Irma
Well. This was an adventure.
I live in Tampa Bay Florida in Hillsborough County, which is part of where Hurricane Irma passed through with Category 2 wind strength.
Yes, I am okay. None of my stuff was damaged. The only damage outside that happened was that a part of a wooden fence I have on the property got ripped apart a bit, but it's nothing that can't be repaired.
The worst part of the storm wasn't the storm itself but the 37 hours I was without power after it. More on that in a moment.
You're not a true Floridian until you've lived through a real deal Florida hurricane, and I did it. Was it a smart move to stay here and wait out the storm? No, absolutely not. It was stupid to stay. I should have just packed a bag, hopped in the car and drove north - but - I might have ended up in a worse situation compared to actually staying. I'll talk about that more in a moment too.
Something I learned first hand is that weather predicting technology totally failed. And I mean crash-and-burn failed. Irma was first supposed to land on the eastern side of the state (Miami.) Then it was supposed to enter the southern side of the state which it sorta/kinda did but not really. The Irma made landfall on Marco Island, very much on the east side of the state and started making a path northward.
Reports of Irma's strength shifted constantly. It was CAT5 before Florida, then it was supposed to be CAT3 when it hit Florida but bounced around between CAT3 and CAT4. Then it was predicted Hillsborough County was to get hit with CAT3. Then that was downgraded to CAT1.
What really happened? CAT2 wind strength over Hillsborough. And I was so close to the eye wall of Irma that it wasn't even funny. Polk County actually got the worst of it when it blew through here, but on my side of Hillsborough it was dangerously close to being just as bad.
How can I describe experiencing a CAT2 hurricane at midnight? I can't. There is no way I can describe what that feels like, but that's when the worst of Irma happened here.
On September 10, 2017 at about 10:30pm my power went out, so all I had was this little radio to tell me what was going on. The station I had tuned in was simultaneously broadcasting what was on television, and the meteorologist said the worst of it was coming soon.
Before the power went out, I brought up an animated map of Hurricane Irma as it closed in on Hillsborough County, looked at the speed of storm travel, and thought to myself, "I'm pretty sure this thing is going to pass over me between midnight and 1am."
I was right, and that's exactly what happened. Midnight came and the wind picked up big time. I then thought, "I think if I make it to 1am, things should get really calm after that." I was mostly right there. The worst was over, but there were still some big gusts of wind flying around. But it was nowhere near as bad as when the eye wall was close.
Things didn't calm down until next morning the 11th, but I was still without power and wouldn't get it back until the 12th at around noon.
Prepared but miserable
I was prepared. Water was bought, food was stocked, flashlights were readied, clothes were all washed and so on before Irma came...
...but those 37 hours without power were totally miserable. The longest I can usually stand going without electricity before it becomes decidedly frustrating is about 6 hours, so to go through 37 was maddening.
I don't own a smartphone so all I had to keep me company was that dinky little radio while I laid on my bed, totally in the dark, waiting for the power to come back on.
This made me realize that yeah, I really need to get a smartphone. It would have made things slightly better.
What kept me from going nuts is knowing that millions of Floridians were going through the exact same thing at the exact same time I was, so there was no reason to get angry about it. Frustrated, yes, but not angry. There's a difference.
Two things sucked more than anything else. Humidity and not being able to shower.
Florida's summer weather doesn't end until around October, so it's still humid. While true everyone got a break from the heat for the fact that Irma really cooled down the air, the humidity was still there. With no A/C or even fans to cool me down, I had a slightly sticky sweat for almost the entire duration of the power outage.
Yes, I had water to wash with and did use it (I used a spray bottle for those interested,) but that's obviously not the same as a good shower. It's the kind of washing that's just adequate at best.
Had I fled, I would have had to drive at least 300 miles north to stay out of harm's way
If I had packed a bag and gone north, the first closest safest territory would have been Alabama...
...but given how wildly Irma was swinging around according to the reports, there was no way to tell where to go that was truly safe. There was even one point where meteorologists were saying that Charlotte NC was going to get hit.
And even if I had gone to Alabama, I still would have had to deal with Irma.
Again, there was no way to truly tell where the safe place was short of driving 500+ miles away.
Things I learned from Irma
The current state of major hurricane weather prediction is absolutely awful.
While I understand Irma was a monster, not being able to accurately track something that large just doesn't make sense. I don't blame the meteorologists. I blame the systems they use. I'm certain they're already aware that something needs to change where these computerized prediction technologies are concerned.
Governor Rick Scott was totally correct to have Florida take all the preparations it did.
Florida was not overprepared
I honestly thought too much preparation was taking place for Irma. I was wrong. All the preparation was necessary.
When traffic lights are out, havoc happens
Imagine a 4-way stop intersection. Now imagine that 4-way stop being 500% larger. Tampa Bay has a lot of those controlled by traffic lights. Those lights weren't working after the power got knocked out. What you're supposed to do when the traffic lights are out is to treat those gigantic intersections like 4-way stops. And that means "first car that arrives is first to leave." Whoever stopped before you goes first.
There were (and will continue to be until all power is restored) more than a few jackasses out there just blowing right through intersections, not stopping at all and doing it without giving a second thought that someone might be coming the other way.
I should own solar charging equipment (especially considering it's cheap)
I should own a solar generator and/or solar bank to power at least one fan and charge my phone. This is something I didn't think about until after Irma. For extended power outages in Florida, it makes total sense to charge battery powered stuff using the sun.
Irma was the worst storm I've ever experienced but didn't feel like it
Hurricane Irma was huge. Colossal. Gigantic. But it's very different compared to other types of storms.
Storms I've been through where they were horrible and I very much knew it were Nor'Easters. Those are large New England snowstorms and I've experienced several of them. They are always destructive, always terrible and take a good long time to clear out well after the storm has passed.
Irma, this giant hurricane, only pounded my area of Hillsborough for 1 hour. It came, blew everything around and moved on. What it left behind was a bunch of felled trees, tree debris everywhere and a damaged power grid. And again, it was the aftermath that was worse than the actual storm.
Granted, that 1 hour was scary. Seeing wind like I did for what I could see of it was intense. But the intensity was short and I suppose that's why Irma didn't feel as big as it actually was.
Still, it was a crazy experience.
If I were only allowed one emergency watch...
The one watch I would grab in an emergency situation would not be a G-SHOCK...
...it would be the AE1000W.
At the time I write this, it's a couple of days before Hurricane Irma gets here (I live in Tampa Bay Florida,) and right now I have my AE1000W strapped to my wrist. And yes I would sincerely take it over the G-SHOCK DW-9052 I have.
The G-SHOCK is more water resistant and built tougher. It's also more than twice the price of the AE1000W. So why go with the cheaper timepiece?
Practically speaking, the AE1000W is better than the DW-9052 in several ways. It's lighter, thinner, side buttons are easier to use, beep tone is louder, battery life is much longer (by several years,) face is easier to read, and it has 5 alarms instead of just 1.
It's not that the DW-9052 is bad. Not at all. But if I had to choose just one out of the collection of Casio digitals I have and leave the rest behind, all of the AE1000W's advantages over the G-SHOCK make it the one to go with.
Everyone should have a "bug out" watch
"Bug out" is a dopey "prepper" way of saying "emergency." I've watched a few videos made by preppers concerning bug out timepieces, and of course they always go with big, bulky mechanical watches. Usually a field or diver watch.
All mechanical timepieces are horrible choices as a bug out watch for one simple reason. Notoriously inaccurate. Every single mechanical watch gains or loses 15 to 30 seconds daily. That may not sound like much, but it adds up quick. And this is especially true if you can't get to a reliable time source to synchronize your watch at least once a week.
Any Casio digital quartz watch will only gain or lose 1 to 2 seconds daily. Over a month's time, that means the watch will only be off by 30 seconds to 1 minute. And that's a worst case scenario.
I think it's absolutely necessary that everyone have a good, cheap digital quartz watch because if the wireless network is out and the phone doesn't work, you need something that will accurately and reliably tell you what the time and date is.
For me, the Casio AE1000W does the job in fine style. A similar watch with the exact same feature set in a case that's more squared off and a little smaller is the AE1200, which I also own.
Whatever you choose to go with for your bug out watch, get a Casio digital with all the features you want and don't spend a bundle on it. Get what you like and let it be your reliable time and date source. Yes, a Casio digital is good enough to rely on, which I think is the whole point of why it's so good to own one.
What would I do if my guitars are destroyed?
I've mentioned this plenty of times before, but if you're not aware, I am a Tampa Bay Florida resident. And it just so happens there is a gigantic hurricane headed my way.
I made a mention on my Facebook page that I was preparing for Hurricane Irma, and at the time I write this I am prepared as I can be. I have water, food, a battery powered radio (not as nice as the one I want but it'll do), and so on.
A comment came in on that post saying that I should protect my guitars.
My immediate reply to that was that protecting my guitars was very low on my priority list. As in so low it's not even a concern.
Let's say for the moment that the absolute worst happens. The home I live in is destroyed and with it all my possessions, including the guitars. They all get smashed and can never be played again.
My reaction? Better the guitars to get smashed than me.
A guitar is a few pieces of wood, plastic and steel. It is a thing. And things can be replaced.
The most protection I'll give a guitar is a gig bag or a hard case. If Mother Nature finds a way to destroy my guitars even with that protection in place, fine, let it happen. I would never risk life and limb to save a guitar. And neither should anyone else.
Can a Telecaster surf?
This is a question I got asked on YouTube that does need an article to answer it.
I was specifically asked if the Telecaster (like the the Squier FSR Tele I own) would work for surf rock music. My answer is that a Tele is a good choice for surf but not necessarily the best choice when trying to achieve "that surf sound".
A quick history of surf rock and Fender electric guitars
The original surf guitars are all Fenders. Stratocaster, Jazzmaster and Jaguar, in that order.
Dick Dale plays Strats and always has. He was the first guy to a surf rock hit with Let's Go Trippin'. The Stratocaster was originally introduced in 1954.
After the success of that song, other artists started playing surf and picked up the Jazzmaster guitar. Guitar players of the era totally rejected that guitar as a jazz instrument but found it worked very well for that bright, jangly surf tone. The Jazzmaster was originally introduced in 1958.
The Jaguar, introduced in 1962, was specifically built for surf rock, which is why original models included a flip-up foam mute to specifically get that surf rock "drip" tone.
If you really want that flip-up mute badly enough, yes you can still get it on the Fender American Vintage '65 Jaguar. Or if you already have a Jag, the 62 Jaguar guitar mute assembly kit is available on its own, and it's not expensive at all. But back to the AV '65 Jag, at the time of this writing, that Jag is the most expensive production electric Fender builds that isn't a special model. Why? Because there's a fair amount of stuff that only this Jag has which isn't shared with any other Fender electric. I'm honestly surprised Fender even has this as a production electric and not a Fender-Custom-Shop-only model given how very specific the build is...
...but do you actually need that foam mute for surf rock? Absolutely not. Whether you own an original Jag from the '60s or a new American Vintage build that has the same hardware, Jag players universally agree that the mute is pretty much worthless. It looks cool, but when in use it adds pressure to the strings that pitches up the tuning of the guitar, so you can't switch back and forth from song to song and keep the same tuning. Also, being the mute is foam, it will dent, get gummed up with gunk fairly quickly and will need to be replaced every few years.
Was the Telecaster ever used on a surf rock hit song?
Nobody ever recorded a surf rock hit using a Telecaster that I know of. While true from 1952 to 1967 there was "dark circuit" a.k.a. "blackguard" wiring in all Telecasters, you could still totally get surf tone out of the Tele.
My best guess as to why Telecasters weren't used in surf rock more is simply because Fender had intended to outright replace the Tele with newer guitar models at the time surf rock was popular. They were really pushing newer guitar models during surf rock's heyday. Also, the Strat, Jazz and Jags just had sexier, more modernized shapes compared to the Tele.
How do you make a Tele surf?
In my experience, this is how you get specific Fender or Squier guitar models to get a surf tone:
Needed for all models
An amp with real spring reverb, or a digital effect that does emulated spring verb well. My DigiTech RP360 does a very convincing spring reverb and even includes the "tank ping" noise. Another very good spring reverb emulator is the BOSS FRV-1 pedal.
I strongly recommend using a compressor to bring up the note attack that "pings" the reverb so you get that surf rock "drip" tone. Any compressor will work. I use my RP360's CS-3 emulation. You can use that, a real CS-3 or a cheap Behringer CS400.
Stratocaster
Pickup selector positions best used are 1, 3 and 5. The two most useful are 1 (rear/bridge) and 5 (front/neck). Volume on 10, tone on 10.
Jazzmaster
Lead circuit only, volume on 10, tone on 10. All 3 pickup selector positions work quite well for surf.
Jaguar
Lead circuit only, volume on 10, tone on 10. All lead circuit pickup selector positions work well just like the Jazzmaster, but in my experience, it is best to leave the "strangle switch" off for the best surf tone. You may find however that it sounds better with it enabled. Experimentation is required on your part to find out which sounds best.
Telecaster
Pickup selector positions 1 (rear/bridge) and 2 (rear+front/neck+bridge) work best here. Position 3 (front/neck) I find really does not work for surf.
In addition, there is that Telecaster twang thing going on. It is tradition that the Tele rear pickup is overwound like a lap steel electric which is a big part of what makes it twang so much. It's also a big reason why it sounds so different compared to a Stratocaster rear pickup.
I'll put it another way. When you strum a Jazzmaster or Jaguar plugged in with proper compression and a ton of spring reverb, you will instantly think, "Yep, that's a surf tone" the instant you hear it. When you do the same with a Strat, you'll think, "Yeah, sounds surfy but I'll need to tweak it a bit." When you do the same with a Telecaster, you'll think, "This sounds like country electric guitar tone with a lot of reverb in it."
If I can do it, so can you
Personally, I can get a Telecaster to surf, but I totally admit it's not as easy to get the drip tone compared to using other guitar models.
Surf tone for the most part can be done with any electric guitar provided you have, at bare minimum, a very trebly rear pickup, which the Telecaster has. After that it comes down to EQ, compression with tight attack and a proper sounding spring reverb.
In the end, yes, a Tele can surf. It just takes more effort to make it surf compared to Strats, Jazzes and Jags. But it is totally doable.
How to fix guitar buzz with a string change
Yes, you can in fact get rid of guitar buzz with a simple string change - if you pick the correct string.
GHS Guitar Boomers use a round core. Before I get into why that matters, changing strings does not guarantee fret buzz will go away. Not at all. But if you have:
- Set your neck relief correctly and confirmed the neck is not twisted
- Set your string saddle heights correctly
- Set your pickup heights correctly (pickups too close to the strings can cause buzzing issues)
- Confirmed that the nut is good where no sitar-like sound is present when plucking open strings
- Confirmed (or at least are pretty sure) that your frets are level
...changing the strings is the next step before moving on to more expensive neck repairs.
Hex core and round core
The majority of electric guitar strings have one of two core types, hexagonal core or round core. The difference between the two is stiffness at tension. Hex core strings have greater stiffness compared to round, feel tighter when playing and you will most likely notice it takes a little more effort to bend hex core strings.
A brand that uses hex core in the majority (if not all?) of their electric guitar string offerings is D'Addario brand.
GHS's Guitar Boomers however use a round core. This makes them distinctively different with overall tension and feel.
If your fret buzz comes from a wound string...
If the fret buzzing you have is specifically from the wound strings, as in strings 4, 5 and 6 (or D, A and low E,) that's a very good reason to try switching core types.
Check to see which core type your guitar strings use. If you use hex, go round. If round, go hex. If you don't know, try D'Addario first. If the buzzing gets worse, switch to GHS Guitar Boomers.
It's worth it to try a string change first to cure a string buzz issue
If the string change cures your string buzz issue, you just saved a whole bunch of money on guitar neck repairs.
If the string change does not fix the string buzz, don't consider it wasted money. It's better to have spent a little on strings first just to confirm it's not the strings causing the buzz problem. You can imagine how mad you would be if you put a bunch of expensive, time consuming repairs into a guitar only to see it didn't fix the problem and it was the strings all along. So again, better to try a string change first with a different core type.
Also remember that you don't have to change string size when changing core types. In fact, I recommend staying with the same size so you don't have to readjust the neck relief.
The only time I recommend a string size change in an attempt to fix string buzz is to use one that's very slight. D'Addario as far as I know is the only brand you can do this with. Most guitar players use 9-42 or 10-46 string gauge sets. D'Addario does in fact offer a 9.5-44 size set, the EXL120+ Super Light Plus. That's a size just a tick above 9-42 and a tick below 10-46, so if you believe a string size change might help cure your string buzz, try that set.