The 5 Most Overrated Guitar Trends

[@capykepro]

Holy shit, give us a solo, Nick Avocado 😭😭🙏🙏🙏

[@mattfranceschini]

First time a comment has left me speechless 😂

[@connormckee4431]

He’s always two steps ahead

[@rs1357]

I was confused for a second as well when I click in this video😂

[@Slamster1996]

I thought this is him 😂

[@MuiltiLightRider]

Tone wood or neck bolting type affecting the sound of an electric guitar. So much electric guitar marketing is just a lot of BS and exaggerations

[@mattfranceschini]

I agree with you on bolt on vs set neck but I would argue that tone wood does affect the sound. It’s not as significant as any company would want you to believe (for example I would never consider the wood a deal breaker when shopping for a guitar) but overall in my experience the tone wood does affect the baseline tone. Nothing that you couldn’t EQ away but I understand being particularly choosy if you’re spending a good amount of money on a guitar!

[@СергейЖаврид-г8т]

​@@mattfranceschini -_-

[@imieniainazwiskaniepodam411]

​@@mattfranceschini "tone wood does affect the sound." Nope :) It absolutelly does not in an electric guitar. It is just physics, or to be more precise - electromagnetism. Strings, pickups, pots, amp etc., is what affect the sound. Material that the body is made of can at most affect sustain, and when it comes to just wood (not build quality, type of body, etc, but just the type wood) the difference even in sustain is so small it's negligible. I'm sure that when you play you think you can heat it, but if you were to conduct a proper controlled double blind test, you wouldn't be able to tell apart different types of wood on a rate better than chance. Tonewood affecting sound is the same spiel as locking tuners helping with tuning - a thing that manufacturers spread because they can make money off of it, and then is also spread by some buyers because that is the only way their purchase makes sense to them :)

[@aidensherman6146]

@@mattfranceschini-_-

[@mattfranceschini]

My reason for believing in tonewood is physics as well actually. When you think of the guitar as a wholistic system it seems perfectly probably to me that the wood would slightly affect the frequencies present in the vibrating strings. Like I said in my previous comment, I do not think that this makes enough of a difference to matter in any other situation than you are custom ordering your dream guitar in which case by all means go for it. I think any difference in tone woods (which is again negligible) is capable of being eq’d out to your desired sound.

[@brandonhuang9251]

Coated strings are really the life-saver for me. I live in south part of China, where the humudity in the air normally goes to higher than 90% in summer times. New guitar strings would normally get rusted in couples day (like 2 or 3 days) even if I don't touch it at all. I always avoid using coated string coz some of the myths of tune and the harms to fret. Finally I tried Elixir coated strings for the first time last summer, it truly last forever, never even got rusted in half of the year. Compared to the normal strings (Ernie ball or ddario), coated strings truly changed the way of my guitar playing. Highly recommanded for anyone who plays guitar in tropical or sub-tropical areas🤤

[@mattfranceschini]

If I lived in China's humidity I would probably be right there with you! Glad you found a solution that works for you!

[@JSession]

Same I tired coat strings a few weeks ago and WOW so many wasted years lol

[@gotd4m]

Coated strings have made a HUGE difference for me.

[@SuicideVan]

I'll do anything to stretch out the time in between string changes on my Ibanez RG with floyd-rose tremolo. I hate changing strings on that guitar.

[@DesT-yy6fi]

I totally concur with this. I live in Thailand and after every session on my guitar my maple fretboard and finger tips look like poo. A set of coated Daddario strings has been a game changer.

[@freddymclain]

I have a huge problem with the entire vintage guitar industry, and it is an industry. Also, 'relics' make me ill. I want to be the one who 'marks' my guitar. By the way, I own three Eastman guitars and I love 'em.

[@mattfranceschini]

I've never played an Eastman I didn't like!

[@freddymclain]

@@mattfranceschini Yeah, they're groovy. I made a livin' with mine. I paid $1500 for an 805CE (used, but near mint) years ago. It has been my go-to axe for years. If the big 'G' logo were on the headstock, it would have cost thousands more. Made in China, largely by Chinese women.

[@ShaunPanzer]

I HATE “ relic “ guitars 🎸. I am always cleaning my guitars so they look good and I can’t wrap my head around buying a new guitar that looks shitty

[@freddymclain]

@@ShaunPanzer right? who does that?

[@craigwillms61]

Hate relic guitars as well. Scars and marks, wear and scratches should be authentic. I have three high end guitars and I try try try to keep them looking like new - or - at least do not treat them roughly. Cheers

[@HandyL]

It’s all about the neck, you are so right on about not having to spend a lot to get a nice instrument. My $15 no name Stratocaster rocks!

[@mattfranceschini]

In terms of enjoying a guitar is it definitely all about the neck!

[@AndyDion]

I think the big disconnect is between working musicians vs hobbyist vs collectors. All have different wants and needs. It’s all good, more people playing guitar the better in my book. Rock on 🤘

[@mattfranceschini]

Agreed!

[@WizDawg]

Well said. Let people do what they like. It keeps the industry going.

[@williamb773]

Sorry, gotta disagree on the amp tip. A small modeling amp is super convenient for small live venues or recording, but nothing sounds like a 100w tube head on a 4x12. I find the modeling amps have a very noticeable digital quality. Me no likey. Just my opinion, of course.

[@mattfranceschini]

I think the 100 watt head and 4x12's are epic. I used to own one! But I've gotta say that modelling is equal to it in terms of end sound. Modelling will never be able to replicate the feeling of playing a tube amp but in terms of sound I've done remote session work where the producer has reached out to ask what amp I was using only to be shocked that it was an HX Stomp. I'm not saying you shouldn't play what you like BUT in 2024 the modellers are there sound wise. There's a reason more and more pro's are making the switch to Helix, Fractal and Quad Cortex.

[@williamb773]

@ I’ve no doubt your experience with modeling amps has been great and maybe I need to give them another test drive. So far, I haven’t loved them, but I recognize the convenience factor is great. My Mesa Mark V head has probably spoiled me in terms of tone, but you’re absolutely correct that the stack is a monster to lug around. I picked up a 2x12 cab for smaller rooms, so that helps! Either way, I enjoyed your video. Keep it up.

[@mattfranceschini]

I should specify that when I'm talking about modelling I'm not talking about the boss katana's or fender mustang practice amps. I'm talking about Helix's, Quad Cortex's and Axe Fx's that are more than capable of replicating tube distortion etc. If we're talking cheap sub $300 amps I completely agree with there being a "digital" sound. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@avi4767]

​@@mattfranceschini my problem with that as a counter argument is that most guitarists play for the enjoyment of playing and not to create a record or make other people happy with their recordings. For most guitarists it's between you the guitar and the amp and that experience is what's important, and you lose alot of that experience when you play DI.

[@mattfranceschini]

@@avi4767 I play my HX Stomp through a small PA speaker at home. Sounds like an amp and feels like an amp. I can go from cranked marshall tones to fender deluxe reverb tones all in the turn of a switch and all at a reasonable volume. It's perfectly fine to prefer a real tube amp but it is not necessary at all.

[@KnapfordMaster98]

The KZbin algorithm is definitely screwed up, what are all of these sensible, rational opinions doing in the guitar recommendations? In all seriousness, great takes. At the end of the day, just play the damn music because that’s all that really matters.

[@mattfranceschini]

Amen!

[@daniels7624]

I think ppl have no idea what a guitar sounds like because all we listen to are recorded guitars. All the things in the chain (Guitar plektrum -> Strings -> Wood -> Pickups -> Cables -> Amp - > Speakers -> Mic -> Mic angle ) will change the character of the sound we are hearing. And from all the youtube videos i saw about how-to-get-a-great-guitar-tone the AMP, the MIC and the MIC ANGLE are the things that will change 80% of the sound quality. The guitar and the pickups is just 20%. Sorry if that upsets some ppl.

[@ondrejkauzal8969]

Well, replace AMP with SPEAKER and you're more correct. Amp is important, but the speaker can make any amp sound drstically different.

[@poulwinther]

Minus wood. Makes zero difference.

[@alexleonard5601]

My Yamaha acoustic was $200 brand new and I’ve certainly got my moneys worth out of it + I don’t feel bad taking it out places. With that said, my buddies 1960s Gibson is the lowest action smoothest playing guitar I’ve ever touched in my life. Maybe a proper luthier setup on another guitar could compare but I haven’t found one that is as buttery smooth as that Gibson. It is also weighted perfectly, feels like it is anchored to you and extremely stable. For a 60+ year old guitar it plays beautifully. In some ways I think there has been regression in the guitar industry because the manufacturers aren’t putting the same love into their craft (with a few far too pricey exceptions). It’s all about the money for most brands. I agree with you on the coated strings, with the caveat that they are better for guitars that sit for a long time and that they are lower maintenance which is good for getting beginners to enjoy picking up and playing the guitar albeit a bit more pricey. With that said I use non-coated strings on all my guitars because I play them regularly and don’t mind changing the strings.

[@mattfranceschini]

If you're spending less than $750 on a guitar I don't think you can do better than a yamaha! Back when I worked in a guitar store I was consistently blown away by the quality and sound of those things. I now am fortunate to own a beautiful american made martin (000-17) and I love it to death but if it were to be stolen or perish in a fire I would likely purchase a cheap Yamaha to replace it as while I love acoustic guitar, it is not the vehicle with which I earn my living! If people like the feel of coated strings more power to them but I cant justify playing strings that I dislike when they're more expensive and don't last long enough to warrant the cost!

[@alexleonard5601]

@@mattfranceschini gotta bring home the bacon at the end of the day, I can respect it. I play both electric and acoustic and only for fun/emotional release but that Yamaha has been through hell with me and it was with me in a part of my life where I needed music most, despite being my cheapest guitar it’s by far the most sentimental to me and the reason I even dove into music theory or guitar beyond 4 chords and a capo. The desire to chase that sound in your head and getting closer day by day is a hugely rewarding feeling. Let’s hope your Martin stays safe lol but if not you know Yamaha has you covered

[@rustyshackleford9557]

45+ years makin'a livin'with guitar. 5 trends I see that hinder a player: 1) playing make-believe rather than learning to actually play 2) failing to become a good rythmn player. A 4 minute song might have a 30 second solo. Learn what to do on that other 3 and a half minutes. 3)learn the lingo so you can communicate on stage. If a guy waves two fingers, he is telling you a IIm (2 minor) is comming up. If he says " sting it from the five" for the intro, learn what he means. 4) spend as much time practicing as you spend shopping 5) learn your fingerboard and what makes a chord. Memorizing chord shapes is ok but you can never memorize all the chords you will likely need.

[@mattfranceschini]

Yes to all things listed!

[@rustyshackleford9557]

Btw, yes! You are presenting a much needed sensibility to the guitar world. I don't care for coated electric strings but I do some session work and I really like the Cleartone acoustic strings. They don't get all fuzzy like Elixirs. I found some in a clearance barrel one day🤑 so I put em on a Yamaha acoustic. Dang! They stayed new sounding for about 3 times what a regular set of phosphor bronze do.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough! Cleartones are pretty hard to come by where I'm located but if I see a set I may have to check them out!

[@rustyshackleford9557]

@mattfranceschini I have no clue if they even make em still. These were so cheap I couldn't resist and I put em on a fairly inexpensive solid top Yamaha. I used those on some sessions and really liked em but never looked into buying more. I like NEW strings. I asked a guy doing a workshop once, " what is your favorite string?" He replied, " ones that I can afford to change often"

[@zendakk]

6) Get over the irrational fear and silly misconceptions, and ... learn theory. It's not a set of "rules" that you HAVE to follow and thus emasculate you from your free-spirit, rebellious rock 'n rollness lol. It's a system that describes and labels natural sound phenomena and how they relate, so we can give things a name, which makes it more convenient to write them down and communicate with other musicians. That's all. "Break" what you might think are rules all you want, that's fine, but even then, you can describe that in terms of theory.

[@uncleren]

I'll one up you on the budget custom strat - I took a Walmart Silvertone body and attached a Squier Affinity neck and some Fender Deluxe Drive pickups. Running through various modelers, this thing plays and sounds like a dream and I have no desire to pay more for a "real" strat. 90% of the tone comes from the pickups and effects. Neck comfort is really the only factor to be considered from a playability perspective.

[@mattfranceschini]

Sounds like a cool build! I agree that the neck comfort is the most important aspect!

[@fearcry]

My 15-year-old Squier stays in tune better than my American Pro 2 with locking tuners. In my opinion, locking tuners are a scam...

[@MrStickthrower2001]

Locking tuners are about quick string changes. That's it.

[@donanders2110]

Did you put locking tuners on it! The Am Pro II does not come with lockers?

[@fearcry]

@@donanders2110 Yes, I put on it. Just for quick string changes :)

[@fearcry]

@@MrStickthrower2001 I agree with :)

[@ejmachuca9355]

Locking tuners negate "un-streched" guitar strings on the post. A lot of folks don't take much care wrapping the string on the post. The more wraps on the post the more string you have that keeps stretching So, they do help because you don't have wraps on the post constantly stretching. It's a little thing but, locking tuners remove that issue.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough but with grovers running you $135 here in canada I'd much rather just take care winding my strings!

[@GregBennett]

I’m all about digital modeling amps. I use a Fender Mustang amp and although people scoff at it, I don’t care and love it. They recently updated the app and it’s even better than before.

[@mattfranceschini]

A ton of my students use Mustangs and things like the spark mini. If you're just playing at home for your own enjoyment with an occasional gig there's no need for anything more!

[@jimsteele2072]

Great amp, I have one, my brother in law gigs with his. Bar band. ✌️

[@brunocarvalho9055]

I’m super happy with my Orange Crush 12 😂 it does everything I want and need

[@HappyHermitt]

I have a 20 year old Vox Valvetronix that survived being submerged in muddy flood water for 2 days. I still use it and can't get rid of it for that reason.

[@wagonet]

Love the new haircut! You look great with shaved head. I shaved mine 4 years ago and love how easy it is to get outta the house haha

[@mattfranceschini]

I am certainly enjoying less upkeep! I will be growing it out to see how I look with a proper short hairstyle but it's nice to know that I have a nicely shaped head haha!

[@GodOfWarPlayer-qv6ye]

1. Locking tuners can definitely help out with tuning stability because you use less windings and doesn't become as loose. Same concept behind locking saddles. 2. Agreed. 3. Agreed, but nothing new. I do think that older guitars have better wood though. 4. Agreed. MIJ is the way. 5. Sooooooo Agree

[@mattfranceschini]

I guess in theory but I have never had a problem with too many windings on non locking tuners so again they don't seem to have much benefit other than marginally faster string changes for me!

[@vestebansbloodbox3130]

I DEFINITELY agree with the Squire vs American Fender argument. I will never spend more that $1k on a guitar ever again, there just isn't any reason to. And that goes for most brands. I actually generally agree with the rest of these too. I do like locking tuners simply for the ease of changing strings out (I'm impatient haha), but otherwise yeah, I haven't found them to do anything one way or the other for improving tuning stability.

[@mattfranceschini]

If you've got the money to spend on a nicer guitar by all means but yes. If all of my guitars were to be stolen or die in a fire I would likely buy a squier and mod it to be a jack of all trades to replace them and not be much worse off for it!

[@junkbonds]

I just struggled replacing the strings on a guitar w/ tremolo where they kept popping out from the tailpiece and slipping out of the tuners on the other side. It never took me that long on a fixed bridge before. Locking tuners instead of needing a third hand or capo would have been really convenient.

[@mattfranceschini]

Interesting, I guess that is one very specific case for locking tuners

[@NicholasANappiNick]

The Murphy aged cracks me up take a brand new $3000 guitar F it up and sell it for $10000 and people lap it up 😢😢😢😢

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough 😂

[@freddymclain]

George Carlin was right...people are stupid.

[@donanders2110]

I am surprised no one has called you broke or jealous!! It has nothing to do with cost it is value!! The fact the a guitar is 3 times as much because someone “aged” it is ridiculous! IMHO!

[@andreasfetzer7559]

The funny thing ist, after it was proven , that tonewood on solidbodys does not play a role in the electric sound, people now start over with this bullshit, even with poly against nitro finish , its getting crazier and crazier. As a 60 year old pro, i allways tell my students : Practice and play the shit out of your guitar, instead of comparing relic, laquer or tonewood bs.😊

[@kimjunkmoon2298]

I live in a relatively humid area, but nowhere near tropical level humidity, and coated strings are a 100% improvement over uncoated strings, mostly due to my acidic sweat. New strings keep the new string "twang" for 3 days and become completely dark after a week or two. My problem with coated stings is the opposite, they keep a little "new string twang" forever, which I dislike in my sound. However, my go to strings are actually flatwounds for jazz and for metal, which barely oxidize for me and I love the duller and "rubbery" tone they give. But for roundwounds (and acoustic especially) coated string are now a must for me.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough!

[@m-baka]

6. Guitar Influencers

[@WolfieboyMachi]

The best locking tuners are D'Addario's self-trimming locking tuners. You put the string in as far as it goes, lock the string in place, then start to tune. Then in just a couple turns, the tuner trims off the end of the string. Not a single fraction of a millimeter of string goes beyond the tuning hole, which makes it impossible for anything sharp to rip or stab into anything.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough! Too expensive for me to care about putting them on any of my guitars though!

[@WolfieboyMachi]

@mattfranceschini Fair enough. I like modding and personalizing my guitars, though, since no companies actually make guitars the way I want them anyway, and so splurging on some awesome tuners is just part of that process.

[@SuicideVan]

Locking tuners are very convenient and like you I'm building my own guitars to exactly how I want so if I'm buying a set of tuners why not locking?

[@KevinHGoDawgs]

I agree with everything you said except for coated strings. For 5 years my duo partner and I had a regular gig at a Mexican restaurant, and here in the South in summer it gets very hot and humid, and after an hour of framming away, my fingers get sweaty. I love my Elixers, and they do last longer. Also, locking tuners are nice if you’re gigging and break a string and need to make a quick change. But this was a great video and the two disagreements I listed are merely just personal choice anyway.

[@mattfranceschini]

Really glad you enjoyed the video! It seems a lot of people really swear by their coated strings, I guess my sweat isn't acidic enough to pose too much of a problem because I've kept my normal D'addario XL's alive for tour's with 12 back to back sweaty shows etc just by wiping them down. As you say at the end, as long as whoever is playing the guitar is happy that's all that counts!

[@joggerino3284]

After playing classical guitar during my youth and a 15 year break, I wanted to buy an electric guitar recently. If I hadn't bought a used Cort KX500 with active pickups, I would have gone for an PRS SE, probably with the 08 double single coil split or the DGT SE or the Yamaha Pacifica 112V. I invested the money I saved in the Katana Artist Gen3, which is probably too much for me, but I really do like it. No need for more stuff blocking my room. At high gain, only the pickup type matters, not the brandname. For clean sounds, it is different. Modeling Amps are the future.

[@mattfranceschini]

Amazing!

[@randygeren]

You are right the slots in the nut must be wider so the strings can't bind and then lube them no more tuning problems.

[@paristhalheimer]

As for companies not making changes, that's the player's fault. Every time Fender comes out with a new invasion, a lot of players are like, that's a gimmick and the guitar disappears due to lack of sales. Guitar players can be very traditional and stuck. I owned Strat Dlx Plus with personality cards (wiring changes on the fly), locking tuners, and compound radius neck. Wonderful guitar. Tanked in the market. Fender is starting to make some headway with the new Elites. I don't like the way they play or sound, but they are good guitars.

[@mattfranceschini]

I totally agree. The sad thing with the market is I bet if half of the players actually got to A/B a traditional fender radius to a flatter or even compound radius most would prefer the compound so long as they weren't told that the 9.5 was the traditional one!

[@dcamnc1]

I don't care for coated strings either

[@philmcnamara5907]

Totally agree on modelers! I gig with a helix direct into the PA - sound guys love it, it sounds great, and I can dial in my exact tone at home with headphones. Don’t see myself ever buying an amp again

[@mattfranceschini]

Same here! The first time I played a pop gig going straight into the monitors it felt like I was hearing my guitar in 4k rather than the usual woofy disaster stage volume + mix!

[@ymelfilm]

dont u have to EQ differently at home compared to the band environment on stage?

[@mattfranceschini]

Almost never! If I do it’s as simple as globally (global settings affect all presets) taking off a little low end if the room is particularly boomy. I don’t own an amp anymore and run through a light weight PA speaker, so when I play gigs I usually sound exactly the same, just louder!

[@djhoneylove5710]

I like the inexpensive locking tuners, but you are correct the tuning issue is mostly with the nut and bridge. Roller nut is an under utilized legit option.

[@mattfranceschini]

Never tried a roller nut but I am curious!

[@AJNpa80]

My favorite tuners are slot tops. They take any size and are simple for customizing. Can unstring it without cutting a lot easier. Capo, Back off, lift off. Also With a trapeaze harp or otherwise you can un hook it all, spool around something and move them out of the way. Paper towel core, start at head, spool to tail, unclip trapeze, capo plate to spool in center. I got good at popping them back on through the little swirly coil. It would take too many words to describe but its simple as its obvious where it goes with the string in the center at the top of the coil being the bit that goes in the slot when hou send the shaft up the middle.

[@jcwoodstl]

I put locking tuners on everything, not because of tuning issues but because it takes less time to change strings. I love them. Mostly Grovers, some Klusons, and fender sets on the fender guitars

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough!

[@nolawnnate5934]

Thank you for these, Matt especially the second half :) why do people lug themselves around in an heavy empty pickup truck is similar to amp question - i appreciate how no wifi code is necessary to have fun playing :) Material and labor are critical lenses for guitar trends and others. Including plastic coating in the string production or amp creates a problem down the line, cheers

[@willhaylock3769]

I have locking tuners on my Fender Ultra Strat, they just make life so much easier than the non-locking ones on my other 5 guitars. The only reason I wouldn't put them on my Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s and SG 61 is because it would make those guitars 'less suthentic' :)

[@DrDizzleFrizzle]

So regarding locking tuners, the idea behind them improving tuning stability comes from the old school way to string up your guitar with multiple wraps around the tuning pegs that can stretch. By pulling the string tight and locking it, there's nothing to go around the peg. However, the biggest issue with that is that people tend to use a luthier's knot when windings aren't necessary, but then when we get to fenders and gibsons where wrapping down or up the peg is essential because of the headstock angles, it totally defeats the purpose of a locking tuner, especially since traditional fender style tuners basically do the same thing. As someone that works on guitars...locking tuners are wonderful. Still, the only real difference between good and bad tuners these days is backlash and ratio. Ratio is pretty subjective, but tuners with dead zones are the absolute worst. Grover minis are still by far the best tuners I've ever encountered, but I've also tried some open back grovers that were terrible.

[@DrDizzleFrizzle]

oh, and coated strings are really only beneficial for people with very acidic fingers. Some people will legitimately KILL uncoated strings in one sitting, it's insane.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair points!

[@ldtheo01]

At 9:12ish you mentioned an “aftermarket Mexican Custom Shop neck”… Can you share the contact info or link to this custom shop? Thanks for the content by the way! I agree 100% on all points.

[@mattfranceschini]

Ironically they can be ordered from amazon which is where I got mine. It seems fender has started using their mexican facilities to produce roasted maple replacement necks!

[@ldtheo01]

Thank you 👍

[@Gearhart_Music]

Locking tuners only help if you use the tremolo, and even then it depends on how hard you go with that tremolo, in addition to the nut and/or saddles. It's not a perfect solution but it's a nice solution if you don't like floyds, or you do more subtle vibrato.

[@mattfranceschini]

I use quite a bit of vibrato and somewhat frequent bends and never have an issue without locking tuners but to each their own!

[@BENfromSUNDIAL]

I know they're an unnecessary luxury but I just love D'Addario's Auto-Trim locking tuners. After locking them down, it's just so satisfying to turn it and have the excess string snip off. They leave no sharp string end, and you can easily take them on and off if you need to work on the guitar.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough!

[@mklinger23]

10:00 this is why i like prs as a company. Don't get me wrong, theyre still a guitar company, but they came out and said "hey look. These Indonesian guitars are great. Just buy one of them. The factory is great." They still sell the usa made guitars at a crazy price and they are a little better, but they dont act like the SE line is inferior. The american guitars just have a little extra polish.

[@mattfranceschini]

Totally fair!

[@John-sn4hl]

Can you link the equipment you're using

[@mattfranceschini]

In this video I'm using a partscaster with a squier body, roasted maple neck, wilkinson alnico V pickups. For amps I run an HX stomp usually modelling a fender amp into an Alto 8 inch PA wedge. Picks I'm using Dunlop Flow 0.88 Tortex D'addario Standard XL 12-52 strings

[@michaelmueller8746]

I like locking tuners for quick string change at a gig Otherwise I don't think there is any more or less tuning stability

[@PetParadiseVB]

I much prefer my locking tuners. Just because it makes string changes easier. I won’t change to them if a guitar has normal tuners, but I do prefer them.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough!

[@NoBSMusicReviews]

I started with modelers with the ax effect ultra. I’ve used atomic wedges. I’ve used guitar cabs. I’ve played with impulse responses. And i’ve used other modelers. All of that stuff. And then I built an enormous pedal board because I really got sick of fucking around with menus within menus within menus. I can come up with sounds quicker and more organically by twiddling knobs. True, some of the devices on my pedaleboard, have menus built into them, which increases their complexity. But their user interface still have basic tone shaping functions accesible via an emulation of an analog knob interface. And that is much more convenient and much more conducive for my creative process.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough!

[@omarmega4093]

Im a big fan of pedals but in a sense that I was very passionate chosing the ones I have, that is: a whammy, one overdrive, a fuzz, a delay and a reverb, Im also very passionate of vintage gear and I think you are right, there is no way I could get the quality of my fender bassman that I got for dirty cheap (Its a silverface) in the brand-new market, wich is sad. I absolutely agree with you about overseas guitars and locking tuners. The coated strings I would say retain their brightness a little longer and I also play a lot but my experience is with fingerstyle bass so that might need to be taken into account.

[@mattfranceschini]

Wicked!

[@hughjanus5518]

I got to disagree on the part about PRS not being Innovative anymore. Look at their amplifiers currently and the narrow field pickups that they just produced that are humbuckers that sound like single coils. If you're referring to PRS doing more modern things like multi-scale necks or Active Electronics, no they're not doing any of those things.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough! Nice user name btw

[@vorpalblades]

They don't sound like single coils. They don't even sound like P-90's.

[@ivecaughtfire7431]

I think coated strings are a preference thing. I LOVE Elixirs on electric guitar & have almost always used them on everything Ive ever played & owned. I love how bright they are & I also actually like the slick feeling b/c it just at least to my hands plays faster. I dont really care whether they last longer b/c if youre using the guitar as a tool & not jut as a hobby then you have to change strings long before they ever actually "go dead" regardless.

[@mattfranceschini]

I'd be inclined to agree on it being a preference thing! In my case, no way am I going to pay twice as much for strings that I don't like the feel of!

[@avi4767]

Last point is mute, tube amps do things you can't with modelers. Modelers can do things tubes cant. It depends on the type of music your playing

[@mattfranceschini]

Outside of the physical sensation of tweaking the knobs/feeling the heat from them I don't think there's anything a tube amp does that a modeller can't.

[@Airifi]

To touch on your last point as a semi beginner, I don’t have an amp or anything yet. I’m just wondering what kind of amp should I get then? I’ve been looking at the mustang LT40S, just wondering if that’s good. I just wanna be able to get the most effects/tones for a good price.

[@mattfranceschini]

My top recommendation for beginners would be the tc spark series amps. Probably the best bang for your buck in terms of amps and effects available to you and it will let you explore lots of different sounds before you commit to either a big proper amp or a more advanced digital modelling setup! That said, the mustangs are great beginner amps if you want a more traditional amp experience.

[@bluwng]

My experimentation has shown that tuning stability on a floating trem has more to do with movement of the string in the sustain block ( not a good name it has nothing to do with sustain it’s just an anchor point this why mass doesn’t matter).

[@mattfranceschini]

I would agree with this take!

[@NateWolfson]

Main guitar is a squire thin line Tele body with an all parts neck, partscasters for lyyyyyyfe

[@mattfranceschini]

Partscasters are great!

[@slayer91340]

My cousin has a quax cortex, and that thing is amazing. Also an amazing experience if you want to practice at low volume vs a tube amp obviously. Only thing, when it's all said and done, I wasn't happy with it turned up vs my JVM 410. Didn't sound as raw, and couldn't get the feedback I needed. But it still sounded amazing. For me, it fit modern music a lot more. I also think it's my taste in 80s thrash. I need a bit of dirt and not too perfect noise gate. All personal preference

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough!

[@mcbrite]

I just ordered my first guitar and it turns out I prefer my guitars Swedish designed and Malasian made, if you catch my drift... 😀 (Boden Essential, I had over 3 years worth of AmEx points saved up! Tuesday!

[@mattfranceschini]

Amazing! I almost pulled the trigger on a Boden essential, wishing you many joyous hours of playing your sweet new rig!

[@mcbrite]

@@mattfranceschini Thank you kindly, even more so for the videos, I liked and subbed! 👍

[@timesurfingalien]

Considering that most budget brand producers are licensed to do/make OEM products/parts for the major players, i really dont think it makes s difference where its made.

[@mattfranceschini]

Totally

[@munterdoo]

First comment on the locking tuners. Yeah you're right most issues are either at the bridge or the nut. I just use them just to have a little extra stability. But when you talk about the money and you have mentioned Grover Rover's really not that expensive and Grover's locking tuners are really not that expensive neither are fenders there's another name brand company but now when you go into like Shaller now you're talking about a completely unjustified praise. I get it they're a German company and Germans are known for years and bearings but still I've seen their locking tuners go up to 2:00 to $300 for tuners!!

[@cellardwellerproductions5125]

Hey Matt, Well you can't break those arguments. They are very strong opinions, backed by a hard earned experience. I like that. I don't remember the article off hand. But, they were talking about the Blues Cube and the next generation. And to paraphrase the quote he said, 'they are very close now, to replicating the exact sound and will eventually get it'. I believe it, too. Yes, I have three of those amps, that weigh more than my retirement age and a new Boss Nextone, that I truly love. Interesting video. Keep 'em coming.

[@mattfranceschini]

Cheers!

[@ArnoVdVelde]

I kinda expect the high prices on US is to make a lot from the, but also to indirectly push up the price of the imports. Noone would be paying 1500 for an import and now there are imports that very comfortably sit in the 1000-2000 range.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough. I still can’t believe how much the price of Mexican fenders has gone up in my 16 years of playing!

[@fuzzylogickben]

I've just had a heart attack. I replaced the tuners on my Les Paul with Grover years ago. I don't remember them being very expensive ... Just had a look and they're about 4x the price I paid. Surely inflation hasn't been that high!

[@mattfranceschini]

The prices are criminal these days!

[@ghijkmnop]

I'm an acoustic player, and have been for 50 years (ACK!). 1. I love and install locking tuners for a single reason: String changes are FAR faster, not just a couple of seconds on an acoustic--oftentimes less than one minute. 2. I use coated strings because of finger noise, not for durability. 3. I agree--there is far too much reverence for old guitar tech. 4. Strongly agree. 5. Strongly agree here as well.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough! I haven't noticed life changing time savings on my Martin with locking tuners but to each their own. I never thought about coated strings for string noise but that makes sense!

[@matthewbridges5693]

This is hilarious. Our conversation last Friday hit every point except coated strings. Lol!

[@mattfranceschini]

Hahaha I think you’re right!

[@michaelmaia1978]

I discovered a way to keep strings fresh that is much more effective than coated strings : leave the guitar in it's case and don't open it. You'll see, it can last years... 😄

[@mikepretorius6350]

@@michaelmaia1978 yes, it does help

[@gordonray3091]

That guitar your holding. What are the extra switches for? Thank you.

[@mattfranceschini]

The short story is 3 individual coil splits as well as the ability to get pickup selections unavailable with a 5 way switch (neck and bridge or all three in series). The long story can be found here in a full breakdown on this guitar! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3q9qoOOf7msbZo

[@gordonray3091]

@@mattfranceschini Thank you sir. I appreciate it.

[@mattrickard2283]

Chiming in on the coated strings. Elixirs are my go to. Its cause I rust everything else out so fast, I dont want to change strings that often. 15+ years, work great for me.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough! I've never had that problem but having something that works for you is what's important at the end of the day!

[@lubossajda3705]

As regards point 3, you are wrong to think that companies like Gibson or Fender would like to keep specs vintage only, on the contrary, for years they have been trying to modernise their designs, but it is the players who refuse the changes.

[@mattfranceschini]

This is a very fair point!

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

My top 5 overrated guitar trends: 5: Vintage sound. 4: Vintage spec. 3. Vintage style. 2. Vintage tone. 1. Vintage blend.

[@Dnell-tb1yd]

The only problem is players have rejected anything other than the “classics” from Fender and Gibson. Both companies have tried numerous models and modifications and nearly all have been sales failures

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

@ While I love Teles and only play USA 3 saddle models, with 9.5 radius, I do like the traditional look but 7.25 with tiny frets isn’t really for me. I like hot output too like Texas Specials. Strats, for me must have a 6 screw bridge, 9.5 radius. Looks vintage but plays more modern. I’ve left the vintage thing behind me ages ago!

[@Slamster1996]

Man 100% hates vintage

[@pauldavies961]

love the new look!

[@mattfranceschini]

Thank you!

[@AvroBellow]

Holy hell, a Canadian who has been playing for 16 years, has several videos but doesn't own any Canadian guitars. Come on man, you gotta represent! Don't you have at least SOME pride in the amazing quality and value that Canadian guitars offer? I started with a Washburn Strat and then I got a Gibson SG. Up until that point, I had no idea that Canada produced guitars but then I cam across Godin and was shocked. Every single review I had seen gushed about how incredible they were and what amazing value they offered because they didn't have the brand image of Fender or Gibson. So, one day on Kijiji, I saw that someone was selling a Godin Solidac in Hamilton and I bought it. It's an amazing instrument with dual outputs for electric and acoustic amps making it a "dual-voice guitar" and I love it for that. Aesthetically, it's all black (which makes it a fingerprint magnet) while functionally, it has that incredibly versatile H-S-H pickup configuration. The only real problem it has is the same problem that a Les Paul has. It's a really HEAVY guitar because its body is solid Silver Maple and the neck is Mahogany. So, while I love my Solidac, I mostly played my Washburn Strat because it's featherlight in comparison and I care more about playability than tone, especially considering that amps can have just as much influence on a guitar's sound as the guitar itself. I have to admit that, despite it being a definitely cheap guitar, my Washburn Strat is definitely a good guitar that's remarkably easy to play. It was the one I reached for the most over the past six years. All that changed this past Saturday though (November 16, 2024) because I was just perusing on Reverb and saw something that made my jaw drop. After trying several types of guitars to see what was most comfortable for me, I figured out that I'm a Strat kind of guy (like you clearly are). I like how they look but I love how they play. I don't really like LPs or Telecasters because LPs are too heavy and I don't like how Telecasters look. So, I was looking at Strat-type guitars and thought of the Godin Session. Well, the average price of the Sessions on Reverb (took the first 20 because they tend to repeat) was $1,316CAD. I was like "Yeah, I can't justify that at the moment." Then, as if by magic, I came across a 2016 Godin Session SG RN with a condition description of "Used - Very Good" for $500CAD plus $100CAD shipping. Shockingly, it was on its fifth day and nobody had snapped it up. Two people had it in their cart and I was like "Are these people insane? Why haven't they bought it?" right before I selected "Buy Now". Since it was being sold by a store in Oakville, I just drove out there to pick it up this past Monday. Holy hell, it is PRISTINE and was owned by a professional blues player (who is a member of the Blues Hall of Fame). So, I was refunded the $100 shipping charge and was just blown away by my (like) new Godin Session. It's so comfortable to play and so functional that it's like I unlocked easy mode. If Canada produces guitars like this, I'll never buy another brand again because I won't need to. We don't have enough things that are our own here in Canada and I think that you should totally try Godin. You might not feel so warm towards your Squier after trying out a Godin Session and Sessions cost a fraction of what a Stratocaster would set you back even though they're as good or better. At the same price point, nothing in the world can touch a Godin and no, I don't work for them and I never have.

[@mattfranceschini]

Hahaha woah! Glad you love your Godin's but two things: 1. I DO own a Canadian made guitar. My main instrument is a JK Archtop custom ordered from Kinal Guitars in Vancouver, BC. www.kinal.com/ 2. I've played many a Godin and I think they're incredible, I just don't own any of them because I have no pressing need to purchase any new gear!

[@ItsVictoriaG]

The beauty of the world is that we can have our own opinions. I love my locking tuners. But I am a violinist first, so quality of life improvements on guitar like easy string changes are such a novelty to me. I’m a sucker for a gimmick. Love my coated Elixir strings. They’re soft on my delicate fingies. And the price, again, compared to the price of a set of Evah Pirazzi violin strings… everything is relative! 😅 On point three, I agree with you! The brilliance of electric guitars is that there /is/ innovation and individuality compared to orchestral instruments. Give me the lightweight, ergonomic body shapes. Point 4? Also agree. My favorite guitar is my BMG Arielle, manufactured by WMI in Korea. Wonderful guitar with unique specs that is so enjoyable to play and just under $1k.

[@mattfranceschini]

Totally agreed on everyone having their own opinions! Variety truly is the spice of life. As a jazz guitarist I spend a lot of time hanging out with upright bassists and oh my lord are the prices of orchestral strings eye watering! Cool to hear about your beloved BMG, I'd never heard of the brand but that Arielle looks like a beautiful instrument!

[@masatanida9119]

I agree with you on most of these points. 100% on the locking tuners thing. Everyone always says that they help with tuning stability, but I've personally not found it to be true either - I've had many guitars with non-locking tuners that stayed in tune as well or better than my guitars that had locking tuners. While I don't disagree with you about the Made in America thing... I see things a little differently. US labor has been expensive for decades, so US made guitars haven't actually gotten more expensive in recent years. Adjusted for inflation, American made Fenders were more expensive in the 60s than they are today. What's changed is how good and how inexpensive the imports have gotten. But I agree with you that it is manipulative how a lot of companies "hold back" their import lines and save some features for their US guitars. I like what Yamaha does with their Pacificas and Revstars - they have expensive Japan-made guitars, but they also have Indonesian models that have *nearly* identical specs at a significantly lower price point.

[@Yelbomsirhc1]

I've been playing guitar for decades, and gig regularly. I agree with all your takes 100%. Even if you use your tremolo bar, you don't need locking tuners. Lube the nut slots and tune using the Frudua Method (see KZbin video). I've switched to using a modeller into monitor and FOH for gigs, and it's so much easier!

[@mattfranceschini]

Awesome!

[@liammac9966]

Wish I'd seen this before making 90% of my guitar purchases.

[@mattfranceschini]

Haha!

[@djpenton779]

Fellow Canadian here. I agree with ALL of your points. I am an old guy; had a garage band in the 60s. I also build guitars for fun, using budget (locking) tuners from Solo Music Gear in Toronto. I would never buy a $5000 Gibson or Fender. Of course the appeal of guitars is greatly influenced by psychology, which is ok if that's your thing. It is interesting to read about the blind listening test given to classical violin players, who reportedly could not actually tell the difference between a quality modern violin and a Stradivarius (assuming that this report is factual of course). I gave up on tube amps years ago except for my Princeton Reverb, which is mostly sentimental. Relic guitars baffle me. It's like buying your underwear supplied out of the package with nasty yellow-brown streaks in the crotch. I prefer to stain my shorts myself, and likewise I prefer to see my own road wear on guitars.

[@mattfranceschini]

Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective!

[@robmcd]

1. Only have locking tuners on my strat because that’s what the replacement neck came with. 2. I use coated strings because I do a few hours a week playing over multiple guitars. 3. Vintage schmintage. I’ll always have a vintage and a modern version of each of my guitars because I just love the vintage aesthetic but I won’t be putting rails pickups in my vintage reissue teles.

[@mattfranceschini]

I always assumed that that may be the ideal market for coated strings. I only have three guitars in my home and I play all of them at least an hour a day and I find that the coated strings really only last an extra week or two than my plain jane D'addarios! Fair enough on the vintage versions. I love vintage guitars and I also love the more modern stuff!

[@AJNpa80]

My 4 favorite guitars are MIC. Long story. My MIJ and MIA sit a lot as I am more careful with them. The others are for the kitchen, van, rain etc. so i can make up for lost time practicing. Got some chinese ones to completely rework just for the experience and i love them. Ill work on the expensive ones later, or sell them for parts to build my own.

[@3PLMAG]

You are cool. What do all those switches do?

[@mattfranceschini]

Each humbucker can be split individually, one is a dummy switch that to my ear doesn't do anything and the red button allows for pickup combinations not possible with a traditional 5 way switch for example neck and bridge (like a tele) and all three in series! There's a complete breakdown video here if you're curious! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3q9qoOOf7msbZo

[@maxs.5163]

You are great guy. Get a job, play guitar as a hobby, enjoy and dont give a fuck about these unimportant things

[@millennialanimal]

In terms of the studio, I couldn’t disagree more about amps. Live is a different story though, but I’d rather take a small lunch box head and a small 2x12 cab with a great pair of speakers in and my pedal board, digital stuff just feels disconnected to me and option paralysis is real especially if you’re in the studio, but I’m not against people using it live, whatever you’re comfortable with, even if that is a 4x12, standing in front of one of those is unlike anything else.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough I guess! Most of the studio work I do is remote and having everything under the sun for me is a huge asset. I don't spend too much time menu diving. As for the 4x12 live, yes it feels great but the repeatability of sound and light weighted nature of my little modelling rig makes it the top in my books! Thanks for sharing your two cents!

[@chrismaghintay]

Hard agree with everything you've said here except for coated strings. And that's simply because I like the feeling of potato chip grease on my strings lol. I also love high gloss necks. I've concluded that it's because I have dry hands that a very slick guitar neck and strings feel better for me

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough! You being happy with them is what counts the most! For me I've never found a set of coated strings that was worth the extra expense!

[@m0rgulash]

so, i would argue that 1. locking tuners are ok-ish, yeah, they can be expensive, but i would argue that they do help with tuning stability. one thing to keep in mind is that the wood also moves, disrupting the tuning, so it's not just the tuners, bridge or neck that impact this. 2. coated strings are great for someone like me, i have sweaty hands, so i corrode normal strings in a matter of days. I used to use Earnie Balls, but even with 2-3 hours of playing a day, within a matter of 2-3 days they would turn black, and you could literally feel your fingers gripping the string as you slide across them. 3. vintage is stupid, imo. we have made advancements in both technology and the manufacturing process, guitars are more precise and stuff, why would you want to go backwards? but that's just my $0.02.

[@mattfranceschini]

Thanks for sharing your two cents! I would agree that there are likely tuning stability gains to be had with locking tuners but in actual effect it's maybe 1%. I think theres no need to spend the money to upgrade unless you really want to shave some time off your string changes. Glad you've had good experiences with coated strings, they don't do much for me but maybe I won the hand sweat lottery haha!

[@MezzMcGillicuddy1]

Some great points, I mostly agree. Any tuning problems I’ve had have pretty much always been the nut, never the tuners… Dunno about the vintage specs thing. I mean, the wheel has been the same shape since it was invented; some things are hard to improve… And you gotta have the amp! A small amp, but a real amp. And you don’t need a million pedals… I dunno, each to his own, I guess 😂

[@mattfranceschini]

To each their own for sure! Thanks for watching and weighing in!

[@RonMorgan]

i have a cheap squire strat from amazon($119 US), I changed the pickups to "low output5k 5.4k and 5.7k" Alnico 5 singles, the pots to CTS, the switch to Fender, added volume blead and good caps, and a new bridge with a thick brass block. oh and its I fully shielded it. i think i made it about as good as it can be. I agree that to much is made of US made stuff like strats. but, I would also say that the neck and the thickness of the body is quite different between the Squire and the player II i now have. the Squire is perfectly playable but I cant get the same quality clean tones out of it compared to the (untouched) Fender player II. I could invest in some better single coils? for the Squire.. IDK

[@Lomoholga2]

Locking tuners are GREAT- they allow for much faster string changes. They do zero for tuning stability of course but they are in no way overrated.

[@jkf9167]

I agree with you on everything but the amps. I agree that you never NEED a big amp, but I'll also say that when I had a 4x12 in my living room (I wasn't gigging at that point in my life), it was the most satisfying gratuitous guitar gear purchase ever. I didn't have to play loud for it to sound really good. In the punk rock dive bars where I often play, Marshall half-stacks and SVTs are still the standard, and they do sound good. Right now, I use smaller amps, a Roland JC40 or a Vox AC15, and I use a class D head and a 2x10 for bass, but I could imagine getting a 4x12 again. Wattage and volume might be obsolete, but speaker area is good! I agree with you on FX as well. Somehow everyone started thinking that they had to be able to make every conceivable sound, and too often those sounds have been done before. Except fuzzes. They have to be analog. And delay pedals. They have to be physically large, with big knobs.

[@mattfranceschini]

Hahaha fair enough! I've had big 4x12's as well and while they ARE awesome, I will take the portability of my modeller and the ability to get cranked amp sounds at a reasonable volume every single day of the week!

[@donaldmack2307]

Honestly, all i really "need" is gain or overdrive, delay, reverb, a dab of compression and a pitch shifter sometimes.

[@kevinoconnor2921]

You can keep the modelers. At 55yrs. old, I don't have any problem setting up a Full Stack . YOU are the problem that has brought the "quiet" stage bolognie to the point at where it's at.

[@mattfranceschini]

If you're happy that's all that counts! I will happily take my light weight and repeatable on every stage tones over lugging around heavy tube amps

[@matthewwalker9597]

I would definitely agree with you on the Made in USA argument. This may sound hypocritical from someone who owns a handful of Gibsons, but truth be said, if I hadn't managed to get them second hand at a reasonable price, I wouldn't have them as I simply can't afford/justify brand new prices. The majority of my guitars are Made in Japan. Most of my Strats are 1980s Squiers, a few Fender Japan models, and my two Les Paul Customs are Orville by Gibson. I have never understood why Gibson discontinued the Orville brand (1988-1998) as I think so many guitarists would appreciate the quality of these guitars as they were basically "Gibson Japan". Pity they were only made for the Japanese domestic market back in the day. Both of mine I had imported to the UK but even then I paid nothing like the Gibson price tag.

[@mattfranceschini]

Awesome!

[@OverNightLuthier]

When a guitar isnt handmade, it shouldnt cost more than 1k dollars...I have never paid more than 700 dollars for a guitar and even that made me feel dirty. This is coming from someone who has designed and built 10 acoustic guitars and has been playing and maintaining guitars for many years. I think as soon as a company switches over to mostly CNC and machines doing the hard work, the price should come down.

[@MRcrapyMCcrap]

Tbf fender and gibson do still innovate on designs, they just do it thru their subsidiaries like charvel. If you buy an actual fender or a gibson these days you’re buying it specifically for the vintage nostalgia factor.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough. Outside of roasted necks and flatter radius' I tend to feel like those Charvel guitars etc are still relatively old school just focussed on the 80's rather than the late 50's and early 60's of the Fenders and Gibsons!

[@MRcrapyMCcrap]

@@mattfranceschini Oh 100% Charvel and Jackson both have a bunch of 80’s nostalgia bait in their catalogs, but still other than the ibanez az series they still make the most “modern” work horse strat/super strats you can get without going full off the strandberg headless guitar deep end. I have an old Ibanez super strat from the 80s and a modern Charvel dk24 both from the fujigen plant, but comparing them would be like apples to oranges. I’d say they definitely updated enough to justify not being seen as a straight rehash of stuff from the past unlike the fender player series or something like that.

[@edwinwise6751]

I bought a new player series and a new American pro 2 . the difference between them was huge . the player required a lot of modification to make it stage worthy . Noisey electronics, selector switch kept falling off , crappy fretwork . USA model played right out of the box. US version was twice the price but it was also twice a guitar and I’m not a fan of fender as a company

[@mattfranceschini]

Interesting to hear your experience! Funnily enough I just bought a player telecaster that was on a Black Friday special and other than having to adjust the neck after putting 12’s on and fine tuning the intonation I couldn’t be happier with it. Even the frets are flawless. As someone who used to work in guitar retail and has unboxed literally hundreds of both American and Mexican fenders, it is true that the American guitars tend to come set up better but you’d be amazed at the amount of howlers that we got from both. I tend to like to do my own setups anyways so I’m never bothered but ideally the shop would help set up and check the instruments before they hit the floor.

[@ymelfilm]

agree with ur points. guitar wise, I collected some MIJ guitars (strats). Gigging I use Vietnamese, etc Asian modded guitars.

[@mattfranceschini]

Awesome! I’ve played some amazing MIJ guitars

[@ymelfilm]

@@mattfranceschini the other thing Fenderists are keen on: ash or alder. In fact, basswood (Ibanez uses it a lot, Fender Japan as well) alder and ash were Leo's selection bc they were cheap and easily available. If you ever tried a basswood MIJ Fender from the '80-90s you know that wood ages excellently and sounds amazing already without amplification. Rings and bells

[@mathemen3011]

Well, you know, I also always wondered why people cannot accept that modelers are as good. In my opinion certain not that well known plugins (e.g. Vandal vst by Magix) were there even already almost 15 years ago. Having bought myself a tube amp recently after some years, it came back to my mind what is the difference. It's the smell of Tolex when it gets heated up by the amp tubes, it's the look, the knobs and the uncertainty if the amp will sound the same on the next day. Playing guitar without this feels like Christmas without a Christmas tree. Now that the popular brands start to stop selling amp sims that suck they should optimize their currently quite ugly designs and also use some Tolex ;)

[@chiefline7084]

I have a USA made Strat and a Mexican made Strat. They’re both modded and I love both of them equally. I own a 5 watt tube amp head that i run through a 2x10 homemade cab. I don’t play out anymore I’m 64 years old and am embarrassed when I go to a club and see old men playing in bands trying to be 20yrs old again. I act my age. My point is I play tube amps with pedals because that’s all I’ve ever done and would need to go to school to figure out how to put together an ampless rig but I’m sure it would be much easier to get with the times and stop being old school

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough!

[@slythytove4869]

@@mattfranceschini Why shouldn't older people play live music?

[@Dnell-tb1yd]

64 isn’t that old! You’re either using a smartphone or computer so you can get around using technology…using a digital rig wouldn’t be much different

[@chiefline7084]

@@slythytove4869 It’s fine I guess but I just feel sad with their hair down past their shoulders and them wearing converse sneakers and dressing like they’re 13 yrs old. Act your age and it’s all good

[@mattfranceschini]

I certainly don't believe that older people shouldn't play live music! I was agreeing that it's fair that this commenter is sticking with amps and pedals because it's what he's always used.

[@Ikaros4-10]

Absolutely right. Especially about those deckfulls of pedals !

[@mattfranceschini]

Glad you agree!

[@nyx_jupiter-trash]

i would like to make an argument for locking tuners from a techs perspective. Yes, they absolutely do help with tuning stability. Its not only the mechanism that provides stability but its the fact that it allows you to have less string around a post which will slip less regardless of if you have a tremolo or not. Even if you do lock winds, it is better than lock winding. I swear by Sperzel tuners they have best tuners hands down but lots of people go for the planet waves auto trims too. The cheap Guykers that are available on amazon, the fender locking tuners and some others ive had bad experiences with to where i would never recommend them to customers. The types of guys who are changing their machine heads are all looking for something in common, More stability, Better durability, Faster servicing. They usually want all three of those categories and they that's when they start equipping them on all their instruments. I would only recommend locking tuners to someone who has exhausted every option to get their guitar to stay in tune, if you want maximal stability you go for locking tuners usually. I do agree that modern American guitars are overrated, most domestic companies are holding back what they can be doing on their imports to inflate the value of an American guitar but even now they hold back what hardware and pickups come in those domestic guitars so you aren't even getting the real value of it anyway. I tend to like Japanese guitars for my self as of late because that's for me where the value and the playability intersect where the American guitars lose their luster. After that point its "look how much money I can spend." I can say this as someone who chased and played and cycled through so many American made guitars that pound for pound they are equal and I've realized that I've also gotten better customer support from these brands.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough. I've never had issues with tuners on any $500+ guitar I've owned and I still think the prices that the major brands of locking tuners charge are criminal! As for import guitars I don't own anything japanese myself but have played several friends guitars and have been blown away by the quality coming out of Japan, China, Korea and Indonesia!

[@Richard-zs1bm]

But what do all the switches on that guitar do?! 3 coil spits? Then what? 😂

[@mattfranceschini]

Each humbucker can be split individually, one is a dummy switch that to my ear doesn't do anything and the red button allows for pickup combinations not possible with a traditional 5 way switch for example neck and bridge (like a tele) and all three in series! There's a complete breakdown video here if you're curious! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3q9qoOOf7msbZo

[@louisminati]

Couldnt agree more. So many giant pedal boards. Completely useless. no one spends time cultivating their own tone anymore cause its constantly changing.

[@greendayray]

I also agree locking tuners are overrated. Every strat I have has the vintage style top load pegs and I never had a problem. However I do disagree with you on coated strings. I have acidic hands and multiple guitars so they are absolutely worth it. If I played a set of slinky’s for an hour straight they would be totally destroyed. And I still wipe them down to extend life. Some of my guitars have strings on for multiple years before I change them thanks to elixir. I’ve tried other brands and nobody does it as good as them. D’addario comes close, but they feel rough.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough. Maybe my hands aren't too acidic! Ironically the new daddario coated strings were my favourite I've ever tried because they don't feel coated haha. I also love the fender top load tuners I think they're great

[@greendayray]

@@mattfranceschini yea I played d’addarios for years before I found elixir. Definitely the best normal strings out there

[@necroux13]

People get suckered into the latest trend, then they have to justify their decision to everyone so they don't feel stupid. Combine that with good marketing, and that's how we get so much misinformation about guitar components. The truth is, if you find a guitar that feels good for you to play, that's 50% of the battle. The other 49% is you actually practicing. The last 1% are things like pickups, strings, and tuners. None of which really matter in the context of a mix.

[@mattfranceschini]

Agreed!

[@sil.lum.quan.]

My 0.02 cents also as a professional guitarist. 1.) Locking Tuners - Disagree, I love them and would chose them 1st over non-locking tuners. 2.) Coated Strings - Agree, I haven't found them particularly effective but they feel good. 3.) Vintage Specs - Agree, I haven't found them particularly useful. 4.) USA Made - Agree, Even though all of my Kiesels are superb, the best guitar that I own is a signature Ibanez. 5.) Amp/Pedals - Agree, I use a Carvin X1 preamp pedal and DI to the house system.

[@mattfranceschini]

Fair enough! Maybe I'm an anomaly in the professional world where I have no qualms with traditional windings!

[@9th_note]

man, finally... 🙌🏼 someone with a brain ... I do prefer the locking Tuners because I like the look of them and I am slightly visually impaired so it just makes it a little easier for me to change the strings, I usually use the hipshot open gear Tuners as I have been able to pick them up at a fairly reasonable price around $50 at times. I play primarily Ibanez RG models and I have a few of them, some of them are a little pricey and some of them not so much and my favorite one of them all it is basically a beater that I slapped together from parts I got from eBay and had laying around my house. it is a hardtail and it has Duncans and a single volume and a kill switch and it plays f'n amazing. Think it cost me around $100 just lap together. far as fx i just use a Fractal VP4 along with my heavily modified PRS MT15 and call it a day. it runs into 2 mesa 1x12 recto cabs so everything is really portable. does everything I needed to do and it's loud af. honestly I cannot wait until the day gets here when they can put all of that in your guitar itself, someone like Fishman comes out with a modeling pickup and all you have to do is plug it into a controller pedal that runs into a power amp or front of house and game over for me I'm on board. pedals are cool and all but they get quite heavy especially when you have 15 or 20 of them you have to lug around. Great video man,sub.

[@mattfranceschini]

Thanks for the sub and thanks for chiming in! Sounds like you’ve got a killer selection of RG’s!

[@felixayala05]

Guyker locking tuners are about $30 or less and that's all you need.