I’ve always had an inclination toward DIY. As mentioned, I used to make money by restoring and repairing musical instruments. I also built a few things. I haven’t done so in years, but I picked up the drill and soldering iron again recently:
I cut down my old pedalboard to a more manageable size and re-housed some of the effects pedals I had built over the years. This rig is downright minimalist compared to what I had before. The amp and speaker are on the board, putting out about 25 watts, far louder than most practice amps. Everything on this board I either built or modified. While part of me really likes the simplicity of an acoustic, there are so many ideas I have that need a bit more of a sonic palette. I’m keeping it as simple as possible, as I’ve been sucked down the rabbit hole of gear obsession before. It takes the focus away from the music being created, at least for me.
I’d played at a handful of open mics and got invited to play a feature last year, but this year hasn’t seen me playing out much. I plan on adding a looper so I can play multiple parts live, maybe do a few gigs with a hand drummer or percussionist.
