Review: Traxxas TRX-4M Defender

Ever since my return to radio-controlled cars with the Slash, I knew that I wanted to have a crawler at some point. The issue here was that most of my RC driving takes place on vacation, with luggage space always at a premium, so a 1/10 scale crawler didn’t seem […]


Porsche 911 (997) colors

This compilation of Porsche 997 colors is based on price lists that I have found on the Internet. I’ve only looked at the Carrera colors, there might have been other color choices for other models. Interior The early 997.1 could be had with five different interior colors: Black, Stone Grey, […]


Porsche 911 (997)

History Porsche’s introduction of the second-generation water-cooled 911 with model 997 in 2004 marked a return to the familiar round headlights – not unsurprising given all the hate that the 996 received for its “fried egg” headlights. Underneath though the changes were small. The engine, while carrying a new code […]


A closer look at the PRS model range

I’ve taken a brief look at the PRS guitar range in the post about my CE 24, but here’s a closer look at the various models. The PRS model range is divided into four ranges: SE are the entry-level models built in Indonesia, including hardware and pickups built there. Non-locking […]


Guitar Straps

Looking for a guitar strap? There’s a huge selection out there, here are some manufacturers with a decent amount of options. There are in fact so many options that it’s almost impossible to view them all, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something you like. Fender If you […]


Superstrat Shopping

I recently got to visit Guitarking in Boekel, the store where I got my Les Paul. It’s a really nice guitar store with a good assortment of higher-priced gear. As I’ve developed an interest in Superstrats, that’s what I wanted to try. I started out with an Ibanez AZ 2402 […]


It’s all about the Neck

To me, the neck is the most important thing about a guitar. It’s the part that’s always in your hand and governs how a guitar feels to play. A neck that is warped or bent will make a guitar unusable. Neck shapes In the early days of guitar building, the […]


State of the Superstrat

Lately I’ve been learning and playing several songs that use high gain and the vibrato – not ideal for single coils and blocked vibratos. This has gotten me interested in Superstrats. While there’s no formal definition of what a Superstrat is, I’d consider the following points to be pretty much […]


Fender American Vintage II Stratocaster

Fender has just announced the American Vintage II series, including of course Stratocaster models. The American Vintage was Fender’s vintage-spec range from the 1980s until early 2018, when it was replaced by the American Original range – a somewhat controversial move, as the American Originals eschewed strict vintage specs, going […]


A look at the landscape of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras

If you take a look at the current digital camera market, it’s clear that DSLRs (digital single-lens reflex) cameras are on their way out. Modern sensors that allow continuous readout at high frame rates and on-sensor phase detect auto-focus have eliminated the need for the mechanically complex and large mirror […]


Wildlands Emmen May 2022

Some pictures taken during a visit to Wildlands Emmen, the Netherlands’ newest zoo. It is divided into three areas (jungle, savannah, and arctic), with all of them having been given a nice thematic look and feel. I still feel that it struggles a bit with wanting to be both an […]


Blue Stratocasters

Blue is my favorite color, the Stratocaster my favorite guitar, so it’s time to take a look at blue Stratocasters. The original custom colors Upon the Stratocaster’s introduction, the standard color was what is now known as Two-Tone Sunburst (black and yellow). In 1959, this was changed to three-tone sunburst […]