Yesterday was the day to begin the paint stripping process. To get out the surplus napalm and slather it on the instrument to watch the paint bubble and writhe like a cut snake in vinegar. Which was exactly how I acted when I got a giant dollop of the nasty crap on me. Most paint strippers I am used to take a little while to hurt. It gets on you without you realizing and then the pain surges in an ever-increasing ferocity until you can find the nearest tap to dowse yourself in water to neutralize the acid. This stuff however was not so much a gentle ramping surge, but a red-hot cleaver chop to the contacted skin. Nasty stuff. However, it did the job. The paint blistered like a tourists back after falling asleep on Bondi Beach in summer, and the paint with a little convincing from a razor, came right off.

 Now that the paint was 99% off, it was time to inspect the body for any prep work it may need before spraying. Taking the paint off unfortunately unveiled a few initial issues. The wood used is Alder, a common electrical instrument wood used by even Fender. It is also used to make packing crates, but despite its common usage in freighting, it is a good wood for instruments. Relatively stable, light and easy to work with. However the wood used in this instrument has a chunky knot, which will need to be dealt with otherwise it will leave a rough surface and in a worst case scenario, a large chunk of wood may pop out when the wood expands and contracts in the heat. Other issues are that the gluing lines between pieces will need to be cleaned up, some incredibly coarse sanding marks will need to be eradicated and a small hole that must have accidentally been drilled whilst installing the electronics, will need to be filled. Again, if these issues are not fixed it will show up like a septic pimple on an underwear models buttock. Sure, overall it looks good, but your eyes will keep going back to that imperfection. Not good.

 So next job is a bit of filing and a LOT of sanding. Not my favourite past time but a very necessary one. Here are some pics of the nude Viper!

Ewen

Well, after many years of subtle, and not so subtle, hinting from Asha about changing the colour of her violin, I have finally conceded and have decided to take on the project. The electric ‘flying V’ style violin will be changed from a satin red to a….


well I suppose you will all see down the line! To do the job properly is a little complicated and one needs to be thorough to ensure that the new paint job will not only look good, but stand the test of Asha’s hardcore rock ‘n roll lifestyle. So I have opted away from going to the local hardware store and getting a spray can and giving it a few coats in the backyard, tempting as it is. No, this will be a full dismantle, strip original paint, fix up the grain, mend any blemishes, possibly coat in epoxy, spray with professional grade materials and polish the crap out of it till it shines like freshly printed silver dollar.

 Today was the first day of work. Well, when I say work, I mean physical work. There has been much discussion over the last few weeks on the matter of colour. Many opinions have been given and I believe it was a hard decision to make. Even harder still is availability of that colour and styled paint! However, I think I have tracked it down to a particular store and will in the next few days inspect it to make sure it is up to scratch….. poor choice of words, I know. But today was the first day of ‘physical’ work to the violin. Measurements, photos and careful observations needed to be made so that when reassembling the instrument, it will be as close as possible to the setup that it was originally in. Diagrams of wiring patterns and locations of various key components was a must in order to avoid large amounts of hair pulling, swearing and possible projectiles flying around the workspace when time comes to put it all back. I only hope that I have all the notes I need!

 After the laborious task of that it was time to take everything off the wooden body that can possibly be taken off in preparation for the paint stripper. That is where I have decided to leave it today. Does not sound like much but it is an important step and needs to be very detailed. I will save the chemical onslaught of paint stripping for another day as it is messy, frustrating and a painful process. If you have ever been burnt by paint stripper you will know what I mean. In my opinion it is watered down napalm that someone happened to realize that it melted paint as well. Not the prettiest of materials to use and is a bit harsh on the old sinuses as well!

 Anyway, more on that when I do it. Here is a pic of the violin in its skeletal form. 

Ewen

Single of the week 9th-15th November The Daily Telegraph:

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- Microphone Throw: Similar to the 'Hammer Throw', the lead singer must launch the microphone as far as possible with the cable still attached. The recommended style for this throw is to swing the microphone overhead and fling the microphone with cable trailing cleanly. It is the responsibility of the Lead Singer to make sure the cable does not catch on anything. A foul throw is called when the microphone detaches from the cable (even on landing), or if the microphone does not leave the stage on landing. Again distance is measured by rows of seats.

- Compact Discus: All members of the band are allowed to compete in this event. The competitor must fling 3 CDs off the 'stage' as far as possible. The distance is measured by 'seat rows'. Stepping over the edge of the stage is a foul, as is hitting any lights, smoke machines and /or mixing desk with the "Compact Discus" (CD).

- Clean and Jerk: Each band selects a member for this event. It must be held on level ground for safety!!! The competitor must straddle the trailer hitch and with a clean jerk, lift the trailer onto the tow ball of the tour bus. Dropping the trailer is an automatic disqualification and points are deducted for missed attempts to mount the tow ball. Like the Olympic event, you are allowed three attempts. Once the lift is completed the trailer is loaded with more weight until other competitors are eliminated. One other member is allowed to push behind the trailer to help line the tow hitch but no weight is allowed to be taken by this person.

- Balance Bar: The Lead Guitarist of each group must choose a structured solo to perform whilst mounting the venues bar, walking along the length of the bar and dismount. Points will be awarded for flagrance, screaming girls and crowd reaction. Points will be deducted for spilt drinks, bodily injury to crowd members and shaky dismounts. Automatic disqualification if the local bounce and/or security guard catches the Lead Guitarist and/or falling off the bar.