Volume - tuner

The Ernie Ball camp had successfully embed a tuner into their volume pedal. It effectively eliminates the need for two separate units on one's pedal board. Space-saving & practical for sure. The tuner is also a touch-screen unit so the smart feature eliminates the kneed for additional knobs. Neat. 

Alternate reality

The success of 2018's Parallel Universe series by Fender led to 2019's Alternate Reality models seen above. Essentially, these are mix-matched Fender models made to be presentable & somewhat appealing to the quirk-inclined folks out there. L-R: Electric XII/ Sixty-Six/ Meteora HH/ Powercaster/ Tenor Tele. Unlike the 2019 iterations, these are Mexican & more appealing in terms of prices.

I'm most attracted to the Sixty-Six as it is a guitar version of the Jazz Bass. However, I find it disturbing that the default humbucker (seen above) is showing misalignment. Two implications: 1) The humbucker concerned is not F-Spaced 2) The bridge sports a wider dimension. They couldn't get it right back at the factory; are we paying for oversight? I wouldn't say it's a dire concern but the manufacturer should be more in the know when it comes to such details. We can easily swap this our for a properly spaced replacement but a covered F-Spaced pickup is harder to come by at the stores compared to the uncovered counterparts. 

BC trio

A very functional trio by Laney's Black Country label. From L-R, we have a boost, OD & a reverb unit. From the initial demo clips, they sound good & I'm rather attracted to the reverb. I've not heard something as appealing as Strymon's BlueSky unit but that one's too much money for something that I would use on occasion. The Second Path might be a good alternative. A little concerned with those control knobs as they block the pedals' labels. 

Red Screamer

Still in TS territory- this is how the 40th Anniversary version looks like. Manufacturer said there's no variation in the circuitry, just a colour difference. Limited edition run, of course.

Looming revelation

Here is Jeff Loomis' signature Jackson. I was expecting a little more extravagance but it's a considerably down to earth instrument. No surprise that it turned out to be a Kelly type as he was seen with one on many occasions towards the end of 2018. 

Screamuram

Another high profile release at NAMM- Ibanez's TSV808.

It's rather obvious from the labels that this is a collaboration between Ibanez & Vemuram. By virtue of this understanding alone, we can expect exorbitance in terms of prices. Tone-wise, initial impressions by professionals deem this as a deserving variation of the Tube Screamer as well as the preservation of all things Jan Ray. Reason being- it's a true hybrid without compromising ideals to maintain brand supremacy. The TSV808 has that signature TS midrange supremacy in store as well as the JR's buttery bottom end which the TS isn't a forte of. I'm not a fan of any Vemuram offerings in the mean time despite having tried them in person countless times, but this coexistence is a very enticing proposal. Mind you, I've nothing against the Vemuram brand name, they are up there in terms of boutique offerings, but what they offer isn't what I like to hear.

That aside, this pedal will be on my watch list. Keep in mind that Ibanez & Vemuram products are distributed by two different dealers here, it's interesting to see the price difference should they be available at both places. 

Personally, I have mixed feelings with this release. Half of me feels glad that it's another success story behind a Tube Screamer variation. The other half feels that the TS is lately being dependent on other brand names to propel its existence. Whatever the case, it's good to see a win-win situation. 

Low Shee

Ed Sheeran had left the Martin camp. Late last year, there was media coverage of how he was into Lowden's Wee Lowden models so it naturally implied that there would be a signature model along the way. Come 2019, it seems that Lowden has launched an entire range of Wee-based acoustics under the 'Sheeran' label. I was initially interested in the Wee range of scaled-down models knowing it would serve me well. However, the Lowden name would be an exorbitant price tag but now that this range of guitars are available this year for a much more affordable price range, not sure if I want someone's name on the headstock. Most probably not. 

333

Ah, so they held back till NAMM. This is Paul Gilbert's 30th Anniversary Ibanez PGM & it's a decent enticement (considering I'm not a signature fan). The Fireman was a distraction & Paul Gilbert went back to his RG roots for this one. The pickups are DiMarzio's PG-13 mini humbuckers. OK, I don't dig that 333 truss rod cover at all. 

Fighting

I think some of you are rather sick of seeing such dead parts but at my end, I feel it necessary to share the need to keep things in check. This is a dead tone pot, of course, eaten away by corrosion. We usually maintain such features in our guitars by spraying contact cleaners once thing don't feel as smooth as it should be.

This isn't a corroded implement, just the guitar's truss rod cover which necessitated this destruction...

... in order to access this dead screw. It was severely rounded during an attempt to remove it so accessing the exposed thread there helped with getting a grip while turning it loose using a pair of pliers. 

After an upsetting bout, it finally came off. 

Replacement truss rod covers were purchased online.

I'm also kinda sick & tired of Ibanez's cosmo black finish. This is a fusion between black & chrome & invites stain very easily. If your hand is oily for instance, the stain will be permanent however much you polish the surface. It becomes a bright stain rather than disappearing.

The guitar in question is my Ibanez RG721. It looks rather pristine here after some maintenance time & that's the sure thing that would happen to my instruments- taking time to put in place what's wasted.

Fender Acoustasonic Tele- bring it on!

Just when I thought the Fender camp is playing it low key this NAMM, they dropped the bomb with this American Acoustasonic Telecaster. From the pic above, it's a clear hybrid appeasing both the acoustic & electric fans. 

Add to that some colour variations & we know the Fender camp means business. Initial appraisals have deemed it a game-changer of sorts as the instrument has a voicing control that emulates revered acoustic tones in terms of wood & body types. The same control acts as a blender in one selection & a huge potential to sound unique.  The electric pickup tone holds its own & that's quite an attraction itself. We often come across rotten pickup tones from acoustic guitars trying to offer such hybrid voicings.

This new model is not to be confused with the Telecoustic (seen above) which was a let-down in so many ways. I had plans to own one not too long ago but the poor acoustic projection & an equally objectionable plug-in tone made me re-think & the decision not to buy it was a good call. 

On my watch list!

King vs King

These picks are pretty much in the same league. The manufacturers interpreted them differently; same thickness, same unpolished edges & even the same colour family. The Jazz King has, well, the jazzers in mind. The tip is rounded to let the player glide across strings effortlessly while maintaining command at the picking end. The Ed King, by virtue of its more pointed tip, invites the player to showcase some precision picking while propagating effortless movements as well. I don't particularly favour one over the other. On some days one of them serves me better than the other. 

Shades of Silver (Sky)

Four new colours for PRS' Silver Sky model this 2019.

So a touch of colour variation to entice the masses. Awaiting official NAMM news to know if it's just fresh colours to the fold or other revisions included. 😎

EHX vs Mooer

This isn't a performance battle but an intellectual one. EHX had successfully brought Mooer to task for copyright infringement. It seems that Mooer's Mooergan & Tender Octaver contain blatant copies of EHX's C9 & Micro POG DNA in their circuitry. Whatever the case is, outright copying is rotten & you have a very slim chance in saving your skin when dragged to the courts. It's not worth the trouble. It disreputes your brand name as well.

Strobing

I am fully aware of Peterson's standards in tuning accuracy & believe they are the go-to brand name in terms of performance & reliability. The only reason I avoided getting any pedal-type tuner from them is the fact that their greyscale display are boring & unhelpful. So with the release of their Strobostomp HD, things might take a turn in terms of appeal. It's also good to know that the colours here would also double up as a way to identify the tuning type instead of just a visual appeal. OK, a good enough reason to get one.

EHX strings

New for 2019, EHX strings.

But if you've been there like I was, EHX did have a range of strings in their accessories line up some time back. I know I've tried & liked them but they don't last that long. Hopefully, the new generation of EHX strings are one-up in terms of longevity.

G-Generation

Holy smokes! If you think the J-45 Studio was affordable goodness, Gibson has released the new (2019) Generation Series acoustics. Seen here is the G-45 Studio listing for USD999. On my watch list!

Ibanez 2019 (7): Axion

Fan-fretted RGDs are not new in the Ibanez catalog. For differentiation's sake, Ibanez added a new variation this year to the Iron Label series called the Axion Label. The RGD61ALMS you see above feature a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern active humbuckers. Supposedly, these active units generate lesser noise than their counterparts out there & there's also a promise that they sound better in clean settings. Whatever the purported 'upgrades' the manufacturer has for the AL series, I personally think it's unnecessary. There are no comprehensive models to define the Iron Label series & this year, Ibanez bombed us with the Axion Label to further define what the guitars of this nature has for players. We are more confused than liberated. I see the Fluence pickups as consolation, the rest- nothing special.

This model ($1,399) together with the initial batch of 2019 Ibanez instruments, are now available at Swee Lee. This is the first time new models are made available before the NAMM event. On previous occasions, we had to wait till March to see new models making it to the shelves. There was a time when we had to wait till May (damn!). So thumbs up to Swee Lee for putting things in perspective. 

Ibanez 2019 (7): A firm return

This is a surprising return from the Ibanez camp this 2019; the Affirma bass (Seen above: AFR4WAP). I'm not really that taken aback by this since it was announced in 2018 that the Affirma would make a return but no further details were available. 

For those not in the know, the Affirma bass was in existence once in the Ibanez catalog & this was how it looked like. It was designed by the late Swiss luthier Rolf Spuler & hence the break away from Ibanez's SR-esque features. Note how the current headstock design is further trimmed for a slimmer outline & necessitated a different type of winding round the tuner shafts. The immediate benefit here is the narrower neck width Also, the top bevelling is now perpendicular to the pickup because Ibanez dedicates this revised channeling to be a deserving thumbs rest.

Over at the flip side, the bass now benefits from a set-neck design for unhindered access to the upper frets. People like yours truly here would love to experience the instrument's stealth design but the 34" scale length would mean a real struggle for individuals with a small body frame. Do note the bass now features piezo pickups as well. The AFR4 is currently a Premium tier instrument.

PICS: Ibanez/Amazonnews

Ibanez 2019 (7): Micro excitement

I have no idea if things are going into the gutters for the PGM model as time goes by. With only this PGMM21 model being a fresh (not so fresh if we take into account the fact that the PGMM concept isn't new at all) member in the signature line up, there's nothing to be too excited about.

PRS SE 2019: Trio signatures

This is, hands down, a very good proposition; making something personal from PRS' Private Stock lineup, more affordable, more within reach. Paul's Guitar has a very McCarty vibe to it while keeping things in line with the SE philosophy- hence the largely flat top design with beveled surrounds. We also get that mini toggle coil split units for more tonal options. OK, it's definitely the best among the three mentioned here.

This one's a limited run, only 1,000 world-wide. If you don't already know what this is about by virtue of that graphic on the body, you are really... Never mind. 

The last & definitely the most disconcerting from the way I see it, the Santana SE is now offered as a singlecut iteration. This reeks of desperation because the label is riding on another label, the Santana name, to push things through. In the SE realm, the Santana monicker means nothing when it comes to identity. Throughout the years, the Santana SE had never been the more affordable take of the real deal; it's always mutated to manifest its own quirk so why bother with the Santana tag anyway. 

Rest

Finally decided to get a dedicated neck rest for re-stringing & other tinkering at home.

Noise watch

Greetings, guitar fans. I've given this passing comments before but let's put things in perspective this time round. It concerns the noise elimination pedal placement, just a couple of variations. The set up you set above, let's call it set up A.

This one here- let's call it set up B.

The difference- in A, we see the noise gate coming before the distortion unit, in B, it's placed after. What's the difference (if there is any at all)? Let's begin with the understanding that in both set ups, the pedal works & nothing averse had taken place. Noise gate activation depends on the nature of the  signals coming into the device.

In the case of A, the gate deals with signals which are coming directly from the guitar. In B, the gate has to deal with the signals which are already distorted. Unadulterated signals coming from guitars require lesser threshold levels so gating can occur at lower settings. It is often the case that weaker signals from lower output pickups (single coils especially) get cut off rather easily. It is frustrating that notes generated by plain strings (often the higher E & B strings) are sometimes completely shut off altogether. 

This is where B might be useful to the rest of us who wouldn't want to experience premature gating. The additional gain coming from an overdrive or distortion unit would help boost weaker signals coming from the instrument so a differentiated gating effect would be prevented. 

I was doing A in my initial stages of noise gate incorporation. The premature gating occured & thought that my set up was just unsuitable for noise suppression till someone I related to advised me to raise the pickup pole pieces. This helped somewhat but when the noise gate was not in use, the volume difference across strings meant I have to lower what was raised before & it's something that should be avoided. I dabbled in the noise gate placements & came to realize that there's no one particular noise gate arrangement to suit different set ups. 

Hope this bit helps you deal with your set up somewhat. Cheers! 

EHX: Low synth

Bass heads- a new one by EHX, the Bass Mono Synth. This is a fun factor implement, not something you'd use to hone your technique. Watch this:

Mayer @ SG

Heck, yeah!

Temporary aberration

Took a break from playing for the last few days or so. This felt like a strain & possible RSI if left untreated. Strangely, it's not due to guitar-playing at all, computer use & other professional preoccupation are to blame. 

So today's rainbow after the rain cheered me up. Sort of. 

Wishing everyone a good day ahead.

Middle ground

I'm pretty much turned on by this one amongst all other 2019 distractions by Ibanez- the SR Mezzo bass. Reasons being: 1. Medium Scale (32") 2. Maple fretboard 3. 22 frets

I'm currently undergoing this re-visit phase where 22 frets of everything (Ibanez) is a treasured feature for me. On that note, I'm still looking for good used S-Series model sporting 22 frets. The Mezzo here just looks good with 22 frets, it differentiates itself from the other 24-fretted siblings. Maple fretboard- that's something we don't see in SR basses too often. Finally, the 32" scale length is a welcomed feature for the smaller built players amongst us. I still fancy the shorter scale models from any brand names but the 32" Mezzo is alright. On my watch list for 2019.

F-Bigsby

News indeed- Fender now owns Bigsby. If your favourite guitar company suddenly discontinues this feature from your favourite guitar models, it is then no surprise. If instruments featuring this whammy bridge suddenly observes a subsequent price hike, it is also no surprise. You get the drift.

Jupiter rising

Waiting with bated breath.

Epiphone 2019: DC Pro

The Epiphone camp offers this DC Pro for 2019. It's a re-make of Epi's own Del Rey model which was rather well known in the 1970s. Of all the finishes on offer, this green looks the most captivating. 

Hey, dad! (Part 59)

Hey, dad! It's still me!

Yes- same girl, same guitar but years apart. Today is her birthday. 🎂

Ultramag

I get excited over such breakthroughs all the time- Rotosound's Ultramag strings, new for 2019. According to the manufacturer, there is more nickel than iron in the strings' chemical composition. This is supposed to accentuate more bass/ midrange compared to steel-based strings so there, that's the difference for you. In any case, we welcome variety in the market- more options for us players. 

Ibanez 2019 (6): Sfogli's

This was Marco Sfogli's previous signature model. RG-based & the works.

Together with Andy Timmons, Marco Sfogli is now in the AZ camp with the latest MSM100 seen here in this magnificent green. Pickups are DiMarzio's Tone Zone (b) & Air Norton (n).