Schecter Reaper 6 wood may not be good
I've been noticing a trend with modern guitars recently, and it's not that great.
Take the Schecter Reaper 6. One of the finish options is Satin Inferno Burst. Good guitar? Yes. But what bothers me about it is the look.
The only styled finish on this guitar is the top of the body and most of the top of the headstock. The back, however... yeah, I'm not a fan of what Schecter did there. The guitar almost looks like a prototype that was never completed. But it's not a prototype. The Reaper model you'll see is the completed production guitar.
You may be saying to yourself, "Hey, I've seen this before just recently on something else..."
Yes, you have. Ibanez RGD Iron Label has a very similar appearance.
The back of that guitar has the same unfinished-like look just as the Schecter does.
I personally think the Schecter looks better, but again, I'm not taking a liking to all that wood showing.
What would make the look work better?
Stain or tint.
If the plain wood showing was either stained or tinted a few shades darker, that would make either the Schecter or the Ibanez much more attractive.
But until that happens, yeah this look isn't cutting it. Yes, it's different. Cool? Maybe. Exotic looking? No, and that's the look both these guitars are going for. Doesn't work.
My favorite China copy relic guitars
This article is just for the dudes, since as I've said before that "relic" guitars are absolute woman repellent. Let's see what we can get for cheap here.
Before continuing, never pay big money for a "relic" job. Buy cheap and stay cheap when it comes to these things.
I can understand guys who spend big cash for guitars that use exotic woods that have grain patterns, grain lines and so on that really pop that would look right at home in an orchestral setting. But as for the relic stuff, paying big for it is a total waste of cash. So again, buy cheap and stay cheap.
Here are the China copy "relic" guitars that are cheap and actually carry the look fairly well for what they are.
Also, I will provide tips at the end for easy ways to "relic" things yourself.
The paisley pattern on a Strat is just cool and always has been. It also takes very well to distressing as well.
It's interesting to note that even if you were to buy a real Fender with paisley, it's not exactly easy to come by. Aside from the Fender Custom Shop, I have only seen Strats in paisley come from Fender Japan.
For Teles, there is one and only one currently made by Fender at the time I write this, the Brad Paisley Worn Telecaster. But no Strat.
Blue Metallic (Candy Blue) Relic Strat copy
Out of the guitars I'm listing here, this is the best one because it needs the least. You'll notice on most China copy relics that the body is done correct but the neck is not. On these, the neck typically does have distressing on it. It still needs a little work (more on how to do that at the end), but still this is pretty darned good.
And who would have thought that blue heavy metallic would relic so well?
Like the previous guitar, the cool thing about this one is that yes, it does typically have both neck and body distressing.
I dig the fact that most who do these don't go too crazy with it. Some who do relics take off way too much finish, but this one is more reserved, which I consider a good thing.
When you look at these, some are an attempt at a copy of the signature Andy Summers Telecaster. So if you see an oddball electronics layout, that's probably why.
And if you do see that, does the switching work the same as on the real Summers Tele? I highly doubt it. The extra switches might even be there for show and do nothing, with the guitar just having a standard Telecaster wiring setup...
...but it has the look. Somewhat. It mostly carries the look for a relic Tele copy.
Last up, we have a Precision Bass copy.
To those that know basses, yes the pickup covers will most likely be wrong from no pole pieces showing - but as you'll see from listings, the back of the neck is usually distressed, and there's one other thing staring you straight in the face...
...a vintage-correct (mostly) bridge cover.
For those of you that aren't bass players, the fact this is a relic that comes with the correct bridge cover makes this worth buying alone. It's one of those stupid pieces of hardware that completes the look but you always have to pay out the nose for. But not on basses like this. It usually comes with it, and the bass is cheap.
Now let's look at ways to relic for cheap.
How to relic
The general rule of thumb for relic'ing an electric guitar is to burn then oxidize metal parts, and stain plastic parts.
I'll start with staining first.
It's ordinarily true that what you'll be staining will be pick guards and knobs.
To stain both, you use instant coffee - but it takes some experimentation to get it right.
For knobs, pour a mug of water (cold is fine), stir in a small amount of coffee, drop a plastic knob in for 30 seconds and then take it out to see how it looks. If no staining happened, stir in more coffee and try again. If nothing still happens, try staining for longer.
For pick guards, the process is the same but it requires a cookie skeet. Make your mix of coffee first, then pour into a cookie sheet enough to where you can submerse the entire pick guard in there. Then stain the same way you would for the knobs.
Where metal components are concerned, the goal is to make them look tarnished and slightly rusted.
Note before continuing: This is dangerous and you can burn yourself easily. Follow these instructions at your own risk.
One of the easier ways to burn off some finish from a metal component is by using a hibachi style grill. Put in some coals, light them, get them hot, then literally cook your metal until that finish starts coming off.
How much heat is required? I've no idea. You'll have to experiment.
How long will it take? I have no idea because finishing varies from part to part.
The easiest one to test your "cooking" on is a teardrop output jack from a Strat. That's a piece of metal that's thin and should have its finish burned off relatively quickly.
After burning the finish off, it's time to oxidize.
To promote oxidation, the easy way is just to leave the metal part outside and have it rained on a few times.
If you don't have the patience for that, you can promote oxidation pretty much instantly by spraying or dipping the metal part in bleach, salt water or vinegar.
How much tarnishing/rusting is good? That's up to you.
What about the body and neck?
The way to do this right is to sand all the finish off yourself, refinish in your nitro color of choice, let cure, then burn it off. This takes quite a bit of experimentation and time to do.
Could you do it with a urethane coated guitar? Yes, but it won't look right. If you're going to do it, you have to take your time, sand-sand-sand, then repaint-repaint-repaint, cure, burn it and hope for the best. Yes, it is as annoying as it sounds. And there are a million ways to screw it up.
And that's why you just buy a cheap China copy relic in the first place. Buy something where some basic relic'ing has already been done, then just finish up the metal and plastic parts yourself. Much quicker, much easier.
An insane 17 string bass
I honestly thought this was a joke when I first saw this thing...
...but it's not a joke. This thing is real.
The most insane part of this bass is that it's selling for under $700 at the time I write this.
You might think, "Wow, that's a lot." Not for this it isn't. Even if it were $2,000, it would still be a good deal.
Very little on the specs of this instrument are available, so I'm going to have to go completely by what I saw.
All tuners are Y-key type, which helps a little bit to keep the headstock weight down... although I'm 100% there is absolutely no way to prevent neck dive on this thing no matter what tuners are on it.
All pickups are soap bar style and appear to be passive.
Of the little info there is on specs, the body is mahogany and fingerboard is rosewood.
The neck, which is more like a plank to be totally honest, does have 24 frets. Obviously, the frets are ginormous.
There are FOUR truss rods, indicated by the four truss rod covers at the headstock.
I am guessing the knobs are volume pickup 1, volume pickup 2, volume pickup 3, master tone.
Is this a one-off instrument? Surprisingly, no it isn't. The listing for it states 4 have been sold already.
If you want yourself a crazy 17-string bass, it exists, and shockingly, it's affordable considering how insane it is.
String-through-body vs. top load guitars
I mentioned recently in my strings article that I was going to talk about string tension differences between string-through-body and top loader guitars, and this is it.
First, some explanation on what I'm talking about.
What is a string-through-body electric guitar?
These are guitars like the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster where strings are installed from the back of the guitar that travel through the body, over the string saddles, over the neck, to the nut, and ends at tuner post.
What is a top loader electric guitar?
These are guitars like the Gibson Les Paul and Gibson SG where strings are installed all on top of the body. String installation starts at the tailpiece, then over the string saddles, over the neck, to the nut, and ends at the tuner post.
What are the main differences between the two other than string installation location?
Two things. Length of string used and break angle.
Compared to a top loader, about 3 to 4cm of extra string length is used on string-through-body guitars to get it through the body.
The break angle on string-through-body is sharp and has to be just to get through to the back of the guitar, whereas a top load guitar's break angle isn't sharp at all.
The general opinion is...
...top load guitars are easier to play compared to string-thru.
An example of this on the low-cost end of things is the Squier Bullet Telecaster vs. Squier Affinity Telecaster. Same guitar shape, same number of frets, same neck material, same scale length, same single string tree holding down the B and high E, same string saddle type. Heck, they both even have the same "wing" string tree style, meaning the headstock side break angle is also the same. As far as two like-to-like guitars are concerned, this is as close as it gets.
It is easier to play the Affinity. Why? Because the Affinity is a top-load while the Bullet is a string-thru.
What do I mean by "easier"?
The strings will be easier to bend on the top load guitar compared to string-thru.
Why is it easier?
Nobody can seem to agree on what exactly makes the strings feel less stiff to the player on top load compared to string-thru. This is something people have been discussing and debating on the internet for over a decade. And absolutely nobody has come up with a straight, simple answer.
Some say the shorter overall length of string on top load is what causes the looser feel. Others say the top load minimal break angle is what makes the difference. Others say it's both. And then there are those who say the difference in feel is all in your mind and that you're chasing after something that isn't there.
This is what I say: YES, there is string stiffness difference I can absolutely feel between top load and string-thru even on like-to-like guitars such as the Telecasters mentioned above. This is not something just in my head, and I've played enough guitars enough to where I genuinely feel a difference between the two systems. Top load has a string feel that is less stiff compared to string-thru.
Does this mean top load guitars are better than string-thru?
No, just different.
What you can take away from this is that when guitar shopping, if there is a particular guitar you like but wish it was just "a little looser" or "a little stiffer" in string feel, consider the string loading system. If you want to feel more stiffness in the string, go with a string-thru-body. If you would rather have less stiffness for easier string bending, go with a top load instead.
Cheap ways to try out top load for Fender shapes:
- Top load Strat: Squier Bullet Strat HT.
- Top load Tele: Squier Affinity Tele as noted above.
- Top load short scale: Squier Bullet Mustang HH.
The Affinity Tele is the one that catches most players off guard because they weren't aware you could get top loading Tele for so cheap, but yeah, there it is. Yes, it will feel different and the strings will be easier to bend. But you may really like it. Or you may not. You won't know until you try one.
That time I owned a Fender 60s Jazzmaster Lacquer
Enough time has passed to where I can talk about this guitar now.
I've gone into detail before about guitar buyer's remorse and that every dedicated guitar player at some point goes through it. Technically, I've gone through it twice, the first being with my '93 Fender American Stratocaster. This is the second one that I've never talked about until now, the 2016 Fender 60s Jazzmaster Lacquer.
This guitar was bought using what I call the full Fender experience. I ordered this guitar direct from Fender themselves. Didn't even use a guitar dealer. The total cost at the time with all shipping costs and tax included was a grand total of $1,069.99. Oh, yes. Big money was spent on this.
At the time this guitar was bought, only one Fender model was "more Jazzmaster" than this one, the '65 American Vintage (which would now be the Fender American Original '60s Jazzmaster). That one was too much. This one however was not a compromise, as it is the Jazzmaster most fans of this guitar dream of. It has all the American hardware and pickups, and there is full nitro treatment on both the body and neck. In person, this guitar is nothing short of absolutely gorgeous.
I'll explain the positives of the guitar first, then then negatives.
As I just said, this guitar is beautiful. The only color offered on this model is Surf Green, and if you ever wanted to know what a perfect Surf Green looks like, this is it. No picture on a computer screen does it proper justice. You have to see this with your eyes in person to appreciate it fully. Liquid-like color. Absolutely stunning.
The hardshell case that it comes with is also really cool. It's not tweed, but rather that classic black Tolex look with white stitching. Looks fantastic.
In that case, you get all the paperwork, booklets and so on.
Sound-wise, yes, this was a perfect sounding Jazzmaster. It had the exact tonal character of what a Jazzmaster is supposed to be.
The smell of a new nitro lacquered guitar is intoxicating.
And now the negatives.
That cool hardshell case? One of the latches was wonky. And the case isn't made in the USA either. It's made in Vietnam.
Locking the case was of course possible, but required some fidgeting to get the key to work correctly.
I could not get used to the fact the neck has to be taken off the guitar to adjust the truss rod. While I didn't have to adjust it much, the fact you have to disconnect a neck yourself on a guitar you paid over $1,000 for will freak you out every time you do it.
The lacquer on the neck, while looking awesome, irritated my fret hand. I couldn't play this thing for more than 20 minutes before skin irritation set in to where I had to put the guitar down.
After a few months, I stopped playing this guitar regularly and only took it out once every few months.
In 2018, I traded it out. I had no regrets about this since I could hardly play it.
Now again, this is the guitar most Jazzmaster players dream about. Full vintage style build, lacquered, 7.25" fingerboard radius, vintage style frets, American pickups, real rosewood fingerboard (it was made before the switch to pau ferro), full case with case candy, the works. This guitar was built just like Fender used to do it in the '60s...
...and I couldn't even play the thing for extended periods of time.
Yes, it had the look. Yes, it had the sound. But the electronics were so-so at best, and the lacquer finishing on the neck felt terrible after 20 minutes of play.
Yes, I understand nitro eventually wears off. It's not worth it.
What most guitar players want, myself included, is a guitar neck with a smooth, unfinished-like wood feel to it.
With nitro, the way to get that unfinished feel is to play the hell out of the thing until the finish literally wears off.
Not only do I not have the patience for that, but I wasn't about to put myself in harm's way just to get a neck that felt correct either. The skin irritation simply isn't worth it.
For me as well as many other guitar players, it's just better to go with a satin urethane finished neck. That finish is the closest thing you can get to an unfinished-like wood feel. My Ibanez GAX30 or AX120 guitars both have this neck finish. Dirt cheap Squier Bullet guitars have this neck finish. All mid tier Fender Player models have it. All Fender American Professional models have it. All Fender American Elite models have it. And there are many other guitars that have the back of the neck finished with satin urethane. There's a reason for that. It works and feels great to the fret hand with no skin irritation.
Does semi-gloss satin urethane look as good as high gloss urethane or nitro? Nope. Never has and never will. That's fine by me because what matters is my playing comfort first and always. The finish that feels right the first time, does not feel sticky, and only requires the most basic of cleaning to keep it feeling great is satin urethane.
5 things I learned
- Nitro looks great but feels awful.
- Taking apart the guitar just to adjust the truss rod... no.
- "Vintage-correct" looks cool but modern guitars are much easier to deal with.
- The only hard case worth owning is a flight case if you want something that works right. Otherwise, just use an inexpensive padded gig bag.
- Satin urethane neck finishing, while not looking as nice, always feels better.