Black Friday electric guitars for 2020
An interesting mix for the most-wished-for guitars this year on guitar shopping sites.
2020 has obviously been a real rough year. Where guitars are concerned, yes they have been selling, but most people are concentrating mainly on "safe" designs with cool colors. And that's fine.
These will be listed highest-to-lowest where prices are concerned.
Fender Player Plus Top Stratocaster HSSFor whatever reason, people are buying a ton of HSS Strats, and where Fenders are concerned, I can see why people go for this one. Great color, great price. For a Fender, that is.
Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop PROThe killer color this year for the Epiphone Les Paul is Cherry, which is what you see above. This is not a solid color as there is some tiger flame going on, which suits the guitar very nicely. It is labeled as a "Triple AAA Flame Veneer Top".
If you've played an Epiphone Les Paul Standard before, you already know this guitar well. But the Cherry with the flame top? That makes this better. Very nice looker.
ESP LTD EC-256FMAgain, it's the color that makes people want this guitar. The color is Cobalt Blue. With the thin flame style on the top, it has a pair-of-jeans look to it. The chrome hardware works very nicely with the finish, and compared to other models, this has black knobs instead of gold (which in all honesty does work better with the color).
You can consider this a more modernized Les Paul. It's like the Epiphone but will be easier for those that like to play on the higher frets more often.
Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster HSSEver since Squier released this black Strat with the big headstock, people can't get enough of it. This is absolutely the classic '70s Strat look, but fortunately feels and sounds a lot better (original 1970's Stratocasters did not have a reverse wound pickup in the middle for hum canceling on the 2 and 4 pickup positions).
With the HSS configuration, you get hum canceling on positions 1, 2 and 4 instead of just 2 and 4, so that's a bonus.
If the Fender HSS is priced too high for your liking, you get the Squier instead.
I actually like the look of the Squier better than the Fender.
Squier Affinity StratocasterI said recently that I don't like the look of this guitar, and I still feel the same way. It has to do with the headstock. The logo treatment really needs a redo on this model...
...but I do understand why people buy this guitar so much and still do. It is the easiest and cheapest way to get a decent quality Strat in Surf Green. This guitar is notably better than the Bullet Strat and I don't deny that.
Also, the Surf Green on the Affinity Series is one of the better versions of this color. Some Surf Greens look dopey but this one gets it right.
Squier Affinity TelecasterThis is a guitar where I absolutely do like the look. Love it, in fact. This finish by Squier is called Arctic White, which is a banana yellow color or "vintage white" depending on your point of view. I think the color is great. One of my SX Furrians is in this color and looks very similar to this guitar.
The Affinity Tele is a solid Telecaster and a very easy player. And, again, it is notably better compared to the Bullet Telecaster. You'll especially notice it in the tuners. The Affinity Series has a nice set of them, and this can also be said for the Strats.
Ibanez AX120I owned one of these before. Great guitar.
The most amazing thing about this guitar is the fact the super low price has not changed since introduction. It can still be had for the same price I bought mine for when I had one.
Great build, great feel, great everything. I'm just more of a Telecaster guy which is why I parted with mine. However, if you like the SG guitar, you will like the AX120 a whole lot.
There are times I do miss this guitar. Sounds fantastic and looks great too, especially with those block inlays on the neck.
This is the best Pacifica guitar
When you bump up to level 5, you really get something good.
The Yamaha Pacifica is a guitar I've mentioned before but am mentioning again, because if you want to put some money into something you can call "the good guitar", this is it, the PAC611HFM. It's well under $1,000 even though it could easily sell for that much.
There are several finish options available, including a rather awesome Translucent Black and even a ridiculously cool Translucent Purple. Don't like purple? You will after seeing how Yamaha does theirs.
Pacifica comes in 5 model ranges with 600 series being the best one. Unfortunately, it's ordinarily true the only one you see in guitar stores is the low end 100 series, but there is 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 on the upper end. Are there higher levels? Yes. Standard and Professional. But those get a little too expensive for most players. The PAC611HFM is just-right both for features and price.
What makes the 600 a rather large jump up compared to the 100 is a TUSQ nut, real-deal Seymour Duncan pickups, full push-pull split control on the humbucker, real-deal Graph Tech string saver saddles and real-deal Grover locking tuners. Yes, locking tuners. The body is maple and alder, and of course the fingerboard is real rosewood.
In other words, zero modifications are needed to make this guitar great. What you get out of the box is already great.
The Pacifica 600 series is for many players a dream guitar, and the only reason more people don't buy it is because they weren't aware it even existed. Hardtail Strat style body, well-voiced splittable humbucker at the bridge, awesome P90 at the neck, great body shape, balanced just right (absolutely zero neck dive), clean understated look without looking dopey... everything is there.
It's also nice that Yamaha did not put a paper thin neck on this guitar. First fret neck depth measures at 20.9mm (0.82") and 22.9mm (0.90") at the 12th. It's a very nice thickness.
The fingerboard is nice and flat at 350mm (13.77"), allowing for ridiculously low action and easy note bending.
Pacifica 600 is built to be a player's guitar first, and it's nice it exists. What you pay for here is "all guitar", which is an increasingly rare thing these days.
For the guy who can't decide between a Strat and a Tele - Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
So you want both a Strat and a Tele in the same guitar. This is it.
There's something I need to go over first. An oddity when it comes to Fender guitars is that you can go Tele-to-Strat tone but can't go Strat-to-Tele.
Why? It's because you don't have the overwound single-coil pickup on the bridge side in a Strat. That pickup is the "foundation" of Telecaster tone.
Could you install an overwound single-coil bridge pickup in a Strat? Sure. But it still won't sound right. The Tele configuration of the bridge side pickup in the middle of a metal plate with no vibrato (which Fender calls tremolo) just sounds way different than a Strat bridge pickup in a plastic guard with vibrato.
And that brings us to the Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster.
This guitar does totally sound like a Tele should, but has a middle pickup like a Stratocaster.
Yes, it has a 5-way selector switch that acts just like a Strat does. It's the same Stratocaster configuration you're very familiar with, but with the Deluxe Nashville Telecaster you get that sweet singing overwound single-coil at the bridge.
There's also another rather nice perk about this Tele. It has a 12" fingerboard radius like a Les Paul. That means you can set the action lower and bend notes more, if that's your thing.
Other goodies about this guitar is that it has the cutaway heel in the back for easier higher fret access, and also has my favorite neck finish, satin urethane. Far less sticky feel compared to high gloss. And because this is an "upper mid tier" model, you get Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups. The bridge and neck are Tele pickups and the middle is a Strat pickup by design.
This guitar looks vintage but it's definitely more modernist, which is to its advantage. The truss rod adjustment location is thankfully at the headstock (no need to remove the neck for an adjustment), and there is no nitro anywhere, meaning no skin irritation.
The best part about this guitar? Very easy player. You don't have to relearn anything. It's a Telecaster with extra Strat tone goodness to it.
Some consider this specific guitar the best of both the Strat and Tele put into one guitar. It is pretty much the only way to get both tone types out of a single guitar. Again, you can't go Strat-to-Tele but you can go Tele-to-Strat, and that's what this guitar is. And it works.
How does a compass work on a smartphone?
This is a really good feature of a smartphone that not too many people know about.
I was asked to make a video on this, but I figured it would also be good to put together an article about it, as this is good information to know.
Ordinarily, the way a plain magnetic compass works is by use of a magnet that allows something to move. If it's a traditional handheld compass, the arrow can be moved by the magnet to tell you which direction you're facing. If the compass is made for marine or car use, there is a ball floating in liquid, and the magnet can move that to indicate direction.
Smartphones have no moving parts, so the way its internal compass works is different.
All modern smartphones have a magnetometer in them. But since that doesn't move, it is assisted by the accelerometer sensors in order to tell you which cardinal direction (as in north, south, east or west) you're facing.
You can turn off location (GPS), data and Wi-Fi and the compass feature of a smartphone will work since it requires no radio signals to function. All you need is a compass app. For Android, the app I prefer is GPS Test Plus, available in the Google Play Store. Apple iPhone does not have that specific app, but a search for "compass" in the app store will get you a compass app that more or less does the same thing.
There are a few very good reasons why it is important to know about the smartphone compass.
It's not just for navigating while in the woods...
When you hear the word compass, you may think of people using a compass outdoors such as for hiking, cycling, or any place where there are not roads marked by signs.
While true a compass comes in very useful for outdoor activities, it also comes in very handy in places like cities, large shopping malls and large parking lots.
The compass is your "backup navigation" for when the radio signals on the phone get blocked for whatever reason.
Is your compass calibrated?
Given the orientation of a phone changes quite a bit just from normal use, you may need to calibrate your compass periodically. This can be done through Google Maps. Launch the app, touch the dot showing your location, choose to calibrate the compass, and then twist your phone in a figure-8 motion to calibrate. The app does show a graphic with instructions.
Having location (GPS) enabled is required to calibrate the compass in Google Maps. Having data enabled is not required. The map will probably show up as blank when you load Google Maps this way, but you can access the compass calibration so the compass works properly.
A simple example of using only a compass
A large shopping mall parking lot is one of the easiest examples.
After parking your car, take out your phone and launch the compass app. Face away from the building you need to enter. Now you know the direction you need to go when exiting the building to get back to your car. Remember this. When you exit the building later on, go that direction and you will be led in the direction of where your car is.
As "connected" as we like to think we are, we're really not
Smartphone navigation is great - when it works. When it fails, it likes to do so in spectacular fashion.
It is nothing short of amazing that even when a phone can determine location by cell tower, Wi-Fi and GPS all at once that it still manages to "get lost", leaving you lost when you need navigation working the most. And the navigation doesn't break just a little bit. When a phone doesn't know where it is, it really doesn't know where it is.
Using the phone's compass does not rely on towers, satellites or data. As long as you're not in a metal box (like an elevator), it will work.
Does a compass give you perfect cardinal direction? No, and it never has. But it's good enough to at least point you mostly where you need to be.
It's better that nothing, and if you need it, it's there.
Help with guitar setup (it's more than just adjustments)
The difference between a great guitar and total junk is whether its setup is proper or not. But it is more than just adjusting a few things.
Here is a list of regular adjustments concerning guitar setup.
1. Bridge height and/or string saddle height
If you're playing a Les Paul style guitar, string height is adjusted by moving the bridge up or down. You can also choose if you want one side higher than the other.
If you're playing a Stratocaster style guitar, most (usually all) of the string height adjustment is done by adjusting each string saddle.
With some guitars, you have both styles of adjustments, such as a traditional Fender Jazzmaster or Fender Jaguar. Both of those allow both the bridge and the string saddles to be raised/lowered.
For guitars with bolt-on necks, if you "run out of" adjustment, a shim can be placed in the neck pocket to accommodate for that.
2. Pickup height
Generally speaking, this only matters when the pickups are too close to the strings. More often than not, you know the strings are too close if you hear weird "double notes" when playing the wound strings on the higher frets.
For example, if you play a "power chord" (i.e. 5th chord) on the 14th fret using the low-E and A or A and D and hear those weird double notes, lower the pickup and it will usually go away.
3. Truss rod adjustment
Many guitar players never adjust the truss rod in their guitar. This absolutely must be learned because it can mean the difference between a guitar that plays great or terribly.
I wrote a whole thing on that. It applies to vintage style truss rod adjustments at the butt end of the neck, but also applies to a rod adjusted at the headstock as well.
But are you done after doing that stuff?
Sometimes, but usually not.
The photo at top is me getting rid of some sharp fret ends on my Glarry GJazz bass...
...and this is where it's required to do the "scary" stuff, so let's talk about that.
"Perfect setup" usually requires filing stuff
If you want a perfect setup, sometimes you have to remove some metal or some plastic. Or both.
You don't need luthier-grade tools to do this. But you do need tools.
This is what you need:
- Masking tape
- Superglue
- Fret rocker
- Fret crowning file (a.k.a. crowning or dressing file)
- Guitar nut file set
- Sandpaper in grits 220, 400, 600 and 1000
- 0000 steel wool
When you have this stuff, you can then fix most problems with guitar necks. The majority of the time, what goes wrong is either a high fret or two, sharp fret ends and/or the need to fix the height of a nut slot.
There are plenty of YouTube videos on what I'm about to tell you, but here is some general information on what to do to repair common issues using the tools above.
Sharp fret ends
Find the fret that feels sharp. Believe me, if you have a sharp fret, you will know it because it will tear into your skin as you run your fingertip across its edge.
Mask off both sides of the fret.
Use your fret file to smooth out the fret end. Use light passes.
Take off the tape and run your fingertip across the fret edge again. If still sharp, re-tape and file some more. Continue doing this until the edge is smooth to the touch when dragging your fingertip across it. And remember, the tape must be off to test sharpness with your finger. When filing, tape on. When testing with finger, tape off.
When smoothness is achieved, re-tape again, sand lightly with 1000 grit sandpaper, then polish with 0000 steel wool. Remove tape. Done. Do this for all sharp fret ends.
Nut slot is too low
I suggest watching YouTube videos on this first so you can identify whether your guitar has this issue or not. Just search "low nut slot" and you'll find it.
My way of fixing a low nut slow however is different compared to most.
Note: I make no claim this is the correct way to do this. This is my way and it works for me.
Mask off nut both in the front and back.
Using superglue, put a very small drop in the slot. It will sink into it pretty much instantly. Excess will spill on to the masking tape. If any excess spills on top of the nut however, wipe away with a paper towel.
Let the glue cure for at least 30 minutes. Superglue cures a lot faster than that, but best to give it time just to be sure.
After curing, take off the tape and string up the guitar. If the slot height is correct, you're done. If it's still too low, repeat process. Tape the front and back, add more glue, let cure, try again until the proper height is achieved.
If the slot gets too high, this is when you take out your nut file set. File the slot down lightly, then string up again. Keep doing this until the proper slot height is achieved.
Fixing a high fret
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: This is my way of fixing a single high fret. If you're going to level a bunch of frets using a fret leveling beam, you need a notched straight edge to ensure the neck is flat before you do that. For fixing a single fret, you don't need the notched straight edge.
Take off the strings, then take your fret rocker and identify where the high fret is. If you don't know how to use a fret rocker, just search YouTube for "how to use a fret rocker". It's easy.
Mask off either side of the fret.
If the fret is really high and there's very pronounced clicking happening when using the fret rocker, give a few passes using the 220 grit sandpaper first. However, if there's just slight clicking, start with 400 grit instead.
Sand, and periodically test with the fret rocker. When the clicking is gone, you're almost done. Your fret is all nicked up now from sanding. This is when you give a few light passes with the 600 grit, then the 1000 grit, then finally polish using 0000 steel wool.
When done, take off the tape, string up and play happy.
Everything I just mentioned can make most cheap guitars play great
My Glarry GJazz was literally $85 new, and I did not expect it to have perfect build quality out-of-the-box. I was right, it didn't...
...but that was okay. With truly just a little bit of work, I was able to get that bass in fine playing condition.
When you know how to actually perform basic nut and fret repairs, you can pretty much make any guitar play wonderfully.
The neck is what counts more than anything else
In many instances it's true that the only two things keeping a guitar from playing great are the nut and the frets. You can fix this stuff. But you have to be brave about it.
Is filing frets scary? Yes. Is putting glue in a nut slot and/or filing it scary? Yes. But the fear only happens for the first time you do either of those things.
I would argue it's necessary to learn this stuff these days
More people are buying guitars online, meaning you can't try them out in person before purchase.
If the only thing keeping a guitar from being great was one high fret, a sharp fret end or one nut slot that needed fixing, wouldn't it be nice to be able to fix that stuff and keep the guitar rather than having to send it back?
Go buy a cheap electric guitar. It probably will need a little work to make it play great. Use that as your test.
When you can fix the cheap stuff, then you can fix the more expensive stuff afterward. It's well worth your time to learn.