# 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:** 33
**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:** [July 14, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/641 "2010-07-14T01:23:57Z")
[Steven Vai](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=570616) doing things I’ve never seen before. Beautiful trem articulation. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/642 "2010-07-14T05:50:26Z")
> [@BigShooter](#): > > I took a trip after work yesterday to a local guitar shop. Here’s some pics from their website: > > [http://www.bizarreguitar.net/photos.html](http://www.bizarreguitar.net/photos.html) > > I hadn’t been to this place in a long time and I was shocked at the quantity and quality of their inventory. They had everything from mint condition 50’s Gibsons and Fenders to 80’s Charvel San Dimas shredders and quite possibly the most Ricks I’ve seen in one place at one time. And the guys working there weren’t asshats like they are at Guitar Center. Good prices, too. They beat GC on almost everything I compared… > > They got an inventory list on their website, but half the stuff I saw in the store isn’t on it. They must have trouble keeping it updated. Cool place though. Since I’m able to build my own, I seriously doubt I’ll ever buy retail again, but if I did, it would be from here… So, before I clicked your link, this is what I was going to post: > [@Me](#): > > Dude! We live in the same town. Bizarre Guitar is where I’ve gotten all my instruments - it’s a great place, and the guys who work there are indeed the best. > > Did they take you down to the vault? And then I clicked on the link. What do you know? There are [two of them](http://www.bizarreguitar.com/). ---
**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:** [July 20, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/643 "2010-07-20T03:14:12Z")
Squeegee asks, [Why do some electric guitars have only one knob?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571442) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/644 "2010-07-20T21:03:51Z")
I got this a little while ago, and I think I have the GAS under coltrol for a little while now. Lake Placid blue, Standard Telecaster. It sounds great. [![](https://www.mylespaul.com/media/27819/full) ](https://www.mylespaul.com/media/27819/full) [![](https://www.mylespaul.com/media/28226/full) ](https://www.mylespaul.com/media/28226/full) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/645 "2010-07-20T21:06:58Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I got this a little while ago, and I think I have the GAS under coltrol for a little while now. > Lake Placid blue, Standard Telecaster. It sounds great. > > [http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/members/stevegangi-albums-steves-pics-picture27819-telecaster.jpg](http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/members/stevegangi-albums-steves-pics-picture27819-telecaster.jpg) > > [http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/members/stevegangi-albums-steves-pics-picture28226-tele0004.jpg](http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/members/stevegangi-albums-steves-pics-picture28226-tele0004.jpg) Made in US or MIMexico (or other)? What pickups? How big/chunky/slim/fast is the neck? What are you playing through? What style(s) of music? Details, Man - details! ---
**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:** [July 21, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/646 "2010-07-21T05:09:51Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Made in US or MIMexico (or other)? I thought all Fender models _with_ “Standard” and _without_ “American” in the name are MIMs. No? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/647 "2010-07-21T12:42:41Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I thought all Fender models _with_ “Standard” and _without_ “American” in the name are MIMs. No? Sounds about right, but I have no idea if there is a _rule_, per se. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/648 "2010-07-21T14:21:12Z")
can anyone recommend or give advice on purchasing a capo? I never owned one, need to get one, and wonder if there are different variations/models/types. I searched GuitarCenter and found some with elastic bands and some that are lever-based… I think I would prefer a lever-base done, but would love to hear some experiential opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/649 "2010-07-21T14:47:57Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > can anyone recommend or give advice on purchasing a capo? > > I never owned one, need to get one, and wonder if there are different variations/models/types. > > I searched GuitarCenter and found some with elastic bands and some that are lever-based… I think I would prefer a lever-base done, but would love to hear some experiential opinions. If I were you, I wouldn’t get either of those. The elastic band capos, while functional, are a pain to adjust. The spring-loaded lever ones can be too “strong”, and can bend the strings out of tune, especially if you’re using it on an electric with light strings. I’d look for something like [this](http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Planet-Waves-NS-Aluminum-Screw-Type-Capo?sku=365244). I have this model and recommend it highly. The screw adjust means that it can be adjusted to any tension, and can be used with electric or acoustic. Plus, the tension is very even, resulting in no uneven force on the strings (which can be a problem with the clamp-type capos). ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/650 "2010-07-21T15:37:00Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > can anyone recommend or give advice on purchasing a capo? > > I never owned one, need to get one, and wonder if there are different variations/models/types. > > I searched GuitarCenter and found some with elastic bands and some that are lever-based… I think I would prefer a lever-base done, but would love to hear some experiential opinions. I have a G7 which is pricey but solid on my acoustics. For my electrics, I use this [Kyser Capo](http://www.amazon.com/Kyser-Quick-Change-Classical-Guitar/dp/B0002CZVX2) and love the one-hand convenience… ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/651 "2010-07-21T16:21:19Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I had a lesson in the invulnerablity of the Telecaster yesterday. As we were setting up for the last show of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at my daughter’s school, one of the kids moved the bench my guitar was resting on. It fell twice - once from top of the bench to the floor, landing on the hinges of the case and then from its side to the top of the case. So the neck got a good whiplash to the treble side and then the whole instrument would have dropped to the lid. > > So, I open the case (this is why I schlepp Big Ed around in his hard shell case instead of a gig bag) expecting the neck might be loosened or torqued. Nothing. Nada. Not even out of tune. [Here is the result](http://www.seiglefamily.com/musicroom/tele.html) of my Tele falling two feet from my van to the ground getting unpacked for a gig. It was in a Fender gig bag, lesson learned. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/652 "2010-07-22T15:36:02Z")
Let’s play Good Idea/Bad Idea! [http://store.guitarfetish.com/alpiprgu70tu1.html](http://store.guitarfetish.com/alpiprgu70tu1.html) Is this a Good Idea or a Bad Idea to stuff into a Starcaster? What would I get if I did it? My other option is to mess around with this thingy. [http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfsusacushha.html](http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfsusacushha.html) Or maybe I could go for a humbucker at the bottom. [http://store.guitarfetish.com/hueqhsswhpra.html](http://store.guitarfetish.com/hueqhsswhpra.html) Right now, I’m getting to the point where A: I hate hammer-ons, but I hate pull-offs more, in my practicing. I just can’t avoid losing a lot of sound. Do I need to pluck it more as I finger it, or what? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/653 "2010-07-22T16:28:41Z")
**E-Sabs** - - What don’t you like about your current electronics in your Starcaster, such that you are contemplating a change? What is “wrong” with your tone / the guitar’s responsiveness? - Just a quick check: you do realize that you are looking at drop-in replacements for Strats, correct? Those would not fit a Starcaster - and given how uncommon SC’s are, I doubt anyone makes drop-ins. All that means is that you would need to “roll you own” in terms of collecting and assembling the parts and couldn’t just off-the-shelf it… - Dropping in new electronics - what would you get? Well, you could get a WIDE range of results depending on what you have now and what you want. You could simply swap in better-quality versions of the same components and “open up” the sound a bit more (assuming you have cheaper, lower-quality components now). Or you can drop in different combo’s based on the music you want to play and tone you are looking for… As for hammer-ons and pull-offs and being frustrated that you can’t get enough oomph behind your moves so the sound diminishes - welcome to beginning. No other way through it besides getting your reps in. I had a collection of hammer-and-pull-heavy riffs - as I recall back in my day, it was a lot of early Aerosmith, like Sweet Emotion and Same Old Song and Dance - and just (here he goes again) sat in front of a TV playing an unplugged guitar and playing the same damn riff 'leventy-billion times. Wax on wax off, Grasshopper. (and this deeply insightful, sage advice comes from the guy you dissed in that other thread for having no clue who Amanda what’s-her-name was from the Dresden Dolls. I am an old fogey, but I am a helpful old fogey!! ;)) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/654 "2010-07-22T17:11:53Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Right now, I’m getting to the point where A: I hate hammer-ons, but I hate pull-offs more, in my practicing. I just can’t avoid losing a lot of sound. Do I need to pluck it more as I finger it, or what? I’ll let someone who knows what they’re talking about handle the gear query… Hammer-ons and pull-offs, or as the classical guys like to call them “ligados ascendentes y ligados descendentes” - trying to play guitar without using them at all would be like trying to play golf with only one iron. Like all the other means of articulation - free stroke, rest stroke, tasto, ponte, pick, tambora, drum stick, cello bow - they impart colour to the attack. Any attack can produce a sound, just like any club can put the ball in play. But is it the best tone colour for the phrase? Does it produce a balanced sound? Will it get you over the sand trap and stopped on the green? They’re an incredibly useful tool in the guitarist’s workshop, but they’re a technique that needs learning and practice. Hammers - Accuracy is the key. First off, put your fingering hand on the desk top. Heel of the hand on the desk, curl the fingers so that the fingertips are perpendicular to the flat surface of the desk, or table, or whatever horizontal flat surface is nearby. It should look like a beautifully rounded arc, like a rainbow. A letter ‘C’ that’s had too much to drink and fallen on its face. Anyway, one at a time, lift the fingers and tap with the tip of the finger. How much effort did you have to make to hear a ‘tap’ when you felt the fingertip touch the table top? You won’t need any more effort than that to get a good hammer on. You will need to make sure that the hammering finger lands perpendicular directly behind the fret (not on it, not too far back.) into a stable position (hammering into vibrato is possible, but it’s going to take a lot of practice, as that’s a pretty advanced technique.) with the fingertip centered on the string. Work to achieve that accuracy all the time, and people will think you have kung-fu fingers of steel. And that’s the thing - force is not what’s required. You aren’t trying to break pencils with your fingertips, you’re making a tapping sound that has a note ringing after it. Also, it is not a good idea to add force to an inefficient hammer. Specifically, if you are landing flat-fingered instead of perpendicularly, adding force puts pressure on the joints & ligaments that they can’t handle very well. Same experiment on the desk top, only flat palm - it’s way harder to lift the fingers, and they don’t give a very sharp ‘tap’. (Guys that play hand drums have their own way of describing and executing the ergonomics of their instrument - suffice it to say that they don’t want to give themselves the phalangeal equivalent of tennis elbow, either.) Pulls - lift the finger before you pull sideways. You can actually get a pull by lifting purely vertically, but it’s going to be very quiet. (Advanced technique.) Experiment with all the gradations between pulling while fingering the sounding note and lifting off altogether before you pull sideways. Classical guys usually want the hammer or pull to sound ‘sweeter’ than the plucked note before it - blues, rock, country guys may want a sharper attack, but they only want a clangy, sharp attack on a pull in very specific places. Advanced techniques - learning to pull in the other direction is extremely useful. The lower finger of a pull needs to be stable - if that finger is the pivot or anchor of a chord change, great care must be taken to shift without disturbing the note. Essentially, what you’re learning to do is to pluck with a finger on the fingering hand, and this is subject to all the things you would practice with the plucking hand - is that the right colour for the phrase? If it isn’t, what does it need? Pulling to an open string is slightly different - it’s very easy to pull too hard, esp. from the fifth fret or higher. Easy does it! I hope some of this helps, and I also hope those of you who already knew all of this forgive my ramblings and take it in the spirit of coming from someone who is always trying to find a way to repeat things that wiser people have said to me… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/655 "2010-07-22T17:36:13Z")
What he said. 😃 ---
**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:** [July 22, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/656 "2010-07-22T17:39:41Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Let’s play Good Idea/Bad Idea! > [http://store.guitarfetish.com/alpiprgu70tu1.html](http://store.guitarfetish.com/alpiprgu70tu1.html) > Is this a Good Idea or a Bad Idea to stuff into a Starcaster? What would I get if I did it? > My other option is to mess around with this thingy. > [http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfsusacushha.html](http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfsusacushha.html) > Or maybe I could go for a humbucker at the bottom. > [http://store.guitarfetish.com/hueqhsswhpra.html](http://store.guitarfetish.com/hueqhsswhpra.html) > > Right now, I’m getting to the point where A: I hate hammer-ons, but I hate pull-offs more, in my practicing. I just can’t avoid losing a lot of sound. Do I need to pluck it more as I finger it, or what? Door #1 @ $49 looks fine, IF that pickguard is the same shape as the Starcaster’s. Even if it is, some of the screw holes may not line up, so prepare to drill some new pilot holes. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/657 "2010-07-22T20:14:00Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **E-Sabs** - > > - What don’t you like about your current electronics in your Starcaster, such that you are contemplating a change? What is “wrong” with your tone / the guitar’s responsiveness? > > (and this deeply insightful, sage advice comes from the guy you dissed in that other thread for having no clue who Amanda what’s-her-name was from the Dresden Dolls. I am an old fogey, but I am a helpful old fogey!! ;)) Wordman, that’s her actual nickname. Amanda Fucking Palmer. It amuses me and I use it whenever possible. I wasn’t trying to diss you. And if you recall, my ‘Starcaster’ is not a Fender Starcaster, it’s a Squier Starcaster: the guitar I got from the $150 ‘buy a guitar’ box o’ parts. The cheap damn thing. The frets literally cut my fingers when I played it before I filed it down. My goal is to eventually replace every part of it, including the neck and body: it will only make the guitar better. If you recall, I swapped out the tuners (oh, god, such a GOOD thing to do. Love the new tuners, there’s no slop in them at all, and now it stays in tune.) and the tremelo. The electrics in it are the lowest end parts possible. Cloth wrapped ALNICO pickups seem like a nifty idea. But what I’m asking is, given the specs they say, what kind of sound will I get from the pickups? I’m not sure if this would be a good idea, or if I should save up for the really custom thing advertised in the ‘build your own pickups’. As far as woodworking, I’m… more than reasonably competent at 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:** [July 22, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/658 "2010-07-22T20:36:53Z")
**Wordman** , I somehow skipped your post above re the Starcaster. E-Sabbath means [this guitar](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Starcaster%28pointedneck%29.JPG), not [this one](http://www.defoe.us/john/images/Instruments/Heather%203.JPG). It looks to me like the Strat pickguard may well drop right in, though likely with mismatched screw locations. Here’s a [Strat pickguard](http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/5/2/5/551525.jpg) vs a [Starcaster pickguard](http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/images/large/005-5433-000.jpg). I don’t see major differences except the strat one has more holes. ETA: **E-Sab** , is your current setup SSH, like the Starcaster pic I posted above? Or SSS like an everyday Strat? ---
**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:** [July 22, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/659 "2010-07-22T20:37:47Z")
Well, thank you, herr psychopomp, for your minor dissertation. It clarified what I was seeking to do, and I have a much better idea on how to proceed. I don’t want to practice bad habits, after all. I _do_ need a lot more practice. As Wordman pointed out, the real key is practice, practice, practice. And yeah, I eyeballed the guard before I put it up. It’ll fit. I’m kinda curious about the fancy one. There’s a _lot_ of choices of pickups there, and I’m sort of 'hmmm… what would happen if… ’ on it. Anyone know good places to get necks and bodies? If I go Tuxedo on the guard, I’m going to need to stick with a black body, I think. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172/660 "2010-07-22T20:44:21Z")
Too late an edit: It’s not quite the pointy-neck one you found, squeegee. It’s this. > **[Amazon.com: Fender Starcaster Strat Pack Electric Guitar with Amp and...](https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Starcaster-Electric-Guitar-Accessories/dp/B001943W92)** > > From the Manufacturer Fender Starcaster Strat Packs deliver a great-sounding, sleek-looking Stratocaster electric guitar paired with a compact but still-mighty guitar amplifier and a host of essential accessories. This Strat Pack includes a... No humbucker on the bottom, and a 70s neck, not a pointy one. I kinda like the look on the headstock. Dueling edit: SSS, not SSH. My _other_ guitar, the good one, (Les Paul-alike, chambered, cherry red mahogany) is P90+H. Double edit: I do love your username, Ministre. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-guitar-thread/527172.md?page=34)