Phillip and Jaci

My hair looks flippin’ sweet today. I can’t remember how I got it this way though; probably something to do with 100% humidity, 95-degree FL sun and a motorcycle helmet!

This is the beginning of the repair to the Rhodes; I’ll be documenting it with photos each step of the way. You can click on each thumbnail below to see a description of what I’m doing.

Unfortunately the new pickup’s adjustment rail is TOO LONG. Man, somehow I knew this would be too easy!!! not work out as expected! So I tried to re-wind and attach the broken coil lead on the F# pickup and replace it… Sloppy soldering job, too, btw. 30W irons apparently like to melt the 30-year-old glue that they fastened the solder post with.

I’m going to try to resolder in the old pickup; but I don’t want to drill a new hole beyond the current strike-line. So I may try to find a way of lengthening the adjustment hole on the new pickups. That will allow the back end to stick further out behind the current pickups, but still fasten to the soundboard in the original holes. I have to do this on about 10 pickups; so I want to make sure I do this right.

Let me know what you guys think!

Here are some quick audio samples of my new Rhodes (see pics below)!!! I’m really excited about it; and it sounds incredible.

Direct Input:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Stereo Room Mic:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

It was told to me it’s a 1972 Rhodes Mark II 88-key. However, Rhodes didn’t make the Mark II 88-key until 1979. Sooooo I assume 1979.

I found it on craigslist a few weeks ago and emailed the guy; he never got back to me until Saturday and he said he’d take $800 cash for it. SO OBVIOUSLYYYYYYYY I went and drew the cash and went and bought it!!!

It’s in pristine condition save for about 10 dead pickups on the keys. I’m going to fix them all this week though — I know a little bit about electronics and I have diagnosed the problems; shouldn’t be too hard! If you are reading this and need some tips or pointers on Rhodes Repair, www.vintagevibe.com provides a fantastic guide and tools, too.

Jaclyn and Phillip Jackson perform ‘You are Good’ live at Christ Fellowship in Royal Palm Beach on 5/2/2008.

After spending most of the Thanksgiving holiday working on our new EP (being released later this year) we’ve taken a break as of late to work on some tracks for our dear friends. JR Taylor and Jon Gray from Tommie Zito Ministries spent some time with us in January doing some recording of their originals. I’m very proud of how far they’ve come in the last 2 years!

Staci Jinkerson also payed us a visit twice since New Year’s to work on 3 of her new tunes. We’re really pleased with how all of this has turned out! I’ve given a small sample of one of my favorite new songs by JR Taylor here below, called ‘Will You Come‘.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

What, no atheists?

read more | digg story

I am starting a new freelance management company next year called Hyper Super Mega. We are going to become client management for freelancers and small businesses who do not have CRM already in place.

We will provide phone and IM support for a small monthly fee (very very small in fact) and provide templates, email, rss reminders and integration into iCal and your Google Calendar for free.

We are toying with the idea of licensing one of Basecamp’s competitors to use as our project management interface with our beta audience. I will have a beta signup on the HSM website very soon.

Help us with our SEO efforts by creating inbound links to HSM by linking to our index page using the words “music freelance management” or “web freelance management” or even simply our name, Hyper Super Mega!

We’re totally excited that this could be a very real possibility to be a full-time gig for us in the near future. We’ll keep you posted.

Hey guys – check out our music site on Myspace; we need people to friend us up! Get crackin!

www.myspace.com/phillipandjaci

Yay! A Graph!

The awesomest Comp Desk Ever!!!

Sweetness!