The Reassembler - guitar

Subject: The Reassembler - guitar
From: GUEST,Johnmc
Date: 06 Apr 16 - 05:52 AM

Tonight BBC 4, James May reconstructing an electric guitar.

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: Stanron
Date: 06 Apr 16 - 06:37 AM

It was the Suffolk Punch lawn mower on monday and the bakelite telephone last night. I watched them both. No fault on James May but I fell asleep both times. I'll watch again tonight, probably fall asleep again tonight and enjoy it again. It's so much more satisfying than those dreadful 'How do they do it?' programs.

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 06 Apr 16 - 08:56 AM

Just watched the first two on the iPlayer - great stuff, and very funny in places. The motor mower one reminded me of me and my mates tinkering with motor bikes in the '60s...

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 06 Apr 16 - 04:46 PM

I fell asleep while he was attaching the neck...

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: Stanron
Date: 06 Apr 16 - 05:33 PM

I stayed awake for this one, mind you I slept through Dan Snow's program just before it.

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 04:28 AM

James May playing the presenter - when he clearly knows nothing about the subject!

The bridge saddles are adjustable because of the curve in the neck eh? Forget about the problem of setting the action and intonation? We even had the old chestnut about so called "lawsuit guitars".

Clearly written by somebody who knows slightly more than he does!

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 07:22 AM

Spend a few years presenting a programme with a viewership of Darwin Award contenders. Leave half your brain on the road. Move into pontificating about toys for the people Spinal Tap was about. Sounds like a logical career progression to me.

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 07:48 AM

.. I woke up enough to rewind and watch the recording...

I'd guess - magic of television production - the end was shot first
before the guitar was pulled apart...???

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 08:34 AM

To all of which I would say - lighten up and don't fret (Hah!).

For those people who know fuck all about the workings of the machines in question, it's fairly enlightening. A lot of it is tongue in cheek and he seems an amiable enough guy (who actually has more engineering knowledge than you might think). Also a decent cello player.

I found it all quite relaxing - just a bit of innocent fun - and didn't fall asleep once. And the end wasn't shot first before the guitar was pulled apart (I happen to know someone on the production team).

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 10:26 AM

It certainly wasn't played just after it was re-built!

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: GUEST,Johnmc
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 12:24 PM

I think anyone watching it who didn't know much about guitars,but was intrigued,
would find it quite illuminating. No one would expect serious technical detail, surely.
Some might have been offended by the dig at Mark Knofler, but again the ethos is don't
take things totally to heart.
   It seems to me to be one of those progs that make you glad there is still a BBC.

Subject: RE: The Reassembler - guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 12:27 PM

Exactly, Johnmc - and some nice bits of mischievous, tongue-in-cheek humour. There was one remark (in the telephone programme) about something being like meeting a boy with mumps, that had the camera crew in stitches.