Mistakes Were Made
A new song made really, really fast. And I'll tell you how to make a song really fast too.
Last Friday I published and article that said I was going to release more music soon, and over the weekend I crafted one.
The entire song was recorded, mixed, mastered and published in under 2 hours. How was I able to get it done so fast? By purposely keeping the song simple.
Simple songwriting 101 for guitar
All you have to follow are 3 rules when you want to write a song really, really fast.
Rule #1: Simplify your songwriting
If your riffs get too complicated, you'll never complete the song.
With guitar, that basically means to chord a lot and make your chord structure simple. While Mistakes Were Made sounds complicated, it really isn't as it's just a fast delta style blues refrain.
Rule #2: Have your recording rig 100% ready-to-use
I use a ZOOM R8 multitrack recorder that has a drum machine in it, a guitar and a bass guitar. I also have a microphone for singing but didn't use it for Mistakes Were Made because it's an instrumental.
In the way my recording rig is set up, I can power on and be ready to record very quickly.
Rule #3: Be willing to make mistakes
The reason the song is called Mistakes Were Made is because mistakes are present in the song, but I left them in anyway. I'd record a track where I would mess up but just powered through until the end, then laid down the next track, then the next one, mixed, mastered, publish, done.
I record this way because a) getting the song done is important, and b) sometimes what seems like a big mistake can actually be "fixed in the mix" once other instruments are added in. Besides which, I have punch in/out editing on the R8 as does any other multitrack recorder, so it's not like it's difficult to fix a screw-up these days.
Done
Getting a song finished, published and DONE is a very satisfying thing. I waited far too long to release something new, so it felt good to finally do it.
Does this mean more music will be coming soon on a more regular basis? Hopefully, yes. :)
Oh, one final note: The guitar used for this song was the Squier Jazzmaster.
Casio Japan market A158 on the way
Some new songs are coming soon, but for now, a few words about a gold-tone Casio.
The Casio A158 has a gold tone face, sometimes known as a camel face. I already own an A158, but not in this colorway. I spent a few bucks more (literally, it was just around 4 bucks more) and ordered model A-158WEA-9JF.
Why did I do this? First, because the F-91W is great and the A158 is the F-91W in a steel version. Second, I didn't want an exact copy of my existing A158 since I already have one, so I figured I'd go for a gold tone. Third, I wanted a true JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Casio. The one I have on the way is direct from Japan, hence the JF at the end of the model name.
Does this mean the watch is made in Japan? No. All A158 models are China-made as far as I know. But what I'm hoping is that I get the JDM-specific packaging which is distinctively different than North American packaging. If I don't, oh well, I lost 4 bucks. But I'm hoping I do get it.
Casio watches with North American packaging for lower tier models are nothing but decidedly cheap blue and white boring boxes.
Casio watches with Japanese packaging, while just as cheap, are made hangtag style.
It is interesting that the Japan packaging does have English on the right side, possibly because this is meant for both Japan and certain English-speaking markets.
We used to get watch product packaging like this in America, but haven't for years because this style of packaging is supposed to be displayed in the open. As anyone who lives in America knows, you can't leave stuff in the open in a store because it will get stolen quickly.
Will I actually wear my gold-tone A158 once I get it? Absolutely. To date, I've never seen anyone around here wear one. I have seen the all-gold A159 version being worn, but that's too much gold for my taste. I like the metal color bracelet with the gold face. It works nicely for a little digital timepiece and has the right balance of gold and metal color without looking too garish. Works for me.
more music coming soon
I'm writing this one not just as an announcement but also as a reminder to actually do it.
The last time I released a song was in June 2015, almost a full year ago. Yeah, it's been a while. Totally my fault...
...and I intend to rectify that fault by releasing out some new songs soon.
I find that sometimes it's necessary to put pressure on myself to get songs done, and posting this article is my way of doing that.
Setting deadlines
Setting deadlines is a thing I sometimes do, and it's something I recommend to any guitar player just looking to get songs done.
The process is this: Get the song written and recorded, no matter how bad it turns out, by X date. X is whatever date you set.
So anyway, yes, new songs are coming soon. Kind of a short announcement, but not much needs to be said. It just needs to get done and will be done.
Guitar of the week #59 - Fender FSR Jaguar HH
Note: This is an FSR (Fender Special Run) Fender guitar, meaning very limited quantity, meaning if you like it, get it now or you'll never see it again.
The Fender FSR Jaguar HH is a cool guitar. The finish is Sea Foam Pearl, and compared to the Blacktop Series guitars Fender released prior where the skirted knobs didn't work with the design at all, on this guitar they work perfectly since the original Jag had "witch hat" knobs on it. The only difference is that these are black to match the pick guard, and yes, it absolutely and totally works.
What is this guitar best characterized as? A rocker guitar. As in not a surf guitar. It's also a ridiculously easy-to-play guitar with its 24" short scale length.
Basically, what we've got here is an offset waist short scale hardtail axe with a pair of hot humbuckers in it. Stupidly easy to operate, stupidly easy to play and looks cool.
While I don't like the hardtail version of the Jazzmaster, this hardtail Jag hits all the right marks. Right color, right style, right design, right everything.
My only nitpick? I wish it used the traditional curvy "JAGUAR" logo on the headstock. Other than that, this one is a winner.
It's also a stupidly easy collectible for those of you out there that collect guitars.
Like I said above, if you like it, grab it now before it's gone.
What is the easiest Stratocaster to mod?
I've been talking a lot about my Squier Stratocaster that I sent to a luthier recently. But is a Squier Strat truly mod-friendly?
No.
More often than not, the following is always true:
- A Fender Strat body will always have a full profile while the Squier Strat body will have a slimmer profile, commonly known as a 7/8 body.
- Squier pegboard holes (where the tuners go) will be smaller, meaning they cannot fit Fender size tuners unless the holes are widened.
- Some Squier bridges have string saddles spaced closer together, meaning replacement pickups with traditional exposed pole pieces won't line up with the strings.
Ways to get around the issues mentioned above
- Don't install a high-mass tremolo block on a Squier. It won't fit, and will stick out of the back of the guitar body. No, you can't shave it down. Just don't do it. Keep the existing block.
- Tuner size depends on where the guitar was made and tuner type, and it can be annoying to figure out which tuners will fit, because most won't. The only advice I can give here is to measure the hole and try to match up a replacement set as best you can. It will not be easy.
- To avoid all pole spacing issues, only use pickups that have rails. Seymour Duncan makes a bunch of them, as do other pickup manufacturers.
If you don't want to deal with any of that crap...
You buy a made-in-Mexico Fender Standard Stratocaster. It has the full profile body, standard string spacing and standard tuner spacing that make putting replacement parts in the guitar a breeze.
The MIM Strat is the most mod-friendly Strat guitar that exists.
Here's a very quick upgrade list for a Mexico Strat:
Those two items right there make for a fairly significant upgrade. And yes, they will drop right in to a Mexico Strat.
"I don't have the money for a new Mexico Strat."
This is what I recommend if you don't have the money for a new MIM Strat:
Find the cheapest possible MIM Strat you can in a guitar store or on Craigslist near you. All that is required is that the guitar works. Find one you like, buy it and take it home.
Take off the neck and throw it out. It's probably true the previous owner messed it up somehow anyway, so it's not even worth saving.
Buy a brand new Fender Mexico Strat neck with maple or rosewood fingerboard, your choice.
Buy a new set of sealed tuners after that.
Install the tuners and attach the neck to the body. Perform some adjustments, add shim(s) if necessary.
That's it. Enjoy. If there are other mods to be made with the electronics, just do it later once you have the cash for the parts. No big deal.
I've said this before, but the most important thing on your Strat is the neck. That is the one thing that makes a guitar great or makes it totally suck.
You will be totally amazed how great that guitar feels with the new neck on it. Yes, it really does make that much of a difference.
Also remember that modding a Strat does not mean "mod it all at once." You can do it over time. Modding is supposed to be fun, so just do it at your own pace. No rushing is required.
If you've ever tried to mod a Squier Strat and continually ran into problems because things just didn't fit, you will genuinely appreciate the MIM body because pretty much everything fits on it. Yeah, you do have to spend a little to get a used MIM and a new neck for it, but if you want a Strat that's easy to mod, you really do want that MIM.