This took a week of my time to do correctly. I changed a young, existing website from its wonderful name of www.KaizenGuitarist.com to the very good name of www.ShoshinGuitarist.com .
Both Kaizen and Shoshin are Japanese words. Although I am not Japanese, I do admire their cultural beliefs in improving quality every day (Kaizen) and in approaching all learning with a beginner’s mind (Shoshin).
Why I Changed My Website’s Name to Shoshin Guitarist
I originally chose the name www.KaizenGuitarist.com . I loved that name and its concept. It means a guitarist who improves 1% daily. Yes, it’s a Japanese term I learned from my scrum master days when I worked at the insurance company.
I reserved the domain www.KaizenGuitarist.com and then two days later I realized someone made Kaizen Guitars. The large guitar company Ernie Ball makes them for $3500+ . Here’s an announcement of those guitars for NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show in 2022.
Made by Ernie Ball.
Designed by guitarist Tosin Abasi.
After several months of blogging, I decided to eliminate any potential conflict with Ernie Ball, Tosin Abasi, and their new Kaizen guitars. So I changed my website name to www.ShoshinGuitarist.com .
What does Shoshin and Shoshin Guitarist Mean?
What is a Shoshin Guitarist?
What does the Japanese word Shoshin mean?
Shoshin means “Beginner’s Mind” in Japanese and Buddhist thinking. Here is a succinct definition from Wikipedia on the word Shoshin.
What is a Shoshin Guitarist?
He or she is a guitarist who is open to new things, new learnings about guitar. I will venture a guess that even great guitarists have a beginner’s mind open to learning new things about playing Guitar.
BeginnerGuitarist.com was Taken
A lot of cool names for beginner guitarist are already taken on the Internet.
www.BeginnerGuitarist.com – Taken – $69.99 minimum bid
www.NoviceGuitarist.com – Taken – $69.99 minimum bid
www.TyroGuitarist.com – Available
But does anyone really know the meaning of the word Tyro?
www.BoomerGuitarist.com – Taken – $100,000 minimum bid
Yikes.
Shoshin means “Beginner’s Mind”
I chose Shoshin Guitarist as a website name for two major reasons.
Shoshin means “Beginner’s Mind”. It’s a freshness and openness to learning new things.
If a guitarist is open to learning new things, he or she has a beginner’s mind. Whether the guitarist has played 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, or a lifetime, if they have a mind open to learning new things they are a Shoshin Guitarist.
Today is January 23, 2024 and I began my Kaizen Guitarist website. I reserved my domain name of www.KaizenGuitarist.com on GoDaddy and set up a simple website. It’s not perfect, but it will get better.
This feels good.
I have no pretentious dreams or plans about the website. I want a “bucket” where I can store my guitar journal. I’ve been keeping one since I began playing guitar on October 5, 2023.
For 3 months I’ve thought of this website and for maybe 1 month I have checked frequently to see that the domain www.KaizenGuitarist.com was available. Today, I just grabbed the domain name.
Ironically, this is the same day I purchased a Journey JF410 acoustic travel guitar from Jay W.
For too long I delayed starting this website. Old thoughts on being perfect prevented me from starting it. I am newly retired. But after 5 years of working at CNA Insurance (love you guys), I became more Agile, hopefully Kaizen. You see, building a website is a bit like playing guitar. You don’t magically become good at websites, neither do you magically become a good guitarist overnight. It grows little by little, you get better, little by little. It’s a Kaizen kind of thing.
Website Plan for KaizenGuitarist
Here are a few ideas (I’m so rusty with WordPress I’ve forgotten how to do bullets):
Guitar Journal. Store my daily Guitar Journal notes in this blog. It’s not because they are great. It’s because it shows how someone fumbles a bit as they learn to play guitar better. Hopefully, you’ll learn from my mistakes.
Learn WordPress a 2nd time. I stopped blogging actively on WordPress perhaps 7-10 years ago. I have a lot to learn.
Learn SEO. Search Engine Optimization is difficult. You can blog forever but if you don’t have good SEO, no one will find you. I hope you find me.
Help beginner guitarists. I am a beginner so I hope to help beginners.
Guest posts from experienced guitarists. Yes, I hope others will post for me. Or, I can at least interview them.
Podcasts. People have said I have a pleasing voice. You can find some of my work on YouTube just by searching for Richard Kraneis. I’d like to interview other guitarists, luthiers, musicians, store owners, music groups, etc.
Build an email list. Yes, that would be good. I haven’t done it in a long time.
Get questions and feedback. Really, I want everyone to hang out with me, say hello, ask questions, give my advice.
Make a bit of money? Yes, nice also. But we either blog for money or fun. Hopefully both. I think if I serve others with good content, a few dollars may come my way.
Become a better guitarist. Yes, that’s the ultimate goal.
So today, Kaizen Guitarist is born as a website. I just want to have fun, learn new things, and keep getting better at guitar. Thanks for visiting www.KaizenGuitarist.com today.
I didn’t plan on buying an acoustic tonight (10.29.2025). I already bought an IYV 300ILS D Les Paul copy this same evening from Paul G. Paul’s a great Facebook Marketplace guitar guy and seller in Chicago, IL USA.
“I will try out the Hohner HW400N versus the Harmony H162e. I’ll match the best one against my “go to” acoustic: my Fender CD60. If the Hohner or the Harmony can match the Fender CD60 on playability and beat it on “brightness”, I’ll buy it.”
But if I could find an acoustic that could beat my Fender CD60 with brightness and playability I would consider purchasing it: $119 was the asking price from the Facebook Marketplace seller.
Visual – Comparing the Hohner HW400 and the Harmony H162e
Picture of Hohner HW400 on sale on Facebook Marketplace
Picture of Harmony H162e from Korea and the 1980’s
Notes – Comparing the Hohner HW400N versus the Harmony H162e
Hohner HW400N
Harmony H162e
Rumored to have a solid spruce top. Made in the 1990’s.
This is an acoustic.
A Korean descendant of the Chicago made Harmony H162 which has a very good reputation for sound quality. Made perhaps in the 1980’s.
This is both acoustic and electric.
Broad shoulder dreadnaught. Bigger than my Fender CD60 in the shoulders and the bottom.
000 size guitar
Color, a little beat up. But it’s natural in color.
A much richer brown, very good looking guitar.
I tuned it up.
I tuned it up.
Sounded brighter than I expected. It was a nice sound.
The Harmony had a darker sound, just too murky. That’s not what I wanted. Did not sound like Spruce top. Mahogany perhaps?
Just too dark.
Buyer Beware: The Korean Harmony H162e was NOT made by Harmony in Chicago. It uses acoustic-electric technology that is 40 years old. Sound wise, it cannot compete with the Harmony H162 from Chicago. Listen to Jake Wildwood to hear a true Harmony H162 made in Chicago, IL USA.
If the Korean Harmony had sounded half as good as the Chicago Harmony H162, I would have bought it.
The Hohner had made the first cut and I would now compare the Hohner HW400N to my Fender CD60.
Hohner HW400N versus my Fender CD60
I have been playing the Fender for easily 18 months. Before this began, my guitar guy adjusted the Fender CD60 truss rod a little bit so the action was even a bit lower. Paul G, the guitar guy, even said the Fender CD60 (made 15 years ago) was a decent guitar.
Picture of Hohner HW400N
Picture of Hohner HW400N
My Initial Comparison at the Seller’s Location
Hohner HW400N
Fender CD60
It’s a bigger dread than the Fender CD60. But not hard to hold. The “shoulders” on the Hohner are bigger than the Fender CD60. The neck seems slimmer than the Fender CD60. Easy to hold, not a baseball bat neck. A little beat up, but the binding is nice.
The Fender is smaller than the Hohner. Both are dreadnaughts but the Fender CD60 is smaller than the Hohner HW400N. The Fender “shoulders” are smaller.
Per ChatGPT.com: Most likely made in the 1990’s in Korea. Possibly some made in the 1980’s.
10/11/25. That’s when my Fender CD60 was made. So my Fender is 15 years old.
If I owned a Fender CD60s
I played my riff of G, Em, C and D.
I played the song Deep River Blues which relies on the deeper notes.
I played Ode to Joy which relies on the GBE strings. It requires brightness.
I played my riff of G, Em, C and D.
I played the song Deep River Blues which relies on the deeper notes.
I played Ode to Joy which relies on the GBE strings. It requires brightness.
Sound: The Hohner HW400N does have a brightness to it.
Sound: My old faithful Fender CD60 is fine but it does seem a little muted on the high notes compared to the Hohner HW400N.
The Hohner HW400N is its own product designed by Hohner yet made in Korea in the 1990’s.
The Fender CD60 is Fender designed. But the Internet seems unclear on whether it was made in China or Indonesia.
Then I started switching back and forth between Hohner and Fender. At one point I was playing a simple version of Ode to Joy by Beethoven, love it.
I thought, “Gee, the Hohner is sounding muted now. What’s wrong?”.
“Ode to Joy sounded muted. I thought, the Hohner isn’t sounding good anymore. I looked at the guitar and realized the muted guitar was my Fender CD60. I went back to the Hohner and it sounded brighter once again.”
Paul the Guitar Guy wanted a Blind Test on Sound
Paul was in his back room working on a guitar while I had been playing both guitars.
“Something does sound different. Play short stuff on Guitar 1 and Guitar 2 and I will tell you what I hear.”
So that’s what I did. I played back and forth on my two guitars, Paul could only hear, not see them.
“Paul the Guitar Guy – Guitar #2 sounds better. The 2nd guitar is more open with higher mids. The other one isn’t bad but #2 is better.”
“Richard – Guitar #2, the “brighter” guitar is the Hohner HW400N.
“Paul – Yes, I like your phrase better. It’s brighter.”
My 1990’s Hohner HW400N was Brighter and Better Sounding than my 2010 Fender CD60
So Paul and I guessed that the Hohner did have a solid spruce top, just like Chat GPT said it had.
So I bought it.
$119 for the Hohner HW400N
$50 in cash and $75 in trade value I had with the seller. I had been chasing an affordable spruce top guitar and I always have liked Hohner guitars.
Maybe one day I will get a great solid spruce top acoustic, but I think the Hohner HW400N is a keeper, a vintage keeper.
A Few Days Later with “Sunny” the Hohner HW400N
She’s a big “gal” but very light. I still like her.
“But I have noticed that “Sunny” is brighter than all my acoustics: the Fender CD60, Epiphone, and Ibanez. But it comes at a small cost. Sunny the Hohner HW400N doesn’t have much of a low end sound on the bottom E string.
And Sunny is pretty. Natural spruce top, dark brown sides and back, with very nice cream binding: Pretty Guitar.” – Shoshin Guitarist
“But I can live with Sunny’s light bottom sound. She always has a bright, sunny voice. And guess what, despite her dreadnaught size, she’s lighter than my other dreadnaught guitars.” – Shoshin Guitarist
My 5 Year Old Grandson Likes the Hohner HW400N
My grandson came into the basement guitar room to play some computer games. But then he started looking at my acoustic guitars and “Sunny” the Hohner caught his eye.
“It’s a pretty guitar. Look at the nice brown color. And it has nice white stripes.” – My 5 year old grandson.
Grandfather – “You’re right. It’s a pretty guitar. The white stripes are cream colored binding.”
My grandson is a smart young fellow. And he likes to play “yektrik youd” (electric guitars loud).
I initially purchased a Popcaster tele (not shown) for $150 from Amazon. It was a beautiful blue with two Alnico V pickups. Gorgeous guitar. Unfortunately it had microphonic pickups and excessive 60 cycle hum on switches 1 and 3. I loved that blue guitar, but had to return it to Amazon.
Harley Benton TE-62 aqnd TE-70 T-Type Guitars
The TE-62 tele got a great review from Elmo Karjalainen on YouTube. Great guy, great channel. But I didn’t like the colors.
The TE-70 looked gorgeous in black paisley and also rosewood, but it had a 14 inch radius and chunky neck. I didn’t need or want that chunky neck. Also, rumors of the guitar being more than 8 pounds. I didn’t want that.
Firefly FFTL Thinline P90
Then I thought, what about Firefly guitars. So I visited Guitars Garden and researched their telecasters. That’s when I found the Firefly Thinline FFTL Semi-Hollow with bone nut and P90 pickups. That’s when I found Jimmy Stewart’s YouTube Channel on guitars. See below.
Jimmy Stewart on YouTube persuaded me to purchase the Firefly. Watch Jimmy’s video at The Return Of The Firefly Thinline. That’s the number one reason I purchased this Semi-Hollow Thinline guitar with P90 pickups.
Did I Purchase the Last Firefly Thinline FFTL Semi-Hollow from GuitarsGarden?
I purchased the Firefly Thinline FFTL Semi-Hollow on September 24, 2025 around 1 PM after my wife and I had lunch. Thanks Sweetie.
Perhaps two hours later I checked the same website page.
The Firefly Thinline FFTL Semi-Hollow had disappeared from the Guitars Garden website.
The Firefly Thinline FFTL Semi-Hollow Arrives at my Bungalow
Around 4 PM this Tuesday I was practicing with my Fender acoustic and singing an Old Town School Song, I paused and heard a thump above me on the front porch. I ran upstairs and saw the FedEx truck and a guitar through the window. Hurray.
It’s a rectangular box which I think is a good sign. No obvious dents or cuts. On the Internet rectangular boxes often have a triangular box within for double packaging. I hope it’s double packed.
I thanked Anthony the FedEx driver, asked him if he played guitar, and he said he always wanted to do so. I encouraged him to visit the Old Town School of Folk Music. Nice guy.
The Firefly journey is over from Ontario, CA to Bloomington, CA to Utah to Colorado to Kansas to Champaign, IL to south Chicago to Niles, IL and to my home. I think I ordered it last Tuesday so that would be a full week for shipment. Hurray.
As I wrote earlier, I may have grabbed the last Firefly Thinline FFTL Semi-Hollow for September of 2025.
Acclimate the Firefly and Open it Tomorrow
I botched my YouTube video on opening the Firefly.
The Firefly came packed within a rectangular styrofoam box and then stuffed into a rectangular cardboard box. It was adequately packed. And I thought it looked very nice, initially.
Firefly FFTL Thinline P90 Physical Inspection
Here is my physical inspection of my Firefly.
Was the Firefly FFTL Thinline P90 Worth the Wait?
Well I unpacked the Firefly today and did some YouTube videos.
Sad to say my new Firefly FFTL Thinline P90 had a 1 inch scratch on its backside. It’s pretty obvious where its located.
Negatives about the Firefly
One inch scratch on back.
Neck seems a bit chunky.
The build on my Firefly seems worse than my used Glarry GTL Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar Wine Red tele that I purchased for $60 with pro set-up. I know, that sounds like heresy but that’s my impression.
Positives about the Firefly FFTL
Fret ends were perfect.
P90 Alnico growl. Those pickups sure have a voice of their own. Pretty impressive.
Walked to my Used Guitar Store, Played a Squier Custom Vibe Classic Telecaster, and Decided not to Keep the Firefly FFTL Thinline P90 Guitar
So, finding a 1 inch scratch on the backside of my Firefly FFTL Thinline P90 was a bit depressing. I thought I would take a walk.
So I walked to Rare Birds Music, 3 blocks from my home, said hi to Brian the owner, and played guitars.
Then I found a $300 Squire Custom Vibe Telecaster that seemed out of my price range.
Beautiful.
Felt good in my hands.
Played great.
So in the store I thought:
“I can keep the Firefly for $200 or I can purchase a great Squier Custom Vibe for $300. That’s $50 more. I choose the Squier Custom Vibe over the Firefly FFTL Thinline P90. I am sending the Firefly back to the west coast.” – Shoshin Guitarist
So There is No Recording of the Firefly in Action, Playing It
So I walked back to my home and played the Firefly knowing I would send it back to the west coast. After all, it has a one inch scratch on the back with the chunkiest neck I have ever played. And, it also doesn’t feel as well built as my cheap Glarry Semi-Hollow Thinline.
But the P90 sound of the Firefly was tempting. It had quite a growl. I tried recording it but I didn’t get a good recording so forgive me.
Did I Get a Defective Firefly FFTL Thinline P90 ?
Maybe, maybe not.
Scratched. Yes, that scratch bothered me.
Chunky neck. That neck was like a war club to me. Not pleasant.
Felt cheaper. Yes, my $60 used Glarry Semi-Hollow felt better in my hands.
But the P90 might have made the Firefly a “keeper”. I will never know. I am trying to buy a Squier Classic Vibe Custom from 2011. Yes, hoping to buy a 14 year old guitar over a brand new guitar.
“But please give Firefly a chance. I have heard great things about their guitars. Maybe avoid the Firefly FFTL Thinline P90. That’s up to you. – Shoshin Guitarist”
That’s as honest as I can be. I do apologize if you were looking for a great playing demo of the Firefly.
GuitarsGarden was Prompt In Returning My Money – Thank You
GuitarsGarden had only one email address for communicating with their company. It was included in my online receipt.
They were courteous and prompt in their replies.
$35 credit offer? They offered me $35 to live with the one inch scratch. I declined, no thank you.
They provided a receipt for shipment to near Las Vegas, Nevada.
I dropped off the Firefly in its original packaging at a Fed Ex near me and they processed the return shipment for me.
My $199 was returned promptly.
So I thank GuitarsGarden for promptly returning my money. Honest, easy to work with them.
I visited my guitar guy for guitar repairs and “horse trading” (guitars really) last night in Oak Park, IL. It was worth the drive.
I traded in a Hohner and Bristol acoustic for a future electric guitar and brought my Ibanez V70CE for him to examine.
I had traded a 1969 Harmony student guitar for the Ibanez V70 CE acoustic electric about a year ago. Nice looking black guitar, sounds great when amped on my Roland 40GX.
“I just can’t play the Ibanez very easily. The action is too high.” – Shoshin Guitarist
“Let me Lower the Action on your Ibanez”
While I played a few guitars I considered trading for, Paul the Guitar Guy sat in his tiny space (I couldn’t see him) and he worked on lowering the action on my Ibanez.
I peeked into his office and saw him sanding down the bridge on a tiny glass (?) surface.
Paul: Try Your Ibanez Now
First I eyeballed it. Without a ruler or “Fritz Ruler”, I could see that the action had been lowered. Even with its older strings it played more gently, easier than before. The action was significantly lower.
Awesome, I could now play the Ibanez and it wasn’t painful.
Paul, what did you do to lower the action on the Ibanez?
In 12 minutes he had made the guitar useable, actually fun.
This is what he said or what I surmised from his remarks.
Paul adjusted the truss rod to eliminate the bowed neck.
I am sure he loosened the strings before doing so.
Then he turned the “wrenched” the truss road clockwise to flatten the truss rod and reduce the bowed guitar neck.
Paul sanded down the saddle. That’s the thin white thing on your guitar bridge that all the strings pass over before being tied down.
First he loosened the strings a lot.
Second, he removed the bridge.
I wish I had seen that step. What was the technique?
He sanded the removed saddle by moving it back and forth on a sandpapery small tool. I didn’t see it.
Then Paul tightened the screws, checked the action, strummed it briefly and handed the Ibanez to me.
Have Courage, Lower the Action on Your Acoustic Guitar
I need to learn how to lower the action on an acoustic guitar. It shouldn’t be hard.
But the “first time” in many things is always a bit more difficult for all of us.
I have played guitar for 2 years and bass for 1 year. It’s time to actually take care of my guitars/basses by myself.
Perhaps two weeks ago Tom G., and old and good friend, said that an “almost” family member said he wished he had an electric bass so he could play it, learn it, and enjoy it.
So it was Sean who day dreamed he wanted a bass guitar.
Since I love searching and finding guitars, basses, and amps, I immediately began my search.
Overnight Craigslist Ad for Squier Bass for $100 or Best Offer
I called the next morning.
Unfortunately, the seller does “bait and upsell”. He said, “I have offers of $200 on this bass.”
So watch out for Craigslist, Facebook, and Offerup sellers who use the phrase “…Or Best Offer”. The seller was fishing with a low price and than getting you to bid against mythical competitors.
“OK, I’ll Pay you $125 cash, Today”
I told the seller I was “real”. I keep my word on offers and showing up to buy or sell musical equipment.
Tested Squier PJ Bass and Amp, Then Purchased for $165
The blue Squier PJ Bass was made in Indonesia in 2022. I would call it a “Covid bass”. Made during the Covid-19 days, purchased at that time. $125.
We also purchased a $40 Behringer Bass Amp (sorry, can’t remember the model) that worked fine and sounded good. The seller wanted use to buy his Fender 15 that sounded rattly. No thanks.
Prepping Sean’s Squier PJ Bass and the Behringer Amp
Well, the amp needed no work.
But the PJ Bass had sharp spikey frets. I dropped by Tom G.’s house and carefully filed down the spikey frets so they were acceptable. Not perfectly done, just better so Sean wouldn’t cut himself.
We also ordered a stand for Sean’s bass and I tossed a Fender tuner and bass gig bag into the package for Sean. Glad to help.
Giving Sean his 3 Year Old PJ Squier Bass
Gosh, Sean sure looked good with his new bass. This is in the first minute of him seeing the blue bass. He may not be smiling, but he was a happy guy 🙂
Bald White Guy Smiling with Sean and his New Bass
Yep, this is me. Not my best look. Ugly sweater, eyes closing, bald head shining. I think I need to wear better clothing when I meet new people 🙂
But I was happy to help “gift” a bass to Sean.
“Hey Sean, this Squier Bass with an Amp was $399 3 years ago. It’s a bargain. Hope you like it.”
Brief Bass Lesson for Sean
Since Tom G. doesn’t know the bass, I gave Sean 10 minutes of advice on playing bass.
We added the strap with its locking ends.
Encouraged him to build the bass stand we purchased.
Showed him how to use Fender tuner.
Basics on plugging into his Behringer amp and its controls.
Sean’s pluck technique was already good. I showed him where to anchor his right thumb on a pickup.
Tom and I also jammed a bit. Tom played harmonica and I played bass. We chose “Hey Joe” played on my Android. I showed Sean how to plug into the Aux port with his Android/iPhone.
So now Sean can jam to any song he can find on YouTube. He just needs to learn how.
Best Wishes to Sean, Enjoy Your PJ Squier Bass
It was fun helping Tom G. gift a nice Squier bass to his friend Sean. Good stuff, good times.
This felt good, maybe I’ll help on another gifting of a guitar or bass. We shall see.
It’s beautiful blue peeked through the wrapping, gorgeous.
Wonderful neck, feels good and the fret ends aren’t spikey
Not a big fan of the truss rod being at the bottom of the neck where it meets the bo
Great resonance as I strummed it without an amp.
Yes, I had high hopes for my Leo Jaymz Popmaster until I plugged it into my various amps.
My Leo Jaymz Blue Popmaster is Gorgeous, Just Not Talented
After a week of playing this blue Popcaster it’s time to send it back to Amazon. I think I received a defective Popcaster.
I am an advanced beginner guitarist of 2 years and a bassist of 1 year. Love it. I also wear hearing aids (it matters for this review). I own my share of electric guitars.
Three respected Youtubers recommended the Leo Jaymz Popcaster for both quality and sound. That’s why I bought it.
Initial Testing of My Leo Jaymz Popcaster on 3 of My Amps
It’s a beautiful blue, gorgeous. But when I plugged it into my Peavey, Fender, and Roland amps it didn’t sound right. Better put on my hearing aids. It had too much hummm on switches 1 and 3. Not even my cheap, used Glarry Semi-Hollow hummed that much on switches 1 and 3.
“I am sorry, I don’t have a decent recording of playing the Popcaster. All I can tell you is I was ecstatic to receive a beautifully made blue Popcaster. I was also equally disappointed that the Leo Jaymz Popcaster just didn’t sound good on switches 1 and 3. I tested it on 4 of my amps.” – Shoshin Guitarist
My Guitar Repair Guy Examined the Leo Jaymz Popcaster
I took it to my guitar guy (ex-roadie guitar tech) to check it out. He absolutely adored its fit and finish, he loved the neck. He said, “It’s amazing they can build this, ship it, and still make a profit.” He played it on a cheap speaker in his garage setting. “Hello, hello?” I can hear myself. The pickups are microphonic. Wax potting would fix that (I don’t know how to wax pot an electric guitar pickup.)
Comparing the Popcaster Single Coil Hum against 7 Other Electrics
One more day I turned on my Fender LT25 Amp, put it on the Fender Clean 01 setting, and tested the Popcaster against all of my electrics.Â
I played the same riff on each guitar, same volume, and all switches. All of my electrics ranging from a 1980’s Harmony HT-80 strat to a Jet JT300 played better and with more diverse/pleasing sounds than the Leo Jaymz Popcaster.Â
And sadly, the Popmaster “hum” was the worst of all my guitars.
Now the G String is Rattling
Yikes. Maybe I am being too picky.
But I have only had this Popcaster for less than 2 weeks. I am returning it.
Pretty Guitars aren’t Good Enough for Me
So I don’t enjoy playing it. Beautiful looks aren’t everything. Sound matters more than anything.
But I think I got a slightly defective Popcaster. I may try Leo Jaymz again as I consider their Hurricane guitar. So I am being neutral and rating the Popmaster as a “3”.
I hope my review was helpful to you. The Popcaster is a beautiful tele. Perhaps I just got a “slightly defective” one.
I once had bi-focals now I have had cataract surgery. I see adequately for reading but seeing my guitar strings perfectly for strumming or picking is difficult sometimes.
My Black Peavey Tele Solution to Near Sightedness (can’t see near)
Today I was playing my year 2000 black Peavey Predator-Plus TK from Korea and I noticed something. This is an Android photo without flash. Sorry, I think the focus is imprecise.
The black Peavey has a black background for seeing the strings better. It’s an improvement. – Shoshin Guitarist.
Pretty simple. Playing electric guitar is easier when you have a black guitar.
Harder to see Guitar Strings on a White Background
It’s harder for me to see strings on a non-black background.. Here’s my Glarry Thinline Semi-Hollow with its mottled white background. This is an Android photo without flash.
My Electric Guitar isn’t White – What Shall I do?
Well, you could purchase colored guitar strings. I know they exist.
But there is an outside possibility that one of those colors would blend in to your guitar’s color no matter what the color. Maybe.
Buy a colored pack of guitar strings and string on your electric guitar.
Acoustic Guitar Solution to Seeing your Guitar Strings Better
Even with my near sightedness (can’t see near perfectly), I normally can see my guitar strings for strumming or picking. Sometimes it’s a problem.
Again, you could buy some colored strings as a potential solution.
Did the Black Guitar Solution Help you See Your Guitar Strings?
Hope so. Or at least consider using colored guitar strings.
I noticed it this morning and wanted to do a small post about it.
Either purchase a black guitar or colored guitar strings.
He is absolutely correct. The Dean MLX is both pretty and unique.
Unfortunately I rarely play it. Its shape feels awkward to me and I still haven’t perfectly figured out its tone controls.
Looking to Trade the Dean MLX for a Telecaster
In late July, 2025, I thought, I wonder if anyone would trade me something for my Dean MLX. I especially would like a better telecaster. So I looked on Facebook Marketplace and searched for the phrase “guitar trade”. This picture listing in Chicagoland popped up.
Well I wanted a telecaster so I dug deeper into the ad. More pics below.
So very clearly, this seller wanted a Dean ML. He also was offering a Cort 5 string bass. I have always wanted such a bass. I owned the Dean MLX so I sent a message to the owner/seller proposing a trade: my guitar for one bass and one guitar.
Liam Wants To Trade for my Dean MLX
I sent Liam on Facebook a photo of the Dean MLX and he wanted to trade. If you’re into heavy metal, this Dean is a good place to start.
Liam and I made arrangements to trade at a Starbucks near 80th and Cicero (Chicagoland) in about 10 days (he was on vacation).
Meeting in a Starbucks to make a Facebook Guitar/Bass Trade
We met at a Starbucks in the south Chicago suburbs. Dependable safe space, electrical outlets, nobody bothers you if you play your guitar with headphones.
Liam Loved the Dean MLX
It took Liam less than 10 seconds to fall in love with the Dean MLX.
This was the Dean MLX that my house contractor gave me for free. Dusty, broken string, wires dangling from a missing guitar jack hole. Here’s a link to the free Dean MLX story on my website.
$125 in parts and labor by my guitar guy Paul G. and the Dean MLX was as good as new. Built in I believe 2009 in China.
I liked the sound of the Dean MLX but I never fell in love with the shape of the Dean MLX. But Chicago southside Liam loved the Dean MLX the first moment he held it. Wow.
Richard Liked the Cort Action DLX V Plus
Liam handed me the Cort Action DLX V Plus to play.
Wow, this thing is light for a bass. – Shoshin Guitarist.
I would later learn the Cort weighed only 6.8 pounds. That’s 2.4 pounds lighter than my Deltatone bass guitar. This old guy was delighted with a lighter bass.
And oh my goodness, the Cort Action DLX V Plus was pretty (on Facebook ad) with a cherry sunburst top. See below.
I didn’t notice the knick on the left side immediately. Liam, an honest seller, declared the nick on the finish. Not a horrible nick, but not good. See the scarry close-up shown below.
But in person, the nick was 2 inches long and not as bad as originally thought. My guitar guy Paul G. already said he could fix the small gash for a reasonable price ($50).
I played the Cort bass with headphones on my Orange 12 amp. It sounded OK. How much can you test a bass with headphones?
I could not test the on-board pre-amp because there was no battery available for the pre-amp. But I hoped that there would be no problems with the pre-amp later on. (I was correct, no problems later).
Richard “Tolerated” the Squier Sonic Telecaster (2024)
Liam, if you are reading this, don’t be offended 🙂
The Squier Sonic tele, although almost brand new and hardly played, felt like average workmanship at best.
Almost all of my electric guitars felt better to me than holding a Squier Sonic tele for the first time. I wanted to like it, but my heart wasn’t in it.
SOUND TEST: The Squier Sonic Telecaster, with headphones, had a strange sounding low E. Buzzing? Something not quite right. And I was disappointed in the low output of the neck pick up. I had hoped I would be a little impressed with the Sonic pickups. After all, the same pickups are used in the 2024 Squier Affinity Telecaster.
So I knew my guitar guy would need to fix or do a setup on this Squier of marginal quality. Looked great, but it sure didn’t feel or sound great.
I tried to hide my Squier Sonic tele disappointment from young Liam (a very nice young man).
Was the Dean MLX for Squire tele and Cort Bass a Good Trade?
Yes, it was.
Liam got the Dean guitar he wanted. Not quite a Dean ML, but certainly a Dean MLX for playing or upgrades.
Richard traded in a little used guitar (Dean MLX) and received a working guitar and bass.
My $250 in value (Dean MLX) probably netted $350 in value (Squier tele and Cort Action DLX V Plus bass guitar). But more importantly I received a bass I really liked and a Squier tele I could hopefully improve with a good guitar technician.
But since I will put $100 into the Cort Action DLX V Plus bass for repairs and minor set-up, let’s call the trade a financial “0” net gain. That’s fine with me.
Good Facebook Trades aren’t just About Money
So it’s not just about money.
Liam acquired the Dean MLX he wanted. I acquired a pretty, light, 5 string Cort bass and a Squier Sonic tele.
So I think this was a good trade, a fair trade, between a 19 year old guitarist and a 74 year old retiree (me). That’s what I love about guitars and basses. You get to meet and to like people you would never normally meet in your life.
In the early days of a website, there are often very few visitors.
So thanks for visiting my website. Shoshin is a Japanese word that means “beginner’s mind”. It’s approaching every day of guitar and bass with an eagerness to learn, just like a beginner.
I have an opinion on which AI tool is best. Yes, I know there are other AI tools. But for today, just looking at Google AI and Chat GPT.
For guitar and bass players choosing the correct AI or artificial intelligence tool matters when we research guitars, basses, and/or amps.
Google – How Heavy is a Cort Action DLX V Plus?
That was my Google search prior to buying trading for my Cort 5 String Bass.
Here’s the result from Google AI shown below
Google AI was Wrong by 4 Pounds About the Weight of My Bass Guitar
Google Artificial Intelligence said weight was 11 pounds. Apparently their AI search found one website that said the Cort bass weighed 5 kilos or 11 pounds.
My Cort Bass Guitar actually weighs 6.8 pounds.
So Google AI or Artificial Intelligence was off by over 4 pounds. They thought my Cort Action DLX V Plus was 11 pounds when it was less than 7 pounds.
Why was Google AI so Wrong about the Weight of my Cort Bass?
Frankly, their AI search was a bit sloppy.
They found one website from a guitar re-seller who wrote that the Cort bass was 11 pounds. That was it. Wrong.
If Google AI had dug deeper they would have at least found a www.TalkBass.com article where one user said his Cort Action DLX V Plus weighed 8.3 pounds.
Chat GPT – How Heavy is a Cort Action DLX V Plus?
Chat GPT was more accurate. See below.
Chat GPT was better than Google AI for two major reasons.
Chat GPT was refined enough to mention that one user said his Cort weighed 8.3 pounds. This was the www.TalkBass.com reference I mentioned earliar in this blog post.
Chat GPT wrote: Expect the Cort bass…to weigh 8 to 9 pounds.
That’s reasonable.
Once again, my Cort bass weighed 6.8 pounds (hurray).
Try Chat GPT in the Future on your Guitar, Bass, and/or Amp Purchases
I know, this is a sample size of just ONE. So this isn’t scientific.
But for me, Chat GPT will be my first choice in researching a guitar, bass, or amp I have never seen but wish to purchase.
