I said I’d get some pics of the loft where I keep everything that has to do with music.
So here goes. Please keep in mind that the pictures, having been shot with a wideangle lens, make the room look bigger than it is – all in all, it’s only 35 square meters (that’s around 375 square feet).
When I enter that room, there are two basses, one guitar and a MIDI keyboard begging for my attention. I thought it would be a good idea not to hide my instruments in a case or whatnot… I reckon that the fact that I see them may trigger me to pick one of them up and get some practice or noodling in.
the partially visible desk in the lower right corner… that used to be the desk that was reserved for work stuff, and I have yet to clear that out after having been laid off.
the pile of photog equipment and CDs to the left of the keyboard, for which I still have to find a good place.
Anyway – to the right of the Wall Of Instruments, you see a guest bed – that’s the place where my oldest grandson likes to sleep most when he’s staying over. Now that I’m recovering from the retroperitoneal fibrosis that landed me in hospital last December, I do regularly take my old-person-afternoon naps there as well.
This is my view of the stuff I use to listen to real music. Some Sony ES stuff, two floorstanding JMLabs Focal 716V’s which I am extremely happy with, and a media centre which holds most of the albums I bought.
And this is where I am currently seated. Practice amp next to the chair, the Zoom B1X Four in the windows sill, and the dual monitor setup of my workstation on the desk (the workstation itself is under the desk).
I know I would need a decent set of monitor speakers for on the desk, but that’s currently not extremely high on my priorities list, as I usually listen through the headphones anyway.
Great room! Loads of space too. I imagine you get some interesting acoustics.
I have just spent a few hours yesterday putting up guitar stands on the wall in my cave and re-arranged everything. Mine is opposite to yours and is in a lower downstairs room, so it’s darker, but now everything is up and relatively in the right place, I’ll get a photo. It’ll have to be a panoramic, as I don’t have enough room to get it all in one shot. I’ll upload it when I get a sec
Actually, it’s more Frank Zappa. My mother made it, when she was confined to her chair and oxygen container.
I have a few drawers that would qualify, although they mainly contain watch-related items (straps, tools, spare links) and stuff I have no fixed place for… there is nothing terribly exciting in there!
Hm, my room is proving to be quite difficult to take a photo of! I’ve tried a panoramic and a video. Should get the rough idea. Though whether the panoramic below is ‘clickable’ so you can move about is another thing entirely
Ah, cool, glad it works. Yeah, I had piano lessons as a kid - the piano is my late fathers, and I do like to dabble. Out of all of the keyboards, the piano is still my favourite and always will be, but that little silver Korg minilogue is super fun too - you can get things sounding great within minutes.
I was playing the double bass last night, as it happens. It’s super fun with that cool tone they have. I’m also finding that while I’m learning B2B, it’s also helping with my double bass technique as my fingers are holding a better shape nowadays, which is great.
I actually don’t know what that red bass is above the bar sign. I ended up with it after a drunken pub conversation. One string came off immediately, so I thought it needs a bit of love. So I’ve put it there and got some new strings for it. Needs a clean too - so it’s a bit of a mini project.
It says it’s a Squier Bronco bass, Indonesian, but that single pickup intrigues me. I have no idea what it’s going to sound like, or if the electronics are still ok, but I’ll give it a clean up and see what happens
Ah, yes, after googling on Squier Bronco, I see it.
“Crafted in Indonesia”, it says indeed. So it either comes from Samick, or from Cort (and seeing as to how these two share a lot of components, I wouldn’t be amazed if it’s one and the same holding company).
Interesting - I assume the difference between “crafted” and “made” is to do with the internal processing they use? Different parts slightly not the norm? I have no idea if I’m honest.
I’m quite fascinated with it though. You can tell from the fretboard that it’s seen some action, so it’s definitely worn in. Be interesting to hear it.
I interpret it differently – I think “crafted” is just a 25 dollar word for “made”.
Seriously, Samick (who I think makes Squier) knows how to build guitars.
I just googled it, and people are generally quite enthusiastic about this thing.
Haha, yes, I understand the crafted and made ‘difference’ better now
Yeah, I don’t know what it is about it, but I must have made some excited drunken yelps when I originally got hold of it. I think it cost 2, maybe 3 pints of beer
Samick is not an Indonesian company, they just happen to have a factory there. they are a Korean manufacturer who builds their stuff in their Indonesian factory.
Yamaha, Ibanez, and others also make guitars in Indonesia, unrelated to Samick.
I have had two basses made in Indonesia and both were flawless.
Yes, I am aware of that, @howard
They also have a factory in Korea, but their best stuff comes out of the Indonesian factory, which they built in, I think, 1996 or something.
During the seventies, I briefly owned one of their earlier products, a Hondo, which was made in South Korea. We shall not speak of that again.
Interestingly, it seems they also own Bechstein, and they did once try to acquire Steinway, but they were outbid.
I don’t think Yamaha and Ibanez use their Indonesion facility to produce anything else than their own instruments, right?
Yeah I don’t think so, I think they just make their own stuff there. Of course the webs of ownership are what they are with them too - for example, Yamaha owns Line6 and Ampeg
Ooh, I forgot about upstairs. I have a beginner/entry level gear4music branded semi acoustic bass if I get something in my head and want to work it out without turning the entire cave on
I’m thinking about building a simple cabinet of around 60cm high, which will store my photog stuff, and on top of which I can put the keyboard.
Also, I am running out of guitar space, which may be a problem in the near future.
Haha, I know exactly what you mean about space. It’s becoming a serious issue.
I’ve been looking at floating shelves - as I have random instruments as well as bass guitars, I could maybe free up some more room by putting smaller things on shelves, to make way obviously, for more bass guitars.
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