Guitarist-isms that make you cringe

thegummy

When people tout stubbornly held beliefs about things for which there is no evidence either way.

E.g. one person saying that unplugged sound having a connection to plugged in tone being bollocks then someone else reacting as if saying that is heretical or that he must be mistaken.

prlgmnr

I see "Lester" has been covered, though the horror of it deserves mentioning again

I'll add referring to "front" and "back" pickups even though both pickups are quite clearly on the front of guitar

thegummy

prlgmnr said:

I see "Lester" has been covered, though the horror of it deserves mentioning again

I'll add referring to "front" and "back" pickups even though both pickups are quite clearly on the front of guitar

I hate that second one, not cause I find it cringy, I genuinely find it so confusing and am never sure which they mean!

DartmoorHedgehog

prlgmnr said:

I'll add referring to "front" and "back" pickups even though both pickups are quite clearly on the front of guitar

No idea why people use those terms.  "Neck" and "bridge" makes sense and is unambiguous.  I genuinely don't know whether the headstock or the body is considered the "front" of a guitar - when I carry my guitar in a case it's usually with the neck forwards as I walk... does that make it the front?

DeeTee

DartmoorHedgehog said: I genuinely don't know whether the headstock or the body is considered the "front" of a guitar - when I carry my guitar in a case it's usually with the neck forwards as I walk... does that make it the front?

I *think* that's what they mean, but like you say, there's a perfectly acceptable naming system already being used. Why change it for something that is less clear? 

prlgmnr

DartmoorHedgehog said:

prlgmnr said:

I'll add referring to "front" and "back" pickups even though both pickups are quite clearly on the front of guitar

No idea why people use those terms.  "Neck" and "bridge" makes sense and is unambiguous.  I genuinely don't know whether the headstock or the body is considered the "front" of a guitar - when I carry my guitar in a case it's usually with the neck forwards as I walk... does that make it the front?

I suppose a guitar has a "head"stock and a "tail"piece so I guess the neck is the front.

DartmoorHedgehog

DeeTee said:

DartmoorHedgehog said: I genuinely don't know whether the headstock or the body is considered the "front" of a guitar - when I carry my guitar in a case it's usually with the neck forwards as I walk... does that make it the front?

I *think* that's what they mean, but like you say, there's a perfectly acceptable naming system already being used. Why change it for something that is less clear? 

Which came first?  I've heard lots of people using the front/back description but never quite understood it.  I assumed it was a UK/US thing but don't know which is which.  I'm in the UK and have always called them neck and bridge, but for all I know that could be considered the American terminology.

ICBM

I've never understood why it isn't obvious from the way the guitar is pointing when you hold it - yes, I know 'sideways', but if you're on stage you never stand with the tailpiece end towards the audience, it's always the head end at least a bit.

But if it's not then there's an easy way to remember it...

Front - F - fingerboard pickup
Back - B - bridge pickup

DartmoorHedgehog

ICBM said:

I've never understood why it isn't obvious from the way the guitar is pointing when you hold it - yes, I know 'sideways', but if you're on stage you never stand with the tailpiece end towards the audience, it's always the head end at least a bit.

In most of the places we play I stand whichever way round makes it less likely to hit the wall/drum kit/other band members   But I get your point - it sort of makes sense now.  Still don't know what's wrong with neck and bridge though - don't have to explain those or use any special memory aids.

DeeTee

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Which came first?  I've heard lots of people using the front/back description but never quite understood it.  I assumed it was a UK/US thing but don't know which is which.  I'm in the UK and have always called them neck and bridge, but for all I know that could be considered the American terminology.

Maybe you're right - I'm in Canada and I've never heard anyone say front and back. That's entirely anecdotal though. 

thegummy

ICBM said:

I've never understood why it isn't obvious from the way the guitar is pointing when you hold it - yes, I know 'sideways', but if you're on stage you never stand with the tailpiece end towards the audience, it's always the head end at least a bit.

But if it's not then there's an easy way to remember it...

Front - F - fingerboard pickup
Back - B - bridge pickup

If Steve Harris had more than one pickup he'd find it easy but I never hold a guitar that way :P

 
P.s I bet I forget that mnemonic (or whatever the correct term for that helper is) by the next time I need it lol 

skullfunkerry

I have said “front and back pickups” before, and I remember literally talking to someone once, saying “I was using the front pickup” and thinking that I sounded like an idiot, so I stopped using it

LastMantra

I'm not keen but I don't think I'd ever think the bridge pickup would be the "front" so not really that confusing. 

thegummy

LastMantra said:

I'm not keen but I don't think I'd ever think the bridge pickup would be the "front" so not really that confusing. 

It's funny how some things seem so obvious to some people but so abstract to others.

I still can't see either end of the guitar as being the front or back, it just makes no sense to me.

But with a "glassy tone", for example, the first time I ever heard it I immediately thought it was referring to the sound that it does refer to. While others would find that just as abstract as I find the front/back thing.

Neither of them really make any sense - same with so many words used to describe sound and music related things - so it's interesting how they just seem so right to some people.

thegummy

skullfunkerry said:

I have said “front and back pickups” before, and I remember literally talking to someone once, saying “I was using the front pickup” and thinking that I sounded like an idiot, so I stopped using it

I try to avoid pedantry as much as possible if I know what the person means but there's been quite a few times I've really not known which they mean for front and back.

I seem to find it used for a Jazz Bass more than anything else - I wonder if it's because the pickup that isn't the bridge one isn't really in the neck position so neck/bridge doesn't apply, and there are only two pickups so "middle" might seem strange to use so they use the front/back terminology.

I'm hoping I remember ICBM's explanation and picture the Steve Harris pose to stop me getting confused by this in the future.

GordonBennett

prowla said:

“Plays like butter” makes me think I’ll have to wipe my hands after. 

I tried playing butter once. Couldn't get a decent sound out of it.

Habanero

GordonBennett said:

prowla said:

“Plays like butter” makes me think I’ll have to wipe my hands after. 

I tried playing butter once. Couldn't get a decent sound out of it.

It happened to me once when I tried a mashup of Blur’s Parklife and Country House. It played like Country Life.

fretfinder

While calling the pickups ‘bridge’ and ‘neck’ makes more sense, I don’t have a problem with front and back. It seems pretty obvious to me which is which, particularly as the ‘back’ pickup is the one near the (on some guitars) ‘tailpiece’ and ‘bottom’ strap button.

soma1975

My girlfriend always leaves the butter in the fridge making it completely unplayable for toast duties. 

LastMantra

Keef.