What is the best hardtail guitar?
Hardtail probably doesn't mean what you think it does.
What does "hardtail" mean?
There is some debate as to what hardtail actually means.
Hardtail in strict definition means a guitar where the strings are anchored at or directly behind the bridge.
This would mean a Les Paul is a real-deal hardtail.
This would also mean the Fender Standard Telecaster is not a hardtail because the strings go through the body, meaning not anchored directly at the bridge. The anchoring point is where the strings are held in the ferrules.
However, a top-loader Telecaster, such as the Squier Affinity Telecaster, is a hardtail because the string anchoring point is at the bridge itself...
...but for all intents and purposes, everyone calls a Telecaster a hardtail guitar anyway, regardless if it's a top-loader or string-through-body design, even though string-through-body isn't technically a hardtail.
One thing that hardtail absolutely does mean is "no vibrato system present" (or "no tremolo system present" when stated incorrectly.)
An example of a string-through-body where it's really obvious is any Schecter C-1 model without a vibrato system on it. You'll see the ferrules behind the bridge in plain sight where the strings go through the body.
What are the best hardtail guitars?
Personally, I think the Telecaster is the best you can get for a no-nonsense, no-vibrato guitar. Telecaster is my #1 pick. Again, I know it's technically not a hardtail, but like I said, everyone calls the Tele a hardtail anyway.
A good follow-up to the Telecaster is the SG. I specifically like the Epiphone G-400 PRO. It's a genuinely nice guitar and absolutely a real-deal hardtail. All the classic design cues are there, plus a few extra electronics goodies. The look is spot-on as well.
Yeah, I'm mentioning the ES-339 again. Can't say enough good things about this guitar. I love the Telecaster, but I love this one too. Great example of a hardtail that really gets the job done in fine style.
Do you need a hardtail guitar?
It can arguably be said that hardtails are the best player's guitars, because that type of instrument forces you to concentrate on play and not fumbling about with the vibrato system.
A vibrato system is something most guitar players don't even like that much, if at all. I personally like it, but only only the "slow" type such as on a Jazzmaster or something like a Gretsch with a Bigsby on it.
In other words, if you're the type of player who thinks, "Vibrato is nice, but I never use it," then go ahead get a guitar that has no vibrato on it at all. Get a Telecaster, SG, Les Paul or whatever you like. Skip the vibrato entirely with your next guitar, and it might be the best you ever own.
Cheap import guitar of the week #15 - Dean EVO XM
This particular cheap guitar is something I call a "handyman's special".
The Dean EVO XM is so cheap in price that it would make most people say that for a guitar this low in cost, something must be wrong with it.
Before I get into that, if it were a choice between the EVO XM and, say, a Squier Affinity Stratocaster HSS, I'd go with the Squier even though it's almost 70 dollars more. Why? Because it basically needs nothing.
However, there are a few things about the EVO XM that make it desirable as a dirt cheap guitar.
First is the weight. Some have reported this guitar to be very lightweight. One reviewer even said it weighs just 5.75lbs (2.6kg). That's a featherweight, to be sure, and a selling point because that makes the guitar good for both kids and older adults with age-related back and/or leg issues.
Second is the look. The guitar, even though dirt cheap, looks fancy. The blackout hardware goes nicely with the satin natural finish. It would be nicer if the inlays were blocks instead of dots, but then again you really can't complain for a guitar this low in price.
Third, it's a hardtail, meaning no vibrato system to deal with. And there are a lot of players who like a cheap hardtail guitar they can thrash around.
What needs upgrading/fixing?
Fortunately, this list is real short.
A new nut and a fret leveling will basically make the guitar play perfectly. If you want to replace the pickups, machine heads and so on, you can do that later. First and foremost is getting the neck right.
You can perform a fret leveling yourself with a kit, if you want to give that a go. And there are plenty of videos on YouTube showing how to install a nut, which is a fairly painless process.
You can make the EVO XM a great player if you're willing to put a little work into it; this is why I call the guitar a handyman's special.
If you want a guitar that needs nothing except basic setup, get the Squier. But if you like the featherweight EVO XM hardtail, get that instead as long as you know up front it needs a little work to make it play like it's supposed to.
Why buy a guitar that needs a little work? Because that small amount of work saves money, both now and for future guitar purchases. Once you know how to work on guitars, you can make just about any cheap solid-body play like a dream.
Casio AE1200WHB-1BV re-review
I just bought another one of these, and there were a few reasons for it.
The daily watch I wear is a Casio AE1200WHB-1BV. The photo above is of my original that I bought back in July 2013 for $22.21. Recently, I just ordered a second one for $16.20. Why was the price so low? Because the seller priced it that way and didn't know what he had. This watch usually sells for $23 to $40, depending on where you buy it from...
...and that is the first reason I bought a second one. Finding one for $16.20 brand new is unheard of, especially considering this particular Casio watch is loaded with features.
The original I have is a bit dinged up now, but that's what happens when you wear a watch daily. When my new one arrives, all I'm going to do is set the time on it and then keep it in the box until I need it. I figure it will be a few years before my existing AE1200 will get so dinged up that it will be basically unreadable. When that happens, I'll use the spare.
This is one of the very few Casio watches that agrees with me
There's plenty of info out on the internet explaining the technical specifics of this watch, but this is the stuff that matters to me.
- Countdown Timer - On a digital watch, it's required that I have a timer, and I use it often. However, not all digital watches do timers the same, which leads me to...
- Ability to set time, timer or alarm numbers in forward or reverse - On many digital watches, you can only set numbers in one direction, forward. And that gets annoying real quick. If for example you're setting a 20 minute timer, and you accidentally set it to 21 minutes, you have to press and hold the button until the number goes all the way to 59 and then back to 0 so you can go back to 20. On this Casio, you can set numbers in either forward or reverse direction. Very handy.
- Nylon strap - Very few Casio watches have a nylon strap. This one does.
- 10 year battery - Casio is the only company that claims they certain models of wristwatches that has a battery with a 10 year life span. Do they really last that long? Yes, but only if you use timekeeping and no other function. Realistically, the battery lasts about 7 to 9 years, but that's still pretty darned good. Timex digitals don't last that long in my experience.
Another tale of fat-to-fit concerning this watch
After I bought the first one in 2013, I wore it for a few months and then stopped because the strap started squeaking. But then after I lost over 40 pounds, I tried wearing it again, and no squeak. Since I lost a lot of weight, my wrist became slightly slimmer just enough so the strap could fit normally without making any weird noises when moving around normally.
When you find a cheap watch you like, buy two or three of them
Some cheap digital watches are really nice, and the AE1200WHB-1BV is one of those. More specifically, it's one of those for me. And I seriously might buy a third one later on.
This Casio is not for everyone. My photo of it makes it look huge, but it's not. The photo makes it look like a 48 or a 50mm case diameter, but it's actually a 40mm. This isn't nearly as small as, say, an F91W-1 model which has a seriously small 33mm diameter, but at the same time it's nowhere near as large as a G-SHOCK DW-9052V-1CR with its 48mm diameter (and also has a nylon strap, by the way.)
I'm a happy camper with my Casio
A plain, digital wristwatch is low tech, but good tech. It works phenomenally well and does exactly the job it's supposed to do.
The best tech is the kind you can trust and not have to think about at all. I just put the watch on my wrist and I simply don't have to worry about it.
Too bad more tech didn't work like that.
10 really expensive, really awful, really ugly guitars
Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's pretty. Here are 10 of the ugliest.
Ordinarily, when one thinks of ugly guitars, "it must be cheap" comes to mind. Oh, no. Far from it. There are expensive guitars aplenty that are seriously ugly. Every one of these makes a plain black Strat look angelic in beauty by comparison.
With that said, here we go.
Most Gibson Explorers are good, but not this one. The top elbow cut in the body makes the guitar look like something built in someone's garage that went very wrong.
ESP 40th Anniversary Custom Shop FRX
This is a guitar only a kid gamer would love, and would be right at home at any anime convention - and only there. Nobody would want to be caught dead playing this thing otherwise.
Fender Custom Shop 60th Anniversary Series Snake Head Telecaster
Fender snobs would call this guitar "historic." I call it ugly, because it is. When people think of historic Fender, they don't think of paying over 5 grand for something that doesn't even have a Fender logo on it.
ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature Urban Camo
An otherwise good guitar ruined by the "urban camo" finish. This is a guitar only a metalhead would love. Actually, correction, a stupid metalhead. Other metalheads do the smart thing and just buy a black guitar to keep up appearances. Stupid metalheads would think "urban camo" actually looks good. It doesn't.
Parker MaxxFly Signature Series Vernon Reid
A gamer kid would be in heaven with this one because it looks like a dopey game controller from the 90s. If the word "EXTREME" was painted somewhere on this junk, it would be perfect in its awfulness.
Fender Custom Shop Dale Wilson "Clown Patch" Stratocaster
If you thought this list would not include a Strat, you were wrong. The Dale Wilson "Clown Patch" Strat is one seriously dopey looking Strat guitar. This is one of the very few Strats where if I ever saw it in a guitar store, I would not touch the thing for fear of being seen playing it. That's how embarrassing this guitar is.
Dean Guitars 35th Anniversary Custom USA ML
The only kind of guy that would enjoy this guitar would drive a Ford 4x4 pickup truck with mudder tires on it, waving one American flag and one Confederate flag out of the pickup bed, a bumper sticker on one side with an American flag that states, "These colors don't run!", and a "Don't Tread On Me" bumper sticker on the other side. 'Murica! F'Yeah!
Gibson Billy Gibbons Les Paul Gold Top
Gold Top Les Paul guitars are awesome, but this one sucks. Someone went crazy with the cheap Kmart pinstripe kit and ended up with a turd of a guitar. Probably the same guy who owns the Ford 4x4 mentioned above.
Washburn Signature Series Paul Stanley PSV2200RS
Much like Paul Stanley's guitar playing style, this Washburn is tacky and tasteless. It has rhinestones on it. Let me repeat that so it sinks in: It has rhinestones on it. 'Nuff said.
Last and certainly worst on this list is the Dean Uli Roth SKY6. This guitar is, without question, the ugliest Dean I've ever seen. The body of the guitar looks like a fish, and the neck looks like it's stabbing the fish right in the nuts. Fish for dinner, anyone?
What you should be buying instead:
For something reasonably priced that looks fancy, Gretsch. For something that plays "fast", Ibanez or Schecter. For something with Fender tone, Squier Classic Vibe.
Save your money and buy one of the above instead.
Cheap import guitar of the week #14 - Squier Vintage Modified '51
This is a guitar I've considered buying several times.
The Squier Vintage Modified '51 is a cool guitar for several reasons.
First, it's cheap. Second, It's an H/S pickup layout, which you don't see too often. Third is the most interesting part about the guitar, the electronics.
There are two knobs, but it's not master volume and master tone. It's a Master Volume and a three-way rotary with push/pull coil selector...
...and that is pretty darned cool. It means you can get some genuine Telecaster "spank" out of the '51 when using the rear pickup in single mode and hot "growl" when in humbucker mode.
The coil used in single mode is the inside coil, by the way. In this case, that's a good thing, else the sound would be a bit too harsh.
Would the tone knob be missed?
No. The guitar, even though cheap, is designed in such a way where you wouldn't miss it. I certainly wouldn't. The humbucker by nature has the treble rolled off a bit, so it's not like a Strat where that tone knob is absolutely needed.
Things I like best about the '51
It's a hardtail Strat with a hot humbucker in the rear but at the same time has Telecaster-style tone options. I really dig the fact it has a maple board for the neck. I like that the guitar needs nothing. The '51 is one of those plug-in-and-go guitars where you don't have to fuss around with it.
So why haven't I picked one up yet?
It's because the guitar is the same price as a Squier Affinity Telecaster. And I really, really like the neck on that Affinity. So much so that I will probably pick one up soon. That's not to say the '51 isn't just as good, because it is. But oh, that Affinity Tele neck. A force to be reckoned with.