Why you should still use DVDs to back up your stuff

A bit of a nerdy article to start off this week, but it is important you know this stuff.

If you're going to buy blank DVDs, get the 100-disc spindle of Verbatim DVD+R blank discs. Don't get the -R. There is a difference between the two, and a pretty big one at that. The +R is a multi-layer disc and the -R a single-layer. If making a DVD movie for a console player, DVD-R works best there. But for regular computer data, DVD+R is the only way to go.

Why use DVDs to back up your stuff?

There are basically two reasons.

First, it's cheap. Real cheap.

The second reason is something nobody ever talks about but is really important. Once you write data to a DVD, it cannot be overwritten. When a DVD is written to, you can't accidentally format it again, nor can you accidentally delete or overwrite files. When you format a disc and write data to it, it's permanent...

...and that is a very good thing. It's almost like a built-in insurance policy of sorts, because you can't delete files off the disc or even move them. The permanence of the written data is a nice comfort zone.

Once your discs are written to and finalized, all you have to do is just store them in a jewel case or cheap binder, put that binder in a cool, dry place and pretty much forget about it until you need the discs again to pull a backup, should you need to.

What is the best file format to back up your stuff?

This is where I work the musician angle in here, because I've learned about what I'm about to tell you the hard way.

If you record music or make videos, you know that the best formats are the uncompressed style. With a Windows PC, that means WAV audio and AVI video files. These files get big, and the problem with writing big files to backup is that they can get corrupted while being written to media.

The way to prevent this from happening is stupidly easy. Put the file in an archive container first.

How do you create an archive? 7-Zip. Or if you want a program that's fancier with more options, PeaZip. Both are free software. But no matter which you use, I strongly suggest using nothing but the 7z archive format. Why? Because it's better than regular ZIP.

What's the best burning utility?

ImgBurn. Also free. If you've never used that software, it can be slightly intimidating at first just because it has a lot of options. And yes, it's a little old as it is 2013 software, but it's damned good software.

While true Windows on its own can burn discs with no need to use burner software, I still use ImgBurn anyway because it does certain things better. Try it out and you'll understand what I mean.

How long does a DVD last?

That depends on the quality of media you buy. Generally speaking, Verbatim is the go-to brand.

If you want to spend extra and want the best disc blank, Taiyo Yuden is what you want.

Assuming for the moment you buy proper Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden discs, and store them properly in a jewel case or binder, and keep those jewel cases or binder(s) in a cool, dry environment, and use an optical drive that's in good working order, you can expect a minimum of 7 to 10 years out of a disc before read failures start happening.

However, it has been known for some discs to last well beyond that. There are some people out there who have discs they burned in the mid-1990s that still work today, and that was almost 20 years ago at the time I write this.

No, I'm not saying your discs will last 20 years. But when written to with proper working hardware and stored correctly, they should last for at least 10.

Should you buy an external DVD burner?

This actually is a pretty good idea.

Using a simple external burner that connects and is powered by a USB cable can be moved from computer to computer. If you're in the situation where you own multiple computers and one or more doesn't have an optical drive, yeah, you need an external burner.

Or, if you have an internal burner now, the external is nice to have as a backup optical drive. External burners are certainly cheap enough these days, so it's worth it to get one.

Why bother with DVDs when USB pendrives are so cheap now?

USB pendrives are cheap - but still not as cheap as DVDs are.

If for example you buy a 100-pack of discs, and that costs you $30 with shipping included, that translates to 30 cents per disc, and you can store all the discs in a binder. USB pendrives even at their absolute cheapest don't get anywhere near the price of a blank DVD.

True, the DVD holds 4.7GB while a dirt cheap USB pendrive holds 8GB, but the inconvenience of having a bunch of pendrives or memory cards scattered around in a box is just annoying.

Also remember it's a lot easier to grab a marker and write (as in write by hand) on a disc compared to a pendrive or memory card.

Why bother with DVDs when you can store everything online?

Sure, you can use Skydrive or Dropbox or whatever for free, but there is absolutely no guarantee whatsoever that any online data storage service will be online tomorrow - even if you pay for it.

In addition, storing things "in the cloud" is a bit of a trap. Over time, let's say you store a whole bunch of data out there, and now you have 25GB of your stuff in the cloud. Say you had to download all that. How long would that take? Probably a really long time, and some of the data would most likely arrive corrupted because of a transfer glitch, forcing you to download it all over again. Even if you have a ridiculously fast connection, that's annoying.

Storing stuff in the cloud sounds like a good idea at first, but it isn't. Storing too much stuff online is where you get into the trap, because if the time ever comes where you have to download it all, that will be a long, tedious task to complete.

Local media is still the best way to go about it, even if it means using cheap DVDs. On DVD disc, it would take 6 discs to store 25GB worth of data. And I absolutely guarantee you could copy all the data from 6 discs faster than you could download it from the internet.

DVD. It's cheap; it works.

Yeah, the DVD is old, but for the data you care about, it's still one of the best things going. Great for storing audio and video projects, photos, programs you download, documents and so on. All that stuff still fits on DVDs easily.

Vintage guitar of the week #14 - 1953 Fender Telecaster

It's probably true you can't afford this guitar. But you can recreate the sound of one if you know the right stuff to buy.

A real-deal 1953 Fender Telecaster is ridiculously expensive when it's the genuine article.

Is it worth it to give a go at recreating the sound of a '53?

Personally, I don't think that's a good idea, and I'll tell you why.

Vintage Telecaster wiring vs. Modern

For those of not in the know, the '53 is not wired like a modern Telecaster. Old-school vintage wiring is known as "dark tone" or "black guard." Position 1 is the rear pickup with tone control. Position 2 is the front pickup with tone control. Position 3 is the one that drives everyone nuts. It's the front pickup with no tone control and preset to have all treble rolled off.

Do I personally recommend vintage Tele wiring? Absolutely not. You are better off with the modern wiring of rear / both / front selections with volume and tone control on all positions.

"Building 'em like they used to" sometimes isn't all it's cracked up to be. To have a Tele wired without a both-pickups-together setting and have one of the positions be totally useless for most players just isn't smart.

Flat-pole pickups

From 1952 to mid-1956, Fender used pickups where the pole pieces were flat and not staggered. This results in the thicker strings being heard more than the thinner strings simply because of greater vibration, and the sound has, understandably, a lot more bass to it compared to the staggered poles Fender used later on.

If you've been playing Fender guitars for any length of time, you're very used to the staggered pole sound. Going from that to flat-pole - especially on a Telecaster pickup which has higher output than a Strat pickup does (at least in the rear position) - is a tone that takes getting used to.

This is not to say flat-pole is bad. It's just different.

"Ashtray" bridge with "long barrel" string saddles

A vintage Tele bridge is called an ashtray because it resembles an ashtray. Long barrel saddles are the vintage style where there are only 3 saddles, each supporting two strings.

Personally, I like the ashtray bridge just because it looks cool. Some players hate it because the outer edges stick up away from the body, potentially causing discomfort depending on your playing style. My playing style isn't affected by ashtray bridge, so it's not a problem for me.

The main problem with long barrel Tele saddles is intonation. It's basically impossible to intonate a Tele completely with this saddle style, and you will always have certain parts of the neck and certain chords played that are out-of-tune no matter what you do.

If you like the look but hate the intonation problems (and who wouldn't?), the solution is compensated staggered saddles.

Are the compensated long saddles as good as the smaller per-string saddles where better intonation is concerned? No. But they are better than the old long barrel saddles that have no compensation or stagger at all.

If you have a Tele now with the long barrel saddles and have intonation issues (and you probably do,) get a set of compensated saddles.

A blend of vintage + modern makes for a good Telecaster

Squier's Classic Vibe Telecaster '50s is a truly fine instrument that suits what most players want when it comes to a proper Telecaster.

However, one you might want to give consideration to is the Fender American Special Telecaster.

While true it's modern and not a '53, it has a very nice blend of vintage + modern, just like the Squier CV does. However, the "more vintage" of the two is the Squier. Ultimately, it's your choice which one you think is best for you.

The '53 is cool, no question about it. Lots of history in that guitar, lots of "mojo," and so on. But unless you have really deep pockets, you can't afford it. You can afford the Squier however. And if you want to spend more, the American Special is a good choice as well. If you've been biding your time and waiting for "that Tele," grab a Special. It's priced lower than an American Standard but still delivers in fine style. You won't be disappointed.

Why does anyone keep buying the same stuff over and over?

This happens with pretty much anything one considers "good".

While I don't hoard, there are times when I will either re-buy something or buy something "in twos" just because I like it so much.

Going back to a Squier Jazzmaster is an example of me re-buying something I really like. I bought one before, wore it out, traded it out, and a few guitars later bought it again just because it really suits me.

Sometimes I will buy a thing that's not a re-buy, but rather an updated version of something I really liked before. At the time I write this, I have a Casio B640WD-1A wristwatch on order. Expensive? Not in the slightest. But it has every feature I want out of a watch. It took me going through a few Casio watches before I found this specific one that has weekday/month/day on the face, alarm, stopwatch and countdown timer. It's basically an F-28W with added features.

Then there are times when I will revert back to older stuff just because it works best. My most "extreme" example of this is a pair of Garmin nuvi 200 GPSes I own. I had to hunt far and wide to find the right pair of these, so here's the quick story on that.

Given the fact you can use free OSM maps to update older Garmins now, you can use any GPS you want. I like a very specific model of 200, that being a 3.5-inch white-sticker model where the serial starts with 1GF.

I could write out a long list of reasons why the 2x0 nuvi (meaning 200, 250, 260 or 270) is so awesome, but here's the quick list:

• Best touchscreen out of any nuvi model, possibly ever. No hard presses required on 3.5-inch 2x0 models, backlight is strong and bright.
• Very fast route calculation that runs circles around later generation units, including brand new ones.
• Grabs a better GPS signal lock compared to newer units, and does it faster.
• No dopey menu animations at all. It is truly a joy to use because none of the menus scroll, slide or "bump" whatsoever.
• Best 2-D map out of any nuvi series. 3-D works great, but the 2-D, as in "Track Up" view, is top notch stuff. You'd have to use one to know why.

As noted above, it took me months to find two of the white-sticker/starts-with-1GF-serial 200 models.

Why own two? One gets used regularly, and the other is a backup that sits in the glove box. If the first one fails, I have another ready-to-use.

Also, I knew that if I didn't buy a pair of 200s now, the chances of getting one in the future will be slim to none, given that most people throw these things out. I'm happy to own the pair of 200s I do, even if they are a bit beat up.

If it was good before, it will most likely be good again

If you had something before, be it a guitar, pedal effect, piece of technology or whatever it was and you know it's good, then yes, go ahead and buy it again.

Sometimes newer isn't better. Sometimes the older stuff is the only way to go.

The best scenario is when you can re-buy something that is still being made right now brand new.

Is it worth it to spend extra on a re-buy?

That depends.

The best example of this is my pair of nuvi 200s. Total cost for both was $63. Worth it? For me, yes, because I know exactly what the unit is capable of. I know there is nothing better.

A re-buy I will most likely never do is buying a copy of my first Squier Strat guitar. I know exactly which guitar to get, what serial number style to look for, etc.. I also know what problems I will encounter with it, which parts I can replace, which parts I can't, and so on. What would start out as an under-$250 purchase would balloon to a lot more just from all the stuff I'd have to buy to make it a workable instrument. Worth the hassle? Not really.

Is it worth it to buy doubles?

Again, that depends what it is.

Buying two identical guitars is a bad idea, because one will get played and broken in, while the other never gets played, sits in a case and eventually becomes ruined from non-use.

Buying a double of a guitar effect pedal is fine because that doesn't require any breaking in whatsoever; your backup pedal will obviously sound just like the first.

Buying a double of a tech item is fine if it is not totally obsolete.

This one takes a little more explanation.

Obsolete means "not modern". Totally obsolete means "unusable".

My two nuvi 200s are both obsolete as they were made about 7 years ago, but are still very usable. All they needed were new memory cards, a firmware update and a modern map data image.

The Casio wristwatch I bought, even though brand new, is obsolete because it has decidedly retro styling and retro functionality. But it's totally usable as a timepiece.

Something I have in my possession which is totally obsolete is an old HP laptop running Windows 98. It is a useless machine that would be a chore to use if I had to. The only reason I've not thrown it out is simply because I keep forgetting to do so (but probably will after I write this).

In the end, it's perfectly okay to buy obsolete stuff as long as you have a practical use for it. If that involves a re-buy or two of something you had before, so be it. Use whatever is needed to get the job done the way you want it done.

Cheap guitar of the week #30 - Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom

What's the deal with a Telecaster in this specific configuration? Believe me, there are real reasons it exists.

The Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom is a bit of an oddball in the world of Telecasters because it has a configuration that most people don't understand the purpose of.

Quick note before continuing: The Fender version of this guitar is the Fender Classic Series '72 Telecaster Custom, so if you like this guitar and want a Fender version of it, the Classic Series '72 is what you want; it obviously costs more than the Squier does.

What is the Tele Custom?

It's basically a Tele with Les Paul-like controls and a replacement of the mini-single-coil to a humbucker.

For the observant, you will notice that every new Fender American Standard Telecaster right now comes installed with a "Broadcaster" rear pickup and a "Twisted Tele" front pickup. The Broadcaster is classic Telecaster twang, no question about that. But the Twisted Tele is specifically voiced to be more Stratocaster-like. Why? Because of player demand for a front Telecaster pickup that has a usable sound to it.

The old-school way of getting a usable sound out of the front side of a Telecaster was to rip out the mini-single and just drop a humbucker in there. It was good enough of an idea that Fender decided to make a dedicated model with that specific configuration.

Is a humbucker in the front position better than a modern Twisted Tele pickup? That I'm not sure of. I can personally work with either, but I will admit that having a Fender Wide Range Humbucker in the front position is nice to have.

The only thing that takes getting used to is the knobs. The guitar has "skirted" Fender amplifier knobs, and you get these whether using the Squier or Fender version of the guitar.

The difference between these and Strat knobs is that amp knobs are skinnier and taller. Not really a big deal, but it takes a little getting used to. They work fine otherwise.

Great guitar all around, and I'm glad a Squier version of this exists. This guitar does serve a very specific purpose; it's for Tele players that want a front side pickup with balls to it. Squier offers it for cheap, and cheap is good.

Return of the Squier Jazzmaster

I acquired another Jazzmaster to replace the one I traded out. Yes, I know you have questions. I have answers.

Okay. This is going to take some explaining.

Rise and fall of the original Jazzmaster

In November 2013, I bought a Squier Jazzmaster and kept it all the way up until late August 2015 where I traded it out for a Telecaster.

The question you have right now is why I traded out my red Jazzmaster, and the answer to that is simple. I wore out the frets just from playing the thing so much, although this could have also been due to the Dunlop strings I was using, which might have been fret-wreckers for all I know. As I talked about recently, I've since switched to Fender strings due to quality issues with the Dunlops.

Rise and fall of the Telecaster

I traded out the Jazzmaster for a Squier Affinity Telecaster in Metallic Red. Due to its very skinny 1.60-inch nut width (the normal nut with is 1.65-inch), I could not get along with that guitar. I thought I could, but that just wasn't happening. My wrist would hurt playing that thing. Not good. Had to go.

Rise and fall of the Stratocaster

Since I had the Tele for under 30 days, I traded it back for full store credit, then ordered up a black-on-black Squier Vintage Modified '70s Stratocaster. This is a guitar that did have a 1.65-inch nut width, and I thought going back to a Strat would be the proper thing to do.

Even though I paid the tech at Sam Ash to modify that Strat to get tone control on the bridge-only pickup setting (which worked fine, by the way), I could not get along with that Strat's tone. The best way I can describe it is "muddy" sounding. My 26-year-old Squier II Stratocaster has pickups with way more treble response to them.

Since I had that guitar under 30 days, I once again go back to Sam Ash, traded out that Strat for full store credit and ordered up another red Squier Jazzmaster. I had learned my lesson, should have just bought another Jazzmaster to begin with, so that's what I went with.

And yes, this means I lost money by spending cash on the in-store tech doing that tone control mod since that wasn't an original part of the guitar sale. While I didn't lose a bunch of money, still, it's money lost I won't get back.

Enter the second Candy Apple Red Jazzmaster

A few days go by (the guitar was in the warehouse and they had to retrieve it), then the guitar arrives at the store. I go to look at it. It's almost correct, but the top horn wheel controls are sunk in too much. This is not correct and I know this for a fact, given my first Jazzmaster absolutely did not have this problem. This new Jazz was the same guitar, same build origin (Indonesia), same series (Squier Vintage Modified). Nothing should have changed, but those top wheel controls were messed up.

I tell the store to order up another red Jazzmaster, but the guitar in that particular finish is backordered and will take 3 weeks before another shipment shows up.

I ask if they have a Sonic Blue they could get. The store says yes and can have it in 2 days.

Since waiting 2 days is a lot better than waiting 3 weeks, I tell the store to order up the Sonic Blue Jazzmaster.

Sonic Blue vs. Candy Apple Red

This is where things get really interesting.

The Sonic Blue Jazz arrives, and I go to the store to inspect it. Also in the store is that same Candy Apple Red Jazz with the messed up wheel controls; it was still there.

What I decided to do was try both guitars in the store, side-by-side. Even though the wheel controls were messed up on the red one, I wanted to try both anyway (if I really wanted to, I could have fixed those wheel controls myself with aftermarket parts.)

Were the wheel controls on the blue Jazzmaster sunk in as well? Yes, but slightly less than the red one. However, they're high enough to where I can operate them properly for the most part, so it's not a bother.

I park my butt in front of an amp and go back and forth between both guitars for about 10 minutes. Then I grabbed the little wrench tools the guitar comes with and made minor bridge and saddle height adjustments, then tested both again for probably another 20 minutes.

Never in my life had I tested any electric so thoroughly in a store before taking it home. But this time I did because I didn't want to have to come back to the store yet again for yet another return.

The Sonic Blue Jazzmaster was the winner here for 3 main reasons.

1. Much lighter in weight.

The red Jazzmaster was a bit of a boat anchor. Heavy. The Sonic Blue Jazz for whatever reason was much lighter. Almost Stratocaster-like in weight. I'm guessing the red Jazz was about 8.5lbs and the blue Jazz about 7.75lbs or close to it.

2. Better neck - after bridge and saddles were adjusted.

There were 2 bad frets on the red Jazz that caused fretting out. Not good. But the blue one had action that was a bit high. However, after lowering the bridge and saddles slightly, the blue one was better and did not have any frets with problems like the red one did.

3. Better nut cut

The 1 string on the red Jazz had a little bit of that sitar-like sound going on no matter where the height was set, indicating an improper nut slot height for that specific string. The blue Jazz did not have that issue.

In the end, the Sonic Blue Jazzmaster was the better guitar, so that's the one I took home.

Same as I remember, but better

Even though I've the same model as my first Jazzmaster, this one is better because I know the guitar a lot better now.

For example, Jazzmasters and Jaguars are buzzy; that's just the way they are. Even for expensive models like the Johnny Marr Jaguar or '65 Reissue Jazzmaster, they will buzz because it's part of the guitar's character. To expect a buzz-free Jazz or Jag is foolish. What I have now that I didn't before is experience with the Jazzmaster. This means I know when the guitar is buzzing too much.

I know now is that the sound of big Jazzmaster single-coils is a force to be reckoned with, because when I went without it, that sucked.

I got my first taste of big singles with the Epiphone Les Paul Special I P90, and liked it. While the P90 is not the same as a Jazzmaster pickup (there are several significant differences between the two), that guitar gave me enough confidence to try out a Jazzmaster later, enough to eventually purchase one.

When I traded out my Jazzmaster, I quickly realized that the sound from Stratocasters and Telecasters just isn't the same. All the midrange in my tone was gone. Strats and Teles have their place, to be sure, but skinny singles just don't compare to big singles.

I could have switched guitar brands and went with Epiphone as they have most guitar models with P90s that are affordable. If I wanted a Jazzmaster-like sound with a Jazzmaster-like vibrato system out of an Epiphone, the Wildkat is it. Totally. But as you'll see from the price tag, it's priced a few ticks higher than a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster is.

I could have also jumped ship over to Gretsch if I wanted a solid-body with "jangly" tone. The G5435T with Bigsby, while not exactly cheap (it's the same price as a Fender Mexico Standard), it does have the vibrato I like and the Filter'Tron pickups. Those aren't singles, but still sound great.

As you can probably tell by now, Squier Jazzmaster is the only guitar of its kind at its price point that is able to do what it does so well. If you go with any other option, you will spend more for less. And believe me, I've looked around and examined the options.

It's good to have a Jazzmaster again.