image from flickr
Something down deep
Wants out
Spleen and liver shiver
Pressure mounts
Rise up this heavy heart to heaven
And shoutThis precious life and loving
In these veins now flowing
Will burst the banks old rivers
had formed
And pour out
On thirsty groundSo you and me-
Let’s find our feet
In freedom
And dance
Let’s live out lives
All open
To circumstanceFor joy is a bubble building
In me
And Lord-
How beautiful
Is this world
I see
I ordered a Bouzouki from Dave Freshwater- one of the accord range, with pick-up. You can read Dave’s info on this instrument here. I have now had the instrument a few months, and thought it was time to commit myself to a review.
I have a Freshwater mandolin- a beautiful thing, and loved the idea that I would be ordering something handmade in Scotland.
I had also considered Moon, Buchanan and Fylde. However, all of these wonderful luthiers turn out instruments that command prices of double the cost that Dave charges for his accord range.
What you are buying is a handmade instrument at roughly the same cost of many factory produced Korean bouzoukis. This is remarkable.
So- how was it?
Quality and workmanship… 7/10
Well, both are good. The instrument looks great, is well finished, and made from fine tone woods. The pick up is of low quality, but works well- there is some ‘live’ noise from the body of the instrument as you play, but I quite like the percussive effect that this gives to what is after all a rhythm instrument.
The floating bridge is set up at an acute angle (when aligned with the marks placed by Dave on the soundboard) and I questioned this at first, but Dave assures me that this is correct.
The sound board marks very easily. Already it has scratches from my plectrum.
The stick-on freshwater logo’s are a bit low rent, but look better on this than on my mandolin. Machine heads smooth and decent, tailpiece will work with ball and loop strings. Frets dressed OK.
Playability… 5/10
Dave telephoned to ask what kind of set up I required- based on whether it would be played hard or more sensitively. I can be hard on my guitar at times so opted for the same. He gave instructions as to how to change the set up if required.
However, when the instrument arrived, it was unplayable for any length of time because the action was very high. The intonation was also affected, and I spent some time trying to compensate for this with different bridge settings.
A phone call to Dave was not very helpful- he told me that the instrument had been checked by a musician prior to being sent, and was fine. I am not sure what kind of musician. I also wonder whether Dave has a good understanding of how best to set up his instruments.
I have now lowered the bridge significantly. THERE IS NO TRUSS ROD, so this is the only way you can change the action of the instrument. (I knew this before ordering- so no complaints there…) The instrument now plays much better- although I will still lower it further I think.
The other thing that takes some getting used to is the neck- it is very thick and round. Perhaps it needs this bulk to remain stable without a truss rod? I am used to playing a Taylor profiled guitar, and this is very different. However- it is something I find myself warming to, as it shapes the hands for slide chords nicely.
I use doubled strings, tuned to DADG. I have not tried octaves yet.
Sound 7/10
This is a small bodied instrument, and so played acoustically, it projects thinly- but it has warmth and sustain.
Plugged in it has some power. If you are used to guitar playing, this will make a sound that you will easily appreciate as providing something different and useable.
Experience of buying from Freshwater 3/10
I am afraid things did not go very well here. I ordered the instrument online around my birthday in February. The estimate of delivery time was 6 weeks. It took much longer- about 6 months. I made several calls to chase it up, and even considered canceling my order. Dave described waiting for machine heads- this for a number of weeks.
The original payment (made by card) did not go through. I checked if all was in order, but although Dave had the order, it later transpired he had no money- all a bit confusing, and I wonder if he thought I was trying to rip him off.
When the instrument was delivered, it was entrusted to a courier who could not find our address. Dave made several calls about this, appearing to be very irritated with us for living in such a difficult place to find.
I ordered a case for the instrument- paying quite a lot extra. When it came it was a cheap guitar case that did not fit at all. I sent it back- again this involved some terse e-mails. There then followed a few phone calls to make sure that the money was returned- including some rather bad tempered answering machine messages.
To do Dave credit- he did try to ring me persistently to resolve any issues. However, this amounted to several calls a day at one point- and it felt quite intimidating.
I have no clear idea of the size of Dave’s operation, but suspect that it could do with some fine tuning- both in terms of logistics and customer relations!
Overall conclusion
This instrument is a significant improvement on the mass produced Korean imports. It has character and if you get the set up right, is fun to play.
If you are a guitar player looking to diversify, or want to move up from some of those awful Ozarks, it is well worth a try. You may need some patience, but hopefully it will be rewarded!
After the rain squalling
And the bombs falling
After the back stabbing
And the tongue lashing
After love is betrayed
And dreams disarrayed
When the knife cuts and slashes
After sackcloth and ashes
Comes the peaceAfter the tumours
And cruel vicious rumours
After bodies broken
And evil words spoken
After guns cease their shooting
Troops no longer jack-booting
With the grave trodden down
And the trees now turned brown
Comes peaceEven after the failure
Of life-long labour
And after deadlines missed
After the getting pissed
When the pressure’s done mounting
And it’s all over-even the shouting
When the race has been run
In the setting of sun
Comes the peaceWhen anger burns out
After faith turns to doubt
When we give up on walking
And wolf packs are stalking
When the money is spent
Safety curtains are rent
At the end of all coping
Even Polyanna’s done hopingEven then
Will fall
My peace
Snow above Loch Eck, Argyll
The snow fell very early this year.
Last year, it was after Christmas when the first snow appeared on the mountains around us. We are close to the sea, so mostly it rains.
But last week we had a spell of cold clear weather, and snow kissed the mountain tops.
Winter can be cruel here. Not in the Good-King-Wenceslas kind of way- but nevertheless it can sap at the soul. The dark nights, the constant wind and rain, the wet cold that seems to soak into your bones.
The hillsides become unstable sources of land slips, the whole landscape goes dead-bracken brown and lifeless, the trees skeletal against grey skies and the pine forests become one huge dark moss sponge.
For those of melancholic disposition, such as myself, there is a beauty to these winters. The shafts of cold sunlight that periodically turn the dull browns to shining bronze. The empty wildness of the landscape. But I know I will come to long for the springtime.
I have friends who experience depression. For them, winter is a dangerous time, containing the possibility of the end of hope. The days deny the reality of the coming of soft days and renewal, and just leave a dark tunnel with no distant exit point.
For us all, there is a pressing need for to transcend the darkness. To find light. To put it on like a coat and walk in it.
To dwell in warmth and companionship, to see beauty and to celebrate it.
Some things make this more possible- and for me, one of these things is snow…
First snows
The first snows of winter bring blessing
To the hills and the mountains.
Yesterday bottle-brown
Now blue white crystal and pureSoon rain will bring spoil and destruction
Turning the white mottled brown
Releasing the streams
Yesterday’s secret tears running downBut for now
My vision is draw to the highlands
Captured by sparkling sunlight
Shining but showing no shadow
Driving the darkness awayDressing up light for the dancing and leading me on
Dressing up light for the dancing, then it’s gone.
Will (right) and cousin Nat
My kids unkindly keep reminding me that I am losing hair. They love to look down at the places where my hair used to be thick and bushy like a badgers back, and poke at it with their fingers.
It is a regular theme for my boy Will.
I try to suggest that we have enough common genetics to suggest that he will follow in my follicles.
But today, he had an answer.
“I will never go bald like you because I am always going to have hair long”
We laughed- but he did not get the joke. Ah the innocence of hirsute youth…
Will, Emily and Baldy
This made me chuckle on the BBC news page- apparently the most popular costume that people will be wearing to Halloween parties in the US is a Sarah Palin suit and mask.
Check it out here
BBC NEWS | World | Americas | US Elections 2008 | A very political fright night
This kind of begs the question- what is Halloween about? What is it for?
I know you can get all historical and talk about all Hallows eve, which all sorts of Christian traditions had fun with. But then, the point was the relationship to All Saints day. (There is some stuff on Wikipedia digging into the different Christian responses here.)
It is this ridiculous Americanised commercialism that makes me grind my teeth. A celebration of plastic Hollywood ghouls and cuddly devils with strap on horns. What purpose does it serve? What is it about? I know Christmas has become a commercial de-Christianised affair, but at the heart of the secular version (X-mass) you can see some kind of value base- family, good will to all men, the giving of gifts and the stocking of soup kitchens. But Halloween???
You can even accessorise your pooch
And we Brits have bought into this big time. There is a DIY shop in out little town that has cleared half the shop just to make space for all the Haloween tat. Statues and lights and signs.
I am afraid that we have taken a decision to veto Halloween as a festival entirely. We discussed this with the kids, and tried to have a discussion about how as Christians we do not appreciate the focus on demons and darkness, but as ever, the social pressure to conform and join in the endless round of parties and trick-or-treating is great. The kids end up feeling as though they are missing out, which does not feel good either. They are going to a party tomorrow that tries to celebrate light, but this will not fully compensate.
I think making sacrifices because of decisions made on the basis of ones faith is a good thing, when done with conviction and moderation. But I still wonder whether I am over reacting? Is it really only a bit of fun, a kind of release valve to allow us to take a sideways glance at our fears?
I don’t buy it though. Not even if it comes with free plastic demon horns…
Resting close
Breath misting me
Sweet like new grass
Shaped
Around these bones
You come
And stay
A whileAnd me-
I cryLike the small thing
That I never stopped beingThis skin scraped sore
From fallingI know my need
For you
_
What is happening in the economic world? The news is full of competing ‘expert’ voices- some seeking to reassure and proclaim business as usual, others taking on the role of doom mongers, proclaiming the end of the world as we know it. If the later group are to be believed, then pretty soon we will have to throw away our plastic and start bartering with chickens and baskets of logs…
Whoever we believe, it seems clear that there are huge changes afoot. Here is a quote from this article from The Independent newspaper…
The Western world is in an economic crisis similar in scale to the oil shock of 1973. What we are seeing is nothing less than the unravelling of neo-liberalism – the dominant economic and ideological model of the last 30 years.
The disintegration of Anglo-Saxon-inspired markets has come about largely because of the confluence of two tendencies of the “free market”: speculation and monopoly capitalism. Contrary to received opinion, free markets – unless subject to civil regulation, asset distribution and persistent intervention – always tend to monopoly.
Similarly, there is nothing inherently efficient about free markets – they do not of themselves promote sound investment or wise management. Rather, when markets are conceived wholly in terms of price and return, and when asset wealth and the leverage that this provides becomes as concentrated as it was in the 19th century (which is a scenario we are approaching), then markets encourage nothing other than gambling masking itself as sound investment.
Regulation?
In the free market? What would Thatcher say?
Is this finally the time when the stranglehold that neoliberal thinking has had on the economic world for the last 30 years is broken?
Will the IMF and the World Bank stop deifying the free market?
There seems to be a resurgence of confidence in the old leftist politicians- check out this article from the Guardian newspaper- and the quotes taken from is below;
Sadly, I don’t think this will be the end of capitalism. But there is going to have to be a return to a much, much more interventionist state. As a system for the distribution and exchange of goods, you can’t beat the market. But the mistake a lot of politicians have made is to think that because the market was good at that, it could be good at everything: it could train workers, create infrastructure, protect the environment, regulate itself. Quite obviously, it can’t.
Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London.
I remember the 1930s. What the Depression did then was to stimulate antisemitism. I met Oswald Mosley in 1928 when he was a Labour MP. The next time I met him he was wearing a blackshirt. Where there is fear, there is scapegoating, and that is very dangerous.
Blair and Brown based their politics on a belief in the market: the market answered all your needs and the state had to be kept out. That confidence has now collapsed and New Labour is seen for what it is. You can’t, as New Labour believed, nurse capitalism.
Tony Benn
What next then? Is Tony Benn right, and we live in a time when fear could stimulate the rise of hate politics, where we look again for scapegoats, and we retreat into our tribal enclosures and look with loathing at those outside? History warns us of our tendency look for messiah figures who appeal to the base instincts of the human animal.
Time will tell…
But as for me, the uncertainty and fear that such change brings into our lives is combined with an excitement over the dawning of something new. Capitalism is not dead- but it will not be the same.
Here is a piece of folk music played on all sorts of different instruments- including some virtuoso frying pan bashing…
I love the fact that eclectic eccentric music like this can find airtime- thanks to the Jules Holland programme on the good old BBC.
Folk music gets some bad press with some. But good music is good no matter what genre it anchors itself within. And for me- folk songs are our connection with where we came from- the music of working people of preceding generations.
This song has a strange beginning- it was thought to be written by a man called Dan Emmett, who performed it in 1850’s New York, where despite the controversy around slavery, white performers who blacked their faces as negro minstrels were very popular.
But like many folk songs, it was adapted and changed to speak to the times. It was sung by soldiers fighting and dying in the American Civil war, and by others since asking questions about the nature of life and suffering, and hoping for a better future- this side of Jordan, and the next.
I like this version of the words- not quite the same as those sung by Bellowhead on the clip below.
I looked in the East, I looked in the West,
For Fortune a chance to me accordin’,
But Fortune is a blind god flyin’ in the clouds,
Forgettin’ me on this side of Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, and roll up your sleeves,
Jordon is a hard road to travel I believes.Thunder in the clouds, and lightening in the trees,
Shelter to my head no leaf affordin’,
Battered by the hailstones, beaten by the breeze;
Th’s my lot on this side o’ Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, etc.Silver spoons to some mouths, golden spoons to others,
Providence unequally awardin’,
Dash it! – tho’ they tells us all of us be brothers;
Don’t see it clearly, this side of Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, etc.Like a ragged owlet, with its wings expanded,
Nailed against a garden door or hoardin’,
That am I, by good folk, as a rascal branded;
Never hurted none o’ this side Jordan.
Pull off your old coat, etc.Aloft a pretty cherub, patchin’ up o’ blunders,
My troubles and distresses is recordin’,
Will there come a whirlabout? better times I wonders,
E’en to me, on t’other side o’ Jordan?
Pull off your old coat, etc.
Enjoy!
View along the Clyde
Gale force winds last night again…
No Ferries, water lying everywhere, wind bashing at the leaves on the trees and hastening the autumn.
Beautiful.
This time, we decided to watch the waves as they crashed on our little piece of shore.
this fragile tent 