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Author Topic: How Much of a Guitar Geek Are You? A Discussion  (Read 832 times)

Offline lolwat

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How Much of a Guitar Geek Are You? A Discussion
« on: October 18, 2017, 09:59:39 PM »
Inspired by the seemingly endless barrage of questions from newbie guitarists on Facebook groups such as pinoy Pedalboards, that I force myself to answer regularly.

Electrified guitar being a highly technology-driven field, it is often expected of any self-respecting guitar player, hobbyist or otherwise, to have basic servicing skills (restringing, action and intonation adjustment, neck relief, etc.) as well as a certain degree of comprehension as to what makes our beloved equipment "tick."

Very few people are willing to show such a "geeky" side to their personality for fear of rejection or alienation, even among other players. This thread, then, is your chance to do so freely.

Let me start.

If I were to rank myself on a scale from 0 to 10, I'd give myself a solid 8.

Reasons:

I am capable of the above-mentioned basic servicing skills, save for processes requiring the experience and tools of a proper guitar tech or luthier (refret, fret level, building from scratch, etc.). I have lost hours of my life reading and learning about the physics behind the guitar's pickups and controls, as well as analog effects and amplifier circuits, all in the name of penny pinching ("if you knew how to fix guitars and build effects yourself, you'd save a lot of money!" ...or so my parents think lol). I have yet to build my own amplifier from scratch, but time and budget permitting, I'd like to try it out soon enough (main issues are sourcing the correct transformers and chassis).

Thanks to the information I've accumulated over time, I've turned my hobby into an informal business, with some friends commissioning to build certain effects that otherwise would be inexistent, or priced too high to be accessible. As mentioned above, I also dedicate a bit of my personal time answering beginners' questions, always trying my best to communicate the fundamental principles of electric guitar operation in the simplest possible way.

My reason for not giving myself full marks is that I am still agnostic as to what makes a guitar sound good. At least according to Physics-oriented luthiers like Gelvin Guitars, wood species don't really change the sound of a guitar, because wood by nature is very inconsistent from sample to sample. On the other hand, so many musicians I respect are proponents of tone wood, so I am not keen on dismissing their opinions completely.

I'd love to hear your "guitar geek" story.

Offline shoegaze geezer

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Re: How Much of a Guitar Geek Are You? A Discussion
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2017, 12:00:26 AM »
i think i am around 5.5 - 6.
i know basic guitar servicing skills and a little bit of semi advance like changing pups thru soldering, potting pups with paraffin and basic disassembly of neck and tremolo esp on fender offset guitars. i will not or cannot venture into changing frets, changing nuts and adjusting truss rods. i know some basic history and variants of guitars that i prefer or like.
"I look at yours, you laugh at mine. And love is just a miserable lie"

Offline nicoyow

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Re: How Much of a Guitar Geek Are You? A Discussion
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2017, 02:09:42 AM »
Me I'm on the edge of 3-4.  :lol:

Never tried doing electrical stuff on my own. All I can DIY are intonation, preferred action height and changing strings. Though I know how to solder or make my own guitar cables/jacks.

Also, never been a fan of taking care of my guitar's paint jobs and looks. I like my guitar look battered and full of nicks and dings. The more dings it have the sexier for me.

 :lol: :lol:
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Offline satch

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Re: How Much of a Guitar Geek Are You? A Discussion
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2017, 01:58:59 PM »
Not a social media fan. I guess nasa 2 to 2.5 ako. :)


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Offline guitaricci

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Re: How Much of a Guitar Geek Are You? A Discussion
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2017, 05:19:23 PM »
Meron ako nitong magazine na ito:



It will tell you how much of a guitar geek you really are. Topics include Music Theory, Guitar Parts, Guitar Gear, Guitar oriented music history etc. Lets see if i can scan it. haha
Its not the kill, Its the thrill of the chase...


Offline Skybox

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Re: How Much of a Guitar Geek Are You? A Discussion
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2017, 05:27:54 PM »
I consider the money that I have spent on gear (please naman wag GEARS, mali po talaga) as tuition in the School of Rock. Lol.
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