TVvoodoo's Straplab

[TVvoodoo]

"Chloe, Princess of Sparkleland " is done. Heading to E-town tomorrow.

It's fun, it's girly, but very robust, padded nice, but only 2.5" wide, a Christmas gift to encourage a young lady, who's showing promise at guitar. Now, seeing the pictures, Dad says he might want one for himself, his birthday coming up LOL! Hope he don't want sparkle too, won't refuse him if he do.

One way, or another, I'm gonna getcha-getcha-getcha-getcha

Now dreaming up a modest Black Friday promo. Something to help me make my November magic number so I can keep doing this. At the beginning of the 2022, my wife and I sat down for a family chat. She wondered if I shouldn't be out there gettin' myself a real job. OMG, back to the rat race? NOooooo! So, I promised her, I'd pay a bit more more mind to hitting a semi-respectable sales quota for the year, and much more carefully watch my spends on new materials. Turns out after the quarter three, I've hit nearly every month but two, and two even a tad over, so it's lookin' like I just might make it. May was pretty brutal though, I do need to make up ground on that hot mess

But a strong November/ December will be tantamount. I was thinking of doing something to reward all my forum brothers kind of special, so... watch for a FORUM MEMBERS ONLY Black Friday Promo which will be posted here late tomorrow. Limited time, limited number offer.

If you enjoy watching what I do here, and want to encourage it... or maybe you're on the sidelines thinking about becoming a Well-Hung Guitarist... Black Friday will be a real good time, or any time before the year runs out, really.

Thank you for your considerations! Even if you can't pull a trigger, I do want you to keep watching!
much more fun playing to an appreciative audience, no matter how small.

Happy Thanksgiving, all you Red White and Bluers

 

[TVvoodoo]

Don't know what it is with purple suddenly, but next in line is a custom job for another gift for this showpiece super-dee-duper strat.

I don't know nuthin' about Sully Guitars, but look at all that wood in the background... seems legit!

The brother of the fella who ordered this guitar, is getting a Christmas gift for his blues playin' bro.
At first we talked about tooling something... and his nickname put on the strap. But last night I had a dream about that guitar.
For whatever reason, I dream about guitars quite a lot, actually. Some of you do too, I'll bet. This pic kind of sums up my dream.

Anyway, the brother was kinda like Stevie Ray, had a purple pimpin' fedora with the obligatory leopard spotted hatband, huge white plume hanging off it, you know... a doggone purple satin cape, white leather pants.... the whole show... sort of like Prince on steroids, or maybe Ramo?

So this new stranger pops in at the big blues jam, the stage looks just like that scene from Crossroads, smoky, hot dancing chicks, etc... he struts onstage and pulls out that purple quilt - makes all the purist Claptonite blooz guys in the audience begin to giggle, soon they are laughing hysterically and pointing at him... thinking he looks ridonkulous --- Well, dude straps on that crazy purple superstrat, plugs in, counts the band in and proceeds to blow all the lights out in the room with a truckload of hot nasty blues licks, basically shutting the joint down with steamy shred.

But the thing was, in my dream he was wasn't wearing a plain black strap with white letters.... he was wearing a leopard spotted... obviously to fit that whole pimp vibe. I don't know, sometimes dreams happen for a reason, right? Anyway I ran that idea past the brother this morning, and of course he gave me the go-ahead. How could he not? Boil it all down... "Pimp guitar deserves pimp strap".

Yesterday I affirmed there would be a Well-Hung Black Friday Promo. I can't discount my goods too much, because so much time, materials and cost goes into them. But I don't mind adding a little extra value when I can, so here goes

So, for FORUM MEMBERS ONLY Any/All Reverb purchases or direct here via the forum, the NEXT TEN straps only, I will include a BONUS T-Shirt, (only four sizes available) AND a bonus set of my own proprietary Pro-Pins. PLUS I will still include all the regular swag I normally include in my packages, stickers, picks, and a Well-Hung "octane" rehearsal space Banner. That's quite a package. About an extra $35 worth of stuff. I will entertain offers if you really have to, but be respectful, please.

These tees are pure danger! Attract all kinds of attention from all the wrong ladies. You and I both know you and your wife will love that.

I'll carry this through the weekend, even cyber monday if I have to, but the deal stops at when I sell TEN, or the end of Monday. Not available for custom orders. Deal for Forum brothers only. Let me know in the Reverb messaging that you are a FORUM BROTHER, or PM me here, and we'll work something out.

Have a great thanksgiving weekend!

 

[TVvoodoo]

Took some time off this weekend, I was kind of beat actually, busy week. Friday, I finished up padding, lining, hole punching etc...
on ten hand-tooled rifle slings. These are just examples of what I call "cowboy borders" I also use on many tooled guitar straps I make.
It's kind of fun coming up with new patterns. You see these on a lot of western belts and such.

Speaking of which, it's deer season up here. Last week I heard several shots, a few days. Thought to myself this might be much more common for some of you folks reading, hearing gunshots in the middle of the day, maybe even nothing at all to do with venison. Sure hope not! Always a bit unsettling, but man I love a nice backstrap! Haven't hunted myself for years. Was more into downing winged game when I was younger fella.

This Saturday I'm vending at a local seasonal craft sale... hope I can move a couple of these, maybe pick up a couple of Christmas customs.
Recently tried to open an Etsy store for my slings... only to find out they have gone woke.. and not longer accept new accounts for folks to sell any "gun accessories." The worst part is, they seem to have grandfathered dozens of folks who have gun sling stores shutting me out. I'll probably have to open up a Facebook marketplace or something for these, providing they haven't done the same thing.

Not many people around here know what I'm doing for a living LOL! I used to own the local newspaper, so I was out and about a lot, but managed to sell that off a few years ago (phew!), and have had various odd jobs since then. Sales exec for another newspaper, sign company middle management, auto sales etc.
The bio warfare got me laid off on that, never went back.

Anyway... very little StrapLab work this weekend, but I did get some fresh air /exercise laying up a final cord of pine for my last hungry mouth to feed, a task that doesn't seem to be getting any easier, year after year - 18 years of it now.

My woodshed holds four cords, enough to get me through a Northern Saskatchewan winter, usually with about a quarter of a cord left over, depending on how many and how deep the cold snaps are. Expecting -25 this weekend.... a big worry off my mind stroking this off my list.

This morning, finished something I started last week. Some more detail stitching which I am gradually improving at and a new way for me to help personalize a strap.

This is the custom for that Purple quilt Sully mentioned earlier. Meet the "Pimpin' Jimi" strap, for a fellow who's stage handle is "Busy Jimi" who I'm told is a blues guitarist of some repute, wherever he may be. I'll be finding out soon.

A Christmas gift from his brother who's also ordered a custom for himself which I hope to start this week. Just waiting for some particular leather I hope comes in real soon! Sure would love to see the fellas face when he unboxes this over-the-top pimp strap made for custom purple superstrat

The Black Friday/Holiday Weekend/Cyber Monday offer is still on until the end of the day.
Free Tee with any strap purchase by The Tone Rooms Forum members, plus a set of Pro-Pins too.

Will do it on, or off Reverb. don't matter to me.

 

[TVvoodoo]

Yesterday afternoon was fun. Went to the post office to get the mail... hadn't fired up my SUV for a few days, so it had quite a pile of snow on 'er, so I decided to "go for a rip" down a country road south of town to blow it off. There was a Half-ton driving front of me, about 75 yards up... through the blowing snow I seen something dark fly out of the ditch on the drivers' side, whack right into the side of that rig, rear quarter panel, looked like. I was like "WTF was that?!" Truck just kept a-goin'... didn't even slow down.

Get up a little closer, stopped to look... Turns out some mentally-challenged grouse had decided to commit birdicide, now laying there on the road bleeding and flapping around a little bit. Obviously a goner so I dispatched it, then got an idea and threw it on my floormat to fetch it home. Wasn't like half an hour after I mentioned bird-hunting yesterday afternoon.

Grouse was still warm when I processed it, threw the guts off the back deck for them local cats that keep prowling my bird feeder.
But you know I kept the good stuff. Actually, quite a lot of breast on these things, for how much there is to 'em overall.
They may look smallish here, but this is in a very large frypan. Depending on the camera angle you can make small breasts look
quite a bit larger than they actually are. You see this on Instagram quite a lot.

Needless to say my wife wasn't super-thrilled arriving home from work to my announcement of road-kill for supper... But dang it, dredged in milk and seasoned flour, then repeated... and crispy-fried with my signature veggiefied-rice on the side, even she agreed it ended up being a right tasty meal.

Ok, so now you know some of what fuels me and my creative energies, here's what went down in the StrapLab today. Know the old announcers' warm up? "Red Leather, Yellow Leather?" Years ago when I went to radio school, we learned that. Also "Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry"

Got some of that yellow leather in the mail yesterday, just in time for todays job! This is for Busy Jimi's brother

Looking pretty fast, amiright? Laid out a couple of bright yella stripes on a 3.25" wide padded black leather base, and sewed em on.

Destination for this strap is going to be this monster - Sweet axe, not Micheal Sweet tho, but that'd be pretty cool, right? LOL!
Check those crazy box inlays! I love the clear backplate too... I've done that on one of my guitars once, red springs too.

And not a couple hours later of padding, lining, stitching and hole punching... Voila! Meet "Sweet Racer!"

Gave it a test run. I'll be danged if it didn't speed up my shredpeggios by about 23%. That's the awesome power of a Well-Hung strap.
Still time to get you one for Christmas, or for your brother. Go check the Reverb store!

Hmmmm, finished up a tad early today. Wonder if I should go for a drive and see what's for dinner?

 

[TVvoodoo]

Neil is with an outfit called Pushing Ginger up in E-town, sent in a cool shot of his tribute strat wearing a Well-Hung "Fiori" strap in flip-flop velvet....

Says he: "I've always loved Dave Murray's black Strat (the Paul Kossoff one), but the Fender signature model only has 21 frets... so I picked up this Fender American Performer with 22 frets and then sourced all the appropriate hardware - I’ll be ordering more of your wonderful straps…"
Picked this photo from Reverb-nation... I think this is from before he discovered the benefits of being a Well-Hung guitarist and how it shorten gigs and improves tone

Today on the bench something real buggy -

This is pretty much what it's going to look like, just gettin' the TruCoat now (we put it on at the factory, don'tcha know?), before I pad it out and sew on a lining, probably Friday.
Tomorrow I'm doing something REALLY different!

 

[TVvoodoo]

Moar L8R babes!

 

[WavMixer]

Don't know what it is with purple suddenly, but next in line is a custom job for another gift for this showpiece super-dee-duper strat.

I don't know nuthin' about Sully Guitars, but look at all that wood in the background... seems legit!

The brother of the fella who ordered this guitar, is getting a Christmas gift for his blues playin' bro.
At first we talked about tooling something... and his nickname put on the strap. But last night I had a dream about that guitar.
For whatever reason, I dream about guitars quite a lot, actually. Some of you do too, I'll bet. This pic kind of sums up my dream.

Anyway, the brother was kinda like Stevie Ray, had a purple pimpin' fedora with the obligatory leopard spotted hatband, huge white plume hanging off it, you know... a doggone purple satin cape, white leather pants.... the whole show... sort of like Prince on steroids, or maybe Ramo?

So this new stranger pops in at the big blues jam, the stage looks just like that scene from Crossroads, smoky, hot dancing chicks, etc... he struts onstage and pulls out that purple quilt - makes all the purist Claptonite blooz guys in the audience begin to giggle, soon they are laughing hysterically and pointing at him... thinking he looks ridonkulous --- Well, dude straps on that crazy purple superstrat, plugs in, counts the band in and proceeds to blow all the lights out in the room with a truckload of hot nasty blues licks, basically shutting the joint down with steamy shred.

But the thing was, in my dream he was wasn't wearing a plain black strap with white letters.... he was wearing a leopard spotted... obviously to fit that whole pimp vibe. I don't know, sometimes dreams happen for a reason, right? Anyway I ran that idea past the brother this morning, and of course he gave me the go-ahead. How could he not? Boil it all down... "Pimp guitar deserves pimp strap".

Yesterday I affirmed there would be a Well-Hung Black Friday Promo. I can't discount my goods too much, because so much time, materials and cost goes into them. But I don't mind adding a little extra value when I can, so here goes

So, for FORUM MEMBERS ONLY Any/All Reverb purchases or direct here via the forum, the NEXT TEN straps only, I will include a BONUS T-Shirt, (only four sizes available) AND a bonus set of my own proprietary Pro-Pins. PLUS I will still include all the regular swag I normally include in my packages, stickers, picks, and a Well-Hung "octane" rehearsal space Banner. That's quite a package. About an extra $35 worth of stuff. I will entertain offers if you really have to, but be respectful, please.

These tees are pure danger! Attract all kinds of attention from all the wrong ladies. You and I both know you and your wife will love that.

I'll carry this through the weekend, even cyber monday if I have to, but the deal stops at when I sell TEN, or the end of Monday. Not available for custom orders. Deal for Forum brothers only. Let me know in the Reverb messaging that you are a FORUM BROTHER, or PM me here, and we'll work something out.

Have a great thanksgiving weekend!

I own one of these T shirts and it is very snazzy!

 

[TVvoodoo]

I don't know what it's like in your house, but every damn time I'm not looking, my wife turns the tv onto one of those lame Christmas bake-offs, and I think it has actually begun to brainwash me. The food usually looks barely edible, but the shows are obviously made more much more entertaining by the clashes between the kooky characters pitted against each, kind of like around here.

Ok, lets get that butter all whipped up good and proper, that's the way to a Godly batter. Add the other stuff in, egg, flour, salt, sugar, vanilla extract (The REAL stuff, LOL!), peppermint extract. Mix it up, but not too much. Just enough, careful with that.

At what point does cookie batter, become cookie dough? Somewheres around here.

I don't bake a lot, but do my share of cooking around here. I'm working off a couple shortbread/sugar cookie recipes, my wife's traditional, another off the web sort of combining the two. One calls for egg and baking power, one does not... strange. One calls for confectioners sugar, one calls for granulated. Anyway, I'm just riffin' off both. This isn't rocket science. Fat, flour, sugar and salt - hard to bugger it up really. Tell you young fellas reading this... Gals appreciate a fella who knows his way around the kitchen, gives you much more chance to butter their pans

Divvy it up into three, half and quarter/quarter, add some colour to the quarters, mix but don't handle too much if you can help it. Added some cocoa powder to the red dough too, why not?

You're going to flatten them into 1" discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour or so, that butter in there will really firm up again - Jeez what a mess! This hand mixer is really under-powered for this sort of work. I have a gift idea now I think. Geez what a mess!

Cleaned up, the dough is cooling. I think you know what time it is.

Phew, that was some hard work crunching those up. Time for lunch while we wait for the dough, what's for lunch?

Pork salad, Annie!

 

[iblive]

I don't know what it's like in your house, but every damn time I'm not looking, my wife turns the tv onto one of those lame Christmas bake-offs, and I think it has actually begun to brainwash me. The food usually looks barely edible, but the shows are obviously made more much more entertaining by the clashes between the kooky characters pitted against each, kind of like around here.

Ok, lets get that butter all whipped up good and proper, that's the way to a Godly batter. Add the other stuff in, egg, flour, salt, sugar, vanilla extract (The REAL stuff, LOL!), peppermint extract. Mix it up, but not too much. Just enough, careful with that.

At what point does cookie batter, become cookie dough? Somewheres around here.

I don't bake a lot, but do my share of cooking around here. I'm working off a couple shortbread/sugar cookie recipes, my wife's traditional, another off the web sort of combining the two. One calls for egg and baking power, one does not... strange. One calls for confectioners sugar, one calls for granulated. Anyway, I'm just riffin' off both. This isn't rocket science. Fat, flour, sugar and salt - hard to bugger it up really. Tell you young fellas reading this... Gals appreciate a fella who knows his way around the kitchen, gives you much more chance to butter their pans

Divvy it up into three, half and quarter/quarter, add some colour to the quarters, mix but don't handle too much if you can help it. Added some cocoa powder to the red dough too, why not?

You're going to flatten them into 1" discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour or so, that butter in there will really firm up again - Jeez what a mess! This hand mixer is really under-powered for this sort of work. I have a gift idea now I think. Geez what a mess!

Cleaned up, the dough is cooling. I think you know what time it is.

Phew, that was some hard work crunching those up. Time for lunch while we wait for the dough, what's for lunch?

Pork salad, Annie!

We don’t watch the holiday cooking shows. I will watch DDD. A show called Man Fire Food. And a couple things Bobby Flay does. Not much else on the Food Networks. On PBS I do check out Steven Raichlin’s Project Smoke and Project Fire. Have caught many of his Primal Grill and BBQ University shows. Watching his show has really helped me step up my grilling.

 

[TVvoodoo]

Somebody informed me cookie batter becomes cookie dough, once you monetize LOL!

actually @iblive we watch a LOT of cooking shows in our house for some reason. I think it's maybe to compensate for all the anti-hero programming we also watch, which I am starting to get weary of. So much death, twisted thinking, etc. You want to look away, but you can't and there you are next time looking for even more. We are down to our last two episodes of Ozark right now

My wife got hoodwinked into making a couple plates of cookies for an annual local Christmas Bake sale in support of a local charity. She's been really kind of exhausted already with a busy workplace and all that extra comes with "the season." Plus she and I have been renovating our main bathroom... mostly just paint, but it's quite a lot of work. Anyway, since we are hosting all the family here for Christmas this year, I decided I'd take this off her plate of things to get after, one less worry for her.

She seemed skeptical at first. That I could dare try make up something fancy enough that somebody might pay actual money for, but I aim to prove her wrong. And, this is an original idea too... I haven't seen anything like this made by anyone else. At least not locally.

Dough's ready! Preheat that oven, to about 340 degrees. Flatten your dough with a rolling pin into longish 6" X 12" rectangles, thinner on one side, and stack em, thin sides all on one end. Again don't work the dough too much. careful.

Slowly roll it up, from the thin ends, (which will be the center). Wasn't easy, the dough was worked a bit too much I think. wanted to crack. Go slow, fix as you go, a little at a time.

Once it's rolled-up, you can roll the dough roll to the diameter you want, I went about 2.5" - an inch or two on each ends are going to go a bit wonky, but the middle part is the important part. Roll that whole cylinder over some of your cane crumble. It's gonna stick a bit. I'm not sure I'd do this part again, actually

Cut 1/4" discs, dip them into your crumble, and put on a greased cookie sheet

Man my oven window is a little... uh! Guess that's because we actually use our kitchen.

 

[TVvoodoo]

About 13 minutes seemed to feel right

I mucked up one trying to remove from the pan before the cookies were cooled enough - good thing it's -27 outside today.

I present Brad's "Holiday Twist" shortbread cookies. Hmmm gives me an even better idea for next time, for a "Twisted Holiday cookie". LOL!

Are they the best cookies I've ever tasted in my life? Hell NO! do they look interesting enough to grab from the tray? Sure!
I had to sprinkle more candy cane on top, because on the first pan, they kind of melted into the cookie a bit, so
I adapted for the remaining. Yield about 40 cookies. I think I would make them smaller than 2" across next time too.
These expanded to about 3" Also, big pieces of cane on the edges tended to turn into a kind of toffee and cause some cookie stick to the pan, so I think on the edges, candy cane dust would be better than chunks.

Had time to work on this too... I love how the tail strap is working out with the contrasting thread, even though it's not the most important part of a strap... on second thought perhaps it is LOL!

 

[TVvoodoo]

Had fun at the craft sale Saturday... Imagine a table full of rifle slings and guitar straps surrounded by table upon table of crafty doilies, knitted things, home preserves, jewellery etc. There was a guy across from me who was making live edge CNC signs, so our area was like "Mancave central" while all the ladies shopped. Now, I didn't make a whole lot for sales, but did give out a ton of cards, and made enough to at least pay for my time there. Seemed to me I should make some more straps for ladies though, if I was to do it again. That, and for teen/tween kids too

Today a custom job I had to bump from last week... "Busy Jimi 2" another vanity strap, gift from his bro... this one more a bit more plain-jane so he can put on his other guitars. Did get permission to put the white letters on a metallic silver leather background, and use white stitching on the black leather body both to sexify things up a bit.

These high contrast block letters REALLY jump off the front of this thing!

Chris recently picked up Ace of Spades #9 (his second Well-Hung strap) for his black superstrat to match the skull inlays... but, he ended up loving it it so much he's trying it on more in his stable.

I think it looks pretty GREAT on this paul too. This is what he said for reverb feedback after getting it: "Not as cool as I thought it was gonna be, it's better, f*ck*ng bad ass brother!" ~CG

NGL... had me going for a little bit there...LOL! What do you think?

 

[LiveeviL2000]

I think it goes with either one.
But I like it on the LP better.

 

[fitz]

LP
In spades...

 

[Jethro Rocker]

LP
In spades...

Nicely done.
I agree on the LP

 

[jtcnj]

Both, but the overall package appeal for me goes to the LP.

 

[Session 5]

Only LPs I own..

 

[TVvoodoo]

New in the Reverb store - Shock & Awe #88. I'd go on about it how it can turn you and your guitar into a weapon of mass destruction, and collateral damage, etc... but just look at this thing! I even got it some battle experience, and thanks to the fact we had a case of Russian vodka stowed in our jeep, we barely escaped with our lives!

Brown ends on this one. And, it's pre-lined already with the faux natural sheep shearling for that mad bomber vibe.

Also had a chance to finish up "Dragonfly." I don't often tool straps without them being a custom order, but last week I felt inspired and went ahead... did a semi woodgrain effect antiquing on it, and the cowboy border looks sweet on this one especially with the light coloured contrasting stitching.

Iridescent bodies in green and aqua blue, metallic gold wings. Fully lined and padded 3" wide.

Something scary and reptilian is lurking in the murk behind the Well-Hung Reverb storefront, gonna call it "Dark Crocolate" and it's coming soon!
Also want to send a thank you to those who recc'd Well-Hung to TTR brother @fitz who is now undergoing the long wait for final delivery of Well-Hungedness, particularly @Jethro Rocker, who by now is so well-hung it's plain impossible for him to wear the tribal loincloth anymore, without attracting all kinds of unwanted attention.

 

[TVvoodoo]

Unless you're one of them rich, famous, well-placed politician/alien types, having reptilian hide ain't something we'd ever want to conceal! Snake, lizard, croc & gator patterns all make super-sexy guitar straps, and I'll be darned if it can't help transform even the meekest guitar mouse into a vengeful axe-wielding maniac.

Wishing that could happen to you? Dark Crocolate is now in the Reverb store.

Typical Well-Hung here, NOT so typical of the strap game. 3" wide, leather, long, strong, mega-comfy!
It's only right to make a brown strap once in awhile, after all there's a few brown guitars out there.

Matt is with an outfit called Avant Apollo... quite a while back his bandmate picked up a Well-Hung strap for his bitchin' seafoam strat that he lets his dog play with, (can't even remember the name of that strap, from years ago!). For so long, Matt's been seething with jelly. Well, not any more! Here's his brand new strat, looks like a Mary Kay to me with Dark Garden!

Says he: "Beautiful product! Prompt shipping! Highly recommend, comfiest strap I’ve ever had around my shoulder!"

Couple of hippy-dippy style florals there, wonder what kind of music they play... let's listen in...

Kinda catchy, right? Hey, if you want to find yourself Well-Hung for Christmas, best get on that over the next few days.
Remember, in the sage words of Billy Crystal, "Mime is Money!"

 

[Session 5]

These are my 4 straps..