The best color for a Fender Duo-Sonic
The little guitar that could comes in one of the best yellows from Fender.
The Fender Duo-Sonic HS in the specific color Canary Diamond is awesome.
I have a thing for yellow guitars even though I don't own one at the time I write this but have in the past. Some yellows I like, some I don't like. This is one I definitely like.
The first time I saw the Canary Diamond finish was on a special run of Stratocasters in that color and others like Rangoon Red and Jetstream Blue. I even said back when I wrote that article that the Canary Diamond color was my favorite. Still is.
Now to note, this yellow is not the same as Vintage White on the Malmsteen Stratocaster firstly because that's technically a white and not a yellow, and secondly because even on a computer screen you can see that Canary Diamond is a few shades darker. Definitely not the same color when you compare side-by-side.
Duo-Sonic is a 24.0" short scale guitar, so you have to like a shorter neck to get along with this axe. And you also have to like the humbucker/single configuration because the regular Duo-Sonic single/single doesn't have a yellow color option. The closest the single/single has to a yellow is Capri Orange.
So if you like short scale and are okay with H/S electronics, the Duo-Sonic in Canary Diamond is a cool little guitar to get. Certain guitars just make me happy when I see them, and this guitar evokes that from me. The yellow really fits the shape, and even though the guitar is dirt simple, in this color I just love staring at it.
On a final note, at the time I write this in January 2018, yes, Canary Diamond is a standard production color for the Duo-Sonic HS, meaning it's not a special run. However, Fender seems to treat guitars in this color like special run models and doesn't make too many. In other words, if you like this yellow, get one.
Casio SGW100 - best budget bug out watch?
I unintentionally discovered this is the best budget "bug out" watch there is.
What does "bug out" mean?
This is a term used by those who believe strongly in disaster preparation, whether for natural disaster, economic disaster, financial disaster, disaster brought by war, etc. People of this ilk are called survivalists or "preppers", depending on whom you talk to.
Every survivalist has a "bug out" bag ready-to-use. This bag is a backpack full of stuff, and the intended use is that in the event of disaster, this is the bag you grab before you leave quickly, i.e. bug out. The SGW100 would be appropriate to have in the bag.
I did not buy the Casio SGW100 (mine is the SGW100B-3V model) for bug out purposes, but the more I examined it, the more I realized that this timepiece really is the best budget bug out watch one could buy.
Examples of typical bug out watches
Before I get into the particulars of the SGW100, the timepieces of choice survivalists go for depends on the specific functionality he's looking for.
For analog quartz timepieces, the go-to brands are Luminox and Victorinox. For all-mechanical, Glycine has a few offerings with the most survivalist-friendly being the black PVD coated variety.
For quartz digital, the best-of-the-best survivalist timepiece is a Casio G-SHOCK that is solar powered and has atomic timekeeping. Such an example is the GW5000. Or if you're the type that wants ABC functionality (altimeter, barometer, compass), then you want a Casio Pro Trek, of which there are several.
Enter the SGW100
The SGW100 is a twin sensor, so it's not ABC. The two sensors are thermometer and compass and I'll get into more detail on those in a moment.
This watch is powered by a CR2025, no solar. Battery life is estimated to be 3 years. It has the ability to do world time with 29 time zones and 48 cities supported, supports DST, has 4 alarms + 1 snooze alarm, has a countdown timer (24 hours maximum) with auto-repeat and has a 1-hour maximum stopwatch.
Weight of the watch is 53 to 55 grams depending on model and strap type.
Size is stated to be 51.5mm lug-to-lug, 47.6 case size, 13.2mm thick. However, the canvas strap version that I have has a slightly shorter lug-to-lug at around 49mm, meaning the watch is smaller-wrist-friendly.
The digit display is huge, but done right. Very easy to read.
How to use the thermometer and compass correctly
The two biggest complaint reviews about the watch is that the compass and thermometer are inaccurate. They're not if adjusted correctly.
Adjusting magnetic north vs. geographic north
A compass will always point to magnetic north, which is not the same as geographic north. Out of the box, the SGW100 points to the same place a regular compass would, magnetic north.
To adjust for geographic north, the watch needs to have its magnetic declination set. This is simply a degree number.
Where do you get this number? From the Magnetic Field Calculator site. You can go to the section "Lookup Latitude / Longitude", enter your location information, get the coordinates, then hit the calculate button. For where I am, Tampa Florida, the declination at the time I write this is currently 5 degrees west, with emphasis on currently. To keep the compass accurate in the watch, I would need to revisit the calculator once a year to get the adjusted declination value.
Sound too difficult? It isn't. The SGW100 makes it stupidly easy to adjust magnetic declination.
Once the declination is set correctly for where you are in the world, it will always be correct, provided you calibrated the compass correctly per the manual's instructions (which is also stupidly easy.)
Getting an accurate temperature reading
Take the watch off the wrist. Wait 20 minutes, then take a temperature reading. If it's off by a few degrees, you can adjust +/- however many degrees until it's correct...
...and that's it. The watch will then always display the correct temperature when not on the wrist.
The temperature sensor is inside the case of the watch. What this means is that body heat will always make the temperature reading not match what the actual ambient temperature is. To get an accurate reading, the watch must be taken off the wrist and let to stand for 20 minutes so there is no body heat left in the case.
Think of this the same way as using a regular oral glass thermometer. When used in the mouth, the temperature changes because it's touching the body. When left to sit in a jar, in about 20 minutes it will show the room's ambient temperature.
What makes the SGW100 the best budget bug out watch?
The SGW100, while not G-SHOCK tough, is definitely tough enough to handle whatever you throw at it. It also has the stuff that's genuinely useful to a survivalist. Namely, the big digit display, compass, 200M water resistance, multiple alarms, countdown timer with auto-repeat and grooved buttons that are easy to press while designed right so they don't get knocked accidentally.
True, it's not solar nor does it have atomic timekeeping. The watch has +/- 30 seconds a month for accuracy, so if you assume 1 second gained or lost per day, at worst you will only see the time off by 6 minutes after 1 year of not adjusting the time at all. And that's truly not bad. Certainly better than any mechanical watch.
So why did I buy the SGW100?
As noted above, I didn't get it for bug out purposes, but rather because it has every single thing I want out of a digital timepiece.
This is my new daily wearer. I thought I could get away with wearing a simpler Casio digital, but as it turns out I really appreciate a watch that shows weekday/month/day on the face, has multiple alarms, countdown timer with auto-repeat and stopwatch. And I'm really liking the larger display as well. I thought it might be too large but it's not. The design is right.
I have a smaller 6.75" wrist. This watch has all that I want and fits me. That's why I bought it. I'm very happy with my SGW100. Great as a bug out watch, but also really good for daily use.
Cheapest vs. most expensive Squier Telecaster
Is one truly better than the other? Let's find out.
Unintentionally, I bought the cheapest and the most expensive Squier Telecasters currently offered at the time I write this. The Squier FSR Bullet Telecaster and the Squier Vintage Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline.
How was this unintentional? Because I wasn't thinking about price at the time I bought these guitars. Both just happened to be what I wanted.
Did I buy both at once? No. The Bullet was first, then I picked up the Thinline some time later.
Did I buy both at full retail price? Absolutely not. I got the Bullet on an introductory discount, and through a goof in the computer system at the guitar store, got the Thinline for 33% less than what it ordinarily sells for.
However, were you to buy either of these at full retail price, the Bullet will either run you (in US dollars) $179, and the Thinline $449.
Each guitar has its own unique sound. The Bullet has trebly single-coil pickups and has more traditional Telecaster tone, while the Thinline with its semi-hollow body and "Wide Range" humbucker pickups has a different tonal character best described as "sounds like a Thinline".
Where the real differences are between the guitars are not so much in sound but in other areas.
Tuners
Bullet has sealed tuners with tall posts.
Thinline has vintage style slotted tuners with shorter posts.
Neck
Bullet has a non-tinted maple neck with satin urethane finish on the back and rosewood fingerboard. The fingerboard is open grain like most other guitars with this material.
Thinline has a tinted 1-piece maple neck with gloss urethane finish on both front and back.
Dimensions between both necks are basically the same. Oval C shape, medium jumbo fret wire, 9.5" fingerboard radius.
Body
Bullet has a basswood solid body with single-color paint and is urethane sealed.
Thinline has an ash semi-hollow body with 3TSB (3-tone-sunburst) paint and is urethane sealed.
Electronics
Same in both guitars. Two pickups, 3-way switch, one master volume control, one master tone control.
Electronics positioning
Same style electronics between both guitars, but the Bullet has a traditional horizontal control plate while the Thinline doesn't where it's "leaned", mounted in the pick guard and angled towards the player.
Pick guard
Bullet has a standard Telecaster parchment color 3-ply white/black/white guard.
Thinline has a Thinline-specific guard which is pearloid color 3-ply pearloid/black/white.
Bridge
Bullet has a "modern traditional" Telecaster bridge. Flat plate without raised edges and it also houses the rear pickup.
Thinline has a smaller bridge that does not house the rear pickup and is Thinline-specific.
String installation
Both guitars are string-thru style with ferrules in the back of the body.
String saddles
Bullet has six individual block style saddles. Thinline has the vintage style thinner bent steel saddles.
Output jack
Both guitars have the "cup" style Telecaster output jack, which is a recessed style and not the flush type seen on other guitars such as the Les Paul.
Weight
Thinline is lighter than Bullet. I'm not exactly sure by how much, but it's definitely noticeable.
What you pay extra for with the Thinline is...
...the fact it's a Thinline.
The Squier Thinline is literally the only licensed-by-Fender Telecaster Thinline guitar available for under $500 at the time I write this. The next available guitar is the Fender version which is much more expensive.
Bullet is a traditional modern Telecaster. It's a very familiar design and not all that different from the Fender Standard Telecaster.
Thinline is the cost-effective version of the Fender Thinline, and I argue it's actually better than the Fender because there are several things about it that are more agreeable. Namely, 4-bolt neck plate instead of 3, flatter fingerboard, more comfortable C shape neck, "barrel" switch tip instead of "top hat", and so on. The Fender guitar is intended to be a copy of the 1972 Thinline it's modeled after while the Squier is more modernized and the better player's guitar as far as I'm concerned.
What you're paying extra for is Thinline-specific stuff. Namely, the semi-hollow body, the different bridge, different pickups and different pickup and knob positions.
What you pay less for with the Bullet is...
...cost cutting here and there but still getting a great guitar.
Bullet's biggest strengths are the fact it's so close in specification to a Fender Standard Telecaster at a much lower price tag.
It's ordinarily true that on super-cheap Telecasters, you get a top-loader bridge, a neck pickup where the height adjustment screws are under the pick guard (requiring the pick guard to be removed just to get to them), two string trees, and a flush mounted output jack.
On the Bullet, it is a string-thru (important to Telecaster players), only a single string tree is present (far less kinking noises when bending the G string), you get in-guard neck pickup height adjustment and the "cup" output jack as mentioned above.
Bullet has everything that matters to a Telecaster player.
What makes it cheaper is the fact it's a basswood body, however that's not something you'll really notice as the body does have great vibration during play. Where you will notice the cheapness however is that the pickup selector and knobs are a bit stiff, it has barely-there shielding so it will buzz a bit (which is nothing a noise gate pedal can't fix), and the tuners are also a bit on the stiff side.
Which is the better guitar?
The Thinline is better in the respect that nothing needs to be fixed nor upgraded.
However, almost everything cheap about the Bullet can be fixed/upgraded for real cheap. The only thing that will actually cost any real time and money is replacing the tuners. Money will need to be spent on tuners and time spent adjusting the holes so the tuners fit correctly.
Is the Thinline truly worth $270 more than the Bullet?
Yes for the fact it has Thinline-specific features and is much less in price to the next comparable Fender. No in the respect that if all you want is just a good Telecaster, you can get one for much less. A great example of this is the Squier Standard Telecaster which is not much more than the Bullet while at the same time significantly less than the Thinline.
In the end, if you really want a Thinline for less, Squier makes the best one available.
If you just want a good Tele, Bullet fits the bill. And if you want something slightly better but still cheap, Squier Standard Telecaster is the one you want.
Does this mean I'll be buying a Squier Standard Telecaster? No, because I'm genuinely happy with what I have. But if you're on the fence for what to get yourself, you now know your options.
Graffiti Yellow Fender Stratocasters
This is a cool color from Fender for those who want something different.
I'm writing this due to an email I received from someone who was thinking about buying a Fender ST62 Japan Stratocaster in this color and wanted to know some information about it. From our conversation I figured I might as well write something up on it here just in case anyone has interest in this particular color for the Strat.
The first time I saw Graffiti Yellow was on either a late 1980s or early 1990s Fender Stratocaster Plus model. It's one of those colors that's bright and bold, but not "neon" color as some people think it is. The GY color is ever-so slightly muted so it suits the guitar better.
The oldest GY Strat example I've seen only in pictures is from 1987. As for whether 1987 is the actual year GY was first offered, that I don't know.
GY at the time I write this is only available new on Fender Custom Shop models. Prior to that it was available on Fender Japan ST62 and the aforementioned Fender USA Stratocaster Plus model. The USA versions have a roller nut, Lace Sensor pickups and two-point bridge with offset block saddles. The Japan versions have the regular 6-screw bridge, traditional pickups and a traditional nut.
As for which one I personally like better, I'd take the Japan version because I prefer more traditional Strat builds.
You can find GY Strats from the late '80s all the way into the mid-2000s. As far as I know, GY was never a regular run production color. GY was always a limited run finish.
Was there ever a Squier in GY? I've never seen one. The closest Squier ever got to that color was Arctic White, but that's definitely not GY as it's several shades lighter.
Should Graffiti Yellow become a regular production color?
No. I actually enjoy the fact GY isn't a regular color option. It's a special thing to see a GY Strat because they don't appear that often.
However, it would be nice to see an FSR (Fender Special Run) Strat and/or Tele, preferably as one of the more affordable models. Fender Mexico could easily make a limited run of GY Standard Series guitars.
If not Fender, seeing a Squier FSR of GY guitars would be cool too. As said above, I've never seen one, and I believe if Squier did do GY as a limited run, it would be the first time it ever happened.
How I became a "Squier guy" part 2
It's been almost 6 years since I last wrote about this, so let's catch up.
Way back in 2012, I was a Strat guy and wrote about how I preferred Squier over Fender. Some things have changed since then while others have stayed the same.
The things that have changed since I wrote that article is that I don't own the Schecter anymore (sold it years ago), and I don't really care for Stratocaster guitars at this point. I switched over to the Jazzmaster, and as of recent have taken a strong liking to the Telecaster. At the time I write this, I have a Squier Vintage Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline on order that will be arriving in a few days.
In addition, I have gone through several guitars since that writing. And no, I did not keep all those guitars. Far from it. A general rule I live by is that if one guitar comes in, one must go out either as a trade or sold privately (usually as a trade-out). I am absolutely not one of those guys who has stacks of guitars in cases because I consider that ridiculous. Of the guitars I had but parted with, there were Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, one Les Paul and one Jaguar.
What has stayed the same, although I came to know this in a roundabout way, is that I prefer simple guitars, hence the reason I've had such a strong attraction to the Telecaster lately. The Tele is one of the simplest electrics to own. No vibrato system, 2 pickups, 2 knobs, 6 inline tuners. Nice and easy. Heck, I even got used to the slab style body shape. This is very different from the Jazzmaster guitar, which by nature is very complicated.
The one biggest change however from then to now is this:
Fender guitar feel and sound doesn't agree with me
In all the time I've been playing guitars, I've owned 4 Fenders. One American (Strat), two Mexican (Jazzmaster and Telecaster), one Chinese (the short lived Modern Player Stratocaster HSS).
There have been many times where I've tried out Fender guitars in guitar stores but haven't bought them. Strats, Teles, Jazzes, Duo-Sonics and Mustangs of varying models. I've had my hands on guitars from Fender USA, Fender Mexico, Fender Japan and Fender China. It's probably true I've played over 100 of them.
While Fender makes good guitars, I've been playing Squier for so long that I now know that Fender axes do not agree with me. The necks don't feel right in my hands, the sound doesn't agree with my ears, and no matter how hard I've tried to get along with a Fender, it's just never worked out.
Squier is owned by Fender and is licensed to use Fender designs. But the character of Squier guitars is different compared to Fender. A Squier axe might look like a Fender, but feels different, plays different, sounds different.
Neck
It's the neck where I feel the difference the most. The overall shape is different. Fender neck shapes are thicker, rounder and wider while Squier neck shapes are thinner, slightly "squashed" in the back and have a different shoulder shape. The fret wire size and shape is also different from Squier to Fender.
When I pick up just about any Squier in a guitar store, be it an Affinity, Vintage Modified, Bullet or Classic Vibe, it feels like home to me. I get that familiar Squier neck feel. It doesn't matter if the neck is sealed in gloss urethane, semi-gloss urethane or satin urethane. The feel is there.
When I play a Fender, I don't get that familiar feel. Whether the neck has a Modern C, Vintage Big C, U, V, Soft V or whatever shape it has, my fret hand just doesn't get along with it and I find myself fighting with the instrument.
Sound
Fender, obviously, has higher quality electronic components in their guitars compared to Squier. But most Fender electronics have tonal character that doesn't sound right to my ears. This happens regardless of model, be it Standard, Professional or Elite series.
Squier pickups are, obviously, cheap. But they have what I call "rat tone" to them. The single-coils are usually brash and trebly, and the humbuckers usually have a honky blare. No advanced tech is present in the construction of the pickups. What you get is what you get, and it's usually noisy and clacky. But the pickup sound has character, and that's what makes the sound of the guitar great and fun to experiment with.
Would my opinion change if I played a guitar Fender from the Custom Shop?
No.
There are two main reasons I don't care for USA Custom Shop builds from Fender for two reasons. Price and style.
Currently, the lowest priced FCS guitar available to me new is just shy of $3,000. Too much.
But let's say I did have the money. I still wouldn't want it because most FCS guitars are "relic" styled, which is a style that doesn't agree with me at all.
If I was going to spend big cash on a Fender, I'd get an American Elite model to avoid that relic crapola. Elite models sell for around $2,000 at the time I write this... BUT... the feel and sound doesn't agree with me so I go right back to Squier again.
It's more than just price now
Originally I went with Squier because the guitars were cheap. But now it's solidified as my "my Fender."
I've been through enough Fenders to know that the only way I'd ever truly like one is if one were built using Squier specific shaping.
In other words, I know now that when I want a Fender, I actually want a Squier.