Big amen to that.It’s better to have a Well Hung Christmas than a Well Hungover Christmas…
TVvoodoo's Straplab
- Thread starter TVvoodoo
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OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Can you believe I haven't posted here since 3 weeks ago?
Had a weird holiday for sure. My kids were home, enjoyed some family time here and central Alberta too but it was punctuated by multiple calls over to my mom and pop's place. A hospital trip, and I even got to know some local EMT pros by first name, via emergency ambulance calls.
My father took a serious turn for the worse just into the New Year. Really, there was little they could do for him except keep him high as a kite and allow nature to take its course. He went still semi-conscious, with my mom by his side in his own bed. I had a couple hours alone with him about three hours before, just getting him up about current events, (like he might have cared!) readin' to him from his good book... trying to keep him calm and comfortable, all that.
So, that's my excuse for being scarce, just been busy with important circle of life stuff. We buried the old cowpoke yesterday.
Over the past week a lot of planning... co-ordinating. Brand new territory for me... My brother Randy Van Malmsteen delivered a masterfull Eulogy, I was tasked with more of the organizational stuff and the "musical photo montage" which has now become a tradition up here for these "celebration of life" events.
Now the funeral home folks do offer to do one up... you send in about 40 photos, pick the song you want... They cobble it together to project on the big screen.
I elected to go with a more personalized DIY version for our dad. I did ask AI for some production help (fair warning), but my lyrics are fully human, tailored and personal.
For the approx 180 family, friends, community in attendance... many were stunned. The funeral director told me he'd never seen anything quite like it.... very rarely do you hear applause at a funeral. All to honor an honorable man.
So my internet family and friends, those who checked in on me... I still need a day or two to process and chill, then I PROMISE to get back into regular flow with some strapping, that Orpheus Project... all that. But thank you for understanding.
Had a weird holiday for sure. My kids were home, enjoyed some family time here and central Alberta too but it was punctuated by multiple calls over to my mom and pop's place. A hospital trip, and I even got to know some local EMT pros by first name, via emergency ambulance calls.
My father took a serious turn for the worse just into the New Year. Really, there was little they could do for him except keep him high as a kite and allow nature to take its course. He went still semi-conscious, with my mom by his side in his own bed. I had a couple hours alone with him about three hours before, just getting him up about current events, (like he might have cared!) readin' to him from his good book... trying to keep him calm and comfortable, all that.
So, that's my excuse for being scarce, just been busy with important circle of life stuff. We buried the old cowpoke yesterday.
Over the past week a lot of planning... co-ordinating. Brand new territory for me... My brother Randy Van Malmsteen delivered a masterfull Eulogy, I was tasked with more of the organizational stuff and the "musical photo montage" which has now become a tradition up here for these "celebration of life" events.
Now the funeral home folks do offer to do one up... you send in about 40 photos, pick the song you want... They cobble it together to project on the big screen.
I elected to go with a more personalized DIY version for our dad. I did ask AI for some production help (fair warning), but my lyrics are fully human, tailored and personal.
For the approx 180 family, friends, community in attendance... many were stunned. The funeral director told me he'd never seen anything quite like it.... very rarely do you hear applause at a funeral. All to honor an honorable man.
So my internet family and friends, those who checked in on me... I still need a day or two to process and chill, then I PROMISE to get back into regular flow with some strapping, that Orpheus Project... all that. But thank you for understanding.
Last edited:
Jethro Rocker
Ambassador of Live & Loud Action
I need both emojis for this.
Sargeant Preston
Ambassador of The Ninth Chord
Very sorry to read of the loss of your Dad. The video was a wonderful tribute.
Many of us have been in your shoes Brad. It’s never an easy time. My mom was the first parent my wife and I lost. Thought I was doing okay…. Months later, maybe more than a year. Was driving home from work one night. Got thinking on my mom and thought I was going to have to pull over. I only say this to suggest be ready. If/when it hits, let it happen.
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Thank you my brothers. I'm dealing. Packaging that was a way to help work through things short term but as brother @iblive noted, I'm sure it's going to be a process.
With a drawn-out death the grief can hit long and slow, because your psyche is able to prep for it, but a sudden surprise passing usually hits way harder, more immediate. This is how the funeral guy explained it to me, makes sense.
With a drawn-out death the grief can hit long and slow, because your psyche is able to prep for it, but a sudden surprise passing usually hits way harder, more immediate. This is how the funeral guy explained it to me, makes sense.
Jethro Rocker
Ambassador of Live & Loud Action
I found that after the service a weight was lifted to some degree.
Such a great tribute and if I may, the AI did a good job with what you gave it.
All the best to you and your family.
ibmorjamn
Ambassador of Moar Jammin
I didn’t know what emoji to choose , but I loved the pictorial song montage.
I am sorry for your loss.
I am happy that you shared this here. We did miss your presence.
OP
TVvoodoo
Ambassador of The Comfortably Slung
Hello TTR Warriors, and warriors-in-waiting! I've made myself scarce for a bit, dealing with family things, my first time being through that emotional / administrative ringer, now sorting through all that stuff assisting my mom. Trying to get my own head back on straight.
Been looking for a job to try to continue to provide here as the new trade rules have severed me from way too many of my regular tribe members to be able to continue at this full time. Such a massive waste of many years I've spent building things up. But I'm also still picking away at the odd project 'cause I do have all this time on my hands... and as they say... "the devil finds work" so I best keep busy!
Likely be posting here less, it's by now become so much of a habit, can't outright quit! Plus I do have that Orpheus thing I started, and will continue, but I'm finding all that's happened has just let burnt off all the gas for my creative engine. Regular me is like a blown up balloon, just bursting with ideas, and I have to control the valve, let a few out at a time in a controlled manner. But for the past month, I've just become mostly a floppy and empty rubber bag. I do understand it's only a temporary state, a short blip in the life of me which I'll slowly leave behind as I move forward.
Fresh in the Reverb store for 2026 are a couple of new SwaggerMan straps... both somewhat similar this is #7, #8 looks much the same - a worn, distressed mahogany leather look. It is kind of rare for me to have two similar in the store at the same time. This here is one of my personal favourites; I've now kept back three of these for my own selfish gear hoarding purposes, one just like this, one in black and a saddle tan version. These are 3" wide link leather, no padding, but a nice little flex so still very comfy. Sends off 1974 vibes like crazy with a convenient and safe back buckle adjustment.
It's the kind of strap that looks really at home on a vintage form factor. Don't put a modern newish looking strap on your old relic'd historic instrument. We both know that's just plain wrong!
Speaking of throwback styles, I build another "Whippin' Post," this one with a 4.25" wide ring rather than the 5.5 incher, (more true to the original). I find the larger ring clunks into a fellas fretting arm a bit too much, so I favour the smaller bronze ring for practical use. This one also 3" wide, oil tanned leather, padded and features a handy back buckle adjustment too, way better than the original style. Nicely aged ring on this too, and it's even padded and stitched. I was looking online at a more "replica" version of this strap on an auction site, they were asking pretty high dollar for something that to me looked like a dude with a drywall knife and a sharpened screwdriver could throw together in about ten minutes. Unreal.
Canadiana fans will dig this "Mad Trapper" style strap... made primarily of historic virgin wool blanket and leather... These are a reissue of what's become quite popular with W-H Tribemembers up here in the Great White North. Running a bit short of the material though, it's getting rather expensive to source.
Also new in the store, a brand new version of my popular long-running 1969 series... this one called "Ruby" named for the Kenny Rogers and the First Edition Hit of that year. "You've painted up your lips and curled your pretty golden hair..."
I developed my "1969" design back around 2016 as a way to showcase a vintage hootenanny strap effect, but also incorporate my own Well-Hung comfort padding, with rolled edges. To do this, I sew the old school ribbon onto 3" wide leather base, then pad and line it underneath, with a ladderback adjustment system. I feel this is a more a grown-up version of the typical 2" wide shoulder-pounder starter pack type strap, and it really puts 'em to shame when it comes to being under one for more than four or five songs. Super comfy, and with the leather it just boosts it up a big step visually.
And finally, this beaded beauty named "Spotlite." Glass beads in a leopard pattern, plenty of black leather, and a ladderback adjustment. This one goes near 60" long, is 3-1/4" wide, padded and just might be the sexiest guitar strap I've made in quite a while. It's craving a rig like a badass black beauty or something similar I think. Amber, black and dark topaz beads. Got a bit of heft to it, so if you are counting ounces in your rig, this is not the strap you are looking for
Hope all is well for my tribe members, I wish I could open my store up different to continue serving my USA brothers, but new rules have basically doubled your cost. Not MY PRICES mind you, just the extra dough I'm required to collect from buyers then submit to your betters before I can even ship. In effect I'd be working even harder to make less, with more cost, admin work on my shoulders. I don't feel that's right for either party involved. Perhaps our officials can figure out some sort of workable solution inside the next six months.
Been looking for a job to try to continue to provide here as the new trade rules have severed me from way too many of my regular tribe members to be able to continue at this full time. Such a massive waste of many years I've spent building things up. But I'm also still picking away at the odd project 'cause I do have all this time on my hands... and as they say... "the devil finds work" so I best keep busy!
Likely be posting here less, it's by now become so much of a habit, can't outright quit! Plus I do have that Orpheus thing I started, and will continue, but I'm finding all that's happened has just let burnt off all the gas for my creative engine. Regular me is like a blown up balloon, just bursting with ideas, and I have to control the valve, let a few out at a time in a controlled manner. But for the past month, I've just become mostly a floppy and empty rubber bag. I do understand it's only a temporary state, a short blip in the life of me which I'll slowly leave behind as I move forward.
Fresh in the Reverb store for 2026 are a couple of new SwaggerMan straps... both somewhat similar this is #7, #8 looks much the same - a worn, distressed mahogany leather look. It is kind of rare for me to have two similar in the store at the same time. This here is one of my personal favourites; I've now kept back three of these for my own selfish gear hoarding purposes, one just like this, one in black and a saddle tan version. These are 3" wide link leather, no padding, but a nice little flex so still very comfy. Sends off 1974 vibes like crazy with a convenient and safe back buckle adjustment.
It's the kind of strap that looks really at home on a vintage form factor. Don't put a modern newish looking strap on your old relic'd historic instrument. We both know that's just plain wrong!
Speaking of throwback styles, I build another "Whippin' Post," this one with a 4.25" wide ring rather than the 5.5 incher, (more true to the original). I find the larger ring clunks into a fellas fretting arm a bit too much, so I favour the smaller bronze ring for practical use. This one also 3" wide, oil tanned leather, padded and features a handy back buckle adjustment too, way better than the original style. Nicely aged ring on this too, and it's even padded and stitched. I was looking online at a more "replica" version of this strap on an auction site, they were asking pretty high dollar for something that to me looked like a dude with a drywall knife and a sharpened screwdriver could throw together in about ten minutes. Unreal.
Canadiana fans will dig this "Mad Trapper" style strap... made primarily of historic virgin wool blanket and leather... These are a reissue of what's become quite popular with W-H Tribemembers up here in the Great White North. Running a bit short of the material though, it's getting rather expensive to source.
Also new in the store, a brand new version of my popular long-running 1969 series... this one called "Ruby" named for the Kenny Rogers and the First Edition Hit of that year. "You've painted up your lips and curled your pretty golden hair..."
I developed my "1969" design back around 2016 as a way to showcase a vintage hootenanny strap effect, but also incorporate my own Well-Hung comfort padding, with rolled edges. To do this, I sew the old school ribbon onto 3" wide leather base, then pad and line it underneath, with a ladderback adjustment system. I feel this is a more a grown-up version of the typical 2" wide shoulder-pounder starter pack type strap, and it really puts 'em to shame when it comes to being under one for more than four or five songs. Super comfy, and with the leather it just boosts it up a big step visually.
And finally, this beaded beauty named "Spotlite." Glass beads in a leopard pattern, plenty of black leather, and a ladderback adjustment. This one goes near 60" long, is 3-1/4" wide, padded and just might be the sexiest guitar strap I've made in quite a while. It's craving a rig like a badass black beauty or something similar I think. Amber, black and dark topaz beads. Got a bit of heft to it, so if you are counting ounces in your rig, this is not the strap you are looking for
Hope all is well for my tribe members, I wish I could open my store up different to continue serving my USA brothers, but new rules have basically doubled your cost. Not MY PRICES mind you, just the extra dough I'm required to collect from buyers then submit to your betters before I can even ship. In effect I'd be working even harder to make less, with more cost, admin work on my shoulders. I don't feel that's right for either party involved. Perhaps our officials can figure out some sort of workable solution inside the next six months.