Do dead guitar strings sound better?
Do rusty, musty and crusty strings lead to a better tone?
Answer: It can, depending on circumstances.
I'm usually pretty good at changing out strings regularly, but there are times when I just don't feel like doing it and the existing strings stay on for a while longer.
There is one thing about old guitar strings that makes them good, and it's this:
They're already stretched.
Guitar strings, at least of the traditional electric 3-unwound/3-wound variety (which is most of them,) get to a point where they stretch and keep really good tune. When a set of strings gets too old, then sure, they lose tune easily. But sometimes a set that's been on the guitar a while gets that "sweet spot" where you can play for hours and your axe just sings.
Is there a specific type of string that gets the "sweet spot" best when left on the guitar a while?
Yes. It's the string type you probably already use. Nickel-plated steel.
Whether it's D'Addario, Fender, Dunlop, GHS or whatever you use, the nickel-plated steel wears in a way that can really achieve that nice worn-in "mellow" feel. Heck, it even works for metal tones.
HOWEVER... I notice that strings with ball ends are the best kind. An example of a string that doesn't have a ball end is the Fender Super Bullets; they have bullet-shaped ends. I used to use those a lot but they kept going dead too quickly for my playing style. The ball ends just seem to work much better, and I get more choices of string brands to choose from.
"How do I test this for myself?"
Easy enough. Leave a set of strings on your guitar a while and see what happens.
But I have a few tips:
- Wipe down the strings regularly to prevent gunk.
- If you see string denting, the strings have been on too long. Switch them out.
- If you see black marks, that's rust, and that's bad. Change strings if you see that happen. You don't want to be forcing rust into your finger's skin.
- If you leave your guitar in the open on a stand, cover the neck to prevent dust build-up. A towel usually works best.
- Try to bend strings less to make your existing set last longer. Chord more.
Reader request review: Dean Custom 350 with Floyd-Rose
A reader wrote in and asked me my opinion on this guitar in an article, so here it is.
(Note: If there's a specific guitar you'd like me to review, email and ask.)
The Dean Custom 350 with Floyd-Rose is currently priced lower than a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster by about 25 to 50 bucks, depending on color and availability, so there's your price point. This means the guitar is not mid-tier, but rather classified as an "affordable" model.
Here's the good and bad.
The good
Black nickel hardware. I always like seeing this. It's metal hardware that adds a bit of flare without looking cheap. A very nice look to have. Most of the metal bits on this guitar are of black nickel finish, with the rest being just black.
Proper 25.5-inch scale for a 24-fret neck. If the neck has 24 frets, the scale length has to be 25.5 ("Fender Standard"), because if it's 24.75 ("Gibson Standard"), the frets get too close together past the 19th/20th fret and you miss notes.
Push/pull coil split. Nice to have for the clean tones.
Color-matched headstock done right. On this particular style of Dean, the color-matching works.
Basswood body. I ordinarily don't mind basswood, but on a guitar with a Floyd-Rose tremolo system, that might be a problem. Why? Basswood is soft stuff that dents easily, and some players are really hard on a FR trem system. Hard player + soft wood = not good.
Pickups spaced too close together. As nice as it is that the 24-fret neck has a 25.5-inch scale, the tradeoff is that the 24 frets means the pickups have to be spaced close. This means the rear (bridge) pickup will sound fine but the front (neck) pickup will probably sound bland. Not bad. Just bland.
Possibly may have neck diving issue. A telltale sign that the guitar will have neck dive issues is if the top horn does not extend over the 12th fret. On this Dean, the top horn extends to the 13th, so... I'm not sure on this one. It might have neck dive issues or it might not; this is why I say it may possibly have a neck dive issue. The only way to know for sure is to strap it on and try it out.
Verdict
Looks good for what it is. I'm liking the black nickel and relatively simple electronics; it appears to be a no-nonsense metal guitar.
What I do not know is how good or not-good the trem system is. It might be great or it may be total crap. I'd have to use it in person to know for sure.
Comparable guitars in the same price range at the time of this writing:
Infantry IN-019 watch review
I bought one of these. And sent it back.
It is said in horology circles that every man needs at least one dive watch. Yes, needs. And being 2015 was the year I truly got into watches, why not try out a cheap dive watch in 2016, that being the Infantry IN-019? Well, that was a mistake.
While every so often you can come across a gem when buying cheap, this is not one of those times.
Now before getting into the review of the IN-019, I will say this first: The only, repeat, only inexpensive dive watch under $100 worth buying is the Casio MDV106. That is a true diver's timepiece. And by "true," I mean you can actually dive with it. After the Casio, the next step up is a Seiko SKX007 series, and any one of those starts at $175, with better models in the $200+ range.
The Infantry IN-019 is under $20. I had mine less than a day before I decided to return it, and I'll tell you why.
First, the specifications were wrong. It's stated the watch is 55g in weight with nylon strap. Wrong. It's 65g. I weighed it myself.
Second, the date magnifier window was misaligned.
Third, the crown had sharp edges that dug into my wrist.
1, 2, 3 strikes, you're out.
I do like the idea of a diver's watch even though I don't dive, but the IN-019 just wasn't up to the job.
What can a diver watch be used for?
Easy answer, and the reason I wanted to try one in the first place: Use as a timer.
On all my digital watches (I have 3,) the countdown timer feature is present. I won't wear a digital that doesn't have a timer function on it.
The original purpose of the rotating bezel on a diver watch is to time how long you've been in the water so you know when to surface before the air from your tanks runs out. Before jumping in the watch with your dive gear on, you rotate the bezel's arrow marker (as in the zero marker) to the minute hand's current position, then jump in. As the minute hand moves away from the arrow marker, that tells you how many minutes have elapsed.
Also, the bezel is purposely designed to only rotate one way so when underwater you don't accidentally add more time to the timer.
I don't dive, but I do like a watch with a timer feature on it. While true I could use an analog with chronograph, I like the rotating bezel better.
For the time being, I'll stick to my Casio digitals for the timer feature. Eventually, I'll get myself a nice dive watch. And it probably will be a Seiko.
Do you save money buying a guitar direct from the manufacturer?
Not really.
Take the SX (Rondo brand) Strat clone. The price? Cheap. This is a guitar you could buy direct if you wanted to.
Should you buy direct?
Not with mass-produced guitars you don't, and certainly not with guitar accessories either.
Using Fender as an example, there is basically no difference in price between buying a guitar direct through Fender's web site vs. buying elsewhere. In fact, if you purposely bought a Fender through another seller, you will find the return policy far more agreeable.
Where guitar accessories are concerned, I've never seen direct-purchase sell for less compared to Amazon or eBay.
Is there any instance of where buying a guitar direct saves money?
Yes.
When specifically buying from smaller guitar builders, buying direct is the best choice. And when I say "smaller", I'm referring to guys who build guitars in their own shops, usually at their homes. Many of these guys don't do eBay and certainly don't do Amazon either. If they did, they would have to tack on "middleman" fees. When buying direct, those middleman fees are eliminated, thereby saving you money.
With larger guitar builders, the price hardly changes if at all between direct and otherwise. But with the smaller builders, yes the price changes and you ordinarily will save a few bucks with a direct purchase.
Cheap guitar of the week #41 - Ibanez GRG150LTD
1980s "glam" style guitars are continuing to make a comeback.
What's old is new, as evidenced by the styling of the Ibanez GRG150LTD. This is your somewhat-above-basic shredder metal/glam guitar.
It does not have an EDGE system (Ibanez's version of a Floyd-Rose), which I actually consider a good thing. Other than that, this guitar hits all the right marks for a glam guitar. HSH pickup configuration, simple controls, thin neck, 24 frets, "wild" styling.
Due to the lack of a Floyd style vibrato, this guitar will in fact last longer. Why? Because on a cheap guitar, the Floyd vibrato is always the first thing to break. This guitar doesn't have it, hence why the guitar will last longer overall.
Now of course, this guitar is screaming, "LOOK AT ME!" You play this, and you will get noticed. This is totally a glam styled guitar that's meant to grab attention.
The look is obviously not for everyone, and that's pretty much the whole point. A guitar like this is purposely made to look obnoxious, because that's part of what glam style is.
I am suspecting that the glam style will continue to find its way into more models as time goes on. And who better to do it than Ibanez, who was a force to be reckoned with back in the '80s?
Thankfully, there will be one huge difference this time around with glam guitars. They'll be priced cheap.