The cheapest and easiest way to class up a Telecaster
With a Telecaster style body, it doesn't get any easier than this. Almost.
One of the great benefits of the Telecaster is that it's simple. As it turns out, the ridiculously simple mod of swapping out the control plate for something with a nice pattern on it really works.
Plates like this are available in both silver/chrome and gold, either with fancy pattern or not, your choice.
I would argue this is probably not only the easiest Telecaster mod, but almost the easiest electric guitar mod. I say almost because switching out knobs is even easier than this, so you can consider the control plate switch the second easiest mod.
If you have never taken off the control plate of a Telecaster, it is literally just two screws. When installing a new or replacement plate such as the one above, moving the switch and knobs to another plate hardly takes any time at all.
The only thing you really have to worry about with the control plate is the wire management. What I mean by that is not to just shove wires back into the body cavity when installing, as that can break connections. In other words, as long as you don't throw things around like a caveman, you won't break anything.
Also bear in mind that, if you're daring, you can flip the direction of the plate. Many Telecaster players do this because they prefer the control plate in the alternate orientation so the pickup switch is further back.
Having a pattern on the control plate is something where you can add a touch of flare without getting crazy. The best part about this mod, other than it being stupidly easy to do, is that it's completely reversible. It's really nice when you can try a different look, do it easily, and completely undo it without any fuss at all if it doesn't work for you.
Where stress-free mods are concerned, this is a darned good one.
The G&L Z-Coil pickup isn't weird at all (once you know how it works)
Looks odd, but does make total sense.
The G&L Z-Coil pickup only appears on the G&L Comanche model as far as I'm aware. You'll notice some Comanches are really expensive and some aren't. The reason for that is the less expensive models are "Tribute" import builds while the "Made in Fullerton" are crafted in the USA (as in Fullterton, California) with full USA-everything in it. There was the G&L ASAT Z-3 (single cut shape) that had a trio of Z-Coils in it at one point, but I don't think G&L makes that anymore. You can find one of those used or contact the G&L Custom Shop and they will happily build you one if you ask.
Side-by-side instead of stacked
The first advantage of the Z-Coil is that they do not exhibit 60-cycle hum; the reason for that is similar to why the Fender Precision Bass doesn't hum either - a split-coil pickup.
However, there's a second advantage, and that's more "true" single-coil pickup tonal character. With a stacked single-coil, it can be difficult to find one that truly has that single-coil "jangle" some players go for. Sure, the hum is gone, but the stacked single-coil sound can leave a little (or a lot) to be desired. Z-Coil on the other hand keeps the jangle and is hum-free at the same time.
Is the Z-Coil a total vintage-style sound? No. You're not going to get that super-jangly '50s Stratocaster alnico III magnet sound out of them. The Z-Coil has a more modern sound with greater output compared to "true vintage" traditional Stratocaster style pickups.
Is the Z-Coil a new thing?
Hardly.
As far as I know, the first Comanche with the MFD (Magnetic Field Design) Z-Coil pickups was made in the late 1980's (about 1988?), so Z-Coil is definitely not a new thing.
And there's more. The modern Comanche doesn't have typical Stratocaster electronics. You also get the PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) system and an expander switch so you get neck + bridge or all 3 pickups engaged all at once.
"Vintage correct" the Comanche is definitely not, nor is it meant to be. Again, it's a modernist electric guitar for sure.
The Comanche has the mods built right in
A Comanche with Z-Coils more or less addresses every single thing most Strat guys do for mods. The bridge is thicker and better, the pickups have no hum along with better output, and the switching is there for Telecaster-ish sound or all 3 pickups if you want in addition to the regular pickup switching...
...and the Tribute import version is less in price than the Mexico made Fender Player Stratocaster.
Pretty good deal if you asked me.
Schecter PT Special in Aqua Burst Pearl
It's green.
Green is a dangerous color for an electric guitar. Those who have been reading my stuff for a while know I don't like green...
...but this one barely, and I mean just barely gets a pass from me because it's tastefully done.
What do you get with this PT? Some really nice stuff. A South Korean build instrument with Grover Vintage tuners, maple neck, MOP inlays, C neck with 22 X-Jumbo frets, 12" radius fingerboard, Graph Tech Tusq XL nut, 2-way adjust truss rod, nickel hardware, swamp ash body, Schecter Diamond VT-1 bridge side pickup and Schecter Diamond V-90 pickup neck side. The knobs are knurled for easy operation and do have set screws (very nice).
Oh, and the back of the body has a cut like a Stratocaster. Very easy player both seated and standing.
The price? Well under $1,000.
Why does this green work?
The main reason is that you can see wood grain throughout the body, both front and back. Were this a solid green, it would be all sorts of awful, but thankfully it's not. The grain does lend to a water-like look, hence "aqua" color since there's some blue blend/fade/burst going on.
Another thing Schecter smartly did here was made the headstock dark. It's a tint that was absolutely necessary, else it would have stuck out like a sore thumb.
The brass has a gold-ish color to it, which also works nicely with the green.
I can tell that careful thought was put into this particular color and what was used surrounding it. The front body binding, neck binding and pick guard outline is cream, which is definitely better than white when against the finish. The nickel works against the color as well, and again, the darker headstock was a smart choice.
Would I own this personally? Yes. Yes, I would. This guitar looks far more expensive than it actually is, and it's got the playability and hardware that delivers.
You don't need a solar watch
You may think you need a solar battery powered watch. You don't.
Years ago, it used to be used that finding a wristwatch powered by a solar battery was really easy. Is it still easy today? Yes, but you don't really need it.
Before getting into why you don't need a solar watch, the main reason why anybody buys one in the first place is for the possibility of getting 20 years out of the original battery.
Does this actually happen? Yes, but only under very specific conditions for digital LCD watches.
Condition 1: The watch is exposed to bright sunlight every single day.
Condition 2: The night light, alarm and hourly beep, if the watch has these features, are never used.
Condition 3: The watch has the capability to go into a power-saving mode.
Condition 4: At night, the watch goes into its "highest level" of power saving where the display turns off until you press a button to turn it back on to read the time.
In other words, if the wearer gets outside a lot, has the power saving mode set so it uses as little power as possible, and only uses the watch to read the time and absolutely nothing else, yes it is possible to get 20 years out of the original battery.
Realistically speaking, the best you can hope for is 10 years or maybe slightly longer if you're lucky...
...and that brings me to why it's not even worth it to buy a solar powered watch.
Take three Casio watches, the AE1000W, A178 and F201WA. The F201WA is the cheapest of the lot at under 20 bucks.
All three have a "10 year battery" in them, and none are solar powered.
Can these watches run on the original battery for 10 years? Absolutely. If the night light is only used sparingly and the alarm and hourly signal aren't used, yes, you can get 10 years of use on the original battery or close to it.
Heck, even the extremely common F-91W will usually get 5 to 7 years on its original battery, and that's not even a "10 year battery" model.
Ultimately, a solar model and a "10 year battery" model have about the same battery longevity. The only difference is that the non-solar models are easier to own. Why? Because you don't have to worry about exposing it to sunlight (or just really bright light) to keep up its charge.
Also, the only reason the F-91W can't support a 10-year battery life claim is because it uses a CR2016 coin cell battery, while most (if not all) of the "10 year" Casios use the larger CR2025.
What about Citizen Eco-Drive?
In the non-Casio realm of solar, Seiko has a few models, but the go-to solar for fancier watches is the Citizen Eco-Drive.
How long does an Eco-Drive last? Citizen claims it's forever. This is a quote directly from their web site:
Under normal conditions in door and outdoor, there is ample exposure to light to keep the watch running - forever.
Citizen said that, not I.
Is that true? I don't know. Forever is a long time.
Is the Bic Soft Feel the perfect pen?
It's pretty close to being one.
I said recently that I have a small obsession with pens and pencils, and that I might try Bic Soft Feel pens next, so I did.
Ever since I bought a box of these, it is the only pen I've used. I still haven't tried the PaperMate Profile yet; that comes later. For now, I'm all about the Bic Soft Feel.
What makes the Bic Soft Feel soft?
Texture. When you look really close at the pen, you can see it. With the exception of the ball point itself, every single part of this pen's exterior is textured.
Is it literally softer? No, but it feels like it, so the claim of a soft feel is 100% legitimate.
Is the click correct?
The Bic Soft Feel is a retractable pen which most people call a "clicky" pen. The click action is actually kind of a big deal. Yes, the technical reason for the retractable pen is so the writing instrument is a single piece instead of two (meaning no pen cap to lose), but good click action really matters...
...and this pen has got it. The spring has just the right amount of tension, the click itself feels right, and the sound of the click has exactly the right volume. Whether intentional or not, this pen was engineered right.
Is it small?
The barrel and tip of the Bic Soft Feel have a standard size, but the barrel length is about one centimeter shorter than a Bic Cristal. If you take a Cristal with the cap off and put it next to the Soft Feel side-by-side, you see that 1cm length difference.
Does this make the pen feel drastically different compared to other longer pens? No. It's just a little shorter, which actually makes it fit easier in a shirt pocket if you use the clip.
Complaints?
My only complaint is that the ballpoint tip could fit more snugly. I do understand that all retractable pens do have ballpoint wiggle at the tip. I also understand that it's very difficult to engineer an ever-so slightly smaller hole that holds the tip more firmly while at the same time allowing the retraction mechanism to work properly. However, I do notice the movement there.
But make no mistake, it's still a great pen. Not perfect, but really close.