Kirkster's Whacky World

Spud Vision...

2012-01-21T07:37:00.000-05:00

My son created a potato Luke Skywalker for a book project. We have been debating what to do with him...we came up with an idea. We will film a potato movie with him ...of course being me it will involve voice overs, music and yes the potato will meet an untimely end. May be a week or two before I get the movie finished...but we start "shooting" today.....literally..... it ought to be entertaining to say the least...
My wife says we need to do a bunch of them and start a channel...Spud Vision or Spud Theater or something...idk...but my kids will have fun with it.

Gratitude is built on the grave of entitlement....

2011-12-14T09:53:00.000-05:00

The more I think about this phrase the more I see it applicable in my everyday life. WE as humans are not really greatful creatures. We are selfish monsters who devour everything we get our hands on in the name of pleaseure and civilization. OK not really in all cases...but you get the point. We have a selfish nature and we think about ME ME ME all the time. I want a new phone, a new job, more money, a new car, my kids to do well in life, etc. God points out that we are not entitiled to anything. I is by grace we are given the next breath we breathe. It is by that grace and mercy that we have what we have and are who we are.
A friend of mine recently passed away. In his dying days he was at peace...why? He was dying? No, he was at peace because he was greatful for all God had blessed him with and that he had his trust in God as his savior. He felt blessed...he was humbly dying to self and this world. I see that as a shining example of just how we are supposed to be. He felt not entitled...but blessed because he had been allowed to do the things he did and that really speaks to me. It shows me my faults and selfishness. It causes me to look at my life and say what would God have me do today?

Gratitude is built on the grave of entitilement. It is by grace we live and by grace we recieve all we have. I am greatful for Gods grace and mercy.

Job finally!

2011-12-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

Wife got a job teaching in the next town over. Very suprising as right now there are only about 40 or so teaching positions outside of the Atl area....statewide...and over a 1000 teachers looking for work. Most won't just up and move. We were lucky...this job is 25 min from the house. So Thanksgiving had some special meaning this year.

Grace Church where we attend is having the 8th annual Field by Night http://www.gracechurchga.org Date is Dec 9th at 7pm. Public is welcome...free fun stuff to do.

Have been training some for my Black Belt test...not as much as I like. I need to just do it...but season is so busy. Need to be running more since I have no indurance at the moment. May start that this weekend. Fun stuff...so much to do and no time to do it.

more of the same...

2011-11-10T07:51:00.000-05:00

Wife is up to 14 pounds of weight loss...which is a good thing. She is still trying to find a full time job. Still teaching part time at college and subing at a local school system....idk if that is going to work out. Still praying God will show what he has in store soon.

Encouragement...

2011-09-27T10:44:00.000-04:00

I try to be an encoragement to others. Lately I have found it very hard to do so. I have felt sorta boxed in and overwhelmed. I feel like most folks don't care what I do. Hard to be a smileing chipper person when you feel like a lot of your friends don't even care.
I am trying to encourage me wife. I love her to death. She is trying a new diet plan that decreases calories and for now it seems to be working. She has lost 8 pounds in a little over a week...yeah her! I pray she keeps it up...she is a beautiful woman.
I am praying for my children too. I want a better realationship with my son. He is so much like me it is scarey...which makes it harder..since we know what each other are thinking.
I pray that God will grant me the grace to deal with all the junk life throws at us and that my wife will find a full time job soon.
As always..I will keep my chin up and keep trying to be mr chipper....

Black Powder....

2011-09-13T14:38:00.000-04:00

Love me some black powder. Nothing more fun than an afternoon shooting and you end up only shooting 20 rounds...and making a cloud of smoke that hangs around for 20 minutes. My son loves the smell and smoke.
I got into the discussion with a friend on bp hunting. He thinks it is too much trouble. I think the only trouble is he hasn't tried it! Took my .58 cal TC out yesterday to check it out since hadn't shot it since last year. Yup, 120gr of ffg will definitely get the attention of all close by. If you are not familiar...bp goes off with a roar... Not really a "bang"....way fun!

Atlanta restaurant I just tried...

2011-09-09T21:59:00.000-04:00

Just got back from Atl and got to try out two new resturants. The first was Rathburns steak house. Atmosphere was good. Quiet...we went with a party of about 8. I tried the Ahi pad Thai..nice noodles with a little heat topped with about 10 oz of tuna..rare..lovely and flavorfull. We ordered the habanero rock shrimp for a starter...on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it an 8..very nice.
The next night we went to Sotto Sotto...nice northern style Italian...no red sauce and chicken parm here. Almost like mediteranian style cooking...lotta oil and vinegar. The Taste of Italy thing they do is great. 6 courses and I was so very full. My fav dish of the feast...the raviolli...stuffed with chicken, veal and pork sasauge...served with a fresh sage n butter sauce...yes...I would go back to get some of that stufff....lol
A 9.5 on a 10 scale...a must try!

Jekyll

2011-09-06T13:51:00.000-04:00

Had never been to Jekyll Island Ga. for a vacation. This past weekend we went. We were supposed to go to Panama City Beach..but there was a huge storm in the gulf...so going east was the plan.
We stayed at a modest hotel, ate, beached and generaly had a great time. The reviews of the hotel said if you want to sit on the beach and relax...well that was how it was. Beaches were not very crowded and the weather was wonderful.
Jekyll has a lot going for it..no parties, no loud music, not a lot of distration. I could go there and sit and write music very easily. Two thumbs up.
k

State Swim Meet

2011-07-21T13:25:00.000-04:00

State Swim meet in Tifton this weekend. It will be fun as always. Am excited about seeing friends and talking to them. My son will do his best and have fun. And I will be there to enjoy it with him.... I am blessed.

food..

2011-06-05T19:26:00.001-04:00

Food..comfort food, odd food, spicy food...overall makes you feel good. It begs to be eaten with friends and is the source good conversation. I believe the God gave us the desire to eat with one another so we would learn from one another. I honestly thing if I quit being an IT guy I could be a chef.
I think I will link my blog to my fb and use it to log my foodiverse (world of food I experience). Maybe....well if I do...feel free to comment.

class reunion

2010-03-22T08:51:00.002-04:00

This summer (july 2 and 3 ) we will be having our 25th class reunion for Early County High. It doesn't seem we have been out that long...but we have. WOW..will be good to see folks again. I don't think I have changed that much...little greyer...little less hair. But time marches on. Will be good to see how much folks kids look like them. Share some stories and such. All of us are in our early 40's now.....some have kids out of school...me my two are young...but that's ok.
Anyhows...we shall see how it all pans out.
k

neat video!!!

2010-03-13T10:19:00.003-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
i love this....too cool

Pedal coming to review- The Goose

2010-03-13T09:14:00.004-05:00

Found a pedal on another site that I seem to like the sound of...A drive box called The Goose from Take Flight pedals. They are a company from California that builds custom pedals....and this one is pretty radical. It has a couple of features that make me go hmm! Knobs on front include: volume, blend (to blend wet and dry signal..a major plus), crossover distortion control, a honk knob...which is an octave up like an octavior(can you say neat!)...and a mode control for 6 different modes of drive...(don' think i can use em all but a couple sounded neat on demo video). It also has an funky knob on the side...makes all kinda noises. Sounds like a fun pedal to say the least...
So I contacted them and they are sending one to demo...watch for it here and possibly over at www.takeflightpedals.com or www.effectsbay.com...

more later....
K

Taking Stock...

2010-03-02T06:48:00.005-05:00

Have been doing a lot of thinking. Taking stock in what really matters I guess. Your family, your friends, you life. How many times have you seen someone who doesn't say there is something wrong, but you feel it? How many times would a pat on the back or a hug make so much a difference? How many times have you needed it and it just wasn't there? How many times have you smiled and it made someones day? How many times has just being you or them being them made all the difference. What about a stupid one liner doing more good than a pound of medicine?

This week is my 15th anniversary. I would not trade my wife for the world....although she says I probably want a new model sometimes to replace the one I have. I tell her no. I love her and my kids with all my heart. We met a long time ago...then married a long time later...now it has been even longer. Try 25 years...

Next week is my 43rd birthday. I don't really feel any different than I did last year, or ten years ago in some ways. I thank God for my health and the ability get going every day. Hope can get together with some friends over a meal soon and talk about old times or something...maybe that is what you do when you get older. Maybe the things you say matter more or maybe less. Maybe you say them so you won't forget. As a line in a song I like says it is like a box of souvenirs if only to prove you were there....maybe someone will remember and hold onto that memory for another time to pull it out and dust off to remind everyone of how much they mean.

I also thank God for my friends. Some are better friends than others, but they still all mean a lot to me. I relish the times when we have done things and sat around drinking coffee cutting up. Those are the things memories are made of. I may not say what needs to be said all the time, sometimes I say too much. I sometimes let words get in the way and emotions spill all over the floor like milk. Sorry for my indiscretions and over sites. I pray that God will use me in my friends lives to uplift them when they need it. Maybe I think too much....I don't know. I just know that there are friends I haven't seen or heard from, friends I miss, friends I've wronged...and I wish I could do more to fix, love and comfort.

Twenty years from now what will we look back and see. I don't know. Scares me to think about it. But I hope my love for my family, friends and God will keep me glued together.
Just the early morning rambling of an old geezer I guess. :)

Reading comp. podcast

2009-12-01T15:19:00.004-05:00

karate...more than just something to do.

2009-08-18T09:22:00.002-04:00

Those who know me know I enjoy karate. Shotokan to be exact. I enjoy the physical exercise, camaraderie among participants and general sense of well being that it promotes. But there is more to it than that. There is a mental and almost spiritual component to it. You are able to check your mental cares at the door and relax for an hour or more. We all need that downtime. Without some sort of mental/meditative relaxation your mind gets all confounded. Karate is physical yes, but you concentrate on it much like you would reading, crossword puzzles or other things that challenge the mind. You mentally and physically fight with your body and mind to conform them into what you are trying to do. I didn't get this as a Yellow or Orange belt. Only after returning to karate after a three or four year absence did I finally as a Green belt begin to understand just how relaxing it can be.

Dojo Kun:
Seek Perfection of Character
Be Faithful
Endeavour
Respect Others
Refrain from Violent Behavior

After my last belt test I had to do a very introspective look. I failed to execute my Kata perfectly and was only awarded a half kyu...I was grateful for the half kyu, but saddened by the fact I did not achieve my goal. Then after class the next week, while I was still rather despondent about it, I began to think on the principals of karate. My mistake cost me a half kyu, but has caused me to seek to enjoy the journey more. I must seek to perfect my technique, myself and all the other things that karate strives to teach. Yes it will take me a little while longer reach my goal of black belt, but I am thankful I am a brown belt who has learn a few lessons about life and karate all from a few mistakes.
What breaks you makes you stronger.
k

Love in any Language.

2009-08-17T14:41:00.003-04:00

I know I don't say it as often as I need to to those whom I love. I love you is just three words, but sincerely it means the world. I wish there was an easier way to convey it...but sometimes the words just get in the way. We say those three words time and time again. Our society has worn them out in song and poem. A lot of the time it is like you just say it...like you would "hello" or "goodbye". Say it today and follow it up with more than just a word...you may not have tomorrow to say it again.
I was just pondering that today. Guess I just wanted those who know that I love them as friends and family that you do mean more to me than just three little words.
The Bible points out that no great love has a man for another than if he would lay down his life for that person. Not saying we need to step in the way of a speeding bullet, but we need to give of ourselves in a way that is not self serving. Loving your neighbor as yourself is also pointed out...how can you not love yourself...love your neighbor that deep. Even moreso we love our friends and family...I hope to be able to convey that this week in some way. By doing these things we show that we love God even more....He loved us first.
K

Micheal Jackson

2009-07-09T07:19:00.003-04:00

I am sick of hearing about MJ. Sorry for you MJ fans, but enough is enough. Same as when Elvis died...I don't want to hear about it for a month. Yeah he was a good performer in his day, but I can't honestly say he did anything in the last 10 years that I could even put my finger on. One guy they interviewed was saying he was the best performer in history. Another said things would never be the same. Am disagreeing with the best performer...there is no best performer. Each age has them. In the 1980's his videos and music were ground breaking..but the industry has changed now. Heck MTV doesnt show very many videos anymore...they ought to change the name to RTV...they show more reality shows than anything else. Any who wants to watch washed up music stars try to find love anyway. Todays music industry WOULD NOT allow someone like MJ to ever get where he was...to much corporate control and cookie cutter logic. Things won't be the same. So many folks who are on the radio just don't have talent. And don't forget...I am a musician so you without talent...you don't fool me. You have a gimmic. Kids now adays don't know music. What is passed to them in a lot of cases has no soul...ten years from now most of the big groups will be nothing....songs will be forgotten. But at least in the past it was music with melody...todays stuff is so beatbox. I am just not looking forward to most of what will come out of my radio.
Sorry MJ...you were good in your day..but RIP and lets move on with life.
In case your intersted...I listen to more folk and Christian music nowadays, along with old stuff. I don't think my radio has moved off of talk radio in months.

PETA bugs me!

2009-06-18T07:27:00.003-04:00

Ok, lets just say that I understand the PETA likes the current administration somewhat since they are very liberal, whacko and just plan out of touch with reality. There is a difference between someone who likes animals and someone who thinks that we should leave every living animal alone and eat tofu. The lastest with PETA and Pres. Obama is hillarious! The President was doing and interview and swatting and killed a fly..he was amazed he killed it. PETA says they didn't agree with that and know he's not perfect..so they will send him a fly catcher to catch and release them from now on. Wait a minute! If they want to catch and realease..what about the fleas my cats bring in? Is it wrong for me to put flea stuff on the cats to keep the fleas off of the cats? Don't the cats have rights? Is it wrong for my cats to scatch the fleas? I mean it's not like the fleas are going to protest..the cats do though. Every time I come looking for them with flea spray or for a bath they protest. So we ought to file a complaint with the national headquarters of fleas that they must stay off of my cats, since they have rights and don't wish to be bit, bathed or sprayed.
Like I said, there are whackos out there that don't understand. Animals, insects and such are just that...I treat them fairly and love mine dearly. Others I love also...right by the meat and potatoes! And I am not sharing my steak with a fly.

Kata Kata everywhere...

2009-06-07T21:28:00.003-04:00

Am currently working on my newest kata for karate belt test....Bassai Dai. Very challenging....to say the least. This is the first Shotokan kata that does not start with a standing, stationary move..so to speak. You move dynamically and storm the oponent in the first move. It also picks up pieces of several other kata that I have already learned. You just have to remember you are not doing them..but a new kata. Anyhows...enjoy the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8I4Q-nNvAY
k

people .....

2009-04-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

People are funny, strange and often quite confusing. In 15 minutes today the SAME person made me want to laugh, cry and slap the crap out of them. I don't think I am being moody...but it drives me crazy.
I honestly want to go hide sometimes. Some folks ask you the same question three ways to get you to slip up and have some thing you said to use against you. Alterior motives just puzzle me...since I generally don't play games.

"Lord give me the strength to make it through the day and not lose my cool."

in the mood for spicy food...

2009-04-14T09:44:00.002-04:00

I have been on a spicy food kick lately. Don't know why. Have always loved hot and spicy food and am finding myself enjoying it more and more. It makes you feel "lively". My guess is that it encourages circulation and other good things.
Got hold of some Kettle Cooked XXX Habinaro chips the other day that were awesome. Not a chip for the faint of heart either. Not a chip to just sit down and eat with a coke...you gotta have food to appreciate it. The heat is way intense, with good flavor. Add a sandwich on top of it and you have a wonderful combination. Without food the heat gets to the point of numbing your taste buds. Habianros have a tendency to do that, which is why my favorite pepper is the scotch bonnet...in the same family but with less heat and more of a chili flavor.
So I am off to find more great heat.....you might hear about it here!
k

Date Night 3

2009-04-03T07:48:00.002-04:00

We are gearing up for Date Night 3 on May 9th at the Grace Church Gym. Semaritan Counciling is sponsoring this marriage semenar for couples again...don't know the time, but you can watch for it to be posted later or call the church office at 229-243-0532...they should have details.
Set list will be fun..desserts should be good too.. watch for it to be posted on www.gracechurchga.org and come if you can.
Kirk

Strong City...something weak there.

2009-01-19T09:50:00.003-05:00

Last night I saw a documentary on the DOC channel that sent shivers up and down my spin. Most of you who know me, know that I have an unapologetic Christian and fairly knowledgeble about biblical thing.
The documentary was on the Strong City cult... http://www.strongcity.info
They are led by Micheal..aka Wayne Bent. He has his followers believing he is the Messiah...which upon watching and listening to him is hard to believe. Members of this organization need to look at what he is and has done....not even considering the criminal charges against him.
1. He predicted the date of judgement and the end of the world... The bible plainly states Christ said "only the father knows"... The book of Revelation does NOT have Christ/Messaiah coming to earth...telling the date...and them fullfiling it. Strike one!
2. Christ lived a perfect life...the Messiah was to come from a Virgin...and born... already happened... No new Messiah will come and stay on earth....look at Revelation. Strike two!
3. Christ came to fullfill the law, which he did....if he returned...he would not break it. Micheal has under "direction" of the father broken biblical laws (adultry, covetry, and a host of others). Christ/Messiah would not do such a thing. Strike three!

In watching Micheal on the video he was almost constantly in a near hypnotic state...almost like he was drugged...when speaking he was TOO calm. In listenting to the followers: they seem to throw all reason out the door concerning anything Micheal says.
Paul stated that we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Test our faith and try it against scripture....prove it correct. There is nothing in the bible to support a number of the teaching, actions and suppositions that Micheal makes.

I urge anyone who wants to see what a cult looks like to view this video. It is very disturbing to see so deep into a organization that controls people in such a way, playing upon their need for salvation. Know what you believe....folks like this may knock on your door promising peace, love and community. Do not be fooled. I pray for their members that they may see God's love...not this false presentation.
just my .02
k

wow..time flys

2008-12-23T20:02:00.000-05:00

The year is about gone and I am not ready for that. Wally world is a maddhouse. I am glad I have not had to go there for much.
Did score a new (old) muzzle loaded for me (yeah!). Am looking forward to food,music and fun.
Playing @ church Christmas eve..doing some picking with my buds. I will be playing my Martin tune in open C.
Will post pics later...
Merry Christmas

date nite 2

2008-11-03T19:38:00.003-05:00

Wow doesn't seem like very long since my last post...but it has been. We did the date nite conference last weekend. Chris Beam pulled it all together. We played...had fun...then he spoke and tied it all together.
Since I was in the band...here is the set list.
Rosanna
Carry on Wayward Son
Then we played "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" with the songs:
I Can't Fight this Feelin
Hold on Loosely
Good Times (Chic version)
Home
Word Up

Followed by:
Why Can't this be Love? (VanHalen)
Take Me There
So Small
Say (What you need to Say)

Bunch of fun songs with a great message form Chris.

Can't wait for the next one....maybe I can snag some pics to post.
k

It's Saturday...

2008-10-04T08:29:00.002-04:00

And I will be going to work for a while...fun. Then coming home to work..fun. But after that is done I plan to find SOMETHING to put on the grill this evening. I believe I have some smoke chops in the freezer.

On another note. Wife is the drama teacher at the high school. They are doing a version of To Kill A Mocking Bird for one act. Interesting play. I have seen it several times, see the movie, read the book, etc. A lot of folks who see the play are fixated on the race issue in it. They lose the fact that Atticus is teaching his kids that the folks who are looked down apon because of age, economic situations, mental handicap, etc....all thoughout the play.....are not to be looked down apon because they have so much to offer. I hope the kids involved in this play and those who watch it pick up on that fact. We all have something to contriute...everyone is special in some way. Just my two cents in this crazy mixed up world we live in.

k

kansas

2008-09-08T07:15:00.002-04:00

Am playing with a group doing a conference and one of the songs we are doing is "wayward son" by kansas. Kerry Levgrin is a neat guitarist. The solos and structure of this song are very well crafted. Got the first of 4 solos in and a bridge run learned yesterday. Plan to learn the second one tonight. Figured out the best way: Audacity has the ability to solo a solo down without changing pitch so you can play it and hear what is going on.

On another note: found a neat mod to do to my 18 watt...a power reduction switch. Should help me drop the power down to like 9, then 4 watts. Much better for practice although 4 watts is still pretty loud. Those who say no have never spent any time with my 1.5 watt Firefly..it will make your ears ring.
k

Labor day weekend

2008-09-02T22:54:00.002-04:00

Labor day weekend was fun. Took the wife and kids to the Bay Point Marriott in Panama City Fl.
Much fun and food was had by all. Wife did the spa thingy. I got her an appointment and she had a wonderful time.
It's not about the trip...it's all about them. I love my family. I am proud of my wife and kids. I don't know how I could go on without them and being able to spend a weekend away was very rewarding.
I just want my wife to know she is the love of my life and means everything to me. Love you honey!
We have been married 13 wonderful years and I look forward to many more.
I love my kids too...of course, but I know that without us loving each other and making the commitment to each other our kids would be missing something that they truly need...a family.
I see so many others struggling to stay together. I see what a busted marriage, affairs, distrust and lying can do to kids and a marriage. I pray that the good Lord will hold us and keep us from ever giving up on each other, or giving in to this world.
I love you Di and don't you ever forget it.
K

Headed to Hiltonhead...

2008-08-26T07:07:00.003-04:00

Going to a conference in Hiltonhead...hope there is some nice music around to listen to. Have been thinking of getting a Travel Guitar..yes the ones that are branded "Travel Guitar". Something to take on the road. I really need to practice the solos out of "Wayward Son" by Kansas...got to get them learned.

new speaker to try with amps

2008-08-21T15:45:00.002-04:00

I picked up a Judy Box amps "BadBetty" 30watt 8 ohm speaker to try. They were parted out of some amps that had problems, so it is New In Box. The BB is a 92.5db rated speaker, so it is quieter than the 100db Veteran 30 from Warehouse Guitar Speakers or the 95db Celestion G12L-40H that is in my little cab now. According the Judy Box and the frequecy graf they have on their site, it has better lows and highs than the Celestion, but at a lower volume. The Celestion sounds good, but the lows are lacking and the highs are brittle..so we will see how this one stacks up against it.
(Try the search bar below and go look at the Judy Box amps, nice amps for the money...I think it will find them...Google ususaly does).
Let you know how it sounds.
Kirk

18 watt post 17

2008-08-12T17:16:00.002-04:00

Hope I got the number right. Went to Home Depot yesterday and got a 10 foot 10" white pine board. Very tight grain, so it should do nicely. Will work on cutting and joining it this weekend, if not before.
Keep you posted.
k

Caffine...my brain is just slow

2008-08-04T09:58:00.001-04:00

I am still struggling with the caffine thing. Not that I want it, gotta have it, etc....my brain just seems to be running slower. I play music as you know, and on sundays fast decisions when playing often are a struggle...remembering lead lines, etc...
I sit and think..."what was his name?" and get no answer from the terrabyte of storage between my ears....feels like i have molasses in there. Frustraiting...anyhows...hope it improves. Need more fish oil and ginko i guess...
k

18 watter at church again..more on caffine

2008-07-28T08:10:00.003-04:00

Played the 18 watter at church again...my playing was much better this week. I mounted the 18watt on a board to keep folks from gettins shocked until I get a cab built. Love the sound..big full, even through my cheap cab. Now through the Vet 30 in my other cab...big mojo going on. The Celestion g12L-40H is a cheap speaker...less lows, smaller magnet...less db. All that is well and good for the church gig. If I play live somewhere else...use other cab.

Am going to Home Depot today to get boards to start on the cab with. Hope to work on it one night this week. Would love to get it cut out, finger jointed and then drilled this week. Then I can at least mount it in the box to use will I can work on it again. I would then do the stays to hold the front and back, then cut the front and back out and start working on the inlay for the front. Have a place to get faceplate material...so I need to go by there and get it and drill and mount it. Plan to get it engraved too. We shall see. May just get wood and do face plate first...
This is going to take a few weeks.

Still holdin out on no or low caffine...energy levels are ok...still not up to par yet...
k

school is almost here

2008-07-25T10:56:00.002-04:00

My son is not looking forward to school starting....my 4 yr old is. My wife is ready so she can have a routine. I am ready, so things will settle down...
fun I guess.
Hope to grill tonight....swim a little and relax. Has been a long week.
Did get to see RUSH tuesday night in Atlanta...was a great show as always.
Playing the 18 watt again Sunday. May build a scratch cab to put it in until I can build a proper one...just don't want to get shocked or break the amp in the mean time.
kirk

18 watter at church...caffine again...

2008-07-21T07:07:00.003-04:00

Amp did well at church. Sound was nice, my playing was off....had a brain lapse in the middle of one song and had to rethink what I was doing completely= not fun.
My mind is not thinking as fast on it's feet right now. Wonder how long it will be before my brain gets back up to speed? I hope soon. I have to be able to think to play.
Will be working on the cab later in the week...need something to put it in. Don't really want some kid going over there and shocking himself on all the DC voltage running around in there.

no caffine day 8 and the 18watt goes to church

2008-07-20T07:09:00.002-04:00

Today is 8th day of no or low caffine. I feel fine. Am very relaxed...still. Still get tired easier than I did before, but I supposed that will change in time. Honestly, it is like my mind is in relax mode all the time. My only concerns are how I will handle stress, whether I will gain weight.

On another note. Fender is acting up and in shop..so the 18 watt get a call a few weeks early. Now I have to get the cab for it finished pronto. May build a scratch cab for it so I can safely play it and then build a better one later...we shall see.
k

Caffine......

2008-07-17T07:16:00.002-04:00

I have been for many years...at least 20 years...a serious coffee hound. I all started when I was in college. Working evenings, nights and weekends at the radio station. The diner at college always had coffee on too. I graduated and went to work...they always had coffee. I was consuming 6 to 10 cups a day...sometimes more. Funny thing though. I could go home and just go to sleep. It takes 4 or five cups back to back for me to feel the caffine. Since I was just constantly sipping on it I never really reached a buzz most of the time..but my body was taking count, it liked it.
Enter 2007. In 2007 I began to notice my ears were ringing a lot. Low rumbles. I have always had, at least as long as I can remember, some tinitus. Too much music, guns and weedeaters growing up I guess. Not too bad though, not distracting. I began looking for reasons. I tried ginko this year for a few months, it helped some. Then I was reading....caffine can cause ringing, not a good thing...I love coffee.
So I tried reducing my caffine for a couple days to just morning coffee...maybe a little at night. End of day my ringing would subside some, then after morning coffee...it would increase a little. It still was there very prominatly. I decided I would bite the bullet and try going off caffine for at least a month or so...almost completely.
Do you know how hard that is? Coffee is everywhere. Coke is everywhere. Black tea is everywhere. I have had to readjust my whole thinking.
I took a one cup coffee maker to the office. Am now making one cup of decafe at a time. Am also drinking a cup or two of green tea during the day...yeah it has 40 mg of caffine in a cup, but I consider that acceptable, since the tea lasts for a long time..you can't chug it like I do coffee. It would make you nausiated. I drink it unsweet too. (my coffee is always black by the way).
What has happened? Well for the first day I was ok, a little tired. Monday I was friggin exausted all day. Tuesday was a little better. Wednesday I could still feel it.
What am I feeling. It's like my whold body achs....is tired. It just wants to go to sleep. Addiction withdrawal. Not fun, but not bad IF I can keep going. Is like I am on the edge of fatiegue. My mind is the biggest thing. I am not trying to wax philosophically, but my mind feels different.
I feel mellow. It's like before I couldn't wait to just jump into a conversation. My mind would race at things to think about as I constantly ran into situations. At the moment it as if my mind is trying to take in all the scenery it has missed for the last 100 years. My skin feels different...or at least my tacktile senses do. Have not eatin any multi contextural food...ie complex flavors, so I do not know how this has effected my taste buds. I suppose until the caffine withdrawal finish everything maybe effected. Will it change back? I can't say. It is almost like I have read drug addicts talk about how on cocaine, speed or what have you...everything feels different. Since I have been on HEAVY caffine for the last 20 years...I guess I don't remember what it feels like to NOT have caffine effecting my nerves. I feel calmer. I feel not so relaxed right now, but I can feel it easing. Will post again in a few days.
Decafe coffee is like drinking coffee without something. I know it isn't there, and it does taste slightly different...I still like it though..just have to find some good stuff or mix it half and half to get some more flavor.
Eventually I guess I will be able to stand a cup of regular in the morning or when ever...but I don't think I will ever be back on the coffee barge...why.
Over the last 5 days the ringing in my ears has changed pitch. NO more low rumble, less high hiss. Hope it continue to subside. We shall see. More later.
k

18 watt post 16

2008-07-13T23:12:00.002-04:00

Took the 18 watt to praise band practice tonight. Worked very well. Hooked up my dd3 delay and a DS1 distortion to use as a boost.. (no drive). Was able to control the drive and tone of the amp by the guitar vol controls. Roll it off...it cleans up, cut it back up and it drives like crazy. Nice....exactly what i wanted. And very touch responsive.
Working on the head cab now. Hope to have it done in a couple weeks.
Will keep ya posted.
Kirk

18 Watt Post 15

2008-07-11T23:10:00.003-04:00

I rewired front end of the Lite IIb tonight. Coax is a little more microphonic than I like, but it is quite. NO VZZZT... so I will leave as is for now...until I come across a piece of shielded wire that I find suitable.

Here is a pic of the chassis front..there is a post Phase Inverter Master Volume, a tone, and a Volume. (have almost convinced myself to remove the MV.)

Sounds nice....no noise...
Have a A/B switch on order from Musicians Friend. I need it to use with this amp. The low gain channel had a ton of tone and crunch. But roll the guitar vol to 7 and it clean right up. The High gain channel has a lot more pop to it. So, with the A/B box, I can have a clean, crunch and Lead gain...without doing much. Yeah, I know a lot of folks would say use one channel or the other, or use a Tube Screamer...but the amp has it, and has the tone...so I don't want it to go to waste. Will be playing this one live soon...getting boards tomorrow to work on cab.
k

18 Watt post 14

2008-07-10T10:10:00.003-04:00

Well, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I noticed that the low gain channel has a little bit of buzz in it, so I have decided to rewire the input section again. I went and got some smaller shielded coax..was orginally done with a piece of guitar cable...which is very bulky. We shall see how this comes out. I think the noise is from the fact the cabling i used before is stranded and is under some strain with the solder joint being unsupported..so every time I poke it, it crackles..or when is vibrated by music...does same..albet very faintly..still I want it gone.
Will see how it goes.
Let you know.
kirk

18 watt post 13

2008-07-07T07:11:00.002-04:00

I got rid of the noise. Took me a couple days of poking around, but I got it. I reflowed the solder on the board. Didn't fix it. I reflowed the input jacks and that didn't fix it. I went and got a chopstick and started poking...found it. The wire going from the input jack to the first preamp tube for the high gain channel was not soldered well...it went zzzzz when i pushed on it. I unsoldered and resoldered the wire and now it sounds ever better than before, more gain and better highs.
Now, back to chopsticking. Why use a chopstick or other similar object? Electricity kills. The voltages in the amp I have been building are over 300v dc...more than enough to kill you. Don't think about using a pencil either...graphite in pencil lead is a conductor of electricity. Chopsticks, wooden dowels, a plasitc rod...anything that won't conduct will work.
Have karate tonight. When I get back I plan to record the amp and post the clip and some new photos.
k

18 watt post 12

2008-07-04T18:29:00.002-04:00

I could not stand it. I got up this morning and went over the layout in about 15 min. and made sure my ei's were dotted and my tee's were crossed. Went and got my mimi mass (attinuator/dummy load)...flipped the 18 watter upside down and plugged ac power and the MM in. NO tubes-flipped the switch. Measured AC and heater voltages...350 vac to the rect pins (yeah thats high, but no load form tube heaters)...checked heaters on all sockets..hmmm..looks good so far. Popped in the EZ81 rectifyer tube...Voltages to the PT and pretube sockets look good. Put in the el84s...still looks good. Put in the pres...all voltages look good!
Hooked up a speaker and with no guitar...cut the vol up...a little faint ac humm...ok, good so far...plugged in a guitar... 1/2 up..jangle jangle...I'm liken it!....wide open.....HOLY COW!
I started playing "ALL RIGHT NOW" ...and the tone was so there...backed the vol off and it just purrs...OH YEAH baby...das what I'm talking about. There is a little overring (fuzz after notes)..probably a cold solder joint...will shorten a couple wires and reflow the joints in the morning..but all I got to say is....YES....that is how a Marshall 18 is supposed to sound...at least as far as the internet recording I have heard of them.....BINGO....
I am in narvana right now...(will get back to narvana after I go cook some hotdogs and watch some fireworks...happy 4th all.)....
MORE LATER....with sound clips.
kw

18 watt Post 11

2008-07-03T00:15:00.003-04:00

Cool, got the parts in from AES and finished wiring up the amp tonight....here is what it looks like from the bottom side.

Tomorrow night I will take a copy of the layout and highlighter and go over everything one more time. Friday I plan to test it...hopefully no fireworks. Hope to have a good report on it Friday, maybe even a sound clip.

After it is successfully working and debugged I will begin cabinet construction. Thinking pine, finger joined....with a nice poly finish. I may do something special with the front panel, don't know yet....more on that later.

Bedtime....Later.

Kirk

karate

2008-07-02T07:05:00.002-04:00

I have gotten back in to doing karate again, Shotokan specifically. They have been teaching it out at the college and I could just about kick myself for not getting back into it sooner. It provides a good form of exercise and stress reflief. Have a possible test coming up late July..if I am ready I will test..at present I do not feel properly equipt to handle said test. No matter, since there is a test in November I believe. I am currently at 5th kue. There are 10 kues from white to black. If I stick with it I should, if all goes well, be able to have black by the end of 2010...maybe. If not I will keep trying. Beats going to the YMCA and running on a tread mill.
k

18 watt Post 10

2008-07-01T08:18:00.002-04:00

Got all the wires to all the pots, sockets, switches and jacks completed. Tonight we put in the standoffs and set the board in. Should take about an hour to wire up everything to the board. Before I do that though I plan to zip tie and shrink tube some wires to make it much neater in there. I have been shortening the wires as I have been soldering them. The shorter the wire, the less the noise.
Did order my 2 .01uf (10nf) 400v caps that were missing and a black Ampeg style handle for the cab. We shall see how it all works out....caps should be here by thursday...I am off the 4th...sounds like the 4th is going to be a day for fireworks..hopefully not from the trannys in my amp.
Here also is some non earth shattering news about the amp. Yes it is an 18 watter...but I have to have a name for what I call it. Instead of a Lite IIb....it shall bear a name plate with the name of "Hamlet".... IIb or not IIb...that was the question...what to build ...since I am a Shakespeare fan...and as the question was put in the play....be true to yourself...and have a nice day.
k

18 Watt Post 9

2008-06-30T07:41:00.002-04:00

Did some good work on my 18 watt this weekend. Make a starteling discovery. I read the wrong line on the build on order quantitiy...I ordered 2 10nf poly caps instead of 4...I though I needed 1..no that was the 100nf...so I ordered two to have a backup...but I shoulda ordered 6. Go figure.
No matter...I need a handle for the amp anyways for when I build the cab. Will order the caps and the handle today.
Did get the Output tranny wired to the chassis, the Power tranny wired to the chassis, the board done except for the one cap and all basic wireing done to the sockets. Tonight I will put in the standoffs, wire up the pots, set the board on top and begin wireing in the board. Also need to do the input wires to V1...which won't take long. It ought to take about an hour to do all that.
When I get all the above done I will put it down for the evening. Tuesday I will go back over everything with a layout and a highlighter...make sure all the wires are where they should be.
Then all we need to do is WAIT for the two polys to get here...wire them up and start checking voltages. Hopefully it will be ready for the 4th!
As far as cab designs...I want to finger join some pine. Never done that, so it should be an experience...at least a 16 foot pine board is only 18.00...I can mess up a could times and not go broke...need to get me some faceplate material. Don't know what to use yet....Am thinking...they have some copper strips for use with gutters on houses....I could do it out of that and then poly spray it to keep it from turning...have it engraved/stamped and backfill...just a thought...
any ideas? shoot me a line... kirkwhitaker at yahoo.com
k

18 watt Post 8

2008-06-24T16:41:00.004-04:00

Back after a few days am I! Talk like Yoda I can!
Wire from ApexJr came in today (600v teflon wire- 5 different colors). Last night after karate I went and finally drilled and turreted the board for my 18 watt. Tonight I plan to populate the board and I have wire, so I might even mount the tranys, hook up the heater wires and mount the standoffs...who knows...it all depends on how froggy I feel at the time. Above all...we are making progress. It looks more and more like an amp every time I fool with it.
May get Steveo to help...He and Becky are coming over and we gonna get our grill on....hope to have some pics tomorrow of something amp looking.
more later....
kirk

Firefly Modifications

2008-06-23T07:04:00.002-04:00

One mod I wanted to do to the FireFly (1.5 watt amp I built) was to put a bright switch on it. The board I used had a place for the mod so when I was ordering stuff for my 18 watt build I order a 120pf and 220pf mica cap. I went to radio shack and got a three way (on off on) and wired it up. Seems to have helped some with high end..we shall see...didn't have a lot of time to fool with it yesterday...but i will this week.
Having the swim meet this weekend didn't allow me to work on the 18 watt any..so I plan to start back on that tonight or tomorrow night. Am working on the board now...wire is on the way. Should be ready to see if it will make noise by next weekend.
We shall see.

18 watt post 7

2008-06-17T23:08:00.002-04:00

Got the layout drawn tonight, hope it works, will drill and turret the board tomorrow.
Put the grommets on the chassis, along with the tube sockets. I beginning to LOOK like an amp. I even stuck a coupel tubes in it to see how it looked....pretty spiffy.
Hope to have board turreted tomorrow and begin populating it. Still no wire...need to get on that asap. But if I can get the other components on the board by Saturday i will feel like I have accomplished something this week. Next week I should be able to solder in the wires and go through Paul Ruby of Ruby amps startup guide.
Ruby's start up guide is a MUST. It walks you through measuring voltages and such as you add sections to the amp. It basically keeps you from frying the amp. Good stuff...google it.

18 watt Post 6

2008-06-16T20:48:00.003-04:00

My kingdom for some tape!! I have a daughter (3) who loves tape. If she finds a roll...it's a goner.
And now my problem..I have all my parts sans wire, to build my 18 watter. I need to lay out the board so I can mark it and drill holes for the turrets. The plan was to tape components to the board as I work across it, mark it and remove them. But, thanks to my daughter I have no tape. Found what was left of the last of it in her room. The tape was wrapped around several barbie dolls and dora dolls...so tomorrow I shall purchase some more take and tomorrow evening lay it out. I did manage to put the IEC power module, pots, and neon power indicator light on the chassis, finger tight. Need some small bolts, nuts and washers to put the tube sockets onto the chassis...will pick those up tomorrow at lunch from Home Depot...I am sure they have Scotch tape too...if not, Wally World is next door. So much for getting a lot done, but I got a little done. Each step is one step closer. Board is the big hurdle, once I get it done it will only be a matter of an hour or so of work. Will order wire tomorrow, ApexJr doesn't have an online purchase system...have to call.
k

Only in Bainbridge I guess.....

2008-06-16T13:17:00.001-04:00

Man hits moving train....
http://bainbridgega.com/news/publish/061408train.shtml

18 watt Post 5

2008-06-14T08:12:00.003-04:00

Ordering wire today. Have pretty much everything else wrapped up as far as coming. May pick up another amp handle from somewhere. Have a cheap one...but we ain't to cab building yet. Deburred the chassis, got some screws for the standoffs and lock washers to go with them. Did forget to order hole covers for the 6v6 holes. Don't know if I will, I might just play the amp like it is for a while, and then order some 8 pin sockets and put in a differenct tail resistor and cathode bias resistor ( I think that is the two i change out)...and be able to use both el84s and 6v6s in the amp..not at the same time though).
6V6's have a mellower sound, about the same power, less chimey. If i think the amp is too bright...might be a good option. Have heard some 6v6 Lite IIb's on the web, some sound good, some don't. But that is the same with el84 versions too...you sometimes have to tweek them to get them to do what you want by changing values of resistors and caps...remember i am new at this, so i will probably screw it up once or twice.
Enough of that....have a great day.
k

18 watt post 4

2008-06-11T07:56:00.003-04:00

Today I go to Home Depot. I plan to get a deburring tool, some screws, lock washers. some other misc. stuff. Since I don't have a board mask or drill plan, I think I will go ahead and order my stuff from Mouser and Antique Audio so I can lay the caps (bigger pieces) on the board to get an idea of how much space to leave.
I need the deburring tool to clean up some of the edges on my chassis...they are pretty sharp and i really have no desire to get a cut.
More later.

18 Watt Post 3

2008-06-09T17:36:00.004-04:00

Postman came today and brought me a box of goodies! What came in today you ask?
Board material, turret lugs, spst switches for power and standby, standoffs, washers, ground rings, chicken head knobs (my favorite), rubber grommets, a turret staking tool, an impedance selector switch. switchcraft jacks for input and speakers. Well I felt like a kid in a candy store.
Will work on drawing off a board mask so i can drill and stake the turrets next weekend. Will post pics when i get it done. Once completed I will order my other board componentes and wire.
Watch for board pics soon.
kw

Swimming...just keep swiming

2008-06-08T07:11:00.002-04:00

Sorry no post last couple days. We had a swim meet here in Bainbridge at the City Pool. I am still exhausted. What started out nice, turned very sour. Our computer went bonkers and deleted a whole team. So we had to manually add them back. Fun, except that on the computer the people order didn't match the heat sheets and everything had to be manually checked. We got through it, made some mistakes and had to fix them, but we survived. This was the first time I have ever done a meet by myself, I hope the next one goes smoother or I won't have any hair left.

Waiting on board parts for the 18 watter...hopefully the little brown sata will come see me soon.

about some new sites i put links to.

2008-06-05T07:16:00.002-04:00

I just placed links for three new sites in my sites I like area.

www.ax84.com is a great how to forum for amp building. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks over there. My first amp was a FireFly designed by one of the guys over there. The P1 or P1ex are both great amps to start building with.

www.18watt.com is a forum for building the 18watt marshall amp and its derivitives. There are also some sister forums for Push/Pull amp and Single ended amps...again a lot of nice folks who know a lot about building amps.

www.gracechurchga.org is the church I attend and the praise band I play guitar and mandolin for. We are in Bainbridge Ga...find yourself in the area, drop in on Sunday at 10:30...

that's about it for now.....
k

18 watter post 2

2008-06-04T19:45:00.004-04:00

Here is my 18 watt Lite IIb chassis with the transformers sitting on top of it as they will be later bolted down. Later tonight I plan to go online and order my board, turrets, standoffs and an impedance selector switch from a vendor. I will then begin building my board. Once completed I will order the electronic parts to populate the board with. Thanks to Dockery amps for the prompt service.

Watch for pics of the board as I get it started. My hopes are that documenting all this will possibly help someone else who is thinking about or doing the same thing.

Have a great evening.

june is here and i can't believe it

2008-06-03T07:12:00.002-04:00

It just doesn't seem right for June to be here already. Could someone please make the year slow down...I don't want to start Christmas shopping yet!
Seriously though, it does seem to fly by. My grandma is turning 93 on the 11th. Thad turn 8 in July. Christie turn 4 in August...that just don't seem right.

Parents are down now keeping the kids while Di does summer school. Dad is building a new swingset for the kids. All wood and very heavy...don't think Thad can flip it.

Still waiting on tranny number two so i can figure out the dimensions of fiberglass board to order for my 18 watter....(see post 1 on the 18 watter). Hope it comes in today and I can place my order for board, turrets and standoffs. We shall see what the postman brings.

Grill and Chillin...

2008-05-31T20:00:00.002-04:00

I'll tell you, I am suffering right now. Steveo and becklita came over for diner and swimming with the kids. Steve brought some Cubanell peppers (long big sweet peppers). We proceeded to brown up some hamburger mixed with jalepeno peppers, onions, tomatoes and seasonings...mixed with some cheese and stuffed into the peppers...oh my goodness. We put those on the grill for about 20 min. and then proceeded to hurt ourselves consuming them.
Food network ain't got nothing on us...at least for this time.
Grilling is good,
Grilling fun,
but right now I don't think I could eat another one!
(oh, excuse me...there are none left.)

Me thinks I shall sleep well...kids are loosing it too after three hours of swimming. Ain't summer fun!
k

18 watter post 1

2008-05-31T11:53:00.003-04:00

About a month ago I was all set up to start building a http://www.ax84.com/ P1 extreme. This amp is basically a Fender Champ on steriods. Power section can be any octal tube..I was planning to do a EL34 in there. I might still build one, but someone mentioned the 18 watt Marshall clone.
What is that you probably ask...Jim Marshall started making a clone of a the Watkins Dominator in 1966 or so and made it till 1968. Marshall then changed the amp to a 20 watter..used solid state rectification and a few other changes. This changed the sound and the amp was nevera as popular as the 18 watter...otherwise known as a 1974X. It competed with the VOX AC15. Main difference in the two is the Vox has an EF86 in v1 position, where the 1974X has a ecc83 (12ax7).

I listened to the sounds of this amp and decided it was cool. It is just big enough to play at church. My current amp is a 40 watt Fender and it is a little too big for most of the playing I do. I may not end up using this amp at church, but it will be fun to build a piece of history. Transformers and the chassis is on the way. Will post pics and detail step two when they arrive.
k

Lets get started!

2008-05-31T08:25:00.000-04:00

Ok, here is my initial post...and I will tell a little about myself. I am just a computer guy with a wife and two kids. But I have a crazy life. I seem to be pulled in so man directions sometime I feel like stretcharmstrong (you remember those?).
I enjoy building things, playing and recording music and grilling out.... among other things. Over the last year I have built two guitar amps and am currently working on number three...an 18watt marshall clone (Lite IIb version). Unlike most folks who says "I want to build that"...I didn't buy a kit. I got a schematic, layout and a material list and started ordering parts. I plan to calendar my exploits here...along with other crazyness.
I also am a USA Swim Stroke and Turn judge (you know the guy at the end of the pool at a swim meet)...so the kids sometimes love me, sometimes hate me....I tell them just to get back in the pool and swim...my son included.
I have a home studio and love music. My wife and I play music in the Grace Church of Bainbridge praise band every Sunday. (why do you think I got started building amps...)
My kids love music too...so maybe oneday we will all sing together...but don't expect us to all dress up the same in polyester suites and dresses like some southern gospel family groups did in the 1970s and 80's (man that was ugly!).
Myother website is http://www.kirkwhitaker.com which i need to update more frequently. When I will post over there and link up here so you can hear. I currenly have about 10 songs written to record...just no time to do it...maybe i need to take a week off and work on it? I would, but have no time.
More later....
k