
May 2026 be way, way better for the both of you. Wish you well and - if life permits - am really looking forward to hear some Madman Studio’s production next year. All the best, Toby!
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Hello Toby,
I do wish you and your wife so very well, and hope the coming year brings plenty of sunshine and alot of joy.
Good people like yourselves really deserve it.
On the guitar front, because you’re always organised, I trust it makes it easier to pick up momentum again when life takes you away from it. Hopefully that’ll be the case here.
All the very best for Xmas and the New Year.
Cheers, Shane
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Toby,
Sorry to hear that you’ve had such a rough time of it. I can only imagine how heartbreaking it is to have your wife being so ill. Hope you both have a healthier, happier year ahead. And happy holidays.
To borrow a line from a gent on the Acoustic Guitar Forum, Be well and play well.
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Hi Toby,I understood your mood to be quite low…let’s just hope 2026 will bring more health - nothing else needed - we’ll gladly add the rest 
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Didn’t make a song and dance about it but it was my 70th last Monday - odd reference in an obscure post about polls, where I might have upset some newbie pole loving peeps. (Heck this aint facebook!!!) However I meant to post an update to the Madman’s Stable but some life things got in the way again. So nearly a week later here is the new acquisition . . . .
I mentioned dabbling with our ancient 61 key Casio at the end of the year and I’d been tinkling off and on while the trigger fingers SNAFUed my guitar playing but I was having fun on the Black n White thing !! So much that having found some decent piano courses, I took the bold leap to get this full sized 88 key behemoth. Yep its freakin hoooooge !! But a lot of fun. Full specs here
On the guitar front I’d actually gravitated towards a more “focused” approach and practice routine. . . . before Justin’s “Broad or focused” video hit the street. . . . . based on Daniel Seriff’s “The Effective Practice Toolkit” that covered the same/similar ground.
So there’s an evolving spreadsheet covering Blues and Blues Rock. Yep same old same old (Southern included natch!). Diagonal Pentatonic of both flavours feature a lot. As does Triads and Arpeggios major minor dim and min75b all good stuff. Blues and rock rhythm is a heavy feature and some tasty chord voicing makes practice a good place to be. Yeah 1MC can be applied to the trickiest of Bluesy chords ! Every new chord combo is a new one minute change, the circle of life meets the circle of fifths, happy days peeps.
Low profile but still here in the shadows having fun and living the life !
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“Say nowt and keep moving” - That’s what an old bloke in the pub used to say.
Belated Happy Birthday, Toby. They’ll keep coming round if you keep moving!
I’m all for the focused approach, especially as the years keep piling on. “You’ll never get to where you’re going if you keep changing direction” (Another bloke in the pub) 
Can’t offer any tips but good luck with the piano. 
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Nice update boss, a huge keyboard for a huge contributor to the community. You will be exploring all those sounds for quite some time. Good to see the focus continuing on a diagonal path with some blues rock rather than a windy path with some Britney Swift.
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Many happy returns, my friend. Like you I prefer mine to pass by unoticed, even those that now end in a ‘0’.
May the coming year be foret and foremost good health for your and the missus - thereafter you will make all good!
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Happy Belated Birthday Toby.
Sorry I am late this year I should have known because it the same day as Eric Clapton and the day before Audra’s.
Nice key board have fun,
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Toby goes plink plink plonk!
You are in your prime my friend.
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Happy (belated) Birthday, Toby 
Have lots of fun with your new acquisition.
I love that piano - and the guitar cushions on the couch 
Wishing you the very best - and many, many hours full of joy with your new musical companion 
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Hi Toby ,
I already congratulated you on your birthday… so that leaves me Happy NP D…
I bought mine 6 years ago, played it for 12 days and then on the 13th day a friend brought a guitar with me… never touched it again 
except for a few minutes after the Justin “learn piano in 15 minutes” lesson… 
but it is here for the moments when I can sit properly and can’t handle the strings with my hands because of whatever can be come … hopefully I never play it, but… the first “De Quervain tendon irritation” has just ended and in advance I hoped that something like the piano would be possible… thinking of that …hopefully your “tricker fingers” are over by now… but piano was no solution for that here with me . 
All the best from Holland 
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Nice keys, Toby! Happy NPD and belated B-Day!
Moving up to full 88 keys was a great choice. Having played good 10 years myself, I know how you may feel limited with less keys, even though we hardly move to the far ends. It’s good to have the option. Any chance we might see or hear you anf the keys in action one fine day?
Also good to read you keep on diggin deeper into the Blues and Blues Rock again. Knowing your spreadsheets and organized approach, it will surely lead to some nice outcome. And thanks for reminding me about the 1MC exercise, need to incorporate that more for thise tricky Blues chords…
Hope things will be well for you and your missus, at least as good as possible. All the best, Toby.
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Happy belated birthday Toby! Congrats on your new acquisition, I hope it’s bringing much joy! One day I’ll learn some piano as well…who knows…
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Toby, a belated Happy Birthday and happy New Keyboard Day!
I hit the 70 year mark back in August. We have an older 88-key electric piano with keys that sticK and have considered upgrading to dabble in piano. But after reading through all of your practice plans and seeing the amount of practice that you do, I can ill afford to reduce my 30 to 45 min/day of guitar practice Your planning and organization is inspiring and gives me a few ideas as I anticipate finally taking the BLIM plunge in 2027.
Also, sorry to read about the health issues that you have both faced this past year and hope that this year brings you better health.
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