Neats Tricks

Chistopher

malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
I've noticed recently the Tips and Clips section is a bit short on tips. So I came up with some:

1-If you put a pick in the small interior pocket on your jeans it won't fall out in the wash and you'll never be short a pick.

2- Fancier trem blocks are built so that if you rotate the bar towards the back of the guitar it will lay flat. That way you can keep it when you put the guitar in it's case.

3- Learn to play wolf whistles and the opening notes to Pretty Woman, if an attractive woman walks on stage it gives you the chance to look witty and clever.

Don't be afraid to tell the sound guy what you want, but be respectful.

Get a practice guitar with heavier gauge strings and pickups that really emphasize your mistakes.

Any other tips?
 
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Re: Neats Tricks

I've noticed recently the Tips and Clips section is a bit dhott on tips. So I came up with some:

1-If you put a pick in the small interior pocket on your jeans it won't fall out in the wash and you'll never be short a pick.

2- Fancier trem blocks are built so that if you rotate the bar towards the back of the guitar it will lay flat. That way you can keep it when you put the guitar in it's case.

3- Learn to play wolf whistles and the opening notes to Pretty Woman, if an attractive woman walks on stage it gives you the chance to look witty and clever.

Don't be afraid to tell the sound guy what you want, but be respectful.

Get a practice guitar with heavier gauge strings and pickups that really emphasize your mistakes.

Any other tips?

1: Isn't this what that pocket's designed for ;)

2: This is brilliant idea, do you have examples? (Fender am. deluxe at least isn't like that).

BTW: I think vintage spec strat setup is the probably the most unforgiving for practice. Hot output tends to mask mistakes by my experience. Heavier gauge makes playing more difficult however, which will improve control.

Learning to play without a pick if needed can come really useful at a times.

How to get that singing lead tone from single coil strat: First adjust/dial/mod it too dark, then use treble booster, or similar, to push the highs back.
 
Re: Neats Tricks

I use to keep my picks in my pocket, but every time I'd go to take something out of my pockets then pick would come right with it.

As for the trem block thing, Callaham is one of the ones that I know does it.

I never knew about the Strat lead tone trick. I might try that out with my wah pedal.
 
Re: Neats Tricks

I've noticed recently the Tips and Clips section is a bit dhott on tips. So I came up with some:

1-If you put a pick in the small interior pocket on your jeans it won't fall out in the wash and you'll never be short a pick.

I ask people if they know what that pocket is called. Most don't even hazard a guess even though the occasional older dude will say it's a watch pocket. Nope. It's a pick pocket.

But I still find picks in the washing machine, and that how I explain my clean picking.

Hockaday 001, V2.JPG
 
Re: Neats Tricks

Does the watch even fit in that pocket in modern jeans? I've heard people say it's for the "rubber" actually...
 
Re: Neats Tricks

A trick to make sure a bolt on neck is seated snugly in the pocket.


Interesting, I wonder if there are any issues with that on necks with metal inserts. I have to use inserts on all the Fender's I mod.
 
Re: Neats Tricks

They stop the wood on the neck from wearing out whenever I take the neck off. I figure it's better to spend a few bucks on inserts and just take the neck off instead of burning a set of strings everytime I change something.

I tried your tip on one of my Strats and it seemed to make a noticeable difference, I didn't actually time the sustain before and after, but it felt like it sustained a bit longer. Might have just been wishful thinking though. I do have to change the intonation a bit now, so I know it did in fact cause a change to the location of the neck.
 
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Nice. I wasn't able to tell if it improved resonance either but the neck did creak and move more snugly in the pocket. At least it satisfied my ocd about the issue.
 
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I found this one out today, I over heard a hipster type at the coffee shop say that it's "all the rage" to use super glue to create temporary artificial calluses on ones finger tips.

I don't know how nice the glue will treat the fretboard, but I thought it was an interesting idea.

This same guy said that open tuning could make any novice sound like an expert, by the way.
 
Re: Neats Tricks

play your guitar and you wont need to worry about artificial calluses
 
Re: Neats Tricks

Learn the full frequency spectrum (EQ) and how each freq affects your guitar's tone.
 
Re: Neats Tricks

Does the watch even fit in that pocket in modern jeans? I've heard people say it's for the "rubber" actually...
It used to be referred to D.U. as a money pocket. Eitherway " Pick pocket " doesn't sound right !:friday:
 
Re: Neats Tricks

On those days when you know you should practice/play and just keep putting it off, I always think....picking it up is the hard part, once you do the rest is fun.
 
Re: Neats Tricks

Learning to play without a pick if needed can come really useful at a times.

I've never had any problems using my index's nail as a pick,,,,,even trimmed as short as possible.
The only limitation is that I can't alt-pick or trem-pick with any real speed or precision,,,,,but for down-stroking it works and sounds good.
Just pretend you're holding a pick normally and the nail becomes the pick.
 
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