So Earl;

Are you yet bootless?

Thanks for asking, Evan. I have been bootless for a several weeks, and I'm now discharged by the ortho doc and PT, and back to doing most activities. It will take a few months before that weakened leg is back to "normal", but I am working on it. Strength and endurance are slowly improving. And balance too. It has taken a while to have any confidence in that leg being able to actually hold me up. It was less about strength of the calf muscles and tendon and more about believing that it would work when called upon. The biggest challenge now is getting back to a fully normal and relaxed walking gait - don't favor the injured leg or limp just out of habit.

It was shocking to learn that recovery without surgery was even possible, but I'm certainly pleased to report that a total Achilles tear can rehab acceptably without the knife. That was totally new information to me, but proved to be true. I walked up 1½ flights of stairs to attend my final PT appointment two weeks ago. Now it is up to me..... Let's leave the old guy "organ recital" mode -- a joke some jam friends make. [When we all get together to play, it becomes a moaning list of all of our medical issues for a while - now jokingly dubbed the organ recital. At 61, I am the youngest of the bunch].

Getting back to carbon fiber guitars..... I played my X20 at two successive backyard jam sessions for four hours total yesterday afternoon in the sun at 58°. My fretting hand is sure sore today. But I fear the outdoor jams are likely done for the year as the temps get colder and the days get shorter.

61? Ya dang whippersnapper!

;)

Good to hear that the boot worked and you were able to mend without going under the knife.

I thought I was doing pretty good that I came home with my finger callouses in reasonably good shape... but, sure not enough to make it through 4 hours of playing in one day. You are tough, my friend.

Yeah, well "tough SOB" is my middle name. along with some other choice adjectives. :D Worse still, lots of ukulele songs are in the key of F, so plenty of barre chords too. Maybe the mix of barre and cowboy chords allowed me to survive the day.

As sore as my fretting hand is today, I really should have switched to ukulele and nylon strings for the second half of the jams. Then to top it off we went to a local hotel lobby and had dinner while listening to some talented friends play two sets. It was a big musical day, and maybe the last gasp for a while.

Sounds like a full and fun day, Earl. I won't use your middle name... this time. ;)

Today was new string day for a couple of my Emeralds. D'Addario Nickel Bronze strings were mentioned on another thread, so I thought I would give them a try. I picked up a set last week when I was in Guitar Center.

That's a great big ol' NOPE on those for me... tinny sounding compared to the Elixir PB Nanowebs I usually use. I'm thinking those won't be on there long, unless they mellow after a bit of use.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aOZvZCXRY...400/JimX20.jpg

It's been months since I made a "Staying at Home" video... mostly because we were far from home during that time.

Joan asked me to play for her and Rufus this morning, then said, "You should record something." She knows what's good for my soul.

I set up the Shure MV88+, my iPhone, and an Insta360 camera (to get something besides one static view, even though I do try to keep these "Staying at Home" simple.

Here's the results...

Jim;

Thank you. Very nice, and I like your guitar (is that an Emerald by any chance?).

Thanks, Evan. And, yes, by some chance, it is my X20. With the D'Addarios on it that I don't particularly like. Sounds even better with the Elixirs I normally use.

Totally excellent rendition. I should have known three dog night didn’t write it. Where do you position your mic?

Thanks. Joan and I were fans of Three Dog Night (saw them in concert 3 times back in the day). I still play a few of their songs.

The mic was about a foot and a half in front of me, positioned just above guitar level. The phone was behind and above that. A moderately lousy image...

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IyfEKDrHS...h400/SetUp.jpg

The mic is on that small tripod in the lower right of that image.

“Lousy image?”
 

Yes, but that image will be one I copy in a few weeks. Thanks.

It has been almost a week since I picked up a guitar. I have an unusual issue: after dealing with some medical stuff, I find a numbness in my fingertips. May be the residual effects of anesthesia or pain meds, but not something I have dealt with before. Today, adding some tingling to the numbness - I'm hoping that is a sign of improvement. Anyone have experience with this?

My guitar playing was never stellar, but this makes fretboard work a bit clumsier than usual.

And for the record, I have not "sinned" - been playing regular until this week.

Captain- so sorry to hear about this. I have no help to offer but wishes for a full and speedy recovery. Having not sinned karma should be on your side too...

I have not experienced that side effect. After having multiple surgeries over the years without any issues, my rotator cuff surgery almost two years ago had me very sick in the recovery room. No good explanation..... Hopefully the effect goes away quickly. [fingers crossed]