I bought an Ibanez AS73, and then returned it

This guitar had issues.

I bought my Ibanez from a very reputable seller who shall remain nameless because what happened with this guitar wasn't their fault at all. There were two issues with this guitar, one of which was Ibanez's fault, and the other having to do with my fret hand (left hand).

I said recently that of the guitars I've not owned yet, I wanted an ES-335. The Ibanez AS73 is really close to that, as it is a true semi-hollow, and the size of it is slightly smaller than the ES-335 but still larger than the ES-339. Or said another way, where the body size is concerned, the AS73 would be in that "just right" size for many players. I had no problem with that.

The sound of the guitar was good. Not great. Just good. The AS73 comes loaded with Ibanez Classic Elite humbuckers, which have a ceramic magnet type instead of alnico. In a semi-hollow application, I found these did work well.

Overall feel of the guitar was good, the nut was cut correct, tuner action was nice. I was very surprised to find it had absolutely no neck dive when playing it standing. All the control knobs have rubber rings on them, making adjustments ridiculously easy. The knobs definitely qualify as some of the best I've ever used. Pickup selector toggle also felt great.

The look of the guitar was fantastic. It's just a gorgeous instrument.

However, there were two things that were deal breakers for this guitar.

First, a factory flaw. On the guitar I received, the binding on the inner curve of the top horn wasn't done right and looked "smudged". And it was literally under the urethane sealant, so there was absolutely no way to fix it.

Had this been on the bottom horn, then it could have been something I could deal with. But every single time I picked up the guitar to play it, that "smudge" was staring me right in the face.

I can understand the seller not seeing this before selling me the guitar, because it's small and something you don't notice at a passing glance. But once you see that flaw, you can't unsee it. And knowing there's no way to fix it makes it even worse. This isn't something a quick buffing will make look right again. That flaw is there forever. Quite unfortunate.

Second, a neck shape issue.

I've gone into detail before about how I can't stand thin necks. Well, there's a funny thing about the AS73. Its neck is certainly thicker but still too thin at the same time.

The official measurements of the AS73 is a 21mm (0.83") depth at the 1st fret and 24mm (0.94") at the 9th fret. By the numbers, this neck has some chunk to it, and I had looked up the measurements before I bought the guitar, so I knew what I was getting.

What I didn't (and couldn't) know before getting the guitar is that while the neck depth is fine, the neck shoulder drops off early and feels thin, almost like a soft V shape.

The end result of this is that the neck just felt wrong. Or to be more accurate, it felt wrong for me. Many guitar players like the AS73 neck, as it is the same neck used on the upper tier model AS93.

Bad neck? No, it's a great neck and I was able to set up the action exactly how I like it. But that lack of shoulder just didn't feel right at all.

In the end, the combination of a factory binding flaw that could never be fixed along with an odd-feeling neck was enough of a deal breaker, and I sent the guitar back for a refund.

This is a shame considering how great the guitar looks, but sometimes looks aren't enough.

The Fender Modern Player Marauder needs to come back

This was the right guitar but at the wrong time.

Modern Player was a series of guitars from Fender made in China - but don't let the manufacturing country of origin fool you, because all the Modern Player guitars were truly great.

This Marauder model was very short-lived and only existed from 2011 to 2013. I never got the chance to play one of these things only because I could never find one back when they were new.

Two things about the MP Marauder make it very unique. It has a body made of koto wood, and the Fender Triplebucker pickup at the rear (bridge) position. The front (neck) position is a Jazzmaster pickup.

When you throw distortion at the MP Marauder, it doesn't sound that great. But for light overdrive and clean tones, that's where this guitar really sings.

Imagine a Strat with simple two-knob controls (that stay out of your way, thank you very much) that has great treble response without being "ice picky" and the addition of some midrange and bottom end for a "fuller" sound. That's the MP Marauder.

Triplebucker + Jazzmaster pickups make this possible. Everybody passed off the Triplebucker as a novelty back when this guitar was new, but they wish they had it now because this thing is a total tone monster on the clean side of things.

I think the biggest problem with this guitar was just the timing of it. When the Squier Vintage Modified series appeared with the Jazzmaster and Jaguar literally right after the MP Marauder came on the scene, it was quickly forgotten. Who would bother with the Marauder when the Jazzmaster and Jaguar were so much cooler (hence the reason I bought a Jazzmaster myself back then)?

At the time I write this in 2021, guitar players are now very well familiar with the Jazzmaster and Jaguar, as they've been around in both the Squier and Fender lineup as standard models for years...

...which is why I think it's a good time for the MP Marauder to return, be it Squier or Fender model. It would just be cool to see it again. And I think it would fare out much better since it wouldn't be competing against the Jazz or the Jag this time around.

Would I change anything about the guitar? Yes. Two things.

First, the original MP Marauder just said "Fender" on the front of the headstock and nothing else, which made it look unfinished. The next one, should it come to be, should say "Marauder" next to or under the brand logo, be it Squier or Fender.

Second, ditch the vibrato system entirely and make it a top-loader with tailpiece.

Is there an alternative?

Yes, and it's cheap, Squier Mustang HH. Two humbuckers instead of the triplebucker and Jazzmaster single-coil, but the guitar is cheap enough to where you can create a Marauder-like pickup layout (such as installing a P90 at the neck side).

Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster confusion

One word separates two distinctively different models.

There's the Fender 75th Anniversary Commemorative Stratocaster in a Bourbon Burst finish. If you follow Fender's lineup, you're probably thinking, "Wait, isn't the 75th anniversary Strat a silver-looking thing?" Yes, but that's the Mexico made Diamond Anniversary model. The Commemorative with the gold hardware and such is the American version...

...which you probably would have not known had I not just told you that.

One word, Commemorative, separates the two models. Well, that and technically a third model, Custom Shop 75th.

The 75th (Mexico) has an alder body and comes in a finish called Diamond Anniversary, which appears to be a slightly-less-gold version of Shoreline Gold. It also has "vintage-style" '60s pickups and color matched headstock. The neck is a Modern C.

The 75th (USA) Commemorative has an ash body and the finish is two-color Bourbon Burst, which appears to be Sienna Sunburst with darker edges. The pickups in this one are Custom Shop Fat '60s, has gold hardware everywhere, and the tremolo block is cold-rolled steel. The neck is "Deep C" with rolled fingerboard edges.

The 75th USA is a decidedly more upscale instrument and isn't just a 75th Mexico with different paint and gold hardware. The USA has different pickups, different neck, different trem block and better fretwork. You also get the pearloid tuner buttons on the USA.

It also should be noted the 75th Mexico does not come with a case. Only a gig bag. The 75th USA does come with an Inca Silver color molded hardshell case with blue interior, which is similar to the black case but in a different color both inside and out.

Is it worth getting the 75th USA Strat?

Over the 75th Mexico? Yes, absolutely. When comparing the Mexico 75th to the USA 75th, the USA is by far the better instrument.

Over an American Professional II? Well, that's a tougher decision.

Three things about the 75th USA make it arguably better than the Am Pro II. Ash body, Fat '60s pickups, and of course the Bourbon Burst finish. The Am Pro II has an alder body, V-Mod II pickups and is available in Sienna Sunburst but not the Bourbon Burst.

However, the cons of the 75th are the gold hardware (gold will rub off over time with regular play) and the pearloid tuner buttons which while looking nice just don't feel as nice when compared to standard steel buttons.

The 75th USA is, obviously, meant to be what I call a "usable collector's piece". You can of course play it, but it's supposed to be a special-occasion-only guitar. The Am Pro II on the other hand is built to be used regularly.

You spend $350 more to get the 75th USA over the Am Pro II. Where that money goes is into fretwork, gold hardware, exclusive-to-75th-USA finish, a somewhat-special hardshell case, Custom Shop pickups, different trem block and pearloid tuner buttons.

I am hoping the Bourbon Burst makes it way into being a regular finish option for the Am Pro II however. To me, that's the best part of the 75th USA guitar.

Are there any real advantages to a headless guitar?

Believe it or not, yes.

Headless guitars look goofy and always have, but they've been around for a long time, so players do buy these things. There are plenty of choices available - some of which are quite affordable.

The advantages to using a headless guitar

Lighter in weight (typically)

Most headless guitars are purposely built using smaller bodies since they don't need to counterbalance the weight of a headstock since there isn't any. As such, overall weight is usually quite light.

Absolutely no neck dive

I'm pretty sure the headless guitar is the only one where I can absolutely say it will never have neck dive. The majority of the weight is always in the body and there are no heavy tuners on the neck, so yes, one could say you are guaranteed no neck dive.

More portable

More often than not you get the same scale length on a headless as you would on a full-bodied electric, but because the body is smaller and there's no headstock, the instrument will fit in more gig bags. The lack of headstock also makes it shorter and lighter, so it's easier to carry a gig bag on your back when walking around with it.

Nobody wants to play it

This sounds like a negative, but it's a positive. Players unfamiliar with headless guitars are literally afraid of them. They see that weird looking guitar and think, "I'm not touching that thing." This is good, because you don't want other people touching your guitar, right? Right. Chances are pretty good whenever you bring the guitar anywhere there are people, they will of course want to look at it but not play it. And that's a-okay.

The disadvantages

The only real disadvantage is the tuner setup, namely for when they wear out. Tuner parts will be more expensive. And that's assuming they're even available for your particular headless guitar. However, given that tuners take a very long time to wear out, this isn't much of an issue.

Generally speaking, the best type of headless electric guitar to own is one that has no vibrato system on it at all, as in hardtail. No vibrato means no vibrato system to break and give you a few extra years out of your headless guitar as long as you maintain it properly.

Telecaster is a good example of a one-and-done guitar

Guitar minimalism has its benefits.

When I was going through my Jazzmaster phase, I embraced the guitar with all its complications. Two circuits with two sets of volume and tone controls, an always-floating vibrato system, and ridiculously high-treble pickups (with traditional 1meg volume pot, thank you very much). But then I switched over to Telecaster which is the polar opposite.

Single circuit, two knobs, no vibrato (meaning no floating anything), and a sound that I describe as much more civilized.

Is the Telecaster the ultimate minimalist guitar? No. The ultimate minimalist electric guitar is a build so simple that most won't dare to make one.

Imagine an Esquire (basically a Telecaster without the neck pickup) with no controls whatsoever, meaning the pickup is wired straight to the output jack. That's as minimalist as it gets.

But as I said, most guys who build guitars won't dare to put a guitar together like that. They will at least put in one toggle switch as an on/off for the pickup to cut the signal. I'm in agreement with that, because otherwise I'd have to use a footswitch to cut the signal, adding in needless bulk just for basic volume control.

As my guitar journey continues, I now gravitate towards guitars with two pickups and a minimal complement of controls.

My next guitar as I talked about in my last article might have 5 controls on it, meaning 4 knobs and one pickup selector. Said honestly, I'm not really a fan of that and prefer the 3-control system of one volume, one tone, one pickup selector. But if it happens to be that the next guitar is a 5-control thing, it's not unusable. I can work with it, albeit it's slightly annoying to deal with.

While true the Telecaster isn't the ultimate minimalist guitar, it does totally qualify as a one-and-done instrument.

Someone asked me on YouTube recently that if I had to pick just one electric guitar, which would I choose? Easy answer. Telecaster. That guitar allows me to get the most usable sounds with the least complications.

This doesn't mean I'm a Tele player for life, but I've done the complicated guitar thing and concentrate more on playing now. Better to do that rather than trying to muck about with a guitar that has needless stuff that just gets in the way.