How cheap can you go to get almost every classic Fender design?
A big decision concerning guitar buying is how a guitar looks. Does it influence my guitar purchases? You bet it does. The finish color matters to me as does the logo treatment.
On my Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster for example, that guitar just looks expensive, and even the headstock logo was done correct with the "swooshes" on either side of the logo.
My list is based on the following criteria. Each must:
- ...look like something that would have been made in the 1950's or 1960's.
- ...be under $500 USD.
- ...be instantly recognized as a classic design.
There are 5 affordable designs people can instantly recognize, given the right color combination:
- Stratocaster
- Telecaster
- Jaguar
- Mustang
- Jazz Bass
Jazzmaster is excluded because it's the Jaguar people know. I play a Jazz personally, but I know that non-musician people wouldn't recognize it as "that guitar that Kurt Cobain played", arguably the only reason anyone even recognizes a Jaguar or Mustang to begin with.
Precision Bass is excluded because the most classic P-Bass look, which is sunburst with maple fretboard, is something only Fender makes, and it's over $500 USD.
Let's begin.
Stratocaster: Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster 60s - Candy Apple Red
I'm not particular to the CAR finish on a Strat body, but when it comes to getting the classic Fender Strat look of the 60's, this guitar totally nails it. Even the most non-musician you know would recognize this shape in this color.
A very close runner-up is the Squier CV Strat 50s in Sunburst, as it totally looks like a vintage instrument. However, you may be put off by the fact it has a 1-ply pick guard (no black outline), which is how they did make them in the 50's. If you can get past that, that guitar truly has a classic vibe to it.
Telecaster: Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster 50s - Butterscotch Blonde
It has been said many times by many players that this is the best guitar Squier makes. And it just might be. This guitar absolutely captures everything about what a classic Telecaster is supposed to be and goes far beyond just the way it looks, as many seasoned players on a blind test mistake this guitar as an expensive Fender model.
This is a can't-go-wrong Tele. Butterscotch Blonde finish, maple fretboard, oval button style tuners, brass saddles and black pick guard totally complete the classic look.
Jaguar: Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar - 3-Tone Sunburst
Non-musicians recognize this shape as "the guitar Kurt Cobain played" as far as how it looks. When you want to get a recognizable Jag for cheap, you get the Squier version and specifically get the 3-tone burst finish to complete the look.
Mustang: Squier Vintage Modified Mustang - Sonic Blue
I'm going to be totally honest here. I don't like this guitar, and that's for two reasons. First, the tuner buttons are a white plastic. But even if I could deal with that, I never liked the Mustang pickup switches (which are above the pickups).
However, this is again a "guitar that looks like one Kurt Cobain played." When you compare the Squier version to the actual Cobain Mustang model, you'll see it's very close in the way it looks, which is what counts here.
One could get a Cobain-like Mustang out of a Squier just by getting a red tortoise shell Mustang pick guard that can fit a humbucker, dumping in a black Seymour Duncan JB bridge humbucker (which is what the Kobain model uses), and you've basically got it while still staying well under $500 USD.
Jazz Bass: Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass - 3-Tone Sunburst
This won't necessarily be recognized by non-musicians, but bass players will recognize it instantly. A Jazz Bass in 3-Tone burst with the tortoise shell pick guard is something a lot of famous bassists have used for a very long time.
How much for it all?
Before taxes, about $1,650 for all five guitars at the time I write this. With taxes, somewhere between $1,700 to $1,780 depending on where you live.
And yeah, this is where you really start to see the value of Squier. Four 6-string guitars and one 4-string bass, two of which are premium grade (for Squier) and three mid-grade, for less than the price of one Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster.
Remember, with the exception of the P-Bass not included, you've got all the classic Fender designs in all the most-known looks that non-musicians can recognize. Furthermore, Classic Vibe and Vintage Modified series are darned good guitars.
Do you need all these guitars?
Of course not. The point of this was just to see how much it would cost to get almost every classic Fender design, and now you know how much that is.
"I know a cheaper brand..."
You probably do, but I guarantee you that it doesn't match the headstock look. The body can be copied, but when it comes to the headstock, that's where the cheaper brands just don't match up. When you want Fender design for cheap, you go Squier and there's just no way around that.
"I can get China copies for cheaper..."
You probably can, but those guitars are absolutely awful. It's not worth it, and you run the risk of having the guitar seized at the border on shipment into the US - where by the way you lose all the cash you spent and don't get it back. Again, not worth it.
Everything you ever wanted to know about a Bigsby vibrato system
For a really long time you didn't see too many new guitars out there with Bigsby vibrato systems on them. But given the fact that since 2012 there have been a lot of older designs reimagined into new guitar offerings (like the Squier Cabronita Telecaster with Bigsby), we've been seeing Bigsby vibratos making a comeback of sorts.
Is Bigsby a model or a company?
Bigsby is an actual company, named after Paul Bigsby. And at one point they did make guitars, although it's next to impossible to find one because they were basically all prototypes.
Why so many vibrato models?
There are 13 different Bigsby vibrato systems because they're designed for different types of guitars. Solid-body, arch top, acoustic/electric guitars, etc.
The ones you're most likely interested in is the solid-body models made for flat-top guitars, the B5 and the B50, a.k.a. the "horseshoe" design (it resembles a horseshoe in the way it looks).
What are the differences between a B5 and a B50?
The B50 is smaller than the B5. The B5's length is 120.65mm and has a width of 95.3mm, while the B50 model's length is 109.5mm and has a width of 96.8mm.
As far as I'm aware, the B5 is meant for American guitar use and follows Gibson Les Paul USA measurements, while the B50 is meant for non-American guitars and spacing.
It is very easy to tell the difference between a B5 and a B50 just by looking at it. The B50 has "Bigsby LICENSED" stamped right on it while the B5 just has "Bigsby" stamped in there and nothing more.
Can you put a B5 or B50 on any solid-body electric?
NO.
There's a reason that the product description states it's for flat-top guitar use, and that reason is that the guitar's top must be flat, meaning not arched.
If you decided to put a B5/B50 on a guitar with an arched top, the vibrato either won't mount correctly, or it will but you'll have this huge chunk of steel that's supposed to be resting near the body just hanging in the air (which can seriously screw up the intonation).
Another thing to take into consideration is that you must have the space near the back of the guitar body to actually install the thing. Remember, a B5/B50 is just a tail piece and not a bridge. This means a bridge must come after the Bigsby vibrato, and that takes up quite a bit of space. On that Cabronita Telecaster I mentioned, you can easily see that even on a Telecaster body, the B50 system just barely fits - and that's the smaller of the two Bigsby flat-top models.
What does a Bigsby act like?
If you've ever played a Fender or Squier Jaguar or Jazzmaster, the Bigsby system acts similar to that in the respect it's for "slower" note bends, as in the kind where you're actually trying to achieve note vibrato.
What most players aren't prepared for is the size of the vibrato arm of a Bigsby. All other vibrato systems use a small, skinny bar, while the Bigsby uses something significantly larger than resembles a thick butter knife.
At first, you'll find the Bigsby's vibrato arm odd to the touch just because of its size, but you get used to it fairly quickly. What you may not get used to quickly is that swinging it out of the way is always a manual process, meaning when done using it, you have to manually move it out of the way.
Something a Bigsby allows you to do however that no other vibrato can is that you don't have to grab the arm to use it. You can get vibrato out of it just by lightly patting and pressing the the arm. The advantage there is that you can hold your pick, extend your ring and pinky finger and just use those two fingers to pat-and-press while using your other fingers to pick with.
How does a Bigsby compare to a Jazzmaster style vibrato?
The throw of a Jazzmaster's vibrato system is long, if not the longest of any vibrato system that exists for guitar (for mass-produced guitars, anyway). A Bigsby's throw is shorter. Not as short as a Stratocaster, but shorter than a Jazzmaster would be.
I can't say in words what the throw will feel like because everyone feels differently. What I can say is that it is something you'll get used to over time.
How does a Bigsby compare to a Floyd-Rose system?
FR systems are a totally different animal with a totally different feel. All I can say about that is that if you prefer FR, you won't like Bigsby. But if you like the "slow" vibrato style of the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, you'll feel very much at home with a Bigsby.
Does a Bigsby make the guitar go out-of-tune?
That depends on the guitar it's used on, and what kind of strings you're using.
For any guitar where the strings are on an angle after the nut (Les Paul, SG, Explorer, etc.), that always causes tuning problems because there's extra pressure at the nut where strings can get caught. You can compensate for that by lubricating the nut slots.
For guitars where the strings are straight after the nut (almost any Fender guitar), tuning problems don't happen as often.
Where string choice is concerned, using strings that have less tension when tuned to pitch will help out in keeping the guitar in tune.
D'Addario strings are usually a bad choice for Bigsby use because the core is hexagonal shaped, resulting in stiffer tension. Ordinarily, players want that, but that can make for going out-of-tune happen often when using a Bigsby vibrato. DR strings unless stated otherwise use a round core and suit a Bigsby vibrato better.
After that there are string types sure as pure nickel, which several companies make. They don't last too long, but those would also work well with a Bigsby.
Ultimately, when it comes to string choice, you'll have to try out a few different types to see which works best for your Bigsby-equipped guitar. If you find the string you usually use just doesn't work, don't be surprised. What works on a Strat or a Jazzmaster or whatever you normally play may be inappropriate for the Bigsby-equipped guitar.
Just remember that when experimenting with different string types, pay attention to things like material (nickel-plated steel, pure nickel, coated, etc.), core type (hex-core or round-core) and winding type (roundwound, half-round or flatwound). It's not just string thickness that counts.
Weight considerations
Both the B5 and the B50 are just over 10 ounces (290 grams) in weight, which is under a pound. On its own, that sounds light. But when added to a guitar, it can make it a heavy beast.
If your guitar is 8 pounds now, adding on the Bigsby basically makes it a 9-pound guitar, and you will notice that when playing it standing.
Is there any way to make it lighter? No. In the way a Bigsby is made, it's just a chunky piece of metal and there's no way around that.
However, for some guitars, the extra weight back there is beneficial. For example, if you have a Gibson or Epiphone SG guitar that has neck dive problems, slapping on a Bigsby should cure that. True, you end up with a heavier guitar, but that's certainly better than dealing with neck dive.
When is the last time you saw a C battery?
I'll bet that there are two battery types you haven't seen in a long time, and one you didn't even know existed.
The ones you haven't seen in a long time are probably D and C, while AA, AAA and PP3 (usually called a 9-volt) are very common. You use AA and AAA in remotes and PP3 in fire alarms among other things.
AAAA does exist, and a typical application is a Streamlight stylus pen light. Pen lights like that are used for things like forensic investigating, forged document detection, seeing HVAC leaks and things like that. So unless you've ever used a Streamlight stylus pen light, you've probably never seen an AAAA battery. But now you at least know what they're used for.
A battery I've not seen in years is the C size. The last time I saw one was probably 30 years ago when I was a kid. I'm not kidding. I used them in Casiotone keyboards that my parents bought me, and maybe a portable stereo "boom box" or two. Other than that, I've not seen a C battery since.
The C is still made, and cheap to buy. But don't ask me what electronic device uses C these days, because I can't think of one.
Will the C ever stop being made? No. Take the oldest electronic device you own that uses a battery, like a really old cordless phone, and chances are very good you'll be able to find a replacement for it easily. You could have a cordless phone that went out of production 30 years ago, and you will find new replacement batteries for it today. That battery will probably cost anywhere from 15 to 30 bucks, but the point is you can get one. Someone made it, and you can buy it.
And if you want to talk about things that use ultra-proprietary batteries, that would be old laptop computers. But I'll bet that even if you own something really old and obscure, a new replacement battery for it will be available.
Concerning the C, I can see it at some point becoming special-order-only, because like I said, I can't think of a single thing that uses that battery size.
Why the size difference in AA, AAA, AAAA, C and D when they're all 1.5 volts?
The answer is current. The bigger the battery, the more current it can give, and that pretty much explains why almost nothing is made that uses a C anymore.
An electric device that needs strong current, like a portable radio with larger speakers, will require D size to work properly. For electric devices that need minimal current, like a remote control, AA and AAA work fine for that.
C is that size that's too big to be compact and too small to deliver enough current in larger electrical devices.
I don't pine for the days when the C was common and actually needed. But it is interesting that size hasn't been shelved back to just a special-order-only type.
What are the best cheap 7-string guitars?
While 7-string guitars aren't really my thing, there are a lot of other players out there who like them, but are looking for something cheap and good, and that is what this article is about.
The guitars I'm going to list range from $200 to $500 USD, such as the Schecter Omen Extreme-7. I'll talk more about that in a moment, but for now, let's start with the cheapest first and go from there.
The M-17 is pretty much as low as you can go in price while still getting a good guitar. I've never seen them in any other color but black, which for keeping a "metal look" is just fine. Bolt-on neck, chrome hardware, and a 5-way switch which would indicate coil-split pickup selections are available without the need for a push/pull knob.
The only bad part is that all strings are angled after the nut, which can cause strings to go out-of-tune more often. However, if you keep the nut clean, that shouldn't be an issue.
This guitar is the same price as the M-17. The advantages over the M-17 is that it has high-output humbuckers, strings that are only slightly angled after the nut for better tuning stability and an arched top which some players really like.
Yes, it is a bolt-on, but is best described as a "slim bolt" of sorts, as there is a contour cut at the heel for really fast high-fret access. If you play up on the high frets often, this one feels better than the M-17 will. While it may only be a 3-way toggle instead of the M-17's 5-way, the saddle style (Fender Strat-ish) is a lot easier to deal with.
Oh, and the best part. The guitar looks expensive, especially with that modernized Jackson headstock.
I can say easily that this Jackson is the best value 7-string on the list, mainly because it's a player's guitar. It's cheap, nothing fancy, plays fast, looks good, looks expensive but isn't, and sounds good. And if you don't like the sound of it, swapping out the pickups and putting in a set of 500K CTS pots (best for humbuckers) is easy to really make this a screamer.
Once again, this guitar is the same price as the above two. Think of this one as what would happen if you combined the above two guitars.
You get a 5-way toggle here, great neck, hot-output humbuckers, proper bridge saddles, and the big advantage is that every string is straight after the nut, meaning it will hold tuning very nicely with minimal string "kinking".
The only downside? It doesn't look as good as the Jackson does. However, if you want that fast-neck Ibanez feel on a budget 7-string, you can't really do better than this.
Now we're getting into more expensive territory. Looks-wise, this guitar totally nails it with it's carved top in Walnut Satin finish. Other colors are available, but the walnut just looks really good. The custom inlays also add to the "looks expensive" look as well.
Schecter is well known to build some seriously good guitars, and even though the Omen-7 is on the lower end of the price spectrum, you definitely get more than your money's worth.
But is it better than what's listed above? That's debatable, because a lot of what you're paying for here is appearance.
This guitar is a signature Michael Angelo Batio signature series, hence "MAB" in its model name. Whether you know who that is isn't important, because this is about the guitar.
On this axe, there is a Floyd-Rose tremolo system on it, namely a Floyd-Rose Special. So if you want a good 7-string with FR, this is it. The other huge advantage of this guitar is the block inlays on the neck. If you play with a band in dark stage environments, this will come in really helpful to know where you are on the neck under low-light conditions.
Another big advantage is the larger top horn, which helps a lot to prevent neck dive. If you've had problems with 7-string neck dive with other guitars, this one will stay put. While the extended top horn may look a bit odd to some, it's there specifically to prevent diving.
If you took a JS22-7 noted above, added on a look-at-me finish and better electronics, put extra contours on the body and put binding on the neck, you get the JS32-7Q.
I can't say this guitar is really any better than the JS22-7 other than the fact you get some minor upgrades. If you absolutely have to have that bound neck, then yes, get the JS32-7. But if you can live without it, the JS22-7 has the goods where it counts and can be upgraded easily (and cheaply) to JS32-7 status. It just won't look as cool as the JS32 does.
This the guitar listed at the very top of this article.
Bound body and neck, proper inlays that can be seen in low-light environments easily, great look, great finish, great sound.
Electronics include a toggle with a push/pull for coil tap, so as far as versatility goes, you can basically get any kind of sound you want out of this guitar. All strings go straight after the nut which promotes better tuning stability, and the tuners have super-smooth operation.
The only problem with this guitar is that like the regular Omen-7, it has a Tune-O-Matic style bridge that may dig into your palm while playing, depending on where you rest it.
This is the priciest guitar on this list before it starts going into "too expensive" territory for most people.
Looks-wise, Ibanez is one of the very few who can produce a white guitar and have it look amazing. Most electric guitars look terrible in white, but the shape of the Ibanez RG really makes it work.
The two things about this guitar that make it great is the "Edge" system (Ibanez's version of a Floyd-Rose) and that oh-so awesome Wizard II neck.
For those who like to solo a lot, the Wizard II makes you realize instantly why this guitar costs a few extra bucks to get. In addition, this is one of those "nothing needs to be upgraded" guitars, even though it's reasonably priced. Out of the box, you just set it up to your liking, plug in and go.
My personal pick?
The Jackson JS22-7 Dinky. If I were in the market for a 7-string, I'd consider the Jackson. It's cheap, good, has the string saddle type I like better than Tune-O-Matic and would be easy to work on if I wanted to change anything about it.
My only knock against that guitar is that it only comes in Satin Black. I wish there were others colors offered. Other than that, the JS22-7 would be the one I'd get.
Top 5 ways for guitar players and bands to get better YouTube video views
A common complaint by many is that YouTube doesn't deliver video views like it used to.
True? Yes. There are three major reasons why.
Reason 1: A lot more people use it now compared to before.
The number of users on YouTube now compared to 2006 is obviously a lot higher, and that means you're competing against a lot more people.
Reason 2: Using the wrong way to promote yourself.
The worst thing you could ever do is use "Support Local Music". I've talked about this before at length, but all you need to know is that phrase is the calling card of any band that sucks. If you say "Support Local Music", you suck, plain and simple. If you don't want to suck, don't say it. Use other ways of promo. I'll mention those ways in a moment.
Reason 3: A complete disregard by the user (you) of proper video titles, proper video keywords and proper video descriptions.
This is the biggie that everyone gets wrong.
The first thing YouTube indexes for searching is titles, keywords and descriptions. While I'm sure YouTube has speech-to-text technologies that can recognize certain words being said in videos, the main thing they fall back on is the manually typed text by the video uploader.
Here are the 5 ways to get more views fast.
1. List your location
The format of the video title should be this:
Artist Name - Song Name - Location
If I were to do this myself:
Menga - Hurricane - Tampa Florida
Whenever you post a song, use that title format, and also use it for video keywords. As for the description, list HOW to contact you. Put an email address there or Twitter address or whatever you have.
Why list location? Because people search for the location of where they live on YouTube all the time. If you list yours in the title and keywords, other people in and near your area will find your videos faster. Remember, the goal is to be found. Listing your location helps out quite a bit in that respect.
2. Make music videos and not filmed live performances
It's most likely true that when creating your songs, a lot of takes happen, along with multitracking and so on.
Don't film every take. In fact, don't even bother. Get the song done first.
For your video, play along with the song, just like music videos have always been made. These are way easier and faster to make, and since you're using your finalized audio for the sound, it will sound just like you want it to.
3. Share everywhere
It amazes me how many guitar players and bands don't do this.
For any video you upload, go to the video page once it's live, click Share and then share the video out.
How many should you share to? As many as you can. You most likely already have Facebook and Twitter. Use those. Share out to your G+ page since you already have one with your YouTube channel. For Blogger, Tumblr, Pinterest and others, just use as many of those as you can, and do this for every video you upload.
4. Periodically make "talking head" videos
You or another member of your band sits in front of a camera, records what's known as a vlog (that's video and log combined, the video version of blog) that's 2 to 3 minutes long, and you post it. The video does not have to be of good quality since it's just a talking thing. Use your smartphone to record it if you have one.
Why do these? Because fans like seeing members of the band talking about stuff. What stuff should you talk about? Whatever you want. Doesn't matter. Just do it.
5. Link your other videos within your videos
YouTube has this thing called annotations. Go to your YouTube Video Manager, edit a video in the YouTube site, and you'll see it there. It's the thing where you can put little pieces of text on screen in a box and have that box link somewhere if you want.
Learn how to use annotations and link to your other videos. It really works.
"Wow... that's, like... easy?"
Yeah, it is easy and it works. It's only been difficult because you've been making it difficult. Now you know the easy way, so get to it.