Top 5 electric guitar myths
I've played enough electric guitars to know what's true and what isn't, and this is my top 5 list of electric guitar myths - as in things a lot of players believe to be true but aren't.
5. "An expensive guitar will make me a better player"
Not true. Spending more on a guitar will not magically make you a better player. A cheap guitar that's properly set up and in good working order is just as good for learning guitar as would be the expensive electric.
If you wanted to buy, say, a Fender Select Stratocaster (arguably "the Ferrari of Stratocasters"), go right ahead. But don't expect the guitar to make you a Strat master overnight, because that's simply not going to happen.
Cheaper guitars are always better to learn on for one simple reason: You can beat the crap out of them and not care. With expensive guitars you're always worried about making scratches, nicks, dents, damaging a component or whatever. On a cheap guitar, you have none of those concerns. You can play hard, and that will make you play better over time.
4. "All the good electric guitars were made in the 1950s and 1960s"
This is such a nonsense belief that I don't even know where to start.
I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again. If someone gave me (because like hell if I'd spend the tens of thousands of dollars to buy one) a 1962 Fender Stratocaster, I would literally have to get the entire guitar redone just to play it. The 3-way switch would be dumped for a 5-way, all the wiring ripped out and redone with new, the bridge and block replaced, the neck sent to a luthier to get fixed up (most likely for all new frets), the tuners replaced, and so on. By the time I was done there would be very little original material left on that '62 Strat. For all intents and purposes, it would be a new guitar with all the "historic value" of it ruined on purpose just to make it playable.
Or I could just save all that hassle and buy a new Strat for a whole lot less that needs absolutely nothing.
3. "Old pickups sound better"
No, they don't. The only thing an old pickup has that a new one doesn't is rust, and that does nothing for tone.
If you're a perfectionist and want a pickup that has the "glass", "spank", "growl" or whatever you're looking for, your best course of action is to have your pickups handmade. Have a guy (preferably one very skilled in vintage electronics) personally construct your pickups using the same materials used in the 50s and 60s, wind the copper wire himself and build the whole thing using no automation old-school style, and yes you will get "that sound".
Buy a true vintage pickup, and you'll quickly discover the thing is falling apart and will have a dead or almost-dead magnet, which means a lot of money spent for no tone whatsoever.
2. "Digital is bad"
No, it isn't.
Effects
On the guitar effects pedal side of things, chaining even as little a two analog pedals together creates massive amounts of white noise while digital is much "cleaner". The simplest example I can think of is a delay effect pedal. When you want delay with total control and the least amount of noise, you get a BOSS DD-7. It's digital, "clean" and amazing.
Recording
On the recording side of things, anyone who would purposely choose to record using analog technology over digital must either have a lot of space, or likes to waste a ton of time using a linear recording system over non-linear.
The difference between linear and non-linear is easy to understand. An example of linear is a VCR. When you want to go to a certain spot on a VHS videocassette using a VCR, you must rewind or fast-forward, wait, and then you eventually get to where you want to be. An example of non-linear is a DVD player. Whenever you want to go to a certain point in a movie you're watching, you just "jump" there with no waiting.
Analog recording equipment is big, bulky, noisy and linear, meaning you're adding in tons of wait time just to do simple multi-tracking. Oh, and let's not forget that if you want to go "true analog", you must use a humongous reel-to-reel system. And before you say, "Cool! I'd use that!", do you even know how to load tape on the reels properly? Yeah, you'll spend at least an hour figuring that stuff out if you've never done it before.
Amplification
There's this belief that any amplifier that has any digital stuff in it is junk. Wrong. Digital modeling technology - even on tube-type amps - is great stuff. Yes, you do have to know how to program it because that's how it works, but it's time well spent.
Consider it this way: Digital modeling allows you to create multiple types of amplifier sounds from a single amp head rather than having to buy several big, bulky heads. It saves you money and a lot of it if you learn how to use digital modeling properly.
I'll stick with digital, thank you very much.
1. "People love guitar solos"
Only rock guitar players believe this and nobody else.
What people remember is the song and not the solo.
As a guitar player doing instrumental stuff, the formula for soloing-yet-not-soloing at the same time is to play your lead as if your guitar was a singer. Jazz guitarists have been doing this forever. When you treat your solo as a melody as if someone were singing the part, you've actually got a song and not just one long boring solo.
Do tonewoods matter on an electric guitar at all?
You'll notice I purposely put electric guitar in the title of this blog and not just guitar on its own. The reason for that is because when it comes to acoustic guitars, the woods chosen in the build absolutely matter.
The word tonewood is defined as "any wood suitable in the construction of a musical instrument". Concerning electric guitars specifically, there's a lot of confusion as to how the wood actually affects the tone since an electric guitar's tone is all-electric.
Before continuing, the answer to The Big Question:
Do tonewoods matter on a solid-body electric guitar?
Answer: No.
Why? Because modern pickups aren't affected by the body wood a guitar is constructed out of.
Did tonewood actually matter at one point?
Yes, but not for the reasons you would think.
Early electric guitars of the 1950s and 1960s used very microphonic pickups. They were so microphonic that they would even pick up the sounds coming from under the pick guard, so when an electric guitar's body had a wood that vibrated more when strings were played, this did in fact affect the tone.
However, with modern pickups the wood doesn't matter at all because the days of those overly microphonic pickups have been gone for decades.
Would you want overly microphonic pickups like they used to make in the 50s and 60s for "vintage tone"?
No, because they're awful. Any overdrive or distortion effect applied to them will cause feedback (squealing noises) so they're pretty much useless. You'll even get massive feedback even if playing "clean" with no overdrive/distortion effect applied at all.
I'll talk more about pickups in a moment.
My 2012 Bullet HH body has the same "resonance" as a 1962 Stratocaster
This should put to rest any doubt you would have as to why tonewoods don't matter anymore with solid-body electric guitars.
My 2012 Squier Bullet HH guitar has amazing body vibration to it. It's a basswood body just like almost every other solid-body Squier electric guitar made right now, but when you strum strings, you can really feel the "correct" type of vibration going through the body. This correct body vibration is something cork-sniffer types pay tens of thousands of dollars for, and I have it on a guitar I bought for under $120. I'm not kidding when I say that acoustically, the Bullet HH really projects well. In other words, when strummed unplugged, you can really hear it and feel it.
What does this mean? It means that the Bullet HH has just as much of a "resonant" body as a real-deal 1962 Fender Stratocaster. If you don't believe me, go to a guitar store, play the Bullet HH unplugged just like a true cork-sniffer snobby guitar collector would, and you'll feel the correct vibration (but of course the cork-sniffer collector would never admit this!)
Any cork-sniffer type who reads this will instantly think, "NOT POSSIBLE!" Oh yes, very possible. I know the tests cork-sniffer types use to test the vibration of a Strat body. Example: Plucking the B string unplugged while the guitar is hanging on the wall, then touching the end of the body to test for resonance while the string is vibrating. The Bullet HH passes the test with flying colors and the resonance is there (not that it matters because body resonance on a solid-body Strat electric is nonsense anyway).
"So... it's all about the pickups?"
For the most part, yes. The four things that make up an electric guitar's tone are pickups, electronics, strings and the pick you use.
Pickups
Throw in a cheap set of Fender Tex Mex Pickups, and yes, your Fender or Squier Strat will "sing" vintage-style like you want it to.
Electronics
This simply means using proper potentiometers (commonly known as "pots") and good wiring. On the Strat, wire it as you wish, use good solder connections, a good set of 250k pots (which do work best with Strat single-coil pickups), and it will sound great.
Strings
I've talked about strings before, but here's a refresher.
Strats do typically sound best with nickel-plated steel strings such as the Dean Markley 1972 Vintage Reissue, the D'Addario EXL120 and so on.
If you want a more "hard" or "biting" sound, you use plain steel strings.
If you want somethnig "really vintagey", pure nickel strings like GHS Nickel Rockers or D'Addario Pure Nickel series strings work well.
Picks
The hardness or softness of the pick you use does change how an electric guitar sounds because it affects the vibration of the strings as you pluck or strum. There are many to choose from. My personal preference is the Jim Dunlop Tortex series. I list a bunch of those here.
So anyway, there you go. Ignore the wood and concentrate on pickups, electronics, strings and picks instead.
Short Scale vs. Standard Scale electric guitar necks
The scale length of a guitar refers to the measurement from the bridge saddle to the nut. No guitar company I know of makes all their guitars exclusively using one specific length, because there are times when the design of a guitar neck needs to be a certain length for either appearance, function or both.
The two most-used scale lengths are "Fender Standard" 25.5-inch (647.70mm) and "Gibson Standard" 24.75-inch (628.65mm), however that doesn't mean that all electric guitars are one or the other. Some guitar companies (including Fender and Gibson themselves) will produce super-long (like baritone guitars) or super-short (like "mini" models) scale lengths depending on what the guitar model is and what it's supposed to sound like.
Fender's 25.5-inch, commonly referred to as "twenty-five and a half", is considered the standard scale length that most guitar companies use. Whenever playing a Fender Stratocaster or Fender Telecaster, you are playing a guitar with a neck that has a 25.5-inch scale length. Does Squier follow this same scale? Yes, they do for Strats and Telecasters. An example of a totally different guitar that uses Fender Standard scale length is the modern Schecter C-1 Hellraiser, which does use a 25.5-inch scale.
Fret Spacing
If you take two guitars, each with 22-fret necks, the one with the shorter scale length will usually have the frets closer to each other.
For example, a USA Stratocaster has 22 frets and a 25.5-inch scale and a USA Les Paul also has 22 frets but with a 24.75-inch scale. Due to the scale difference, frets are spaced differently.
On a traditional Strat neck: The distance from fret 1 to 2 is 34.31mm, the distance from 2 to 3 is 32.39mm, the distance from 3 to 4 is 30.57mm and so on.
On a traditional Les Paul neck: The distance from fret 1 to 2 is 33.30mm, the distance from 2 to 3 is 31.43mm, the distance from 3 to 4 is 29.67mm and so on.
These tiny differences in length do make a difference when playing, and it is true that the spacing from fret to fret is shorter on the Paul compared to the Strat. That doesn't necessarily make it better. Just shorter.
Fret spacing is the first thing you will notice about 25.5-inch vs. 24.75-inch or shorter. If you are used to playing on guitar necks that have a 25.5-inch scale, you are going to have one of two reactions when playing a shorter scale neck:
- You'll love it and will be able to play chords and solo a lot easier.
- You'll hate it and experience minor wrist pain after playing it for a few minutes.
Also, if you're used to 24.75 and try a 25.5, the same applies. Either you'll love it or hate it.
A 24-fret neck that has a scale length under 25 inches is usually a bad idea
Some people like 24-fret necks. I personally don't. In fact, I prefer the 21-fret vintage style Fender necks (which both my Squier Bullet Strat and Squier Bullet HH have).
When you're playing on a 24-fret neck but it only has a 24.75-inch scale length, you run out of room real fast after the 20th fret because the frets are so close together. On the lower frets you usually won't have a problem, but for those solos on the higher frets, you barely have enough room to do anything up there.
Whether you have little hands or big hands, 24 frets on a 24.75-inch scale neck simply doesn't work most of the time unless you are very precise with your fingers on the frets.
I'll put it another way. If you like soloing on the high frets and keep "missing notes" constantly, look up the scale length for the guitar you have. If it's a 24.75-inch scale length or shorter, consider switching to a 25.5-inch and the missed-note problem will probably go away quickly. You will have to adjust for the wider spacing on the lower frets, but you'll get used to it. And no, I'm not saying "Play a Fender" even though I like that brand. I'm saying that if you keep missing notes on the high frets, continue to use the guitar brand you like and seek out something they offer with a 25.5-inch scale length neck on it.
When are short scale necks better?
If you're the type of player that encounters one or more of the following:
- You have a really difficult time holding barre chords
- You encounter wrist pain often enough to where you can't play for more than 20 minutes at a time without having to put the guitar down for a few minutes before playing again
- You really aren't interested in soloing and like playing chords more, OR, you want a guitar that you can solo faster on (at least up to the 20th fret)
...then you want an electric guitar with a short scale neck. The closer spacing of the frets will make a world of difference.
Fender and Squier both make guitars that have short 24.0-inch scale necks, including Fender Jaguar, Squier Jaguar, Fender Mustang and Squier Mustang. The extra-short 24.0-inch scale is something you'll really like if the 25.5-inch doesn't really fit your playing style (or just makes your hands hurt).
Gibson and Epiphone use the 24.75-inch scale on almost every popular model they have. The Gibson Les Paul, SG, ES-335 and several other models all use it on standard (meaning not "mini") models. The Epiphone Les Paul, SG, Dot and several other models also use the same scale.
Keep in mind that all of the Gibsons and Epiphones are a full three-quarter-inch longer than the 24.0-inch short scale Fender/Squier guitars are, so you should try the shortest first with the Fender/Squier offerings. If that's too short for your taste, move up to the Gibson/Epiphone with the slightly longer 24.75-inch - OR - find a guitar brand that offers 24.75-inch scale necks and try those out.
You will have to play a different scale neck for at least 15 full minutes to know if you like it or not
When trying a shorter or longer scale neck guitar in the guitar store, you will not know instantly if you like it or not. This is something where you have to sit down and play for at least a good 15 minutes before you know if the guitar neck "agrees" with you or not.
My suggestion is to sit down with the guitar and purposely play it unplugged to figure this out. Don't even bother plugging into an amp at this point because you're testing how your hands react, and not how the guitar sounds.
How will you know if a shorter or longer scale is good for you?
That's an easy answer.
Do your hands hurt after playing for 15 minutes on the guitar with the different scale length?
If you encounter annoying wrist pain, then you know that scale length you tried is not for you.
If your fingers or wrist hurts "a little bit", then the guitar may be something you will become accustomed to over time - or not. You will have to decide whether it's worth the risk to continue.
If you didn't encounter any wrist pain, and you really feel you can play the guitar with the different scale length better, that's when you plug in to an amp and see if the guitar sounds right. If yes, buy it. If no, at least you know what scale length your fret hand "agrees" with better and can seek out an alternative brand.
My final bit of advice is this:
If there's a specific guitar you really, really want, but it has a neck with a scale length that your fret hand doesn't agree with, you will never get used to it. Every time you play that guitar, you will get finger and wrist pain. Don't make the mistake of getting a guitar that has a scale length you know doesn't work for you. Stick to what feels most comfortable. Your hands will thank you for it.
The 3 most convenient guitars you can buy (plus bonus section for metalheads)
You have probably heard many guitar players say that a certain brand and model of guitar is their "go-to instrument" for every type of music they do.
Personally, I don't believe there is any one single guitar that covers every style of music, and this is why I own more than one guitar, because if just one guitar did it all, I would have no need for others.
What's a "convenient" guitar?
A convenient guitar is one that's built with good electronics, allows for many tone types, has a predictable sound with no surprises, and most importantly is reliable. A reliable guitar is one where it plays and sounds exactly how you would expect each time you play it, and provides years of faithful service without needing any repair.
Here are the 3 most convenient guitars you can buy:
1. Fender Stratocaster Standard HSS with a maple fingerboard
Yes, I'm specifically referring to the Mexican-made Fender Stratocaster Standard HSS and not the American model, because the MIM (Made In Mexico) version is less complicated, and I'll explain why in a moment.
The MIM HSS Stratocaster is the most versatile and reliable Stratocaster Fender makes, and has a price point that most people can afford.
I specifically recommend a maple fingerboard because it will outlast the rosewood fingerboard version. This is also why I don't recommend a Squier Stratocaster Standard HSS because it does not have a maple fingerboard option. This is not to say the Squier Strat Standard HSS is a bad guitar, but the maple fingerboard does make a big difference if you intend to keep the guitar for a long, long time, as maple fingerboards are basically zero-maintenance (other than standard wipedowns when changing strings).
In addition, the HSS Strat does everything possible a Strat can do in this price range. The humbucker in the bridge rocks out and you can get metal tones out of it easily, and the mid-position and neck single-coil pickups can do all the rest including country, jazz, blues and other good clean tones.
If you want a Strat that will last basically forever (assuming you properly maintain it), the MIM Standard HSS is what you want from Fender. The maple fingerboard is easier to clean and will outlast the rosewood, and the vintage-style 6-screw bridge has more reliability compared to the 2-post bridge. It is true you do lose some height adjustment ability by using the 6-screw over the 2-post, but ultimately the 6-screw will outlast the 2-post over time because it has 6 points of being connected to the wood instead of just 2.
It is true that you can buy an electric solid-body guitar with a piezo pickup in it which will give you the acoustic sound - but - it will never sound as good as a true acoustic with acoustic-specific strings on it.
The best solution is to play an acoustic-electric that feels like a solid-body electric, and the best choice for this are super-shallow-bowl guitars from Ovation.
The particular Ovation guitar I recommend with a super-shallow body is the CC48 model. It's reasonably priced, looks great, projects great, has excellent electronics and best of all is super-easy to play.
An electric guitarist's biggest complaint about acoustics is that they're big, bulky and annoying to play. That's not the case with an Ovation shallow-body. It will play very similarly to your electric and is very easy to maintain. This guitar is the one where you will say, "Wow! An acoustic-electric that's NOT annoying to play! Cool!"
Here's another advantage: The Ovation is very stage-friendly. It's easy to carry around and its electronics sound great through PA systems at clubs and pubs. Also, the Ovation plugs in and sounds great direct to a mixer board, requiring only minor EQ adjustments (if any). This guitar is great for the home studio or stage, and is truly a go-to, go-anywhere, very convenient guitar.
3. Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster '50s
I'm not a Telecaster guy and most people who read my blog regularly know this. However that doesn't take away from the fact that everyone at some point needs a Telecaster. And it just so happens the most versatile, most convenient "true" Tele at a price that's right is the Squier CV Telecaster '50s.
Eventually at some point I'm going to get a Tele (even though I admittedly hate the body style) because there are sounds the Tele makes that no other electric guitar can - particularly in the clean-tone department. The ridiculously large fat angled overwound single-coil in the bridge combined with the "super-glassy" mini-single on the neck makes for some seriously good tone. I'd even recommend this Tele to heavy metal players for recording clean-tone tracks, because you simply cannot get a Tele sound out of a humbucker guitar no matter how hard you try. When you want your clean tones to "sound like glass", one word: Telecaster.
Because the Squier CV 50s Tele has a maple fingerboard (meaning it will last a good long time) and the exact configuration that makes a Telecaster sound like it's supposed to, this is basically the only Tele you'd ever need.
If you're wondering why I recommend the Squier CV Telecaster over the Squier Affinity Telecaster, it's because it has better hardware - particularly the vintage-style tuners which have super-smooth operation, and the upgraded pickups that give more of that classic Tele sound to them. It's totally worth the extra money because said honestly, you don't need to upgrade a thing on the CV Telecaster. It's that good.
What would be the deciding factor between the Squier CV Tele and the Fender Standard Telecaster (Mexican made)? It basically depends if you want the vintage-style 3-saddle setup of the CV or the 6-saddle of the Fender. If you really feel the 6-saddle version is more to your liking, then get the Fender. Otherwise, get the Squier CV.
** BONUS SPECIFICALLY FOR HEAVY METAL PLAYERS **
THE TWO MOST CONVENIENT ELECTRIC GUITARS FOR METALHEADS
You didn't think I'd leave you guys out, did you?
I know what you want. You want an electric that has big fat bottom end humbucker sound on the bridge position, smooth lead tones on the neck position and a lightning-fast flat neck, right? Right.
First - and I'm being dead serious here - you really do need a Telecaster for your clean tones when recording. See the Squier CV 50s Tele above.
Second, you need two electric guitars with very specific configurations. One must be a "hardtail" with absolutely no vibrato system (meaning no "whammy bar") whatsoever because they're easier to set up, play and stay in tune better, and the second to have a quality vibrato system for "divebombing".
Before I list off the guitars that will work for you, here's a few tips.
Floyd-Rose "Licensed" SUCKS
There is a huge difference between Floyd-Rose Original, Floyd-Rose Special and Floyd-Rose "Licensed". Any FR system that states "licensed" is junk, and you will break it in 2 years or less with normal guitar playing. Even if you're gentle with the FR-Licensed system, it simply isn't built to last.
Avoid the gold
I made mention of this here, but I'm going to say it again, do not buy a guitar with any gold on it anywhere, because that will be the first thing to tarnish and look like absolute crap in less than a year.
Stick to chrome or black hardware.
It is typically true that USA-versions of metal guitars completely suck compared to Korean and Japanese
I do not recommend shopping for USA-built "metal" guitars whatsoever because they will fall apart. Why? Because the construction processes are crap.
In the metal guitar department, the quality of build is in this order from worst to best: Chinese, Korean, Japanese. If you want top quality, you buy Japanese. If you want mid-grade to upper-mid-grade, you buy Korean. If you want cheap, you buy Chinese (and said honestly, some metal guitars from China are pretty respectable these days).
USA can build Strats and Telecasters all day and build them well, but not metal guitars.
Here are the 2 metal guitars I recommend.
I recommended this guitar very recently to someone because he was asking what the best under-$500 value was for a metal guitar - and the RG350DX is it.
The RG350DX comes with Ibanez's "EDGE" tremolo system and is guaranteed to outlast any FR "Licensed" crap. The HSH pickup configuration will give you everything you want tone-wise (except Strat and Telecaster sounds) and the build quality is there. The neck on this thing is also ridiculously quick for soloing. Furthermore, it just looks good.
While most other metal guitars will break and go in the dumpster in less than 2 years, this Ibanez will last a good long while. The guitar sounds and plays exactly how you would expect a metal guitar to perform. It's a true metal player's guitar at a price that won't put you in the poorhouse. And you'll love that EDGE trem system as it is very reliable and will last and last.
2. B.C. Rich Masterpiece Mockingbird
This is your "hardtail" metal guitar. Contrary to its name, it's actually quite affordable. It's weighted right so there is no neck diving, and the unique angles give it a decidedly "metal appearance". The red color is called "Dragon's Blood". Need I say more there?
Also, this guitar gives the impression that the neck is long. That's an optical illusion as it has a 24-5/8" scale, meaning you can race up and down the neck with no problem at all. String-through means the sustain is there and the pickups are fairly good (although you might want to change them).
The only crappy part about the guitar is that yes, it's a veneer top (meaning "photo finish"), but who cares? The price is low, so go ahead, buy one and headbang to your heart's content with it.
This hardtail will allow you to thrash around on stage with no problems whatsoever. Note the positions of the knobs and how they're pushed back on the body, meaning it's very unlikely you'd hit them by accident when really banging on this guitar. Also, the shape makes it very comfortable sitting or standing when playing it. Note that the top of the body is carved, meaning you can play this thing for hours on end without your forearm getting irritated.
Lastly, the guitar has a "wow" appearance to it. I guarantee no other metalheads you know have this guitar simply for the fact they didn't know it existed. Other guys have the plain-looking black guitars, but when you break out the blood-red Mockingbird, you'll get noticed.
So there you have it, metalheads. Grab an Ibanez for the wicked soloing and divebombing, and grab the Mockingbird for your thrash-around hardtail guitar.
And yes, again, for clean-tone recording you really should get a Telecaster. Yeah, I know, that guitar "isn't metal", but in the studio nobody cares. You have to play what works. The Ibanez/Mockingbird/Telecaster combo will deliver it all for you.
The 5 types of guitars you should never buy
There are some guitars that exist where the day after you buy them, you know you've made a mistake. I'm going to list 5 of them below.
1. Any guitar with an acrylic body
These guitars are commonly known as "see-through" because you can literally see right through the transparent material. The acrylic will usually be "ice" clear, red, blue, orange, yellow or green. An acrylic-bodied guitar is one of the worst you could ever own. Why? Three reasons.
- Acrylic does absolutely nothing for tone or sustain no matter what anyone says.
- The body is unbelievably heavy. Even heavier than a 1970s Les Paul. It's absolutely required to wear a well-padded guitar strap if you dare play one standing up.
- No guitar player has ever said that they prefer an acrylic body. That has never happened in the history of electric guitars, and never will.
Do not buy an acrylic-bodied guitar. Stay away from these things.
While not all Steinberger Spirit guitars are in the squared-off "broom shape", most are.
Is the Spirit a good guitar? Yes it is. Does it sound good? Yes it does. Does it play well? Again, yes. So what's the problem? It looks like an unfinished toy. The Spirit guitar has never been able to shake this stigma. As good as the guitar is (and it truly is good), people just never got used to the design.
If you want something from Steinberger that's cool, get the Synapse Demon instead. It's headless, but could very well be the ultimate metal baritone guitar with it's 28-5/8" scale length, EMG pickups and monster crunch-ability.
The Bich 10-string (and yes it is pronounced the way you think it is) is just one seriously weird guitar. I will give credit where it's due as it is innovative. I will also give credit that in a natural finish, it looks sexy as hell.
As an instrument however, this thing is a nightmare to figure out. With factory stock 10-string Bich, you'd think that with all those switches and knobs that it was some guy that built it in his garage and took the guitar way too far, but no, that's the "standard" layout for the 10-string version.
What do all the switches and knobs actually do? They are: Master Volume, Rhythm Pickup Volume, Pre-amp #1 Volume, Pre-amp #1 On/Off, Pre-amp #2 Volume, Pre-amp #2 On/Off, Phase Switch, Pickup Selector, Six Position Varitone, Dual Sound Rhythm Pickup, Dual Sound Lead Pickup and Master Tone.
Who the hell would remember all that? I couldn't. Don't buy one of these.
All guitar players not familiar with the Esquire all say the same thing upon first seeing one:
"Hey, cool Telecaster! Why is it missing the neck pickup?"
Yeah, that pretty much sums up the Esquire. If you thought the Telecaster was as simple as an electric guitar could get, the Esquire has even less to it.
From a historical point of view, yes the Esquire came first before the Broadcaster which became the Telecaster and that's why it exists. Yes, Fender still makes the Esquire. No, they're not Custom Shop order only. You can buy a "plain" one (as if it could get any plainer) new right now. Should you? No, you shouldn't. You'll always be thinking, "Geez, I should have bought a Telecaster..."
Get a Telecaster instead.
5. Any double-neck guitar
The double-neck guitar has always been a very, very stupid idea. They are extremely heavy, difficult to play, usually sound awful, take forever to string up, are a serious annoyance to maintain, and the list goes on and on.
The only purpose for the double-neck is that it looks cool on stage, and that's it because as a studio guitar it's horrible.
Just about every guitar company has built a double-neck and continue to churn these pieces of crap out once every few years as special models, mainly because hardly anyone ever buys one and guitar stores have a very difficult time selling them. Anyone who does buy one of these monstrosities usually only uses it on stage to basically say, "Hey, look at me! I'm playing a double-neck!" Whatever. And yeah, it does get attention, but that's its sole purpose in life, and that's what makes it worthless as a real instrument.
(And what attractive guitars should you be buying? See this.)