Why Must I Tinker?

  Yep, that's a naked neck. Let's talk about how I got there, and how it was more than a week ago, and all the distractions. Distraction 1: Fast and Loose BMX jam at Valmont Bike Park. Both a thrill to watch and depressing that I am months away from being a half-century old so I don't even attempt the big boy jumps anymore. Distraction 2: The new Gretsch! I am horrible at regularly practicing the guitar but this one has me motivated. I was happy to put off other projects to change the strings, oil the fretboard, polish the frets and loctite loose threads.     Distraction 3: Pride Month! I had to let my allies know I'm a middle-aged straight white guy with a shaved head who is on their side! Seriously, you genital-obsessed right-wing "religious" nutjobs, leave these folks alone!  Have you ever stopped to think that Christians desire to become angels, and angels don't have genitals? So all Christians hope to transition to non-binary, as I see it.   Dismounti...

 So the Colorado winter gave way to a short burst of sunshine, then a torrent of daily rain unheard of for the region. Like April came and decided to stick around for three months. The streams are too swollen to chase the trout. The trails are too muddy to get out on the bike. Thus: MORE TINKER TIME!!! The newest project:  1985 Peavey Patriot Refret To Regret! This was my first real bass, not the very first that I owned, but the first that I really learned on, gigged on, and knew I would never give up. Even when I bought it well used for $200, it was pretty much ready for a refret. But I just kept hammering away at it, filing away a buzz here and there (who cares when it's mostly punk?) and finally switching to a different bass when I just couldn't adjust it to the wear anymore. The biggest problem? I would have to file the nut slots so deep because of the nubs of fret left that the nut would just split in half under the string pressure. Even Elvis hung his head in shame at th...