Good news for Banjo players, sick of feed-back when playing amplified? Having to keep the volume of the banjo low and missing out on those lead breaks? Well the answer could be at hand with the arrival of the Swan electric "mellowtone" banjo.

I have just had the privilege of visiting the maker of the Swan banjo range for a look around his work shop and a play on the various models he manufactures, I was so impressed I walked away with one of his fine instruments, the only regret being that I only walked away with one but I'm sure I will be back for more.

Terry Swan lives near Nottingham in England, the home of the famed Robin Hood who stole from the rich to give to the poor and righted many a wrong, well Terry has done much the same for Banjo players by using his craftsmanship and lateral thinking to make what I think is a superb working banjoist tool.

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Having had the misfortune to have experienced the results of the domino effect on a row of instruments and the resulting cost to try and restore those instruments to playable condition I am always interested in anything that stops that situation happening again.
When I opened the package that the Pub Prop arrived in the first thing that struck me was the size of the wallet the Pub Prop came in - smaller than my wallet - and measuring about 4 by 5 inches, having opened it and assembled the two parts (about 3 seconds) I spent the next half hour or so trying it on tables about the house prior to risking my Martin Guitar in it on my field test.
Once at the Falcon the Pub Prop was attached to the table and my Martin Guitar rested on the floor and then into the Pub Prop and the retainer bar placed in position. The Guitar was in and out of the Pub Prop all night and at all times the Prop remained secure (and so did my Guitar). I have used the Pub Prop at many locations over the time I've been testing it and I have not found a table that it did not fasten securely to, neither has it marked either Guitar or Table. Repair work to musical instruments is not cheap and a repaired instrument is never the same or worth the same, Extra insurance is expensive except in this case - the current cost of the Pub Prop is £14.00 UK including case and Postage. See PUB PROP II above... now only £11.95
My recommendation - The Pub Prop is well designed and made to last from from nitrile rubber and plastic coated steel. Buy one (or more) now before it's too late and your favourite instrument/s lie damaged on the floor. Rating 10/10

Pub Prop available from:-
Briar Mill, P.O.Box 35, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England. OL7 9FJ. Tel/Fax: 0161 330 4555
E-mail:briarmill@bun.com Web Site: http://www.gonline.demon.co.uk/pubprop

From the maker/designer of the "Pub Prop" (see our review), comes the "Players' Rest", designed to support instruments such as Banjo, Banjolele and similar, both from flat surfaces or from a wall bracket (supplied). Being somewhat of a worrier when it comes to instruments I was very wary of 'Hanging' my instrument by the neck from a table and felt sure that it would slip out and crash to the floor. I should have known better, as the makers of the "Players Rest" seem to be as concerned as I am when it comes to instrument safety, and within no time at all I was happy to leave it hanging there on my table.
The Support is supplied with wall bracket (including screw & rawlplug) and on the pretence of hanging a photo, I drilled another hole in the wall (the things I do for my art!) and fitted the bracket, having made sure it was securely fitted (my shelves never stay up) I placed the Piccolo banjo into the Players Rest and hung it from the wall - what a great idea! Now my banjo is at hand on the wall and in between songs I can rest it on the table with the same holder - brilliant idea. Of course you could always attach the bracket to a speaker or amp (depending on the size of the instrument and the speakers/amp) and I would be interested to see an attachment for a mike stand (what about it Brian?) I can also see a use for them in music shops - displaying the instruments on the wall then balancing them from the counter whilst your customers tries them out.
My recommendation - Once again I think the "Players' Rest" is a winner, In the pub environment I would feel happier with the "Pub Prop", but within the home, on stage and in shops the "Players Rest" comes into its own, and at £8.95 including p+p you can afford several of both! Rating 9/10

The Players Rest is available from:-
Briar Mill, P.O.Box 35, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England. OL7 9FJ. Tel/Fax: 0161 330 4555
E-mail: briarmill@bun.com Web Site: http://www.gonline.demon.co.uk/pubprop

Not a new release ((C) 1994) but a CD that would enhance any collection and of great local interest.
This CD appealed to me for lots of good reasons, the songs and arrangements make good listening, and the words to the songs brought back many, many memories of my childhood and youth in the Fylde area. Songs like "The Dolphin Bar", brought back thoughts of the good times I spent there both on and off stage, the people I'd met and entertainers I'd enjoyed, "Marsh Mill" was excellent, and will certainly add to my enjoyment of my visits there in future.
All the songs conjured up a multitude of feeling from sadness to an inner warmth of nostalgia, and although I (and most other Fylde Folk) would associate with the places and contents of the songs they are certainly not for the privileged few as I feel that people throughout the world could match the story line to their own lives and area or just appreciate them for the good songs that they are. Thanks to Phil Brooks for the review copy and the pleasure this CD has brought us. With his permission I would love to add many of these songs to our repertoire.
Phil Brooks (Vocals, Guitar & Synth) is joined on this CD by Peter Schab (Violin), Steve Venz(Acoustic Bass), Bill Holmes (Keyboard) & Mark Blihovde (Bagpipes)
My recommendation - This is a well produced Cd, with well written songs, excellent vocals and musicianship if you can get hold of a copy - do so. rating 10/10
Fishermen of Fleetwood available from:-
The Tin Whistle. P.O. Box 597. Baldwin, GA 30511, USA

A route planner - what's that got to do with music? Well if you're a gigging musician in the UK or travel a lot and like visiting music shops, the answer is "a lot!"
You get an offer of a job playing at a private function on Masham Close in Harrogate - loads of money, don't waste time asking directions, take the offer, and run your copy of Route 66 - type in Harrogate, then Masham Close, the on-screen map highlights the street. You can then either print out a map of the location, or feed in where you will be leaving from and get a plan of the route you can take (including street names!). Going to some strange town and have been told the address of some music shops? feed the addresses into Route 66 and know exactly where they are (no more asking directions from locals and being sent the wrong direction). Attending a festival eg.. Fylde Folk Festival and have a list of the venues? add all the venues to the map, print it out and take it with you, you could even check the shortest route between pubs (more drinking and singing time).
My recommendation - The use of Route 66 is only limited by your requirements, and a lot cheaper than having street maps of every town in the UK (and a lot easier to use). I found some of the routes offered a bit questionable and would only use them as a guide, also the local information eg.. Pedestrian areas and One-way streets would become out of date quite quickly, other than that I was very impressed with Route 66 and found myself playing with it just for the fun of it. At the very reasonable price of £29.95 I can highly recommend it. Rating 9/10.
Route 66 available from:-
Most good computer software suppliers.

Elixir Strings are to say the least a new idea in strings. Why? because they have a polyweb coating - just like that quality rain clothing that kept you dry whilst letting the sweat out. The coating protects the strings from that same sweat but still lets the strings breathe resulting in strings that last longer and sound brighter for longer. Only the wound strings seem to be coated so maybe the inclusion of an extra one or two first and second strings might be a nice touch? Although not available in the UK as yet (unless you know better) Gore also make strings for most other instruments (and dental floss!!!!)
My recommendation - Having tried several sets on different guitars all I can say is the strings have stayed bright in both tone and looks, slides are smooth and they have outlasted other strings ten fold (not allowing for breakages). My only niggle is the price, I have seen sets on sale as high as £13.95 and the lowest price found was £9.95 (Strings Direct), Martin strings at guitar shows cost as little as £10 for 5 sets! However, Elixir Strings do work and are, I think, worth the extra spent - try a set now and they'll save you money in the long run. Rating 8/10 (points lost for pricing.)

GOOD NEWS 27/4/99...................
Strings Direct have reduced their price to £8.95 per set..... £85.00 - 10 sets

Elixir Strings are available from:-
Strings Direct. P.O.Box 2012. North Shoebury. Essex. England. SS3 8FE.
Tel: 01702 219998 E-Mail: order@guitarstrings.net Web Site: http://www.guitarstrings.net

OK I'm not a Fiddle Player (ask the neighbours!), but as with most instruments I have dabbled a bit and I love the sound the Fiddle makes (when played by others). It was great fun putting the Amadeus 1 through a few tunes, one of the nice things about electric Fiddles is that you can put them through effects units, this one I tried through a Zoom and Pandora II. With a nice echo effect those haunting ballads take on more atmosphere and with a bit of distortion and wah-wah you've shades of Steeleye. I have not relied on my test for this review but have handed the fiddle to several real players and combined their comments with my findings.
Well I loved the looks of the fiddle, it was well finished (I had the electric blue model, but several other variations are available - see below), and gained admiring glances and comments wherever it went. A few commented on the tone controls, and thought they were nice extra facility. One or two people thought the tuning pegs were a little awkward to access being very close together. Everyone was impressed with the realistic amplified sound from the installed Schaller Piezo-electro pick up's but everyone also commented on the weight of the instrument - saying it was rather heavy compared with other electric fiddles. Most found it easy and fun to play.
My recommendation The Amadeus 1 sells for £599.00 inc VAT but you'll have to supply a case and bow as they are extra. As there are many electric fiddles on the market I think that any prospective purchaser has a lot of hard thinking to do - the Amadeus is a professional and great sounding instrument and if you can put up with the extra weight It would make a good investment - Try one then compare it with the others on the market before making a final decision. Rating 6/10

Amadeus 1 is available in Electric Blue, Radiant Red, Translucent Apple Green, Arctic White and Black from:-
Banks & Son (Music) Limited. 18, Lendal, York, England. YO1 2AU.
Tel: 01904 658836 FAX 01904 629547

Everyone who plays a Guitar, Banjo or Mandolin will know the name of Shubbs as most of them will own a capo made by them. But who broke this one? The answer is no one this is a special capo to allow pseudo open and unusual tunings when placed on the second fret of a guitar (depending which way round it's placed) you will have either an open 'A' or a DADGAD effect but in 'E'! One of the nice things about the Partial Capo is when using it for "DADGAD" there is no need to re-tune the Guitar, saving on time and broken strings (handy when trying guitars at your local Music Shop!) and you can also play normal chords with some stunning effects. Everyone who has heard either my son or self playing with the aid of this capo has wanted one. Expand your playing get a Shubbs Partial Capo. Rating 10/10

Several people have contacted us with regards to where they can buy a partial capo - as yet I have not found any shops in the UK stocking them and buying from the States can be expensive with postage, VAT and import duties etc. We hopefully, will be importing a quantity of Partial capos and will have them with us at the Falcon and Festivals this year, if you cannot see us around the folk scene we will be able to post them. As soon as we have a stock and a confirmed price we will post the information here.

With its mahogany construction and simple appointments, the D-15 is reminiscent of the Style 15 guitars of the 1940s and marks the reintroduction of mahogany top guitars to Martin's product line. Offering exceptional tone, and projection the D-15 is one of my favourite Guitars - Try one you'll be impressed.

Specifications: - Top, Sides & Back: Solid Mahogany

Bracing: "A-Frame" X-Bracing - Fingerboard & Bridge: Rosewood

Scratchplate: Tortoise Colour - Body Finish: Satin.

Rock Salt & Nails 4621 CD from Forth Recording Company, The Bramley Arms, Freston Rd. London - (ref: FORCD 59). This CD contains 10 Songs/Sets, the group has taken all thats best of Folk, Electric Folk, Irish and modern, mixed it with a touch of Bluegrass and created a CD that's electric, Highly recommended.

The 50's, Rock & Roll and Skiffle the music that pointed me towards Folk - We still sing a lot of skiffle and people love it. The name that stood out was Lonnie Donegan and now he's back after 20ish years with a 'new' recording. This is a great new release with some old songs and some new and Van Morrison featuring on two of the tracks. If you,ve heard him before you'll want this recording, if Lonnie Donegan is a new name to you have a listen and see what its all about.

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