How to set the time and date on a Casio CA-53 (with video)
I said I was going to buy this as one of my nerdy purchases for 2017, and I did.
The Casio CA-53 is the de facto calculator watch. In fact, whenever you hear "calculator watch", Casio is the brand that immediately comes to mind. While Casio wasn't the first company to bring a calculator watch to market, they did do it best.
Before I get into the review of the watch, I made a video on this watch explaining how to set the time, set the alarm, change from 12-hour to 24-hour a.k.a. military time, and so on. That video is below.
Here are the main points of what's in the video in written form since this is what most people want to know about this particular model. If you don't understand any of these, watch the video below to see a visual example explained in plainer English.
Enabling or disabling the alarm
Go to alarm screen. Press 4.
Choosing AM or PM when setting the alarm
While setting the alarm time, press the period key (as in the one with a tiny little "PM" next to it).
Enabling or disabling the hourly chime
Go to alarm screen. Press multiplication key (the one with the × next to it on the right side).
Enabling or disabling 24-hour a.k.a. military time
From main time screen, press adjust button (the recessed bottom silver button on the right side of the case). Press mode button (the silver button just above the recessed button) once to switch to adjusting the hour. Press the plus button (the bottom right key).
Starting or stopping the stopwatch and resetting
Go to stopwatch screen. Press plus key to start. Press again to stop. To reset, press 0 (the bottom left key).
Viewing the year, month and day
From the main time screen, press and hold the division key ÷ (the top right key).
Review of the CA-53
At first...
My initial impression of the watch once I put it on the wrist was, "Wow, this thing isn't nearly as nerdy as I thought it would be."
The funny thing about the CA-53 is that in pictures on a computer screen, it looks like this unwieldy, oddly-shaped thing. In person, that's not the case at all. The watch actually has quite the sophisticated look to it. Yes, seriously.
Compared to other Casio watches, the CA-53 is an exercise in restrained design. The only thing even remotely "loud" on it is the "WR" (Water Resist) gold lettering at top right of the case. Everything else about it is subtle and purposely understated.
In a world full of digital wristwatches that look really, really tacky, the CA-53 is such a nice thing to see.
Readability
While the digits are actually smaller than on the F-91W, the display is easy to read. It can even be read easily while wearing polarized sunglasses.
The watch does not have a backlight/nightlight, but that doesn't bother me at all since I'm more interested in daytime and not nighttime reading. I have returned a few watches because of legibility problems in direct sunlight. And that even includes a few analog timepieces. The CA-53 can be read easily even under the brightest Florida sun.
Functionality
Good, but not as easy as other Casio timepieces, for the reason things are not put in "Casio standard" locations. And because some features are outright hidden unless you read the manual first. Most of the hidden features not plainly marked on the watch are noted above and shown in the video below.
There are three more hidden features I didn't mention above or in the video below.
First is how to get a demonstration of the alarm tone. When on the alarm screen, press 0 and + (bottom left and bottom right keypad keys) at the same time and an alarm tone demo will sound.
Second is a feature that's not hidden but ambiguously marked. The stopwatch does in fact show hours as it will go up to 23:59.99, but hours are not displayed on the stopwatch screen. The division key ÷ (top right), also labeled "DATE/ST-Hour", will show how many hours have passed on the stopwatch screen if pressed and held. ST-Hour literally means "Stopwatch Hour".
Third is another stopwatch feature. The watch will beep once for every 10 minutes of stopwatch time elapsed, but only when the stopwatch screen is selected. If you run the stopwatch, leave it running and go back to the time screen, the beep will not sound every 10 minutes. This means if you want to hear that 10-minute interval beep, stay on the stopwatch screen when the stopwatch is running.
Style
I really like the plainer, understated '80s style of the CA-53 and I absolutely have no problem wearing it in public.
For some reason there's this belief that when you wear a CA-53, everyone gawks and stares at you. That's not true at all. The only time people gawk and stare at a watch you're wearing is if it's something oversized and/or loud and/or tacky, and the CA-53 is the furthest thing from that.
Here are the actual measurements of the CA-53, and I took these myself:
Case size side-to-side: 34mm
Case size side-to-side with button included: 35mm
Case size diagonally measured: 43.5mm
Lug-to-lug: 42mm
Thickness: 8mm
The most misreported measurement is the thickness. Everywhere I've looked, the thickness is reported as 7mm. Not true. It's 8mm. If the "hump" on the back plate is omitted, then the measurement is 7mm. But that hump is what directly rests on the wrist, which when included adds up to 8mm.
Aside from that, the never-mentioned diagonal measurement is what takes people by surprise. The CA-53 is definitely rectangle shaped so it is taller than it is wide. On the wrist, that makes for a good look. Smaller side-to-side compared to an F-91W, but also taller compared to an F-91W.
On my 6.75-inch size wrist, the CA-53 looks great. And I'd presume it would look good on a wrist size range of 6.5" to 7.25".
Sound
The beep tones of the CA-53 are what I believe to be unique to the watch. I'm going to be using the F-91W as the comparison tone since that's the one people know best.
Volume of the beep is not as loud as an F-91W, but still fairly audible.
Length of the beep is shorter than the F-91W.
Speed of the beep is a quicker stutter for alarm and hourly chime. The F-91W is a "BEEP BEEP" while the CA-53 is a "BEE-BEEP".
The total time an alarm will beep for is just like the F-91W, 20 seconds. The alarm can of course be interrupted with a key press.
Overall, the beep is a little quieter and definitely not as shrill as the F-91W's beep.
Lastly I'll say this about Casio beep tones: The F-91W and steel version A158 have the loudest beeps. I own other newer Casio digital timepieces, and none of them have the volume of the F-91W/A158. If you want a cheap Casio with a loud beep tone, you want an F-91W...
...and if you can't hear the tone of an F-91W, then I'd suggest the Casio W735H, a "Vibration Alarm" model. If your ears can't hear the beep tones, switch to something that vibrates the wrist instead. And before you ask, no, it will not vibrate so much to wake you from sleep. But it does vibrate enough to alert you when you're awake.
Comfort
The CA-53 is very comfortable. Very thin, lays flat on the wrist, very light in weight. Mine weighed in at 25g on my kitchen scale.
I can definitely say that you will have absolutely no problem pulling a shirt sleeve over the watch, so you can wear it with pretty much anything.
Durability
I just got mine so I can't really say anything too much here. But I can say that this is a watch I don't plan on getting wet. Yes, the watch is technically water resistant, but all buttons added up total to 18, meaning there's 18 different places water can enter.
What this basically means is other than an accidental light splash, this watch shouldn't go anywhere near water.
Yes, I know there are plenty of people who claim they've taken the CA-53 in the shower, gone swimming with it and so on, and the watch survived just fine. I personally would not do that.
Other than the water resistance or lack thereof, a known issue with the CA-53 is the strap. It's soft, but thin. Try not to pull on it too much when taking the watch on and off the wrist.
Happy?
I am happy to own the CA-53. There was a small learning curve but I figured everything out in a few minutes.
Will I ever use the calculator feature? Yeah. In fact, I surprised myself by using the calculator the first day I had it. I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items, and when I got back to the parking lot I wanted to check the receipt to make sure all my items were added up properly. Usually I would grab my phone to do this math, but I remembered I was wearing the CA-53 and thought I should try using that, so I did.
Sure, the keypad buttons are small, but I was able to do my calculations. It worked!
Check out the video for more info
I go over most of the watch features and do a quick comparison to some other Casio models.
Video: How to set time and date on a Casio CA-53 calculator watch
On becoming a watch wearer
I almost put the title of this as On becoming a watch wearer again, but then realized that as a kid, I didn't wear watches much.
2016 is quickly coming to an end, and although I had started wearing watches beforehand, this was the year where I really started getting into it.
I own a collection of mostly digital Casio wristwatches (including a new CA-53 that's currently in the mail on its way to me) and a few analog timepieces, one of which is the Orient Three Star (a.k.a. Tristar). My Orient now has a leather strap with deployant clasp on it because I prefer it over the original stainless steel bracelet.
What I've learned from becoming a watch wearer
Time alone is not enough
Only 1 watch I own, the Timex Weekender, is a time-only watch. Every other timepiece I have shows either the day of the month, or month/day and weekday all at once.
Wearing a watch that only shows the time annoys me. Had I known this, I never would have bought the Weekender. And yes, I do have legitimate use for a date function. As I've mentioned before, there was a time I was in the grocery store where I needed to check an expiration date on a food item, looked to my wrist, and was met with disappointment as I was wearing the Weekender that day.
Needless to say, the Weekender has been put back in its box...
...although I may buy a Timex Weekender Chrono 40 in the future as that does have a date feature at the 4 o'clock position. The dial is a bit busy but I like the style of it.
A resin strap is the best even if it is the cheapest
Lightest in weight, easiest to clean and scratches nothing. Cheap resin straps may not score points for style, but where utility is concerned there's nothing better.
Analog looks better, but digital is best for utility
There is no question that an analog dial will always carry the best look. There is also no question that digital will always outperform analog where utility is concerned.
When I want to show sophistication, I wear an analog. When I want alarm reminders, a timer for cooking use and so on, I wear a digital.
I tried the analog-digital thing once but it didn't work out. Better to just keep analog and digital separate as they each have their place.
I am unintentionally more aware of the "space of time"
This is a weird one to explain but I'll give it a try.
I will glance at my watch when waiting in line at a checkout, or at a stop light, or in pretty much any instance where I'm waiting just to have something to do.
What this has unintentionally done is train my brain to be more aware of how long things take.
I now know that waiting five minutes in a grocery store checkout line, which feels like forever, is only five minutes.
I now know that what feels like a 15-minute drive somewhere is actually 25 to 30 minutes.
I now know that it's pretty much required for me to have a timer in the kitchen to consistently cook my food correctly, because I really can't gauge cooking time that well otherwise.
You get the idea.
The single largest benefit of being more aware of the space of time is less stress. Understanding time better gives one more control over their lives. And having that control gives a better sense of order to things.
I am totally okay with sometimes wearing nerdy/geeky/dorky watches
Obviously, I don't have a problem wearing the geeky stuff as I sometimes don my Casio F-91W and soon-to-be CA-53 as mentioned above.
Some universal truths about geeky watches
Geeky watches always get noticed more for the reason so many more people own them. As in, "Hey, I have (or had) that watch too!" If you want to wear something that's totally a conversation starter, you really can't go wrong with a cheap, classic plastic Casio watch.
Geeky watches (Casio specifically) are more reliable than luxury timepieces. Cheap, durable, accurate.
Geeky watches really aren't geeky anymore, provided you have the right one. And it's this point I'll talk about most and end with.
Something that brought back cheap digitals in style was in fact the smartwatch. Smartwatch programmers started offering Casio design downloadable faces for the touchscreens. And sure enough, people download these replica screens and use them often...
...but you can just as easily use the real thing.
There are replica faces for both the F-91W and the CA-53W for use on a smartwatch. And heck, even a replica of the AE1000 face is out there, and that's a newer Casio model.
I may own a smartwatch someday, but probably not anytime soon. I'll stick to the real Casio timepieces. They're cheaper and last a lot longer.
I'm not saying geeky digitals will ever truly be more fashionable than luxury timepieces are. But I am saying the geeky digitals are far less geeky than they used to be.
Guitar of the week #90 - Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Full-Scale Jaguar
I ordinarily don't have the weekly feature guitar as something with a super-high price tag, but I make an exception with this one.
I'll say this first that unless you have really deep pockets, you can't afford this. But if you're one of the lucky few who can, you truly get something special.
What I'm talking about is a Jag out of the Fender Custom Shop built by Dennis Galuszka with a pair of Johnny Marr "Bare Knuckle" signature pickups in it, bound neck, special compensated bridge and aged Lake Placid Blue body finish with matching headcap...
...but none of that really makes this special.
What's special about this Jag is that it has a 25.5" scale length. That is what makes this guitar a truly rare bird.
Now you might be thinking, "Doesn't that basically make the guitar a Jazzmaster?" No, because the Jazz has significantly different pickups, significantly different electronics and a single piece pick guard while the this Jag has its traditional 3-piece guard.
One of the big reasons I personally don't like Jags is because of the short scale 24.0" neck. Whenever I pick up a Jag and strum on one, even if it's a Squier Jag, that short scale just does not agree with me.
My standard recommendation is that if you really like the Fender offset body, try the Jazzmaster first. Some people get intimidated by it because yes, it is physically longer than the Jaguar, but I honestly believe the Jazz feels better to play than the Jag does because of its 25.5" scale length.
I am fairly certain that if I played a full-scale Jag like the one shown above, yes I would totally want it. To get Jazzmaster playing feel out of a Jaguar along with the Jag's distinctively different tone would truly be something cool.
Is this special Jag worth its price tag? I'll let you decide that. I'm just glad an actual Fender-made Jag with a full-scale neck actually exists. With any luck, I hope Fender will make a limited run of some affordable full-scale Jags, as I do believe players would really take to them well. I know I would.
What is the easiest electric guitar to build yourself?
Some of you out there may get bitten by the bug to build your own guitar, and if so, this is my advice on how to go about it.
What do I mean by "build"?
I don't mean physically cutting wood yourself. You could do that if you wanted to, but you will spend an ungodly amount of cash on tools. By the time you're done buying all the tools you need, you could have otherwise just bought a new guitar for less.
What I'm talking about here is a guitar made from prefabricated parts. Only a minimal amount of tools are required.
The Stratocaster is the easiest electric to build for 3 reasons
Provided you specifically buy a new Fender Strat body (which is less expensive than you think and required because third party parts are measured to Fender spec):
1. Most choice of parts
There is a ridiculous number of parts available specifically for the Strat. More so than any other guitar.
2. Most choice of guitar necks
A Strat guitar neck can be bought new for as low as under 50 bucks. And if there is anywhere where you're going to do actual real woodworking, it will be the neck.
For example, maybe you want to sand down the entire back of the neck and try coating with satin urethane or maybe even nitro. You can afford to do that on a cheap neck, so even if you completely ruin it, it's cheap enough to buy another.
3. You can cover up the most mistakes
The Strat more than any other guitar allows you to hide the most mistakes. The large pick guard in front hides even the worst of beginner's wiring, it's easy to hide neck pocket screw-ups, and so on.
You don't save money, but at least a Strat is easy
There are guitars right now selling new for under $150, and you can't build a new guitar for that cheap.
However, when you want the easiest time building a guitar that allows you the most choice of parts, necks and is forgiving enough to make it easy to cover up mistakes, the Strat is it.
On a final note, some of you may think the Telecaster would be the easier guitar to build. It isn't for one reason. The control cavity area is smaller and not as beginner-friendly, and the parts are slightly more expensive compared to a Strat.
Guitar of the week #89 - Fender American Professional Jazzmaster
You know I just had to give my 2 cents about this guitar.
In a strange turn of events, Fender has decided to have guitars labeled as "Professional" to be one step above American Standard whereas previously it was one step below.
I'll explain.
There was a time not-so long ago when a Fender USA "Professional" Stratocaster was $999, which was lower than the American Standard. And "Professional" only applied to the USA Strat and nothing else.
Now things are different. "Professional" now refers to several models. Aside from the Fender American Professional Jazzmaster (which is what this article is about), there's the American Professional Stratocaster, American Professional Telecaster, American Professional Jaguar, American Professional Precision Bass and American Professional Jazz Bass.
As regular readers know, I'm a Jazzmaster guy.
Would I buy the Fender American Professional Jazzmaster?
No.
But you might want one for the reasons I don't want one.
Maple fretboard option
The finish shown above is Sonic Gray, which appears to have a kind of a steel blue-ish look to it. The three other finish options are 3-Color Sunburst, Mystic Seafoam and Olympic White.
Sonic Gray and Mystic Seafoam come with the maple board. Olympic White and 3-Color Sunburst come with a rosewood board.
I'm not a fan of maple fretboards on Jazzmasters. It makes the guitar look cheap. There are rosewood board options, but still, that maple... nah.
"Deep C" shaped 22-fret neck
I've not a clue what "Deep C" means other than "chunky". That I don't mind. What I do mind is the 22-fret nonsense. That has no place on a Jazzmaster.
Mustang saddles
This is something I really don't like. It's a response by Fender to accommodate to players who don't know how to wield a Jazzmaster correctly.
Treble bleed circuit
This indicates to me that this Jazzmaster does not have 1meg potentiometers in it but rather 500K or 250K and is voiced to sound more Strat-like. True? I don't know for sure, but the fact the treble bleed circuit is in this guitar strongly suggests it.
Single circuit with pickup selector moved to the top horn
This is basically what makes this guitar a no-sale for me more than anything else. The dual circuit design is gone, replaced with a single circuit, and the pickup toggle moved to the top horn...
...which is the worst place Fender could have placed it. A very common complaint by Jazzmaster and Jaguar owners is that the up/down circuit toggle keeps getting whacked by mistake to the point where tape has to be put over it to keep the player from hitting it accidentally.
And what does Fender do? They put the switch exactly where players said it shouldn't go.
That was a seriously dopey design decision...
...but I do see they tried to position it so the player won't whack it. If you examine the toggle placement closely, it's purposely placed about 1 inch lower than the up/down circuit selector would be. Not only does that look weird, but I don't think it will do anything to prevent players from hitting it when they don't want to.
That 3-way toggle switch should have kept its original position on the bottom horn. There was no need to move it. Fender literally fixed a problem only to create a new one by moving that switch.
Did Fender get anything on this guitar right?
Yes.
The "Vintage Style Floating Tremolo" (which is actually vibrato) now has a screw-in arm.
The vibrato system is the correct space from the bridge instead of that short-spaced bridge with the Adjust-O-Matic crapola.
"Witch Hat" knobs are standard, and those look cool.
Pick guard is mint green and other plastics are aged white. Both are good choices for the Jazzmaster.
Truss rod is Bi-Flex, a notable improvement over the old truss rods.
Frets are narrow/tall style, which a lot of players prefer.
Nut width is wide at 1.685". This is quite noticeable over the standard 1.650".
This is a modern Jazzmaster
The American Professional Jazzmaster is what players asked for. They hated the original saddles, so Fender put dopey Mustang saddles on it. The vibrato arm kept falling out, so Fender made that screw-in. The guitar is voiced to be more "civilized". It's also designed to be easier to use by having just one circuit instead of two.
But again, this is not a guitar I would buy. It's just too un-Jazzmaster for my liking.
Fender fortunately still makes the '60s Jazzmaster Lacquer that, while Mexico made, is "how they used to make 'em", warts and all.
And of course there is the Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, which is very close to how they used to make 'em, save for the fact the body is basswood, it has a modern neck with 9.5" radius fingerboard and modern medium jumbo frets.
The American Professional Jazzmaster is a good guitar, but has too much changed around for me to ever consider trying one out, much less buy one.
I do list it as a guitar of the week because again, it does feature several things players of Jazzmasters have been requesting for some time.
On a final note, I'll just say this. Everything that scared people away from Jazzmasters has been attended to by Fender for the American Professional model. Even though I don't like it personally, it is a very user-friendly guitar.