Hi, & Happy To See You!
If you’ve navigated here, then you probably have questions. I’ll try my best to give you answers.
I think this page will be especially beneficial to beginning guitars players. Congratulations to those who are just starting to play or thinking about getting started!
Playing the guitar or any instrument is one of the best things you can do to improve the quality and happiness of your life and others around you.
I started playing the electric guitar when I was in middle school and never looked back. It changed my life for the better and added joy to every day. Over forty years later, here I am, and I still can’t get enough guitar time!
Here’s How “Ask Me Anything” Works
Please leave your question in the appropriate area on this site so that everyone can benefit from it. I will not respond to spam, marketing & sales pitches, or anything not musically related. This page is here strictly to help the intellectual and curious. We are all students and lifetime learners of the guitar.
If your question sparks general interest among others in the comments, then it will be my pleasure to attempt to publish an entire article about it in the future.
Here are some examples of appropriate topics:
- Guitars – Electric and Acoustic
- Guitar Amplifiers – Any Type
- Effects Pedals – Stompboxes & Multi-Effects Units
- Guitar Accessories – Strings, Picks, Straps, etc
- Guitar Artists – In Any Musical Genre
Refer to the category menus at the top of this page for more ideas on what to ask.
Questions Related To Articles On This Website
Questions relating to an article on this site should be entered in the comments section at the bottom of that particular post. Thank You for helping to keep the information organized and of benefit to others.
General Questions Related To The Guitar
If you have a question unrelated to a specific article on this website, please leave it in the comments section at the bottom of this page. Any guitar-related question is fair game.
Questions In Private Messages
If you have a guitar-related question that you would like to ask me in private, then you can send me an email at Frank10@MyGuitarLair.com (remove the number 10 to show that you’re not a robot). If I can help you, then I will email you back a response as soon as possible. Please post your question in one of the above two areas, unless it is absolutely a private correspondence.
Thanks & Keep On Playing!
Frank
I’m thinking about buying a Fender Deluxe Nashville Power Tele but, I’ve been told…when the battery dies…Nothing works, not even the Magnetic Pickups. Is there any way to just separate the Fishman pick-up from the other pickups? I’m not sure but, I believe it’s hooked up like that so you can combine all of them but I don’t see any use for it. I want the acoustic sound when I want the acoustic sound, and the electric sound when I want the electric sound. I don’t need to combine the electric and the acoustic. May I can have a toggle switch or push-pull pot, installed to totally cut the circuit off to the Fishman battery power and all…until I need the acoustic sound. Maybe that way, it wouldn’t drain the battery so fast and if it did…you would still be able to use the other pickups.
Hi, Allen
Thank You for your question!
Yes, all the pickups on the Fender Deluxe Nashville Power Tele (the three magnetic pickups plus the piezo pickups under each bridge saddle) are wired to be active.
There is some conjecture as to whether the made-in-America version is different from the made-in-Mexico version, but I couldn’t find any definitive info clarifying this on the Internet, and I doubt that’s really the case. I put in a ticket with Fender support, and I’ll certainly clarify this if they get back to me.
It’s hard to know exactly how long the 9-volt battery will last. It depends on how much you play, what quality battery you install, and if you unplug the cable from your guitar when you’re not playing it. Some players have said it lasts up to 1 year and others indicated it goes dead after several gigs.
Anyway, there have been instances where DNPT owners have bypassed the piezos with varying results. I found this workaround from TDPRI, but unfortunately, the two links for the schematic diagrams lead to non-functional pages.
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/wiring-tips-bypassing-the-deluxe-nashville-power-tele-piezo.186289/
Here is a link for a pdf to a schematic for the guitar’s control assembly:
https://usermanual.wiki/Fender/01350005002ASISD.458240307.pdf
If you buy this guitar, my advice is that you carry a few extra batteries and a screwdriver in your case, and a backup guitar, if you have one. Fender put the battery compartment on the back of the Tele so it can be replaced quickly by removing the screws. I would not recommend you modify the circuit since it has the potential to add noise to your output signal, and if you don’t do it correctly, you could permanently damage the guitar.
Let me know how you make out.
This is an awesome axe, and it’s not easy to find one in good condition. Grab it while you can but make sure the piezos are in good working order. Sometimes a buildup of hand sweat and grime can affect their sound quality.
Please come back and visit my website again!
Frank ?
Wow…Thanks a lot, guy, you are on it. People like you are one in a million. There are people online, who would charge quite a bit, for their knowledge and info on things like this. I and I’m guessing…quite a few others, really appreciate that you don’t charge. You are Awesome, and I believe, this info is really gonna come in handy, and Yes…I will definitely, be joining your email list to get my free 54-page eBook! I understand, there may be a cost for shipping and handling but, as long as it’s not too much, It’s cool.
Hi Allen
I’m thrilled that you found the information helpful!
Regarding the free ebook, there’s NO cost for shipping and handling. It’s completely FREE!
You don’t have to wait for it to arrive in the mail.
Just enter your name and email address and then download it to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. ?
Here’s the link:
https://myguitarlair.com/free-playing-tips-ebook/
Let me know if you need anything else!
Frank ?
On ‘Hedy Lamarr’ is it purelyJeff’s Trem action which makes the violin type sound which IMMEDIATELY brings to mind other Guitarists like Walter Trout, Davey Johnstone on Elton’s ‘funeral for a friend’ opening? love that sound so much.it makes you never wanting to tune off when listening to such a beautiful harmonic sound
Hi, Ricky
Thank You for your question!
I just listened to “This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr” again, and here’s my guess.
In the song’s opening, it sounds like Jeff may be using a tremolo or a tremolo setting on an amp, but he could be doing it with the volume knob on his guitar or with a volume pedal.
The ‘violin type’ sounds appear to be Jeff using his whammy bar and guitar volume control simultaneously. Jeff is an absolute master of this technique!
If I can find more info, I’ll add it here and send you an email.
Frank ?
Frank it is cindy from WA.
I want to start playing and learning to play one of my brother’s guitars am tone deaf.what can I get to help me tune it?
Hi, Cindy
First of all, there’s no such thing as “tone deaf.” The more you play, the better your ear will become! Never play the guitar without it properly tuned.
You can use a free guitar tuner by downloading a smartphone app or buy one. If you buy one, your best bet is a clip-on digital guitar tuner. Amazon sells them. I use the one made by D’Addario.
Be sure to grab my free eBook to get started (on my site’s top menu). A few lessons to get you going in the right direction is a good idea, in-person or on YouTube.
Remember, it’s all about having fun while you’re learning! Let me know if there’s anything else you need! ?
Happy Holidays! ? ?
Frank ?
It’s only slightly more than semantics but….
It doesn’t necessarily take a luthier to repair a guitar.
I’m a luthier, but not a repairman, and I’m unable to do some repairs even on my own guitars.
It takes skill, training, and time to become a good luthier, but I don’t think a person can live long enough to become a highly skilled repairman.
People have asked me to repair their guitars, but that is a completely different skill set. I have much admiration, and respect for anyone who is able to correctly repair a guitar, violin, cello… or lute!
Hi, Max
I appreciate your comments!
You are correct. Building and repairing musical instruments have overlapping but different skill sets. I did a three-year apprenticeship in a repair shop that had a luthier and tried to learn as much about both things as possible.
These days, I have a home maintenance and repair shop for my guitars. I’m not building instruments, but I do setups, mods, re-frets, etc.
Frank ?
Hello, thanks for taking questions. I’m here because I was looking to see about a Fender Champion 20, which I have. I’ve been “trying” to play guitar since I was about 22, and all these years later, I’m still not good. Oh well. But I do love to sing, have been complimented many times on my voice (I guess I just need someone else to do the playing!), and have decided to go ahead and find out about voice amplification. Can I route a headset microphone through an amplifier of this sort? How do I accomplish my goal of amplifying voice while playing? Though I’m not much good yet, and likely won’t ever be (I’m also limited by being petite, with small hands), I do have a few different guitars: acoustic, electric and acoustic-electric. Along with that, I have a couple amps designed for electric and one designed for acoustic-electric. Not to be deterred by my lack of ability, I still want to get a bass and a bass amp! I guess if you have the bug, it doesn’t matter if you have the talent. 🙂
Hi, Ellen
Thank You for your comments and question!
Yes, you can plug a microphone into your Fender Champion 20 amp. You’re better off getting a microphone specifically made for singing, but you can also use the headset microphone you have. Most likely, you will need a quarter-inch plug adaptor so that it will fit the input jack of your amplifier. It should get you started, and you can always get a more suitable microphone and a PA system to plug it into if you want better sound.
As far as your guitar playing, anyone can learn! It takes continued practice and dedication. I can tell that you really want to learn to play well, so stick with it, and you’ll continue to improve. Play every day and create a practice schedule that starts with something at your current ability level and advances slowly. Taking in-person or online guitar lessons will help you advance quicker.
Please don’t get discouraged! There are many great guitar players that have small hands. You definitely have “the bug,” and I wouldn’t worry about the talent; just keep going!
I think the bass guitar and amp are a great idea!
Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with!
Best of Luck! ?
Frank ?
Hi Frank,
My question may just come from my novice status in regards to guitars.
I have been experimenting a bit with different guitar strings, i.e. steel, as I tend to find that there always seems to be one dead note somewhere. For instance I replaced strings on an entry level guitar last night with some Elixir 12/53 and I find that the B string on the fourth fret sounds like a dead note, which causes the B chord to sound a bit off. On all other frets, the string seems to sound nicely.
I have found this with other brands of strings as well.
Is this normal is it just my hearing that is playing tricks on me?
BTW, just recently discovered your website and find it very interesting.
Regards
Dennis
Hi, Dennis
Thank You for your question!
Changing the strings is always a great first step. It also gives you a chance to clean and inspect everything closely on the neck, nut, and bridge saddles.
It sounds to me like you may have an intonation issue or a problem with certain frets.
Are your frets and fretboard clean? How about the shape (crown) of your frets; do they all look the same? Are any frets lower or higher than others, pitted, or have indents?
On the Eb that sounds off, have you checked check that specific note with a digital tuner? Is it on the money, or does it read sharp or flat? Look closely at that fret to be sure it’s not damaged. If you’re getting buzzing at certain frets, your guitar strings could be too low. If your pickups are set too high, the magnetic string pull could be causing a tuning or intonation problem.
A quick way to check intonation is to measure the pitch of each string open and at the twelfth fret. Once the open string is in tune, if the note is sharp at the twelfth fret, adjust the guitar saddle a little away from the neck and vice versa. Do this while holding the guitar in the playing position.
Your guitar might need a truss rod adjustment, which I would not mess with unless you know what you’re doing!
If the suggestions above don’t solve the problem, consider taking your guitar to a repair center for an evaluation and a setup.
Please let me know how you make out or if you have any other questions!
Good Luck & keep on playing! ?
Frank ?
Hi i have a Mex Strat i been going back and fourth on setting neck relife what what number do you set your neck at i was looking for some info and stumbled on your page i love it Thanks.
Hi, Miles
Are you asking about how to set the neck relief on your Strat?
Affix a capo to the first fret and depress the high E string where the neck joins the body. Measure the distance between the top of the eighth fret and the bottom of the string. You can use the adjustments below. So, for example, if your neck radius is 9.5 inches (which I suspect it is), then a good relief setting would be .010” inch or 0.25 mm.
NECK RADIUS
7.25″
9.5″-12″
15″-17″
RELIEF
.012” (0.3 mm)
.010” (0.25 mm)
.008” (0.2 mm)
If you’ve never done this before, be careful! You could permanently damage the guitar neck if you turn the truss rod too far in one direction or the other!
I hope this helps.
Frank ?