‘It’s flooding down in Texas’. . . Well, I have no way of knowing, but it’s certainly raining in Ibiza, but it’s another beautiful day a couple of kilometres south in Formentera!
Yesterday was another memorable day. My pickup coils are wound, and we progressed to ‘nut theory’ and the ‘grinding of the nut’ (wasn’t that Shakespeare?). This is another seemingly minor component of a guitar that I never realized was so delicate. The things I have done to my other guitars to make strings sit better, apparently, don't bear thinking about (I had better check them when I get back!).
The nut is the bit the strings go over/through at the headstock end of the fretboard. This was painstakingly measured, attached and then further measured with precision for the setting of each string. Then each nut ‘groove’ needed a precise tool to saw it to an extremely specific depth, but different for each string. Then the top of the nut had to be ground down until each string groove was as deep as it is wide. Considering the top string is 0.2 of a millimetre, that is some judgement required! And there was more . . .
I also set my bridge . . . .
Eric 'Juan Nut' dedicated himself to further routing of his cavities, setting his bridge, finishing his pickups and inspecting his nut.
After lunch there was a frenzy of rubbing as we had to prepare for what had been explained as the night of the ‘midnight oil’. Having determined we would, like Wilson Pickett, ‘wait till the midnight oil’ we weren’t quite sure what we were watiting for. However, we were warned this was the last time we could sand or otherwise smooth the guitars.
We worked until after midnight, with pizza and red wine on the hoof, when at the appointed time, we were all presented with a pot of hot oil of linseed, turpentine and Hierbas (well perhaps not . .). This was generously applied to the whole guitar, cavities and all, with the exception of the fretboard. Yep, they look pretty good!
After the ritual oiling, we retired to the bar next door to await the professor, Eki, and his band perform downstairs at the El Mocambo.
The band was excellent. Eki in fine bass form, Alejandra of the previous evening’s fame, local guitar player Jose (pretty damn good Stevie Ray Vaughan style blues-rock player) and ‘Barry the tub thumper’ (well, that’s not his name, but he played the drums).
Two great sets! I was requested to sing the now famous ‘Hierbas Blues’ where the lyrics change every time, but you can get the general idea . . .
Martin and Roland also performed two great cameo guitar appearances with the band.
We drank (Hierbas of course) and sang till 5am, with a final nightcap in the bar as it closed.
We were back home in bed by 6.30am. The alarm went off at 8.30am.
I’ve had better mornings . . .
Back to the office now . . .
Mas tardes!
