Ditto. I see english words, but I think he's speaking french.

nope. i just tried reinterpreting it in french and it's just as broken.

Will do. And I'm looking to take my business elsewhere, if I can find something that has what I need. Gonna send in a nice lil' complaint first... doubt it'll do much, though. But if it does I hope that ****er gets fired.

One more quick Q for the time being:

Are there any noteworthy magazines or good sources to invest some research/time/money/etc into that discuss the ins and outs of different guitars/guitar parts/toneswoods (just started reading about **** like this)/amps/etc or are things like that more of a learn-as-you-go sort of ordeal?

I like giraffes, too.

If you look into some articles in guitar magazines like guitarplayer or sometimes musiciansfriend, you might be able to pry some info out. You can always try googling and get information that way. Seymour Duncan has a page about some of the basics, it gives decent information about some of parts that really affect tone and how different pickups can be paired with different set-ups to achieve a desired sound. That might help a bit. Duncan Designed - Seymour Duncan/Basslines At the top, Support: Choosing and Installing: How to Pick a Pickup. Its more oriented around how pickups work but its something. My best advice is play guitars a lot of different kinds of guitars and ask what they're made of and what they're equipped with. Then maybe you'll discover that wood type A tends to give me a sound that I like. Then you can research a bit on the wood and find out that the unique tones are accentuated with pickup type A and muddled with pickup type B. From there, it just keeps going. I started with an Epiphone SG and added new pickups and got exactly what I was looking for. I'm currently reading up on a Jackson Dinky and trying to determine which pickup will give me the sound I'm looking for. I would try to look through some copies of GutiarPlayer, you might find stuff you like, and maybe it would be worth subscribing to. I still have a few copies around that talks about different pedal setups.

Which leads to a tidbit of info, remember that the sound is not all about the pickups. They work with different types of would, the design/shape of the guitar, hardware, and even wiring to the amp. 10 ft cable vs 100 ft cable makes big difference. If you ever start playing with pedals, keep in mind that even things as pedal order can change the tone. I find that if I order my distortions/overdrives one way, the tone is too sharp and trebley, but by changing two pedals, it balances back out and sounds great.

I'm just wondering, why do you ask about how everything works together to produce the sound, other than curiosity? Are you buying a guitar or making/ having a guitar made. If you are buying one, just ask about the specs on guitars that you find sound good, then find one that plays the way you like, made of similar parts, and sounds similar/to your liking. If your making one, then hmmm... Not sure what to tell you. Don't rush it, think carefully. My friend has been doing this for about 5 years or so. His work is amazing but he is always surprised with how the guitar will sound.

First off thanks a bunch for all the info. Bookmarked and to-do listed.

I'm not planning on building a guitar or anything like that yet, as I'm still a novice to merely playing one. I get obsessive with understanding how things work within things I'm interested in. I plan on playing guitar for a long time and, seeing as I got a late start in music, have a lot to learn. I'd like to learn how to make guitars eventually, too, which is another reason.

NP. That is exactly how I think and operate. Its great because you can troubleshoot your own problems by yourself and when/if you ever want to change out parts, you usually have a pretty clear idea of what the outcome will be, besides it is really fun. As I mentioned, my friend builds guitars and after he showed me his work and started explaining how things worked within the guitar while he was changing my first pickup, I became hooked with the idea. When I'm older I also would like to build my own guitars in my spare time. I'm still young (finishing my junior year in highschool) so for now, I've adopted a "project" guitar. Its an old Jackson Dinky with Floyd Rose, but it needs massive clean-up. I'm working on rust removal, but previously fixed the input to work good as new. I'm currently trying to select a new bridge pickup and continue work on refurbishing the hardware. So if you're interested in that stuff and considering building your own guitars, you should go find an old guitar and fix it up so you can work on your craftsmanship. Thats how my friend started, with a Squire Bullet and he discovered the body was made entirely of plywood. He decided he could do a better job himself and the outcome was some damn fine instruments.

well... i used to have a stack of Guitar World magazines that was taller than my knee (i'm over 6' too...) though there are plenty of people here who should be able to troubleshoot any questions you have about any aspect of guitars.

and i prefer pandas. :p:

Armadillo + Koala tag team FTW.

That combo takes no skill at all. Real pros go with Alligator + Donkey for tag teams.

Undertaker + Orton ftw