Rosie C

Lessons also make my learning quicker - it would take years to discover for myself the knowledge my bass teacher has.

I had exactly the same experience - it felt like the "D Dorian is C major just starting on D" was a back-to-front way of explaining it. As you say, thinking of D dorian in relation to other D scales, especially the D minor scales made so much more sense. I did learn them for my double bass teacher, but Dorian is the only mode I've actually used. Edit: this has been rattling around in my head since Sunday, and ended up writing out some scales and modes. It puzzles me that dorian clearly fits into the 3 minor scales, but is taught very differently.

Until a few weeks ago I'd been stuck on Boss pedals - loving the symmetry of them all lined up matching. But Christmas brought a Joyo "Oxford Sound" for my mandolin, and today I added a Donner "Harmonic Square" pitch shifter I've just bought from @Oldman. A nice pedal in a very neat little package compared to my Boss pedals.

I bought a Donner shift pedal from Brian. Great communications, the pedal arrived promptly - good condition and everything working.

It looks good from the back.

Good advice. I was offered £900 for a VW Fox by one of the big car-buying companies, but their attitude bugged me because it was in nice condition for its age and they were determined to run it down. I listed it on FB marketplace at £1500, sold within 12 hours and my inbox exploded with around 70 people enquiring. So likely I could have sold it for a chunk more.

No, for my parcels at least you get 3-4 days when the status is mysteriously "travelling to the border" which conjures up 1970s cold war spy dramas...

Lately it's been around a week for items to arrive for me, sometimes a little longer. I'd prefer not to use Thomann but for some things they're so much cheaper than anywhere else

Very true. My most recent was just before Christmas - guesting on piano accordion with our town brass band, and having learned a dozen carols from the Salvation Army carol book, which includes tunes in D♭ and G♭ key signatures. At the start of the second tune, an internal part attached by wax detached and that was my gig over. Of course if I'd been playing bass this would not have happened!

Ah, sorry, I was skimming through while waiting at the GP surgery and didn't see your reply. I managed to find a soft bag for my guitar-bodied mandolin at my local music shop but it had been on display years and was very dusty - but a run through the washing machine worked wonders.

Depending on the material, put it a washing machine?

I have Pro 17s for playing with our Morris band. I also have the Evolve Ambient IEMs which also have a 17 dB reduction.

Especially back in the day making round-backed lutes. I'd love to make something like this, but my woodworking skills extend only about as far as putting up a batten for a curtain rail!

Indeed, by Jarred Cooper!

It was not King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Nor was it King of Kings, the King of Glory Comes. In fact it was King of Kings, Majesty