Songwriting tip: Start with the bass guitar first
If you want to make the songwriting process go faster, put down the guitar temporarily and pick up a bass.
I recommend that all guitar players pick up a bass not only for recording but also for songwriting. It doesn't matter what kind of bass it is, whether it's the Yamaha RBX170EW, Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '70s or whatever you get, just get one as long as it's 34-inch scale 4-string (which most are.) Don't get a cheap 5-string. Just don't do it. A cheap 5-string's low B is a farty, unusable thing. Stick to 4.
It's all about the roots
I'm talking about root notes here.
When you play bass, you're playing root notes, one at a time. No chords. When songwriting, this is actually a good thing because all that matters are the root notes.
As soon as you establish what root notes to use for your verse(s) and chorus, you now have your "foundation" of sorts, and your song gets completed a whole lot faster.
Sometimes a 6-string guitar is not the best for songwriting
You could self-impose rules on yourself when songwriting on a 6-string guitar, such as, "I will only play really basic chords and not go beyond the 3rd fret until the song is finished." But you won't do that because you have 6 strings and 20 or more frets to play around with. That stuff can distract you very easily to the point of never finishing a song.
The 4-string bass forces you to stay in root-note-only territory. True, you can chord on a bass just like almost any other stringed instrument (I certainly have,) but it's very unlikely you would do that.
Restrictions bring creativity
This is another way of saying art from adversity. When you write on an instrument that makes it difficult to solo or do other crazy crap, the only thing left to do is complete the song. And it will get completed, usually fairly quickly.
Some guitar players will do crazy things such as purposely buying a separate electric guitar and outfitting it with ridiculously heavy 12-60 strings. Why? To specifically prevent soloing and string bending so concentration can be placed on songwriting first.
A different (and easier) approach is to just use a bass instead. Big strings, no chords, easy-to-play.
If you've tried everything else but just can't seem to get a song completed, get a bass and write your songs on that. Yes, it really works.
If the song is over 20 years old, a kid most likely has never heard it and thinks it's yours
House Of 1,000 Pleasures is a song from the band E-Z-O. It's from their debut album, and you probably never heard of it until you heard it here. How did I find out about it? A friend of mine let me borrow a compact cassette of it back when it was new in 1992. And where did he get it from? No idea, I never asked. Probably some other kid he knew.
Something a lot of bands do is that if they want to sound original without having to write any music, they simply cover songs that are at least 20 years old...
...but not just any kind of songs.
They'll pick stuff that's slightly or really obscure, so that anyone who hears it thinks it's theirs.
Bands who do this don't claim credit for the song. However, they don't admit the song is a cover either.
Unethical? No, because bands have been doing this for a good long time now.
Back when I used to post cover songs on YouTube before they enacted strict copyright rules (which is why you almost never see covers on YouTube anymore by anyone), the first time I accidentally ran into this is when I played the riff for Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin. All I did was post the video and titled it "Moby Dick", but made no mention of Zeppelin. Some teen kid posted a comment saying that my riff was awesome; he thought I wrote it. I replied and said it wasn't mine and that it was LZ's, however the point is that the first time that kid EVER heard that song was when I played it.
The more obscure it is, the less likely anyone will recognize it as being written by someone else
If you played Marcy by Norman Greenbaum, I guarantee you that nobody will recognize it's not yours. If you play this song with your band when performing, everyone will think you wrote it. Don't say you did, because you didn't, but if nobody asks, don't tell. :-)
If a cover song you perform proves to be a really popular song you think people would buy, just use SongFile, and then you can sell your cover of the song legally.
Why I own a backup GPS, and how to get maps for free
I've been a GPS user since 2005, and recently I bought a backup unit, a Garmin nuvi 255. The price was a little over 30 bucks. Used, of course.
Right now I use a nuvi 40LM model, and it's been working great. I've been updating the maps on it regularly along with performing firmware updates as well. It's the backup I have that's in pretty bad shape.
The backup I've had up to this point is my first GPS, the StreetPilot i3. But because it's been kicked around so much since it was bought new in 2005, it now barely works. The plastics on it are cracking and literally falling apart, the antenna is barely able to acquire a signal now (it takes at least 10 minutes to get a solid connection,) and while I did put a 2GB microSD card in it and stuffed that with over 1.5GB of 2014 map data, the i3's processor takes a long time to crunch through that data to calculate a route.
I paid $400 for that i3 originally, and it still works 9 years later, but just barely. I definitely got my money's worth out of it. But I can't have a barely-working satnav backup, so it was time to get a backup that works properly and has a high-sensitivity receiver. None of the i-series had high-sensitivity receivers in them, so the replacement backup had to be a nuvi.
Why have a backup satnav?
I knew since I first started using a satnav in 2005 that there was no way I would go back to driving without one. Unless I'm taking a really short trip, the satnav is always on while driving.
Used satnavs are now cheap enough to where it was time to buy a proper backup. I could have even bought the exact same 40LM used (the LM means "Lifetime Maps" for free map updates, by the way) for under $60. But I specifically wanted the 3.5-inch.
Why a 3.5-inch?
When you compare a 4.3-inch widescreen to a 3.5-inch, the only advantage of the 4.3 is a QWERTY layout. That's it. The features are identical otherwise, the text is the same size and the map information is the same size. If you want something more legible, you get a 5-inch (like a nuvi 50), 6-inch (like a nuvi 2689), 7-inch (like a nuvi 2797) or use an iPad loaded with Garmin StreetPilot onBoard. But if you need an iPad display while driving just to see the map, um... you need your eyes checked.
Also, a 3.5-inch fits easier in a glove box or center console.
How to get maps for free?
Use OSM.
What you need
Any Garmin StreetPilot "c" or "i" series that has a memory card slot, or any Garmin nuvi model, and one SD or microSD card that is at least 4GB in size.
If your Garmin satnav was made in 2008 or later, you can use any memory card up to 32GB (although I wouldn't use more than 16GB.)
If your Garmin satnav was made before 2008, use a 4GB card.
If you're unsure when it was made, use a 4GB card.
It is highly suggested you use a NEW memory card so the data transfers correctly, and so you don't encounter satnav lock-up from using an old memory card with worn-out contacts. There are plenty of new cards for cheap.
If using an old memory card, back up the data on it first - especially if it's coming out of a satnav you already use that has map data on it that you may want to save just in case you don't like the new maps.
How to install the data
Format the memory card in your computer and use a FAT32 file system. Windows should automatically do this when you format it.
Keep the card in your computer to transfer the file data, because on some older StreetPilot and nuvi satnavs, the USB is 1.1 and not 2.0, meaning really s-l-o-w file transfers. Better to use your computer for faster file transfers and then put the card in your satnav afterward.
The download is a ZIP with a map image file in it.
On the new memory card, create a folder called Garmin, then copy the image to that folder. Be patient when the file is being copied to your memory card. It's big. On a 4GB class 4 card, it may take as long as 10 minutes to copy the file. It doesn't matter how fast your computer is because it's the card itself that's making the transfer slower.
After the file is copied, eject the card from your computer, put into the satnav, boot the satnav, go to Settings/Map/Map Info, select the new map file by placing a checkmark (you touch the checkbox on-screen to do that,) and that's it. Now you have current, up-to-date maps that are ready-to-use.
Are these maps any good?
Yes. It's updated regularly for the US data set.
Does this mean you have to update your maps every week? No, because that would be annoying, considering how large the download is. My personal recommendation is to update once every 6 months.
Are these maps good enough for everyday use?
Yes. You can use them the same way you did your old maps, and all your favorites/waypoints should work just the same as they did before.
7 things you should know before buying a vintage electric guitar
My standard advice to anyone thinking of buying a vintage solid-body electric guitar is this:
Don't do it.
But being there are going to be those of you who are going to do it anyway, this is a list of things you need to know before buying one.
1. There is no way to fix a weak neck
Over time, the neck of a solid-body electric starts losing stability and eventually will never be able to stay in tune.
You have most likely watched a lot of vintage guitar demo videos on YouTube, and from that you've probably noticed the vast majority of the videos have the guitar slightly out-of-tune.
That is not the player's fault. It's the guitar's fault. The neck is weak and unstable from age.
Of all the vintage electrics that exist, the neck which is least prone to losing stability is a Fender with a neck made from maple that was quartersawn. The straighter grain of a quartersawn board is stiffer and takes a lot longer to lose its stability. Eventually at some point it will become unstable, make no mistake about that, but if you want a neck where you can be mostly assured it won't be unstable, quartersawn maple is what you want.
2. "All original" is not as good as you think it is
Some vintage electrics use an early plastic called Bakelite, and if it's over 35 years old, it will start to disintegrate. This material was used anywhere there was plastic involved. Tuner buttons, switch tips, knobs, pick guards, etc.
Another thing most vintage buyers don't take into consideration is screw heads. Those little screws have a nasty habit of the heads popping off because of metal erosion due to age, where even the slightest turn of a screw will break that head off. On a $30,000 instrument, just one screw head breaking makes the guitar lose $500 of its value. I'm not joking.
In other words, if you see a guitar that's real vintage but is not 100% original, give it a look anyway. Not only is it cheaper, but it's also probably true the seller is being more honest compared to others.
3. A vintage electric that has been refretted properly is a much better player
Original frets on a '50s or '60s electric just plain suck because they're awful. Fret wire of that era is tall and skinny. And if it's original wire, weird reshaping happens due to age.
If the guitar has been refretted, I personally consider that a good thing because it won't be a buzzy nightmare. It will still buzz because it's vintage spec, but not nearly as much with proper new wire on the board.
However, there are good fret jobs and bad ones. If you find a refretted vintage you like, ask who did the refretting. Hopefully it will have been a luthier with the proper skills that did the job right.
4. Turn every single thing that can be turned before buying
I mentioned screw heads having a nasty habit of popping off from metal erosion. Those screws and everything else that turns can suffer from the same thing happening.
Every single thing that turns must be tested before purchasing. Every saddle height screw, every tuner, every tuner screw holding the tuners in place, the truss rod, the knobs, the claw spring adjustment screws if it has them, every pickup height adjustment screw... all of them.
Also, let the seller turn everything that can be turned, and watch him do it. If he refuses to do it, walk away, because it probably means one or more turning points of the guitar is either broken or about to break - and he knows it.
5. If you think a pickup is dead, you're right
Some sellers will try to sell vintage electrics with dead pickups in them, then say "that's the way all these guitars are like." That, of course, is a boldfaced lie.
If you think a pickup is dead, it's dead. Trust your ears and walk away, because it's not like you're going to replace vintage pickups and wreck the guitar's value.
6. If you think something feels too fragile, you're right
When guitars get old, stuff on them gets fragile, including the overall feel of the instrument. If feel the guitar is too fragile to use, trust your instinct on that one.
7. Consider newer alternatives
"Vintage mojo" simply isn't worth it. You're better off with a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster in Butterscotch. Or maybe a Mexico-made Fender Classic Player '60s Stratocaster. Or even if it's not either of those guitars, buy whatever you want as long as it's new.
Everything you ever wanted to know about electric bass guitar strings
A set of strings I just bought that will be coming in the mail soon is the Dunlop DBN45105 bass string set, as in a 4-string set. I figured that since I use nothing but Dunlop DEN0942 strings on my Jazzmaster and am very happy with those, maybe the bass strings will be good too.
I play both guitar and bass, but for the longest time I knew nothing about how to pick the right bass string, so I figured I'd write up a quick guide on that.
Long scale vs. Short scale
If you want the most usable, predictable bass sound, use a 4-string long scale bass. And what that basically means is to use a bass that has a "Fender standard scale length," which is 34 inches.
Don't worry, the vast majority of electric bass guitars use a 34-inch scale. Any bass that is short scale will make that fact known usually right in the model name, and kid-sized 3/4-scale bass guitars can be spotted easily just by looking at them.
The reason you use a 4-string long scale is because you don't have to worry about whether bass strings will fit or not. When using a 4-string that has a Fender standard scale length of 34 inches, any standard 4-string pack of bass strings you buy will fit properly, so that's one less thing to worry about.
5-string and 6-string
You may have the idea of wanting a 5-string so you can get that low B string, or maybe a 6-string so you can get the low B and a high C.
Note on tunings: A 5-string standard tuning is B-E-A-D-G, and a 6-string tuning is B-E-A-D-G-C.
I do not recommend using a 5 or 6-string because that low B will sound like absolute crap. The best way I can describe it is that the low B will sound "farty", and will be useless when recording. If playing the instrument live, you can get away with that farty low B. But when recording? No way.
If you want to do the 5-string or 6-string thing, go ahead. But you'll hate that low B sound, because more often than not, that low B is being used on a 34-inch scale length and the string flops around too much due to lack of proper tension, hence the farty tone.
A 5-string bass that has a much better low B sound is the Schecter Stiletto Studio 5 because it has a 35-inch scale length. That extra inch really does make a difference where the low B is concerned, and the nice part is that it's not some crazy-long neck either, so it is a comfortable player. A 6-string version is also available.
Steel string wrap types
There are three. Roundwound, "half-round," and flatwound.
A roundwound string has a wrap where you can feel the grooves in the string as you move from fret to fret. It's the noisiest string, but the cheapest and the most common.
Half-round is a D'Addario thing. It's a semi-compressed string where the wrap has been ground down slightly, making it easier to move from fret to fret. Feels sort of like a flatwound, but sounds like a roundwound... somewhat. Also, for some strange reason, the string feels sticky when new from some kind of coating D'Addario puts on the Half-Round string. It eventually goes away once you play the strings enough, but it just feels weird.
Flatwound is a compressed string where you don't feel the string wrap grooves at all. And unless described as a low tension string (a relatively new thing at the time I write this), it will be the tightest bass string you ever use. But at the same time, it's the smoothest-feeling string.
Steel string material types
The two main types here are nickel wound and stainless steel.
Stainless feels rough to the touch because it's a harder steel compared to nickel, but you get the most bass tone "punch." For playing heavy metal music with a pick, a stainless string set will cut through the mix very nicely. For funk and slap, stainless is also really good for that.
With nickel, there isn't as much treble attack as stainless, but it's a lot better for finger-style play where the goal is to have a sound that's not so in-your-face. They're also a lot easier on the fingers.
Something a lot of bass players do is use a stainless set and purposely play them until the string is "dead," resulting in a sound that has the attack but not the biting treble on top of it, so to speak. The only way to get this sound is to use stainless and just play, play, play and play until the strings deaden out.
What's the easiest bass string to get along with?
Nickel steel roundwound.
These strings are cheap (around $15 to $20 for a set of 4), readily available, have a softer feel so they don't wreck your fingers as much, bends easier than stainless or flatwound, aren't as noisy as stainless (again, from nickel being softer), and you have more brand choices.
Yes, you will have to change out these strings more often than you would a stainless or flatwound set, but since the cost of them is cheap, you won't mind it too much.