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This has been a rather slow process, I must admit. When I first bought the guitar, I didn’t have the money to buy the new pick-up I wanted, so I just put off getting to work with everything else as well. But good things do come to those who wait!

When I finally stared working, the first thing I did was to take the body out into street, and kicking it around for a bit. There was a lot of sand and small gravel on the ground which ensured rough look as a result.
This is what the body looked like after that treatment:

The next step was to set the whole thing on fire. I found an empty parking lot, brought a bottle of gasoline and a box of matches, and got to work. I didn’t get any images of the first session, but this is what it resulted in:

I wasn’t quite happy with the result, so I decided to try again with the old pick guard on, so as to spare the pick-up cavity from the flames. Before I got the chance to do that though, my mother suggested I’d try using a hot air gun to get some of the lacquer off. I gave it a try, and ended up very happy with the result! The lacquer came off very nicely, and I was able to control exactly which parts should be clean and which shouldn’t.
When I felt done with the hot air gun, I decided to set fire to it once again, to perhaps get a more scorched look. This time I even managed to get it on camera:

This is the final result:

As for the neck, all I’ve basically done is sanding of the lacquer, from the back of the neck, and from the headstock (getting rid of the old logo), as well as drilling holes for the new tuners. I didn’t get any good pictures in between, but here is the end result:

On a final note, I’ve decided to go for the pick-ups that I talked about in my last post, but I’ve come up with some changes to the wiring. More on that next time.

/K

So a while back I bought a guitar from a friend. I didn’t think I needed it, but he really wanted to sell it, and he gave me a good price (a very good price), so I bought it. And so I started thinking what I could do with it. It wasn’t a very good guitar, and the set up was horrible, so I realized I was going to have to do some major work to get it good. At the very least replace the pick-ups, and possibly even the neck. The tuners were not in very good shape either, and since I don’t like playing with a tremolo bar, I figured I was at least going to have to block the bridge, if not replace it with a hard tail. As I was thinking about all of this, and beginning to take the poor old instrument apart, I came to the conclusion that I might as well go all out, and turn this baby into a monster. Use this guitar as the skeleton on which to try everything I’ve ever wanted to try when building a guitar, and turning it into the most versatile instrument ever, or thereabout (short of the Jimmy Page signature, perhaps).

So what’s the plan, then? Let me break it down for you:

The body:
This I’m keeping, but some major work will be done to it. This is what it looks like now:

As you can see, it’s an alder body, with a standard strat-type three color sunburst, and universal pick-up routing. My plan is to relic the body, by kicking it around on the ground for a bit, and then setting it on fire. Hopefully this will produce a look similar to the famous strat, now owned by Dweezil Zappa, that Jimi Hendrix once torched on stage. This might not work, though, since there’s a good chance the lacquer isn’t of the same quality, and will melt rather than burn. We’ll see what happens.
I’ll also install flush mount Strap Lok strap holders, since I like the look of those a lot.

The neck:
I’ll do what I can to save this, but it looks like the weak spot of the guitar. This is what it looks like:

It’s a maple neck, with a 22-fret rosewood fretboard, and a headstock just slightly smaller than on a modern strat. What I’ll do is first of all to sand of the lacquer from the back of the neck, to give it a nicer feel. The profile is pretty much to my taste though (not too fat), so I won’t mess around with that. Besides that, I’ll go over the frets, and exchange the nut, and see if I can make it work. If I can, I’ll get a friend (or possibly my sister) to paint a custom artwork on the headstock, to make the guitar stand out even more.

The hardware:
Not much to say about this. I’ll keep everything except the machine heads, which, quite frankly, are crap. I’ll probably replace them with black ones, but that’s not set in stone.

The electronics:
This is where the fun really starts! Take a look at the “before” picture:

What we have on here is three run-of-the-mill crappy strat type single coils, wired to a master volume, two tones, and a 5-way switch. This will not do. This will not do at all!
I’m going for as much tonal variety as possible, so what I’m thinking right now is as follows: A humbucker in the bridge position, preferably a rather hot one, that can be split into single coil mode. A slightly hot strat-type single coil in the middle, and another humbucker in the neck position (not as hot as the bridge one), which should also be splitable. I’m then going to wire them up to three push/pull pots (still one volume and two tone), and a regular 5-way switch. One pot will split the bridge pick-up, another the neck pick-up, and the third will make it so that position three on the switch will be bridge and neck in parallel, as opposed to middle pick-up alone, when the pot is pushed. This will give me a total of 12 different pick-up settings, basically (yeah, but not quite) combining a strat, a tele, and an LP. To top it off, I’ll install a kill switch, so that I can get the classic LP “hacked up” sound, that is normally produced by having one pick-up turned down, and flicking the 3-way switch back and forth.
Right now I’m leaning towards a Seymour-Duncan set up, with an SH-4 JB in the bridge position, an SH-2n Jazz in the neck position, and an SSL-4 in the middle. It seems like a pretty good, medium hot to hot set up, with a lot of potential.

That’s it for now. I’ll keep you posted as the work progresses.

/K

04 Surrender by wassholm

I’d like to give up, I’d like to surrender now
I’d like to give up, I’d like to surrender now
I’d like to give up, I’d like to remember how

Indeed I’ve been brave
I’ve braved my life away
But now I’m ready to give
I’m here to surrender

Blow full retreat
I lay all my guns at your feet
I am leaving
So why aren’t you leaving
Please just go

So I can let go, and finally start over now
Yeah, I’d like to let go, I’d like to start over now
I’d like to just go, and to find my way home
Somehow

- – -

This is probably the one song of mine that people has expressed the most praise for. I’m not sure I believe that’s due to the lyrics though… It’s simply an expression of my struggle to get over a broken heart – my supposed inability to let go of anything.
I really like the “surrender now” – “remember how” rhyme in the first chorus. That’s very much to the point. Beyond that, every time I play this song with the band, by the time we get to the outro I pretty much start to cry. I guess the music follows the general emotion of the song pretty well. That’s also very much the point.

/K

See the sun on the horizon
Yeah, it’s coming on, this is the start, I’m sure
We’ll let this end like a beginning
Like everything else we’ve ever begun before

I know your pain
I know ‘cause it sticks on me
Yeah it’s this game
That’s what it is
That surely will set us free

Now here I am
Take me or leave me
Just say the word, and I’ll heed your every call
Just take control
Lord knows I want you to
Just say the word
Just say any word at all

No this is not no longer who we are
We change our clothes
We cut our hair
But it’s in the air we breathe
The names we wear

Like I still keep singing the songs I write
To move you half way across the world
But you come back
Yeah you always return
Leaving both of us right where we are
Right where we always will be

- – -

A new song about an old state of being – “Everything changes, yet I remain the same” (if I might be so bold as to quote myself). This one, I think, is not meant to be easily understood. But there’s a feeling in there, somewhere. If you happen to find it, I suggest you don’t hold on to it for too long. It makes for bad company, trust me.
It might be considered an anthem for the Facebook generation (which we may or may not regard ourselves as right now, but certainly will hear nothing of, in a matter of a few short years), in that it’s becoming increasingly harder to keep away from that which you have no desire of holding on to. Especially for a “holding-on” professional, like yours truly.

Last Saturday was the first day of songwriting for my new metal collaboration. I’m writing together with my long time friend, drummer Emil Brandqvist, who also plays the drums in KWB. We met early at his place, and drew some sketches for songs. We’re still far from anything finished, but there’s some heavy ass riffs in there, believe me.
Before leaving Emil’s place, I also came up with a new idea for a book, from watching Emil play with his son. More on that later.

After leaving Emil and his family, I headed for Fuzz Guitar Show, where I had planed to pick up parts to build a new bas for myself. I met up with my good friend Martin Olsson, who is an expert on everything bass, and he helped me pick out just what I needed. I got a beautiful Candy Apple Metallic J-style body, and a nice sounding neck, plus most of the hardware.
I have since spent my spare time trying to put it all together. It’s not completely finished yet – the pickups are on their way from Germany – but it’s coming together quite nicely.

First a quick note.
I thought I’d publish a bunch of my lyrics here, and say a few words about them. I have quite a few lying around, and I will try to go through most of them in time, although new songs will probably have priority.
I’m starting of with an old one though:

Hollywood
(A song about leaving home)

I’d like to take you to see LA, and the places I once called my home
It would kinda be like going back where it all began
And we’d stroll down South Normandie to the heart of Korea Town
Where I lived through the first five songs of my life
And I’d play them again on my new guitar, and we’d laugh at the years that’s gone by
At how young we were, and at how little has changed
Though things may not look the same – and you’ve moved, and you’ve changed your name
Still all the things we had could be ours again
Just like the songs we’re singing

Sing love
Sing, like you sang the first time
When we weren’t afraid to choose
And never look back again

I remember the first time you sang for me
I remember the first time we danced
I remember he words and the melody still today
It was a song about leaving home
And you left, and you came back alone
Now every single time I hear you sing since then
It seems like only yesterday
But when we dance, we dance for tomorrow
We twirl, we sway, we fly
And we dance away all your reasons to say goodbye

I’d like to take you to Hollywood, ’cause baby, you’d sure be a star
And I know some people who know some people there
And if we would just take a chance, and forget how the story ends
The all the things we had would be ours again
Is that not why we’re singing?

Sing love
Sing, like you sang the first time
When we weren’t afraid to choose
And never look back again
- – -
This song was written over the course of about four years. The melody of the chorus came to me first, and I spent several months figuring out what to do with the verses. I basically removed everything but two chords, which felt very good. It was something I had never done before, and as such I felt it was a great success. However, I wanted a modulation for the end, and it took me about a year to figure it out. I then lived with the melody for a couple more years, before finishing the lyrics in 20 minutes before a gig, in the summer of 2007.

So what’s it about? It’s about one or more persons I met before or after spending some months in LA, in the summer of 2000. That’s about all I’ll tell you ;-)
Seriously though, I’d say it’s about (as so many of my songs are) the desire to hold on to that which is undoubtedly gone forever (such as the past). She was of course very beautiful, as they always are, and what was with her was surely that which one would want lasting forever. However I suspect that when we’d get to forever, we’d realize that growth is better than holding on that which once was, however wonderful that originally was. Funny how the idea of a song can be the complete opposite of the story being told by the words…

/K

Tomorrow I’m meeting a drummer who’s going to write some great metal with me. He’s not a metal drummer originally, but he’s crazy technical, and has the right attitude for sure. The first step we’re taking tomorrow, is actually him borrowing my double bass-drum pedal, to practice before he gets his own.
On Saturday we’ll get together for our first brainstorm writing session. I do have a lot of sketches and ideas, so I’m pretty sure we’ll have some good material ready before long.

So far it’s only him and me, but we have ideas for other players as well. The ball is officially rolling!

/K

I am no longer a member of Darkwater. I figured I needed to say something about that, so here goes.

First up – Darkwater’s own statement:

“Announcement
We’ve decided to part ways with Karl Wassholm.
The reason for this is that we have felt for a long time that the chemistry between the four of us and Karl has not matched the way we wanted it to.
We wish Karl all the best in his future music career, and we know he will succeed in whatever he chooses to do.”

Next up – My official statement (as published on Darkwater’s website and MySpace):

“This was not a mutual decision, and I was as surprised as anyone to find out that I was no longer wanted in the band.
I have had a great six years in the band, playing with them from the beginning, and I’ve really enjoyed creating some great music together with these guys. It saddens me that I will not be around to reap the real benefits of the time and effort that all of us have put in to this band. Darkwater has always been destined for greatness.

Anyone who knows me knows that I will keep on making music. This will by no means be the last you hear from me – keep checking my myspace and my website for updates.

/K”

So what’s up with this? I guess there are a few questions I should address.

1. How am I doing?

I’ve know about this since September, so I’ve had time to adapt. I’m not saying that I like this situation, but right now it feels as if Darkwater has long since seized to be the focus of my attention. All in all, I’m doing well, thank you!

2. What am I doing?

Well, I’m certainly keeping busy, that’s for sure. I’ve just released an album with my country band Little Green, and we did a tour through Sweden and Norway with American singer/songwriter/bass player Ted Russell Kamp, in support of both our current releases. Beyond that I’m working on new material for what’s become known as Karl Wassholm Band, hoping to have an album out before the end of the year.
I’ve been writing songs together with my friend Tomas Hulenvik, and the result of that work will be published under the name Photography. We are also looking to release an album some time this year.
I’m also playing in a handful of other bands, writing a book or two, and working in a studio (as a recording engineer).

3. What about metal?

I’m actually working on material for a new metal project as well. I had some songs, and some ideas for songs, ready for the next Darkwater release, but I’m taking all that with me to this new project. I have approached some musicians, but nothing is decided yet, as far as people, band name, release date, or label. I don’t see this being released before 2010. It’s going to be big though, just you wait!

4. What’s my current relationship with the rest of the guys in Darkwater?

I don’t live in the same city as the rest of Darkwater (never have), so we don’t really hang out. We’ve been emailing a bit, mostly to figure out the specifics about this announcement. We’re not going to walk away from this as close friends, but not as enemies either. I wish them all the best.

5. Will I be the next bass player of Pain of Salvation?

Probably not, but you never know ;-)

If you have any further questions about this whole thing, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to answer.

I will keep on bloging about everything I’m doing, so if you’re interested in staying updated, this is the place to look.

Take care
/K

Welcome to wassholm.net

Right here is where you’ll find everything that has to do with my music, my writing, my bloging, and my life. I will keep you posted on all of my projects, as well as treat you to new music and videos.

So who am I? Well, my name is Karl Wassholm, and I’m a freelance musician, actor and sound guy from Gothenburg, Sweden. Take a look around this site, and I bet things will be clearer before long. If you still have questions, feel free to e-mail me at blog@wassholm.net.