The duo, baking in the heat

And yes, people were eating strawberries

This one is for my friend Mark Golley who did all the logisics for our recent trip to Antwerp and Rotterdam to see Neil, thank you.

Welcome to our new bass player John Lawson and his first outing with the band!

Let's play some Rock'n'Roll

Mark and John

Barry and Brian

It has been a pleasure of mine for the last couple of years to pop in to see Seamus Brady at vintageguitar.co.uk, based in Norwich (you might remember him from the old days when The Acoustic Centre first set up in Wapping?). I was in there one day chatting chatting, when on the wall I spied a Martin HD28. It’s only 12 years old, but it’s seen some use! And it had some Johnny Magic about it. I could hear Bob, and I could hear Neil, and to be perfectly honest I could hear myself.

I took it home to see how I got on with it (Seamus is a nice bloke), and rocked my kitchen, and Bad Fogged my music room.  I played it to Brian and he said ‘If you don’t buy it, I will’. I really try not to be competitive, especially with my best mate Brian, but that was the point I had to buy it!!! I haven’t played my Lowden since. I love the head room of the Martin, and I love the fact it just works.

So the worm was turning.

I have always fancied an Old Black replica, I mean who reading this hasn’t? One morning I popped into town and there hanging on the wall (damn those walls) was a Les Paul Classic reissue 1960 in Ebony. Okay I know this isn’t the real deal, but it is black. The chambered body makes it light and the tone really vibrant. And I liked the neck straight away. Actually it’s not much like other Les Pauls I’ve played at all. More like a tele, if you’ll believe me. So after a little business it became mine to vandalise.

Truth be known, it was too shiny and new to vandalise!!! I couldn’t do it. It will become Old with use. The changes I did make where:

1. Replace neck pickup with Bareknuckles Mississippi Queen P90

2. Replace bridge pickup with Seymour Duncan antiquities II firebird

3. Replace pick guard and trussrod cover with custom made chrome versions

4. Fit Bigsby (well I watched Brian do this for me!!!)

5. Replace machine heads with Grover Locking rotomatics
6. Fit the Wilkinson roller bridge - ouch, I know purists, I just want it stay in tune as much as possible!
7. Fit mini switch to facilitate the ‘firebird straight to the jack’ mod.  Ice pick.

Mark's guitar

So then there was the amp issue. I had started messing with a Fender reissue tube reverb unit, a Fender Super Champ and a Rodenberg Overdrive Pedal (in fact this is what I used on the Harbour Room live recordings, check out Like A Hurricane particularly), and I reckon I was starting to get a good sound, but by comparison with Brian’s vintage and home made amps the Super Champ sounds so small.  I was just thinking this when Brian tipped me off about an original 1959 Tweed Deluxe for sale in London. so I had no choice This amp is amazing. It is simply the best and most musical sounding amp I’ve ever used. And it certainly looks 50 years old.

Mark's amp

sedan-delivery-mp3

needle-and-the-damage-done-mp3

dont-cry-no-tears-mp3

like-a-hurricane-mp3

Last year I purchased a 1959 Gretsch Single Anniversary guitar, It had already been modified heavily, so the price was lower than a re-issue. This was actually one of the deciding factors, as

1. I didn’t want a museum piece and would probably want to change things.

2. I’ve wanted a Gretsch semi, since I was 15.

3. I wanted filter-tron pickups and a bigsby, which this had.

4. I love feedback.

I must confess I was worried about the colour before I saw it, it’s 2 tone smoke green !! However I think it looks amazing, the front is more off white really, with a hint of green, at least, that’s what I keep telling myself !!

Brian's guitar

The electrics are original, just a Volume pot on the bottom, I’m not a fan of multiple pots and switches, being a Telecaster player, (Even on that I NEVER use the tone pot!), so this is perfect. An extra pickup has been added at the back, converting it to a Double anniversary, this is a TV Jones filtertron, which I was prepared to change if necessary but have discovered it sounds great. It’s had a switch added, to change between pickups, and a Bigsby tremolo and bridge, which I wanted anyway. Whoever modified this guitar did a good job, the switch and pickup are in just the right place and really neatly routed and wired, much better than I could do, also the added switch, tremolo and pickup surrounds are all Gretsch originals, so it couldn’t have been better !!

I quickly discovered after a couple of gigs, that I can’t live with a floating bridge !! I like the solid Bigsbys’, as I think they add tone, so I just drilled it carefully and screwed it down to the top. I spent ages checking the intonation and marking it out, I must have drunk 6 cups of coffee just procrastinating, but eventually I made the holes !!

That one modification has made such a difference to this instrument, I’ve started playing it all the time, the black de-armond has been relegated to back up.

The sound ? It’s like all my favourite guitar tracks, overdriven it’s aggressive, like Who’s Next, or mellow, like Cortez the killer and clean it’s just 50’s country twang, it’s the most rock and roll guitar I’ve ever owned!

The tuners are original basic open Grovers, which seem to work fine but I will probably change them, I’ll never sell this guitar anyhow.

Not much else has changed really, the home made tube pre amp got really noisy so I bit the bullet and ordered a BK Butler Tube Driver, from the man himself in the USA.

It’s an awesome device, I re-built my pedal board when I installed it, making a much neater job of it this time, using hard, solid chore RF cable and replaced all the patch leads with right angle metal jack plugs.

I used the Butler pedal for about 15 gigs, and then decided the overdrive sounded a little buzzy, so I tried a whole bunch of N.O.S. valves in there, different brands as well as different types and eventually replaced the original 12ax7 with a Mullard ECC82, which seems to have crunched things up nicely, the drive setting needs to be higher but the tone has definitely improved, (That’s why I use Valve gear folks!).

I recently acquired a Fender Custom Shop Blues Junior amp, which I’m using when Mark and I do Duo gigs, it’s a great amp and has now replaced the Gallien-Kreuger as my backup, ( At 18 watts it’s as loud as my tremolux !! ).

And Finally, Mark and I have discovered K&K pickups and are now dedicated fans, I’ve got the Pure Western in my D18 now and the Trinity Western in my Martin 00016, which I use for solo gigs, (I’ve just ordered a Trinity microphone to fit into the D18 too).  These pickups sound great, really natural and the design is so sympathetic the guitars themselves seem to sound better even when they’re not plugged in !!

BEE

27/08/08

Gig Review Appearing in the Lynn News, by Duncan Hall.
Beachcomber Bar, Hunstanton,

Rockin’ in the free world, anyone?

NEIL Young has to be one of rock’s most idiosyncratic performers.
Over his four-decade career, his music has embraced ‘60s psychedelic pop, rock’n’roll, pastoral acoustics, and even electronic experimentation – all to the bemusement of his millions of fans across the world.
Tribute band DON’T SPOOK THE HORSE had its work cut out to even partially cover his career – but in less than 90 minutes they made a good fist of it.
Young’s incendiary guitar performances were brilliantly recreated within a song selection which ranged from well loved classics to slightly lesser-known album tracks.
From the start people were up and dancing to songs like Young’s only hit, Heart of Gold, After the Goldrush’s Southern Man, and even Like a Hurricane.
Odder songs from Young’s lesser-known albums Comes a Time and On the Beach furrowed a few brows, but added to the fan-like atmosphere.
It’s a shame that Rockin’ in the Free World’s sentiments were not followed by the Golden Lion’s management. Hopefully the experience won’t put the band off from returning to another West Norfolk venue.

Intrigued? The following also appeared in the Lynn news, by Emma Cooney….

Punters irate as Golden Lion pulls plug on Beachcomber gig

Don’t spook the guests!

MANAGEMENT at Hunstanton’s Golden Lion Hotel caused a stir when they pulled to plug during the set of a Neil Young tribute band on Saturday (see review).
The Page received a scathing letter (see below) from a disgruntled customer, upset at the abrupt end to the DON’T SPOOK THE HORSE gig, which was at The Beachcomber venue at the back of the hotel.
In reply, Golden Lion manger Josina Buschman said the gig should never have happened in the first place.
“I had to finish it, I had no choice,” she told The Page. “People think we’ve broken up their party, but it should never have happened, and it is not going to happen again.”
One member of staff said they were expecting a quiet band, but instead the renditions sounded like “heavy metal.”
The comment must surely bemuse anyone who knows anything about the Canadian rock superstar – known as he is for his long guitar workouts, and who once released an album entirely of feedback!
Guests walked out of the hotel, and guests staying above the beachcomber venue had to be reimbursed £180, the staff member added.
Mrs Buschman explained that the venue was never intended for bands, as there were guest rooms directly above it.
She was concerned when told the gig was taking place, but as it had been organised said it had to be finished by 10am.

FUNDRAISER

Gig organiser, Pauline Farncombe, booked the date as a fundraiser to support the community art gallery, which is based at The Beachcomber.
Mrs Farncombe is the director of Hunstanton Festival, which manages Hunstanton Partnership for Promation of the Arts, which runs the Beachcomber.
She said unfortunately the band started late, and played past the agreed time.
When she was told to stop the gig, she told the band it had to be their last song.
“Minutes later, the power went,” Mrs Farncombe said, “It’s a shame, because it was a good night and everybody was enjoying it.”
She added the hotel were on the whole supportive of the art gallery, and it was an unfortunate misunderstanding.
It was a good night for Hunstanton, the largely middle-aged crowd were well behaved, and it was a pleasant evening with no trouble.
“We’ll endeavour to reach a compromise to put live music on in the future. But if not, we’ll have to find another venue.

The Page has since heard that the hotel had just agreed to let a band use their function room to rehearse (not the beachcomber). Confused? We are!

Rude way to treat a great band

Letter

CONGRATULATIONS to DON’T SPOOK THE HORSE for a great evening entertainment on Saturday. What a shame it was spoiled by the management at the venue, Hunstanton’s Beachcomber Bar at the Golden Lion Hotel.
The event was billed from 8pm till 11pm on posters and in the local press. However at around 10.45pm, possibly earlier, Management Official No.1 arrives on the scene and tells the band it’s time to wind up.
Fair enough. But telling them to do so right in the middle of one of their pieces? Totally unfair. Very rude, actually. But, with good grace, the band announces its next song will be the last for the night, and then begin to play.
Enter, Management Official No.2. Again, in mid-musical flow, she matches up to the lead singer and declares they must finish immediately.
Rude? Is it just me, or can anyone imagine a front-of-house manager approaching someone on stage at any other venue and telling them it’s a time to leave?
So the concert ended at 10.50pm. We left feeling sold short, and the abrupt ending put the damper on an otherwise enjoyable night.
The Beachcomber was quite happy to take its money from the band for the night for the hire of the room, and in the knowledge that, yes, a band does make noise.
If it was the noise factor, and I don’t know for sure, then the venue shouldn’t be holding out it’s hands for money from other bands in the future. And anyway, do musicians really want to be treated in such a discourteous way?
They might, but I won’t see them, because I shan’t be going back to the Beachcomber (name and address supplied).