Guitar playing standing vs. sitting

I said in a YouTube comment reply recently that I always have to put my strap through the belt because it's the only way I can position a neck correctly....

...and this is why I don't have any problems with neck heavy guitars. More on that in a moment.

The standard advice given is that you should have your guitar in the same position standing as when you do seated.

I started playing guitar at 15 years old. Over the years, I have tried many different guitar shapes. Strat, Les Paul, SG, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, and so on. And I have never, repeat, never been able to get my guitar in the same position when standing as when I do playing seated. It's simply not possible.

No matter what I did, the neck was never positioned right. It does not matter what guitar shape or strap is used. I simply cannot get that neck in the same place standing as when seated.

This is not to say I cannot play standing. I can, but the guitar has to be lightweight and the neck must be shifted upward so I'm not straining my fret hand.

Where lightening the weight is concerned, the solution there is either a thin solidbody or a semi-hollow. At the time I write this, I own both types. The Ibanez GAX30 is a lightweight solidbody, and the Squier Thinline Telecaster a lightweight semi-hollow.

However, there is still the neck positioning issue. For that, my solution costs nothing. Put strap through the belt so the rear of the guitar stays down, thereby shifting the neck upward so it stays there. Problem solved.

Because I wear a strap the way I do, any guitar that is typically neck heavy is a nonissue for me. I can play guitars known to have neck dive standing such as the SG.

I did come to a realization however.

It is pointless trying to replicate the exact same seated guitar position when standing

Even for the Stratocaster - a guitar without any real neck dive issues to speak of - I still can't get the same neck position standing as I do when playing seated.

I realized that the two playing positions will always be different no matter what. I also realized that what I needed to do is to establish a standing position with the goal of comfort rather than "must be exactly the same position as seated".

Whenever I tried to replicate the seated position standing, the same thing always happened. I'd have to position my guitar ridiculously high on the body. Yes, the seated position was mostly (but never totally) there, but there would be strain on the shoulder no matter how light the guitar was.

When I found out that shifting the neck upward is what made my fret hand happy, that's what I went with...

...but now I had the issue of my picking hand not feeling quite right. I wasn't in any pain. My picking hand simply wasn't used to the position.

My solution? Just get used to it. Since there was no pain, I went through an adjustment period where when I play standing, my picking hand is in a different spot than I'm used to when seated, so just keep practicing and keep playing until the picking hand feels comfortable in its different position.

I did get used to it.

The only weirdness I have now is that there are some things I can only play seated and others I can only play standing. It's almost like I'm two different guitar players.

The GAX30 is definitely the most comfortable guitar I've ever played standing

So far I'm liking the GAX30 a lot, especially considering it is not a bother to play it standing while with a Telecaster it is, at least for my body type and arm length.

And who knows? This may lead me to actually getting an SG guitar at some point in the future. Or maybe another Ibanez...?

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Cheap gyms suck - and how to find a good one

I finally joined a gym. But I had to shop around first and go through the hell that is The Cheap Gym before finding one that was decent.

Concerning my weight loss journey (which I finished and still hold a BMI of 22), this involved some exercise equipment. Treadmills, specifically. I literally wore out two treadmills during my weight loss process. Bear in mind these were the cheap type. Had I bought something better, it would probably still be working today. But because I went with the cheap stuff, the first one had a track that fell apart, and the second one had a motor that burnt out. I should note I never ran on either treadmill. Just power walking. It still broke both of them.

I mention this because after the second treadmill gave up the ghost, I stopped buying exercise gear and developed my own workout routine using my own body weight for resistance. Pushups, squats and various arm and leg exercises. And it worked. I kept up the routine, still do to this day, and the weight stayed off.

However, for years I've been wanting to join a gym to get access to some decent exercise equipment, and did...

...which brings me to my experience with The Cheap Gym. I will not mention this gym by name, and its name doesn't matter because they all operate the same. I didn't even join this place. They ticked me off so bad that I walked right out before even signing up.

You may be thinking of joining one of those gyms that promotes membership for $9.99 a month. Before you do, follow my tips below.

Before telling you the tips, the gym I found that worked for me was my local recreation center. The price was great, the staff friendly, and while the cardio room is small, it was what I was looking for. If you are fortunate enough to have a rec center near you, try them first. You'll understand why after reading my tips.

The Cheap Gym Experience

My experience at this place was as follows:

Within less than 2 minutes from walking in the door, the "trainer" seated me at a desk, grabbed a form and a pen, and instantly started trying to get personal information out of me. She did not offer a tour of the facility first. This girl was in SELL SELL SELL mode. Her goal was to get my info, charge me and go on her merry way.

I walked out.

The reviews of this place warned about the "snotty girl" working there. And that's the girl I got. She lost a sale.

And that brings me to tip #1.

Tip #1: Read Google user reviews and Yelp reviews for gyms. Always.

You can find Google user reviews by using Google Maps. Just type in the name of the gym you're thinking about joining along with its location, Google will find it, and from there you'll see reviews you can read.

Yelp has been around since 2004, and a lot of people use it regularly to post reviews of businesses. Like with Google Maps, type in the gym name and location to find reviews on it there too.

What you're basically looking for with user reviews are two things. The number of reviews, and whether the 10 most recently posted reviews are positive or negative.

For example, a gym may have had wonderful reviews two years ago, but then management changed and it's terrible now. When reading reviews, always sort by most recent first and go with that. It's usually correct.

What is the biggest complaint about bad gyms? Billing. As in people getting overcharged, being signed up for "services" they never signed up for, being forced to go to small claims court just to dispute a bill, and so on.

If you see the majority of complaints are about billing, don't go there.

Tip #2: Understand that most (if not all) cheap gyms have staff that work on commission

This is the reason why I didn't even get to the signup process at The Cheap Gym. The girl "trainer" was in total selling mode. Get people in, get their info (so they can sell your address to a mailing list of course!), sign them up for everything possible, milk them for all they're worth, move on to the next one. That's how all cheap gyms operate.

If one of these cheap gyms is the only thing you have near you and you have no other option, pay any and all membership fees on a prepaid card. Do NOT hand over your debit or credit card or checking account information no matter what. If you do, you're basically asking to be ripped off.

Could you pay in cash? That depends on which cheap gym you're talking about. Some will take cash. Others "require" that you have a "backup" means of paying the bill. If that's the sleazy way they operate, use prepaid. If the gym hits the limit of the card and tries to squeeze for more, they can't. That's your protection.

Tip #3: Know that $9.99 a month is never $9.99 a month

You cannot walk into a cheap gym that advertises a $9.99 per month membership, get one and expect it to stay that way. That's not going to happen, because there's either an activation fee, hidden annual fee, or sometimes both!

Many cheap gyms require an upfront activation fee of $120 or more on top of your monthly membership fee, which in effect doubles your yearly cost. Now that $9.99/mo just turned into $19.99/mo. Not such a good deal now, eh?

Really shady gyms will charge you an annual fee after a certain period of time. You'll be paying your monthly fee, and then whammo, there's a $40 to $75 (or more) additional charge out of nowhere. The cheap gym will claim your "promotional period" is over, and now you have to pay more.

Really, really shady gyms will do the switcheroo on your annual contract. What was a certain price has now changed, and of course it's more. They might even "lock in" the fee where there's nothing you can do about it except take them to court just to stop them from charging you.

Tip #4: Better gyms are very upfront with their pricing structure

When you get to this level, you're no longer in cheap gym territory, because you will be paying around $40 a month along with a $75 to $100 activation fee just to get in the door.

Worth it? If you want a place that doesn't hide what they charge or try to sneak in any new charges, yes it is.

Gyms that charge more usually aren't in the game of upselling. At worst, they may offer you personal training programs and/or classes sometimes, but at least they are not constantly up your butt about squeezing every dollar they can out of you.

No options left? These are places you can work out for cheap or free

The only reason anyone ever goes to a cheap gym is because it's cheap. If you absolutely have to go there, it's like I said, use a prepaid card or cash.

If the financial risk sounds too scary to use a cheap gym (and I wouldn't blame you), there are some cheap and free options.

Cheap: City-run recreation center or fitness center

This is the one I went with as stated above. In most American cities, the local government has a rec center that offers something for a good price. It usually will not be as modernized as paid gyms are. Exercise equipment may be well-used, but hey it all works.

What's the best thing about a rec center? No upselling. Nobody there works on commission. That's the biggest perk there is.

Cheap or free: Park

Find a park, and go have a walk or a run. Or do some pushups or whatever. Whether the park is free or not depends on how your local government operates it.

If you're lucky, your local park may have outdoor exercise equipment ready-to-use.

Free: Playgrounds

Have a jog or run here. Free to use.

Free: Big shopping mall

You've seen those mall walkers. There's a reason they're there. Walking a mall is free. Go have a walk, but don't run. Security will usually kick you out if you start doing that. If you want to go when the mall is safest, do what the old folks do and get there the second the doors open in the morning.

Free: High school track

This one depends if your local high school actually has a track and allows the public access to it. If your local school does offer this, go there and have a run.

Free (maybe): Work out at home

I label this as maybe-free because it depends what you want to get done in your workouts.

For walking and running, you'll most likely need the treadmill. Not free.

For literally everything else, you can use your own body weight which is totally free, or buy some low-cost kettle bells or dumbbells at Walmart or Target, and maybe a proper thick workout mat. DO NOT use those cheap flimsy yoga mats, because those are way too thin and awful to use.

Will I be a regular gym goer?

I've been wanting to get in a gym for years and am now finally doing it. My first day there went well and I'm looking forward to more.

Most people who join gyms are known as "tryhards". They get a membership, go to the gym maybe 2 or 3 times, then never go again.

I don't want to be one of those people, and won't.

I was lucky enough to have a rec center near me that's nice to go to, got a membership there and intend to take full advantage of it.

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Metal tone on stock pickups is easy

If metal is the kind of music you're playing, any modern guitar with stock pickups will work.

You can see a video of me playing the Ibanez GAX30 using what I call a rock sound but it's actually more of a metal tone. As usual, I am using my Line 6 Spider V 60 recorded direct over USB.

To be totally honest, getting a sound like this is fairly simple.

Getting an emulated sound like this means purposely using a virtual amp labeled as "British" and a virtual cabinet labeled as 4x12. Or said simpler, an emulated 100-watt Marshall half stack.

After that, the virtual effects to use to complete that '80s metal tone is a buzzy distortion like the BOSS DS-1 (I'm pretty sure every guitar modeling software and modeling amp ever made has this), and then a delay effect with around 500 to 600ms of spread between repeats.

The biggest thing to consider here is to purposely use an amp and effect combination that destroys the guitar's natural tone.

I know that sounds weird, so I'll explain it better.

Metal tone is not about hearing the natural tonal properties of the guitar and never has been. The goal is to get a processed sound where the distortion "flattens" the tone, while at the same time getting power chords and solo notes to ring out as long as possible.

This being true, stock pickups in any new solidbody guitar will work. I can do this on a single-coil Telecaster or on my Ibanez as seen above. However, I will admit most players would probably have an easier time using a guitar with humbuckers.

Do you need alnico magnet pickups? No. My Ibanez has stock ceramic magnet pickups and work just fine.

Do you need high-output pickups? No. As long as the pickup magnets aren't dead, you're fine. If they were dead, believe me, you would know it.

Do you need a special kind of guitar string? No. Just make sure what you have isn't old and worn out.

Do you need a special kind of guitar pick? Maybe. I use Fender California Clear medium picks, and they have a very pronounced strike that does help ring out the strings more. If you use a material with a softer strike like the Dunlop Tortex, try a Fender California Clear. It may or may not help with your sound. You won't know until you try one.

What you do need to do above all else is study whatever amp modeling you use now, get that 1980s British amp sound, throw a buzzy distortion in front of it and chase that with delay.

On a final note, yes the sound is a bit of a buzz box. That's normal. That was the metal sound in the '80s for the most part. Guitars sounded that way because it worked for cutting through a mix.

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How to get great electric guitar clean tone the easy way

Getting great clean tone is easy with any electric guitar when you know the right stuff to use.

You can see a video of me playing my Ibanez GAX30, where the only things I did was a setup and a string change. It's 100% stock with all original hardware.

I'm mentioning this because it honestly doesn't matter what guitar you have. It could be an inexpensive GAX30 or a ridiculously expensive PRS McCarty 594. What does matter is how you approach clean tone.

Recording

I use a Line 6 Spider V 60 plugged direct into my computer. It's not required to have this amp to get good clean electric guitar sounds. But it is certainly much easier than placing a microphone to an amplifier speaker.

Recording direct, be it through a modeling amp like the Spider V 60, effects unit like the DigiTech RP360 or software, does allow for the most noise-free sound.

Effects

There are two required effects and one optional here.

Required: Compressor effect

All guitar modeling setups these days be it amp, multi-effect unit or software have several compressor effects available to you. One of them that's usually just right for recording is anything that emulates a BOSS CS-3 Compression Sustainer.

Could you use an actual BOSS CS-3 instead of emulated? Yes. If you have one, the CS-3 can be used direct and works well.

The level of compression to use depends on what pickups your guitar has. Typically, single-coil pickups require more compression because of lower overall output and humbucker pickups require less compression because of higher overall output.

Required: Delay effect

Like the compressor effect, all modeling amps, multi-effect units and software have several delay effects you can choose from. Like the CS-3, the best delay for recording is something that emulates a BOSS DD-7 Digital Delay.

The key thing to know here is to use digital delay and not analog. Where clean tone is concerned, analog delay can color the sound too much and not sound right.

The level of delay to use should be 40% or less. You do not want the delay "in your face", but rather as a nice compliment to the clean sound to fill the empty sonic space.

Optional: Chorus effect

Once again, the chorus effect is available in just about all modeling amps, multi-effect units and software.

As far as the best chorus to use, it's not one that would try to emulate any specific pedal effect but rather one that can be used with a slow rate.

Generally speaking, the way a chorus effect works is by rate adjusted from slow to fast, and density for how much of the effect is heard. For optimal clean sound, a slow rate with a mild density usually works best.

Using a scale of 1 to 10 for easier comprehension, rate would be 1 to 2, and density would be 3 to 5.

Order of effects

Compressor first, chorus (if used) second, delay last. For most people, this would be the best chain order to use to get the best sound.

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How to get a nag-free Garmin GPS experience

How to get a nag-free Garmin GPS experience

This page is only for the nerdy GPS user. It's probably true hardly anyone will see this, but I'm putting it here anyway for the few of you out there that absolutely hate modern Garmin standalone GPSes and just want something 100% free of nanny nags.

Other than the very specific Garmin models I mention below, there is no modern Garmin GPS that is nag-free. All the nags are there on a system level and there is absolutely no way to get rid of them. You'll just have to get used to it with any new model available. That's just the way it is.

Take a Garmin nuvi 260W. You specifically have to seek one out with a serial number on a white sticker (as opposed to gray). That is a later revision which allows the 260 to be upgraded to have most features of the 2x5 models. It's also a model that can accept a memory card up to 32GB in size, whereas the older gray sticker serial models do not.

Of every single automotive model Garmin ever made, only the late generation 2x0 models are 100% nag-free that are actually usable.

"Usable" defined

Usable means the GPS acquires a signal quickly and accepts up to a 32GB memory card. While I would absolutely love to use the older StreetPilot 2720 model, that unit does not have any ability to upgrade its memory capacity at all, and takes a long time to acquire a signal.

The 2x0 series also can all accept direct GPS coordinate data, which is something none of the StreetPilot c3xx or c5xx models can do.

With the 2x0, you get everything you need and nothing you don't.

The one thing you'll miss but will have to get used to it

The 2x0 was made at a time before on-screen speed limits were introduced. HOWEVER, that is what makes the 2x0 series 100% nanny nag free.

What are nanny nags?

On-screen and/or audible alerts billed as "safety features" that do nothing but distract you while driving.

The first nanny nag was introduced with a firmware update affecting almost every model ending with a 5 back in August 2010. When you go over the speed limit while driving, the speed number turns red. Once there, it's impossible to shut it off whenever over the limit. You are not given a choice. That nanny nag is now there permanently. Every single time you go even 1 mile over the limit, the red number nag appears. Every model released since that time has that nanny nag built in.

At the time I write this, I'm using a DriveAssist 51 LMT-S model, and it is chock full of nags galore. In addition to the red over-limit speed indicator that never went away, now it has orange animated banners at the top of the screen for railroad tracks, curved road ahead, school zones and more. And it can't be turned off. Not possible. The best you can do is disable the tones, uncheck every alert possible, turn off Foursquare maps, turn off Parkopedia maps, and so on...

...but even with every single frickin' driver alert disabled, there are still alerts. They are always there.

Oh, but wait, it gets better. The voice now has "Real Directions", so instead of telling you "Turn right on Main Street", the unit now says "Turn right at the traffic light". Yes, Garmin actually went backwards with their directions. Instead of the voice giving you useful information telling you the street to turn to, now the voice gives you landmarks to look for periodically.

Sound good? It's not. Sometimes it will say to "turn right at the Shell" (gas station). Well, guess what, sometimes gas stations change company names and other times they just outright close. This invites incorrect directions galore over time.

Another nanny nag is Junction View. This has always been a bad idea because the entire map changes and distracts you while traveling highways and interstates. However, if you still want that, there's another option beside the 2x0 series. Keep reading.

Your 2x0 choices

You can use any 2x0 you want provided it has a white sticker serial number starting with 1G.

These are the models:

• 200
• 200W
• 250
• 250W
• 260
• 260W
• 270

If you want a QWERTY keyboard and a text-to-speech voice, get the 260W, that's a 4.3" model. If you're okay with an ABCDE keyboard, get the 260.

If you don't care about the TTS voice and want something more compact, get any of the above models not ending in W.

Updating maps

Use OSM.

If you absolutely have to have Junction View and a speed limit indicator...

...you'll have to deal with the speed limit nanny nag. There's no way around it. If you're okay with that, these are the best 3 models because they have the best screens:

• 1490 (5.0") or any variant like 1490T, 1490LM and so on.
• 40 (4.3") or any variant like 40LM
• 50 (5.0") or any variant like 50LM

My suggestion is to go with a 5.0" model unless space is a concern.

The map upgrading process is exactly the same as the 2x0, with the only difference being the map setting location, which is Settings > Map > Info.

Four more advantages of using a 2x0

No dopey menu animations

Nothing fades or slides into view when going from menu to menu. The interface is quick, simple and very efficient. This cannot be said for the 1490, 40 and 50 however as those have dopey sliding/fading menu crapola.

A 2D mode that actually works right

The 2D mode in the 1490/40/50 is worthless and has been that way ever since. What Garmin did is make the navigation map arrow very skinny for some ridiculous reason. The 2x0 on the other hand has a 2D map arrow that is thick and gets thicker on zoom when approaching a turn or destination. It works perfectly.

OFF means OFF

When you turn off a 2x0, it is truly off and not in "standby" mode sucking away battery life.

Genuinely good battery life

If the battery in your 2x0 is good or you replace it with a new one, the battery lasts up to 5 hours.

Remember that DriveAssist 51 I mentioned above? It doesn't last 30 minutes - and that's normal.

Tips on best use of a 2x0

Use Normal instead of Most for map detail

In my experience, using Most will clutter up the map rather than aid in direction. Normal has less clutter and also gives the 2x0 a slight performance advantage because it has less to draw on screen.

Remember that the vehicle icon can be pressed to quick-save a waypoint

Most people forget this part, but you can tap the vehicle icon at any time to quick-save a Favorite.

Learn how to use GPS coordinates and love it

Seasoned GPS users know that the best way to get anywhere is to use direct coordinates, and of course the 2x0 can certainly accept it.

The best coordinate format to use is h ddd.ddddd since those are the easiest to get from Google Maps while planning a trip.

Why use coordinates? Because it works no matter how old the maps are in your Garmin. Coordinates never change.

Not that I would suggest doing this, but you can use a 2x0 map-less. Set the route preference to Off Road, enter in the coordinates you want to get to, and the nuvi will draw a straight line from where you are to the destination coordinates, just like a trail GPS. All you have to do is go in the direction of that arrow as best you can, and you'll eventually get there.

If you like the 2x0, buy two

It's January 2019 as I write this, and at the moment there are many Garmin nuvi 2x0 models for sale on both Amazon and eBay. I've seen ones in good condition sell for as little as $13 shipped.

These things are considered obsolete, disposable and not collectible since smartphones are mainly used for navigation these days. This is a good thing because it keeps the 2x0 nuvis nice and cheap. But that obviously won't last forever.

The only reason I use the DriveAssist 51 now is because of its built-in dashcam. Once I get a suitable separate replacement dashcam, I can then switch back to a 2x0 and once again have a nag-free GPS.

Yes, I am willing to have two things plugged in, the 2x0 and a separate dashcam, just to get a nag-free GPS back. I miss it that much.

Is it worth it?

The 2x0 is cheap, but is it worth the time to set one up?

I can only answer that with a question.

Is a nag-free GPS valuable to you?

If you answered yes, get a 2x0 and drive happy.

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