If you have a Fender Strat you may have noticed that the metallic rods or polepieces on your pickups are at varying heights. Not all Strats have the staggered heights, but those that do are compensating for not having adjustable polepieces. But really this is just getting us to the question of why you would want to have staggered or adjustable polepieces. Fender explains:

"staggered polepieces help bring the volume of each individual string into balance so that one string or a couple strings aren't disproportionally loud compared to the other strings. This is a sonic phenomenon that can and does happen, and depending on your ear for tone it can range from mildly noticeable to outright maddening"

To read more about this concept check out the article
. I adapted the photo above from hyperbros to highlight the polepieces with my super high tech green arrows.

One of the great things about the internet is the ability to reach a niche audience. Earlier this week we talked about Vince Gill decorating his studio in the style of an old tweed Fender amp. Turns out, there is an entire website devoted to Fender Champ amplifiers. From wikipeida:

It was introduced in 1948 and discontinued in 1982. [1] An updated version was introduced in 2006 as part of the "Vintage Modified" line. The Champ had the lowest power output and the simplest circuit for all of the Fender tube amps. The Champ had only one power tube, which meant that the circuit is single ended and class A. Five watts and the simple toneful circuit allowed the Champ to be used easily and often in recording studios."

My Fender Champ is chocked full of information about these highly adored amps. You can learn the basics about tubes, electronics, and amps in general. Of for owners or interested buyers, you can figure out how old a Fender Champ is by using this serial number guide. I love sites like these. Years ago I was given an old acoustic Guild Guitar and I've also bought an old junky Harmony flat top acoustic. By finding sites like these, I was able to figure out the year, make, and models of those guitars with serial number guides.

Fender has a new video interview with Vince Gill up on their site. And other than the uncomfortably close camera shot, it's pretty good. Vince discusses first seeing Telecasters played by Buck Owens and Waylon Jennings when he was young and how it's twangy sound has been important in country. He then goes on to discussing how he bought his first Tele. But perhaps most interestingly, Vince describes how he designed his most recent home studio. Unhappy with the sound and look of his studio, he decided to cover the walls in the same tweed fabric you'd find on an old Fender Tube Amp. If you want to learn how to play like Vince, check out Jody Worrell's Vince Gill Style Solo Lessons



(picture from momentsbymoser)

- It's attack of the Giant Flying V Guitar over at Music Thing. Do you think they keep strings for that in stock at Guitar Center?

- Guitar Wars has a review of the complete overhaul Fender has done to their website.

- Gotta Strat? Wanna leave the world of relative obscurity behind for the fast paced and glitzy lifestyle of internet semi-fame? Head over to Me and My Strat, where they will post a picture of you and you gorgeous stratocaster.

- The Guitar Channel has a review of Robben Ford's new album. If you're looking to learn some Robben Ford style riffs you should check out our Altered Blues Licks lesson.

- Guitar Stuff brought our attention to a fantastic lesson by flatpicking great Brad Davis on double down up picking. The video starts off with a somewhat cheesy interview but later moves on to some truly valuable instruction. Take a look and see what you think.