What are you doing with the down time ?

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 16 Mar 2020 5:22 am

I currently have zero gigs and very little income. But I do have plenty of time !

Im repairing gear and going over stuff to see what I can sell. Also using this time to finish up personal recording projects , work on some new compositions and dig into some serious practicing. If I can dig up the money I want to get the Paul Franklin and Mike Borque courses. Maybe try to get my C6 straight jazz chops to an almost functional level .

In any case do what ever you can to slow the contagion.

Bill Duncan · Post by **Bill Duncan** » 16 Mar 2020 5:51 am

I am picking with friends, mostly at my place.

Repaired and added K&K pickups to three guitars (6 string) for friends.

Just finished building an acoustic flat-top guitar for a friend's son who plays clubs.

Building a couple of archtop guitars for myself. Also, building a couple of new amplifier cabinets. Nice stained and deep polished, clear coated, figured maple ones for my picking studio.

Just finished and installed a set of french doors in the master bath for my wife.

Also, staying out of my wife's way and minding our 10-year-old daughter who's out of school while my wife works.

In planning and material gathering stages of building two Strat and one Jazzmaster style guitars. The JM for me and the two Strats for a picking friend.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 16 Mar 2020 6:20 am

Ok, Bill is the hands down winner of the downtime contest! We are touring Texas after the SG Jamboree then heading back to PA where work is still open (day job, not retired yet). Got a new MSA pedal steel coming soon so that will occupy my nights.

David Ball · Post by **David Ball** » 16 Mar 2020 6:30 am

Bill--I'm jealous. I've been slowly but surely moving my shop from Tennessee to North Carolina. I'm getting it close to the point where hopefully I can resume building some instruments myself. As for now though, I just have stuff crammed into a small shop space....Plenty of indoor activities to keep me busy.

I'm playing some steel too, but by myself at home.

Dave

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 16 Mar 2020 6:40 am

I'm finishing up some tracks for an ever-patient client, stuff that's been on the backlog for a long time.

I also plan on doing some studio clean-up/clean-out, a long overdue chore.

Like Bob, I hope to spend some quality practice time, especially C neck, which I really lack confidence with on live gigs.

I bought a Kemper Profiler a couple of weeks ago, and have barely had time to do more than poke on it a bit. I hope to get much deeper with that.

EDITED: oh yeah... my wife wants me to finish a deck project that's been 'delayed' for about a year..

Bill Duncan · Post by **Bill Duncan** » 16 Mar 2020 6:51 am

David Ball wrote:Bill--I'm jealous. I've been slowly but surely moving my shop from Tennessee to North Carolina. I'm getting it close to the point where hopefully I can resume building some instruments myself. As for now though, I just have stuff crammed into a small shop space....Plenty of indoor activities to keep me busy.

I'm playing some steel too, but by myself at home.

Dave

I also have five horses, chickens, and three dogs to take care of. My wife does feed the dogs, sometimes. The ten-year-old daughter was a late in life surprise. I was sixty when she arrived.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 16 Mar 2020 6:54 am

Here's my current list:

1. Wash my hands frequently with soap & water while singing Happy Birthday twice

2. Stay in touch with family and friends and support them as best I can, from a distance

3. Take a walk every day with my wife

4. Walk the dog

5. Re-enroll in Paul's course

6. Deepen my understanding of the 9th string on E9

7. Reconstruct my right-hand technique

8. Take some Skype lessons with someone(s)

9. Do my taxes

10. Clean up my messy study

11. Heed the advice of the CDC

12. Try to avoid panicking, do my part, and hope for the best for us all

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 16 Mar 2020 7:12 am

I've been recovering from surgery for the last 2 months, and was just starting to come out of my hole when this hit. We had a bunch of gigs scheduled, but they're canceled for the next month or two at least.

I normally work out pretty hard - running, weights, calisthenics with walking on the off-days - but that had to adjust that since medical stuff started in November. I worked back up to walking 2-3 miles a day, but about to get back into my regular workout program. I was walking at the mall, but that ain't gonna work anymore. Working out at home is much safer.

In the meanwhile, we have 6 songs to mix for a CD - they were just waiting for the steel parts, which I finally recorded last weekend. I have a couple of new steels - a Rains and an MSA Legend - that need to be set up. I couldn't even lift the steels out of the case since the surgery. Some new tunes to write. I definitely need to go over my equipment and pick out some stuff to move down the road to clear out the overloaded music rooms downstairs. I had some guitar shows planned to get rid of some stuff, but they're canceled too. A couple of salvage computers to set up. And of course, finally get down to practicing more again. C6 for me too right now, it's time to focus.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 16 Mar 2020 7:16 am

I forecast a bumper crop of C6 players in a few months' time

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 16 Mar 2020 7:22 am

Ian Rae wrote:I forecast a bumper crop of C6 players in a few months' time

LOL!!

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 16 Mar 2020 7:34 am

Ross Shafer · Post by **Ross Shafer** » 16 Mar 2020 7:51 am

Downtime? What's that? Social distancing and self Isolation, is pretty much where I've been at for the last 20 years. Finally there's a real benefit to being a hermit!

I'm spending my time right now getting this cutie together for its owner, who had planned to fly here to pick it up...not now though, gonna hafta ship the thing....ugh!

That'll have my panties twisted from the moment I hand it off to the folks in brown, until my customer calls to tell me "the eagle has landed....intact"

Breath carefully, stay well!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 16 Mar 2020 7:53 am

Looks beautiful and I love your new logo, Ross! Very moderne!

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 16 Mar 2020 7:55 am

I just finish practicing for the first time of several today. I have not played for a few years until lately so I would think that honing your skills would be a good idea.

I am hopeful to play more at church

Joe

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 16 Mar 2020 7:59 am

for me this isn't' actually down time, everyone else is now doing what I've been doing for near 5 years now !

The only difference is I have not been told to stay home and do nothing !

Ok..so what do I do, Yard Work, Chores, MUSIC etc..I have formed a good discipline for both Guitar and Steel, studying the fretboard, varied positions, redundant positions etc...When I don't sit with one or the other for a day or so I feel guilty !

I DO NOT spend hours on the Internet.

This is not a bad thing, everyone take time and be safe and stay healthy. Practice !

Ross Shafer · Post by **Ross Shafer** » 16 Mar 2020 8:00 am

Jim Cohen wrote:Looks beautiful and I love your new logo, Ross! Very moderne!

Thank you Jim! This is a one off though. When my customer requested the wild 'n wacky fret board....I was worried the actual logo wouldn't look right. So the customer (a talented designer himself) asked if he could take a pass at it. I think it turned out bitchin' too!

OK, sorry to go off topic....back to our regularly scheduled program.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 16 Mar 2020 8:16 am

I'm washing my hands constantly,Playing with my cat,Learning how to talk with my chickens,and getting to know my new piano.

Joseph Carlson · Post by **Joseph Carlson** » 16 Mar 2020 8:58 am

Pretty much just hanging out with the kids and working on this book:

I think the concepts would work pretty well on a pedal steel too.

Kevin Fix · Post by **Kevin Fix** » 16 Mar 2020 12:31 pm

I walk my dog a mile before breakfast.

Take care of my wife and I.

keeping in contact with family health conditions.

Have lots of time now to explore more C6. I have been converting songs I normally play on E9th to C6.

We had two big shows canceled. Our first ones for the season.

Meanwhile, back to the dog for two mile walk after supper. Waiting for warm weather. I am ready to shed the CarHart's!!!!

And most important, listen careful to the CDC, stay out of Wal Marts!!!!!

John Palumbo · Post by **John Palumbo** » 16 Mar 2020 1:44 pm

Just Thank Goodness for this forum as being some where to go to. With all that is going on in the news today. It's so depressing.

Larry Allen · Post by **Larry Allen** » 16 Mar 2020 4:01 pm

We just got relieved of a nice fat gig at the Marriott , no tourists , no cruise ships, 3 month contract canceled

so far only one case on Kauai...

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 16 Mar 2020 4:34 pm

No gigs. All been cancelled.
I'll practice and try out some different variations on my rig. I'll polish my steel up again and clean it, change the strings.
Do some yard work. Too early yet to do much though. I've still got another tree to cut up and split. There's a whole bunch of stuff, that, I can do. Just have to find the urge.
Also, call the relatives and check on them. Not that I can do anything but send love.
And, most of all, make sure my wife and I stay safe and healthy so we can get over all of this mess.

Jack Stanton · Post by **Jack Stanton** » 16 Mar 2020 4:46 pm

Most of what Jim Cohen said, but I refuse to take his dog for a walk, and his wife has far too much common sense to take a walk with me.
I plan to revisit the Paul Franklin Method from the very beginning with a vengeance.

Jack Stanton · Post by **Jack Stanton** » 16 Mar 2020 4:46 pm

Duplicate

gary pierce · Post by **gary pierce** » 16 Mar 2020 4:55 pm

My restaurant, and church jobs just got cancelled, so I guess its time to practice more in case they start back.
I think Ian's statement might be right.

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What are you doing with the down time ?

What are you doing with the down time ?

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