My take on Chapman Guitars
This one comes in by reader request. Marc emailed me with this: I was wondering if in an upcoming article you could share your thoughts on Chapman guitars. I can do that. Now to note, I've never played...
View ArticleGuitar of the Week #57 - Oscar Schmidt OE30CH
A challenger to the Epiphone Dot Studio appears. When it comes to semi-hollow guitars, the champion as far as value is concerned is the Epiphone Dot Studio. However, now you have an alternative that's...
View ArticleIs it worth it to service an electric guitar?
Most of the time the answer is no, but sometimes the answer is yes. What does "service an electric guitar" mean? My definition of a guitar servicing is whenever you have major work done to a guitar....
View Articlethe curse of not being overweight
It's a big man's world, and I'm not one of them. A men's t-shirt labeled as a "crew" is a reference to the neck. The neckline is round and no collar is present. Where a crew t-shirt is concerned...
View ArticleGuitar of the Week #58 - Schecter S-II Omen Extreme
Schecter makes an SG style guitar with a simplified layout, and it's good. The above is a Schecter S-II Omen Extreme. To the best of my knowledge, any Schecter model with S-II in its model name has an...
View ArticleRed Squier is off to the luthier
My little guitar in Dakota Red is being reconditioned and modified. There are 2 guitars that made me slightly e-famous on the internet. The 2010 Squier Bullet Strat in Arctic White (traded out a while...
View ArticleWhat is the easiest Stratocaster to mod?
I've been talking a lot about my Squier Stratocaster that I sent to a luthier recently. But is a Squier Strat truly mod-friendly? No. More often than not, the following is always true: A Fender Strat...
View ArticleGuitar of the week #59 - Fender FSR Jaguar HH
Note: This is an FSR (Fender Special Run) Fender guitar, meaning very limited quantity, meaning if you like it, get it now or you'll never see it again. This is a cool guitar. The finish is Sea Foam...
View Articlemore music coming soon
I'm writing this one not just as an announcement but also as a reminder to actually do it. The last time I released a song was in June 2015, almost a full year ago. Yeah, it's been a while. Totally my...
View ArticleCasio Japan market A158 on the way
Some new songs are coming soon, but for now, a few words about a gold-tone Casio. Above is a Casio A158 with gold-tone face, sometimes known as a camel face. I already own an A158 black face version. I...
View ArticleMistakes Were Made
A new song made really, really fast. And I'll tell you how to make a song really fast too. Note: The song you hear above, Mistakes Were Made, is available to buy here for a buck if you like. Last...
View ArticleGuitar of the week #60 - Schecter E-1 Custom Special Edition
Just as cool as an Explorer, more affordable, and more available. The Schecter E-1 Custom Special Edition is obviously, "heavily inspired" by the Gibson Explorer. If you like Explorers, you'll like the...
View ArticleIs the Zoom R8 still the best game in town for standalone multitrack recording?
Does the R8 still hold up? Let's find out. Concerning audio recording, nobody records with analog anymore except for annoying hipsters (as if there were another kind.) Everyone records with digital....
View ArticleThe day date is the best watch complication ever
Believe it or not, there's a part of my audience that actually likes it when I talk about watches (who knew?), so here's my take on my favorite watch complication, the day date. For those not in the...
View ArticleIs a drill bit peg winder for guitar string installation really a good idea?
Using one of these can quickly lead to disaster if used incorrectly. The drill bit peg winder is a real thing and you can buy one right now if you want to as it is cheap, and if you do, there are a few...
View ArticleGuitar of the week #61 - Fender Modern Player Telecaster Plus
This is the best Chinese Fender made right now. The Fender Modern Player Telecaster Plus is one of only two guitars left from the Fender Modern Player Series. The only other one that's still out there...
View Articlerich's first beg-a-thon, "first strike"
Lightning is a thing in Tampa, Florida. It destroyed a laptop and a router of mine, and I need your help to recover. Yesterday afternoon, a lightning storm rolled through town. Booming thunder and...
View ArticleHow to deal with a slow (or basic) computer
Being that I'm using my backup laptop while waiting for my replacement refurb Dell Latitude, I figured I might as well go all nerdy and tell you how to best get along with a slow or basic laptop. Yes,...
View ArticleBig thanks and some updates
Some cool stuff happened over the weekend. A handful of people did send some cash to help out with my unexpected expense due to a lightning storm. To all who sent in donations, huge thanks. Seriously....
View ArticleGuitar of the week #62 - Epiphone SG Special with KillPot
It's cheap, and it has a feature a lot of people pay extra for. This particular Epiphone SG Special that comes in cherry or black at the very nice price of under $200 USD has something a lot of players...
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