Electric guitar neck relief, truss rod and string height info
It's a fact that most guitar players have absolutely no idea how much relief to set when it comes to adjusting guitar neck bow with the truss rod. This is some quick info on what Fender recommends you use for measurements, along with some of my own thoughts on whether I feel they're correct or not.
I'm going to concentrate on Fender info here, but if you have an electric guitar with a 25.5" scale length, you can follow this and it should work.
For Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars with 7.25" neck radius (vintage style):
- Relief: 0.012" (0.3mm)
- String height bass side (wound strings): 5/64" (2mm)
- String height treble side (plain strings): 4/64" (1.6mm)
For Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars with 9.5" to 12" neck radius (modern style, what most guitarists have):
- Relief: 0.010" (0.25mm)
- String height: All strings set to 4/64" (1.6mm)
For Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars with 15" to 17" neck radius (super flat modern style):
- Relief: 0.008" (0.2mm)
- String height bass side (wound strings): 4/64" (1.6mm)
- String height treble side (plain strings): 3/64" (1.2mm)
The tool needed to be accurate about this stuff
A 26 blade master feeler gauge set.
This sounds like an expensive thing. It's not.
There are some people out there who say you can check string height measurements using certain American coins.
No American coin has the proper measurement you need.
- American quarter has a thickness of 1.75mm. This is 0.15mm too tall.
- American dime has a thickness of 1.35mm. This is 0.25mm too short.
- American nickel has a thickness of 1.95mm. This is 0.35mm too tall.
- American penny has a thickness of 1.52mm. This is very close to 1.6mm but still 0.08mm too short.
Get the feeler gauge set instead. Don't do the coin thing.
Relief height
This is the height of the string when you have a capo on the first fret and you're holding down the string on the last fret.
You obviously can't use coins of any kind to measure this because they're all too tall.
Again, get the feeler gauge set.
Fender's assumption
Fender makes a very brief mention that all their recommendations go on the assumption you're using the strings that came from the factory.
On modern Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars, that means the Fender 250L set in 9-42 size. Or to be more specific, the string sizes are .009, .011, .016, .024, .032, .042.
My experience with Fender's recommendations
They work for the most part, but don't take into account humidity shifts or if you use a different string size.
I live in Tampa Bay Florida, and at the time I write this it's summer, a rainy season. Humidity levels have a wacky way of working in The Sunshine State because of quick torrential rainfall on any given summer day. I've learned over the years to deal with this concerning how it affects my guitars with wood shifting and whatnot.
I use the second lightest string gauge available, 8-38. The only string lighter I'm aware of is 7 gauge. Dunlop makes them in 7-38 size. I can't use 7 because that's too light even for me.
Do Fender's recommendations work? If you stick with 9-42 strings, yes. If you don't, slight adjustments must be made.
For me personally, my strings are very close to the board. So close that if my 8-38 set was switched out with 10-46, I'd have to readjust both the relief and string heights to my preference - and this is totally normal whenever you switch around with string size.
Where humidity changes are concerned, dealing with neck wood shifting for guitars in Florida is just a fact of life, and again, I've learned to deal with it.
I have never had a good experience with a tech setting up a guitar to proper Fender spec
My complaint about guitar techs is the same complaint other guitarists have. For whatever ridiculous reason, they always set up the neck where the strings are high off the board. Sometimes way high. It's never set to proper Fender spec.
Why does this happen? Usually because no testing is ever done with the guitar in the seated position.
When a tech gets a guitar, most of the work has to be done with the guitar on a bench. However, the final test is supposed to be with the guitar being played in the seated position. If not, what was "perfect setup" on the bench ends up being awful when the guitar is actually played.
To avoid this crapola, learn how to set up your own guitar. It is time well spent. Only you can set up your guitar right.
In the end, Fender's recommendations mostly work as said above - if you set up your own guitar.
Getting a lightweight electric guitar the easy way
Many guitars bust over 8lbs (3.6kg) in weight. Can we go lighter and still get something good? Yes, we can.
A lot of guitarists pass on certain guitars simply because they're too heavy. A heavy guitar feels bad both seated and standing. When seated, the leg the guitar rests on hurts. When standing, the guitar strap pull hurts one or both shoulders and possibly the back too. That's no good.
Smaller does not automatically mean lighter
The Fender American Original '60s Jaguar is a smaller guitar. But it's not lighter. Some (possibly many) of them come dangerously close to 9lbs (4kg).
This isn't to say all smaller electric guitars are heavy. The Fender Duo-Sonic for example is usually under 7lbs (3.2kg).
"Usually"
Even though the Duo-Sonic I just mentioned is usually under 7lbs, it's not always under 7. Sometimes you will come across one that for whatever reason has some undesirable chunk to it.
In the world of mass produced solid-body electric guitars, that's just the way things are. This even happens with the Fender American Professional Stratocaster. Some have a very desirable weight of 6.8lbs (3kg) while others chunk out to 8.4lbs (3.8kg). And I'm certain there are some that even bust over 9lbs.
When you want light, go semi-hollow with vintage style tuners and fixed bridge
An example of this is a guitar I already own, the Squier Vintage Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline. Most of these guitars are just 6.5lbs (2.9kg), and mine is definitely one of the lighter ones, which I very much appreciate.
A semi-hollow guitar body is good for weight savings, but not the only thing to pay attention to. You would be surprised at how much weight tuners add to a guitar. The Thinline uses the lighter vintage style instead of modern sealed, and that shaves off a few ounces. The fixed bridge with no vibrato (which in this case means no Bigsby system) also keeps the weight down significantly.
Some examples of semi-hollow electrics with these specs
Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster Thinline
This is the lightest Squier electric one can buy. I'm also pretty sure it's the lightest Telecaster you can buy. I owned one of these briefly before and can confirm that yes, this is a super-lightweight.
Some places list this guitar as being just 5.4lbs (2.4kg) and yes, I believe it.
Fender's highfalutin model, the Fender American Elite Telecaster Thinline, doesn't even get this light. Oh, believe me, that guitar is also a super-lightweight at about 5.8lbs (2.6kg), but when every ounce counts, the Squier is actually the lightest of the lot.
This guitar typically has a weight of under 7lbs (3.2kg).
You can basically consider this a Les Paul sized ES-335. I've handled this guitar personally and yes, she's a lightweight for sure.
And as I've mentioned before, photos do not do this guitar justice. This looks so, so nice in real life.
I've not handled this one personally, but that's only for one reason. I can't find one to try out.
This guitar is reported to be 6.2lbs (2.8kg), and I'd love to get my hands on this thing because it has the Gibson VariTone knob with 6 positions on it. That knob "colors" the sound in a way that's subtle, unique and cool.
The Blueshawk is one of the best guitars Epiphone has ever made, and is another one of those "if I had the cash I'd buy it right now" axes for sure.
A shameful electric guitar technique
I was recently asked in email if I could write some articles on guitar technique. In my reply I said that's a somewhat complicated request because describing technique in words isn't exactly easy.
However, I thought about what kind of technique I could describe, and of the most "shameful" electric guitar techniques came to mind, the use of a capo.
Why shameful?
Many guitarists consider the addition of anything to a guitar neck or strings to be "cheating". Such examples are fret wraps, Finger-Ease, and of course, the capo.
What really rustles the jimmies of guitarists something awful is when you use a capo on an electric guitar. It's supposedly heresy or some such.
Do I care what other guitar players think? No. I use a capo when I feel like it because it brings about new and interesting sounds that you couldn't otherwise get without one.
Does a capo damage an electric guitar neck?
Short answer:
No.
Long answer:
A capo will not bust through a modern urethane finish on a guitar neck no matter what anyone tells you.
A capo will not damage frets unless you do wild bend notes like a shredder idiot while the capo is on.
A capo will not damage the nut unless, once again, you bend notes wildly like a shredder idiot while the capo is on.
Where I find a capo most useful
Alternate open string chording is where the capo really makes things sound good.
In the video above I have the capo on the 2nd fret, which changes the tuning from E A D B G E to F# B E A C# F#. I start on what is normally an open D which is now an open E, and to me it sounds cool.
Even though what I play is a pick/pluck style, you can take any any cowboy chord riff and change it to something that sounds entirely different when you stick a capo on the neck.
How far up the neck can you use a capo?
In my experience, the highest you can go before things start sounding weird is the 7th fret. And by sounding weird I mean a tone that just doesn't work because the strings won't be ringing out as they should. The fret hand also has to get into rather uncomfortable positions to chord because the frets are closer together up there.
More often than not, you will find the best capo use on frets 1, 2 and 3. And your fret hand won't have a problem chording with a capo in those locations.
Does a capo open up new ways of playing?
Yes. You will get sounds out of your guitar you'd never get without one. Simple things like those cowboy chords I mentioned above take on a whole new tone, so it's totally worth it to get yourself a capo.
The best part about the capo is that you don't have to relearn the guitar to use one. In fact, you don't have to relearn anything. Take the open chords you already know, play them in a different location with the capo, and ta-da, totally new sound.
Possible problems with new old stock guitars
Sometimes guitar sellers unload these things just to get rid of them. There are certain things you have to keep in mind if you decide to get one of these.
On my Facebook page I recently posted some info on where to get 2013 new old stock Jay Turser JT-MG2 guitars. These are axes that are in fact new, but 5 years old at the time I write this.
The guitar in particular is a Fender Mustang shape with Mustang controls (including phase slider switches) and a Jaguar vibrato system on it. Consider it a Mustang/Jaguar hybrid of sorts.
I found this guitar in Candy Apple Red, Sonic Blue and Vintage White. All are the same price and appear to be all from the same guitar seller.
Do I consider this a buy? Yes, and only for one reason. It's under $200 shipped. To put this in perspective, it's $120 cheaper than a Squier Vintage Modified Mustang. The Squier is more of a correct Mustang, but the price is significantly higher to get it.
The fact the Jay Turser guitar is being sold through Amazon also means Amazon's global return policy applies, so it's not one of those "you bought it and you're stuck with it" types of purchases.
As with all new old stock guitars, there are certain things to look out for that might happen. Sure, the Jay Turser is a steal, but any one of these issues might happen:
Improperly settled neck
A guitar that's been sitting for a few years and never had its neck adjusted since it left the factory may have settled in such a way where it has a nasty front bow or back bow to it. This doesn't make the guitar unplayable, but it means it will take longer than usual to get the neck back to a proper bow after a truss adjustment.
The worst thing to look out for with improperly settled necks are fret sprouts. This is where frets physically lift out of the fingerboard. Yes, this can be repaired but if you get them, it's just better to return the guitar, especially if it was cheap to begin with.
Dodgy electronics
Electric guitars can develop wonky electronics when not used, such as scratchy sounding pots and switches. Those can be cleaned up proper with DeoxIT D5 (every guitar player needs a can of that).
The worst case scenario is if solder connections fail where you have to take the guitar apart, desolder and resolder wire connections. It's not a big deal, but annoying to have to do it on a new guitar.
Stiff tuners
Tuners that sit with full string tension on them for an extended period of time can stiffen up and may need replacement.
On vintage style tuners, this usually isn't an issue because you can take the tuner apart, lubricate, make gear adjustments and so on.
On modern sealed tuners, that's a different story. They're sealed and not meant to be disassembled, so if they don't work like they're supposed to, it's time to get a new set.
It's worth it to get the NOS guitar anyway
As long as you know what you're getting into with a new old stock guitar and know what to expect, it's worth getting.
I consider the NOS guitar a better buy compared to used. Even if I bought one of those Jay Turser axes and it had a few issues, it was dirt cheap to begin with.
The only thing that would make me send it back is if I saw fret sprouts. And the likelihood of that happening is very remote. A neck has to be not only very poorly made but also sit inside an insanely hot and humid warehouse for even a chance of that happening.
Again, remember, for my example, the NOS guitar is worth taking a chance on because it's cheap. For more expensive NOS guitars, well, that depends on how bad you want the guitar you're eyeing.
It should also be noted that in my experience, I find it normal to see 5-year-old new guitars in guitar stores. Some guitars just sit for a while and take years before they're sold.
Casio watches with the most features for under 20 bucks
Let's see what happens when you go for cheap Casio digitals that offer the most for the least.
There's a certain joy in getting a watch that offers a ton of features for next to nothing. However, you have specifically know what you're looking for to get the most features you can.
For example, there is the tried-and-true F-91W. That's a great watch that will last for years, but it's really basic. Time, date, 1 alarm, stopwatch, that's it.
What I'm talking about is getting a Casio digital that packs the most usable features for the cheapest possible price.
My definition of "usable features"
I'm only going to list feature-rich watches here that people could actually use.
The best example of something not usable the DB36. Yes, it's under 20 bucks, and that watch has a 30-page DataBank that can store 30 pages, each with a maximum 8 letters and 12 numerals. And it can do it in 13 different languages...
...but you actually are better off simply writing down what you would otherwise put in the watch on a memo pad by hand. You'll get it done literally 5x as fast or faster by putting pen to paper.
The only thing good about owning a DB36 is security through obscurity. If you needed to store a password somewhere that you know absolutely nobody would ever look for it, use a DB36. Otherwise, it's not something I'd recommend getting.
My required watch features for this list
- Must show time, weekday and day-month on the face all at once
- Must have a decent nightlight so the face can be read at night easily
- Must have more than 1 alarm
- Must have a countdown timer
Why wear a cheap digital watch?
The reason for wearing a cheap digital feature-rich watch is because it's a nice little life organizer that goes places your phone can't go.
Places phones can't go is anywhere there is water, dirt, oil or debris. A few examples are the kitchen, laundry room, outside when doing yard work, garage and so on. Sure, you can take the phone to those places, but you're just asking for it to get damaged every time you do. With the watch, you don't care if it gets scratched, scuffed, dinged or whatever since it was so cheap to begin with.
The life organization part comes from knowing the time and date instantly with a turn of the wrist, and the fact you can set reminders via alarms and countdown timer. Lots of people use the countdown feature as a cooking timer. The multi-alarm feature can be used as reminders for appointments or to take medication (should you take any,) and so on.
Two more things to mention before showing the list: Most of these watches will last 5 to 7 years on a single battery before needing a change, and you only need to adjust the time twice a year for Daylight Savings. Or if you don't live in an area that observes DST, the time only needs to be adjusted about once every 6 months (where at most it will only be off by about 30 seconds.)
The list
- Casio AE1000 - A larger timepiece at 48.1mm lug-to-lug, 43.7mm case size and 13.7mm thick. 5 alarms, world time features with multiple time zone support, countdown timer, stopwatch.
- Casio AE1200 - Operates absolutely identical to the AE1000 with exact same features, but not as large with a more squared-off shape with 45 x 42 x 12.5mm measurements.
- Casio STR300C - This is a runner's watch that can store up to 61 lap/split numbers and times in addition to having a pace signal, 4 alarms + 1 alarm with snooze, countdown timer with auto-repeat... yeah, this thing is loaded with goodies. Has a modernized round-ish shape.
- Casio F201WA - 5 alarms, dual time, countdown timer with auto-repeat, stopwatch.
- Casio W212 - About the same as the F201WA with a different look.
- Casio W213 - Also about the same as the F201WA with a different look.
- Casio W753 - A tide watch for under 20 bucks? Yes, it exists, and the W753 is it. This displays moon phase data and a tide graph, 4 alarms + 1 alarm w/snooze, countdown timer with auto-repeat, stopwatch. Nicely sized at 43 x 40 x 13.5mm.
Rich's picks
Toughest for the money: AE1000
This is the biggest watch on the list. But even so, it's still surprisingly size-friendly as it fits pretty much fits any wrist from about 6.5-inch to 8-inch.
The other very good thing is that it has a thick, wide strap with good buckle. A common complaint with cheaper Casio digitals is that the strap breaks too quickly. Not so on the AE1000. It will last.
For under 20 bucks, this is as close as you're going to get to a G-SHOCK. It has 100M water resistance, big easy-press textured buttons and can take a beating.
Easiest to get along with: Casio W213
The W213 also benefits from a thicker (but not wider) strap, has a better-than-average amber nightlight for night viewing and 50M water resistance. The side buttons are textured, and while not as large as the AE1000 are still very easy to use.
It's the display that sets the W213 apart from the others. Very legible and very easy to see which of the 5 alarms are active by a quick look at the top left circle. The display also has eye candy as the top bar animates when seconds pass or when stopwatch is in use. It's also very easy to swap between 12-hour and 24-hour time with a single press of the bottom right button on the timekeeping screen.
Most for the least: F201WA
The F201 at the time I write this is almost under 10 bucks new, never mind just being under 20. This is the cheapest digital watch where you get the most for the money. Nothing out there can touch what this thing offers for the price. Where penny pinching is concerned, this is as good as it gets. The only way it could be better is if it were free.
Don't be fooled by the 41 x 34 x 10.5mm dimensions, either. This watch is ultra-readable because the display is designed smartly and has no clutter to it whatsoever.
There is literally no other watch sold new right now that delivers as many features for so cheap.