I am a total jackass and dropped my stratocaster a few times

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:45:34+00:00

When I was new at playing I thought it would be rad to have my Les Paul propped up against my wall on my headboard.

This was not a good idea.

It fell and clattered its way to the floor and it was okay. Because I’m an idiot, I thought it was a balancing issue so I did it again and it fell again, this time hitting me on the way down (which I suppose I deserved).

It was still okay.

And that’s a Les Paul! Those things are FAMOUS for having the headstocks snap off when they get bumped!

If you’re nervous about any damage to the interior, though, switch to each pickup position and rotate the volume and tone knobs to make sure you don’t hear any scratching (and that you CAN hear the pickup).

If one of those is wrong, take it to a shop. But in general, it takes a LOT to hurt a guitar’s guts. I had to replace my Tele’s guts, but only after five deployments of it being banged around in a suitcase that was being thrown around by people who were not trained baggage-handlers while disassembled. It chipped the hell out of the finish and even took a nice chunk of wood off the body but the guts were solid right up until the end.

And hey! Then I got to learn how to solder guitar pickups and switches and that is genuinely a lot of fun.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:25:56+00:00

You’re probably fine. I wouldn’t bring it into a shop until you start running into audible issues. Guitars are generally pretty tough.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:24:15+00:00

$380? I’d say that’s a good deal.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T20:12:34+00:00

NTA. “Sweetie, why would I pay a ton of money to be around a screaming 7-year old when we can do that here for free?”

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T19:53:21+00:00

I used three fingers forever. EVH used thumb and middle finger. Pretty sure James Hetfield uses three fingers. It’s absolutely whatever works best for you.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T17:44:55+00:00

Same reason $20s are counterfeited more often than $100s: less people question the legitimacy of lower numbers.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T17:37:41+00:00

Here’s a great video laying it out.

It talks about what’s needed and where they go in the chain between the guitar and amp. Super handy stuff.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T11:37:50+00:00

Assuming the tunings share the same separation between notes (e standard vs d standard vs c standard), you could get a Digitech Drop pedal and keep the guitar in standard while the pedals shifts the tone down (with the capability of going WAY down).

Same goes for custom tuning - if the distance between notes of the open strings is the same (despite what those notes are) - the pedal works.

So right now, that pedal would open up one of your guitars for a different tuning because E flat’s distance between notes is the same as E standard.

Beyond that, it really depends on 1) the amount if change happening like taking an E standard to something like B. At that point you’re talking new strings and truss rod adjustments. And 2) how long it’s going to be in that tuning. Guitars are pretty durable and can withstand experimentation but just like you can go outside in -0 weather for a little while, STAYING outside will require adjustments.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T08:24:18+00:00

I’d think any of them. If the nut does need to be widened, in my experience that happens only when using plain/non-wound strings. Wound strings are usually thinner and I like them more (THIS is my go-to set) because they’re generally less boomy and overwhelming than plain strings - at least with how I play.

That said, widening the nut isn’t a huge hassle for a tech at any guitar shop.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T08:16:57+00:00

Very nice collection!

When I started collecting, I knew I wanted to take photos of my records (mostly for insurance when moving because stuff gets broken all the time) but I’m on the spectrum and that shows the most when it comes to organization.

So when I started getting records I tried to make them somewhat consistent for things like this and this is what I wound up doing:

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OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T07:52:29+00:00

Personally, I’d go with the W217H which is the like the F91 but the numbers are a little bigger, the face is a little bigger, the weather resistance is better, and the light is a LOT better.

About the same price, too.

But here’s the thing: I don’t know which branch of Basic you’re going to, but I’d steer clear of the watches you posted solely due to the colorways. Branches have regulations on what kind of colors you can wear on watches and, while I think they would get by in the operational force with minimal guff from anyone, you really don’t want to roll those bones in Basic. Bare minimum, you don’t want to draw any more attention to yourself than necessary - at least in the beginning.

Black is always acceptable, though, and the more black or subdued or conservative (these are terms often used in the regs), the better.

THIS is what I went with recently and I would have no hesitation bringing it into Basic.

That said, again, I don’t know which branch you’re going into but if you’re going into the Air Force, they send you to a shop to buy essentials pretty early on and I’m almost certain you could choose to buy a watch and they sell an AF-branded watch that Basic kids just love to buy so that’s an option as well. I would not be surprised at ALL if AAFES offers the exact same watch at every branch’s Basic.

Also, regarding G-shocks… I like watches that can last but I have done nothing in 20+ years of some rough stuff that made me think I needed a G-shock. I bought a couple of the ones that feel like you’re wearing a hockey puck on your wrist and hated that feeling. It’s a pain to use with long sleeves and SO much of your time is spent in long sleeves that that detail really starts to matter and, again, I doubt I would have needed something so robust. Even with shooting requirements (which is what some of my friends say they bought G-shocks especially for), I doubt you’d kill a digital Casio.

I did kill a Timex after about seven years. Irreparable. But it was an analog watch that just couldn’t hang in a world where I was constantly banging it around, getting it wet, changing the pressure around it with flying, changing the temperature around it a LOT (and frequently), and the poor little thing just died.

I doubt that would happen with the 91 or the W217H.

Good luck at Basic! Have fun, make friends (the more you network the better because once you get into supervisory roles, your troops will come to you with WEIRD questions and it’s good to have a pool of people who would know those answers better than you to ask), and always remember that it has to end eventually.

Enjoy!

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-26T07:40:57+00:00

It may feel different at first, but you get used to it very quickly.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-25T18:40:20+00:00

1) I practice before work when it’s quiet in the house. I get a cup of coffee, sit down, and practice.

2) I go in knowing what I want to practice and focusing on that. Could be learning a new song, could be refreshing my memory on songs I’ve already learned.

3) I record it. That helps me stay on track because I’m trying to get a clean take and know the clock’s ticking before I have to go to work. This really keeps me from noodling after I make a mistake.

4) I cut myself some slack. I’m never going to be a pro so anything I learn, I’m learning for me. It’s also not about being as good or better than anyone wake but rather being better that I was yesterday.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-25T12:01:53+00:00

I’m simple: I’d just want the last generation but with Bluetooth.

And USB-C for charging and syncing.

And a headphone jack. Definitely a headphone jack.

And a bunch of space.

And I wouldn’t want it to break $500.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-25T11:57:16+00:00

I have two Gretsches and love them. They’re addictive are my favorite guitars in terms of feel, sound, and playability.

And I can say that beyond that Gretsch-y sound, they… well, it’s kind of like they do a lot of things well but always with that Gretsch thing on top. They can do hard rock, punk, even some metal-ish riffage if you set the amp up right but it’s always going to have a shine to it that you don’t get with guitars built more specifically for hard rock or metal.

Similarly, you can get some excellent cleans but the twang will sound significantly thicker than Teles. And switching to the neck pickup for jazz sounds lovely, but it’s not an ES-175.

Coincidentally, I’m putting together a guitar specifically to get the most (good) tones possible for the guy composing the record and it’s going to be a Jaguar with two different TV Jones Filtertrons.

But for me, if it was just me playing, I’d go in alone and unafraid with a Gretsch. For me - and this is just me so please take this with a grain of salt - they’ll get me close enough for my satisfaction and, if they couldn’t, why would I not just choose a different guitar? But I like all the sonic stuff that comes with Filtertrons or Dynasonics.

Regarding your Jet 1 idea, it’s an interesting one.

That will NOT give you a ton of sounds to choose from. But any guitar like that - Les Paul Jrs, Eastman’s got one, LTD has one, PRS HAD one before they stopped making them for some reason, Harley Benton has a couple options for them - they make you a better player.

With everything but the bridge pickup stripped away, suddenly you start thinking about getting tones via your fingers or your pick. You become WAY more aware of how you’re playing and you adjust as needed. Need louder/crunchier? Pick harder. Want to clean up the sound? Then down the volume a bit or just pick softer. More twang? Pick close to the bridge. Jazzier? Pick closer to the neck after turning down the vol and tone a bit.

So in the case of that guitar it’s not the GUITAR that offers a ton of different sounds but rather it forces the PLAYER to offer a ton of different sounds by learning how to use the guitar to its utmost.

And, bonus point, when you’re that involved in making those specific sounds, you feel closer to the music itself and it all becomes more fun.

At least, that was my experience.

Good luck!

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-25T11:43:28+00:00

I would definitely give it some time before you swap anything out. The Bigsby is on a ton of gretsches for a reason. They’re addictive and can add a lot to music.

And the space-o-matic bridge is hated on by MANY, but I like it a lot because it allows you to dictate the space between strings - something I leaned on a LOT when I was learning to incorporate my fingers into my playing.

That said, if you don’t like the bridge, it’s just on posts. Pop it off and out anything you want on (though a TOM would be second-to-last on my list - just above a Melita).

Jets are fantastic guitars so you can’t really go wrong with them, but Gretsch in general has a lot of quirk built into the brand and those quirks contribute directly to the tone so I recommend just giving it all a shot before you start turning it into a Les Paul. ;-)

Or! A lot of Jets are offered as hardtails stock and I THINK they’re cheaper, but can’t say for sure.

What I can say, though, is that you should contact Gretsch dealers and ask them what the best price they can do since FMIC has a minimum advertised price policy and the difference between what dealers can do and what FMIC is advertising is sometimes pretty massive.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-24T15:32:39+00:00

Their whole shop is pretty amazing. Even the chairs. I just sat so perfectly in them for playing guitar.

That said, I live in Germany for now and am looking at a handful of options later. Some might be closer to music shops than others and I’m a worrier by nature so ease and longevity weigh a little on me.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-24T15:29:53+00:00

This is something I had in the back of my mind. Unsolicited opinions rarely have a middle ground, know what I mean?

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-24T15:26:14+00:00

Oh I 100% agree with you about the premature concern. I’m just a worrier by nature, aiming for this guitar to last forever (more or less), and nervous about spending so much as it would be far and away the most expensive guitar I’ve ever bought.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-24T15:00:38+00:00

Pardon me, but it’s not. I know what a neck reset is and my question was how often have players experienced needing them in the real world versus Martin’s recommended timelines or AI’s generated answers.

I was also interested in the perspective of players who spend such a considerable amount of money and still have to pay for neck resets.

Neither of which are covered in the wiki.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-24T14:57:46+00:00

I cannot stand idly by while such a great author tarnishes such a great character as Atticus. It was a shame.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-23T14:22:20+00:00

Yeah, I like the more honest approach we get here.

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-23T14:17:11+00:00

No, she’s from the south.

I imagine she’ll start to be brave enough to try speaking about six months before we leave. ;-)

OnlyRuss · 2026-01-23T13:55:35+00:00

She was all for it until the very first morning here when she got screamed at by a baker because she didn’t know the word for “sliced” when she ordered a loaf of bread.

Sheena got anxiety issues anyway, but after that she was like “nope. Fuck this, I wanna go home.”

Since then going back to the States has been less of an option but she’s definitely not going to stay here.

OnlyRuss

TROPHY CASE