# 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:** 145
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2883 "2013-03-23T21:58:28Z")
An update re: USB inputs for guitar for the non-Mac crowd… I got one of these babies and have it working flawlessly with Windows 8 > **[Amazon.com: Behringer Guitar Link UCG102 USB Audio Interface : Musical...](https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCG102-Ultimate-Guitar-Interface/dp/B000PAPO9W)** > > Product Description BEHRINGER GUITAR LINK UCG102The Ultimate Guitar-to-USB Interface to Jam and Record with Killer Modeling Amps and EffectsPlug in your favorite guitar and turn your PC or Mac computer into a guitar amp and recording system... I have the **Amplitube 3** demo but never wanted to spring for the full product until I was sure I could get it working on my laptop. After about 4 hours of settings and driver trail and error (sheesh! :rolleyes:) I have it working with perfect sound and almost no latency 😃 Now to buy the full version and record some schweet schweet sounds! I’ve also tried it in **Audacity** and it works great. If anyone else goes for this, the undocumented tips… Install both the x64 and ASIO4ALL drivers from Behringers support. There is a .pdf manual with the ASIO driver that has critical un-obvious tips. ‘Buffer size’ in both Direct X and ASIO4ALL are critical settings to get clean sound. Make sure Windows control panel sounds for mic inputs are recognizing the USB interface and you have it set to default for all settings, else the Windows microphone drivers will fight with it. Bump buffers up to maximum (you’ll get terrible latency) and scooch the buffer lower and lower until you find a happy medium. Don’t wear headphones at full volume when configuring drivers _bang-weeeeeeeeeeee-wooooooonkkkkk-wweeeeeeee!!!_ hit self in face with guitar neck and falls off couch 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2884 "2013-03-23T23:51:35Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I’ve thought about that, but I’m not pursuing it - at this moment at least - for several reasons: > > - I can’t say I know exactly what I’m looking for enough to specify it as such-and-such a nut width, neck carve, fingerboard radius, etc. I have to pick up a guitar and play it, and then live with it for a a handful of days to know if its a good fit. > > - It’s about the same or a little more expensive to build it yourself vs. just buying one from Fender. I just now priced out everything to make a Dakota red s/s/s rosewood Warmoth “strat”, everything plain vanilla, no frills: $1042.10 with shipping. A brand new American Standard from Fender is about the same, but it comes assembled. > > - you can’t take a parts-o-caster back once you assemble it, or at least it would be very difficult to do so. So cross your fingers and hope you specified everything right, because the very first time you find out if it’s the guitar of your dreams is when it’s too late to do much about it if it isn’t. well, you _can_ do things, but it’s probably a real pain to do so. If I buy a guitar from GC, on the other hand, I get 30 days for full refund. That said, I’m obviously having trouble finding an instrument that I actually want to buy from GC, so there’s that. > > - A parts-o-caster is difficult to sell if you tire of it. If I put an Am Std Strat on Craigslist, everyone knows what it is, and has a good idea of what it’s worth in good condition. A parts-o-caster can be much more of a problem to value and sell, if only because people like a familiar name on the headstock. > > Anyway, I’m not ruling out building my own. I think it would be fun. But I’m kind of interested in “canon” instruments right now, and I need to get rid of most of my mutt instruments before I breed my own. > > Yeah, me too. The ones I’ve played are just the ones that come stock in strats. The “Vintage Standard” ones were in the (2011) Sienna 'caster, and the red (2012) one I have now has the “Fat 50’s” Custom Shop pickups, which still seem suitably low powered and they have a very nice, I dunno.. round, bell-like tone. But not all that different from the regular strat pickups. Totally cool. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years of guitar geekery, it’s that we all process the risk of a bad choice differently. What you are trying to do makes sense, just don’t compromise. Some folks spend thousands on custom-made Build-to-Order (BTO) Taylors or one-offs by hot luthiers. What do you do if you get it and don’t like it? ---
**Author:** ![Noodles\_Fellicini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Noodles\_Fellicini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noodles_Fellicini)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2885 "2013-03-24T04:04:05Z")
I don’t think I’ll ever get a serious enough case of GAS to BTO so I don’t know the answer to that. BUT to change the subject, Happy New Guitar Day to me! I impulse-bought a Taylor GS mini today. We are getting along great and I can now officially play one song so I r geetarist. : - ) ---
**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:** [March 24, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2886 "2013-03-24T06:02:33Z")
Congrats, **Noodles**. May you noodle well on your new axe! Also congrats to **Gargoyle** for persevering through Interface Hell, and thanks for sharing your setup tips. I went through something similar using a firewire interface with Win7, but I think nothing as severe as what your tips indicate, so thanks for sharing with the group. ETA: I’m curious what you think of Amplitube; I downloaded the free demo, but couldn’t get deep enough on the free version to compare to my go-to amp model Guitar Rig. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2887 "2013-03-24T09:02:15Z")
> [@Noodles\_Fellicini](#): > > I don’t think I’ll ever get a serious enough case of GAS to BTO so I don’t know the answer to that. BUT to change the subject, Happy New Guitar Day to me! I impulse-bought a Taylor GS mini today. We are getting along great and I can now officially play one song so I r geetarist. : - ) Congrats; they are great guitars. I have one as my beater/travel guitar and really appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Noodles\_Fellicini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Noodles\_Fellicini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noodles_Fellicini)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2888 "2013-03-24T13:22:17Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Congrats; they are great guitars. I have one as my beater/travel guitar and really appreciate it. Thanks, I think I made a good choice, size and soundwise. The luthier I bought it from said it didn’t need any setup but I’m not enjoying playing it as much as I did the little Yamaha Jr I had borrowed. I think I’m going to go back and ask to have the action lowered and switch to light strings, at least until we get to know each other better. ---
**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:** [March 28, 2013, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2889 "2013-03-28T02:25:29Z")
On American Idol, the guitarist with a beard plays a guitar that looks like a Les Paul Junior with a Bigsby. What guitar is this? ---
**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:** [March 28, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2890 "2013-03-28T02:35:30Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > On American Idol, the guitarist with a beard plays a guitar that looks like a Les Paul Junior with a Bigsby. What guitar is this? Got a pic? Could well be a LPjr with a Bigsby, stranger things have happened. ETA: [See?](https://www.google.com/search?q=les+paul+junior+bigsby&num=30&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=h6xTUZrEIuXbiwKPr4GIAQ&ved=0CEEQsAQ&biw=1287&bih=960) ---
**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:** [March 28, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2891 "2013-03-28T02:49:59Z")
Can’t find a pic or video clip, but yes, it very well might be. The headstock shape looks right, but I can’t make out the name, if any. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2892 "2013-03-28T06:09:04Z")
I totally gave up on IK Multimedia. I never could play ANY of their amps, and they kept sending me fixes that didn’t work. Are there any other such programs? Thanks Quasi ---
**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:** [March 28, 2013, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2893 "2013-03-28T06:21:22Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > I totally gave up on IK Multimedia. I never could play ANY of their amps, and they kept sending me fixes that didn’t work. Are there any other such programs? > > Thanks > > Quasi Guitar Rig is another. Free version [here](http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/guitar/guitar-rig-5-player/). Obviously the free one has reduced features. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2894 "2013-03-28T06:33:37Z")
squeegee, I also have never been able to really “fall” for any of the strats I ever picked up and I don’t know the type of music you prefer but I picked up a Fender “jaguarillo” last year and I love it. The pickups are a normal HSS strat set but the control lever is out of my strum path. It is a 24" scale so it has a bit more low end then a strat but it still has an amazing sparkle sound. That said I do prefer the offset bodies and am apparently the ideal market for their Pawn Shop series. It is MIM but now that they just ship the US made CNC necks over the border they have become much nicer guitars IMHO. But I did get one of the shiny new Pawn Shop bass VI’s this year, that is a fun fun guitar/bass err whatever. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2895 "2013-03-28T11:47:19Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > On American Idol, the guitarist with a beard plays a guitar that looks like a Les Paul Junior with a Bigsby. What guitar is this? I would need to see a pic to try to figure out specifics beyond **squeegee’s** link. My update is that I am in the throes of acquiring a new guitar - there have been a few trade/cash deals on the table, so it has been in play for a while. I had been considering a 2-for-2 trade, but that fell through, and am now focused on one of the guitars. It is an old, inexpensive archtop model. Gibson made private-label guitars during the Depression in order to earn more money - they made Recording King guitars for Montegomery Ward, for instance. [This is a 1938 Gibson-made Kalamazoo KG-31 archtop](https://www.google.com/search?q=kalamazoo+kg+31+guitar&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari) (link to Google image search results). I have NO experience with archtops - as I have said in the past on this board, I think they are the coolest, but they require a different approach to playing. I have longed to find one that was affordable (so I felt okay taking a risk) that sounded reasonably full if I strummed it, but it encouraged me to explore archtop-style play. This guitar is one of the few archies that really hits that sweet spot for me. What is truly amazing to me is that it sounds great with slide - I never think of archtops for slide, but tried it out because one guy I know and respect does use one - and it sounds amazing!! So feeling like I have a new tool that is taking me in different directions… ---
**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:** [March 28, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2896 "2013-03-28T16:56:20Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > squeegee, > > I also have never been able to really “fall” for any of the strats I ever picked up and I don’t know the type of music you prefer but I picked up a Fender “jaguarillo” last year and I love it. The pickups are a normal HSS strat set but the control lever is out of my strum path. > > It is a 24" scale so it has a bit more low end then a strat but it still has an amazing sparkle sound. That said I do prefer the offset bodies and am apparently the ideal market for their Pawn Shop series. > > It is MIM but now that they just ship the US made CNC necks over the border they have become much nicer guitars IMHO. > > But I did get one of the shiny new Pawn Shop bass VI’s this year, that is a fun fun guitar/bass err whatever. Thanks for the suggestion, **rat avatar**. That Jaguarillo a nice looking guitar, but I’m not really interested in a “fat strat” HSS setup because of the volume mismatch issues; I’ve got another HH guitar that will do fine. Also the Jazzmaster trem isn’t my cup of tea. The offset waist is fun, though. Really, an Am Std Strat s-s-s is perfect for me (especially with those custom shop Fat 50’s, they sound very pretty), I just need to dig up the right one. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2897 "2013-03-28T17:14:52Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Congrats, **Noodles**. L… ETA: I’m curious what you think of Amplitube; I downloaded the free demo, but couldn’t get deep enough on the free version to compare to my go-to amp model Guitar Rig. Thoughts? The tweaking and setups of the various pedals, amps, etc is out of this world. Both easy to use and endlessly tweakable. For recording, it only has a simple 4-track with limited mixing functions, so it looks like I’ll use something else to capture for recording and mixing. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2898 "2013-03-28T17:47:12Z")
I am not trying to sell you on the guitar but I had the same reservations. I actually wind my own pickups from time to time and this guitar has a swimming pool route so I was going to spin up a SSS setup to replace the “standard stat” pickups which now are a bar magnet below nonmagnetic poll pieces and the Fender JB clone they call the “atomic humbucker” But as I played the guitar trying to decide what I was going to wind the pickups to I noticed that the volume was close and that even that didn’t matter because I am either bridge and/or middle on the clean channel on my amp or bridge and dirty. So I deal with two volumes at the amp anyway. But I am happy I messed with the oddball stuff. There are so many people I admire who play strats…and unfortunately I’ll never be them 🙂 The Fat 50’s are very nice guitars I hope you find the one for you soon. We live in an amazing time for guitars both cheap and high end. What ever you get I hope you play and enjoy it as much as possible. P.S. my trem arm is still in the sack 🙂 I never tend to want vibrato on more than three strings at a time so I just “push” the strings behind the bridge if I can’t do it with the left hand. And I agree it is too “surfy” for most types of playing and you can actually do a similar effect entire string set with the pinky side of your palm behind the bridge. Obviously one issue with that is that I can’t dive. ---
**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:** [March 28, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2899 "2013-03-28T23:38:53Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I would need to see a pic to try to figure out specifics beyond **squeegee’s** link. > > My update is that I am in the throes of acquiring a new guitar - there have been a few trade/cash deals on the table, so it has been in play for a while. I had been considering a 2-for-2 trade, but that fell through, and am now focused on one of the guitars. It is an old, inexpensive archtop model. Gibson made private-label guitars during the Depression in order to earn more money - they made Recording King guitars for Montegomery Ward, for instance. [This is a 1938 Gibson-made Kalamazoo KG-31 archtop](https://www.google.com/search?q=kalamazoo+kg+31+guitar&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari) (link to Google image search results). > > I have NO experience with archtops - as I have said in the past on this board, I think they are the coolest, but they require a different approach to playing. I have longed to find one that was affordable (so I felt okay taking a risk) that sounded reasonably full if I strummed it, but it encouraged me to explore archtop-style play. This guitar is one of the few archies that really hits that sweet spot for me. What is truly amazing to me is that it sounds great with slide - I never think of archtops for slide, but tried it out because one guy I know and respect does use one - and it sounds amazing!! > > So feeling like I have a new tool that is taking me in different directions… So can you expand on a) why you think they’re cool – looks I assume (they do look cool), but maybe there’s famous players who used them? And b) why they require a different approach? Couldn’t I just pick one up and start playing Cat Stevens or Bach or whatever? Lastly: what does one sound like compared to the usual hole-in-the-middle flattop job? It must be a much mellower sound I’d think. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2900 "2013-03-29T01:52:55Z")
Archtops have always = players who know their shit, in my mind. You better have chords, you better know inversions, you better know standards, how to find the pocket in a trio or quartet - you better know _your job_. And you better be able to say something when you solo. Lemme think about it. Is this something that interests people? Is there an interest in geekery besides the always-willing and thoughtful **squeegee**? I can keep it short or think a bit geekier… ---
**Author:** ![Noodles\_Fellicini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Noodles\_Fellicini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noodles_Fellicini)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2901 "2013-03-29T03:05:57Z")
Be geeky. When I had new strings (Martin Silk and Steel – jury is out, easier to play but sorta floppy) put on the Mini I made a friend of mine play an awesome Loar archtop that was there on consignment. It did not have your run-of-the-mill jazzy sound but was more…interesting. I do not know enough about them to understand why, but it did make me wish I could play it. ---
**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:** [March 29, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/2902 "2013-03-29T03:19:15Z")
Yeah, go for it, WordMan. My immersion in non-electric guitar (or for that matter finding the pocket in a trio (‘trio’ - that’s sportswear, right?)) is such that I probably won’t have particularly insightful questions after. But so what? Dump away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=144) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=146)