Different color wires exist for reasons

         At the end of the Lightswitch Strat build, I described the unusual wiring schematic and the incessant ground hum problem it faced - a noisy ground that became unbearably noisy when you make contact with any of the metal parts.  Why could it be so bad?

Stedman "Pro" Flying V Review (Spoiler - it's pretty rubbish)

What kind of guitar can you get on Craigslist for $10, an old airsoft scope, and some magic beans?  Well... quite possibly the worst guitar I've ever seen, and I build instruments out of garbage like it's an extreme sport.

Best Picks for Bass Guitar?

"Best?" I hear you ask with a raised eyebrow, lifting a finger to prepare an objection. 

"Well, I mean, I haven't really tried all that many different picks and I'm not even a great bass player to begin with, plus I'm restricting the search to affordable picks because paying $20 for a hand-shaped glass pick that I'll lose in five minutes just doesn't strike me as sensible, but these heavy Clayton acetyl picks work pretty well compared to the couple of other things I've tried in my day."

Your raised finger lowers, signaling that you've decided a counter-argument isn't really worth the effort of raising after all, and accept the lukewarm, unsolicited product recommendation with a small pile of salt.

Micro-Guitaronomics

          When you combine two niche hobbies, the odds of anyone else understanding exponentially decrease.

Classical Guitar Tabs: Nocturne, Bach Cello Suite, and Moonlight Sonata

Chopin Nocturne op.9 no.2

Learning classical guitar?  Here are a few of the essentials in convenient, printable tablature format!

Moonlight Sonata Cover

My cover from a couple months back of Dr. Viossy's cover of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.  A little sloppy, but it ain't an easy song.

Incredibly Cheap String Instrument Challenge (ICSIC???)

           Okay, I just made up the part about it being a challenge, but it seems like you can just throw "challenge" after any noun and have it become an internet phenomenon, so who knows? :P

           The challenge, such as it was, was to make an electrified string instrument surpassing all previous records of cheapness.  Cost: $0.  Maximum cost if the parts were bought new? $5 (ish).  Mission accomplished!

Lightswitch Strat build

          If not mojo, it's certainly got... well, something.  A Home Depot light switch for one, a $30 neck and a scrap body for two more.  I really enjoy these builds where there design is fluid and the only goal is to make it sound alright and play nice for cheap, and this certainly fit the bill.

Spectacular Sememes

          Feeling enervated by the dearth of opulent prose in your prosaic routine, ensnared by the treadmill of drab vernacular?

          Me too.  Thus begins our quest to find the most swank words in the English language, entirely without foresight, substantiated background sources, a five year plan, any observation of any other lists that may exist, or caffeine (commitment to one of these stipulations is dubious).

Rogue RA-100D Acoustic Guitar Review

          At under $100, the Rogue RA-100D is a step up from the lowest tier offerings of this very affordable brand, and one of the cheapest playable entries into the acoustic guitar market.

          Initially I was put off by it's plastic smell and feel, but after giving it a setup, some care, and a few months, it's grown on me.  It would be too generous to compare it to ageing like a fine wine , but could be likened to a cheap wine which, after a few months, matured into something you wouldn't mind having around the campfire with some friends (to stretch the analogy a bit).

Pics, mods, and full review after the break: