# The Great Ongoing Guitar Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 31, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172 "2010-01-31T23:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 137
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2723 "2012-10-14T14:40:38Z")
Not so much a ‘read the circuit’ standpoint, more a ‘okay, if I plug RW/RP in here, will it work right with a hum in the bridge, or would it be exactly wrong and humreinforce’? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2724 "2012-10-14T15:00:19Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Not so much a ‘read the circuit’ standpoint, more a ‘okay, if I plug RW/RP in here, will it work right with a hum in the bridge, or would it be exactly wrong and humreinforce’? I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine; you want the middle pickup to interact with the neck and also the bridge in split-coil mode as normal, which is with an RW/RP. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2725 "2012-10-18T00:02:31Z")
Got a new amp. Four Force EM-1. Not quite for sale yet, but HelloMusic had it for $119, so I said what the hell, why not. Won Best of Show Summer NAMM. Will retail for $150. [http://www.fourforce.us/](http://www.fourforce.us/) It’s not a tube amp, and it’s not a modeling amp, it’s an amp that’s designed to behave like a tube amp. Should be interesting! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2726 "2012-10-18T12:41:54Z")
Cool; keep us posted - sounds like a fun experiment. Guitar Geek Cred alert: I love it when actual music folks are involved in a show about music, and with T-Bone Burnett involved with Nashville, good guitar things happen. Without engaging in plot details, The Little Blonde Tart gave the Band Leader She’s Trying to Seduce Over to Her Band a 1938 Martin 00-42 as an…offering. The fact that it was presented that way and they picked a guitar like that…swoon. I called out a $70,000 value to the TV; when it was given to the Band Leader, he was told to insure it for $50,000. Either way. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2727 "2012-10-18T13:19:45Z")
So, I just found a pretty cool Epi bass in the attic of house I’m house-sitting. Yeah, I know! 🙂 Never played bass before or even held one and I’m wondering how high the action typically is. At say, the twelfth fret. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2728 "2012-10-18T16:30:04Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > So, I just found a pretty cool Epi bass in the attic of house I’m house-sitting. Yeah, I know! 🙂 > > Never played bass before or even held one and I’m wondering how high the action typically is. At say, the twelfth fret. Thanks. I am not sure, but I would assume that a quick Google on electric bass setup would share a lot of info… > **[Setting String Height – Adjusting Your Action - The Bass Guitar Blog](https://bassguitarblog.com/2009/06/setting-string-height-adjusting-your-action/)** > > So, to the business of setting up a Bass Guitar. Tuning aside - do start with that first! - string height is the number one adjustment on a bass. There are all sorts of reasons that string height adjustment is needed, from changing string type and... [http://www.americanmusical.com/ItemFiles/Manual/iba\_bass\_manual.pdf](http://www.americanmusical.com/ItemFiles/Manual/iba_bass_manual.pdf) (this one appears to have measurements) …you get the idea. I also would assume that the basic rule of thumb is the same for basses as guitars: make sure the neck relief is set and you have the string gauge you are going to use on the bass installed, then lower the action until it starts gettying buzzy… ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2729 "2012-10-19T01:52:05Z")
Mini humbuckers. Where do they fall on the tone spectrum? Brighter than ‘real’ humbuckers? Or is it strictly a function of how hot they’re wound? ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2730 "2012-10-19T09:08:32Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Mini humbuckers. Where do they fall on the tone spectrum? Brighter than ‘real’ humbuckers? Or is it strictly a function of how hot they’re wound? They _are_ real humbuckers. They do tend to be brighter and thinner sounding than your classic PAF-style 'bucker, which is (I assume) what you’re calling “real”. But they still have the midrange hump that is characteristic of what people think of as the “fat” humbucker sound. More windings/higher output tend to lower the frequency of the midrange hump: lower output humbuckers sound brighter, higher output sound muddier. Minibuckers are scaled-down PAF-types: they’re lower-output than PAF-types, which is why they’re usually brighter. Keep in mind that everything I’m saying here is “typically true” but there are all sorts of variations of and exceptions to the standard. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2731 "2012-10-19T11:22:27Z")
I don’t have a lot of experience with them. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2732 "2012-10-20T18:55:41Z")
You’ve got some, Wordman. Trouble and Blondie both have mini-hums, as does the Creamsicle that’s right in your house. GO LOOK AT IT. [![](https://i.imgur.com/bOXfr.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/bOXfr.jpg) Trouble and the Creamsicle both have ceramic ones. Blondie, as you may recall from earlier in this thread, has an alnico '59 style. It’s certainly warmer than the ceramics, with more complex overtones. Not as loud as a full size, in my experience, but both of my full size humbuckers are somewhat overwound to start with. But they can both growl when needed. There’s a lot of variation available, from GFS alone. > **[Mini Humbuckers](https://www.guitarfetish.com/Mini-Humbuckers_c_126.html)** > > Mini Humbuckers ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2733 "2012-10-20T20:57:55Z")
::smacks forehead:: duh; you’re right. My son hasn’t been playing it amp’d up while his broken fingertip heals. Yeah - nice tone - humbuckery but brighter. Nice in the Keith Richards neck role… ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2734 "2012-10-21T00:14:11Z")
Thanks for the mini-humbuckery enlightenment, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2735 "2012-10-25T15:58:41Z")
This is a bit of a bump, but I didn’t think my little revelation was worth starting a new thread for. Playing the acoustic in the kitchen! Up until yesterday I always plonked myself down on the sofa in the living room. Curtains, carpet soft furnishings… pretty much a dead room. Last night I wanted to keep half an ear on the radio, which is in the kitchen. So I put the old Yamaha on a strap and stood in the kitchen. Tiled floor no curtains and no soft furniture. Bloody hell I can hear myself, it was like having a new instrument. Go on, try it. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2736 "2012-10-25T16:47:01Z")
[Dire Straits] Down in the tunnel, trying to make it play… [/Dire Straits] or singing doo-wop in a tiled bathroom. More bounce and natural reverb. I end up in the kitchen semi-regularly. It’s a nicely different room-feel. Agreed on the recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2737 "2012-10-25T19:43:16Z")
I’ve got a breezeway in my house – about 35 feet long, 10 feet wide, with stucco walls n’ ceiling and concrete under. I like to sit in a chair and play my acoustic there some evenings – the natural reverb is enchanting. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2738 "2012-10-26T23:03:21Z")
The Four Force arrived. Slightly different from the prototype: it’s got sound ports on the side. And it’s MUCH BIGGER than I thought. Does a mean Smoke on the Water. It’s also MUCH LOUDER than I thought. Yow. I’m happy. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2739 "2013-01-06T18:33:29Z")
Damn, I love the [Strat](http://the6550s.tumblr.com/post/38466348917/david-gilmours-1954-fender-stratocaster-serial). I love my Les Paul and even my Tele, but when I pick up the Strat, it just feels so right. And the design. Is there anything more beautiful to come out of the last century? Gotta have that maple neck though. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2740 "2013-01-06T19:12:22Z")
And I love what I’m reading about this [amp](http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/fender-25r-frontman-series-ii-25w-1x10-guitar-combo-amp?fb_action_ids=150990171716744&&&fb_action_types=gramusiciansfriend%3Awant&&&fb_source=timeline_og&&&action_object_map=%7B%22150990171716744%22%3A10150992611353629%7D&&&action_type_map=%7B%22150990171716744%22%3A%22gramusiciansfriend%3Awant%22%7D&&&action_ref_map=%5B%5D&src=3GOA2FTA) (25 watts, but loud enough for my music room). Does anyone plau through one of these and what are your observations? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2741 "2013-01-06T20:17:01Z")
> [@Fiddle Peghead](#): > > Damn, I love the Strat. I love my Les Paul and even my Tele, but when I pick up the Strat, it just feels so right. And the design. Is there anything more beautiful to come out of the last century? Gotta have that maple neck though. How’d you get hold of that axe? David, is that you? Yeah, I’ve got a real jones to own a good Strat, I never have. Lucky you! But I gotta get rid of some of the nine guitars I have now - most of them not very sellable - before the missus will entertain an expenditure. Anybody want a 1983 Matsumoku Electra x185? Or 2008 Schecter Classic? Or 2010 Fender Jagmaster, the axe my son stopped playing? Or a totally beat to shit, non-original 1971 Gibson SG with poorly done frankenbridge? See what I mean? > [@Quasimodem](#): > > And I love what I’m reading about this [amp](http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/fender-25r-frontman-series-ii-25w-1x10-guitar-combo-amp?fb_action_ids=150990171716744&&&fb_action_types=gramusiciansfriend%3Awant&&&fb_source=timeline_og&&&action_object_map=%7B%22150990171716744%22%3A10150992611353629%7D&&&action_type_map=%7B%22150990171716744%22%3A%22gramusiciansfriend%3Awant%22%7D&&&action_ref_map=%5B%5D&src=3GOA2FTA) (25 watts, but loud enough for my music room). Does anyone plau through one of these and what are your observations? > > Thanks > > Q For the money it looks good. It’s solid state, so don’t expect a distortion tone that’ll very authentic, but for clean it probably sounds pretty good. Fender clean tone is awesome. For the group: isn’t a 25-watt solid state amp considerably less loud than say a 15-watt tube amp? I’m not sure this matters to **Quasi** , since he’d use the amp for home use, and it may even be a plus. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2742 "2013-01-07T15:04:48Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] For the group: isn’t a 25-watt solid state amp considerably less loud than say a 15-watt tube amp? [/QUOTE] The problem with comparing tranny amp vs valve amp volume is that you _really_ don’t want to overdrive a transistor output stage, it sounds awful. Where an overdriven valve power amp is THE HOLY FRACKING GRAIL!\* Another confounding issue is that power ratings are stated at a given level of distortion\*\* say 5%. I may have posted this up thread but standard rock usage of a valve amp doesn’t really occur in the low-distortion domain. Anyhow. 25 transistor watts is plenty for home use. - Guess who got a pair of Groove Tube EL84s for Christmas 😃 \*\* technically, total harmonic distortion (THD) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=136) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=138)