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I am still trying to figure out the notes on an open D, 4 string in relation to reading music scores.

Does the first D string note fall below the position shown on my chart?

Where is middle C on an open tuned 4 string CBG on the chart below?

So where do the high notes occur on a music score then or are the duplicates ?

If this was chromatic this would be sequential but as it's open tuning its surely not?

I'm not quite getting the translation to music score notes can anyone clarify?

                            So, 6 months after my first European Tour I thought it was time to go do it again,only smarter.The first smart thing I did was cut the time on the road in half.Instead of 16 days away it'd be 8.I figured I could earn around the same without missing the family too much and getting knackered.Second smart thing I did was plan in a few rest days.These adjustments made a huge difference to my enjoyment of the tour and as I've intimated the financial implications proved negligible.

The first gig is in Bristol,England,a favourite city of mine to play.The Mother Beef are playing and want me to support.Always happy to join the Bristol boys I set off north for the first 80 miles of a 1550 mile journey.We soundcheck and all goes smoothly.Downstairs is a solo punk guitarist called Rita Lynch, so I go and check her out.She looks my age yet has retained a fabulous. blonde, slim, glamourous rock chick image.Her set is enjoyable and when I watch the crowd watching her I'm reminded of why I like Bristolians-eager,open minded and ready to party.Later on,she buys me a drink and we swap cd's.

     (Rita Lynch)

                                                                                  I get the call,go back upstairs and hit the stage-all goes well enough though the trouble free soundcheck proves a little misleading, as weird booms seem to be emerging from somewhere or other.I plough on regardless, sell a few cd's then watch The Mother Beef do their thing.

       At something o'clock I bid farewell and drive west towards London.My plan is to drive until about 2am then pull into a service station to sleep.I pull down the bed and settle in for a nice kip in The Bellybus.I wake rested at 8am and see a sign I hadn't noticed in the dark-two hours parking are free, its £10 a night or a £90 penalty fee-this is bloody typical of England.On the continent you can pull in and sleep or rest to your hearts content-not in UKPLC-where every opportunity is taken to squeeze every last penny out of joe public.I jump bleary eyed into the drivers seat and scarper.I pull into the next service area and cook up some breakfast in my bus in rather less hurried fashion.(If you are entertaining the notion I got away think again-I just paid a £50 fine this morning).Thank you England, you sclerotic old witch.

                I take the M25 round London and on into Folkestone towards the Eurotunnel.I pull into a shopping area and cook a meal.A mum is watching her two kids ride their bicycles in the deserted carpark.Eventually its time to board the Eurotunnel.I drive onto the train and 30 minutes later emerge in France.I pass roadsigns showing the names of towns and cities I've played before..Kortrijk,Brussels,Ieper,Lebbeke,and so on.My next stop is an area familiar to me-Roeselare in Belgium, where I will be entertaining The Outlaws MC West side chapter party.I arrive on time and Francky shows me around the Clubhouse.Its a mighty fine clubhouse it must be said.Outlaws from England,Germany,Belgium and many other countries arrive on their Harleys and mill around.There are Outlaws guarding the entrance-a necessary precaution-two of the Outlaws were shot to death in a white van recently and three of them attending this party carry bullet wounds from run ins with the Hells Angels.I wonder if there's another drive by whether the guy on the stage gets spared-somehow I doubt it.

        After a lovely veggie meal I do my thing-it proves to be hard work-its kinda difficult singing your heart out to peoples' backs..but I realise after a while The Outlaws are not here because it's a Hollowbelly gig-they're here to meet and chat-they haven't seen each other since last year and naturally they've a lot to catch up on.The guy providing the music is secondary and thats fair enough.Certainly Francky looks unperturbed-he's having a great time.I set my ego aside,dig deep and deliver my show.

        I retire to The Bellybus.I have a comfortable nights sleep,which is remarkable given that The Outlaws like to party all night long ( til 10 am the next day to be precise). Francky and his rather lovely wife take me back to their pad where I shower and eat a nice breakfast.I pass on some bands he might be interested in booking-Left Lane Cruiser being one of them.

                     I set off for Lous bar in Leige-150 miles east-a nice distance.I plan my tours so they make logistical,geographical sense because diesel costs will of course eat into your profits.All is well until I get to Leige,where I find a festival is on- cops have set up road blocks-I hit the sat nav to 'avoid road blocks' but every effort it makes to find me an alternate route meets with yet another road block.I give up,jump out the bus and phone Lou.His English is limited and in desperation I thrust my mobile into a cops hand and get her to talk to him and tell him where I am! Eventually I am rescued,and we both jump in the Bellybus and make it to his bar.

                             Lou's bar has a great reputation amongst touring musicians as a super enjoyable venue to play.It doesn't disappoint.It is small and lo fi- the tiny stage is made up of used wooden pallets with a carpet thrown on the top.No pa.The punters are here for the rum and the music and they know what they're getting.I drink white rum and my late afternoon sets go down a storm.I eat some great pasta made by an Italian bloke.Then its dark rum and coffee.A black dude from Chicago gets up and sings the blues whilst I grin,drink rum,whoop encouragement and generally lap it up.Unusually, the bar closes early-this is done to avoid drunken idiots later on apparently.Its great for me cos I can leave the bus parked up,drink then walk over to my hotel for a relatively early night.

           The hotel turns out to be a sort of hip,internet savvy hostel.I go to my room (which uncannily is room 101-again!) to discover there are 2 bunk beds! I have no idea I'll be the only one in there all night-I choose a top bunk cos I'm already carrying quite a bit of cash and I dont wanna get ripped off in the middle of the night. The walls are unrendered breezeblock,the ceiling bare concrete-I guess its supposed to look minimalist, but juxtaposed with the bunks,the effect is rather like staying in a nuclear fallout shelter. Being slightly drunk I fall off the bottom step when going to the loo and mash up my toe-oh well.I decide to pull on a clean sock and not look at it for a day or two-lol.Anyway, my early night plans are sabotaged when I hear an explosion outside, followed by more-its a minute or two before I realise it's fireworks.

                          I wake with a mildly throbbing toe,brush me teeth and check out.I have time to walk around Liege.I sit by the banks of the river and watch the heavily laden boats go by.It occurs to me that this is the way to earn your living.I feel good.I feel confident being onstage.It feels natural.I'm making good money so I can take it back for my family.

               Eventually the bar reopens and I load out.Next country is Holland.I head north towards Amsterdam,stopping off en route to feed the bus with oil and screenwash,and me with rice and coffee.I reach OT301 and load in smoothly enough.

                                            Its great to see Dawn and Joe again and I decide to stay an extra day in Amsterdam after tonight's show.Its a Monday night but my seemingly realistic expectations of a quiet night are not to be fulfilled-this is the first of several shows where people who have seen me before in March have returned to see me play.I can't believe the crowd that shows up-theres only me playing,its Monday,surely there's been some mistake..I play my set and we all have a great time..I begin to understand that they are coming back to see the show and that that's a good sign for my future.I come offstage and Its more cd selling/signing and t shirts too.

Mark of Cain live @ OT301 Amsterdam-ee my page for the video

             We catch a cab to Dawn and Joes flat, and Dawn wants to learn CBG-after a quick lesson,she treats me to a drunken rendition of Long Road "ooooooooooh baby'sha long long road"  heh heh its great.Eventually I sleep in the spare room amid Joes records and guitars.

               The next day we enjoy Amsterdam,eat a nice meal out,stroll in the park, that kinda thing.I am in much better spirits than the last time I was here thats for sure, for reasons you may recall.I eventually depart for Germany the next day.I have forgotten my drum mat during load out but it aint worth turning around for a grotty bit of carpet.I reach Bremen a little later than planned due to traffic.Its great to see Andreas and Daniela again (last time was Muddy Roots Festival,Belgium) and I join them for some lovely pumpkin soup.By now its Thursday and I have time for a quick tour around Bremen with Andreas as my tour guide.Its fab to have time to actually see the city and its these time outs that have made all the difference on this tour.

           (My German contact and good friend Andee aka Tourette Van Thom  and me-Bremen sept 2012)        

           In the evening we load in-I'm playing onboard a boat-the Betonschiff Treue.Yet again a good sized crowd turn up-theres a few Hollowbelly t shirts in the crowd.Once again,the people who saw me play in March have turned out.Dani tells me later people were singing along to the songs.The show goes great.As usual when in Germany I leave Andee to sell my shit-when I eventually go across to the merch table I wonder where the hell it's gone he's sold so much its untrue.Excellent.I meet a dude from Bear Family Records and I'm also offered the opportunity to record my album in Hamburg.I'll be flying out for a week in November to do just that.

         (Yeah Yeah Yeah Studios,Hamburg,Germany-my home for the week beginning 3rd November 2012)

           So the next day I set the dials on the Bellybus to 'south'.I feel sad leaving Andee and Daniela and the feeling doesn't wear off until I reach the autobahn later on.

             Next stop Dusseldorf.I haven't played this city before-the gigs are being organised by Patrice (Slydog on cigarbox nation) at his art/tattoo gallery and I am unsure what to expect.I needn't have worried.Patrice is a class act.His art gallery is cool and I set up ready for tonight's gig.The gig is intimate-it really encourages the storytelling aspect of my show-the crowd and I have a great time-somebody tells me he's travelled three hours to get to the show and it was well worth it-I tell him its much appreciated.

 (photo credit:Christoph Heuer.)

                                        Next morning I awake on a sofa amid lovely artifacts and feel confident about the final show tonight.I feel like I've got a cold coming on but I know I'll be fine.The gallery becomes packed and I set about giving it my all, as I can afford to go a little extra crazy given its the last night.It gets recorded and I may very well release it, as it does capture what the live show is like.It's lovely to see some old friends in the audience-

and after the show we head behind the scenes for a private party-the food is totally vegetarian and delicious..I contemplate staying the night, but decide to load out late and do a 100 miles or so that night, thus making the final homeward leg of the journey a little shorter.

                  So it is I find myself driving into a Belgian truck stop at 2 am.I try to sleep but can't stop coughing when I lie down-it's so bad I nearly puke.It's autumnal and cold.I cough up phlegm and blood.I pull on my woolly hat and curl up in a ball under my duvet.I should be pissed off but,after a successful tour, my spirits utterly refuse to be dampened.I'll be fine.I eventually drift off around 5am and wake around 8.I piss in a bottle,(I'm a classy guy).fire up the bus and drive on to Calais and board the Eurotunnel train.

                   I reach England but my excitement at being nearer to home and my girls is sabotaged by the weather-last time by fog, this time by extreme,driving rain.I nearly aquaplane twice before I see sense and slow down.Someone is going to crash the conditions are so bad and sure enough the traffic slows as we reach two freshly mashed up cars being attended to by the cops and ambulance dudes.Its square wheels,so I stick one of the cd's Joe has given me on-Little Richard-damn! I'd forgotten how wild he sounds-I sit there in the traffic screaming "Luciiiiiiiiillle!!!" and dancing in the drivers seat like a man possessed-lmao! I eventually reach home-the kids don't hear me come in-Maisy turns round, sees her dad and her little face crumples-she runs into my arms and won't let go.Suits me.My 14 year old walks up and holds me too- we both look down at Maisy but all we can see is the top of her head as she's squashed between us.The embrace lasts a good while.Maggie is in the bath and later on she welcomes me home too, but that, dear reader, is a story decorum forbids me to share ;)

            Cheers, HB.

Thought i would put up some tabs for my lesson video 'The Claw Grip' part 3. Hope they help. You can download them using the link below

The%20Claw%20Grip%20Part%203%20%E2%80%93%20Joe%20Cribb%20%E2%80%93%20Cigar%20Box%20Guitar%20Lesson.pdf

You can find all my lessons on my youtube channel or my cigar box guitar lessons playlist

Have fun...see you soon

Keep on keepin' on :)

Have now set up a bandcamp page to sell my tunes @

www.joecribb.bandcamp.com

These are four of our favorite cover songs to play, so we thought we would record them for you enjoy as well,....it's a little something to tide you over 'til our NEW full length album is ready in a couple of months. Stay tuned.

Click here to download...enjoy.

Hey Ted, can you make me 70 unique Crocker instruments in 5 weeks?

"No problem…"

(See the next 35 instruments HERE)

First 36 ready to ship!

Ted Crocker custom instrument for Harrison Withers.  

EDIT:  Finished instrument

A gorgeous slab of walnut from Sid Workman

Update:  January 5, 2012

I spent a lot of time letting the wood make up it's mind to what it wants to be.  After sketching with chalk, the Goose emerged from inside.  I brought out that grain with grape seed oil.

Update:  January 6, 2012

The basic shape is cut out with a jig saw

Rough sanding is done with sanding barrels on the drill press

Next sanding step is with the palm sander  to get the shape closer to final.  There's lots more sanding, plus the edges wlil be rounded over with the router.

Update:  January 8, 2012

I didn't want to spoil the Goose headstock with tuners, so I'm working out a way to keep it 'headless'...

Here's an idea to move the tuners to the body.  

Spent a little more time imaginating...

Update:  January 9, 2012

I got to go crazy today.  Used a round over bit in the router to , er, round over the edges.  

After that i used the palm sander to get it pretty good, then hand sanded it.  Still more sanding before it's done, but pretty close now.  The Goose is awesome!!

This is what she looks like with a quick wipe of grape seed oil

Update:  January 12, 2012

Made the cavities for the controls and for the jack.  Drilled for pots & switch and jack/jack cup

I used a 12" drill through the jack hole to connect the cavities

Tele style jack cup

OOPS, forgot to update this back then with final shots.

Click here to see the Jagged Edge Builders Blog

alrighty - hello everyone 

    j - bone here - The 2 Knights have been out stirrin up some fans about town-

 here is a quick review of this past weeks open mics - 

#16,monday sept. 26th Salt Creek Wine Bar - 8900 Fairview, Brookfield, Il. 

#17 monday sept. 26th The Store - 2002 n. halsted - chicago, il

#18 monday sept. 26th Tonic - 2447 n. halsted - chicago, il

Our first time at Salt Creek Wine Bar - very nice place - brought my 2 uncle crow style cbgs i had built last week to play - the host / house band played a bit - we played third - got a good response and sold the Corina cbg for $50 - sweet - 

 Then we headed to the city to play the Store open mic - got a nice middle spot there - hung out for a few, played & sold a cd - then headed down the block to Tonic

 Tonic has a great host and they go late over there - we got a list spot - threw down our jams - hung out for a bit, then called it a night -

#19 tuesday sept. 27th Phyllis' Musical Inn 1800 w. division - chicago, il

#20 tuesday sept. 27th FitzGeralds - 6615 W. Roosevelt rd. - berwyn, il -

 We headed to Phyllis' - we had been there once before and got a good response - a few people who had seen us the previous time were there again - we played our songs and got a good response & sold a cd - mingled around abit - the owner gave me his card & offered us a weeknight show possibility - 

 Then we split to Fitzgeralds - we have been here several times and have gotten a good response each time - this time was much the same - got a good list spot - the host is a good guy and we like to play there - we played our songs, went over well - we sold a cd to a really cool guy - we sell our cds for $5 o.b.o - and this guy gives me a $20 and says "keep the change - i really like what you guys are doing" - well thank you sir 

#21 wednesday sept. 28th Stage Bar {formerly Memories} 4358 n. cicero ave. - chicago, il -

#22 wednesday sept. 28th Friendlys Tap 6733 roosevelt rd. berwyn, il - 

 Went to Stage Bar - we had played the open mic / jam here once before and we went over quite well - so we hit it up again - some people remembered us from the last time and were excited to see us play again - i played my Tinderbox cbg -  we played our tunes -

 I broke my high g string at the end of the 1st song finished the set on 2 strings with giving notice to the broken string and got a great response - mingled abit - talked for awhile with a couple of the guitar players who had interest in the cbgs construction and whatnot - then headed to Friendlys Tap

 Got to Friendlys Tap around 12:20 and they close at 1:00 - this was our first time here, its right down the block from Fitzgeralds and we thought they were open until 2:00 - also, no sign up sheet - talked to the guy runnin' things and he said we could play 1 song - so that was cool - also a couple people who knew us from Fitzgeralds were there - a person played 1 song before us - we played our song - got a good response - then headed home 

#23 thursday sept. 29th Red Line Tap 7006 n. glenwood - chicago, il 

 We have been to the Red Line Tap several times, but have only played once - the list fills up very quickly, so you really have to get there early - which we did and we got a nice middle spot - we played and got a good response - i brought the "Demons" plate reso. i built during the day to play and maybe sell - i did play it & i did sell it for $60 as well as selling a cd - hung around for a while - then headed home

 We were invited to play a short opening set for a local band Purebred Stems on saturday oct. 1st @ Gallery Cabaret - this will be our first "show" - as in - not an open mic -

 We also received an invitation to play an opening set for local band Grody Hunt on thursday oct. 13th @ The Mutiny in chicago - so we are looking forward to that as well as next weeks run of open mics -

 alrighty then - thats about it for now -                      jbone               

The Delta Box will be a Crocker production instrument.  I'm creating all the templates, jigs, components and hardware so I can assemble many of these at a time.  The complete opposite of what I usually do.

The box

Using a Forstner bit in the drill press to make holes for the 2 broomsticks neck

I use a chunk of plank to square and steady the box

Making a support block for the end of the neck using the already cut holes as a guide for hole placement

Dry fit

Measuring and marking for the sound holes

She's beginning to take shape

hello everyone - 

 j bone here - for the last few weeks the 2NITES have been hittin the open mic scene in the chicagoland area pretty hard and we have been having a hella rad time - 

i have been playing the open mics with my 3 string "big box" & king charles plays snare with brushes

here is a run down of where we have played so far -

#1 - thursday - july 28th 2011 - Gallery Cabaret 2002 n. oakley ave in chicago, il - it was hella awsome - very friendly host, the list was already quite full when we got there, but he gave us a great 1st timers slot - we played 3 quick songs just snare and my 3string "big box" git 

went off killer - got a good response - sold 2 cds @ 5$ each - got bought a couple drinks - and got smoked out & invited back by the host garret -

after our set - dude bought me a beer and ask about my git - talked with him for a bit about cbgs, tunings and slide and what not - then he ask me to sit in on a tune of theirs - 12 bar blues thing in A - i said hells yeah! - so that was rad - 

#2 & #3 thursday - august 11th - Redline Tap 7006 n. glenwood - chicago, il - Gallery Cabaret 2002 n. oakley - chicago, il

we got to the Redline Tap around 10pm - sign up sheet went out at like 8pm - so by the time we got there the only open spots were 1st and last - we sighed up for the first spot and played - we got a really good response - 

we hung out at Redline Tap for a couple acts after we played then we headed to the Gallery Cabaret to see if we could get another set off over there - we got to the Gallery got on the list and kicked out a second set for the night - again got a great response - 

#4 - monday - august 29th - The Store  2002 n. halsted - chicago, il

only a hand full of performers at this one - watched a couple acts - then we played - this drunk dude with an acoustic wanted to sit in with us - i said "cool man - we do 12 bar in G"  - he said "alright i'll follow along - could i by you guys a drink" - i said "yes sir - thanks"

the sound man records everyones set at this place and gives you a cd of your set when you are done for free - thats pretty cool - 

#5 tuesday - august 30th - Phyllis' Musical Inn 1800 w. division - chicago, il 

this one was really cool - when we arrived there was a blues duo {guitar & upright bass} playing some covers - we played after a couple acts & i asked the stand up bass player if he would sit in with us -

i don't think he really wanted to until he saw my 3 string "big box" and my slide come out - then he was in - i said "12 bar in G  lets go" - we did 2 originals, on the road again, and a short free jam 

we got a really good response - it was rad jammin with a stand up bass - 

#6 - wednesday - august 31st - Memories 4358 n. cicero ave. - chicago, il - 

this was an open jam more than an open mic - full backline & drum kit - hosted by a house band - played our 3 song set, then we were asked to play one more, so we did a short improve blues - i played my 3 string "big box" - again got a really great response and had a blast -

#7 - thursday - sept.1st - Gallery Cabaret 

we set out to play at the Redline, but by the time we got there the list was full - so we headed over to the Gallery Cabaret - got on the list and we played close to last - at the Gallery they give you a beer for performing - so thats pretty cool - took the law dog out to play this evening

#8 - monday - sept. 5th - Tonic Room - 2447 n. halsted - chicago, il

we had planned to play 2 places -the Store & Tonic room - the store did not have open mic going because of the holiday - so we headed down the street to Tonic room -

this place was kinda like a hip hop bar - we signed up to play - watched a rapper do his thing - we played our set - got a good response - watched another rap act then we hit the road - 

#9 -  tuesday - sept. 6th FitzGeralds - 6615 W. Roosevelt rd. - berwyn, il - 

this place is a somewhat well known roadhouse - lots of blues and folk types - played my 3 string "big box" - we got a great response and sold a couple cds 

the guy who runs the open mics plays harmonica and invited us back saying he would like to sit in with us next time - all in all went really well and got a really great response

#10 - wednesday - sept. 7th - Miss Kittys Saloon 634 E Ogden Ave
Naperville, IL - 

this place was cool - more of an open jam than open mic - signed up in a good position - watched a few acts before we played - we got a great response and were asked to play 1 more - so we did - 

made a couple good contacts at this show as well - some opening act / support gigs possibly  - we will see where it goes - 

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Hi peeps,

                Thought you might be interested in having a butchers at my 'tour bus'-I didnt want to clog up the nation with pics of a motor so I've placed them here.You can follow developments as the work on her continues throughout Spring 2011.

            Its a 2003 VW T4-they are used as surf buses around these parts and campervans too.It has only 45k on its 2.5 turbodiesel engine and believe me I was lucky to get it-they are like gold dust, especially in this condition.Being a family man, the Bellybus will be dual purpose-a rock roll seat/bed will be installed in the rear so the kids can travel when the old rusty Rover car eventually falls to pieces.

Pic 1-heres the Bellybus as was when bought-a regular panel van..

and heres a pic with the side windows installed-I had them limo tinted so peeps cant see any gear I might be carrying in the back-

On this third pic you can see the other side window also.With the tailgate open you can see I've not done anything to the inside yet-the wood panels and blue carpet were the previous owners work.I've just cheered it up a bit for now by sticking a few set lists from recent gigs up and chucking a few cushions in to sit on..I carry a sleeping bag under the drivers seat just in case..so far the Bellybus has taken me to gigs in Birmingham,Kent,London and across the sea to Belgium-at the wheel it feels like a family car-nice n smooth and not noisy at all..it drives with all the efficiency one would expect from a German vehicle..dubtastic ;o)  

So what next? well I need to remove the wood panels and insulate, remove the carpet (come on- carpet just aint rock n roll!) I'd like to have it wood everywhere,with gig posters and the like-kinda like a Bluesmans' wood cabin on wheels! I toyed with the idea of having a pic of Eric Clapton on the floor..heh heh..wipe your converse here.Anyway, this next pic is from some dudes T4 I found on the interweb-he's removed the ceiling panels and put wood in- like I want it-the ceiling is very cool but the rest of its a bit 'neat' for my taste-plus is that carpet I see on the walls..Noooo! still, you get the idea..well, seeing as I'm pants at woodwork I reckon Juju will be getting a call!

 Well thats it for now peeps-I'll update as the Bellybus develops over the coming months.Cheers, HB

UPDATE-MARCH-

             Well I've been busy stripping out the Bellybus and adding insulation to make it more comfortable when I ever need to kip in the bus-unfortunately my dream of having Juju fit out the inside is not to be as he is inundated with guitar orders and has a kitchen to build, so its down to yours truly.I am taking my inspiration for the interior from the cover of my album and am using hessian to carpet the walls-its cheap too-I'll be going for a mild rat type look (and believe me, with my woodworking skills its just as well!)  hessian/distressed gig posters on walls etc..

              Anyway,heres a few pics-this really is the boring bit..insulating/cutting panels and so on..rear wheel arch is covered in flashing tape to quieten road noise..

more insulation in the roof space-silver backed bubblewrap-

I've made doorcards and panels from 3.6mm ply-heres the doorcard for the rear tailgate sitting in me garage-as you can see I got my mate Bansky to decorate it  lol   

bit more exciting/fun than the generic grey one anyroad.

Ok dudes-more updates soon..

UPDATE APRIL-

         Ok peeps the rear seat is in,and I've got all the hessian where I want it-begun to stick up posters and stuff-heres a few pics-

This heres a close up of the 'mojo hole'-a take on honesty windows from strawbale eco houses if you will-I put in a used (knackered) bluesharp, a glass slide and a used plectrum.I really like the roof cos it cost me nowt-I just reversed the original panels! It added no extra weight-I was gonna put in thin tongue and groove but it weighed  a considerable amount and you'd pay for that at the pumps, so I decided against it-plus these hardboard panels give that ratty shed look I wanted.seat down into the bed position-king size-nice!gotta dash peeps-more pics later..

UPDATE MAY-

floor getting installed today-it might look fancy but its just 12mm outdoor grade ply and I varnished it 3 times-might not last  years n years but of course I have the option to lay a harder wearing floor on top at a later date if I feel the need.I've put 2mm of neoprene rubber strip all around the edges to cut down on the possibility of squeaks where wood meets wood or metal-what with the bus moving and all that.Left a little space in case of expansion due to heat also.It fits nice, but dont zoom on this photo or you'll see how bloody awful my woodworking 'skills' are!!

ok you zoomed didnt you?! DIDNT YOU?!!!

right next,so heres the riser that goes under the rear seat and houses the rear 6x9 speakers-I found a tea chest on the local dump-as you know, they have stencils sprayed on from being shipped all over the world and I thought I'd take it apart and make panels out of them.All the stencils are genuine apart from the Hollowbelly one which I added then sanded slightly to match it with the others..

so here it is in situ just to give you an idea-I've installed the floor and the riser is just sitting there unglued for now-seems prudent to ensure the speakers work before I stick the panel in.. I sprayed the speakers covers matt brown as they were brand new, then knocked em back a bit with sandpaper-the 2 rusty metal bands in the centre of the panel are those metal strips that hold the tea chest together.I used them to hide the join between the different panels, as well as add a bit more grunge..

the opposite wall panel now looks pretty boring so Im on the lookout for a few more tea chests-alternatively I may leave it so I have more space for future gig posters as and when they arrive..

ok thats it for now peeps-I'll get back when I next do something else-the step probably..

      July/August-ok so heres the step and riser going in-I used the offcuts from the free tea chests for the riser and also the rusty metal strips from the tea chest edges to match the pattern under the rear seat.The actual step is the same 12mm marine grade ply..oh and I used the 'Hollowbelly Punkblues' stencil I used on the cd flightcase-just sprayed it with black car spray,then white over the top..and Bobs yer uncle as we say in the north.

the lights are coming on nice...

Here is a little video that Dave put together of us in the studio last week as he was recording us for our New CD that will be coming out very soon. We will giving away some CD's as well, ...details to come, stay tuned.
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http://youtu.be/DNuBizaa6do