Graffiti Yellow Squier guitars make a wild appearance
Too bad these aren't worth buying.
A reader that saw my Graffiti Yellow Fender Stratocasters article I wrote a couple of years ago emailed and said that Squier has Strat, Tele and Jazz Bass FSR editions in this color right now.
I went to check this out, and yes, they exist. But as I just said, they're not worth buying.
As a base of comparison, see what a regular Squier Affinity Stratocaster costs before continuing.
There are two things about these guitars that are quite unfortunate. First, they're not being sold by any USA dealers at the moment (but they might be in the future?) Second, because of that, the prices for these guitars are sky high to the tune of $500 after shipping and tax.
Yikes.
There is the Telecaster version.
And there is the Jazz Bass version.
I could see the Strat or the Tele selling for $300, but certainly not $500. No way are these guitars worth anywhere near that and never will be.
Yes, Graffiti Yellow is a very cool and rare Fender color. But there's no chance I would put down that kind of money for an Affinity model - especially since it appears they're all stock models, just in a special color.
When it comes to special colors, another one is Burgundy Mist. There are some readers of mine who really, really like that color.
Fender has this right now with the Mustang 90.
This particular Mustang is $600. It's just $100 more than the GY Squier, and it's a Fender in a color arguably just as cool as GY is.
If you're going to put down $500+ on a guitar just for a color, the Fender in this instance is the much better value.
In the end, Graffiti Yellow is a great color, but on a Squier it's not worth more than double the price of the same guitar in a regular production color.
Casio watches for a small wrist
This is a list of Casio watches that are small wrist friendly, and includes a few G-SHOCK models.
My wrist compared to other wrists
How wrist size is determined where watches are concerned is whether you wear the before or after the wrist knuckle.
If I am wearing a watch with resin, NATO or leather strap on it, I wear the watch before the wrist knuckle. That part of my wrist measures at 6.5 inches or 16.5cm.
If I am wearing a watch with a metal bracelet, I purposely wear those more loosely, and the watch rests after the wrist knuckle and closer to where the hand begins. That part of my wrist measures 6.75 inches or 17cm.
The average man's wrist size is generally agreed to be 7 inches (17.75cm) around, so anything smaller than that is considered small.
In my experience, the following Casio watches will properly fit smaller wrists between 6.0" (15cm) to 6.75 (17.75cm) inches around.
Quick note on measurements
All measurements will be shown in millimeters. The first number will be lug-to-lug width, the second number is case diameter, and the third number is watch thickness.
G-SHOCK models that fit the small wrist
There are unfortunately not too many G-SHOCK models that will properly fit smaller wrists. There are some who say "just get a Baby-G model", but I can assure you that is not a good solution, because many women's models are too big for the small-wristed just like the men's models are.
DW5600EMeasurements: 48.5 x 43.0 x 14.77 mm
This is still available for under 50 dollars and is the standard G-SHOCK "square". In photos this looks small but it's not. Bear in mind it's almost 15mm thick.
The DW5600E fits small wrists easily, but the only problem you may encounter is "strap gap" if your wrist is thin and flat. Strap gap is when the watch sits on your wrist, but the strap leaves spaces on either side that may cause some discomfort.
GWM5610Measurements: 46.7 x 43.2 x 12.77 mm
This looks almost identical to the DW5600E, but that's in appearance only. This model has many more features (solar power, atomic timekeeping and so on,) and is in fact notably smaller than the 5600. Lug-to-lug is shorter and it's a full 2mm slimmer.
This model is considered by many small-wristed fans of G-SHOCK to be the perfect size.
DW9052VMeasurements: 48.5 x 43.0 x 14.70 mm
What makes this particular model excellent for smaller wrists is the fact it has a factory nylon strap, which completely eliminates the strap gap problem for those with flat wrists.
If the only thing keeping you from getting a G-SHOCK is the resin strap, then you want the DW9052V. It appears to be larger than the 5600 square but in fact is almost identical in size.
Regular Casio watch models (not G-SHOCK) that fit the small wrist
You will have the most choice here with models that are friendly to the smaller wrist.
This will be listed largest to smallest using the lug-to-lug measurement, with brief description for each. See link for any model to get more information and price.
- AE1000W, measurements 48.1 x 43.7 x 13.77 mm, digital, round
- MW600, measurements 46.2 x 41.5 x 12.40 mm, analog with date complication, round
- WS210H, measurements 45.4 x 44.0 x 13.30 mm, digital, "Tough Solar" model, round
- AE1200, measurements 45.0 x 42.1 x 12.50, digital, square
- AE1300, measurements 45.0 x 42.0 x 12.50 mm, digital, square
- HDA600, measurements 44.6 x 41.1 x 13.40 mm, analog with date complication, round
- F108, measurements 44.4 x 42.6 x 10.30 mm, digital, square
- AW80, measurements 44.5 x 38.5 x 11.00 mm, analog-digital, round
- F200W, measurements 44.1 x 40.0 x 11.50 mm, digital, round
- W96H, measurements 43.9 x 35.7 x 12.50 mm, digital, rectangle
- CA53W, measurements 42.0 x 33.0 x 7.00 mm, digital, calculator, rectangle
- F201, measurements 41.0 x 34.0 x 10.50 mm, digital, small rectangle
- W93H, measurements 41.0 x 35.0 x 9.50 mm, digital, round
- MW59, measurements 40.0 x 36.1 x 8.90 mm, analog with date complication, round
- W201, measurements 39.0 x 35.0 x 9.00 mm, digital, square
- A500W, measurements 39.0 x 34.0 x 9.60 mm, digital, square on metal bracelet
- FT600B, measurements 39.0 x 32.0 x 10.00 mm, analog-digital with nylon strap
- AQ230, measurements 38.8 x 29.8 x 8.10 mm, analog-digital on metal bracelet
- A168, measurements 38.6 x 36.3 x 9.60 mm, digital on metal bracelet
- F-91W, measurements 38.2 x 35.2 x 8.50 mm, digital
- A158W, measurements 37.5 x 33.5 x 9.50 mm, digital on metal bracelet
- A700W, measurements 37.4 x 35.5 x 6.00 mm, digital on metal bracelet (and yes it really is only 6mm thick!)
- MQ24, measurements 37.5 x 35.0 x 7.50 mm, analog, several dial designs available
- F105W, measurements 37.5 x 33.5 x 9.50 mm, digital, the smallest available with electroluminescent night light (similar to Timex Indiglo)
- W59, measurements 37.1 x 35.2 x 8.70 mm, digital
Best all-around: F-91W. This is literally the most popular wristwatch in the world. You can't go wrong with one of these.
Most masculine: AE1000W. Looks rough-and-tough, has 100m water resistance and a genuinely good strap that should last a good long while.
Most convenient: W96H. With this one you get time, month, day, weekday and year all one screen. This is the watch you see me wearing at the beginning of this article. It's actually quite handy to get all that info without having to press any buttons at all.
Looks like a really expensive guitar
Guitars that look like this usually sell for thousands of dollars. This one is way, way less than that.
Take the Eart Explorer-1. Never heard of it? Neither had I until just recently.
This guitar has stuff in it that sounds really fancy, such as:
- African safflower pear wood carbonized paired body
- Compound radius 9.5" to 14" fretboard
- Class 57 closed coil pickups
- Offset dot inlays
- 24 fret neck
...and so on. It also has a butternut top and the very luxurious looking purple treatment throughout.
Again, I have seen guitars like this that sell for thousands. This is the kind of stuff builders will usually bring to NAMM just to show off.
But this guitar doesn't cost thousands. It's not $750. It's not $500.
I had a chuckle when I saw that. Why? Because when you take away all the hype and that "hand crafted" nonsense (because it's just oh-so hard sweating away at a CNC machine), what you're left with is a $300 guitar.
In other words, this guitar is priced EXACTLY what it is worth.
Should you buy it? Yes! Skip the multi-thousand dollar garbage and get this instead! It looks really, really expensive and that's the whole point!
Would this be a good player? Actually, yes it would. It does have a nice design to it both for front and back, and will not exhibit any neck dive with the shape it uses.
This is something you can show off, say you spent thousands on it and everybody will believe you. You can even have fun with this when a friend asks to play it. "Be careful... this thing is really expensive", all the while knowing you paid less than $300 for it.
Much fun could be had with this cheap guitar.
Buy a new car or keep driving an old car?
I drive a car that's over 10 years old. There are certain things you have to know if you intend to do this.
Above is me in the process of changing the oil of my car; I think this is a good way of showing stuff you have to do when you drive something old...
...meaning that part of owning an older car means there will be times you have to get your hands dirty. I'll talk more about that in a moment.
3 facts about new cars
- All new cars are designed to only last as long as a lease term before something wears out and/or breaks. That means 3 years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first.
- Any infotainment tech the car has now will be partially if not completely obsolete in fewer than 3 years.
- "Lot rot" is a real thing. New cars are sitting in dealership lots longer, and one of the worst things you can do to a car is not use it. Cars that sit develop rust, get flat spots on the tires, develop stiff suspensions, sometimes mold on the inside... it's just not good.
These things being true, should you buy a new car? No. If you want new, lease. Just make sure it's a car that hasn't been sitting on the lot for too long. You get all the latest tech, and by the time the car starts having things wear out and the infotainment goes obsolete, you get rid of the car and wash your hands of it.
Should you keep your old car?
Not going new and trying to decide whether to keep the old car? There are a few questions you need to ask to help you make this decision.
Is the car paid off?
If what you're driving isn't paid off, the bank owns your car and not you. The first step here is to get some financial relief. Find out exactly how much left you owe on your car loan, then start calling other banks and credit unions. One of them should be able to refinance your loan even if your credit is total garbage since what you're doing is bringing an asset to the table, that being the car itself.
When you do get some fiscal relief and can afford some repairs, tackle some of the biggies listed below.
Does the car have fixable problems?
An example of an unfixable problem is a leaking sunroof. All car sunroofs leak. Every single one of them. If the roof leaks, get rid of the car. Most auto glass shops won't touch a leaking roof because it will just start leaking again, so it's not even worth attempting to fix.
Another example of an unfixable problem is any frame damage. Once a car frame gets bent (such as from hitting a curb way too hard,) that can't be fixed.
And yet another example of an unfixable problem is door damage. If a door on the car gets slammed into something (such as those posts next to gas pumps at the gas station) and something is bent so it never shuts right after that, that's unfixable. Even if you replace the door, it will never latch correctly. Again, unfixable.
Things that can be fixed
This is a list of the fixable stuff you can do. If you can get most or all of it done, you should get another 50,000 miles out of your car.
Oil change
An oil change for conventional oil is about a $40-$50 service, and full synthetic is $60-$70.
I run full synthetic in my car using Castrol GTX Ultraclean. If I had any shop do the service for oil + filter, I'd be paying 70 bucks. When I do it myself, 30 bucks. And that's with sales tax included.
Oil changes are necessary and they must be done. It's cheap if you do the oil change yourself. But if you don't, you're going to be shelling out $40 to $70 twice a year for the service.
Tires
There are a lot of people driving on bad tires out there. Don't be one of these idiots.
When you replace your tires - and I cannot stress this enough - REPLACE ALL FOUR. And be certain to have the tires rotated every 6,000 miles. Most tire shops will include the rotation service free of charge.
The cost of this will be anywhere from $350 to $1,500. Big SUVs pay the biggest price. If you remember to do your rotations, you should be able to get at least 40,000 miles out of the tires. The initial cost of the tires is big, but you don't have to pay it again for a while.
Brakes
People ignore bad brakes even more than bad tires, and the #1 reason for this is cost. Brake service for many cars just isn't cheap.
However, if there is anything you should put big money into on an older car, it's brakes. You must be able to stop your car reliably.
Brake replacements for all four wheels usually start at $1,000, but can ramp up in price to $2,000 or even beyond that.
The only way you can save cost on brake replacements is to replace them yourself. There are plenty of YouTube videos on this, and yes you can do it. If for example you have a big SUV like a Chevrolet Tahoe, you're going to pay big for brakes at a shop. But if you do it yourself, you can slash the price to well under $400.
You need good brakes, but if you don't have a lot to spend, start watching YouTube videos on how to change the brakes on your car, then go do it...
...but remember that changing brakes yourself is usually an all-day job, especially if you've never done it before. Much cussing and swearing will most likely be involved, but it's worth it.
Also remember that even if you factor in the cost of the tools and stands and whatnot that you need, you're still saving huge over having a shop do it.
Wheel alignment
This is something that is included when you get new tires. However, if the car feels wobbly/shaky at highway speeds and the tires are still new-ish, get the wheel alignment service done.
The cost of this is relatively inexpensive. Don't try this yourself. Have a shop do it.
Struts and shocks
This is not a cheap service, but if the tires are new, the wheel alignment is good but the car takes bumps horribly and/or bounces around too much, it's time for new struts and shocks.
It's usually true that most cars don't need this done until the 75,000 to 100,000+ mile mark.
Like with tires, it's best to do all four sides all at once.
Cost of this depends on car. Small commuter cars can usually get new struts and shocks for under $1,000. Larger SUVs cost more. The cars that cost the most is anything to do with air suspension or has computer-controlled crap in it.
You save huge money changing struts and shocks yourself, but I don't recommend it just due to how annoying it is to get the old stuff out and the new stuff in. You're better off having a garage do this service.
Transmission service
This usually refers to a fluid service for an automatic transmission where the pan gasket, filter and fluid are replaced.
Some say that if the transmission has no problems shifting (you would know if it did,) don't mess with it because that can do more harm than good.
If the transmission in your car feels like it's not shifting right on its own, have the service done. If not, leave it alone.
The cost of this is between $150 to $500 for most cars. Don't do this one yourself. Have a garage do it.
Serpentine belt
This is a relatively cheap service at most garages at usually well under $200 except for luxury cars. On most cars this is "that one belt" that's the most important. If the car squeals from a cold start and/or just starts squealing a lot whenever you accelerate, get this belt changed.
Battery
This is one of those things that's actually really easy to replace yourself for under 50 bucks - however - the main issue with modern cars is that the computer needs a "reset" after a battery disconnect. If the reset isn't performed after the new battery is installed, the car either won't run correctly or won't even start. Very annoying.
In my experience, the best way to change a battery is to have AAA do it. If you have an AAA membership, call them up and say you need a battery replacement. They'll send a guy with a battery and replace it on-site. Keep the receipt, because AAA guarantees the battery for 3 years.
If you don't have AAA, have a garage put in a new battery. Cost from AAA or the garage will be between $125 and $250, depending on car.
Alternator
This is an electrical thing that keeps the battery charged once the car is started.
Signs of a failing alternator is your battery gauge lighting up in your dashboard, flickering headlights, interior lights getting real dim, power windows running real slow (although that could be something else which I'll cover in a moment,) power door locks not working right, and so on. If you notice electrical crap not working correctly and you know the battery is good, getting a new alternator fixes that.
In my experience, alternators don't start failing until after 100,000 miles on most cars, although they can fail earlier.
When replacing an alternator, you might be tempted to be a reconditioned one. Don't do that. Always get new. It is worth the extra 50 to 75 bucks going with a new one.
Yes, you can replace this part yourself if - and this is a big if - the position of the alternator in your car is somewhere that's accessible. Some cars are designed where the alternator is in a spot you can't get to without taking apart five other things just to get to it. If that's how your car is, don't attempt to replace it yourself and just have a shop do it.
The shop cost of this is usually $350 to $600 depending on car.
Power window track lubrication
This is the last one I'll list, and fortunately it's super easy, super cheap, and yes this will potentially save you from having to replace a power window motor.
First, get some WD-40 Specialist Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant Spray.
Second, roll down all the electric windows on your car.
Third, spray the tracks that the glass would rest in when the window is up. I'm not talking about the top of the window frame but the sides. Whenever you use the window, the glass moves along those tracks and that's the thing you're lubricating here.
Fourth, roll up and down the windows 10 times to work in the lubrication.
Do this twice a year. This will save you from having to replace a electric window motor/assembly/regulator/whatever over time.
I unfortunately speak from experience on this one. On a vehicle I used to own, I had the driver's side window electric stuff replaced 3 times (costing me $200 to $350 each time) before learning that lubricating the tracks would have prevented that electric crap from breaking in the first place.
Dirt cheap Jazz-Strat HSS... worth getting?
This sells for cheaper than a Squier Bullet Strat, and it might be exactly what you're looking for.
Take the Monoprice Offset OS20. The guitar brand on the headstock says Indio. I've no idea who that is...
...and it doesn't matter, because the guitar is selling right now for so cheap that it makes no difference.
Is it worth getting? It might be simply for the fact it has a Jazzmaster body (yes, with the contour cut in the rear) with HSS Strat electronics and a traditional style Strat trem system.
Is blue the only color? No. There is also sunburst. Same price as the blue, but I think the blue looks better.
It is the combination of Jazzmaster body + Stratocaster trem and electronics that makes it worth taking a risk on this thing.
Does it play well? I have no idea. Is the sound good? I have no idea. It might be crap. It might be great. Or it might be great after putting in a different set of pickups, different tuners, changing the nut and performing a fret leveling. And even if you did all those things, you are still well under $250 spent.
One thing cannot be denied, this is the cheapest way to get a Jazzmaster body with Strat electronics + Strat trem in it. Nothing else can touch it for the price.