Tuesday May 7th Non-Lunch Report

[CGT]

I’m running insanely late today, so lunch is a couple of shots of espresso to keep me energized through my 1:30 PM meeting. I’ll probably grab a something on the go after the meeting, which is not ideal, as fast food tends to be carb-intensive.

Today’s report will be brief, but I promise a longer one tomorrow.

The G&L question of the day is this: With Fender about to go public should G&L move in the opposite direction and scale down production? Does the company have enough brand recognition to maintain overseas production or should it focus solely on creating handcrafted instruments to order in the U.S.?

The non-G&L question is a corollary to the above. Once Fender goes public, it will be under intense pressure to maximize shareholder value. We’ve already seen Fender-branded Pawnshop series instruments that are being manufactured in China. Do you expect the Corona plant in Mexico to survive or will we be seeing Chinese Standard Strats and Teles in the near future?

Also, will the Squier line disappear, with the equivalent of the Classic Vibes becoming the new Standards and with Fender-branded starter packs shipping to places like Wal-Mart, thus bringing the brand to all market segments?

I look forward to your discussions and will check in late this evening to see what mischief I have sparked.

Bonus question (and have fun with this): Can you come up with a plausible-sounding technobabble-laced “scientific” explanation of why red guitars sound better? You can posit your answer as a theory, a mathematical equation, a chart or a graph. (Perhaps I’ll leave this open all week.)

[louis cyfer]

the corona plant in mexico already does not exist. there is one in california though. there is a plant in ensenada as well.

squier is a very succesful line, will not disappear.

red guitars sound better because darwin says so.

[Elwood]

Can you come up with a plausible-sounding technobabble-laced “scientific” explanation of why red guitars sound better?

I have a few thoughts:

* Red being the longer wavelengths in the spectrum , it could be perceived as a relative
'lowness' that adds 'warmth' to the sound in our head.

*Maybe the color of blood releases bits of adrenalin ; heightens our sensitivities .

*Or maybe Cadmium is slowly leaching through the finish (applies to yellow guitars too) .


*...and... I'm pretty sure the color of the Bass comes into the equation.

bonus question...Why do black guitars seem faster ?

[willross]

G&L should keep doing what they are doing, just make sure all instruments that leave the factory leave playable...

RED: Fullerton Red reminds me of Phenol red. Phenol red is yellow below pH=6.8 and pink above pH=8.2. The molecular formula for phenol red is C19H14O5S. Phenol red is also a weak estrogen mimic, and in cell cultures can enhance the growth of cells that express the estrogen receptor. So, it's got that going for it...


Cheers,

Will

[darwinohm]

Chet, G&L is doing what they should for the most part. Fender will be under pressure to shareholders and the product will most likely suffer.

Why does Red sound better. Good answers so far. Will gave a good technical explanation, Elwood brought up the interesting effect that Black has on basses, and Louis knows but is being gentle. The explanation is this. Red is the color that has a profound effect on most humans. Look at Valentines, Target uses Red for their logo and Red has this effect on us that makes us do things that we normally cannot do easily. Garrison Keillor wears Red socks, probably to overcome being bashful. It makes sense to me that Red has the effect of making us much better guitar players. That is precisely why Red guitars sound better and Wills formula proves it! -- Darwin

[Boogie Bill]

Companies will continue to seek out cheap labor and cheap places (the cheapest) to make guitars. Such is the nature of the corporate manufacturer. I'm going to stop now before I start sounding like an Occupy-er.

How many guitars does G&L produce in a year, anyway?

My guess is that taking Fender public is going to hurt the company, but what do I know. The only instruments Fender makes that I would be interested in are the boutique custom shop guitars. And if I had them make me one, it would look like....a G&L!

There are obvious advantages to red guitars. I think guys who play red guitars get more groupies, get laid more. Then again, it might just be a genital predisposition.

I got my first ever black electric guitar (a Legacy), thinking it would sound fabulous, AND get me laid. It does, and I'm still waiting. (Maybe I should put the guitar down. Hmmm.)

I like the three-color sunbursts the best though. It's like gettting a red guitar, a black guitar and a yellow guitar all in one.

And I LIKE threesomes!!!!!

Bill

[Ches]

I don't think much will change at Fender or Squire, and I don't think G&L should change a thing for the most part.

As for red sounding better, I thought red guitars were for rhythm and black guitars were best for lead. I read it on a guitar forum, so it must be true.

[louis cyfer]

i like how time is standing still. monday may 7th report, then tuesday may 7th report.

[Philby]

i like how time is standing still. monday may 7th report, then tuesday may 7th report.

It's Wednesday the 7th over here Louis.

[KenC]

I've never cared for black guitars, so naturally all of my favorite players in my G&L stash are black. I really started to appreciate the color when the '86 ASAT showed up. I've always loved red guitars, so of course I have yet to find a good deal on one. The closest I've come is Candy Apple Red on one of the ASATs.

I think the the color red shares a resonant frequency with several upper harmonics. It's sort of like a sitar: when you hit the right note, the guitar begins playing itself. Unlike a sitar, when you hit a sour note the red finish dampens the vibrations and makes it less obvious to the listener.

You could probably also make an argument from the standpoint of synesthesia. Some people perceive unusual associations between different senses and ideas. If I remember correctly from my days as a psychology major, one of the most common forms of synesthesia is perceiving colors that match musical notes. I can't remember whether it tended to be random, or if red had a special significance.

I personally think Fender has been in a downward spiral for years, and any pressure to increase the profit margin will only speed the descent. I foresee production finding more and more ways to cut corners, and marketing finding more and more ways to make it sound like a good deal for the buyer and edging the prices up. I think the idea behind the Pawnshop series reeks of desperation. They've run through the various "classic" Fender reissues, including quite a few that weren't viewed as anything special in their time (remember when anything from the mid70s was considered to be a piece of junk?). Now they seem to be pointing to the destructive mods we used to do to post-CBS Fenders as examples of their "brand". At this point I can't see Fender as anything more than a holder of trademarks, that licenses copies of old Leo/George/Dale designs. I haven't seen anything made with that logo in the past ten years that I would consider spending money on.

That's enough ranting from me for the evening.

Ken

[yowhatsshakin]

Bonus question (and have fun with this): Can you come up with a plausible-sounding technobabble-laced “scientific” explanation of why red guitars sound better? You can posit your answer as a theory, a mathematical equation, a chart or a graph. (Perhaps I’ll leave this open all week.)

But of course. Actually your guitar is white. But the blue end of the spectrum has been scattered in random directions due to Raleigh scattering (this is the phenomenon that makes the sky blue on a sunny day). The green part has been absorbed by all the chlorophyl in vegetation. (This is complete bunk because it is actually the red part of the spectrum which is absorbed by chlorophyl making it appear green. But heck, after all I do have a PhD in nuclear physics and as long as I wear my white coat with appropriate name tag I can assert anything with authority even if it is entirely false. Moral: watch out for anybody claiming anything with authority. Always apply a healthy dose of skepsis which you can get over the counter at your local grocery/pharmacy ). Since the blue and green part of the spectrum have hence been removed, your guitar looks red. And given that this red guitar is the one that you are actually playing it hence follows red guitars sound best since the other colored guitars are silent (unless you do your best Nigel Tufnel impression) and eagerly await you opening the case and let them out. QED (which is Latin (a language that got lost somewhere on the way to the Forum (BTW never ever use (parenthesis) within (parenthesis) unless your doing some complicated mathematical computation or write computer code and want to make sure nobody can maintain it so you can maintain your job maintaining your code)) for 'Why are you so stupid you cannot follow this line of clear reasoning') QED bis.

- Jos
P.S. the doctor is out (at least of his mind)

[CGT]

Mea Culpa. Maxima Mea Culpa. When thinking of Mexico, I thought of the beer hence my confusion about the location of the Corona plant. As for the way the date has remained the same... Didn't you guys see the shredder rendition of the the Doctor Who theme I posted yesterday? That kid stopped time with his sweep picking. Blame him! Don't look at me.

I just got back from a film-making master class with director Guillermo del Toro about Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy. My brain is totally fried. I will look at all your responses in the morning and comment further.

[louis cyfer]

Mea Culpa. Maxima Mea Culpa. When thinking of Mexico, I thought of the beer hence my confusion about the location of the Corona plant. As for the way the date has remained the same... Didn't you guys see the shredder rendition of the the Doctor Who theme I posted yesterday? That kid stopped time with his sweep picking. Blame him! Don't look at me.

I just got back from a film-making master class with director Guillermo del Toro about Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy. My brain is totally fried. I will look at all your responses in the morning and comment further.

that kid was not that fast. he was fast, but nothing like some of the more accomplished players.. put it this way, i can play at that speed pretty comfortably, but when it comes to guthrie govan, i am just looking on in awe.

[CGT]

that kid was not that fast. he was fast, but nothing like some of the more accomplished players.. put it this way, i can play at that speed pretty comfortably, but when it comes to guthrie govan, i am just looking on in awe.[/quote]

There's a point beyond the speed becomes moot. I attended a master class given by classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco a couple of years ago. After the speedy performance by a very agile and clearly gifted student Barrueco said something along the lines of "That was very good. It was not music. But it was very good." I rather echo his sentiments when it comes to some of the faster players. Fun to watch, but not very musical. When you consider that some of the great blues players will hold a single note and bend it seven different ways to create mood, speed can appear rather gimmicky.

After he tore down that young player, Barrueca built him up again, showing him where in the piece he could have been more inventive with his phrasing and/or fingering and praising him for his technique, all the while counselling him not to use technique as a crutch.

In short, I'm not very concerned whether smiley dude doing the Dr. Who theme was as fast as some of the more accomplished players. He was fast enough to be entertaining. Ultimately. That's what counts.

[willross]

It is music and also a technical feat. I'm all about playing well enough to tell the story...


Cheers,

Will

[CGT]

It is music and also a technical feat. I'm all about playing well enough to tell the story...


Cheers,

Will

Amen to that, Will.

[louis cyfer]

that kid was not that fast. he was fast, but nothing like some of the more accomplished players.. put it this way, i can play at that speed pretty comfortably, but when it comes to guthrie govan, i am just looking on in awe.

There's a point beyond the speed becomes moot. I attended a master class given by classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco a couple of years ago. After the speedy performance by a very agile and clearly gifted student Barrueco said something along the lines of "That was very good. It was not music. But it was very good." I rather echo his sentiments when it comes to some of the faster players. Fun to watch, but not very musical. When you consider that some of the great blues players will hold a single note and bend it seven different ways to create mood, speed can appear rather gimmicky.

After he tore down that young player, Barrueca built him up again, showing him where in the piece he could have been more inventive with his phrasing and/or fingering and praising him for his technique, all the while counselling him not to use technique as a crutch.

In short, I'm not very concerned whether smiley dude doing the Dr. Who theme was as fast as some of the more accomplished players. He was fast enough to be entertaining. Ultimately. That's what counts.

it would be misrepresenting what manuel says if someone got the idea that he has an issue with someone playing fast, or having great technical ability. he did not have an issue with the guy being speedy, he had an issue with him not being musical. you can not replace musicality with speed, but you can have both.
i know manuel. one of my absolute favorite players. i have to tell you, he has the blinding speed. it is a tool. you can play fast, or play fast and musically. guthrie govan plays incredibly musically, while has the ability to speed things up, and he uses it as a dynamic tool. technique used as a cructh is a problem. used as another aspect to tell a story, that is good. having technical ability to the point where it is not a concern, you can play anything you want, is the ideal skill set. people say that they don't pursue technical ability because it takes away from being musical. not so. it just gives you freedom to express yourself, when fingers are no longer the limiting factor, it flows straight from the brain to the fretboard. and manuel barrueco is one of these players, where technical ability is no longer a concern.

[darwinohm]

This lunch report has been very informative for those yearning for information. We covered high speed playing, witnessed time stopping with Philby reporting from the land of Oz that it was already Wed the 7 there, but the real clincher is all the scientific, well reported, and factual information about Red guitars. We even had PHD input on that. My biggest fear has become that if someone steals our guitars (Ginny and mine), they will take only the Red ones. That would really grab me where it hurts! Like in the Genetics I was babbling about on Monday-- Darwin .