S&S

An interesting release - Scarlet (n) & Scourge (b). Honestly, I'm not into Periphery but I love Mark Holcomb's Alpha & Omega after trying them out in one of my Ibanez guitars. Seeing these pickups dedicated to 7-string means Seymour Duncan had successfully made a name for themselves or at the very least, created an impression based on what worked before. Also, good to see these pickups come covered but this would mean it's not a guaranteed fit for pickguard mounting so keep that in mind, please.

Pic: SD

Marshall reissue pedals: IN

Pic: Guitar

The much talked about, somewhat highly anticipated Marshall reissue pedals you see above are now available at Swee Lee: $229 ea. That's kinda fast considering its official announcement was rather recent (not even a week ago).

Edit: The Guv'nor is out of stock. 

Orange Sunday

After a quick lunch out, it's back to spending time indoors. Today's guitar of choice - Ibanez RG565.

Before that, a quick re-string. GHS 9s, purchased last year from the City Music year-end promo. I also had to clean the bridge as it's a little mouldy. That's right; there's mould there & I wonder how that happened considering I always wipe down after play. Suspect it's something to do with the bag...

Pickups in here: Seymour Duncan Custom Custom / Cool Rails. The CC is one of my Top 5 Seymour Duncan pickup for its sheer clarity & fantastic interaction with intense distortion. Cool Rails - basically a '59 re-interpretation in blade type format. 

And finally, an orange pedal to match an orange guitar. Very little solos played today, mostly focused on riffs. Lately, I feel that my right hand performance is slackening a little, not as fast as it used to be. One word: OLD. Wishing everyone a good week ahead - final week of February.

Review quickie: Ibanez AZ2203N

Ibanez had been generating rightful anxiety in the Strat camp since the inception of the AZ Series. The design departed from the traditional shredder image (RG et al), treading precariously on that oh so familiar Strat curves. This 2023, it's outright aggravation with the AZ2203; a shameless triple single coil take with no intentions of conflict management, it seems.

Likes:

• comfortable design
• neck profile
• pickups
• blend control
• quality hardware
• steel frets

Dislikes:

• blend control
• volume control - too near the  bridge pickup
• price

Conclusion

It's a Strat take by a non-Strat-inclined brand name & in my opinion, it's an outstanding manifestation. If you wish to look away from the Fender offerings when it comes to single coil considerations, this is it. Also, the design ergonomics ensure a non-Fender feel while still treading the Fender territory. The Seymour Duncan Fortuna continues to excel in providing the player with both traditional & contemporary tones. Please be reminded that this is an N version of the AZ, meaning - no cavity under the bridge to facilitate a floating set up. Of course, you can still float it by over-pronating the bridge ala SRV. 'Floating' is never a bridge type, it's how you set the bridge up. The absolute plus here is that neck profile, facilitating ease of movement without necessitating a thinner take.

The blend control cuts both ways; it either serves you or annoy you. I am someone who prefers a definite configuration so the blend function duplicating pickups setting in positions 2 & 4 is unnecessary & pointless. Ibanez, hopefully in time to come, should make this an option by turning it into a push-pull switch. Those of us who want a blend function at times, have a choice to activate it. There will be a maple fretboard version in the near future right, Ibanez?

Rating: 90%

Ibanez AZ2203N

• $2,699 (list)
• hard case included
• Available at Swee Lee Co.

Pic: Ibanez International

Marshall pedals: Revived

Marshall had officially announced the revival of its fab four pedals of yore: The Guv'nor, Shred Master, Drive Master & the affable Blues Breaker. Out of this line up, The Guv'nor & Blues Breaker were standout models with the latter achieving cult status. The manufacturer made efforts to be accurate in the duplication of parts & circuits, striving for authenticity. However, among the four, the revived Shred Master sounds a little different from its historical counterpart. If this is your initial acquaintance with the pedals, be informed that these are low-gain units less the Shred Master. 

Pic: Marshall UK

Re-string Thursday: Ukulele edition

Doing my part to ensure kids get access to functional ukuleles during their music lessons in school. Back in my time, we were blowing recorders for music. It was limited excitement & nobody looked forward to the lesson. These days, kids get to play ukulele, harmonica & keyboards in school. How things have turned.

Didn't know the Mahalo brand equipped their instruments with branded accessories / parts.

One of the ukuleles had its nut dislodged & that's how it is with kids; rough handling is inevitable. Music lessons offer the opportunity to teach them handling responsibilities & also to respect others' property; these instruments belong to the school, definitely not theirs. They have to exercise care so that the subsequent user get to experience a functional instrument. They must remember that this 'subsequent user' might be them.

In addition to a re-string, this care package included a re-moisturizing of the fretboard (some were mouldy), tightening of loose parts & a general wipe down.

Done. All in a day's work & it's been a pleasure to help.

Revived: Ibanez S320

Completed this revival today: Ibanez S320. I managed to sell off one of my headless guitars & used the funds to get this for the same amount. I bought it because it's the older S-Series sporting 22 frets. I just have a thing for S-Series with lesser frets especially this model where the fretboard is almost blank save for those dots at the 12th fret.

The body used to be black. This black stain was applied by the previous owner after sanding down the entire guitar to bare wood. I'm not too keen with black so it was re-sprayed to that blue you see in the first pic. It was not professionally done, of course. I didn't apply wood filler to level the surface so some unstained open pores could be seen. Three layers of blue was applied with a final lacquer overcoat.

Only the top surface was stained, the rear remains natural. As seen here, some black spots from the original finish still remain. I couldn't be bothered much as it's not visible from the front. 

When I received the guitar, the neck was attended to first. The fretboard was downright dirty with an awful accumulation of dirt. Evidently, this was never cleaned. The headstock was also very dusty with a missing truss rod cover. That was attended to rather easily. The owner had replacement locking pads & bolts which looked very new so these were left in as-is condition. The tuners were removed & headstock polished.

I have replacement RATIO tuners installed. The original set had one crooked peg with another missing a washer.

The original pickups had to go as well; they were scratched & the pole pieces were very rusty. I have these unused DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell lying around; they are the deserving replacements. I also have plastic covers installed so they look like active units from a distant but this was not the reason why they were there. I just wanted to make sure the pickups are well protected from sweat & dirt. If you are interested, you can get these covers at TY Music Center, less than $6 for a pair.

Of course, Beez did his magic for the electronics. A500K Alpha pots are used, together with a GOTOH 3-Way selector. The original input jack was retained as it's still in good condition. 

To be concluded...

Purple dimension

On the final day of the Swee Lee (Peninsula) sale, I managed to grab this one. Nobody wanted this pedal anyway, it had been sitting on the shelf since forever. I am currently looking for chorus units which would sound good with intense distortion. More specifically, I'm trying to replicate a BOSS Digital Metalizer tone. More on the Dimension C on another day.

Charvel 2023

Charvel has released its 2023 Pro-Mod range of guitars. What's the point of buying a Charvel these days? They are Fenders with 'Charvel' on the headstock. Heck, they are even made by Fender. Charvel is now the conduit of spruced up Fenders without upsetting the purists. 

Being someone who scrutinizes price increase in the mean time, I must say that Fender is leading the way; near irrational prices for not much increase in quality / innovation. Of course, this is spilt unto Charvels & Jacksons. No, we are not blind.

Pic: Charvel

Price eruption

I am actually interested in this guitar, being a single pickup enthusiast. This EVH '78 Eruption (Striped Series) is now available at Swee Lee but the price is a deal breaker - $2,749. It's not even made in the USA (Made in Mexico, Fender). The 'EVH' association is everything. So it's a no go for me.

Price watch (55)

This is definitely not a genuine Ibanez RG.

I have reported the item. The pointy end of an Ibanez headstock & the truss rod cover used are obvious giveaways. 

I'm still trying to understand this one; a 'custom' Squier that exceeds $1K. Squiers are meant to be affordable to begin with. Then again, the 'custom' add-ons here included brand name parts but we could all agree, for that kind of money, we are better off with a 'Fender' on the headstock.

This one is the most puzzling; you included a very reliable FR 1000 bridge & then stop it from functioning with a Tremol-No unit? *face palm*

Keeley green

Dropped by the Swee Lee clearance sale @ Peninsula. Managed to get this one, nothing else that caught my attention. Might just swing by this Sunday (19 Feb) for a final look-see.

Ibanez 2023: RG2550 - back

An interesting find - the RG2550 has returned to the fold but in China only. That's right, for some strange reason, it's not made available everywhere. The RG2550 bowed out of the catalog with an Edge Zero bridge & DiMarzio IBZ pickups. Looks like it has gone one up with the Edge bridge & DiMarzio pickups (Air Norton / True Velvet / Tone Zone).  

Pic: Ibanez CN

MOMM (37)

 Back to doom, gloom & destruction.

Leviathan: Howl Mockery at the Cross

I have selective interest in American Black Metal. This one-man band, Leviathan is an interesting act. Most of the time, things are highly unpredictable but the spirit of the genre had always been kept alive. This release is very abrasive & represents the struggles of its protagonist, Wrest. Since the beginning he's always been that depressive character who aptly manifest personal endeavours through his music. I especially enjoy this release, can hear the spirit of early Darkthrone from start to end without the languid tempo. Of course, Norwegian flag (when you see it).

Blasphemy: Fallen Angel of Doom

In true fairness, this is a good one. It's an early, formative release so the production standards are reflective of its time. Some of us find the drum-centered production unacceptable but like said before, it's the genre at its developmental phase. I would easily categorize this together with Morbid Visions (Sepultura), Pleasure to Kill (Kreator), Scum (Napalm Death), Dark Medieval Times (Satyricon), et al. in terms of enthusiasm.

Thank you, Lisa the cat, for the unexpected appearance. 

Dora

Spent some time with this one. Thought it needed a re-string from the previous excessive play but strings are still good. When Grover Jackson moved on with GJ2, I thought he made good strides with the brand name but things were meant to be different along the way. The GJ2 created an impact on me when it debuted. Tried them out at Davis GMC back then & they simply represent good guitar craftsmanship. Good to know he has the OG brand name now to carry his legacy through. Grover Jackson is just that name you know has something promising when it comes to guitar quality.

These Glendora pickups met my standards so they stay put. These are GJ2's in-house pickups that sound more contemporary than vintage. Despite taking meticulous care, wiping down after play, the humbucker  pole pieces are showing signs of rusting so that black cover is there to address this concern. 

Cort 2023

These are rather new, quite hot off the press. The good thing is, they are already available at Swee Lee (prices as indicated). Judging by my recent positive experience with the G300, I would say, these are something to look forward to if you want a value-for-money consideration. All models feature a Duncan JB / Jazz combo.

Pic: Cort

Altar

This is David Galvan. I received an email a couple of days ago about his Altar guitar / bass stand as seen above. Do visit his dedicated webspace to support: Altar!

It's basically an amp-instrument support unit. The idea here is to group these items together as opposed to having them apart at home / performance venue. 

An optional accessories tray can be attached to the spine for additional needs. I see this as a nifty inclusion at outdoor performance venues, it's also ideal in lounge areas / nightspots with a compact stage area. Guitar stores can even use this to showcase their amp / guitar / bass of the moment / promo. 

On that note, if you have any event / promos you'd like to be featured here, do email me. Will help within my means.

Price watch (54)

Folks, this is a Gibson SG Special. It's been equipped with '61 re-issue pickups according to the seller. This accounts for the price you see there.

I'm trying to understand what Gibson's '61 Reissue pickups are. There are currently two Gibson SG models in the catalog that use the '61 citation in its model reference: 1) Custom Shop 1961 Les Paul SG Standard Reissue Stop Bar 2) SG Standard '61. Both guitars are not equipped with Gibson '61 Reissue pickups. The former has Custom Alnico III humbuckers (unpotted) & the latter, a pair of 60s Burstbuckers. So what are the '61 Reissue pickups? There might be some obscure, old, historic Gibson humbuckers going by this reference but judging by the pictures provided, those are shiny, new pickups. You'd agree that there's a high chance of misrepresentation happening, yes?

Please refrain from making such claims. I used to own an SG Special (2008). Bought it for about $800 new. I can't find any SG '61 Reissue in Gibson's current catalog but I would reference this discussion against the SG Standard '61 which I currently own. That was about $2.2K new. These two guitars look very similar less the binding, fretboard inlay & pickguard type; this I agree. The Standard came from the factory with significant cost difference which implies a different set of wood quality & workmanship. For starters, the Special is satin-finished, the Standard is lacquered over, there's already a cost difference there, not to mention other features which would not be discussed here. I'm not trying to disrepute your pricing or anything to that effect. Like I've said before, I'm not the price police but I will call out uninitiated listings which manifest a high potential for misrepresentation & downright careless cases. 

It's only yesterday that I mentioned to a friend, people need a sense of security by associating their items with models in the upper tiers (price & workmanship). It injects some superiority in the listing. It's like telling others the watch you are selling uses the same battery used in a Rolex. Or your car tyres are the brand used by Porshe. 

Re-string Sunday

Wanted to go for an early morning walk but it poured, breakfast was indoors as well. Gave my S570B a re-string. Had not been playing this one for a while because I'm not really into 24-fretted S-Series any more; these just turn me off. This one, I  kept because it sounded awesome after the pickups swap: Seymour Duncan Jazz / QP Staggered / Custom. Also, bought Curt Mangan strings to re-live the moments. Not returning to this brand due to the price increase. 

The Custom is an interesting pickup, it's a ceramic magnet pickup but voiced to be medium output with a generous treble serving. Despite being scooped-sounding, I don't hear much of this through the amp. That's why we need to hear pickups in action as opposed to relying on the manufacturer's EQ spec. 

Pic: SD

Sale: Swee Lee @ Penin

 

This is happening in the mean time - stuff @ Swee Lee Peninsula Shopping Center are clearing for 30% (unless otherwise stated). Please be informed that instruments here are largely B-stock so expect minor flaws & also the fact that they don't come with a bag. Sale ends in a week's time.

Pic: SL IG

DOD: OD Preamp 250

This is good news indeed - the return of DOD's fabled OD Preamp 250 pedal. It's basically a no-frills OD unit that work for many applications, nothing magical but being useful, effective & reliable is indeed the magic. Really hoping the price won't be extravagant just because it's a come-back production; it wasn't costly back then.

Pic: GW 

Evolutionized

 SG Special... nothing really special. Felt like playing an SG today so this was it.

Was at Beez's earlier; my first trip for 2023. I prefer going on a weekday, not too keen being in the City Hall area on Sundays, too many people out & about. Majority of these people are workers on their day off. Hanging out, getting in the way. I prefer not to make up the numbers.

Got these installed - DiMarzio Evolution. To be continued... 

Scooped & psych

These are new Seymour Duncan releases for 2023; Scooped Strat & Psychedelic Strat single coils. Both sport Alnico V pickups & manifest a scooped tone. The only difference here - the Psych's treble are spiked for both middle & bridge positions. I'm not really into the excessively bright Strat tones & seldom play clean. However, I do find trebly tones very suitable for funky chords. Then again, I seldom play chords as well. Do manage your expectations with these. Available at Davis GMC ($135 ea).

Pics: Seymour Duncan

Agility

 

This had been my (last) weekend's fix. Basically stayed home to work on ideas & thriving on just a single pickup. Might have forgotten to wipe the strings down because they were stained / black today. A deserving re-string today & onwards to my next adventure.

Gilbert's DIO

Looking forward to this - Paul Gilbert's instrumental Dio tribute album. I've not been keeping up with PG's solo releases since his inclinations to fuzzy tones & shedding his shredder image. Hope this one won't disappoint.

Pic: PG

European Masters

Deserving development - Solar guitars now feature Euro models (Europesn Master Series). One example is the Type X you see here.

Please be reminded that these are hand-crafted instruments & prices are reflective of the level of craftsmanship & costs involved. These are not the extension of the Indonesian models currently offered in the catalog. There are already excessive online vitriol on how the price is excessive of what's on offer. I wonder how these trolls came to this conclusion considering they have not tried the instrument. Idiots.

Pic: Solar