Welcome to This Month’s Guitars on Main News!
This issue is packed with everything from cutting-edge gear to inspiring stories. We kick things off with Yamaha’s THR10II—the “lunchbox” amp making a powerful comeback for home players. You’ll also meet Chris Koehler, our multi-instrumental guitar instructor whose musical journey spans everything from organ to pedal steel. Finally, we dive into the critical art of guitar tuning and intonation, including a look at the legendary Badass bridges for players seeking next-level tone.
Let’s dig in!
Off the Shelf: Yamaha THR10 II: The "Lunchbox" is Back!
Many of us are old enough to remember long-lost school days of yore: standing at the bus stop, hoping and praying that the bus wouldn't come and we could just go home; writhing in our desks, embarrassed to have to ask to use the restroom, trying desperately to make it just seven more minutes until recess; forgetting that the dreadful spelling quiz was today, not tomorrow, etc.
There was one accoutrement that always delivered right when you needed it the most, the humble lunchbox. Inside, if you were lucky, were chips and bologna sandwiches, pudding packs and Ring-Dings, and maybe something you didn't like as currency for trade. The lunchbox was the mid-day lifesaver, one that you could carry with one hand, and now, it's back, as reliable as ever, and still filled with dreams and wonder!
Yamaha, long a leader in musical instruments first launched their "lunchbox" amplifier onto the world in 2011, with the THR5 and THR10, both small amplifiers that fit the newly emerging "third amp" category. The first category consists of stacked, powerful amplifiers that needed to be turned up for larger gigs; the second category, smaller combo amps for playing smaller venues, as you need to crank a tube amp to get it "singing" properly; finally, the third amp is your practice amp at home, where, unless you're Yngwie Malmsteen, you're probably playing the most quietly. Not only is this a "lifesaver," but it's also an ear saver!
Unfortunately, when the first two types of amps are turned down for home use, the magic simply vanishes. All of what sounds great about a cranked amplifier fades away into nothingness. The entire instrument feels and reacts differently, and not in a good way.
Yamaha, instead of merely shrinking amplifiers down in size, chose to create something, a third type of amp that is designed to sound best in the bedroom or the garage, without breaking the bank or inciting your neighbors' hatred. Yamaha created a practice amplifier that does not need to be cranked to ear piercing levels to sound good; it sounds fantastic, even at a whisper volume, and it has a host of other bonuses its first- and second-amp brethren could only dream of having, all at just $369.
The modern THR10II is an absolute powerhouse of modern technology, housing two full range stereo 3" speakers and packing 20 watts of power. Five user presets, a tuner, a tap tempo button, and a variety of amp models from clean to high gain from the start of this amplifier's features. Next, a gain and master volume allow the user to dial in the exact amount of drive at any volume.
Moreover, the modeled tube amp tones just feel right, yet there are no tubes inside this lunchbox. Instead, Yamaha uses VCM, Virtual Circuitry Modeling, an approach that seeks to replicate the entire circuit and the synergy among all its components when modeling tones. This has long been the problem of digital guitar gear: it sounds the part but doesn't feel right under the fingers. Not so with the THR10II. When you lean in more aggressively with the pick, or roll back the volume, the amp responds like an amp, like it should.
The THR10II may also be used for bass guitar, acoustic electric, and any other application that requires a flat response, with a bank of 15 guitar amp models, 3 bass amp models, and 3 mic models, bringing the old lunchbox squarely into 2025. While many practice amps skimp out on basic tone shaping, this one has independent bass, middle, and treble knobs to get your tone exactly where you need it.
Beyond that, there is a full complement of onboard effects accessible via two rotary knobs: chorus, flanger, phaser, and tremolo on one; echo, echo and reverb, spring reverb, and hall reverb on the other. Most smaller amps make you choose either echo or reverb, but this has the ability for you to have both simultaneously.
An auxiliary input allows you to connect audio devices to the THR10II, and a headphone output affords silent practice. An additional guitar and audio output allows you to mix your guitar's volume with the volume of a backing track, etc. You can actually use this as your Bluetooth audio speaker for playing your favorite podcasts or song playlists. Record out with the USB port in the rear to make this one of the most practical amplifiers you could ever have on your desk, not just the living room.
Players looking to gig with their "third" amplifier might wish to look elsewhere, for example, the Boss Katana or Line 6 Catalyst have much more stage ready power. For those who love menus and tweaking, the Positive Grid Spark offers much deeper tone editing, built in learning tools, and mobile app controls. Those looking for a barebones budget practice amp might benefit from the Boss Katana Mini or the Fender Mustang Micro, both around $100, as opposed to the $369 price of the Yamaha THR10II. It's not cheap, it doesn't pretend to be, and it sounds better and actually feels better to play.
If your budget doesn't include this price tag, you could look at its little brother, the THR5, for $249. For more than $100 less, it's hard to go wrong, even with this smaller version.
While it might not feature Uncle Jesse and Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on the front, this lunchbox is just as cool, almost as light, and sports a handle for ease of portability. It looks the business too, like a piece of retro audio gear that happens to feel and sound fantastic at low volumes, dynamic and perfect for home use. While this 6.5lb lunchbox might not quiet a grade schooler's lunchtime caloric requirement, it certainly satisfies modern guitarists' hunger for tone, ease of use, and flexibility. Guitars on Main currently has both in stock now.
On the Staff: Introducing Chris Koehler, Guitar Instructor
Chris Koehler is a proud organ recipient. Organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, and brain are obviously critical for sustaining human life: we simply cannot live a normal life without them; therefore, organ donors are vital to the sustenance of humanity. Other organs such as Hammond, Kurzweil, Farfisa, and Hohner have been known to nurture life as well, especially in the case of Chris Koehler, guitar teacher extraordinaire here at Guitars on Main. Without this particular organ donation, a 61-key organ, Chris would not have become the musician, guitarist, and instructor that he was destined to become.
Chris' musical saga began at the tender young age of 4, where he worked out holiday tunes on an antique organ in his house, handed down from his grandfather. Where most young children this age would be just learning to sing tunes like "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bells," Chris was already learning to play them on the organ, beginning a 30-year love for all things musical.
He began to blossom as a musician when he took after his older brother, beginning to play the alto saxophone at 10. Four years later, Chris added the guitar to his ever-growing arsenal of musical instruments, learning a few chords here and there from neighbors and friends. Before long, he could play "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles on guitar, but this was still only the beginning.
In 2013, while studying at Millersville University, Chris taught his first few guitar lessons for the Millersville University Prep Program and was immediately hooked. An early inspiration arose from his teaching of a student who had an intellectual disability, honing Chris in to be supportive, enthusiastic, and patient with all of his students, a philosophy deeply engendered in his teaching today. 12 years later.
To say that Chris is just a guitarist is a vast understatement. Every instrument has its own mysteries, challenges, and advantages; the more instruments a musician has command of directly impacts how intimate one can become with music, itself. Chris articulates it best, saying, "I am a multi-instrumentalist. Many guitarists have the ability to work with similar fretted string instruments like bass guitar and ukulele. I like to work with a few other less common instruments in the fretted string instrument family, like banjo and mandolin as well."
Continuing from there, Chris loves to play unfretted instruments like the lap steel and pedal steel guitar, the latter played with a dizzying combination of a tone bar, fingerpicks, and an assortment of pedals and knee levers! He also loves all types of synthesizers, woodwind instruments, especially saxophone and clarinet. He does possess the chops needed to play brass instruments like the trumpet as well, mentioning, "I can work my way through a scale on a trumpet although brass is a much different technique than a woodwind instrument. I can get a few nice sounds out of a flute as well."
His passion for musical instruments doesn't end there, either. He loves to work with drum sets and percussion instruments because, as he says, "Drums and percussion instruments are always important for the backbone to a piece of music, really demonstrating where the beat lies." Can your guitar teacher play the banjo, the synthesizer, the saxophone, the pedal steel, drums, AND the guitar? That's highly doubtful.
Being a multi-instrumentalist not only helps with his teaching, but it also directly translates into his home studio environment, where he uses all of his knowledge of musical instruments to create and record his original music, charting out and arranging each instrument's voice in the cohesive whole of the track. Check out Chris' original music on Apple Music and Spotify, who humbly uses his own name in these platforms, the artist formerly and still known as "Chris Koehler." Check it out, and you'll hear the depth of his musicianship yourself!
Chris' live repertoire includes playing with Swaamp & The Bad Brass Gators, which includes a full horn section comprised of saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. As horns are pitched in different keys, Chris must transpose during songwriting, noting, "This means if I play a C on a guitar, and the saxophone plays a C on saxophone, it will not be the same pitch." He adds, "guitars, bass, piano, trombone, flute and other fretted string instruments are pitched in the key of C. Alto saxophone is in Eb. Tenor Saxophone and Trumpet are in Bb."
As a player, Chris loves improvisational music. Playing saxophone early on, he learned to improvise over standards like "Summertime," "Giant Steps," and "Cantaloupe Island." Emerging from this experience came the love of a solid chord structure, a melodic head, and plenty of room for improvisation. In contrast, he also appreciates the compositional side of music as well, citing influential bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, The Meters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dr. John, Little Feat, The Band, The Allman Brothers, The Black Crowes, The Black Keys, Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, The Doors, Eric Clapton, Jack Johnson, The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix and many, many more.
A reserved and humble guy, Chris appreciates the versatility of the guitar, citing its use in a melodic (lead) or chordal (accompaniment) context. Knowledge of other instruments translates readily to the guitar as well. Learning keyboard instruments really helped Chris figure out the functionality of the guitar. He adds, |Students often start out learning to read sheet music along with scales and arpeggios on horns. These are monophonic instruments, meaning they can only play one note at a time. A guitar is a polyphonic instrument so you can produce intervals and chords that a horn would not be able to do." Advantage: guitar!
As a teacher, Chris firmly believes in proper ergonomics and technique. He raises the analogy of learning to type properly, which, beginning with one or two fingers and progressing properly, equates to increased speed and mobility. He stands behind Victor Wooten's assertion that nothing you do on your instrument should ever produce pain or strain your hands, a sure sign of a needed technique adjustment.
Technique aside, he devoutly believes in the importance of developing a repertoire of enjoyable music that the student chooses, something that people would know and actually listen to. Of course, students' tastes vary, so he helps his students choose their songs, keeping them engaged. Ideally, students who are really interested in music will develop a repertoire and voracious appetite for what Chris offers.
Philosophically, Chris is keenly aware of the music's effect on an audience: "Good music really moves people, motivating them by evoking different emotions." He believes in keeping the listener in mind, adding, "You wouldn’t necessarily want to perform or create an entire piece of music made up of intervals that generate stress. Tension and release is important. If you use an interval that generates a stressful uneasy feeling, try to resolve the interval to make the listener feel at ease." I think it's safe to say that Chris will avoid tritones where possible.
As a gigging musician, the advice to avoid stressing out an audience is invaluable. Once, his tube amp blew up during his band's set. Both the audience and his band had to stand by while he switched to a solid-state amplifier, certainly cause for embarrassment, but also a moment of introspection. He vowed to never waste someone's time like that again, so he now plays a Fender Tonemaster amp live for its reliability, consistency, and great tone, without a single tube.
Speaking of advice, Chris' experience dictates a pair of sage tips for players getting into bands. First, "Don’t take every gig you’re offered. Pay attention to details and think of opportunity cost. Will sound be provided? How many hours of music will you play? How long will you have to set up and tear down? Will this gig really be worth your time and effort? Will it help you and your band reach your goals?" Be sure opportunities you take are worth your time, helping you reach your goals.
Next, "Try to focus on one core group with like-minded people, instead of playing in 10 different bands. Try to set goals that everyone agrees on. You’ll find you’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of playing music you like rather than spending countless hours working towards someone else’s goals that might be very different from yours."
As an organ recipient, Chris Koehler is certainly living a full musical life, thanks to his grandfather's generous donation. In short, if he's not playing music, he is listening to music, all the time. Book guitar lessons with Chris to see for yourself!
On the Bench: A Tale of Tuning and Intonation
One of the worst things that can deflate a guitarist' self-image is the horrible sound produced by an instrument that's out of tune. Good tuner, frequent tuning? Check and check. Unfortunately, you've only scratched the surface of what makes a guitar sound right, no matter your ability level.
Essentially, if your instrument has been built correctly, tuning only ensures that the six open string notes are in tune. That's about it. A different tuning problem begins when the player starts using the fretting hand to fret notes on the guitar, which is the overwhelming majority of guitar playing.
If you have ever noticed that your guitar just doesn't sound right, even if it's in perfect tune, the primary culprit for this can be very simple to fix: not only must you tune the open string, but you must also tune the string to itself by adjusting the string length, shorter or longer, between the nut and the saddle. This is known as intonation, or the process of intonating your strings.
Intonation on a guitar is critically important because it ensures that the instrument plays in tune across the entire fretboard. Without proper intonation, even a perfectly tuned open string will sound out of tune when fretted higher up the neck. If intonation is off, even slightly, notes and chords higher up the neck will be sharp or flat, even though the tuner says your guitar is perfectly tuned. This makes your notes above the 5th fret sound "off," which even non-musicians can hear. More importantly, the player often thinks that this cacophonous mess is his/her fault: "Well, I must just be a terrible player."
What's worse is a poorly intonated guitar alongside instruments that are truly in tune, as in performing with others or simply playing along with a backing track. Even your own open (cowboy) chords will clash with barre or CAGED chords of the exact same name further up the neck. While the human ear does provide some grace for single note pitch errors, these same small discrepancies in pitch make chords sound muddy and unpleasant at best. It can make an otherwise great performance sound awful; no one wants that, not the player, the audience, nor sound engineers live or in a studio.
Part of the problem, though, is in the inherent design of guitar frets, straight metal lines parallel to each other. The rest can be managed by intonation. This ensures your guitar is in tune and useable, consistent in all keys and positions. Every type of playing facet is impacted, from playing leads, arpeggios, and chords to popping a capo on a higher fret to transpose a tune to a higher key.
If you want to test your guitar's intonation, use a quality tuner with exact increments to check the pitch of your fretted notes against the pitch of your open strings. For example, an open B string should be a perfect B note on a tuner. The fifth fret should be a perfect E, the tenth fret, an A, etc. If any of these pitches are off, it's time to intonate your guitar.
You will need a high-precision tuner, a screwdriver (Philips or flathead depending on your bridge), good overhead lighting, and a quiet space. Typically, intonation is set by adjusting the saddle position toward or away from the neck. The goal is to make the12th fret fretted note exactly the same as the 12th fret harmonic, and exactly one octave above the open string.
Here's how to intonate an electric guitar in ten easy steps:
- Tune each string of your guitar to perfect pitch using a tuner. Make sure you tune and intonate your guitar in playing position. Gravity does have an effect!
- Sound the 12th fret harmonic by lightly touching the string directly over the 12th fret. Tune this harmonic perfectly with your tuner.
- Check the 12th fret fretted note with your tuner.
- Compare the 12th fret harmonic with the 12th fret fretted note; they should be exactly the same pitch reading on the tuner, but, unfortunately, they are often not the same. Time to intonate your string!
- If the fretted note is sharp compared to the harmonic, the string is too short. You'll need to move the saddle back, away from the neck, making the string longer.
- If the fretted not is flat compared to the harmonic, the string is too long. You'll need to move the saddle forward, toward the neck, making the string shorter.
- Either way, use the correct screwdriver to turn the saddle adjustment either toward or away from the neck. In general, a clockwise turn moves the saddle back, lengthening the string; a counterclockwise turn moves the saddle forward, shortening the string.
- Make small adjustments, retuning the open string with each adjustment. Every saddle adjustment changes the pitch.
- Repeat the harmonic vs. fretted note test and adjust appropriately until your 12th fret harmonic and fretted note are perfectly in tune on the tuner.
- Repeat the same process for all of your strings. Play some chords at various positions on the neck to ensure that everything sounds right, and you're all set.
Acoustic guitars often require a luthier's touch, typically involving precision filing or saddle replacement, best left to skilled hands!
If you play a Gibson style guitar with a wraparound bridge, here's a fantastic upgrade along these lines. In 1972, Glen Quan and Leo Malliari created the “Leo Quan Badass” bridges, made from high-density zinc alloy to improve attack, sustain, and clarity for guitars and basses. Quickly adopted by Fender and later brands like BC Rich, Spector, and Kramer, Badass bridges became the standard for quality replacement hardware.
The Badass Wraparound™ bridge, designed for Gibson-style wraparounds, allows precise intonation and improved tone, famously used by players like Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi. Modern versions now feature premium locking studs for even better performance, available here at Guitars on Main for $125.99.
Thanks for Tuning In!
From the return of Yamaha’s legendary “lunchbox” amp to Chris Koehler’s inspiring musical journey and tips for perfect tuning and intonation, we hope this issue leaves you informed and inspired. Until next time—keep playing, keep learning, and keep the music alive!
