Review about the guitar neck and frets

The guitar neck and frets can be a critical thing for certain guitarist as it will impact the playing capability. If you see for certain guitarist like Yngwie J Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Michael angelo, John Petrucci, Kirk Hammet, eric Johnson or many others, they have their favourite choice.

Maybe for some reason the guitar beginners will think that the guitar neck and frets just a common thing and typical from one to another guitar. They might be right. But actually some neck and frets has their own criteria.

Let see about the neck first. Sometimes you will out that the size of the neck is different, some might big and some might quite small, even the radius as well, you will find that the thickness of the neck is different from one to another. This will impact on how you grip the chords and also on h ow you press the note during solo. Of course, you can do some experiment, try get a Fender Stratocaster '60s and compare it to an Ibanez RG, its different.

Then, the wood, the most identical differences is the color. Some are maple which is bright or Rosewood, the dark color. Some manufaturer and the guitarist agree that different wood gives different tone.

Standard frets count is 21, 22 and 24 frets. Even i have seen some new brand extended the count more than that. So you can exploite and manipulate the notes that you want to play, It doesnt mean the more the better. But how the way you do thing, some people good just with 21 frets.

The size of the frets also, we have jumbo frets, which is consider big. guitarist choose this for heavy metal and rock. Then the vintage fret that normally quite small for blues or country.

So, by understanding this, I believe guitarist will understand what kind of neck and frets they really need. Good tips for you when do shopping, you can straight away ask the salesman, "I want maple neck with, medium radius, with 22 frets on it!"

Understand your guitar selector switch.

Most guitar especially for those which have more than 1 pickup have selector switch. Attached on the body and normally below the 1st E string on the body of a stratocaster guitar. And on the top shoulder for Les Paul. Its a basic things to understand the switches on which pickups its toggling. First, you need to understand what is the switch for???

The selector switch is meant for you to select you desire pickup to be play. Some people misunderstand it as to select a desired sound, which is not exactly the correct terms.

Normally there are 2 types of selctor switch.
1. The 3 way switches
2. The 5 ways switches.

THe 3 way switches is normally placed on the guitar with 2 pick up. For easy reference the Gibson Lespaul, that has 2 humbucker or soapbar type pickups. 1 near the bridge and one near to the neck. As it has 3 way switches it has 3 types of selection. 1st toggle normally for the bridge pickup, 2nd toggle is for the neck and bridge pickup. the 3rd toggle is for the neck pickup

The 5 way switches is normally attached to the guitar with 3 pickups on board. Like the Fender stratocaster. Even, ibanez Jem or RG has this kind of switches. It doesn't matter the pickups should be single coil or humbucker. The 5 way switches giving us the option to choose the pickups: like these:
Toggle 1. Bridge pickup
Toggle 2. Bridge and middle pickup
Toggle 3. Middle pick up
Toggle 4. MIddle and neck pickup
Toggle 5. Neck pickup

If you have either this 2 types of the switches and not working what it suppose to be you should consult with the technician.

So. Why we need to understand? Coz by understanding it we can toggle the switch to pickups that produce the correct tone and sounds we want. Each toggle, giving a different character, tone and sound from the respective pickup on the guitar.

Simple mistake that the beginners do is not selecting the right pickup on the right time. For example Normally they put the switch for the bridge pickup for soloing or do the powerchords. But then, to do some plucking, clean strumming or ryhthm, they still using the bridge pickup. So the sound is so dry, They should change it to toggle number 2(or for 5 way switch, toggle number 2 or 4)

I believe you should try to explore your guitar switch now. And try to use it in different situation. Like during solo, harmonic, playing blues, some plucking, arpeggios, different genre.

To tell you the truth, in the first few years i started playing, after i learned the use of the switch, I was approach by a man that also a guitarist and asked, "YOur guitar sounds good, I believe it so expensive". Well, I bought the guitar only for $150 dollars, But, I toggled the switch to the right pickup on the right time, makes my guitar sounds like an expensive guitar.