A Mil Or A Mile...It Was Still A Miss

I use Super Slinkys.
One week I needed to replenish the string bag and the local shop had only Extra Slinkys - 008s instead of 009s.

What's a mil, you say?
So did I.

Holy moly, but it is more involved than trading up to 011s or 012s.
I was faced with a completely new setup.

I got it to play, but that tinny jangle would not go away. And the percussion thump the low E and A should have made was anemic, to say the least.

They lasted all of a day before I threw them out for good old Supers.
The old saw: Tone is from the fingers is 80% truth, the rest is setup!
(Ha! You thought I was going to say strings)

I Feel Like Such A Hypocrite

Welp...I bought this Baja Tele last month.

When I realized I couldn't swap out the knobs, instead of crying all night, I decided to get some chocolate chip mint pick guard.

Dandy.
That black switch tip? Out of place, now...Hmmm.
Ordered a cream colored switched tip.
Man, that is really, er...creamy...fugly.

So what'd I do that I said I wouldn't do?
(Besides getting a Tele, smartass)

Grabbed the scotchbrite and the .000 wool and scuffed it and then jammed it into a cup filled with Earl Grey and Soy.

Ayep...I am relic'ing my first part...Gawd, I feel awful.


Relic'ing is the artificial aging of parts on the guitar to make it appear to be older than it is. I find it contrary to everything I understand.
We restore classic cars, not purposely age them.
We undergo plastic surgery not to look older, but younger.

So why is it acceptable to have a fake antique guitar? There are so many examples, when one sees an old guitar nowadays the assumptions is it is a fake, go ahead...prove otherwise.

Some do it to fool the unsuspecting and sell them a cheap guitar for a lot of cash.
Others do it to keep up with the demand...witness Fender themselves making the "Road Worn" series.
A $600 instrument that retails for $800 because they rusted the metal parts for you? And sanded off paint?
Personally I have never seen an elbow wear the paint off of a guitar.

Do horn players relic their trumpets? Gawd no, they protect them as best they can. Patina comes with age and use.

My guitars suffer the dings and bangs any well used instrument will undergo. They have their share of war wounds. If you gig, then shit will happen.
But I don't need to age my guitar to obtain mojo. That comes from my soul and my fingers.
But you see, I bought this switch tip and...

06/13/2011
Updated picture of the switch tip - no close ups or anything spectacular. Just a nice overall "look."
Whatcha think?

Accessories, Not As Much Fun, But Every Bit As Needed

My First Case For The Case

I was in Styles Music today buying some strings when I remembered I need a case for my new guitar.

A Baja Telecaster...named Yay. It's a story; think Modern Family.

Lou has gig bags...no, they won't do.
He also has the molded ABS Fender cases.
He has guitars in those cases but he'll sell one to me and order another.

"Fender® molded cases are tough and lightweight with a reinforced metal frame and hinges, black plush interior, and TSA locking latches. Great for tight storage situations. Cases are designed to fit most standard size instruments. Please see SKU description for details."

Hmmm. It's not tweed. It's black...with a black interior. My sense of style is not amused.
Lou works up a price. Close to 30% off the street price. The tweed would be almost double. I thought it over for a bit and decided to buy the ABS case.

I got home and took it from the car. It tipped nose down.Why the face? It's not balanced? Like a piece of luggage! It should be balanced...shouldn't it?
I put the guitar into the case and latched it. Hefted it. Hmmm?
Walked with it. Balanced perfectly. Strike one for modern engineering.  The case is also very thin and compact. I believe it might fit underneath airplane seating if not in the overhead bins.

The guitar by itself is close to eight pounds. The case must be another four or five. This thing is light...very light.
Traditional hardshell cases are made from laminated wood, mostly plywood and then covered in tolex or in the case of the Jag, tweed. They weigh more than the guitar. Fourteen or fifteen pounds by themselves. (More than the guitar & the plastic case combined) It was thought you needed something with some bulk to be able to absorb the abuse a road instrument gets.
They didn't have light weight polycarbonates in the 1950s and 60s. Not cheap, form fitted guitar cases, at any rate.

Function over style?
You know, as I get older yeah...it is worth more to find equipment I can easily move than it is to have equipment that is stylish.
I remember that Plush made a line of amps in the 1970s that had foam padding built into them...Tufted faux leather amps. That was the definition of style during disco's heyday.

Styles comes and go, function stays....the Tele, Karma - wow...a complete revelation. Equipment needs to be functional, my fingers will supply the style.

Live and learn?