This guitar upgrade actually works
Ordinarily I'm not too keen on recommending guitar upgrades, but this one is a no-brainer because it works.
In fact, I would recommend doing this upgrade first before anything else.
An output jack made by Switchcraft truly is an upgrade. There is a gold one, but the standard one without the gold connector is even cheaper.
Most don't think an output jack matters for much, but it actually does. It's usually true that where guitar electronics are concerned, the output jack is usually the first thing to fail completely. Why? Because every time you plug in or unplug a cable, you're moving metal on the inside. Eventually, enough movement causes a partial failure where the connection gets "scratchy" or "crackly", and then a complete failure shortly after that where the connection can't be made anymore.
The output jack is something where all mass produced guitars get cheap. There are even $10,000 guitars that exist with ridiculously crappy output jacks installed on them.
You won't necessarily hear any difference in your sound from using a Switchcraft output jack, but you will literally feel the difference when you plug in a cable. The connection will be more secure because the connector is built better, and the tension will be just right.
Dare I say, using a Switchcraft jack feels luxurious when you use it.
The more important thing however is that once installed, the likelihood of your output jack failing is decreased dramatically, and that's what makes it a genuine upgrade over what's in your guitar now.
Ibanez S521 is still one of the better "working man's" guitars
When money is tight and you need a reliable gigging guitar, this one fits the bill.
Definition of a "working man's guitar": Something you can play night after night where the instrument performs reliably without any fuss, and something you can actually afford.
That guitar is the Ibanez S521. It's priced very well for what it is. I've written about this guitar before but it definitely deserves another look because there are a few more things I need to mention about it.
While the S521 isn't the fanciest guitar, what it does have going for it is that it's a simple hardtail that won't let you down, and it works with basically any amp using any guitar effects you have.
This particular guitar is the base model for the Ibanez S Series, but even so it's packed with the good stuff that counts.
- The maple neck is a "Wizard III" 25.5" scale with 12" fingerboard radius. Very comfortable.
- The neck dot inlays are offset, giving the guitar an upscale appearance.
- Frets are jumbo size for easy soloing with no fretting out.
- Pickups are the Ibanez "Quantum", which are quite good. Ibanez states they have "accelerated bass response" with a generous amount of midrange. That basically means a well-voiced pickup.
- Pickup switching is 5-way - but not in the way you would think. The positions are bridge, bridge+neck inner coils only, bridge+neck, neck parallel connected, neck series connected. This is one of the more usable switching configurations that works with pretty much any type of music you can think of, including the type where spanky or "honky" tones are required. The fact you can switch from regular humbucker tones over to the spank/honk stuff is really nice.
What you get with the S521 is a true plug-in-and-go guitar after you set it up to your liking. No upgrades are required because the good stuff is already there.
The biggest selling point of this axe is that it can truly be the one guitar you go gigging with where you don't need anything else. This guitar is not built to be flashy, but rather just to work and keep working reliably.
The prettiest Fender Mustang ever?
Fender Japan gets it right once again.
The Made-in-Japan '70s edition Mustang model in Flamingo Pink is all sorts of gorgeous.
I don't collect guitars, but this is the first Mustang I've seen in a good long while where I can say yes, this one will be worth something in the future.
This model is built the old school way, so it does have a butt-adjusted truss rod location, two phase slider switches above the pickups that allow for 4 pickup settings, and the old style Mustang "Dynamic Vibrato" system.
Mustangs like this do not come around very often. This is the kind of look that Fender fans really, really like. This is one seriously classy looking axe.
If you were to order one of these from Fender Custom Shop, it would cost thousands. But this MIJ is way less than Custom Shop prices (about the same you'd pay were it made in Mexico).
If you're a Mustang fan, this is the one to go for, no question about it.
I will never buy a big watch ever again
Going small with my watch has taught me a few things.
At the time I write this in April '19 I've owned my Casio AQ230 for close to a month, and wow has it changed my opinion concerning larger timepieces.
The AQ230 is really small; it has 38.8mm lug-to-lug, 29.8mm case size and is 8.1mm thick. This basically means it's a 30mm watch - however - the rectangular case fills out the edges to make it look larger than it is.
I'm not about the chunk anymore (but then again I never was)
When I put on my G-SHOCK DW-9052V, yes it fits, but when I see it on my wrist...
...I now can't help thinking it totally looks like clown shoes.
Yes, I could get a smaller G-SHOCK like the GWM5610 square model. But that's also a chunky timepiece because, well, it is a G-SHOCK, after all.
In the short time I've been wearing the AQ230, I've come to learn it is highly unlikely I will ever buy a big watch ever again. Switching over to something super thin and super light just makes the bigger watches so clumsy in comparison.
I have three timepieces in my collection that are large, all Casio. The G-SHOCK, SGW100B-3V and AE1000W. Do I regret buying them? No. They were all inexpensive, and having the bigger watches has been a learning experience.
Am I showing my age?
At the time I write this I'm in my mid-forties, but ever since I became middle aged, I've been looking to make the switch over to dress timepieces. This means yes, I am showing my age with my desire to wear smaller dress style watches.
I treat watches somewhat like I treat electric guitars. I try different things until I find what best works for me. It took me a few years to figure out that what suits me best are watches in the shape of small, thin rectangles.
But now that I've finally come to know this, that's what I'm sticking with.
This is the easiest way to get new song ideas on guitar
If you don't have this ridiculously simple guitar accessory that has been around forever, you're missing out...
...and that accessory is a capo.
While there are plenty of cheap capos out there and they all basically work the same, the one I use is the G7th Performance capo. It's the only one I own, I've had it for years, and I use it regularly. It is specifically made for steel string guitar use, which of course electric guitar is. Its compact size and really good grip doesn't damage the neck whatsoever. I'm very happy with it, as are most owners.
However, my main message here is not about which capo to own but rather just to have one regardless of how much you pay for it.
Take any riff you have, transpose with capo and play happy
You will be amazed at how different your guitar riffs and chords sound when you bump them up a few semitones.
If, for example, you have a riff that is in open A and you place a capo on the 2nd fret so it now plays in open B, the whole character of your chords change.
What I've found by doing this is that with the capo on the fretboard, you come up with new chords you would not ordinarily play in standard tuning. It is like they happen right out of thin air. It's incredible.
There are a few downsides to capo usage. It's for chording and not soloing. If you bend a string while the capo is on, it will almost certainly go out-of-tune instantly. You also have to sometimes "tune to the capo", meaning that what is in tune with open strings sometimes isn't with the capo on and requires a small retuning.
The downsides are very minor inconveniences once you explore chords with the capo on.
Something I will do sometimes is place the capo almost to the middle of the fretboard at the 6th or 7th fret so my guitar almost sounds like an electric 4-string mandolin with 2 extra strings. And that's just cool.