Lowdown Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 So,like the post says - what's the most useless,though at the time sounded promising,gadgets or tools for your guitar or whatever that you've ever bought. I got these thinking that it would give me a good starting/reference point to start from - http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Neck,_fingerboard/Understring_Radius_Gauges.html They ended up being the most useless pieces of tin I have ever purchased. Maybe good in theory,but absolutely terrible when it came to the practical side of actually using them. Delegated to the "never to see the light of day again" drawer. So...what's yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 My wife had the best of intentions when she surprised me with a L.E.D. tuner, with a built in, motorized key winder, that in theory would turn the machine head until the guitar was in perfect tune. I tried it, and the winder worked GREAT, until it met the least bit of resistance, at which time it stopped, and just sat there making a sick,sort of gurgling noise. (Fresh batteries were no help at all) So, now I have the neatest L.E.D. tuner, with a spinning "thingie" on the side of it, that hasn't gone over a keyhead since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdown Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 The engine that never could. Man,there must be heaps of "come in sucker" gadgets out there. I think muso's would be one of the main target groups too. C'mon,fess up guys. NEXT... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 I bought one of these because of all the different instruments it was supposed to make my guitar sound like. Mostly, it just made my guitar sound like it was dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdown Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 What the! See! Told ya that musos get all the sh*t in the world thrown at us. A Jellyfish pick?! Next... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 I bought a Guitar Gizmo about two years ago. It's kind of like a Swiss Army guitar tool. nothing on it worked very well, but the string clipper and that soon broke. Waste of $20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoRedFoot Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 I saw that Hot/Cold cordless soldering iron on TV and had to have it. My wife got it for me as a birthday present. It worked great for about the 1st three tries. After that, not so much. I went back to the old school soldering iron. Not guitar only but the commercial showed a guy connecting pick ups. Glad to know that the jelly fish pick is a piece o junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 So' date='like the post says - what's the most useless,though at the time sounded promising,gadgets or tools for your guitar or whatever that you've ever bought.I got these thinking that it would give me a good starting/reference point to start from - http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Neck,_fingerboard/Understring_Radius_Gauges.html They ended up being the most useless pieces of tin I have ever purchased. Maybe good in theory,but absolutely terrible when it came to the practical side of actually using them. Delegated to the "never to see the light of day again" drawer. So...what's yours?[/quote'] Weird... I use the hell out of mine, but they're for Fender-style bridges, where you can adjust the height of each string. Gibson's TOM bridge renders these things obsolete though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameswithesg Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 automatic string winders the hand ones are great, but something with a motor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdown Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 Weird... I use the hell out of mine' date=' but they're for Fender-style bridges, where you can adjust the height of each string. Gibson's TOM bridge renders these things obsolete though.[/quote'] In theory,it's a great tool. Practical-wise,as I said,it is a freaking waste of time and a complete pain in the bum to manouver into place under the strings and then back out again. I found it way easier and faster to use the old way of feel,sight and trial & error. Doesn't take long to adjust a bridge(yes we are talking strat/tele bridges at the moment)anyway unless it is totally out of whack. Still wished I'd saved my $20 odd bucks though. I will add - the one thing they are good for is letting you know the radius of your necks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Well... Hmmmm..... I've bought more than my share of capos that don't work well on any of my guitar necks. A "stomp box" from the early 1970s just destroyed any sound coming from the guitar. Strings? More sets I didn't like than that I did. Problem with some "gadgets" is that having just one of something you like doesn't work, so you've gotta get a batch. I'd half like to have an inexpensive tuner but... I keep wondering what's wrong with a pitch pipe. I dunno. <chortle> I showed a pitch pipe to several young friends last year and they both just got blank expressions when I told them what it was and what it was for. They pretty well found it difficult to believe you actually could tune an instrument with the thing. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 "Most useless gadgets/tools" The Gibson L6-S, what were they thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdown Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 I showed a pitch pipe to several young friends last year and they both just got blank expressions when I told them what it was and what it was for. They pretty well found it difficult to believe you actually could tune an instrument with the thing. You're always good for a laugh milod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 I buy crap on a fairly regular basis probably the worst ever was a MusiciansFriend dumb deal of the day I bought a cd player that muted the voices on any cd. It was made by Alesis if I remember and cost like $79.00. It looked great and was so lame the only way you could say it muted the voices was that the unit muted the cd audio about 90% and added so much static that you could not hear the vocals at all. Luckily MF has a liberal return policy and when I called to get a return number the guy just laughed and said yeah we get about 90% of these back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Weird... I use the hell out of mine' date=' but they're for Fender-style bridges, where you can adjust the height of each string. Gibson's TOM bridge renders these things obsolete though.[/quote'] Me too. I did decent Fender set ups for 20 years by eye and feel. However, I do them better now with the radius gauges (and a few other) tools from Stew Mac. One of my better investments I'd say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdown Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 Me too. I did decent Fender set ups for 20 years by eye and feel. However' date=' I do them better now with the radius gauges (and a few other) tools from Stew Mac. One of my better investments I'd say. [/quote'] Good for you sunshine. They're a template. Great for a reference/starting point. After that,you shape out by feel. Every guitar/player's different. Here's another - http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/08/29/a-guitar-pick-with-training-wheels-zerogravity-orbit-guitar-pick/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixr1984 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 "Most useless gadgets/tools" The Gibson L6-S' date=' what were they thinking?[/quote'] Sorry, have to disagree. I will take the sound and feel of either of my L6's over my Les Paul any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Hmm, no one mentioned my Sonex yet. Pretty lousy "gadget" but it's LOUD and I still love it! Oh, BTW, check this out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWP37 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Sorry' date=' have to disagree. I will take the sound and feel of either of my L6's over my Les Paul any day.[/quote'] Yeah, those have always intrigued me and I've thought seriously about buying one. I like the way they look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I always wanted an L6S. I don't know why. Now the prices are crazy on them when you find a nice example. Gadgets? I dunno, I'm a skeptic and pretty old fashioned anyhow. I'm big on good strings, picks and cables - I avoid gimmickery for the most part. I've owned a few Korean-made guitars that were complete and utter sh!t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdown Posted December 11, 2009 Author Share Posted December 11, 2009 Some of these BTW,mightn't come under useless - but gadgets etc. nonetheless... - http://www.snapjackcables.com/ - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 "Most useless gadgets/tools" The Gibson L6-S' date=' what were they thinking?[/quote'] Totally disagree one of the best sounding playing guitars Gibson ever made love mine and play them all the time. This is one guitar I think gibson should make again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Good one Lowdown, Mine would have to be a few, yes I bought two.metal pics Totally worthless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixr1984 Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Totally disagree one of the best sounding playing guitars Gibson ever made love mine and play them all the time. This is one guitar I think gibson should make again Agreed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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