Today’s pics

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Post a pic you took today.
It can be anything you like. You might have a pretty flower in your garden, seen a squirrel in your drive or maybe you snapped your hamster nibbling on a carrot. It could be as simple as the thermometer hitting sub zero temps or your car getting plastered in mud.
The criteria for the thread content is simply a photo you took today.
 
The farm shop opposite the restaurant at Rich’s cider farm
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Like that they bothered with arched outer doors. Most places just block the top part of the archway off.
Had a truly excellent cup of tea outside in the winter sunshine 😊
 
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Okay, just shot this picture specifically for this thread. The leaves on the hearth are from every time I open the back door. The wind always blows the leaves up against that door, no matter which direction the wind is blowing. Leaves are clever little 💩s.

That's FattyPoodle in front of the fireplace. I hope PsychoPoodle isn't looking down from poodle heaven thinking, "What's that fat bitch doing in my spot?" (That is the correct word for a female dog among professionals, so it's okay... I think)

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CD
 
Okay, just shot this picture specifically for this thread. The leaves on the hearth are from every time I open the back door. The wind always blows the leaves up against that door, no matter which direction the wind is blowing. Leaves are clever little 💩s.

That's FattyPoodle in front of the fireplace. I hope PsychoPoodle isn't looking down from poodle heaven thinking, "What's that fat bitch doing in my spot?" (That is the correct word for a female dog among professionals, so it's okay... I think)

View attachment 109142

CD
:roflmao:
 
Okay, just shot this picture specifically for this thread. The leaves on the hearth are from every time I open the back door. The wind always blows the leaves up against that door, no matter which direction the wind is blowing. Leaves are clever little 💩s.

That's FattyPoodle in front of the fireplace. I hope PsychoPoodle isn't looking down from poodle heaven thinking, "What's that fat bitch doing in my spot?" (That is the correct word for a female dog among professionals, so it's okay... I think)

View attachment 109142

CD
She doens’t look too bad, I’ve seen a lot chubbier.

I have the same leaf problem by my front door. I’m amazed how far down the hallway some of them scoot before I find them.
 
Is that a blue pearlised scratch plate?
Fancy smancy!
There is a very long story behind that pickguard/scratch plate), and I won’t get into it here, because it would only be of interest to hardcore enthusiasts, but yes.

Ok, ok…you talked me into the short version. :laugh:

That’s a Martin D-28, and not the original pickguard. The original was simply a thin black piece of plastic, which never bothered me, because I’m generally a stickler for keeping things original, but someone did some work on the guitar, and it necessitated a pickguard change, so I upgraded.

That’s a Greven guard, made by legendary luthier John Greven. See, way back before the hippies took over (that’s just a joke), guitars had actual ivory for the nuts and saddles (and tuner buttons sometimes) and real tortoiseshell for the pickguards (and some decorative inlay work sometimes). Same tortoiseshell used in hair combs and things like that.

That became a serious, go-to-jail no-no after those turtles (hawksbills) were hunted to near-extinction (they’re still on the critically endangered list), and for decades, guitar buyers wanted something that could emulate the look of a tortoiseshell pickguard, which are unique and stunning visually.

There were lots of attempts made, but they all fell short (one version being derided as “the pepperoni slice,” because it looks like a cross-section of some salami :laugh: ).

Finally John Greven came up with a near-perfect copy, and they’re some really gorgeous emulations (though he no longer makes them). When I had to replace mine, I knew it would be with a Greven.

Went out to his catalog, looked at his various offerings of tight grain, wide grain, whatever else he had (knowing that every pickguard he made was unique), and then…at the very bottom…there it was: a tortoiseshell copy, all swirly, but in a shimmering black-blue-grey color scheme that tripped all my triggers. I didn’t even know such a thing existed!

So I ordered it and had it put on. I love it, because depending on how the light catches it, it’s a different color, or some weirdo combination.

Now, I’ll bet you know of some motorcycle makes that have their fanatical fanbase, and if someone were to take one of those motorcycles and do something outside the accepted realm of what’s allowed, there’d be a hue and cry over it, right?

Well, Martin Guitar is like that - they have rabid zealots (of which I’m not one - I love the maker, but I’m not a crazy person).

So…sitting on a music forum I frequented, very small community, much like here, with regulars, and many who know each other personally, because the forum held annual meetups, someone started a “Show us your pickguard” topic, looking for photos of genuine tortoiseshell ones and good copies…and keep in mind, John Greven is a household name on some of these sites and a legend/god.

I posted my black-blue-grey one. Mistake.

I received so much hate, it was alarming. I had people threatening to beat my azz and take my guitar if I ever showed up at a meetup. I had people block me. I had people report me for suspension. The kindest thing anyone said was, “Well, you just theft-proofed your guitar, jerk!” It was unreal.

Me? I love it because it’s different, but it’s still quality (and was quite expensive at the time), and literally no one else has one that I know of.

…and that’s the short story! :laugh:






TLDR: Why yes, it is!
 
There is a very long story behind that pickguard/scratch plate), and I won’t get into it here, because it would only be of interest to hardcore enthusiasts, but yes.

Ok, ok…you talked me into the short version. :laugh:

That’s a Martin D-28, and not the original pickguard. The original was simply a thin black piece of plastic, which never bothered me, because I’m generally a stickler for keeping things original, but someone did some work on the guitar, and it necessitated a pickguard change, so I upgraded.

That’s a Greven guard, made by legendary luthier John Greven. See, way back before the hippies took over (that’s just a joke), guitars had actual ivory for the nuts and saddles (and tuner buttons sometimes) and real tortoiseshell for the pickguards (and some decorative inlay work sometimes). Same tortoiseshell used in hair combs and things like that.

That became a serious, go-to-jail no-no after those turtles (hawksbills) were hunted to near-extinction (they’re still on the critically endangered list), and for decades, guitar buyers wanted something that could emulate the look of a tortoiseshell pickguard, which are unique and stunning visually.

There were lots of attempts made, but they all fell short (one version being derided as “the pepperoni slice,” because it looks like a cross-section of some salami :laugh: ).

Finally John Greven came up with a near-perfect copy, and they’re some really gorgeous emulations (though he no longer makes them). When I had to replace mine, I knew it would be with a Greven.

Went out to his catalog, looked at his various offerings of tight grain, wide grain, whatever else he had (knowing that every pickguard he made was unique), and then…at the very bottom…there it was: a tortoiseshell copy, all swirly, but in a shimmering black-blue-grey color scheme that tripped all my triggers. I didn’t even know such a thing existed!

So I ordered it and had it put on. I love it, because depending on how the light catches it, it’s a different color, or some weirdo combination.

Now, I’ll bet you know of some motorcycle makes that have their fanatical fanbase, and if someone were to take one of those motorcycles and do something outside the accepted realm of what’s allowed, there’d be a hue and cry over it, right?

Well, Martin Guitar is like that - they have rabid zealots (of which I’m not one - I love the maker, but I’m not a crazy person).

So…sitting on a music forum I frequented, very small community, much like here, with regulars, and many who know each other personally, because the forum held annual meetups, someone started a “Show us your pickguard” topic, looking for photos of genuine tortoiseshell ones and good copies…and keep in mind, John Greven is a household name on some of these sites and a legend/god.

I posted my black-blue-grey one. Mistake.

I received so much hate, it was alarming. I had people threatening to beat my azz and take my guitar if I ever showed up at a meetup. I had people block me. I had people report me for suspension. The kindest thing anyone said was, “Well, you just theft-proofed your guitar, jerk!” It was unreal.

Me? I love it because it’s different, but it’s still quality (and was quite expensive at the time), and literally no one else has one that I know of.

…and that’s the short story! :laugh:






TLDR: Why yes, it is!
It is unusual and comment worthy, but hate? That’s just mental!!
You say ”frequented” in the past tense, was that the end of you on that forum then?

I suppose it’s the guitar equivalent of “pimp my ride” 😆
I like it, it’s pretty.

Don’t get me started on motorcycle fanatics, there are two tiers, ones that are devoted to a particular marque (They don’t tend to bother anyone much) and ones who think whatever bike they currently own is the bees knees and everybody else has got it wrong, those ones don’t hold back on telling you exactly why your bike is a POS either 😂

I haven’t been on the motorcycle forum I was on since august for a few reasons but one of them is the pure bile that kept coming my way for getting the new BSA Goldstar, apparently they knew (in-spite of all the reviews to the contrary) before it was even released (never having ridden one) I’d bought a load of rubbish.

Then when I didn’t post pictures of my new bike for them to slag off they got real naaasty. Probably just green eye but who needs it?! So I left them to it 😊
 
So they are. Now they are really nice 👌
Yeah, no one gave me 💩 over those. :laugh:

You say ”frequented” in the past tense, was that the end of you on that forum then?
Not long after that, yeah, but I was heading for the door anyway. There’s only so much fossilized mammoth ivory versus bone saddles arguments I could take, and discussions about “I just switched from a .010 high-E string to a .011 high-E string and the difference in sound is phenomenal!” are simply boring - no, it’s not “phenomenal” - your ear can’t even hear the infinitesimal difference that would make. 🤦🏻‍♂️ I’m always more interested in the playing of the thing, not the endless tinkering, customizing, and pecker measurement that went on.

It is unusual and comment worthy, but hate? That’s just mental!!
The thing that cheesed everyone off wasn’t that I’d changed it, anyway - it was that I’d put that pickguard on it - there are rules, you know! :laugh:

Anyone who knows me would know…that’d be the one I’d choose, because it’s so unusual!
 
It is unusual and comment worthy, but hate? That’s just mental!!
You say ”frequented” in the past tense, was that the end of you on that forum then?

I suppose it’s the guitar equivalent of “pimp my ride” 😆
I like it, it’s pretty.

Don’t get me started on motorcycle fanatics, there are two tiers, ones that are devoted to a particular marque (They don’t tend to bother anyone much) and ones who think whatever bike they currently own is the bees knees and everybody else has got it wrong, those ones don’t hold back on telling you exactly why your bike is a POS either 😂

I haven’t been on the motorcycle forum I was on since august for a few reasons but one of them is the pure bile that kept coming my way for getting the new BSA Goldstar, apparently they knew (in-spite of all the reviews to the contrary) before it was even released (never having ridden one) I’d bought a load of rubbish.

Then when I didn’t post pictures of my new bike for them to slag off they got real naaasty. Probably just green eye but who needs it?! So I left them to it 😊

When you come to the US, you have to visit a biker bar (there are plenty that aren't outlaw biker bars). The Harley crowd has their share of rules that shall not be broken.

CD
 
When you come to the US, you have to visit a biker bar (there are plenty that aren't outlaw biker bars). The Harley crowd has their share of rules that shall not be broken.

CD
Might skip that CD 😂 the UK and Europe have a fair amount of MC's and Bristol being a city the Hells Angels also have their own pub, not one I fancy frequenting I might add 😁

Spain has LOTS of them, even Salobreña which is a small seaside place has a biker bar. I can't remember what they're called but they have the whole patched kutte and Harley thing going on.

Mind you over here you are far more likely to see members of the British Motorcycle Federation sipping tea at an auto-jumble or a dentist on a shiny new Harley than a 1%er 😆
 
These wind turbines are over 20 miles away in Cardiff. The Bristol Channel sits between us and it, and no matter how good the forecast is sea mist means you never see them until after lunch, if at all.
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They are much sharper irl, 20miles is stretching the capacity of an iPhone just a bit 😂
On the very rare occasion they appear early doors (like today) you are in for a VERY bright day 🌞 👏
 
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