Will there ever be another rock music scene?
Tampa Florida has no rock music scene. But then again, neither does the rest of America.
Someone emailed me recently about an article I wrote back in 2012 about how the rock music scene in Tampa Bay Florida completely sucks (and still does). The guy basically agreed with me and said that while he was living in Florida (he's since moved away to some other US state), there was a small but vibrant rock scene here. But then it just seemed to up and vanish like a fart in the wind.
I replied to his email and said the same thing to him that I've said to others. In order for a guitar player to make any money these days, you have to play country music because that genre needs guitars in order to sound like it should. Electric guitars, bass guitars, steel guitars, acoustic guitars, resonator guitars and so on...
...but that doesn't answer the question of whether there will ever be another rock music scene not just in Tampa but pretty much anywhere.
Will there ever be another rock scene?
Yes, I think so. But the approach has to be modernized.
Things can't go back to the pre-internet ways of the '80s, nor should anyone want them to.
Things also can't be 100% online-only like it is now, because that doesn't work either.
What I believe is going to be the next big thing for smaller rock bands actually depends on a clever use of local and mobile technology:
Streaming every single live show.
It is possible, and easy, to use 4G LTE connectivity from a smartphone or tablet to broadcast a gig from YouTube or other live stream service. The only problem is getting the audio to sound correct, because everything has to be fed to a mixer, then to the mobile device, then out to the internet. The hardware to do all this already exists.
In other words, every band needs a "tech roadie", as in the guy or girl whose job is getting that stream looking and sounding proper.
Now when I say stream every single live show, I don't care if the gig is in someone's basement or backyard with an audience of less than 10 people. Every single show gets streamed, and then afterward published as a regular video once the show is complete for people to view that missed the stream.
Why aren't bands streaming live more?
Mobile technology limitations in the US. Limitations that will soon be gone, mind you.
The situation is either:
- Can't afford 4G LTE data plan
- Coverage sucks
- Price of phone powerful enough to stream too expensive
- All of the above
Smartphones are continuing to dive in price, as are the data plans. What once cost $100/month just a year ago is now $60/month for unlimited full-speed 4G LTE on some carriers in the US. And I'm certain that when the unlimited data plan prices drop to $50 and then $40/month or lower, oh yes, rock bands will do well with their live streaming...
...IF THEY DON'T SUCK.
Yeah, there's that thing called talent. That's still required. While the band doesn't have to be insanely good, they can't suck, either.
What is the point of streaming every live show?
Reason #1: It's live
People like watching live video on the internet because it gives one a sense of participating in something special. There's no rewind nor fast-forward because it's all live. And that's cool.
Reason #2: Really easy way to get a following
With each new live show broadcasted and then published afterward, word will spread (again, presuming the band doesn't suck) and the audience will grow because the band is tackling both the local and internet audiences at the same time.
Reason #3: What other course of action is there?
It's like I said a moment ago. You can't go back to the '80s way of doing things, and you can't do everything solely online, so the proper smart thing to do is combine local + online by streaming every gig.
If you can't afford it or the connectivity isn't there, you're not alone
A lot of small rock bands exist that would love to stream all the gigs they play, but can't due to cost and/or connectivity concerns.
If you happen to be in one of those bands and really like the stream-it-all idea, my suggestion to you is to start doing research. Find out about every mobile carrier that's available in your area. Find out what phones they have. Find out how much the unlimited data plans cost. Find out what software/apps you can use to stream with. Find out what audio hardware you can connect to the phone/tablet for feeding out to the stream.
The moment you find a way to afford the tech and get the right hardware to stream, go for it.
Whoever gets the jump on this early is sure to do well, and possibly create a new rock scene...
...if, again, the band doesn't suck.
Smaller proper acoustic guitars for small hands
This is a reader requested article.
Adrian writes:
There are a lot of shorter guys like me and women who have a difficult time playing the bulky-bodied dreadnoughts and jumbos, especially when playing fingerstyle, and of course, I'd like to know which would be the most versatile body sizes and brands.
(Want to make a request for an article like Adrian did? Email me.)
The full-size dreadnought shape acoustic is, whether a cutaway version or not, just too big for some people. The guitar is lightweight, to be sure, but thick, and that's where the problem lies.
What some players want is a smaller acoustic that is not a classical acoustic guitar. While that guitar is smaller and thinner, it uses nylon strings. There's nothing wrong with nylon strings, but that string type is not meant to be used with a pick, nor can you use a slide on it, nor will an add-in pickup work with it (no vibrating steel = pickup won't work).
Players who want smaller acoustic guitars are specifically looking for the steel stringed variety.
The easiest choice for a smaller steel string acoustic is the parlor acoustic guitar, such as the Fender CP-100. That guitar is cheap, good and has a nice look to it.
Things to know about parlor acoustic guitars
Before I list off some other parlor acoustic guitar models to check out, there are a few things you need to know about them.
Quiet projection
The standard dreadnought acoustic has a loud sound when strummed while the parlor body is significantly quieter. Why? Smaller body. There's less wood vibrating, and no matter how hard you strum the strings, it will never project as loudly as a full-size dreadnought will.
No front-side strap button (on most)
The traditional way a parlor acoustic guitar is worn with strap in use is from a strap button at the back and looped around the neck near the nut at the front. It pretty much has to be done this way, else you will encounter neck dive.
Featherweight
A parlor acoustic is by its very nature very lightweight. Most are light enough to where you can even play one standing without a strap, similar to a ukulele.
Best recorded with a microphone
If you plan on recording your parlor acoustic guitar, the best way to do it is with a microphone on a stand. Adding in a pickup really doesn't work that well.
Some parlor acoustic guitars to choose from
Again, I will mention the Fender CP-100 before continuing, because if you want a parlor acoustic with the "just right" voicing to it, the Fender is the go-to instrument.
Very cool that Gretsch offers this. Has a nice old-school look to it. Best used for fingerpicking. Works for strumming with a pick, but sounds best with fingers.
This is one of the better parlor acoustics, as it does not have the typical "boxy" sound most parlor acoustic guitars do. The projection of sound is still on the light side, but the fullness is more pronounced. As such, it has a mid-tier price tag on it.
This is priced less than the Alavarez, but may for some may be the parlor acoustic they're looking for. If you've said to yourself, "I want a Martin, but I don't want to pay the Martin price tag", you want this Washburn as it pretty much has equal character.
For those with deep pockets...
...a few more models to check out:
...but in all honesty, I strongly suggest checking out the Fender CP-100 first, and if after that you want to spend more on something more ritzy and voiced with more fullness, try the Alvarez or Washburn above.
Or, if you want just a nice, simple beat-around parlor acoustic, the Gretsch really delivers.
Do all guitar forums suck?
Forums are forums are forums. Some are good. Most are bad.
I've seen a lot of forums come and go on the internet. I remember when people still used newsgroups (if you don't know what those are, don't ask). On the world wide web, I've seen several different forum software types like YaBB, phpBB, vBulletin and so on. Heck, I've even operated a few forums.
I personally think most guitar forums just plain suck, and here's why:
Fact: Most don't work on mobile
Some (but damned few) forum operators have been smart enough to get their forums working on mobile web browsers, and I applaud those that have done that because they will be the ones that survive in 2016 and beyond. For those that don't, their user base will continue to get older and crustier, readership will continue to dwindle and the forum will eventually shut down.
Oh, and guess what, forum owners? Even for those that can view your forum on a mobile browser, mobile ad blocking is quickly becoming the norm. You'd best start monetizing those links.
Fact: The same cliques and same stupid arguments still exist
In every single internet forum, there's a clique. This clique is comprised of three tiers of users. Administrators, moderators and regulars. If you say anything that even remotely disagrees with an admin, mod or regular, you are banned because you rustled someone's jimmies.
In addition, most forums have a list of rules that's about a mile long. You can't swear, you can't speak your mind, you can't do anything.
This same crapola that happened with pre-internet BBSes back in the '80s and '90s is still happening today. Same cliques, same flame wars, same stupid arguments, same everything. The only thing that changed is that it's now on the internet.
I think the best word that describes the way a forum operates is Draconian. You will not disagree with the admin or mods, and you will think happy thoughts. Big Brother is watching you.
Want to know how bad it can get? Some don't even allow you to say something "sucks", because someone's jimmies might get rustled from that (gasp!)
Are guitar forums good for ANY usable information?
I answer that one with a conditional yes, with the condition being that if you're willing to wade through page after page after page of worthless s--tposts, eventually you will come across some information that is actually useful to you as a player.
It is par for the course that forums are dead last when it comes to being a trusted information resource. What dictates this? Google. Whenever you search for something on Google, forums are rarely the first thing to show up.
The only time forums show up first in a Google search result is when you have an ultra-specific thing you need information on that only the forums have. But, of course, when you go to that guitar forum, it's most likely true the thread will be really old, and if there are any images accompanying the post, they probably won't work.
I don't hate all guitar forums (just most of them).
Most guitar forums just plain suck because of the Draconian rules. Sometimes it's for stuff not even related to what you post, such as the rules for what you are allowed to have for a forum signature. You can have a signature, but can't be more than X number of characters long, cannot contain links of any kind, no images, no colorization, no bold, no italic, no underline, no swear words, no mention of breasts, butts, etc.
A forum moderator would probably get a bug up his backside if you had your forum signature just as "butt" and nothing else. If you frequent a guitar forum or two, try that and see how long it takes before a mod 'disciplines' or outright bans you just for your one-word signature.
For the few guitar forums I do like, a few have asked me to participate and be a regular, but since I have my site here, I really don't see the point.
What I notice is that for whatever reason, guitar forums with with the word talk in their name are usually the better ones, said sincerely. If you frequent guitar forums at all, you know the ones I'm referring to.
butt
Do dead guitar strings sound better?
Do rusty, musty and crusty strings lead to a better tone?
Answer: It can, depending on circumstances.
I'm usually pretty good at changing out strings regularly, but there are times when I just don't feel like doing it and the existing strings stay on for a while longer.
There is one thing about old guitar strings that makes them good, and it's this:
They're already stretched.
Guitar strings, at least of the traditional electric 3-unwound/3-wound variety (which is most of them,) get to a point where they stretch and keep really good tune. When a set of strings gets too old, then sure, they lose tune easily. But sometimes a set that's been on the guitar a while gets that "sweet spot" where you can play for hours and your axe just sings.
Is there a specific type of string that gets the "sweet spot" best when left on the guitar a while?
Yes. It's the string type you probably already use. Nickel-plated steel.
Whether it's D'Addario, Fender, Dunlop, GHS or whatever you use, the nickel-plated steel wears in a way that can really achieve that nice worn-in "mellow" feel. Heck, it even works for metal tones.
HOWEVER... I notice that strings with ball ends are the best kind. An example of a string that doesn't have a ball end is the Fender Super Bullets; they have bullet-shaped ends. I used to use those a lot but they kept going dead too quickly for my playing style. The ball ends just seem to work much better, and I get more choices of string brands to choose from.
"How do I test this for myself?"
Easy enough. Leave a set of strings on your guitar a while and see what happens.
But I have a few tips:
- Wipe down the strings regularly to prevent gunk.
- If you see string denting, the strings have been on too long. Switch them out.
- If you see black marks, that's rust, and that's bad. Change strings if you see that happen. You don't want to be forcing rust into your finger's skin.
- If you leave your guitar in the open on a stand, cover the neck to prevent dust build-up. A towel usually works best.
- Try to bend strings less to make your existing set last longer. Chord more.
Reader request review: Dean Custom 350 with Floyd-Rose
A reader wrote in and asked me my opinion on this guitar in an article, so here it is.
(Note: If there's a specific guitar you'd like me to review, email and ask.)
The Dean Custom 350 with Floyd-Rose is currently priced lower than a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster by about 25 to 50 bucks, depending on color and availability, so there's your price point. This means the guitar is not mid-tier, but rather classified as an "affordable" model.
Here's the good and bad.
The good
Black nickel hardware. I always like seeing this. It's metal hardware that adds a bit of flare without looking cheap. A very nice look to have. Most of the metal bits on this guitar are of black nickel finish, with the rest being just black.
Proper 25.5-inch scale for a 24-fret neck. If the neck has 24 frets, the scale length has to be 25.5 ("Fender Standard"), because if it's 24.75 ("Gibson Standard"), the frets get too close together past the 19th/20th fret and you miss notes.
Push/pull coil split. Nice to have for the clean tones.
Color-matched headstock done right. On this particular style of Dean, the color-matching works.
Basswood body. I ordinarily don't mind basswood, but on a guitar with a Floyd-Rose tremolo system, that might be a problem. Why? Basswood is soft stuff that dents easily, and some players are really hard on a FR trem system. Hard player + soft wood = not good.
Pickups spaced too close together. As nice as it is that the 24-fret neck has a 25.5-inch scale, the tradeoff is that the 24 frets means the pickups have to be spaced close. This means the rear (bridge) pickup will sound fine but the front (neck) pickup will probably sound bland. Not bad. Just bland.
Possibly may have neck diving issue. A telltale sign that the guitar will have neck dive issues is if the top horn does not extend over the 12th fret. On this Dean, the top horn extends to the 13th, so... I'm not sure on this one. It might have neck dive issues or it might not; this is why I say it may possibly have a neck dive issue. The only way to know for sure is to strap it on and try it out.
Verdict
Looks good for what it is. I'm liking the black nickel and relatively simple electronics; it appears to be a no-nonsense metal guitar.
What I do not know is how good or not-good the trem system is. It might be great or it may be total crap. I'd have to use it in person to know for sure.
Comparable guitars in the same price range at the time of this writing: