The 3.5" Garmin nuvi is still needed after all
A weird chain of events led to the point where going back to a GPS navigator made in the early 2010s is sometimes actually the best (if sometimes not the only) option.
The 3.5" screen Garmin nuvi was around from 2007 to 2011. The model you see above is the best one they ever released, the 2250LT. I own two of these. I also own the very last 3.5" model Garmin ever made, the 30LM, although it doesn't have anywhere near as much features as the 2250LT does (like traffic reporting when connected to a GTM36).
At the time I write this in 2021, all new cars now have an infotainment screen that starts at 7" in size and goes up from there. The problem is that in-car navigation is terrible, making that big screen useless for actually giving directions.
Is the smartphone a good alternative? It may not be. There are three problems with it. First, it can't be mounted anywhere because of modern car interior design. Part of the screen will always be blocked. Second, connecting it wirelessly to the car's infotainment system will at times drop connection, making that option useless. Third, the GPS antenna on the phone is weak and will also drop connection often...
...which is when the 3.5" nuvi, as old as it is, sometimes ends up being the only usable option.
Better to use a 3.5" than "mod" your car interior
I've read stories and seen photos of "mods" by guys who did some seriously stupid things to their car interiors just to get a good screen mounting position. Brackets and/or plates that required drilling holes, crazy gooseneck mounts, and so on. Not smart.
A 3.5" is basically the size of a car gauge. And because it's so light, it's unlikely a suction mount will fall when used with one.
Where a 5" or greater size screen can't go, the 3.5" can, and it's legal to mount it in the lower left of the windshield in all 50 US states...
...and that alone makes it worth having one, just in case you ever need to use it.
Reverse headstock S-style with "cheese wheel" for cheap
There are two things that impress me about this one.
The last guitar I mentioned was not cheap in price, but this one is and has some rather nice features to it.
This guitar is simply known as a Zuwei Customshop Series. I have no idea what the model name is because it's not mentioned. What I do know is that it's way under $300 new.
What we have here is a simpler design with S-style basswood body and S-style HSS switching, but with a reverse headstock and a 24-fret neck. At the butt of the maple neck you can see the "cheese wheel" for adjusting the truss rod, and that's cool. Very easy to get to.
However, this guitar has a few more tricks up its sleeve. It has that back-mounted output jack very similar to the Charvel I just talked about. It also has a deep cutaway on the rear of the bottom horn for easy access to the higher frets.
The cheese wheel and output jack are just really nice things to have, and this Zuwei has them for real cheap.
Given how low the price is of the guitar, even if the pickups don't sound that great, who cares? With the cash saved on this one, it can easily be put towards a replacement set.
Charvel is making the best "fast Telecaster" right now
This thing is nuts, but in all the right ways.
While this isn't a guitar I'd particularly own, I do appreciate it for what it is.
Quick specs out of the way first. Carmelized maple neck and fingerboard. 12"-16" compound radius on the neck. Heel-mount truss rod adjustment (easily accessible). Ash body. Hand rubbed satin urethane finish (meaning silky smooth everywhere). Fishman Fluence Open Core PRF-COC pickups. Gotoh Custom 510 Tremolo bridge. Die-cast locking tuners. "Luminlay" side marker dots. Ridiculously easy high fret access with "shredder's cut heel".
Like I said, this thing is nuts.
The worst part of the guitar is the name. Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 2 24 HH 2PT CM Ash. Yeah, that just rolls right off the tongue. Sounds more like an automotive part number for a Ford F-150.
My favorite part of the guitar is something Charvel doesn't even mention, the output jack.
It is ingenious where they put the jack. When standing you can snake the cable with the least amount of stress right over the guitar strap. And again, Charvel doesn't even list this as a feature, even though it is.
Now in addition to all this, the guitar just plain looks good. Charvel, somehow, managed to make a natural finish look great. Usually, the natural finish looks terrible because it causes the guitar to look like a coffee table. But not this one. This, in all honesty, really does look "pro".
Why wouldn't I own it? Too much shreddy stuff for my taste, but then again, that's Charvel's thing, so it's expected.
It pleases me to no end that Charvel made this. They put in all the good stuff but kept the styling classy and subtle.
Color me impressed.
SX Furrian Fat returns... sort of
At least this is actually available again.
I've been asked more than once if the black SX Furrian Fat I have is available should somebody want one, as it has been out of production for a while.
The black one isn't available, but at least the red one can be bought again right now at the time I write this.
This guitar is labeled as a CAR which is supposed to mean Candy Apple Red, indicating the red does have some metal flake in it. As for how much sparkle the finish has, I'm not certain because I've never seen it in person. But from photos, it appears to be a subtle sparkle, which I consider a good thing.
Can you get the white guard instead of black? I don't think so, but you can email Rondo and ask them. They do sell pick guards but the Furrian Fat guard isn't listed there. However, just because it's not listed doesn't mean it's not available, so again, ask. Getting that extra white guard won't be free, but considering how low in price the guitar is, spending an extra $10 or $20 on one still makes the guitar a great deal.
Yes, I do think the guitar would look far better with a white guard on it instead of black. If the neck had a rosewood fingerboard on it, then sure, leave it black. But it's a maple fingerboard, so the contrast between the neck color and guard color is very pronounced.
Is this CAR version of the Furrian Fat the same one I have? I believe it is. So if you've been waiting for this one and don't mind the red with the black guard, now you can get it.
Can't find a fat Furrian?
See Squier Telecaster Custom and Squier Telecaster Deluxe. Those two guitars are the next best thing.
Back when a 3.5" screen was good enough (and still is)
These could - and should - be made again.
One of the newer additions to my collection of Garmin GPSes is the Garmin nuvi 2250LT. I was able to pick up a near-mint one for a very good price.
This thing was made in either in 2010 or 2011, so it's over 10 years old at this point. However, I was able to update it and it works just fine. It's still a fine navigator.
The best thing about the 2250LT is the size. Physically, it's 3.7"W x 2.8"H with a depth of 0.6" (9.3 x 7.2 x 1.5cm for you metric types.) The screen size is 2.8"W x 2.1"H (7.2 x 5.4cm) resulting in a 3.5" (8.9cm) diagonally measured screen. And it weighs just 107 grams, which is lighter than most dive style wristwatches.
Yes, it's a touchscreen. Yes, it does report traffic when connected to a GTM36. Yes, it speaks street names and does turn-by-turn directions.
Why did these stop being made?
Two reasons. People thought a 3.5" screen was too small, and the smartphone.
However, things have changed and some people are now giving these old Garmins another look.
Before telling you what's changed, the second and third best things about the 2250LT and other Garmins of the 3.5" size variety are:
The simplicity. It is very easy to use and very easy to follow. Great map contrast. Icons are big. On-screen map arrow is big. Colors are bright. Sure, the resolution is low at just 320x240, but even so, this thing is ridiculously easy to get along with.
Great signal. A Garmin GPS of this type is only a receiver. The receiving antenna built in is the only one in the unit. Rarely will you ever see one of these have a signal drop unless you go somewhere where no signals can get through (such as driving through a mountain.)
What people want out of an electronic navigator is something that doesn't drop signal, is easy to use and just works...
...and that phone doesn't do that. Things have changed there. It will drop signal, and the navigation app for whatever it is will crash periodically. Apps crash on the phone so often that it's considered normal. That didn't used to happen, but does now.
Very rarely have I ever had a Garmin crash on me. I purposely don't connect my phone to any of my Garmins (some have Bluetooth support for that) just to make very certain I don't introduce any instability to my navigation.
Pocket-sized navigators are cool
When the phone starts screwing up as it does from time to time, that's when a little navigator that isn't the phone really shines.
I really like the fact the 2250LT not only works but works well, and I can mount it almost anywhere in the car. Also, due to the smaller size it's also 100% legal to mount on the lower left corner of the windshield in all 50 states.
Is the 2250 a "golden era" Garmin? That depends on how you look at it. As far as the 3.5" models are concerned, the 2250 was the best one Garmin ever made because it's packed with the most features. But I can't say it's the best model overall. Most Garmin car navigator fans would say the nuvi 2589 (a 5" model from 2014) is the best. I think the 2599 (also from the same year) is better, but that's just me.
To me, the 2250 is a golden era Garmin model because it's a rock-solid performer once all software updates are applied, which I did do.
2250LT is an example of "do one thing, do it well" tech. Smartphones are supposed to be able to run circles around this thing since they are far more powerful. When everything is working on the phone, then yes, it's better. But because of GPS signal drops and the crash-happy nature of the navigation apps, that makes the nuvi 2250LT made 11 years ago the better option. Doesn't drop signal, doesn't crash, just works.
What's the smallest now?
Garmin Drive 52 or Garmin Drive 53. Those are 5" models, but fit in all cars. Yes, all.