I was over at a friend's house this weekend and he was showing me a couple of his guitars and he mentioned that one that he passed me had a 'Gibson-style' neck, which he characterized as wider and more shallow than the 'Fender-style' neck. I've got large hands and I found it much easier to play then my Fender. It seemed easier to keep from stepping on the wrong strings if you know what I mean. I was wondering if it is common to characterize electronic guitar necks in that way.
I was also wondering about an irritating problem that I have. I usually have my cell phone in my pocket, and if I leave it there when I play, I periodically get this weird buzzing and clicking sound through my amp as the phone talks to the network. I saw that my local guitar shop offers 'shielding' treatment. Would that help? They have a 'paint' and a wire wrap option? Should I just leave the cell phone in the other room? :lol:
Thanks!
Turn off the cell phone, or leave it someplace. Virtually any electric equipment with a live speaker is going to pick that up- regardless of shielding. Even if the guitar weren't plugged in, an amp that's turned on will probably pick up those sounds.
Shielding won't help, or at least won't help enough. I've heard it can be a good idea in terms of tone and reducing interference, sometimes even helps with "buzzing." But a cell phone is strong enough to $€¬# anything up.
Best,
Ande
PS- I don't know squat about necks- I'm only slightly less Newbie than I was. But others will be on.
Cell phones will come through guitars, computer speakers, car CD players, my iPod and my Hammond organ, when I'm down close to it. Just keep it at a distance.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Yet another reason to get rid of cell phones! :D
Nut width is maybe wider on that neck than the Fender? I like the wider necks too and for the same reason. I find I have to concentrate a tad more if I'm playing one of my Fenders as opposed to one of my Epiphones or my Ibanez. It could be just that I play them more and am more comfortable with 'em.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
the Fender-Gibson neck/string spacing description is a bit of an over-generalization. there are other differences -- scale length, materials, as well as model design variations in each brand that also contribute significantly to the feel. if you really want to go for a flat-wide profile, check out Paul Reed Smith (PRS) guitars. The SE (budget line) is very affordable, especially for what one gets.
GSM/GPRS system cellphones (ATT-Cingular, T-Mobile) cause the familiar "electronic tattoo" signatures you describe. CDMA system phones(Verizon, Sprint) use very different transmission waveforms and are unlikely to cause this interference. as others state above, you aren't going to be able to effectively shield against. it takes a lot of "EMI hygiene" to shield effectively at 2 GHz.
-=tension & release=-
Ahh, great, thanks guys. I had noticed the 'cell phone tattoo' in other places, through my computer speakers and most irritatingly in the car when my girlfriend puts her phone in dashboard cavity. Unfortunately, we both are on GSM, I chose it for the international coverage. I hadn't counted on the interference problem, from my informal testing if I place the phone eight feet or so away from me or the amp, I don't get the problem. So that's not too bad.
I'll have to check out that PRS line :) thanks! I don't think I've seen them before, but now I worry about differences in scale length, I'd like to develop a tiny bit of proficiency and muscle memory and I think that playing on a guitar where the frets were in different places would throw me off.
Another option for the flat wide fingerboard is a Godin guitar. They have quite a few models with a 16" radius - pretty flat.
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
