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

[61fury]

Those goofy grab handles Ibanez cuts into some of their bodies

I got to try one of those at Guitar Center. Talk about grab and go, it was very comfortable and natural feeling.
Right next to it was an SG with a nylon strap, neck dive like a second hand on a watch. Perfect demonstration of this behavior .
That was a fun and educational visit.

 

[Blue]

PRS headstock, bird dropping inlays, Hideous.

Locking tuners, for those that cant string a Guitar properly.

Strats.

 

[AAT65]

I actually like the PRS bird inlays and I can tolerate the headstock — and in fact I own a PRS SE245, which I like very much (now that I have de-LP’d it’s control layout especially).

However despite how much I like this guitar I cannot look at another guitar with a fancy flame maple top (whether it’s solid, like a core USA PRS, or veneer like my SE). It’s solid colours for me for any future guitar.

And another thing — this guitar originally had zebra pickups. I cannot stand these, partly because as I’m sure many of you know they only exist because DiMarzio has a ludicrous US trademark on “double cream” humbuckers. That’s why this guitar has aftermarket nickel pickup covers.

(BTW the LP control layout just doesn’t work for me — I need to keep controls simple for on-stage situations, so I prefer Master Volume and Tone, and switches away from the strumming / thrashing zone. So that doesn’t count for this thread because that’s perfectly rational.)

Here’s how the guitar used to look:

 

[JIMMY JAZZMAN]

What happens if you tune down to like E flat or C sharp?

Elephant minus 1, donkey-1, it could be very problematic. Ha, ha...

 

[billy logan]

At least it's logical - FINALLY I see a guitar with a marker at the 1st fret...AND at the 13th fret! ...
...right?... every marker has a twin marker, so to speak, located 12 frets up or down from it, an octave, ok?

Joe Louis Walker, his Viva Las Vegas concert. Good tones there too! if you can find the show, e.g. Qwest "Jazz and Beyond" Roku ch. 1111

(plz enlarge it and squint markers at the 1st and 13th frets)

Not like the common, unquestioned practice: a big ol' marker at the 1st fret* - but no marker at the 13th fret - which is the offensive way it's been done for decades, on many otherwise well-thought-out guitars.

HOLD THE PHONE!
Blankety-blank blank this UPON FURTHER REVIEW what I thought was a 13th fret marker IS POSSIBLY just part of the artistry around the 12th fret extra-special marker: there is a similar dot at the 11th fret.

*Note to Mr. Gibson, formerly of Kalamazoo: The nut is visible. No need for a 1st fret marker.

 

[kuch]

never mind.....

 

[David Barnett]

I will start with two.

#1 - Block inlays. I played a friend's Les Paul a bit back. For some reason, the block inlays made me have to think harder to know where I was on the fretboard. I have no idea why - maybe because I usually only play Fenders, and I'm used to the dots? The large blocks without the right glasses just threw me off a bit.

#2 - Reverse headstocks. I have played a few in stores. I guess I am used to seeing the 6th string tuner, and use that to help acclimate where the first fret is. When the headstock just sloped away and I cannot see the tuner, I get an unnatural feeling like my hand will slide off the end of the neck. It just felt "odd".

 

[tlsmack]

I never liked the PRS headstock until I realized how much straighter the string pull is compared to a traditional design.

 

[billy logan]

I don't have a reverse headstock guitar - but - isn't there some validity to:

The shorter distance of the 1st E string from nut to tuner makes bending the 1st string easier ?

 

[11 Gauge]

I don't have a reverse headstock guitar - but - isn't there some validity to:

The shorter distance of the 1st E string from nut to tuner makes bending the 1st string easier ?

I think it's actually the opposite...or once it's tuned to pitch, the tension is actually irrelevant...

 

[billy logan]

Ok, so, at the other end of the string, the trapeze where a string is anchored on some jazz guitars, aft of the bridge...aren't some of them called "Frequensator ..." ? and they stagger the distances between the ball-end of a string and the bridge/saddle? "Stagger" as in, some strings are shorter there, some longer.

That would have no effect on the tension of the note-vibrating (playable ) part of the string, either?

Just trine 2 unnerstannn here!