Pieces of wood can become guitars

Wood, yes, very important, but we still need something to amplify the guitars. I'm v excited abut a new amplifier - on Orange Tiny terror Combo that I've just acquired. Seems to be a very cute combination of small size and really nice tone. Only has 3 controls - volume, tone, and gain, and only one channel. I really like the idea of such a stripped-down setup. 

The tone is great. Played with a Les Paul, you get beautiful breakup, which is very sensitive to playing style and to guitar volume. It feels a deal more sensitive to touch than my previous Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. that's really the beauty of it - you can get very subtle changes in the sound just by subtle changes in the way you play - musicality? maybe. 

Also, it's only 15W, but seems plenty loud enough to keep up with the rest of the band in a small venue - we'll see what its like out on the road, but for rehearsal it was not straining at all.

Well, who knows if it's really the best, but the flour we bought from Shipton Mills was pretty good. Web address is 

http://www.shipton-mill.com/

and they will deliver for free if you spend £30, but best to warn your postman - ours asked what on earth was in those boxes, and please don't do that to him again without warning. 

My present proect is a Les Paul Jr double cut. One-piece mahogany body, ebony fretboard with Paua inlays & medium jumbo frets, ebony headstock faceplate, Wilkinson hardware, Catswhiskers single dog-ear P90 pickup.

It's at the stage where I've just assembled it unfinished, which is exciting because it's now playable! the frets have yet to be levelled and dressed, but actually they play almost perfectly already, which means that the fretting process went better than last time. The sound is great, really raw but quite sweet. the tone control isn't working yet, so some checking to do there...

Next is finishing - it's going to be transparent red with a black pearloid scratchplate. so, have to buy some varnish, and get out there with the grain filler. But, at the moment I'm still enjoying playing it, so I don't want to take it to bits!

Things that need doing include

neck needs a bit of reshaping around the first fret area, as the shoulders are a little too big for my liking - I like a more 'v' profile here. Result of playing an Ovation acoustic for ages.

fret ends need dealing with - still a bit sharp

cover for electronics needs making and routing

So, still a way to go. Shame, i could do with it for a gig this weekend....