The more I play my Ibanez SZR, the more I am reminded of the Ghostrider, one was owned by the extraordinary Shawn Lane seen above.
Paul Gilbert also owns one but his version is very personal as you can see.
The guitar you see above was reportedly stolen in transit; someone simply could not resist owning this piece of red candy, a limited edition (No. 16 of 50) Custom Shop Stratocaster re-issue made in commemoration of The Shadows 50th Anniversary. It got stolen in transit, so the lesson here is to personally acquire such a prized possession instead of getting it via mail.
D'Addario make good strings. They aren't exactly fantastic, they don't last that long but they work just fine. I'm still having the .0095 set in my Ibanez SZR. I started with this gauge set since I bought this guitar, it's been working fine for me, no reasons to replace them.
A fresh set of Dean Markley .009s for my telecaster. I used to dislike playing this guitar due to the ash-tray type bridge, makes playing a little excruciating but after the string saddles replacement (Gotoh's brass set + non-protruding action adjustment screws) & a pair of Seymour Duncan Classic Stacks for Tele, this guitar is definitely one of my return-to instruments.
The Fender name is still very much involved in the metal scene today. Obituary's Trever Perez still prefers a humbucking Strat to get the job done. Nice.
When I first saw Nuno's Washburn guitar, I thought it was rather dumb not to feature real upper fret access in reflection of Nuno's fretboard technicalities. The neck joins the body at the 15th fret, making it very restrictive.
It's nothing too different from what Fodera did to their basses except that the Stephens version deals with a bolt-on attachment while Fodera ensures a seamless, set-in feel.
I was browsing the 2010 Ibanez catalogue after dinner & noticed the above. It's the RG2228 headstock, all too familiar to me as I own this guitar.
Then I saw the RGA8 headstock, this guitar is new this year. I thought Ibanez went economic & did the RG2228 neck wholesale for the RGA8 model but the differences are there for all to note. The headstock tip is a little longer, construction-wise, it implies the RGA8 body being a little heftier which necessitates an off-set balance at the neck/ headstock area. I also keep forgetting the RGA is not a Prestige model... hence no 'Prestige' tag there implying a more affordable price tag. Judging by the in-house LZ8 pickups installed, it would seem so. Nothing's for sure until this guitar gets here, of course.
RGT320
RG3620
It's my MG10 & SZR520 all morning. Great grizzly tone coming from this combo, acquired taste to everyone else of course.
Was playing guitar for almost the whole day yesterday, my amp remained to be the MG10 for all guitars.
Why should we get excited over a new tuner in the market? The new TC Electronic Polytune pedal is a tuner which detects all six strings simultaneously when you strum your guitar. As opposed to checking your instrument's strings individually, you can check all in a single attempt. Neat.
Many of us would have seen Greg Howe in action with his sister's hair band round his guitar neck. Functionally, it's hair band turned into a string damper. This is the most economical version, of course.
When Jennifer Batten started out (seen here still playing her Ibanez) she had a proper contraption fixed to the headstock of her guitar. This version featured a movable arm to bring the damper down to her strings when required. At other times, it could be lifted away.
The ambidextrous Michael Angelo had one in his guitar as well. The objective of this implement is to mute the strings so unfretted notes do not get in the way. Functionally, it's akin to having a noise eliminating device but it's one mechanically operating on one's guitar neck. Howe, Batten & Angelo are among the many players out there doing two-handed techniques intensively so this device is of great assistance in ensuring open string do not contribute to accidental contacts.
Tried this guitar recently @ Davis GMC; Washburn's HB32. It has a great semi-acoustic voicing much to the delight of players who thrive on very light drive. The finish is one I favour; I'm not a fan of a gloss overcoat especially at the neck. I hear lots of great midrange performance which would complement the excess of bass or treble, depending on our various preferences, of course.
Bought a small practice amp; Marshall's MG10...
I was playing my Les Paul today (yes, the Gibson version, otherwise I won't call it 'Les Paul') & was checking out some of the obscure, under-rated LP player when it crossed my mind Mayhem's Euronymous (RIP) was one. Do remember the LP at this point in time was still sporting a reasonable price tag & SLASH was only starting to tote his em, fake version, for that landmark Appetite for Destruction release. Chances are, Euronymous got his cheap & he didn't give a hoot about preserving the flame top attraction... to think Freezing Moon was written with this instrument, that's really grim...
My favourite Ibanez player is... I like both Paul Gilbert & Frank Gambale, really. However, my all time favourite Ibanez wielder has to be Frank Gambale for his astronomical technique & tone. I am also intrigued by his use of the S-series for the music while all the shred dweebs in the 1980s were satiating themselves with RGs, the proverbial 1,000-notes-per-second tool. Among other things, Mr. Thunder from Down Under also taught me the taming down of all things trebly. I watched Mr. Gambale live & he has his top end turned way down which gave the guitar a signature rumble without turning mushy & why is that so? Because the midrange is pumped up.
The above 2010 Ibanez models have made it to Swee Lee recently, these are the Indonesian GIO models:
My favourite Strat player is absolutely the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. Before SRV, I only knew Eric Clapton when it comes to blues. I'm not demeaning ol' slow hand (as Clapton is known) in any way but he's not my type of player... SRV showed me there is life in the blues world, more than merely regurgitating the pentatonic set of notes. He had absolute control over his guitar even in abuse mode, just watch Live in the El Mocambo & you'll understand.
Ironically, SRV's 'Number 1' Strat (as depicted above) brought a premonition of his demise; it broke into pieces when a stage wall collapsed on it, leaving it unrepairable.
