Holy smokes! I knew they came from old phone systems, but they're literally from the very first switchboard almost unchanged since 1880's!
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Holy smokes! I knew they came from old phone systems, but they're literally from the very first switchboard almost unchanged since 1880's!
ehdwuld
A Ficus
Artie
Peaveyologist
I can kinda see a rational for this, even though I'm sure it wasn't by design: Guitarists have their own favorite system, so the stock buttons are just cheap place holders for what the customer actually wants. Roughly equivalent to choosing one's own strings or case.
Same with the LP-style toggle. (The Switchcraft.) Super archaic switch. It works, but it's gigantic considering the signal it carries.
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This all makes me think of consumer products like TV's or car stereos. They have shared industry standards like HDMI or VESA mounting patterns or DIN sizes. Those came about in some way from competitors cooperating for the good of the industry. I've never observed the guitar business to work like that. So many examples where just basic info like specs or dimensions aren't published like they're trade secrets. Or builders unnecessarily making proprietary parts when off the shelf would work fine. (similar to when Apple insisted on not using USB chargers, finally they caved)
So we get something commonplace like the 6 string humbucker has twice the number of minor variations in spacing, size, shape, and mounting pattern than are needed.
PS - anyone remember Neutrik locking jacks from rack gear making it onto some boutique guitars in the 90's?
So we get something commonplace like the 6 string humbucker has twice the number of minor variations in spacing, size, shape, and mounting pattern than are needed.
PS - anyone remember Neutrik locking jacks from rack gear making it onto some boutique guitars in the 90's?
The history of this stuff is wild...Same is true for blade switches. The CRL 3 way still used on Teles goes back to 1939. Check out the array of 4 in the metal panel. Somewhere else I had read these were used in elevators but I can't find it.
Artie
Peaveyologist
But instead they include something that no one wants- any player is going to need the strap to stay on, and what we are provided with simply doesn't work for very long. It is like selling a guitar without strings because everyone changes them to what they like. Just give us a system that works well- we can change it later if we want to.
Artie
Peaveyologist
weepingminotaur
Well-known member
Not sure that analogy holds up. A guitar without a strap lock is still playable if you have a strap. A guitar without strings is literally unplayable.
I don't have strap locks on any of my guitars and I don't feel their absence. My straps are pretty decent quality and I rarely if ever have issues with a strap coming off the guitar. In some ways, I'm glad guitar tech hasn't fallen victim to the "innovations for their own sake to make dude techbros an obscene amount of money" late-capitalist phenomenon.
No strings I think is an extreme example to make a point. I've heard some crazy big business ideas though. If you told me a number cruncher at a big maker is saying why ship the guitars with strings if half get tossed before sale, we'll save big bucks, let the retailer do it...well I'd have no problem believing that. But as you said its too integral to the instrument to be practical.
I think the advent of the digital amps is where the guitar world is getting forced down the consumer tech rabbit hole. I've had lower priced digital amps and effects fail in part or whole within 5 years with no way to fix, yet a tube amp from 1955 you can still get parts for.
Gear like Fractal is legit impressive innovation. But I'm nervous to shell out the money then have it start losing features after 5 years like a smartphone or Smart TV or one day need a paid subscription to get "software updates". I'm sure others here can school me in the world of Fractal I'd like to know more about them.
What would you like to know about them?
weepingminotaur
Well-known member
Agreed. The affordability and innovation of modelling amps is a good example of the guitar world stepping into the 21st century, but planned obsolescence is just as big a danger in some ways as availability of parts and general support. I love my Boss Katana, though. Being able to create as many patches as I want in Tone Studio and just dial them into the amp channels as needed is amazing.
How easy is it to just plug and play versus having to install and learn new software to program it?
How far can you get with the FX9 or FX3 and the included software? Or do you really need the foot controller or another MIDI controller or other add-ons to get the most out of it?
Thanks...
Yeah, I also very rarely have problems with any strap falling off of regular old strap buttons. Usually has more to do with the strap. On guitar/strap combos where it's a possible issue, those elliptical pins work well.
Even show after show?
Yup. Show after show, rehearsal after rehearsal. The strap I used most of the time when I was playing my Explorer live is an old nylon strap, very stiff, and it was a good tight fit over the strap buttons. Also never had a problem with my various basses at shows. I do hold my instruments kind of high and I don't sling them around, so they're always hanging against my torso.
I have had occasional problems at home with some straps that aren't secure over some buttons. I find that the ones with the cheap one-ply leather ends and no stitching are prone to get loose, and some straps have holes that are just cut bigger to begin with. I put elliptical buttons on my Explorer to make the leather straps more secure. My LP came with bigger buttons to begin with, and I've had zero issues so far but I haven't played that one out yet.
Honestly, I've never heard of anyone that was ok with stock strap buttons. Usually, early in a performance career, there is either an actual strap that gives way completely or a very close call, which causes most players to never take chances with the stock stuff ever again.
Well, I wouldn't call my live shows a "performance career", but I did play out with bands for years when I was in NY, and a bit in MA, and there were a few years where we were also rehearsing like animals, running our set twice in a row 2 or 3 times a week. Never once had a strap come loose. It's only happened at home.
