Photo a Day: Front Facing Camera

Today’s photo a day thing is the first photo taken with my new iPhone’s front facing camera. You are fascinated, of course.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54281138339/in/datetaken/

144/365

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #frontFacingCamera #GibsonES335Pro #Guitar #iphoneography #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #selfieCamera

Photo a Day: Album Cover

Quarantine Tunes Volume 8 is going to need an album cover. Coincidently, I need a photo for today’s photo a day challenge thingie.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54271506808/in/dateposted/

Hello, two birds. Meet my one stone.

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #dirtyFingers #dirtyFingersPickups #es335 #es335Pro #Gibson #GibsonES335Pro #GibsonGuitar #Guitar #iphoneography #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography

Finally

Finally… I played guitar today. Just for a little while (and pretty poorly), but I played. I used the new pedal board with the amp sim pedal (TC Combo Deluxe ’65) and for the first time… ever(?) I used a compressor pedal (MXR Dyna Comp mini).

I feel pretty good about the state of the world right now.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54262699656/in/dateposted/

#es335 #es335Pro #Gibson #gibsonEs335Pro #gibsonday #gibsunday #Guitar #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #QuarantineTunes #QuarantineTunesVolume8 #Recording #SongWriting #theGreat2015ReRecordingProject #z5

Trogly’s Guitar Show Documents My Guitar (Almost)

This is a recent photo of one of my guitars:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54217562374/in/dateposted/

Here’s a photo of me playing this guitar on stage with Lizardfish on July 2, 2016.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/27944530872/in/album-72157669507169580/

Here’s a crazy low-res pic of me playing the guitar with Break Even at some point between 2003 and 2005.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/16093998422/

Here’s another one for luck. Same bar but maybe a different date? No, probably the same date. If I had to guess it was August 1, 2003 at J Rags in Tewksbury, MA. Pretty sure that was the date. It was our first gig together.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/15907426420/in/photostream/

The guitar is a 1979 Gibson ES-335 Pro that I bought off eBay in 2000 for a smidge less than $800. It was a mess when I first got it. It has no finish on the back. It’s stamped a factory second. Most important, some previous owner was a heavy, heavy smoker and it was covered in cigarette grime and sludge. I managed to clean it (mostly) and I just fell in love with it.

A few minutes ago, the Trogly’s Guitar Show posted a video to youtube of a 1979 Gibson ES-335 Pro! My guitar! Well, not my guitar but my year, make, and model! Even the same color! Awesome! Trogly’s 335 Pro was a mess too, and all the greater for it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdKmIBc1eq0

#1979 #Gibson #gibsonEs335 #GibsonES335Pro #GibsonGuitars #Guitar #trogly #troglySGuitarShow #YouTube

I have been playing guitar since 1986. Today was the first time I adjusted a truss rod myself. Hell, it was the first time I even took off cover.

I think it worked. I had a nasty fret buzz on my ES-335 down around the second fret. I think it’s better now. Crossing my fingers.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54110733247/in/dateposted/

I used this video and it was helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxyhIPVu0zo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54111865523/in/album-72177720304753363/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/11/02/neck-adjustment/

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Gibson #gibsonEs335 #gibsonEs335Pro #Guitar #maintenance #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #trussRod

As mentioned yesterday, I need to practice.

I really need to practice.

I mean it. I need to practice.

I need to practice.

(think writing self-guilt trip posts will help encourage me to practice? Probably not)

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/04/10/i-need-to-practice-3/

#Gibson #gibsonEs335 #gibsonEs335Pro #Guitar #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Music #photography #shakeToShuffle

Two days in a row my photo a day pic has been taken with an old point and shoot digital camera. What is commonly known by the trendy YouTube photography folks as digicams. Look at me being all trendy and shit.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/04/01/digicams/

#365 #365Challenge #casio #CasioEXS10 #digicam #gibsonEs335Pro #Guitar #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #pointAndShoot

We are in our second week of having to come into the office twice per week instead of once. It’s Monday so here I am. At my desk. In the office. Monday feels like a really crappy day to come in, but I need to pick a day to go along with our usual Wednesdays and I don’t want to come in two days in a row and Monday just feels better than Friday so I’m here on Monday. I did Friday last week and the morning commute was all right both days. Friday had the benefit of having far, far fewer people around. Monday has the benefit of getting the second day out of the way really fast. I think we’ll stick with Mondays for now.

My step daughter is flying home tomorrow afternoon. I took the afternoon off so I can get her at the airport. I am thankful to have as much personal time available to me so that I can do stuff like this. It’s a good thing and it makes me happy.

I took a pic this morning. Nothing special but it’s a photo a day challenge kinda thing.

I need a haircut. Did I mention that? Do you care? No? That’s okay. I need a haircut anyway. Just sharing, or maybe just over sharing.

What else… I don’t know. I have a meeting in half an hour. That’s fun, right?

I watched the third episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (aka the Rick and Michonne show). It’s the weakest of the three so far (there are three more coming this season), but it was still pretty good. I am pleased with the season to this point but I am hoping the quality goes back up starting next week. No spoilers. If you like The Walking Dead, you should be watching. That is all.

Jen and I have been watching Star Trek: Lower Decks. I started watching Penny Dreadful the other day. I’m still plowing through The X-Files. I watched the first movie after finishing season five. Tomorrow morning I’ll start season six. I’m getting near to the point where Mulder leaves and that’s going to make it hard to power through. I’ll stick with it though. I promise.

Okay, back to work with you, Robert.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/03/11/office-day-3/

#365 #365Challenge #Airport #commute #es335 #es335Pro #Family #gibsonEs335Pro #GibsonGuitar #hybridWorkSchedul #inTheOffice #lowerDecks #Nikon #nikonZ5 #pennyDreadful #personalTime #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #returnToTheOffice #StarTrek #starTrekLowerDecks #Television #theOnesWhoLive #TheWalkingDead #theWalkingDeadTheOnesWhoLive #theXFiles #theXFiles #timeOffWork #vacationTime #work #z5

Happy Friday, everyone. Hopefully Friday has meaning for most if not all of us. It has extra meaning for me this week. Starting this month my company has changed it’s hybrid work requirements. Where it used to be that we had to be in the office for 20% of each pay period (basically one day each week), as of March 1st we have to be in the office for 40% of each pay period (basically twice per week). Today is my first, second day of a week. None of us our happy with this, but it’s a whole ton better than being back 80%, which is what we had prior to the pandemic shut down. Oh well. I’ll deal with it. I am still coming in every Wednesday. My group has Wednesdays as a mandate and the second day each week is at everyone’s personal discretion. I am sort of planning on making Mondays my regular second day, just to get it over with, but that didn’t work this week due to the contractors working in the kitchen. Friday was the only day that worked for me. Fortunately there was zero traffic today. I made the 40 mile drive to the office in 45 minutes. If only it were like that every morning.

In other news, the kids are on the ground. Bellana’s flight landed in Georgia (the US state, not the European country) before I went to sleep last night. Harry’s first flight landed in London well after I nodded off for the night, and his connecting flight landed in Scotland before I woke up this morning. All is well on both of those fronts. Here’s hoping they both have a great time on their trips.

I am taking advantage of the fact that I am 40 miles from home right now to make my way to IKEA after work. IKEA is about 60 miles from home, but only 20 miles from work. I will head down there as soon as I am free and go to the returns department and bring back a great big pile of stuff that IKEA included in our kitchen redesign blue print that we didn’t end up needing. There is a lot of stuff to return. A lot of stuff. If I get it all done tonight then we don’t have to worry about it, and with the money we get back maybe I’ll be able to afford a hair cut this weekend because damn, do I need a hair cut!

Anyway, here’s today’s photo-a-day picture. I took it before I did my workout this morning at about 5:40am. It’s only 9:14am now but it’s already felt like a long day.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/03/08/happy-friday-4/

#collegeKids #commute #commuter #es335 #Family #Gibson #gibsonEs335 #GibsonES335Pro #Guitar #homeImprovement #hybridWork #hybridWorkSchedule #IKEA #Kids #kitchenRedesign #kitchenRemodel #kitchenRemodeling #morning #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #returnToTheOffice #springBreak #StepKids #Travel #trips #work #z5

The progress being made in the kitchen is stunning. The demo is done and they are installing cabinets. It feels like they might be as much as half a day ahead of schedule. We’re already starting to talk about things that weren’t supposed to happen this weekend. Tiling and painting, specifically. The tile guy is coming on Sunday. It’s absolutely nuts!

Anyway, here’s today’s photo a day pic. I took it before the kitchen guys got here this morning because I didn’t know if I would get a chance for anything once the crazy arrived.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/03/01/photo-a-day-14/

#365 #365Challenge #contracotrs #es335 #es335Pro #GibsonES335Pro #Guitar #homeImprovement #homeImprovements #homeOwner #iphoneography #kitchen #kitchenImprovements #kitchenRemodel #kitchenRemodeling #kitchenUpgrades #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography

I can’t wait to play this guitar with the band again. It’s been ages and ages.

Welcome home, my 1979 Gibson ES-335 Pro!

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/02/21/all-fixed-up/

#es335 #es335Pro #Gibson #gibsonEs335Pro #Guitar #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

The Luthier I took my 1979 Gibson ES-335 Pro to one week ago today posted two more updates on his bookfayce page. Lots more pictures.

The guitar got new frets yesterday. Today it got a new nut, a new bridge, and a new volume pot. Damn if I didn’t know there was something wrong with the wiring beyond it just being old and dirty. I feel vindicated!

Here’s hoping I will hear from him soon and I’ll be able to set a time to go and pick my semi-hollow baby up and bring it home!

I’m getting excited, folks!

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/02/17/more-luthier-updates/

#es335 #Gibson #GibsonES335Pro #Guitar #guitarMaintenance #guitarRepair #guitarShop #luthier

I have a co-worker with me at my desk right now.

In other news, my stomach is in revolt at the moment. Fun. It’s a gastric bypass side effect kind of thing and it will pass, but I just gagged up some icky stuff and had a full blown case of “the foamies” (look it up). Having said that, there is no complaint here. I ate my lunch too fast and my new redesigned digestive system slapped me on the wrist for it. Post operation side effects like this are 100% worth it, I promise you. Trust me, it’s not an issue at all.

In other other news, I checked the bookfayce page of the Luthier I brought my guitar to last Saturday and earlier today he posted a bunch of pictures showing the progress he’s made. There are pictures of my beloved Gibson ES-335 Pro without any frets, pictures of it with some new frets, and a picture of the neck with a full boat’s worth of lovely, shiny new frets. It still needs a new nut and a new bridge, and he didn’t mention anything about cleaning out the electronics (which is a major bitch of a job to do on an ES-335 as you have to squeeze everything in and out through the F-hole), but the new frets are in! I don’t know if I will share any of the photos he posted. I think I did when he worked on my Les Paul Custom, but not until a few days had past. We’ll see.

Try to picture this guitar with shiny new frets:

In other other other news, I am listening to Steve Hackett’s new album, which was released today. It is called The Circus and the Nightwhale. I am listening while I work and therefore not able to give it my full attention. My initial gut reaction though is this: Steve Hackett’s guitar playing gets exponentially better with each passing day. His songwriting improves in a similar manner. His singing… yeah, he’s better than he used to be but sometimes I still wish he’d hire a full time singer for his recording line up. I’m enjoying the new album. Check it out.

Okay, that’s it for this post. Lunch break is over. My stomach is settling down. Get back to work, Red Head!

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/02/16/co-worker-6/

#Cat #choosingALuthier #es335 #foamies #frets #gastricBypass #genesis #gibsonEs335 #GibsonES335Pro #gibsonEs335 #Guitar #guitarMaintenance #guitarRefret #guitarRepairs #health #iphoneography #Kitty #luthier #Music #musicalInstruments #newAlbum #newAlbumDay #newRelease #newReleaseDay #photography #refret #robin #sideEffects #SteveHackett #telecommute #theCircusAndTheNightwale #theFoamies #weightLossSurgery #workFromHome

I will be taking my 335 to the shop in just a few minutes, so I snapped a few pics for luck.

And for added luck, here’s a cat.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/02/10/heading-to-the-shop/

#365 #365Challenge #Cat #es335 #gibsonEs335 #gibsonEs335Pro #GibsonGuitars #Guitar #Kitty #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #robin #z5

Guitar number two (more like guitar number 1A) is going in the shop tomorrow. I am fully nervous again, even though guitar number one came out great.

Frets? Probably. Bridge and nut? Likely. Wiring harness? Could be. I should have it re-painted (white? red?) and re-finished too, but those are expenses I am not willing to take on.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/02/09/going-in-the-shop/

#es335 #Gibson #gibsonEs335Pro #Guitar #guitarShop #iphoneography #luthier #photography

I think this week the time will arrive. My second 1970’s guitar, my 1979 Gibson ES-335 Pro, may be ready for it’s trip to the shop. I am going to give them a call and see if they can help me bring this baby back to life. 

I put my ’78 Les Paul Custom into the shop a few months ago to get the frets replaced. I was scared to have the work done, but I should not have been. The results were fantastic. I am so pleased. Now I need to have the 335 looked at. The frets are in better shape than they were on the Les Paul, but they are still pretty bad. I expect it’s time to have them replaced. 

This time there is a second issue at play though. The electronics are in rough shape. The last time I used this guitar at a Lizardfish show the signal cut out and wouldn’t come back. That had happened off stage a few times in the past but once it happened in front of people? Yeah, that’s bad. If you can’t rely on the electronics, what good is the instrument? It may be time to replace the wiring harness. If they can salvage what’s there, meaning clean it up and maybe re-solder some of it, then that is fine. If they can’t save it, then I’ll need it replaced, and hopefully I can get a good 50’s style wiring schematic installed. I don’t want to change the pickups on this guitar. 335 Pros come stock with Gibson Dirty Fingers pickups which are the meanest, nastiest, dirtiest Gibson pickups ever. They are punk rock machines. The wiring and the pots though… we’ll see.

I am planning on calling the shop either tomorrow or Tuesday to see if we can schedule a slot for me to bring it in and see what they can do for me. I am still nervous about this, but given my last experience I am more excited than scared.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/01/28/335-3/

#es335 #Gibson #GibsonES335Pro #Guitar #guitarRepairs #guitarShop #luthier #photography #photos #refret #wiringHarness