Guitar Quirks - Little Things That Should Not Throw You Off But They Do

[ClashCityTele]

Those goofy grab handles Ibanez cuts into some of their bodies

'Monkey Grips'.
Ever see a monkey trying to carry a guitar. Those grips really help, I tell you.

 

[11 Gauge]

I generally rest the side of my hand on the bridge. On my '65 Strat, those tiny Allen head set screws poking up into my hand are irritating as hell compared to my MiM Strat and Tele.

A good number of my guitars are all parts builds. As a result, I have a few guitars where the strings are just not that far away from the body, and those little Allen screws for saddle height adjustment are set so that the saddles are barely above the bridgeplate, especially on the 1st and 6th strings. The screws in question are already the shortest ones you can get, so IDK how I could even grind them down to be shorter without buggering them up.

Yeah, I could put a shim in the neck pocket to adjust things, but then I typically end up with the issue of the screws being like stilts on the underside of the saddles, which is probably a bigger issue than getting my picking hand poked by them.

The Babicz bridges eliminate the 'hex screw poke', but the saddles themselves end up being a bit taller than most other types, which can potentially be a problem if you like low-profile bridges (like I do). I put a Babicz bridge on an old '95 MIM Tele (because the guitar is a toploader, and the replacement bridge can be installed on either a 3-screw or 4-screw Tele bridge style), and I'll never take it off.

 

[11 Gauge]

'Monkey Grips'.
Ever see a monkey trying to carry a guitar. Those grips really help, I tell you.

I always thought that name was taken from the thing on a horse saddle, which has nothing to do with a monkey actually grasping it, either.

 

[4 Cat Slim]

This thread seems familiar, and I 'm sure I've mentioned something like this previously.
My two favorite guitarists in my younger days were Chet Atkins and George Harrison, so
I spent years wanting a Gretsch similar to the models that I saw them playing.

Years later, when I had opportunities to play all three Chet Atkins models, I always found that there was something about the instruments' size or general layout that simply didn't feel right. Perhaps the examples I played were a little too wide, or too thick, or something.

It would've been a stretch for me to afford to buy one, regardless. But I was so disappointed to
find that it just didn't feel right. It was like wanting a cool car as a kid, but finding it too cramped when you finally got your driver's license.

 

[ClashCityTele]

I always thought that name was taken from the thing on a horse saddle, which has nothing to do with a monkey actually grasping it, either.

That's why you never see a horse carrying it's own saddle.
It gets the monkey to do it.

 

[AAT65]

The volume knob placement on a strat.

The lack of space between the tele selector switch and volume knob, Really? There's penty of room on the control plate, why are they jammed up to one another?

I agree with both of those!
If I ever got another Strat I would use the two tone pot locations for master volume and master tone and put a sticker over the volume pot hole (or possibly get a new scratchplate made). (I don’t like the two tone controls on th Strat either… I could never remember which one was which…)

On Teles I have bought the Callaham control plate which moves the volume control about 1/4” nearer the tone pot. There is still tons of room to get the tone capacitor into the gap - and it makes a great difference to the ease of access to the volume pot and switch.


Something that annoys me is the use of slot-head screws on the AO’50s Tele. Slot-head screws are an engineering disaster, and just because Leo used them (for slight cost reduction) for a short time was no reason to inflict such a bad engineering design on the guitar-buying public. (It’s still a bad idea but justified for the AVII because it is 1951-specific, where the AO represents a decade during most of which Philips screws were used.)

 

[aging_rocker]

I know I'm in a minority with this, but - Bigsbys - they look like steampunk door knockers to me.

I'll see myself out...

 

[marc2211]

24 frets. I’ve had 3 24 fret guitars over the years and each one never felt right.

Nothing actually changed for orientation, scale, neck length, but it was too weird for me to adapt to.

 

[DekeDog]

The lack of space between the tele selector switch and volume knob, Really? There's penty of room on the control plate, why are they jammed up to one another?

 

[Lies&Distortion]

The volume knob placement on a strat.

The lack of space between the tele selector switch and volume knob, Really? There's penty of room on the control plate, why are they jammed up to one another?

That's why I switched the plate on my Baja to a Rutters. More space and switch at angle.

Have a two hole pickgaurd (volume and one tone) for a Strat, to get rid of the volume knob placement issue, but I have gotten used to the location now and don't want to do the work!

 

[ClashCityTele]

I know I'm in a minority with this, but - Bigsbys - they look like steampunk door knockers to me.

I'll see myself out...

I have a 70s cheap Japanese SG with a Bigsby style vibrato.
I've never really liked it but if I took it off, I'm worried that the guitar would float away.

 

[aging_rocker]

Yeah, my '63 SG came with a Bigsby attached.

I removed it and discovered neck-dive...

 

[tlsmack]

I can’t deal with hollow bodies, unless I can turn them up loud enough to drown out the acoustic sound. As I rarely get a chance to turn it up, I avoid hollow bodies.

 

[telleutelleme]

I don't like 7 string guitars. Might as well go straight to 12 and get it over with.
I don't like neck dive, so SG's are not an option for me.

 

[Hey_you]

I play with my eyes closed.

I Started out learning without looking at the fret board. Solely to keep my attention elsewhere and not having to depend on sight to play. I knew I'd be a better player without having to look. And yeah, I do better when I do look. Tho I do hit the proper notes way higher percent than not. Including way down the fret board. I won't be satisfied till I'm 100%. That said, inlay design has no affect on me.

 

[trandy9850]

Related:

I can’t play with dirty hands.

I have to have clean hands….I even used to carry one of those plastic dispensers of baby wipes whenever I was playing outside.

I just can’t play with dirty hands.

 

[Buckaroo65]

Those cans built into the side of a telecaster where you’re supposed to plug your cable in. Always coming loose and you can’t use an angled plug. I put a Les Paul jack plate on mine.

 

[VintageSG]

Strats

This could become a Monty Python-esque skit based on the Inquisition.

The only thing I don't like about stock Strats is the volume knob position. ...And the middle pickup is placed just right for me to tear my quicks when 'Wilko-ing'

The -TWO- things I don't like about stock Strats are the volume knob and middle pickup position!...And tuning up when the trem is floating...

 

[JohnnyThul]

I don't understand, why so many companies use headstock designs, where the strings break at hefty angles behind the nut. I mean, straight pull has so many advantages, that I do not see the sense of using those old designs.
Martin guitars I cannot even look at because of the crazy string alignments behind the nut on their headstock. It always looks like a mistake to me.

And to have some fun: I am always irritated by guitars with non-locking tuners.

 

[Skyhook]

Somehow I do not like guitars and basses without a headstock
View attachment 1056955

Neither do Gibson owners.