How to set pickup height properly
There are 2 ways to do this. I'll be explaining both.
Method #1: Height of the fretboard
Adjusting the pickup height to match the fretboard does work on many guitars, provided there are no pickup rings getting in the way.
While not "correct" to some, it is the fastest way to get the job done.
Method #2: Wound string side down, plain string side up
This is the method I use personally. You'll notice the pickups are leaned where the height is adjusted lower for the wound strings and higher for the plain strings.
This is the method most players consider "correct".
For pickups with greater magnetic pull, the wound strings when plucked will produce a warble-like sound if the pickup is set too high. If for example you play your 6 (low E) string on the 12th fret and hear a warbling noise, as if two notes were playing at once slightly out-of-tune with each other, the string is too close to the pickup and needs to be backed off.
How much lean is necessary for method 2?
This is where things get interesting.
Pickups described as having "vintage" output indicates low output, meaning not too much lean is necessary to avoid the warbling sound on the wound strings.
Pickups described as "hot" indicates a high output, meaning more lean on the wound string side is necessary since the magnetic pull is greater.
A few words about alnico magnets
Where alnico magnets are concerned, the higher the number, the greater the magnetic pull. The most common is the alnico 5, followed by alnico 3. The least common is the alnico 2. Remember, alnico is not a company but a description of the magnet materials aluminum, nickel and cobalt (take the first 2 letters of each and that spells alnico).
Where Squier guitars are concerned, alnico 5 magnets can be found in the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster and alnico 3 in the Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster. And yes, that does mean the '60s Strat has a greater output compared to the '50s. That doesn't make the '60s any better nor worse than the '50s. It's just a different output.
Generally speaking, most players like alnico 5 because it has the "hottest" output. But that means you have to lean the wound string side of the pickup down a fair amount to get rid of the warbling sound.
While using alnico 3 or 2 means you can raise the wound string side of the pickup higher, the tradeoff is that most of the time you lose treble response compared to an alnico 5.
What about pickups with ceramic magnets?
Adjust the pickups the same as you would for alnico. If you hear warbling on the wound strings when fretted at the 12th, lower the pickup it until the warbling sound diminishes enough to your satisfaction.
What else happens if the pickups are set too high?
Tuning and intonation issues.
On an audio-based tuner (as in one you plug into), a warbled note will always be fluctuating, making to-the-note tuning almost impossible.
With intonation, the same applies. Warbled notes result in making it very difficult to intonate the guitar.
"I don't get enough pickup response when my pickups are set lower to avoid the note warbling. What do I do?"
Use a compressor. The cheap way is a Behringer CS400. The mid-priced way is the MXR Dyna Comp. The expensive (and best) way is the BOSS CS-3.
Know that you don't have to "max out" a compressor. Light compression is just fine to get that extra boost and punch when playing clean, overdriven or distorted.
Guitar of the week #101: D'Angelico Premier TD
This is one fancy dan guitar without the fancy dan price.
I can assure you that this is not a Les Paul with extra wood in the back. Hardly. This is much more.
D'Angelico is not known for solid-body guitars, and the TD marks their return to making one again. And what a guitar it is.
You will see stuff on this guitar that you'd ordinarily have to pay well into 4 figures to get. This is a very ornate instrument and pictures do it no justice.
The question however is that as fancy as it looks, can it rock?
Yes, it can. And comfortably.
The first word that describes this guitar is ornate. The second word right after that is balanced.
Everything is balanced correct on this guitar. The Grover tuners are smooth and balanced. The pickups have a very nice balanced output that's not too weak nor too hot. The overall guitar is very balanced. Neck dive never happens, and whether playing seated or standing, this guitar, although it doesn't look like it, has a body feel as well-balanced as a Stratocaster. Yes, really.
24.75" scale, 5-ply (wow!) binding, C-shape neck, all the fancy Gibson digs with all the great balance and playing characteristics of a Fender...
...it's all there.
And the price for it all is super nice.
Niche music genres
Is going niche the key to music success?
The answer to that question depends on how you interpret it, but my answer is yes.
Soon I will be releasing some new surf rock songs. Surf rock is not a mainstream style of music. Not at all. But I like it, and that's what matters, so that's what I'm doing.
The only mostly-guitar-based mainstream music I know of these days is country. And I've said before that if you want your absolute best chance at making genuinely decent money as a guitar player, buy a Fender Telecaster, start or join a country band and go for it.
Everything else outside of country music where the guitar is featured is niche music. And I mean everything. Surf, jazz, blues, punk and so on. All niche.
Since I know some of you would ask, yes, metal is niche, and dead last as a music genre you can make money with. There is only one possible way to make money with metal. Be like GWAR. If you consider yourself a metalhead, you know GWAR. That band makes money because they are entertainers more than musicians. GWAR is totally okay with that because they pack houses wherever they go and get the bills paid. Remember: If you play metal and your band has no entertainment value, you will make no money. Ever. Nobody wants to stare at Mr. Shredder dressed in his Sunday worst staring at his shoes playing yet another stupid, screechy solo. Get an act together. Hire some strippers and put them on stage with you. Make your guitar and amp light up. Do something. Be entertaining.
I actually play several styles of music. Rock, funk, country and so on. But I've been purposely niching myself as a surf guitar player.
It is important to establish an identity and stick to it for two main reasons.
First, it makes your music and your band easier to sell. When you're known as The Guy/Band Who Plays X Music, that's a positive and not a negative.
Second, fans of the genre genuinely appreciate someone that stays within their niche.
Yes, we've all heard of major acts that changed styles (such as U2), got away with it and still sold millions and millions of records. That's not you. You're not filling stadiums or even auditoriums for that matter. You're just trying to get good regular gigs locally around town. Well, you can do that if you pick a genre and stick to it.
When I get around to releasing more surf songs, surf rock is the genre I intend to stick with. I like it, it's fun and other people like it too, so it all works out well.
Even polka bands make money
There are polka acts even right here in Florida that get gigs routinely. How much are they paid? I'm not sure, but the fact is yes, they do get paid.
Polka is a very specific niche where music genres are concerned, and those who strap on the accordion and do right do get paid gigs regularly.
Why am I mentioning polka at all? Because if they get paid by being ultra-niche like they are, so can you.
Pick a genre, stick to it and make it work. Whether you're a hobbyist guitar player or intending to be pro, get that niche established.
And remember, "pro" means "getting paid". If you get paid, even if it's just something small, you're a professional.
What I learned after switching to extra super light guitar strings
The lightest guitar strings I've ever played was a 7-38 set a really long time ago by a brand I don't even think exists anymore. And by really long time I mean over 20 years ago.
The only "standard" 7-38 set I know of now is the Dunlop RWN0738, otherwise known as the "Reverend Willy" set. Have I tried that 7-38 set? No, but maybe I will someday.
I use the next lightest set, 8-38. Currently I'm using D'Addario EXL130 but I will be trying the Dunlop DEN0838 very soon.
Why did I switch from 9-42 to 8-38?
First, since I started playing a Jazzmaster, I switched from heavy picks to medium and thin picks to avoid knocking strings out of the string saddle grooves. And even though I'm learned enough with Jazzmaster to where I could use heavy picks without knocking the strings out now, I've grown accustomed to the thinner picks. Rarely do I use heavy picks these days.
Second, on the rare occasion I do use a heavy pick, I find it dulls the sound of the string. I get the most attack and treble response when using thinner picks on thinner strings.
Third, I don't bend strings nearly as much as I used to, so I don't need the thicker strings for longer note decays with bent notes.
Fourth, the Jazzmaster (and Jaguar) by nature does not have long note decays anywhere on the fretboard. Not with the traditional bridge and saddle setup, anyway. If I wanted "sustain for days", I'd just use a Telecaster. Yeah, I could get long note decays out of a Stratocaster, but it's easier on a Tele. Since I'm not looking for long note decays because that's not the Jazzmaster's strong suit, using extra super light strings is just fine.
There are other reasons I could list but you get the idea.
Lessons I've learned from using extra super lights
Lesson #1: Difficult to find locally
I have a major Guitar Center and Sam Ash about 30-ish minutes away from me. GC never has 8-38 strings in stock. Sam Ash does, but darned few to choose from. Ordering strings online is something I do regularly now.
Lesson #2: Takes longer to stretch out
For whatever reason, 8-38 takes longer to stretch out compared to 9-42. Couldn't tell you why.
Lesson #3: Lasts longer than 9-42
I rarely snap a string these days, so I usually only change a set either when strings start losing tune all the time and/or rust and/or dent. 9-42 sets do lose tune and/or rust and/or dent faster than 8-38 sets do. Why? I have no idea.
Lesson #4: Weather changes affects the neck more
8-38 has less overall tension on the neck than 9-42 does, so when there's a significant shift in humidity (like a rainstorm that comes by), that does have a more noticeable effect on how the guitar plays.
Lesson #5: Better treble response
Thinner picks helped get more treble response, and switching to extra super light strings helped even more. Thin picks + thin strings really work well together.
Am I telling you to switch to extra super light strings?
No, because they're not for everyone.
The only thing I do suggest is not to purposely punish yourself.
What I mean by that is that some guitar players use certain types of strings because of bad advice they shouldn't have taken in the first place.
For example, many heavy metal players sincerely believe super-thick strings are the best things to use for solos. That's nonsense. Yngwie Malmsteen's set is 8-11-14-22-32-46. I don't like Yngwie's music, but the guy can obviously solo very well and he doesn't use thick strings. The only string that qualifies as "normal" is the low E 46 thickness. All the rest are very close to an 8-38 set.
Then there's Hendrix. I don't like his music either. But he used 10-13-15-26-32-38. Again, no super-thick strings here.
For whatever string thicknesses you use, it should be something that makes your guitar as easy-to-play as possible. "Working through the pain" to bend notes on thick strings is REALLY STUPID because the only thing that leads to is hand injury.
If thick strings cause you any hand, wrist or finger pain at all, switch to a lighter string. Don't think about it. Just do it. And if you have to custom create 1 set from 2 different sets of differing thicknesses to get just the right feel, then spend the extra cash and go for it.
I get along with 8-38 and plan on sticking with it as it suits me fine for what I play these days. I'm not saying you should use 8-38 like I do. Use whatever you like. But I do recommend trying 8-38 at least once just to see how it feels.
As for the 7-38 (which is a 7-9-11-20-30-38 set by the way), it's like I said, I've not tried it, but one day I might.
Guitar of the week #100 - Squier Bullet Strat
This is the guitar that got me back into guitars; it made sense to feature this one as the #100 guitar of the week.
There was a span of a few years when I wasn't playing guitar all that much because life happens. But then in very late 2010 or very early 2011 (can't remember exactly) I finally made the decision to buy a new guitar. I knew I wanted something cheap and that it had to be a Strat. When I saw the Squier Bullet Strat in that banana-colored Arctic White, that was the one. I bought it and played the hell out of that thing.
I don't have this guitar anymore because like with my first red Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, I simply wore the guitar out and traded it. But the Bullet Strat is the guitar that got me back into guitars.
The specs of the Bullet have not changed. It still has a slim profile basswood body, polyurethane finish, 25.5" scale length, 21 medium jumbo frets, 1.65" nut width, 9.5" fingerboard radius and traditional 3 Strat single-coil pickups with no tone control wired to the bridge (and yes, that's normal).
The Bullet is still the cheapest Strat Squier makes. The Affinity Strat does cost more because it has an alder body and significantly better tuners and is technically the better guitar, but I still like the Bullet.
Is a Bullet still a good beginner guitar now compared to when I bought one 7 years ago? Yes, I think so...
...but there are other guitar choices now that put up a good argument against the Bullet, such as the Epiphone SG Special, Dean Vendetta XM, Jackson JS22, Schecter C-1 SGR, Oscar Schmidt OE20G, Ibanez GRX20 and so on.
However, none of the other similarly priced choices above are "true" Strats. When you want something that looks and feels like a Strat, you go Squier. I'm glad the Bullet Strat is still around.
Do I regret trading out my Bullet? No, because it was seriously worn out. If there was any one regret I have about parting ways with the guitar, it's that I didn't mod it. I should have.
If I ever have another go with a Bullet Strat (which I might), I would modify it. Different pickups, tuners, electronics, etc. One of the nice things about cheap electrics is modding them because you don't give a crap about resale value.
Maybe there will be another Bullet Strat in my future. Who knows.