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ironmike

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Posts posted by ironmike

  1. Typically you find 20 frets on a fretted base, whereas 24 frets gives you a full two octaves on each string. They're not that common, but in the custom genre, anything goes.

    One's height and one's wingspan tend to be close to the same dimension, but genetics can manifest anomalies in some folk's actual reach notwithstanding their height. It's all about what's comfortable for the individual musician.  

  2. I'm short at 5'7", yet comfortable with the 34" scale (AIO Jazz), but I also have a 30" scale (Gretsch). They're different in feel (weight. reach, etc.) but sound very much the same played through the same rig. It always boils down to personal preference, and how the bassist wants to sound--aspects of which tend to evolve on one's musical journey. It's all good.

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  3. Don't think operating temps would be too much of an issue, but you're right--safety would be entirely another consideration. I don't know what the current tech rules in any sanctioned competitions are, but I can remember some pretty strict safety measures/standards required of the drive train to include the drive shafts. The guy who bought the modified Tesla was planning to display it in an office setting, so the inherent safety issue may be moot. 

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  4. You're not wrong.

     

    I'm currently involved in a beta test with two of my fiction books released in text to voice (T2V) format via Digitally Narrated Books (DNA) through Apple and Overdrive. Both are AI female voiced.

    One of the things I find may be an issue is dialog attribution in a given scene. For example, character A says something to characters B & C. In text the quoted statement is typically attributed to A by ". . . ," said A. Any reaction or dialog response on the part of B or C requires attribution tags to keep the reader/listener from being confused as to who says what. The narrating AI voice speaks the tags as written . . . somehow that isn't working as well as I'd hoped. I'm not certain the AI voice conveys or evokes the emotions I intended for the involved characters and/or the audience. It is a work in progress, so we'll see.  

  5. Among authors it's referred to as voice to text; and to be honest it's not held in high esteem. Most use it as a temporary short-cut to record ideas or sudden inspiration.There are a host of similar voice to text programs (Google Docs, Apple, Gboard, Dragon Speaking, etc.) but they almost all suffer the same shortcomings. Problem areas include grammar, punctuation, capitalization, homonyms, translated language terms, etc. At some point the text must be edited and retyped in an acceptable draft/manuscript format.

     

    I don't want to discourage any aspiring author--on the contrary, I encourage the attempt to give life to the idea and craft the tale that wants to be told. But the reality is that it must appear in an acceptable written format to have any hope of publication, be that trade or self-published.   

     

    Curiously, the current trend is text to voice via AI based learning algorithms (Apple, Digitally Narrated Books, Overdrive, etc.)--but even they have issues. This seems to work better with non-fiction or report formats than fiction. This trend is something of an unsettling paradigm shift for traditional voice-actor artists and commercial voice studios (Findaway Voices, etc.).  

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  6. It may not be an outright scam, but there are enough yellow flags to give collectors' mindset a cautionary pause. It's not in OEM condition (aftermarket parts & no mention of any original parts available), no information as to provenance (title history, etc.), and a barn find should look like a barn find with expected patina intact. Otherwise, the price might not be out of line. Nonetheless, much more information would be needed.

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  7. Mechanical advance (or early vacuum)? Dwell should be set at 30* (factory spec). Check the distributor advance plate, weights, & springs (under the points/condenser plate). One or more broken springs (there should be 2 springs & 2 weights) can cause those symptoms. The weights are subjected to increasing centrifugal force as rpms increase flinging them outward; springs' strength fights this thereby affecting & limiting the advance timing.  A broken or worn-out spring(s) can play havoc with the spark timing (worse under a load). If its a vacuum activated advance system, check the vacuum hose (dist to carb/base) as well for any leaks or dry rot. Replace the entire vacuum line if necessary. The 327 small block is pretty damn reliable; it wants to run even if it's been abused or the timing is way off. Scrutinize that distributor advance; I'd be surprised if it's not something that simple. 

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  8. 13 hours ago, Furbird said:


    We don't worry about that where we're going.  Most of my fuel evaporates out of my stuff before it actually burns.  So my MPG is probably negative in a couple of vehicles at this point 🤣

    Same evaporation issue with my '84 E250 cargo van (5.8L HO) w/40K original miles. I drive it so rarely that I had to install a switch-activated auxiliary inline electric fuel pump to fill/prime the Holley's float bowls before cranking the 351 over. I never paid that much attention to fuel mileage (twin tanks, about 40 gal.) but I think I get about 15 mpg (empty); load two street bikes and that drops to about 12-13 mpg.

  9. The consensus among some collectors is that this 2000 XX might sell at that price, but most think it'll more likely move at $8-9K to a collector. Ironically, it might have brought more if it had been left completely original (no dealer tweaking), kinda like a "barn find" (heh, heh, a climate-controlled storage find). If it's only destined to be a rider, its estimated worth is closer to $6-7K. The first year FI model (low mileage '99) is more desirable and somewhat more rare. Low mileage '96-97 XX (carbs) piques collector interest as well, but those are really rare. OEM originality, low mileage, and provenance are what really matter.

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  10. Instrument pics, as promised, Carlos . . . feel free to resize as warranted.

    On the guitar, I didn't do more than a modest pore-fill & light amber tint in the sealer coat as I wanted to emphasize the warmth of the natural mahogany. The maple neck/headstock took on a slight amber tone just from the multiple coats of poly. 

    The uke has no pore-filler or sealer, only multiple coats of poly on the zebrawood, binding, and the mahogany neck/headstock.

     

    IMG_20230815_140057868_SMfullft.thumb.jpg.9c79f18bfaf42c07aa2e13c10412e426.jpgIMG_20230815_140057868_SMfullft.thumb.jpg.9c79f18bfaf42c07aa2e13c10412e426.jpg

    IMG_20230815_140142118_SMfb.jpg

    IMG_20230815_140228219_SMback.jpg

    IMG_20230815_140310471_SMNhdstkr.jpg

    IMG_20230815_140625797_ukeback.jpg

    IMG_20230815_140558291_ukeft.jpg

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  11. 27 minutes ago, SwampNut said:

    Oh no, another thing to spend hours obsessing over.  Have you used it?  

    I haven't used the Solarez process as yet. I might consider it, but I don't have another project in mind--yet.

    The last two instruments I built (from kits) were a ukulele (zebrawood & mahogany neck) and an electric guitar (mahogany & maple neck). For the final finish on both, I used Minwax Wipe-on Poly (gloss). The building & finishing processes took considerable time since it's pretty much all hand labor. I'll take & post some pics when I get the time.

     

  12. My experience with wood finishes is largely focused on guitars. Something gaining ground in that genre is UV cured poly finishes, like Solarez (see link). A luthier I follow, Chris Monck, has been using it on his custom-made instruments (links to his site and YouTube channel below). He has a lot of YouTube episodes using that product, and a host of other finish applications. If you're deeply into wood finishing, it might be something of a fascinating rabbit hole . . .

     

    https://solarez.com/

     

    http://www.highlineguitars.com/

     

    https://www.youtube.com/highlineguitars

  13. So, you've found a diamond in the rough that only needed some logical first aid & TLC . . . Congrats! Enjoy the experience; it only gets better from this point. 

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  14. Here's a generic stainless trim kit for under $40 at Home Depot . . .

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vance-23-3-4-in-Counter-Trim-Kit-for-Backless-for-Slide-In-Stoves-in-Stainless-Steel-CTK-LS/307491499

     

    As for the backsplash, you're absolutely right about the heat issue. 

    Maybe consider a simple sheet of stainless cut to your specs? It's easy to install with construction adhesive (no visible screws). It's easy to clean and it'll look like an integrated aspect of the range-top design.

    Give it some thought--you'll come up with something cool (we all know you're pretty good at adapting and improvising).

  15. I found this site helpful when I was doing my due diligence on OTA broadcasting/reception/boosting issues and subsequent antenna selection.

     

    https://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=75

     

    It's an older site, but the laws of physics haven't changed. The right antenna, its placement, elevation, aiming (pursuant to design), and minimal run/connections are always the key elements. Maximize their efficiency, then consider boosting the received signal. Remember, a booster can only work with the basic signal as received by the antenna; if it's weak & crappy, a booster will only give you more of the same.

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