Nickname: theoldman66
Real (full) name: Ian Lumb
Age and birthday: 60 in August 2021
Habitat: Barrow in Furness

Which guitar(s) do you own? Squier CV50 Telecaster, Vintage V100 Les Paul style, Marlin S-style (c. 1980s), Fazley T-style (currently out on long-term loan), Tanglewood TND CE Nashville IV (electro-acoustic), Aria AGPS-001 (incredibly loud Dreadnaught) JN 4-string Cigar Box Guitar

Which guitar do you currently play on? Telecaster

Which amp(s) do you own? Fazley 5w tube amp, Blackstar ID:CORE 20, and an ancient B.B. Blaster 10W (currently out on long-term loan)

How long have you been playing guitar? Since 1976, on and off, mostly off until 2020. My first guitar was a Woolworth’s electric, which sabotaged all my efforts to play until I was in my 30’s and had learned enough to recognise that the neck was twisted. I’d picked up a fairly decent acoustic by then, I’d learned most of the open chords, and had even got the hang of the E and A shape Barre chords, so from there kind of coasted along, in a pattern of playing tunes from tab books for about 6 months, then putting the guitar down and not picking it up for months, sometimes years. I must have come across Justin fairly early in the life of the website, maybe around 2008- 2010 and started the original beginners course, but still at that time had full-time shift work and the demands of a family competing for my time. Over time, I did get through most of the course. Starting 2016, I had some turmoil in my life, but by late in 2019 the dust had settled and I found myself living alone and semi-retired, with time to play guitar. I started the new beginners course from scratch, completing grade 2 at the end of 2021. My progress through the earlier parts of Grade 3 was slowed by an injury sustained in a motorcycle crash early in 2022 which left me with a metal plate in my much-stiffened left (fretting) wrist, however I got back to, and surpassed, where I was before the accident, which coincided with me fully retiring. I finish Grade 3 at the end of 2024Just in time to join the first Blues Immersion Class. I took a break from playing in early 2025, I’ve been playing songs I already know since I picked it up again, I’ll get round to starting grade 4 sooner or later! Rather than continue to update this I’m thinking I’ll start a learning log which, if I ever get round to it, I’ll link in this profile

I have an eclectic taste in music, with a heavy bias towards Blues, from Alabama 3 to Led Zeppelin. In 2025 bands on my playlist are: Alabama 3, Baxter Dury, Canned Heat, Samantha Fish, Larkin Poe, Nine Below Zero, Liz Jones & Broken Windows, The Stumble, King King, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Walter Trout