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Hi Douglas! I end up upgrading the pickup to the Kent Armstrong Handwound Body-Mounted PAF Jazz Humbucker Pickups and also changed the string to Thomastik-Infeld GB114 Jazz Guitar Strings: George Benson - Nickel Flatwound. Very happy with the result and thought to just share with you! Thanks for your response

I just picked up a BOSS ME-50 through Facebook marketplace for only £70, it’s a beauty . I’ve only just started to explore its capabilities but, so far I’m impressed. Like most things bought second-hand, it needed a good clean

Thanks, I will give them a go next time I change strings. Much appreciated.

@randythoadesthanks for the tips, practice is definitely the key, unfortunately not had too much this past 10 days or so for various reasons such as work. The other thing I remember is that i will have good days and bad days, sometimes it just clicks and other times it doesn't. I think the best piece of advice I have been given is just to enjoy playing, that is what I plan to do and that is what I am doing. I accept the limitations of both my abilities and the time I have available. You are absolutely correct about us all being on different levels, I must admit I had a great feeling when round a friends one evening. He bought an electric guitar that sits in the corner of his front room and never gets played, I said that I tinkered a little and he asked me to tune it up for him which I duly did. I then played a few blues rifs and some general doodling about at which point the others in the room didn't realise I was such an "accomplished player", I quickly put the guitar down and picked up the pint glass before they started asking for requests! I think his guitar has just sat in the corner gathering dust ever since.

Definitely worth a try from what you're saying - the wound sound is warm ringy and they balance nicely with the trebles. In many respects they are quite like electric strings except the 3rd is wound which I've found sounds far nicer and intonation is better (the plain 3rds on electric sets are famously tricky intonation-wise). Will definitely work with mag p'ups, 100% I did find I had to back off quite a bit on the basses as tension is lower than my usual 11' or 12s phophor bronze, but the volume is fine. Just a technique adjustment. They also do 11s in these but I note the bottom E is only a .46 (on the 10s it's a .45). I'll probably try some 11s next time just for a tads more tension. I really love these strings and think the fact they call them gypsy jazz is a shame, it probably puts loads of people off if that isn't your style. Do try them, and maybe report back?

Certainly makes a statement. I like a guitar that doesn't look entirely traditional, and dare I say, boring. Might need to have a disclaimer when you gig with it though for people with photo-sensitivity. You might get headaches like a strobe light after looking at it for any length of time!!

That sounds good. I don't like the phosphor bronze strings, I don't like the strident tone and I don't like the finger noise. have started using D'addario Chromes flatwound electric strings on acoustic which i prefer, but would prefer something a tiny bit brighter and maybe a little more percussive. I might give these a go. Do you happen to know if they would work with magnetic pickup? I like that mid 70s country sound on occasion.

That sounds great, well done for keeping up with the practice, it is certainly a fantastic instrument to play. But, just for a confidence boost, don't run down your abilities either now or in the future. My guitar teacher back in the day said something to me during a moment of frustration I was having for not being able to master something. 'Just remember that all the artists you are trying to emulate, only play their own material. Eric Clapton can't play like Eddie van Halen, Eddie van Halen can't play like Jeff Beck, Jeff Beck can't play like Chuck Berry, and none of them can play like you **insert your own name**. Be proud of what you can do, because there is always someone better and someone who hasn't reached those skills yet.' Everyone plays differently, both good and bad, everyone has bad habits, everyone has their own style. Whatever stage you are at, there are people not as accomplished and look at you thinking that they wish that they could play as well as you. Even recording artists have good and bad bits. Kurt Cobain played completely differently to Eric Clapton with different aggression and different speed and note choice, but would you say that one was better than the other? If the music you play fits your style and the note choices work with rather than against the music, then I would say that it would be considered successful. but there is ALWAYS something new to learn.

i used one continuous oak board (easy cuts) to make this: lots of sanding, some stain, etc. I used the scraps to create supports for the bottom side (given the stomping): i used a 1 3/8" hole saw to cut an opening for wires. i then took that plug and split it in half to make posts, to wrap the excess wire: on the underside, i used wire ties, tacked into the wood, to secure the power lines: in the far corner above, you can see i velcroed the transformer onto the underside. then, velcro on the top, and on the pedals, and a $6 leather handle: then, rubber feet on the bottom, and wire it all together. PS this is not representative of my pedal setup, this is just for testing! i'll post the actual rig soon. it's made it through 6 gigs. hopefully more to come (we have about a dozen lined up!). what i'd change- it doesnt stand on it's side, probably because of how heavy pedals are. to put a stand plate on one side would mess with the aesthetic. what i'm thinking of adding- maybe a shoulder strap so i can make one trip from the car to the studio. i can send plans if anyone wants.