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Q2. Why no tone control on the SBJ?
A. Many jazz players "hide" behind the tone control, losing the character or personality of their instrument. The SBJ should be approached like an acoustic guitar, where you use your own technique and the extensive timbres that lie along the string length. The SBJ has a beautiful natural voice that will find you!

Q3. I understand that you do not offer ebony for a fingerboard?
A. Yes, this is true. Many premium guitars do use an ebony fingerboard, but I do not, for two reasons: First, ebony is much more unpredictable than quartered rosewood. Second, it changes the attack, in a direction that I prefer to avoid.

Q4. Do you have any Amp suggestions for your guitar?
A. This is a good question, considering that the amp is very important to the sound! All tube is a handsome rule of thumb... older Fender amps (in good shape and some re-issues), like the Vibrolux Reverb or Twin Reverb are great. A Peavy Classic-30 is cheap and sounds terrific. In quiet settings the EL84 power tubes on this amp tend to develop a small annoying rattle, but it's a very good deal! Most current Solid State amps are designed around over-drive modeling, bells, whistles and more power for less cost, but the clean sound on most of them is usually very "stiff" and less desirable. The exception to this rule, at present, is the Berenger "V-Tone" guitar amp series, which still has the "bells and whistles", but the clean channel uses a "valve (tube) emulation" circuit which sounds surprisingly acceptable!

Q5. Can you clarify some of the confusion over the Fender Blues Jr. amp?
A. Yes, I used to highly recommend this modest Fender-all tube-amp for a low watt, kick butt, fat-sounding-little-jazz amp, but this is sadly, no longer the case. The current version in production ("cream board") is still a decent little amp, but the sound is very different from the pre-1999 "greenboard" rev. that I used to recommend! Apparently, someone with clout at Fender, decided that the "greenboard" EQ was "too dark" and the engineers completely changed the lovely sweet character of the amp. Fortunately, the back plate comes off with 6 simple screws, to easily reveal a "green" (nice, nice) or "cream" (no, no) circuit board.  So, buyer beware!

Q6. Are you the inventor of "The Froc Pick"  ?
A. Yes, I developed and patented the Froc-T3-Pick, back in The Guitar Clinic days (1982). I still have a small private stash of T-3 picks left, but unfortunately, not enough to market. Some time ago, my manufacturer lost my mold, so bye, bye!

recently asked questions...

Q7. Froc, what is a "set-up" for guitar?
A. Ok, This just might be informative!
Guitars are made primarily of wood and that's good, because wood is very strong, yet it will "adjust" and yeild according to Hot/damp-Cold/dry conditions. In the North-East, the weather dynamic is extra wide, so periodic adjustments are necessary, in order to keep a nice guitar in proper playing condition... this is especially important for premium, acoustic, solid-wood guitars!  A musical instrument cannot be ignored or neglected, otherwise cumulative damage can result. Any precision device requires periodic maintenance. So, a "set-up" for guitar (or bass), is like a "tune-up" for a car... It is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to maintain the value, longevity, and pleasure from your musical investment. "Set-ups" usually come in two flavors: MINOR and MAJOR(Full/Complete), generally costing from $50 (Minor) to $100 (Major) - this does vary from one region to another (it is considerably higher in NYC).
   •My Minor Set-up procedures: Lube & clean fingerboard and hardware; Tighten all parts; Adjust truss rod, nut, action (for the Hot or Cold season); Set pickups and vibrato (if applicable); Set intonation (string length compensation for accurate tuning, if bridge will allow); Restring and polish...
  •My Major Set-up procedures: All of the above, plus: "Dress" (level), crown (round off), polish and smooth all frets to eliminate any excessive buzzing, sharp or worn frets and "dead notes". My "set-up" turn around time is one week, unless by appointment...
At the very least, a Minor Set-up, should be scheduled once a year. If you are a pro, you should seriously consider alternating each flavor every six months...
Even a new guitar can require at least a minor set-up - which may be included with your initial purchase, but it's up to you, to see that it follows a "seasonal" schedule, because after a month or so, they are generally not covered under factory warranty.