'Buckers

Does anyone out there REALLY know how a humbucker pickup is put together? Did you know that the pole pieces should be a little closer together for the neck pickup? That is because the strings converge, from the bridge up to the nut... hence, you might NOT want to get creative and put a neck humbucker near the bridge (or you might... go ahead and try it). As far as windings go... the more windings on the pickup the greater the DC resistance...if you used #42 wire, the following resistances would yield similar results to what follows (for both coils together)... 3 to 6k ohms DC resistance = clear tone, 6 to 9k ohms DC resistance = medium tone, and 9 to 14K ohms = loud and heavy tone. Skinny and tall coils will generally produce a clearer sound than shorter and wider coils. The 'bobbin' is the top part of the pickup you see with the pole pieces (6 of them) visible through the top. Learn more about making you own home-made humbucker (if you like) here... or at least understand a little more about how pickup is made!

Tone Punch & Playability

It's true... guitars can get better as they age. Granted, in 1954, when Stan Hope picked up his brand new Tele in Luskin TX, and
walked home to plug it in his amp... one of two things...ok, one of three things... happened. 1) The tele had amazing potential and sounded great... Stan played it, and (like most of us) traded it down-the-line to a talented musician somewhere. Said musician then played it (not unlike a concert violinist who adds mojo to a great violin) and today it is amongst the best of instruments for tone, punch and playablility. Option 2). The guitar sounded like a toilet seat with strings, and Stan put it in his closet. Stan got older, and last year his nurses-aid cleaned out his closet, and found the guitar. A collector just paid big $$$ for a mint and unplayed original 1953 Tele (Stan bought it in '54, it was a '53). Option 3). The guitar sounded mediocre, Stan played it anyway, and traded it back to the original store he originally bought it from, for a new Les Paul. Stan got better at his playing, and got to know Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. The guitar was passed from musician to store to musician, with dealers adding expletives...in order to sell it... like ... "wonderful player" and
"great C-shaped neck".....truth be told though, a poor instrument will likely never wake up from it's coma, and a great instrument will only get better through being played, just like fine wine.

Your One...and How To Hit the Jackpot

In The Black Strat book on page 126 it says... "The Black Strat's return to prominence was during the Pink Floyd rehearsals for Live8. The favoured red Strat had been used for the first two days of rehearsals at Black Island Studio, London. During the third day it was suggested that David should try the Black Strat, as he had used it on the original recordings of these songs. He put down the red one and began playing the Black Strat.
David's guitar sound instantly ascended to what can only be described as 'another level'. His body language changed, becoming animated and interacting with the guitar as if he had just dicovered an old long-lost friend."
I cannot make up a better example why one should go to your local guitar store, and play and test out different necks and guitars, for as long as it takes, to find the set-up that fits you. Only when you find this guitar that is specific to you, will you understand what it is like... to find 'your one'.

Necks Again

The ex-Rich Robinson 1955 Esquire I have has the perfect neck for me. It is amazing how when you find
the correct neck dimensions that fit your own hand how a guitar really 'connects' to your body.

I have never had a guitar do this for me, and always thought it was more a matter of whim, rather than any specific
'magic'...

I just read about David Gilmour (of Pink Floyd) and how
he picked up his old Black Strat again after many years... and how his playing suddenly went to a 'new level'. Recall,
it was Mr Gilmour who originally put this guitar away, for another one.

This connection with a guitar seems to have less to do with specific guitar mojo, and more to do with how
that guitar 'fits' an individual person.

That said, I now am in touch with FIMC (Fender) to copy that neck for me. I have no idea what neck radius this neck is, what year it might really be representative of or
similar too, I just know I like it.

Nothing But Looks

I was driving today and came around a corner only to be greeted by none other than John Cameron Fogerty jogging in the other direction on my side of the street. I would never had known this if I had not seen a photo of him jogging in some magazine the other day, while I waited to get my hair cut. He actually had on the identical outfit he did in the photo... for descriptive purposes...a bandana, t-shirt, and shorts. He played guitar in one of the bands I remember from my childhood...heck, he helped make my childhood. Creedence Clearwater Revival (1967-1972) had hits such as Susie Q, Proud Mary, Have You Ever Seen Rain, Fortunate Son, Bad Moon Rising... ok... too many to mention. Mr Fogerty wrote all the songs for the band. His first guitar was a Silvertone and a 5 watt amplifier which he (of course) got at Sears using money from his paper route. After that, while with the Golliwogs, he played a Fender Mustang.... then a Rick '325 with Bigsby. His time with Creedence was spent playing a Gibson ES-175, then afterwards two Les Pauls. His amp during this period was a Fender Vibrolux silver, a Fender Concert, and a Kustom (which was the main amp for performances). I'll end here, and say that the quilted sparkle padding on those Kustom amps make them amongst my favorite amps... even if some say it's nothing but looks.

Button of Choice

I found out today that my 1955 Esquire has been modified... just a little... to the tune of those little buttons (two of them) that are used to attach your guitar strap to the guitar. Somebody wisely added Schaller strap locks. Apparently, if you are a collector, this is not good. I am not a collector (hence none of my cases are correct for any of the years of my guitars). But if I was... to find replacement 'buttons' is not as easy as it seems. The button in the photo above, on the blond guitar, is a 1950-1951-style strap button...or the 'first type'... the original 'steel rod' is nickel plated with a sharper top edge and a flat base (apparently). I have illustrated some later strap buttons, including the 1970's ones... with 'fatter' dimensions. What does this mean to the sound or feel of your guitar? Apparently nothing. It also means the thing doesn't fall off your shoulder though.

Je Ne Sais Quoi?

Like the song says... "Who Do You Love?"... I have two wonderful, amazing guitars... both owned by very successful
musicians before me. Each musician would have said their guitar was amongst his favorites (when he owned them). I have taken each of them away with me and played the heck out of them. One seems to be like an extension of my own body... each string resonates, and each minute I get to play that guitar is heaven... meanwhile, my wife says that the other one is the best sounding guitar I have ever owned... but the second guitar doesn't yet feel like an extension of my body. The one that sounds so good to me is a joy to play, and I would happily pay for each minute I have with it... just like that girl in 12th grade you never got. It must be some je ne sais quoi ... in addition to a basic, great sounding guitar... that makes for this magic. I can understand why BB King felt he had to name his guitar Lucille. The musician that has never felt like naming a guitar, has never met his or her true love yet. (ok... blech!...as Mad Magazine used to say). People say "sell me that guitar that sounds so good in Keith Richard's hands", but a lot of that mojo may still stay with Keith. I can't explain why the last three or four guitars only sounded great when I got it all just right... right time of day, right mood, right amount of being tapped in... and yet, this current guitar sounds so great at any time of day. UPDATE: Finally got used to the neck and specific sounds on the second guitar, and now can say I have two to love.... everyone should be so lucky (as they say).

Don't Hold Your Breath...

There is nothing new in the world. I just got done chopping a tele bridge, so I could use another pickup (other than the usual Telecaster bridge pickup) on the guitar. I thought I might have stumbled onto something totally new and original... heck, maybe there would even be some way to one day do it for other musicians. My neighbor is the one who mentioned that nothing is new in the world. He also mentioned that if you take a Cadillac and customize it... and call it a Schmaddilac, it is really still a Cadillac. You can't go around and sell Schmadillacs to people. OK... you make your Caddie look fantastic.. maybe you chop the roof and add one of those searchlights on the drivers side... you know, the ones cops had on their cruisers in the fifties... the ones you can turn on and direct from inside the car. Maybe you hang some curtains inside all the windows, with those little pom-poms on them... And add a baby Jesus on the dash. It's still a Cadillac. Can you market it, and sell it as something else, to other people? Well... you can't patent it or trademark it... but maybe your neighbor suddenly wants you to Schmaddilac his Cadillac for him too... and then another guy in the next town sees one of your Schmaddie's, and he wants you to do one for him too... maybe yet another guy in another town starts making them (to compete with you)... but his aren't as good as the ones you're turning out... so you are up to your ears in orders for Schmaddie's...and making a living at it... maybe... just maybe......but don't hold your breath.

Tampa Red

Tampa Red/ Hudson Whittaker was born in Smithville GA in 1904. He was an orphan who went to live with his grandparents in Tampa. His nickname came from his red hair. He was a guitarist and a singer who moved to Chicago in his early twenties. He had an amazing talent with slide guitar, and was often referred to as a 'guitar wizard'. He was one of the first big stars of the Chicago blues scene. He was also a prolific composer and wrote many memorable songs. He was good friends with Big Bill Bronzy (more about Big Bill in another post). Tampa Red was very kind to musicians less fortunate than him, and would offer them a meal and a place to sleep. He performed throughout the great depression. Unfortunately, he was a drinker, which he attributed as a cause of his health problems. He died in a nursing home in Chicago in 1981, at the age of 77. He left a great legacy of music available on iTunes™... including some really great guitar on 'Things 'Bout Coming My Way'. You can also imagine the Stone's doing a version of his 'When things Go Wrong with You'... still as pertinent today as it was back then. For more information on obscure Blues greats, go to the Blues Trail.

Necks ... and How I remember them.

I just had a person on EBay contact me to ask what the neck radius was on a guitar I am selling. I tend to classify my necks less mathematically, more tactilely. I know the feel of a '50 Broadcaster neck... baseball bat sanded into a U-shaped V, really meaty... and (of course) those odd bevelled edges on the side of the fretboard. I know the feeling of a 52 or 53 Tele/ Esquire neck... (I have owned 4 or 5... one was sprayed totally metallic green, and otherwise mint... in it's thermometer case... thermometer cases came with Tele's from 50 to 53). The 52/52 Tele's still have that 'bat' neck, but not a Broadcaster neck (these are not my favorite). Then comes the 55/56 Tele, with a neck everyone describes as anything from a thick baseball bat neck, to a large and chunky 'V'. I love my 56 Tele... and it has a neck similar to a 58 D-Shaped neck... which (by the way) is what Fender puts on most of their reissues now. It is a little thicker than a 58 D Neck. Meanwhile, my 55 Esquire is indeed clubby, but somewhere between a 58 and a 53 neck. What I am trying to say here is... it obviously was not rocket science back then, so there was variation even in the same year, between necks. We all know what works for us... and for me, neck radius is not the way I remember them...