A busy couple of weeks

I thought I'd take a minute and show some of the repairs that I get to work on for Jimmy, at the shop along the Kelvin in Glasgow.  This flat-top mandolin got 5 new frets, and a full setup.

This nice bouzuki got 12 new frets, and is ready for a lot more playing now.

Doing a fret job on a Fender Strat.  4000 miles away from Red Wing, and sometimes it's like I'm back in Brian's fretwork class.

This cool tambura came in for a restring.

Leveling some frets on an old Lowden acoustic with the Erlewine neck jig.

Roughing in a nut...

And a finished nut.

Good company and good food

We threw a BBQ in the backyard yesterday, in celebration of the end of my wife's school year.  Much to Maple's delight, our friend Meghan brought her dog, Stevie.  She enjoys playing with bottles, and gets on with Maple great.

Some tug of war.

Begging...the common trait of all spoiled dogs.

A fun day for all.  Even the weather held out...unusual for Scotland, especially if you plan something outdoors.

Green Glasgow

Our flat is about 3 miles from the city center of Glasgow.  We live in the neighborhood of Maryhill, and while the main drag of Maryhill is busy and urban feeling, the river Kelvin runs 200 yards behind our flat, which has a nice bike path along it, and fields and parks too.

So here we are, letting Maple off the leash for a Sunday morning outing.  

And start catching some tennis balls!

Here's yours truly, also showing the bike path along the river, and some of the arched bridges you see all over Glasgow.

This bridge is still used, passenger trains zip along it every so often.

A ways up the path, we cross a foot bridge into Dawsholm park, and Maple usually takes a dip in the slow, shallow Kelvin river.

Some people are surprised German Shepherds don't always look like this.

Always time for a selfie.

As we get up to the lake, Maple got to meet another dog.

She would play fetch in a lake all day.

A particular part of the lake has lots of big sticks in it, and before she gets out of the lake, she will always pull a big one out.  Just her keep lakes clean policy I guess.

And a nice rinse in some cleaner water on the way home (still probably going to get a bath though)

Gibson!

Thinking outside the box.

Yep.

Also, on top of a plastic bridge, she has a spruce bridge plate.

Working late...

So Acoustic Corner can feel weird at night, alone.  Little creeks in the building, wind outside.  Never quite sure if you locked the door.

The perfect solution?

Bring your dog :-)   Maple likes to hang out at the ole' AC.  And at any sign of trouble, she'll let you know.  Like when some stranger tries the front door at 10:30 pm. 

In case that was you, she's a nice dog, but she was just trying to say, "Come back in the morning, we open at ten."

New bridge for a student cello

While never the most elegantly carved bridges, student bridges are always good practice to fit and set the string height.

1961 D-18

I can bring ya'll up to speed on this old D-18.  So far, I've reglued the bridge, fit the ''Bridge Saver'' bridge plate plugs, reset the neck, and dressed the fingerboard.

It moved about 1/64" with string tension, so it's been given a slight .009" back bow at this step, some fret compression should help us come out with a nice 3-4 thousands relief.