I once read a job advertisement; the Derbyshire County Library Service (UK) was recruiting "Libertarians". I never did find out whether that was a typo, the Spell-Checker going mad, or a mangled pronunciation over the telephone somewhere.




I took my favourite £60 second-hand Yamaha to a friend who runs Fretworks. I expected him to fall over laughing, but he was kind enough to say, "Nice instrument". Once we had fixed a loose strap boss, he showed me a Yamaha FJ-345, formerly used by Van Morrison. He had to take it off me; I was about to drool all over it. This is one way to be sarcastic; imply, Paul Hogan style, "That's not a knife; this is a knife".

My friend did have a laugh over my £70 Gremlin, with a soundboard pulled so far out of shape by heavy strings, that it looks like an archtop. There was a lad still at school in the shop, strumming away wistfully on an Ovation Adamas; he looked at the Gremlin (GR2919B, which is a bowlback design), and I could see him wondering if a paint job would fool the audience. I had to back out of that deal; it wouldn't be fair to the poor lad, or his fingers.

One day, I may replace the top on that Gremlin, but I am now saving the £400 for that Yamaha FJ-345. It may take a while; the old wallet is screaming for mercy already.