The best easy electric guitar is a Kramer
The Kramer Baretta Special only comes in two colors. Black, and Vintage White. It is arguably the most basic and most easy electric made right now. Perfect for beginner guitar players as well as adults that want a guitar that has absolutely no frills and just works.
It is the ultra-simplicity of the Baretta Special that makes it great. One pickup, one volume control and nothing else. The only thing that makes it even remotely complicated is the fact it has a vibrato arm, which most people call a whammy bar. And to be honest, I wish the guitar didn't have that.
Why own a guitar so unbelievably simple?
There are several very cool things about owning an ultra-simple guitar.
1. You know what it can do.
There is no question as to what the Baretta Special is capable of, because you already know just by looking at it. One humbucking pickup and a 22-fret neck is all you have to work with.
2. You know what it can't do.
Knowing what the guitar is incapable of is also a good thing. Since it has no neck-side pickup and no tone control, you are forced to come up with other ways to "soften" the sound, such as turning down the volume and/or adjusting EQ settings via pedal or amp.
The best part about knowing what the guitar can't do is that every thing it's incapable of doing is one less thing you have to worry about.
3. This is a guitar you can work on.
Let's say for the moment that for some simple tone control, you decide to install a linear taper 500K potentiometer for the volume control (this allows more treble to be cut off with only a small turn instead of a large turn, and works very well with a humbucker.)
How difficult would that be to install? Not difficult at all. Installation time is only a couple of minutes. If you're not-so good with a soldering iron, about 5 minutes.
Switching out the pickup is also dirt simple. And it's cheaper because you would only have to replace just one pickup.
The Baretta Special is so simple that you don't even need a wiring diagram. As long as you note where the signal and ground wires go, that's all you need to know.
4. Simplicity establishes a very nice comfort zone.
This is the part I'll talk about the most.
I own a Jazzmaster, and that's a complicated guitar. Most guitarists who have never played one get totally confused by the separate rhythm and lead circuit controls. I know every part of a Jazz, but I'll be the first to admit that it takes a certain kind of player to appreciate one.
The Baretta Special on the other hand is something all players can appreciate, regardless of skill level. There is something very endearing and almost romantic about a guitar that has almost nothing to it.
Over the decades, there have been several famous guitar players who play similar guitars, where they take an existing guitar and purposely simplify it. It's usually something that used to have two pickups where the neck-side pickup was removed, tone control removed (or left there but not wired,) and the setup ended up being exactly like the Baretta is.
There is never a switch to accidentally hit when playing on the Baretta because none exist. You will never bang your pick on a pickup by mistake because the neck-side area is totally open. Maintenance on this guitar is as simple as it gets. Upgrading parts is as simple as it gets. It just doesn't get any easier.
"Too simple for me."
A really basic axe sometimes is not the thing for everyone. However, if you like basic but not ultra-basic like the Baretta Special, the next best thing is the Squier Affinity Telecaster. Same price as the Baretta Special.
The weirdness and awesomeness of Fender Japan
In America, we sometimes see a few Fender Japan guitars make their way into guitar stores. Most of the time, it's for a signature model such as the Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain signature model; that's a Japan build 100%.
However, there are plenty of other Fender Japan models, such as the Telecaster TL69, that you will only find in specialty guitar shops, or online-only.
A lot of what Fender Japan makes are home runs. But then there are certain models that are weird for one reason or another.
Here are a few of them. Both the hits and the misses.
At first, this looks like a plain '52 reissue Telecaster, but it isn't. This is a 22-fret model. Most Fender purists would go nuts even looking at this thing, because it's not true to '52 specs because of that extra 22nd fret, but there it is, and it exists.
Hit or miss? I consider this a hit, even though I prefer 21-fret Fender guitars.
This Tele is based on a '62 profile. The B means bound body and the QT means Quilted Top. And yeah, it is in disgusting candy blue, which makes the guitar look toy-like.
Hit or miss? Definitely a miss. Thankfully, it's a short-run 2014-only model.
This is something Fender USA wouldn't dare release in America. Never in a million years. But Fender Japan has the balls to do it.
It's a Strat with '62 profile, HSS pickup layout, Floyd-Rose tremolo system and all-black hardware and plastics. Even the screws are black.
The headstock just says Fender and nothing else.
Also, there are only 2 knobs on this Strat and not the standard 3.
If Fender USA released this guitar in America, Fender purists would probably spit on it. That makes this guitar a hit. Anything that ticks off the purists is something I totally approve of.
This is one the purists would approve of because it has a coffee table look and has gold hardware all over it, with color-matched headstock.
"A" probably means "artist," the "ST" after that means "Stratocaster," the "G" means "gold," and KOA means koa wood (in this case an alder body with koa wood top,) and that's what makes this particular Strat a special model.
Hit or miss? I consider it a miss, but a lot of Strat players would consider it a hit because it's "pretty."
I'm actually surprised Fender USA doesn't import a bunch of these, because the country guitar players would go gaga over it.
The last Strat I'll show before moving on is to me the weirdest and most awesome of the bunch at the same time.
This is the Fender Japan Standard Stratocaster. And while it looks like a plain Strat, the closer you look, the more weird it gets.
At the pegboard, the Fender logo used is the one back from the 1990's, as in the silver with black outline version.
The plastics used are not aged white, but rather stark bright white.
The bridge is vintage 6-screw and not modern 2-point.
The neck is 21-fret and not 22.
The tuners are modern semi-squared and not vintage oval.
The body material is - get ready for this - basswood. Not alder. Not ash. Basswood.
So what we have here is a Strat that's a mish-mash of 60's and 90's, with a body material of the 2000's. And that's the Fender Japan Standard Strat.
Hit or miss? I consider it a hit because it is absolutely my preferred configuration of Stratocaster.
There are demos of this guitar on YouTube. It sounds great.
The supremely good stuff that Fender Japan makes
Just about everything Fender Japan makes is good, but for any one of the guitars below, they are the kind I'd be proud to own and spend extra for, and I'll explain why for each.
Fender Jazzmaster, based on a '66 profile. It is for all intents and purposes a reissue 1966 model. And it's built exactly the way it should be.
When the time comes that I upgrade to a Fender Jazzmaster, it will be a JM66, no question about it.
Fender Jaguar, based on '66 profile. Just as good as the Jazzmaster in a Jag flavor. Best reissue Jag money can buy.
I don't like natural finishes ordinarily, and I don't like Fender Mustangs either, but I absolutely LOVE this guitar. It is the first and only Fender Mustang I've seen where I can say yes, I would buy it in a second (provided I had the money for it.)
For a 1970's-look guitar, the MG77 absolutely nails it. Also comes in a black version, too.
Fender Japan ST62 in CYL finish
I don't know what "CYL" exactly means (Canary Yellow?), but I know what it looks like. That's Graffiti Yellow. I am very particular to certain yellows on Strats, and I'd love to own one in that color. Yes, I am saying I want it for the color alone.
A gold Strat is cool, but that's not what's special about it.
What makes is special is a scalloped fretboard. A rosewood scallop, no less. The maple board scallop version is the ST57/SC, but to see an actual real-deal Fender axe with a scalloped rosewood board? Unheard of, especially on a non-Malmsteen model. And Fender Japan makes it.
How come we almost never see these in America?
It basically all boils down to the fact that the American and Japanese guitar markets are polar opposites of each other. What sells well in America wouldn't in Japan, and what sells well in Japan wouldn't in America.
You'll note I said we almost never see these. Sometimes we do, because Fender Japan makes certain models that nobody else does.
Some like their Fender guitars more American while others like them more Asian
I'm not going to tell you that Fender Japan makes guitars better than Fender USA does, because with every guitar maker there are hits and misses.
Personally, I prefer Asian builds over American builds. All my favorite guitars over the years have been Asian-made.
Why do I prefer Asian-made guitars? Because I prefer Asian guitar character, which is part of the reason I'm into Squier guitars so much.
I cannot describe what Asian guitar character is. All I can say is that you know it when you feel it in your hands and hear it with your ears.
There are some players out there who absolutely do not like Asian guitar character whatsoever, and that's fine. A player who is used to Fender USA guitars will consider Fender Japan guitars to "feel weird" and "not sound right." I on the other hand consider Fender Japan guitars to feel great and sound correct.
In addition, I also consider Fender China (which is Fender Modern Player Series) to feel great and sound correct, because again, they have Asian guitar character to them. Not quite as on the mark as Fender Japan, but still very good and very deserved of the Fender name.
Now the reason I say all this is because if you decide to buy a guitar made by Fender Japan, yes it will be a Fender 100%. But it's a Japanese-made guitar.
For me, I am absolutely okay with that.
For you, you might not like it. It all depends what type of guitar character suits you best.
If you really like Asian guitar character, get a guitar from Fender Japan. If not, and you want to save a few bucks, get a guitar from Fender Mexico instead.
Or if you want Asian guitar character that's Fendery, cool and cheap, Squier is the only game in town. When you see stuff like the '72 Thinline Tele Semi-Hollow, that's the good stuff right there. Under $300 (at the time I write this) and ready to rock. That's what it's all about. Fender Japan is cool and all that, but wow... Squier's prices are incredible, and you get such a good guitar for the money.
Songwriting tip: Start with the bass guitar first
If you want to make the songwriting process go faster, put down the guitar temporarily and pick up a bass.
I recommend that all guitar players pick up a bass not only for recording but also for songwriting. It doesn't matter what kind of bass it is, whether it's the Yamaha RBX170EW, Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '70s or whatever you get, just get one as long as it's 34-inch scale 4-string (which most are.) Don't get a cheap 5-string. Just don't do it. A cheap 5-string's low B is a farty, unusable thing. Stick to 4.
It's all about the roots
I'm talking about root notes here.
When you play bass, you're playing root notes, one at a time. No chords. When songwriting, this is actually a good thing because all that matters are the root notes.
As soon as you establish what root notes to use for your verse(s) and chorus, you now have your "foundation" of sorts, and your song gets completed a whole lot faster.
Sometimes a 6-string guitar is not the best for songwriting
You could self-impose rules on yourself when songwriting on a 6-string guitar, such as, "I will only play really basic chords and not go beyond the 3rd fret until the song is finished." But you won't do that because you have 6 strings and 20 or more frets to play around with. That stuff can distract you very easily to the point of never finishing a song.
The 4-string bass forces you to stay in root-note-only territory. True, you can chord on a bass just like almost any other stringed instrument (I certainly have,) but it's very unlikely you would do that.
Restrictions bring creativity
This is another way of saying art from adversity. When you write on an instrument that makes it difficult to solo or do other crazy crap, the only thing left to do is complete the song. And it will get completed, usually fairly quickly.
Some guitar players will do crazy things such as purposely buying a separate electric guitar and outfitting it with ridiculously heavy 12-60 strings. Why? To specifically prevent soloing and string bending so concentration can be placed on songwriting first.
A different (and easier) approach is to just use a bass instead. Big strings, no chords, easy-to-play.
If you've tried everything else but just can't seem to get a song completed, get a bass and write your songs on that. Yes, it really works.
If the song is over 20 years old, a kid most likely has never heard it and thinks it's yours
House Of 1,000 Pleasures is a song from the band E-Z-O. It's from their debut album, and you probably never heard of it until you heard it here. How did I find out about it? A friend of mine let me borrow a compact cassette of it back when it was new in 1992. And where did he get it from? No idea, I never asked. Probably some other kid he knew.
Something a lot of bands do is that if they want to sound original without having to write any music, they simply cover songs that are at least 20 years old...
...but not just any kind of songs.
They'll pick stuff that's slightly or really obscure, so that anyone who hears it thinks it's theirs.
Bands who do this don't claim credit for the song. However, they don't admit the song is a cover either.
Unethical? No, because bands have been doing this for a good long time now.
Back when I used to post cover songs on YouTube before they enacted strict copyright rules (which is why you almost never see covers on YouTube anymore by anyone), the first time I accidentally ran into this is when I played the riff for Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin. All I did was post the video and titled it "Moby Dick", but made no mention of Zeppelin. Some teen kid posted a comment saying that my riff was awesome; he thought I wrote it. I replied and said it wasn't mine and that it was LZ's, however the point is that the first time that kid EVER heard that song was when I played it.
The more obscure it is, the less likely anyone will recognize it as being written by someone else
If you played Marcy by Norman Greenbaum, I guarantee you that nobody will recognize it's not yours. If you play this song with your band when performing, everyone will think you wrote it. Don't say you did, because you didn't, but if nobody asks, don't tell. :-)
If a cover song you perform proves to be a really popular song you think people would buy, just use SongFile, and then you can sell your cover of the song legally.
Why I own a backup GPS, and how to get maps for free
I've been a GPS user since 2005, and recently I bought a backup unit, a Garmin nuvi 255. The price was a little over 30 bucks. Used, of course.
Right now I use a nuvi 40LM model, and it's been working great. I've been updating the maps on it regularly along with performing firmware updates as well. It's the backup I have that's in pretty bad shape.
The backup I've had up to this point is my first GPS, the StreetPilot i3. But because it's been kicked around so much since it was bought new in 2005, it now barely works. The plastics on it are cracking and literally falling apart, the antenna is barely able to acquire a signal now (it takes at least 10 minutes to get a solid connection,) and while I did put a 2GB microSD card in it and stuffed that with over 1.5GB of 2014 map data, the i3's processor takes a long time to crunch through that data to calculate a route.
I paid $400 for that i3 originally, and it still works 9 years later, but just barely. I definitely got my money's worth out of it. But I can't have a barely-working satnav backup, so it was time to get a backup that works properly and has a high-sensitivity receiver. None of the i-series had high-sensitivity receivers in them, so the replacement backup had to be a nuvi.
Why have a backup satnav?
I knew since I first started using a satnav in 2005 that there was no way I would go back to driving without one. Unless I'm taking a really short trip, the satnav is always on while driving.
Used satnavs are now cheap enough to where it was time to buy a proper backup. I could have even bought the exact same 40LM used (the LM means "Lifetime Maps" for free map updates, by the way) for under $60. But I specifically wanted the 3.5-inch.
Why a 3.5-inch?
When you compare a 4.3-inch widescreen to a 3.5-inch, the only advantage of the 4.3 is a QWERTY layout. That's it. The features are identical otherwise, the text is the same size and the map information is the same size. If you want something more legible, you get a 5-inch (like a nuvi 50), 6-inch (like a nuvi 2689), 7-inch (like a nuvi 2797) or use an iPad loaded with Garmin StreetPilot onBoard. But if you need an iPad display while driving just to see the map, um... you need your eyes checked.
Also, a 3.5-inch fits easier in a glove box or center console.
How to get maps for free?
Use OSM.
What you need
Any Garmin StreetPilot "c" or "i" series that has a memory card slot, or any Garmin nuvi model, and one SD or microSD card that is at least 4GB in size.
If your Garmin satnav was made in 2008 or later, you can use any memory card up to 32GB (although I wouldn't use more than 16GB.)
If your Garmin satnav was made before 2008, use a 4GB card.
If you're unsure when it was made, use a 4GB card.
It is highly suggested you use a NEW memory card so the data transfers correctly, and so you don't encounter satnav lock-up from using an old memory card with worn-out contacts. There are plenty of new cards for cheap.
If using an old memory card, back up the data on it first - especially if it's coming out of a satnav you already use that has map data on it that you may want to save just in case you don't like the new maps.
How to install the data
Format the memory card in your computer and use a FAT32 file system. Windows should automatically do this when you format it.
Keep the card in your computer to transfer the file data, because on some older StreetPilot and nuvi satnavs, the USB is 1.1 and not 2.0, meaning really s-l-o-w file transfers. Better to use your computer for faster file transfers and then put the card in your satnav afterward.
The download is a ZIP with a map image file in it.
On the new memory card, create a folder called Garmin, then copy the image to that folder. Be patient when the file is being copied to your memory card. It's big. On a 4GB class 4 card, it may take as long as 10 minutes to copy the file. It doesn't matter how fast your computer is because it's the card itself that's making the transfer slower.
After the file is copied, eject the card from your computer, put into the satnav, boot the satnav, go to Settings/Map/Map Info, select the new map file by placing a checkmark (you touch the checkbox on-screen to do that,) and that's it. Now you have current, up-to-date maps that are ready-to-use.
Are these maps any good?
Yes. It's updated regularly for the US data set.
Does this mean you have to update your maps every week? No, because that would be annoying, considering how large the download is. My personal recommendation is to update once every 6 months.
Are these maps good enough for everyday use?
Yes. You can use them the same way you did your old maps, and all your favorites/waypoints should work just the same as they did before.