Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: MrBump on January 20, 2009, 08:34:57 AM

Title: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: MrBump on January 20, 2009, 08:34:57 AM
Thinking about stuff while decorating, and I got to thinking about the moments where I'd done something so stupid that I knew the second I'd done it I had screwed up big time.

For example, went away for the weekend when I was still living with my mother, leaving my Charvel lying in its case, case unclosed, trem arm still in...

Came home to discover the case closed - queue "oh sh!t" moment.  The force of the lid closing had pulled half of one of the trem studs out.

And another, oddly enough case related again, was having my beloved Simon and Patrick Spruce 6 acoustic in my front room, wife closes the lid BUT DOESN'T DO THE CATCHES UP, I come back and pick up the case - again, queue "oh sh!t" moment - as guitar tumbles up, taking a gash out of the lovely spruce top...

I expect tales of horror from the luthiers hanging around here - come on guys, we won't think any less of you.

Mark.
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: WezV on January 20, 2009, 08:41:10 AM
ah, too many!!  i think i have mentioned a lot of them anyway and they are mainly learning mistakes

i had a non-guitar related one this weekend - replacing a tap in the kitchen.  did it all fine but switched the water back on to quickly realise i hadnt reconnected the washing machine hose
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Will on January 20, 2009, 09:50:40 AM
Yesterday, in 10ft in the air in a JCB loading thingy. Handbrake fails and I start rolling backkwards :) the driver just fell as the straw stack crumbled 10seconds before
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Catalyst77 on January 20, 2009, 09:56:13 AM
Falling out of the loft on boxing day.

Thats what i was thinking seconds before ripping my armpit out on the unprotected steel struts of the ladder.

To this day i have no feeling in the top part of my left arm.

although by the time i got back from the hospital i was so high on morphine that the fantastic four DVD which was put on for me was highly entertaining :D
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Roobubba on January 20, 2009, 10:01:28 AM
That's what comes of wearing such a ridiculous red strappy outfit, catalyst :D
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Twinfan on January 20, 2009, 10:11:47 AM
I had a lot of those moments when I fitted new discs and pads to my car last year.  Ended up using a hacksaw to trim the pads down and a crowbar to close the callipers.

Never, ever again.
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Fourth Feline on January 20, 2009, 10:53:21 AM
Absent mindedly listening to the washine machine run through it's complete wash cycle in the cellar, then remembering I had not put the draining hose out of the window ...  :?
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Ratrod on January 20, 2009, 10:56:58 AM
In a moment of rock n' roll madness, I hit a drum cymbal with the headstock of my treasured Gretsch Power Jet.

The Sperzel tuner was dislodged, rotated around it's axes. The pin that keeps it in place came out of the tuner and tore apart the little hole in the headstock.

Fortunately I was able to fix it. Took the tuner off, hammered the pin back in the tuner and filled the ruptured hole in the headstock with a mixture of wood glue and wood shavings. Drilled a new hole for the pin and reinstalled the tuner.

I'll never do that again with that guitar.
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: MrBump on January 20, 2009, 11:13:39 AM
In a moment of rock n' roll madness, I hit a drum cymbal with the headstock of my treasured Gretsch Power Jet.

The Sperzel tuner was dislodged, rotated around it's axes. The pin that keeps it in place came out of the tuner and tore apart the little hole in the headstock.

Fortunately I was able to fix it. Took the tuner off, hammered the pin back in the tuner and filled the ruptured hole in the headstock with a mixture of wood glue and wood shavings. Drilled a new hole for the pin and reinstalled the tuner.

I'll never do that again with that guitar.

You're SO Rock & Roll!
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Antag on January 20, 2009, 11:14:20 AM
I'll never do that again with that guitar.
umm, don't you mean any guitar? :)
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 20, 2009, 11:19:41 AM
I'll never do that again with that guitar.
:lol:

Many here, the most warning was trying to start a BIG compressor with the valve on the discharge closed (locked)... Was my first day back from holidays at work, could have died and made BIG damage at the place...

Will have to think about the guitar... But by now I think the hammered on the strings ferrule or cutting a little too much  on the cutaway of the body I'm doing for my friend... (well, talking with Wez and a american luthier that I know and getting the measures I discover that I've drawed the lines 2 or 3mm bigger than it should, so it'll be alright)
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: _tom_ on January 20, 2009, 11:34:55 AM
Dont think I have any of those for guitar.. the only memorable thing like this was when me and my mates were messing around on a very unstable makeshift ramp for our bmxes. Anyway it would just be my luck that when I go over it, it falls apart and I go right over the handlebars straight onto my face and scr@pe across the floor on it :lol: That was definitely an oh shite moment. I was concussed and had a huge patch of road rash on my face. Luckily no scarring or anything else bad happened, I'm just scared of shitety ramps now :P
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: sgmypod on January 20, 2009, 11:55:01 AM
Think was years ago resting my Sg against my 4x12 at a gig....mate walks by and trips over my guitar lead pulling it down...chipped headstock
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: sgmypod on January 20, 2009, 11:58:57 AM
or mate playing my amp(which was on my desk...with extension lead next to it)....hadn't cut strings and extension lead had open holes (the catch to close them broken) he caught a string in it..million to one chance..blue flash, loud bang amp was never any use again, other than a 2x12
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Antag on January 20, 2009, 12:44:45 PM
Well, I'm not sure "best" is the most appropriate adjective ;)  but a few spring to mind:

The demise of a beautiful '70s Gibson SG due to a mixture of stupidity & carelessness (http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7227.msg91061#msg91061) (at least 3 oh sh1t moments there... :roll:)

My Warmoth VIP.  To cut a long story short, I tried to drill the neck mounting holes with a hand drill.  Didn't realise that the Max RPM for the 3mm wood bit was 1800RPM.  Started drilling with the drill set to full (3000RPM), snapped the bit & gouged the still spinning stump across the back of the neck. Luckily I didn't hurt myself.  So I took it to Feline who drille dthe holes properly & attached the neck.  Then he says "Would you like us to finish the whole guitar for you?"  A sensible person would have said "Yes please, how much?".  However, I said "no thanks, I'll take it from there" & took it home.  Was trying to attach the pickup bezel when the screw snapped off, leaving the threaded part embedded in the body.  I ended up taking it all the way back to Croydon & Feline finished (http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6279.0) it all off :oops: :lol:
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 20, 2009, 01:29:10 PM
Amazing stories, but where are the pics of the VIP???
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Antag on January 20, 2009, 02:31:52 PM
Amazing stories, but where are the pics of the VIP???
Don't have any pics of the damage any more, but here's one of the BKPs in it:
(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh23/george204/th_VIP_MMCS.jpg) (http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh23/george204/VIP_MMCS.jpg)
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: PhilKing on January 20, 2009, 02:35:06 PM
Try picking up a case with a 53 conversion Les Paul without fastening the catches - fortunately it was in the living room and didn't land on the headstock.  One time I was putting a new jazz bass pickup in and drilled my pilot holes right through the back of the body (this is on my 73 Rickenbacker bass).
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: sgmypod on January 20, 2009, 02:49:03 PM
Try picking up a case with a 53 conversion Les Paul without fastening the catches - fortunately it was in the living room and didn't land on the headstock.  One time I was putting a new jazz bass pickup in and drilled my pilot holes right through the back of the body (this is on my 73 Rickenbacker bass).
..ahhh
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: gwEm on January 20, 2009, 03:56:03 PM
One time I was putting a new jazz bass pickup in and drilled my pilot holes right through the back of the body
i've done that before (though not on a 73 rickenbacker) how i swore
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: WezV on January 20, 2009, 04:35:07 PM
can ye spot the large drill hole....
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/back1.jpg)


i still can :(
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: sgmypod on January 20, 2009, 05:52:02 PM
Love the colour of that
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 20, 2009, 06:01:35 PM
Not sure if I can... where is it?

Nice VIP, Antag!
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Will on January 20, 2009, 06:06:00 PM
top corner of the control cover?
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 20, 2009, 06:16:00 PM
top corner of the control cover?
Thinking the same, but... not sure if matches the description
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: WezV on January 20, 2009, 07:06:05 PM
nope, the reflection is a thumb groove - there on purpose although i dont feel the need to do those now
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: sgmypod on January 20, 2009, 07:27:20 PM
still a very sweet guitar what wood is that
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: WezV on January 20, 2009, 08:45:40 PM
thats some fairly streaky black limba
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: sgmypod on January 20, 2009, 09:45:26 PM
damn it's pretty..went to look for rest of picks on site but is down at mo
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: WezV on January 20, 2009, 09:56:38 PM
i know, i got so ashamed by the state of the old site i took it down - i am slowly working on a new one

that was one of my early favorites and the flaw is quite small!!

(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/th_side1.jpg) (http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/?action=view&current=side1.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/th_full4.jpg) (http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/?action=view&current=full4.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/th_17_0018.jpg) (http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/?action=view&current=17_0018.jpg)

but with wood that nice it was a proper 'oh shite' moment when it happened
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 20, 2009, 10:14:42 PM
Ok! But what happened? could find it yet :lol:
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Jonny on January 20, 2009, 10:19:02 PM
I can't see it either.
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: WezV on January 20, 2009, 10:36:13 PM
look at the high e string ferrule, slightly off coloured section in amongst the streaks

I was drilling the wire channel from neck pocket to bridge pickup, realised i had drilled further  than i needed to and still couldnt see the drill bit in the bridge cavity.  the extra long drill bit had wandered quite seriously... and actually popped out on the back

 that drill bit got binned straight away and replaced with one costing a lot more money.... not the sort of mistake you make twice!!!
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 20, 2009, 10:38:26 PM
uhh! :(
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Dreichlift on January 21, 2009, 12:34:21 AM
I once woke up at the wheel of my car doing 90 mph into a right handed corner, 800 yards of road, 2 fences, a boulder the size of a beachball, 3 trees and an iron gate later, I crawled out of the wreckage and called home for a lift.

The next morning I recovered the car and on reconnecting the battery heard Queen playing Who wants to live forever on the stereo, was all very surreal.


Closley followed by accidentally stabbing my mother in the head with the headstock of my brand new Jackson V when I was 16. :(
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 21, 2009, 12:37:56 AM
Damn!
The first is hard, but the second is scarry :lol:
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Ratrod on January 21, 2009, 11:29:02 AM
I'll never do that again with that guitar.
umm, don't you mean any guitar? :)

My Telecaster can take it.
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: _tom_ on January 21, 2009, 11:55:50 AM
oh yeah forgot about car crashes. I've only been in one and it wasnt that serious but couldve been so much worse. Basically I was driving through some back roads that I didnt know well at all, at night, whilst it was raining. Anyway I came round a corner and there was a t junction out of $%&#ing nowhere - definitely an oh shitee moment :lol: Cant remember how fast I was going but ploughed straight into the verge on the other side. Somehow managed to reverse off and drive off but the engine started overheating.. turns out the fog light had somehow punctured the radiator and all the water/whatever is inside them had leaked out.

5 seconds after I'd done it a car drove by, so if I was 5 seconds later could've gone straight into the side of it..
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Antag on January 21, 2009, 12:39:43 PM
I guess my most recent non-guitar related "oh sh1t" moment was back in June with my 3 week old baby son: I accidentally fed him a bottle of #4 "follow-on" formula instead of the #1 "newborn" formula he was supposed to have.

(for the non-parents, #4 formula is intended for 1 year-olds as a supplement to solid food - it's much thicker than the #1 formula that newborns have)

As soon as I realised what I'd done I was seriously bricking it.  Phoned the GP but they weren't too worried, told me just to give him some extra water for the next few days to help him digest it.

The little lad cried non-stop for 24 hours  :( then presented us with a seriously unpleasant nappy :!:  I never made that mistake again...  :roll:
Title: Re: What's Your Best "Oh Sh!t" Moment?
Post by: Roobubba on January 21, 2009, 02:03:02 PM
On the 4th of February last year, I started my current job. Our institute is spread across two sites, one in Chelsea, one in Sutton (Surrey). I diligently found my way to the Sutton site (I'd been interviewed at the Chelsea site), which considering I had a broken arm so had to rely on public transport, was no mean feat.

I called him from the train to Sutton, having got the 5:40 bus from Oxford, then a train from Victoria, to warn him that I was going to be about 1/4 hour late (assuming a 9am start time)... great start.

Then, when I got to reception, they put a call through to my boss, who said he'd come to reception to collect me. Unfortunately, he was in Chelsea, and I'd misread my e-mail, so I then had to get the train back up to Chelsea. The moment I realised what I'd managed to do was definitely an "oh shite" or EPIC FAIL moment!

Luckily, my boss is really cool, and while he still ribs me about it, things could have been a LOT worse!

:D


Roo