One for the guitarists here. A really interesting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGKZseP2BqE

About time too!

Bill and Phil Manzanera are two of my favourite musicians. During COVID-19 there have been quite a few long distance collaborations between several musicians. It's a dream I have that Bill and Phil might make some music together one day :)

Hi Jon, Can you explain why you have deleted my posts about the moon landings and freemasons please? Thanks, Roger

Is it just me, or do others living in the year 2021 find the image sexiest and totally unacceptable?

I've recently had my first jab (Oxford Astra Zeneca) and have suffered some reaction. I'm 63 in a few days time. I'd be interested to hear of the experience of others with respect to having the jab. I don't think all of the side effects are being reported on the NHS UK site. I'll post my experience if I get any response. Please note that this post does not have any political or any other agenda, only to share information that may be withheld from the general public.

When I expressed concerns about the election of Mr Bidden on this forum I felt that I generally got a negative response. So, did he hide from public appearances and travelling using COVID-19 as an excuse during his campaign? Has he only given two very poor press conferences since being in power? Was the wind a reason for falling up the steps of the presidential plane three times? I'd be interested to hear the thoughts our our American forum members.

I wonder where the money is coming from and I hope that he's got his maths right, although businessmen are better than doing that than politicians. Dwarfs the bank bail outs of 2008. However, perhaps we should be doing this in the UK where so much is taken away from us (rightly so), but very little given back in return. At least the UK government has school lessons on TV now, but why has it taken so long?

Brian May started the process of being in touch with his fans during the first lock down via Youtube, but then he suffered from significant ill health. Now Robert and Toyah are there for us. What fine human beings they are :)

Hi Bill. I was listening to a clip from the late, great John Peel earlier: Is he correct in thinking that your record company wanted your name included in the band title? Thanks, Roger

Hi Bill, I think most of us on this forum have a pretty good idea of the guitars you have used over the years (other than the tele on a early BBD video). Just wondering in the early days of BBD whether your record company/management tried to influence your choice of guitars. I ask this because I read a little while ago about Phil Manzanera being told to ditch his 335 in favour of a white strat (Mr Hendrix?) when he got the Roxy Music gig. I've also read others stories about certain guitars not being viewed as being sexy enough. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks, Roger

Hi Bill, Your original 345 must be over 50 years old now. I know that in the early days of you owning it it for damaged and went back to Gibson for repairs, but I'm just wondering what it's had done in terms of mods, repairs etc. Is it pretty well all original and who do you trust to look after it? I guess with it being used for recording and touring it must have had a fairly hard life. Has it had to have repairs around the f-holes? Thanks, Roger

I'd like to start a thread on this subject, which will probably be of more interest to the guitar players here. Due to environmental concerns it looks as if the use of Rosewood and Ebony for guitar fretboards and bridges could be a thing of the past very shortly. Certainly the days of rejecting a lot of wood to find a faultless piece for a fretboard have gone. How long before maple, mahogany, cedar and spruce follow? I know that luthiers generally keep a stock of materials for their guitar building, but I can't help wondering if the guys making guitars now may be the last generation to use the exotic tonewoods. So that makes us on to alternative materials. I've recently become aware of a paper/resin composite material called Rocklite Ebano that can be used to replace ebony for fretboards and bridges. Martin are already using a similar material, Black Diamond Richlite®, to replace ebony on their products. As regards guitar bodies well various plastics have been used in the past, perhaps Ovation being the most well known, although that wasn't for a guitar top. The reverse of what they did was looked at by the University of Loughborough in conjunction with Gordon Giltrap (guitarist) and Rob Armstrong (Luthier) - an acoustic guitar was produced with a wooden body, but polymer top. Gordon went on to record an album with it. We've now got carbon fibre guitars too. So lastly onto fretwire - not due to envirmental concerns, but there are more alternatives available now, such as stainless steel. I'd be interested to know if any of the players here have any experience of the more modern materials and how they feel about moving away from the woods that have traditionally been used in guitar manufacture. Roger

I'm a big fan of the Repair Shop programme on BBC. The episode this week featured the restoration of a very old guitar: More details can be found here: https://flameguitars.co.uk/the-repair-shop-restoration-of-a-portuguese-guitar/

The genius of Robert Fripp:

Sorry to invade on William's World, but I just feel that this is so important for our UK forum members - I can't comment on what is happening elsewhere. Please continue to wash hands regularly, particularly after coming home. Observe social distancing and use masks where appropriate. IMHO there is a second wave of Corona virus infection coming so let's keep ourselves safe from this dreadful virus. Trust me I'm a scientist :) Roger

Some interesting comments about how he was managed at a certain time during his career.

I've been doing a fair bit of reading on my Kindle during the lockdown, including a book by Guy Pratt and ones about Brian Eno and Chris Spedding. In the Spedding book Johnny Marr states that pre-punk Bill, Peter Townshend, Paul Kossof, Mick Ronson and Rory Gallagher were the players that he and his mates admired at the time.

Over my head,but for others who might be interested: https://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineer-in-wonderland/everything-ever-wanted-know-valve-guitar-amplifiers-2020-04/?eea=dDNlazhCQ2FXQ0lwa2h6dW5lYjNTT3g0emMrVDZ5S051WDhIcDAvZ20vaz0=&n_hash=1221&utm_source=e-shot&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EW-5903-(Edi)WeeklyNewsletter-%231221