The worst thing about owning a Squier electric guitar
Squier guitars are great, but there is thing about them that's very annoying that can't be avoided.
I own several Squiers, and they're great guitars...
...except where tuners are concerned.
I don't hide the fact that the tuners are the one weak point of Squier electric guitars if they're the sealed type. The vintage slotted type as seen on the Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe Series Squier electrics have tuners just as good as Fender, but where the sealed a.k.a. "closed" tuners are concerned on Affinity, Bullet and a few other Squier models, they're not-so great.
I was asked on my Facebook page what would be a good set of tuner replacements for the Bullet Telecaster. My answer was that I had no answer because I did not know the measurements of the pegboard hole where the tuner is inserted - and that before shopping for any tuners at all, measure that stuff first.
A modern Fender pegboard hole diameter is supposed to be 13/32", which is exactly 10.32mm metric, meaning 10mm will fit as it is ever-so slightly smaller. If your Squier guitar has the type of tuner that is secured to the headstock with a nut on top of the pegboard (like Bullet and Affinity,) it is probably a 10mm hole. PROBABLY. You must take a tuner out and measure that hole first.
A vintage Fender pegboard hole diameter on the other hand is supposed to be 11/32", which is exactly 8.73mm...
...but as I said above, if you have one of the Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe Squier guitars, believe me, there is no reason to switch out the tuners. Swapping them out with a Fender slotted set will not improve tuner performance at all.
However, if you want to switch out those slotted tuners for sealed like the mini Grover Rotomatic, those should fit the 11/32" hole as I do not believe a "metric version" of the slotted tuner exists, not even for Squier. But again, measure that pegboard hole before buying; it's an absolute requirement.
Will drilling be required for Squier tuner replacements?
Usually, yes. Not for reaming the pegboard hole but rather for securing screws on the back of the pegboard. The Grover minis for example do have one securing screw on the back, and one new small pilot hole for each tuner will need to be drilled.
Does this mean there will be small, ugly exposed screw holes left behind on the back of the headstock? Yes. Some guys get around this by filling the holes in with wood filler and then color match to the wood as best they can. Another option is to paint a thick black "stripe" on the area of wood where the tuners go, and fill in the area with black filler (which actually works quite well to conceal the holes.)
In the end, yes, Squier tuners can be upgraded. But it's never been an easy process. I know of no drop-in solution that works with Squier guitars.
10 electric guitars in 2018 for under $400
For 2018, the lower end of the electric guitar range is pretty much carrying over from 2017, with one exception. Epiphone is not making a showing here simply because their bread-and-butter guitars bust over $400 now easily. But fortunately there are still some other great choices for under $400. Here are 10 of them.
Gretsch G5439 Electromatic Pro Jet
Just a hair under $400, but it's amazing you can get something so cool and so retro for the price. I'll put it this way: If you get this in Silver Sparkle, that's a color you absolutely do not see that often, and this Gretsch in that color just looks dreamy and inspiring. You play this thing out, and oh yes, people will definitely notice it. Granted, it takes a certain type of guitarist to appreciate a sparkly guitar, and if you're that type, get the Gretsch.
Fender Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster
This Squier is literally a penny under $400 with the Classic Vibe Strat. Still one of the best Strats for the money you can buy. Yes, there are cheaper Squier Strats available, but darned few as good as this one.
Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
I've said this before but will say it again. This is one of the best guitars Squier makes, and many believe it is the best guitar from the Squier brand. It's a rock-solid Tele that has all the goods Tele players look for.
Revstar is one of those guitars that's easy to miss, but owners of this axe rave about it. It's just a simple guitar with a pair of high-output humbuckers and a simple layout, a back-to-basics guitar. This is priced the same as the Classic Vibe Squiers above, but it does have seriously good build quality.
Where truly good value 7-string electrics are concerned, Jackson basically owns this segment. You simply cannot beat how much guitar you get for the seriously low price. If you want a 7-string, want a good guitar and want it cheap, get this one.
The JS32 Dinky 6-string is for the player that wants a fast-playing guitar with Floyd-Rose style tremolo system for little money. That's what this is. It's a guitar made to beat the crap out of, and if you wreck it, it hardly cost you anything to begin with.
I genuinely want this guitar, especially in the Satin Metallic Light Blue shown here. This is a basic Schecter with dot inlays, great neck, great ergonomic shape (Schecter really knows how to shape their guitar bodies,) and just plain looks and performs great.
Think of this guitar as being similar to the C-6 Deluxe above but with added goodies. This one has body binding, recessed volume/tone pots, gloss finish and fancier fretboard inlays. This is also a great axe just like the C-6 is.
Ibanez AM53 Artcore Semi-Hollow
As much as Jackson owns the low-cost 7-string segment, Ibanez owns the low-cost semi-hollow electric segment. Where the semi-hollow is concerned, you can't beat what you get for the money here. It's everything a semi-hollow is supposed to be, and even has nice body binding too!
Last on the list here is what you go for if you like the Jackson JS32 Dinky above but don't like Floyd-Rose style tremolo systems. Also of note here is that this is one of the cheapest new axes you can get with an HSH (humbucker-single-humbucker) pickup configuration. This is a rocker guitar that's meant to be used and beat up. And you'll be happy to do it considering the price point at the time I write this is under $200 new. Yes, really.
Rich's pick
Schecter C-6 Deluxe, no question. Right look, right price, through-body hardtail, curved top, rock-solid build quality, just plain good. My only complaint about this guitar is the output jack as it's one of those flat-to-the-side styles that's real easy to yank a cord out of. But other than that, total winner.
Rosewood vs. Maple guitar fretboards
This is a case where there's definitely more than just two choices.
When it comes to all-maple necks, the first guitar that comes to mind for most people is the classic look of the Fender Stratocaster in Sunburst, such as the American Original '50s Stratocaster. Squier also has a version of this classic look with their Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster.
The other guitar that comes to mind right after that where all-maple necks are concerned is the classic Fender Telecaster with black guard in Butterscotch Blond finish. Fender's model that best captures this look is the American Original '50s Telecaster, and Squier once again also follows up with the Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster.
For the guitars I personally own, my Squier Bullet Telecaster has a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and my Squier Vintage Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline has a 1-piece maple neck.
While true there are a handful of other brands such as Jackson, Charvel, Ibanez and so on that make guitars with all-maple necks, the lion's share of those you'll find will be either Fender or Squier. The vast majority of electrics otherwise use rosewood fingerboards, followed by ebony and pau ferro.
Two woods, 3 different types of feel
Maple when used as a fingerboard wood is always sealed to keep its color and prevent it from turning gray/green. How it's sealed affects how it feels to the fingers.
There are basically two types of maple fretboard feel, smooth and semi-smooth. And this 100% depends on how the board was finished. If it was finished in a high gloss polyurethane, the feel is smooth. If finished in a semi-gloss satin urethane, you get the semi-smooth feel.
On Squier guitars with all-maple necks, it's usually true the entire neck is sealed in a high gloss polyurethane. But with Fender guitars, it's a different story. Some guitars are finished in all high gloss, while others have semi-gloss on the back and high gloss on the fingerboard, and others with semi-gloss as the entire neck finish.
It is easy to tell the difference visually between high gloss and semi-gloss. High gloss finish will exhibit mirror-like reflectivity while semi-gloss will not.
As far as which finish feels better to the fingers, the answer is semi-gloss. The semi-smooth texture of the satin urethane finish is preferred by many players.
Where rosewood is concerned, the unsealed open grain feels "softest" to the fingers. When you run your finger along the board, it's easy to feel the grain, and for many this wood type feels best during play.
Which is the best?
The decision of which to go with depends on soft vs. smooth. The softer-feeling fingerboard wood is rosewood, the smoother-feeling wood is high gloss maple, and the one that sits in the middle is the semi-smooth satin finished maple.
I've personally owned all three, and the neck I think that works best is satin urethane finished maple back with rosewood fingerboard.
This is, by the way, why the cheap-as-dirt Squier Bullet Strat neck feels as good as it does, because it has the maple neck with satin urethane on the back and a rosewood board on the front.
There's only one problem with satin urethane finished maple. It looks a bit on the dull side, which is the nature of how the semi-gloss finish looks. The mirror shine of the high gloss definitely pops more. That, and tint color doesn't work with the semi-gloss that well. Several Fender and Squier models that use a high gloss maple finish are tinted for that orange-ish "warm" look, and it works - but it wouldn't if it were semi-gloss.
While I feel maple neck with semi-gloss satin urethane finish + rosewood fingerboard feels the best, I know full well that it doesn't look the best. And yeah, the look of a guitar is important.
My Bullet Tele has that maple/satin back + rosewood front, while my VM '72 Tele is all high gloss maple front + back. Each neck feels distinctively different from the other. I get a better feel off the Bullet neck, to be totally honest. But the VM '72 looks cooler.
I'm glad to own both so I can go with whatever neck I'm in the mood to play.
And what about nitrocellulose lacquer a.k.a. nitro for short? I hate it. Worst maple neck finish there is. Irritates my fret hand and feels sticky. Yes, through many hours of play, the nitro wears down and the neck starts feeling better. Screw that. I'm much happier not having to constantly subject my fret hand to skin irritation over a period of months just to get a correct-feeling neck.
My experience using smartphone GPS while driving
This is almost a usable solution. Almost.
I was gifted a Samsung Galaxy S5 from a friend. I'm unsure of when the unit was made, but it was first introduced in 2014 so it's probably true it was manufactured in that year.
Am I still using Tracfone? Yes. I did that BYOP (meaning "Bring Your Own Phone") thing they offer where all I had to do was buy a SIM card to get service working. I am currently testing the unit to see if I'll stay with it for the long haul.
The latest model of Galaxy right now is the S9. I mention this just to point something out. The S5 has a 5.1" display and 1080p resolution. The S9 has a 5.8" (or 6.2" with the huge S9+ model) and 1440p resolution. Would this make a difference for smartphone GPS use while driving? No, it would not. And I'll explain why right now.
The mount
When you use a phone mount for a car, it's a suction type which can either be applied to windshield glass or adhesive disc (the disc is better).
Do I own a mount like this? No. I'm entertaining the idea of getting one because it's so cheap. But what I hate about it is how huge it is.
No good compact smartphone mounting solution exists, with emphasis on the word good. Yes, the car pad mat exists and it works, but with one major tradeoff. You can't adjust tilt orientation on-the-fly, which is an absolute requirement. With the suction mount thing, if you get on a stretch of road where the sun is washing out the screen like crazy, you just grab-and-tilt any way you want. Up, down, left or right. Can't do that with the car pad mat. You get left and right, but not up and down.
The best mounting solution is the suction type, and wow does it take up a lot of space. Not exactly convenient.
The screen
The Galaxy S9 screen is no brighter than the Galaxy S5. Better resolution, yes. Brighter screen, no. And this is what ultimately makes it junk as a GPS for driving use.
My old Garmin nuvi 40LM has a screen that is vastly superior for driving use compared to the Galaxy S5, or any smartphone for that matter.
It's totally true that the resolution is low and the touch response isn't that great. But it is very easy to read in direct sunlight, and that's what makes this thing superior for use when driving.
Yes, I am saying the 4.3" display of the Garmin easily outperforms the 5.1" display of the Galaxy S5 and would also trounce the display of the 6.2" Galaxy S9+ as well.
The most important thing (other than accurate navigation) is to be able to read the screen properly. The nuvi has that covered. The smartphone absolutely does not.
It is the combination of matte + extra bright backlight that makes the nuvi superior to modern smartphone AMOLED screens for driving use.
Oh, and there's another thing. The suction mount for the nuvi is nice and small, yet holds the unit firmly. It is literally less than half the size of a comparable car phone suction mount.
Software used didn't matter because the smartphone screen is just too dim
On the S5 I used the HERE WeGo app since it's the same map data set the Garmin nuvi uses, and the fact it can be used GPS-only with no data (which is rather important when using prepaid wireless). All I had to do was make sure the GPS was on via "Location," download the map via Wi-Fi for Florida (there's map data for the whole world but FL was all I needed) and that was it, I was ready to go.
HERE WeGo can be easily configured to be extra-readable just by choosing 2D map view. The default color scheme it uses is also very legible with plenty of contrast, but even so, there was just no getting around the fact the screen wasn't bright enough for driving use.
I want to make clear it was not the app's fault for the lack of brightness. Not at all. I could have been using Waze or Google Maps or whatever, but the end result would have always been the same. Dim screen = bad for use while driving.
I should also note that the S5 I have, while used, is in great shape. The backlight is basically as good as it was when new.
Usable, but only if my nuvis ever failed
Yes, I said nuvis. I keep 2 in the car. One on the dash, the other in the glove box if the first one fails.
Overkill? Not for me it isn't. If I had to switch over to the phone for navigation use, yeah it would work, but having to read that dim screen while driving would just be bad. Huge downgrade compared to the better and brighter nuvi screen.
I know at some point in the future the nuvis will stop working and I'll be forced to go smartphone for navigation use.
My hope is by the time the nuvis fail, smartphone screen tech will have advanced far enough to where the brightness at least matches that of a Garmin nuvi made in 2011.
Gold watches are tacky, and that's okay
It's time to talk about gold watches.
I own one gold watch, a Casio A500WGA. There are two versions of it. One with dark border and yellow-ish LCD panel, and one with gold border and light gray LCD panel. I own the latter.
Yes, I do wear this watch. It's a fairly unknown Casio timepiece in America because it's a model ordinarily only seen in Asian markets. The known Casio gold model that is sold here is the A168WG-9 - which I actually have seen someone wearing in real life around these parts (I live in Tampa Bay Florida). Ultimately however, Joe or Jane Average wouldn't know the difference between the A500WGA and the A168WG. True, the A500 is far more advanced, but all anyone sees is the gold. And that's the entire point to owning it.
Why are gold watches tacky?
Nobody, including myself, wears a gold watch appropriately.
The appropriate time to wear a gold watch is with a dress outfit, such as with a suit. But people will wear a gold watch with anything. I wear mine with t-shirt and jeans, which is pretty much as tacky as it gets. Do I care? No. I'll still wear the gold anyway.
How to make an "everyday gold watch" not tacky?
The simple solution to making gold slightly less tacky is to wear a smaller timepiece.
The wrong way
Big gold is the tackiest of the tacky, like this Invicta monstrosity:
You've got to have a big set of balls to wear the above Invicta as an everyday watch. It's a freakin' huge 48mm timepiece. Yes, it actually can dive as it has 300m water resistance, but it totally looks like you're wearing a doorknob when on the wrist. Only men with a wrist measuring 7.5 inches around or larger could wear this thing. But even if this watch was on a proper size wrist, you have to be really comfortable wearing something in gold this large.
The right way
Smaller gold timepieces work much, much better.
Here are a few better options, starting with Invicta...
Invicta Men's 17054 Pro Diver Automatic
This timepiece from Invicta is way better than the 15343. It's a 40mm diver, automatic movement, has 200m water resistance, obviously a Rolex Submariner clone (Mercedes hour hand, cyclops date window and all), and it works for what it is. It may have more gold compared to the 15343 but it carries itself a lot better.
The case size is 42mm but the advantage here is a super slim 8mm and a wide 22mm bracelet width. The lug bars might be a turnoff to some, but it's a good design overall that's sure to fit comfortably on the wrist. And yes, this is a men's timepiece.
This is the one I would buy personally if I were in the market for another gold watch, because you can't go wrong with a Seiko 5 automatic. Rock solid reliability, elegant look, 37mm case size, crown at the 4 position, day-date complication, near-silent tick. This is a great watch.
This one is like the Seiko but in a larger 40mm case size and only has a date complication instead of day-date. Simple watch, elegant in appearance and has thicker hands compared to the Seiko. For a lot of gents, this would be the go-to gold dress watch to get, especially with that Eco-Drive system which is way more accurate than Seiko automatic movement.
This is the simplest timepiece on this list, as it's just a quartz movement with 3 hands and no complications. The size is 38mm but it definitely wears large because it's "all dial" due to the very thin bezel. A watch like works very well for larger-wristed gents who want a smaller timepiece that wears large. Because of the thin bezel, this Tissot definitely wears larger than its 38mm measurement, no doubt about that. It also has the slimmest case at just 7mm, meaning it will slide under the cuff even when wearing tight-fitting long sleeve shirts.
What about gold digital?
Casio is the only one that does gold digital right.
Aside from the A500WGA and A168WG-9, there's also this:
Of all gold digital watches available, the A168WG-9, A500WGA and DBC611G are your three best choices. Casio is currently the only company that brings any sort of elegance to a digital in a gold tone color.
Other Casio timepieces in gold to consider are the A178WGA and DB380G (which is almost extinct at the time I write this).
Which should you get if going with digital gold? The A168WG-9 is the safe option because it has the largest case size at 36mm. The A500WGA is a 34mm, the DBC611G a 33mm, the A178WGA a 32.5mm and the DB380G a 33mm.
Bear in mind that with square and rectangle shape cases, you can get away with smaller sizes more easily. And with gold you can go even smaller because to the eye, smaller gold looks better than big gold.
But again, if you like digital and gold, the safest of the bunch is the A168WG-9. If you've ever worn a regular A168, the A168WG-9 is literally the exact same thing in a gold tone color.