Orville

This was a fun partial restoration project completed today. It's an Orville (Japan) Les Paul that weighs a tonne. It had been through a few owners & surprisingly in a good condition (lightly used). 

 

This is pretty much the reason why this guitar is so heavy; there's a sumptuous amount of maple on top of the main mahogany body.

Why did I remove the pickup mounting rings? This is the reason. Folks, for vintage specs instruments, especially the Les Paul variety, the correct mounting ring length is less than 9cm. Guitars with modern, wide necks (eg. Jackson), it's a little longer (9.1cm). Apparently, the incorrect version was installed in this guitar causing material compression as seen above. 

This is how it looks like after the correct mounting ring was purchased & installed. Folks, respect your instruments. It shouldn't be equipped with ill-fitting accessories. In a buy-sell situation, it becomes a reason for others to mitigate prices. It also reflects on you as the owner; why pay more to individuals who don't give a hoot about their belongings especially when there are crucial follow-ups to be done  post-purchase. Anyway, the bridge mounting ring was retained as it was of the correct measurement. My take on the matter - someone over-tightened the neck mounting ring & it cracked. That person bought the incorrect replacement part & couldn't get an exchange for the correct piece. 

Also folks, it is my habit to reinforce the pickup coil tape with a new layer for older pickups. During installation / removal from the guitar, the sides might rub against the mounting ring repeatedly causing some wires to be exposed. In terms of looks, it is more presentable should you decide to sell the pickup away. The Seymour Duncan pickups in this guitar: JB (b) / Jazz (n).

Finally, a fresh set of Darco (10s) strings. Summary of other maintenance procedures not visually documented:

• Replaced tune-o-matic / hard tail bridge. New set of GOTOH parts.
• Replaced tuners / machine heads. Also a new set of GOTOH units. Three out of the six were wobbly & could not hold tuning well. 
• Replaced all rusty & rounded pickup mounting screws.
• Fret polish.
• Cleaned & re-moisturized fretboard. The amount of gunk removed... OMG.
• Thorough wipe down & polish of body, neck & headstock.

Pointy bass

Solar now has a Type E bass in its line up (E2.5BOP). It claims to be 'the most brutal bass ever crafted'...

... but we know BC Rich was there & done that.

Pics: Solar / BC Rich

 

Strings sell, but who's buying?

A little late to this news but Dave Mustaine has teamed up with Gibson for a signature string set - 10 - 52. This is definitely something players here are desensitized to because there are not Gibson dealers here. Go ahead, buy online. 

Pics: Gibson

Selling: EHX / Egnater pedals

I'm trying my best to tide through the coming July so these pedals are for sale. The EHX Operation Overlord OD is best for someone looking for that little harder OD voicing without going into distortion territory ($150).

One of the so called boutique pedals that I still own. This one was nearly $300 new, the Egnater Goldsmith ($199). Both pedals are lightly used as I have moved to amps in terms of drive / distortion reference.

• Do get back to me if you are interested: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• No reservations / trades
• Self-collect: Yew Tee / CCK mrt station. Will gladly meet you at your preferred locationon days when I don't have treatment. We can chit chat over coffee if you have the time
• Prices are FINAL - thanks for your understanding

SE NF3

PRS just released the SE NF3 a couple of days ago. It's another bolt-on make with a trio of Narrowfield DD pickups. These are, according to the manufacturer, very single coil sounding humbuckers. From the various videos I've watched since release day, the pickups could not twang. Either that or there are videos yet to be made featuring the NF3 manifesting this kind of tone. This might be the deal breaker for me.

Pic: PRS

E-LP

Some Edwards guitars are in at Davis GMC. If you are planning to purchase any of the Les Paul-esque models, I hope you do it soon. You would not be able to buy them come next year. Trying not to say too much here but I hope you can read between the lines. This awesome E-LP-CTM is listing for $1,690. If weight is your concern, be informed that this is a heavy guitar but the sustain is impressive.

The flame-y top version, E-LP-STD is $1,590. 

Are these direct repros of the Gibson counterpart? Yes & no. Yes because these are following the exact templates of the Gibson but differ in 2 main aspects; neck profile & pickups. Some purists are also contesting the weight differences but know that these instruments are heavy. No because Edwards did their own take on many things which are minor details eg. truss rod cover. Be quick, yes?

Pic: ESP Japan

Rampage returns

The G&L Rampage returns. Unlike the Jerry Cantrell version, this one has 24 frets & an OFR bridge. Pickup is an in-house G&L AW4370. Both colours are offered in maple / ebony fretboard. Single humbucking no-frills guitar - absolutely my thing.

Pic: G&L

Lion & Iron

In recognition of Martin Miller's & Tom Quayle's love for their respective Laney amps, the manufacturer has collaborated with these master players to manifest amps in a pedal format.

The Martin Miller version is a repro of the Ironheart amp. Two channels are available for your various overdriven needs plus a boost option if things need to get over the top for some of us gain freaks. 

Over at the Tom Quayle end of things (Lionheart), there's more emphasis on clean tones hence the bright / dark modes on offer unlike the Ironheart's symmetrical / asymetrical clipping modes. Both pedals have onboard reverb to insinuate amp-like voicings as these are indeed amps in a pedal manifestation. 

My most likeable feature for these pedals is definitely the FX loop option. Amp geeks will get to fully enjoy the amp's powerful offerings while those of us who are busy keeping things colourful via pedal manipulations can let the loop section do its thing without interfering with the amp's front end. Be reminded that these pedals have no tubes whatsoever in their respective circuits so if they sound great or as convincing as the real tube amp counterparts, then the circuits were well designed to be mindful of such appreciations. I see this as a bold move by Laney, shoving non-tube amp stuff onto our tone platter because tone aficionados wouldn't settle for anything less than tube technology when it comes to amps. Emulation technology of late has shown how good non-tube tones could be so riding on this successful formula, names like Laney are smart to latch onto the hype while it lasts. 

Pics: Laney

Aidiladha 2024

A muted celebration this year as my uncle passed away two days prior. Hope everyone had a good day off work & started the week well.

45th

The real reason being at Swee Lee (Star Vista) a couple of days ago was to purchase the 45th Anniversary TS808. There's nothing new on offer, just another Tube Screamer in a commemorative glitter finish. A totally unnecessary purchase but being a TS geek, this one was a nice addition to the collection.

Katana GEN 3

Was at Swee Lee (Star Vista) yesterday but not specifically there to check this amp out but it was there  - BOSS Katana GEN 3 50W ($399).

My immediate interest was to see if the new PUSHED mode is something potent in terms of distortion / gain. If you are looking for a saturated distortion with a hint of fuzz, then you might like it. If you own the pre-GEN 3 version of the Katana, you are not missing much in this aspect. 

Pics: BOSS

Ibanez June '24 (3)

Ibanez GSR200 - not new but offered in new pastel colours. Thusfar, all the GSRs I've tried are good basses for the money. Hope these would be available here soon.

Pics: Ibanez

Debut?

There is currently a cloak of mystery surrounding this Squier model. It is from the Debut Series which are currently not documented in Fender's / Squier's official web page. It is only offered through Amazon in the mean time. Why the attention? It is the most affordable Squier out there listing for USD119. Notable pundits out there suggest it is Squier getting back at manufacturers who are trying to outdo them in their own game. 

Pic: Squier wiki

June deals

For those of us who are looking for a good deal, maybe there's something here for you - Swee Lee's mid-year promo.

LTD @ Davis GMC

If there's a no-nonsense LTD Eclipse model to recommend, I'd urge you to check out the Deluxe version. These are identifiable by the model number which are 4 digits. The Deluxes are in fact LTD's top-of-the-line model before things cross over to the E-II range. Prices are getting out of hand very quickly but in my personal opinion, it's still worth the price-to-performance consideration. Here are some featured models which are in stock now at Davis GMC. Folks, the model you see above is the 1000T in a satin finish ($1,880).

The instrument is unfinished at the rear as well so you get that wooden vibe all round, clear of any synthetic colouring. Pickups are the Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic.

If weight is a concern, then this chambered body EC-1000T CTM might be your thing. As such, it lists for a little more than the non-chambered version ($1,980).

For those of us in need of a quick pseudo-acoustic fix can consider the EC-1000 Piezo model ($1,980). This one comes with a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers (JB / '59).

Pics: ESP

Level 42 @ SG

Finally, something I look forward to attending. Finally, a performance venue with seats for sick people like me. 

Pic: Bandwagon Asia

CV limited edition

This was released at Winter NAMM ('24) & finally available for our consideration (Swee Lee) - The Squier Classic Vibe '60s Limited Edition Series. Prices:

• HSS Strat: $679
• Maple 'board Tele: $649
• SH Tele: $679
• Jazz bass: $679

Vela '24

PRS revised the S2 range this year equipping all guitars with American parts. The Vela was no exception. Instead of giving this instrument the American version of its default pickups, PRS decided to replace the neck pickup entirely hence the 2024 version features a Narrowfield humbucker.

So the pre-2024 version is rather collectible in this aspect as it used to feature an HS pickup configuration: DS-01 (bridge - retained + American-ized) / Type D singlecoil (replaced with the Narrowfield humbucker). We note the coil split function in the 2024 version only splits the bridge humbucker, the Narrowfield pickup remains as a humbucker throughout.

Pics: PRS

Gold & sustain

Some news from the Solar camp. This is the new Marcus Siepen (Blind Guardian) signature model. It's a first in the Type A Series to feature gold hardware.

Sustainiac fans, here's the A1.6FRPM Sustainiac+ featuring the Stealth Pro in the neck position. I respect how the Solar brand is slowly filling up the gaps in their own line up with features that are already in instruments of other brand names. So if you are a Solar loyalist, you need not abandon brand loyalty, chances are, there's an instrument in the Solar line up offering what you want. A very smart commercial move.

Pics: Solar

Size matters

Folks, this is Jackson's Minion Dinky guitar. Yes, it's that scaled down model, much smaller in dimensions compared to its standard siblings. The headstock is smaller as well to ensure no neck dive occurs in view of its reduced size. However, standard size tuners are in use here & that space in between tuners... well, there's hardly any space there to accommodate your fingers. 

Pic: Jackson

I've swapped mine out for these smaller button type tuners. Why bother? That lack of space in between tuners is something that should have been addressed at the design stage, really. While tuning, I kept knocking the adjacent ones out of tune due to the lack of space. There is a ready solution for this oversight which does not require a complete re-design of the headstock. We wonder why it wasn't done so at the factory. My take - Jackson has a ready inventory of the standard tuners so they made do with that. Ordering a differentiated version for such instruments might incur costs.

QM top

This is the limited run Fender Japan Hybrid II Strat featuring a QM top. Nice. It's now available at Swee Lee (List: $1,699) & the Tele version is also available for your considerations. With the most affordable American Fender in excess of $2K & the Mexican models asking for more than it's worth, we could agree that the Japanese Fenders are always there for those in search of value-for-money instruments, yes?

Pic: Fender Japan

Ibanez June '24 (2)

On the non-solid body front, Ibanez has introduced a flamed top GA5 in a blue finish. Again, like a broken record, I'm of the opinion that it's money well spent if Ibanez invests in a solid top instead. Then again, the non-flame veneer version that I've tried has a decent tone for the money. 

A new one for the Talman lineup, again, a flame maple veneer for this iteration - TCM50FM. I find the Talman acoustic to be appealing in terms of the neck profile. Also, due to the pickup in the neck position, this is one of the few acoustic electric guitars out there that manifests a more likeable plug in tone; more rounded top end & fuller sounding.

Pics: Ibanez

Price watch (82)

If you play the ukulele, Kala would be a familiar name to you. The U-Bass you see here was made in the spirit of the instrument's niche appeal. It lists for USD349 (SGD470) on the manufacturer's web store so the asking price is a little unreasonable. 

If you have a shop & this is part of your inventory, reminding buyers of the original price, shipping & tax considerations might be a case in point considering it's the only one available here in the mean time. But this was a personal purchase so it should be treated as such. 

We note the Blackstar Carry-on ST bass is available at City Music for $295. It's similarly spec'd & much more affordable with after sale services by the store. For the record, the ST bass has a scale length of  23.46" so it is even shorter in this respect. On that note, I have nothing against the U-bass, just presenting a case here.

Pic: Blackstar

Ibanez June '24

Ibanez continues to prove the naysayers wrong by churning out more Japanese models as the year unfolds. Yes, they hardly had any of these at the January NAMM event but for those of us who know the manufacturer better, this was all intentional. For June, we have this owesome  reverse headstock RG - RGR5130. It's equipped with a pair of Fluence Modern humbuckers & a Lo-Pro Edge bridge. Also - steel frets & ebony fretboard.  

Over at the Japanese market, the RG6 is now offered in blue; this one is called blue gray. Any chances of seeing this available here? The previous iteration didn't make it here so let's not think too much about this one.

Night by the river

Was away with my ex-colleagues to Malacca. The initial plan was to just drive up to northern JB to dine but we had other plans as the day unfolded. Walked along the river bank to enjoy the night music & tonight, there were about a handful of live performances that really captured the festive atmosphere. This gentleman here did some oldies to the delight of both the dining patrons & bystanders. The others (spread along the river banks) mostly played Malay songs.

My visits to Malacca can be considered as frequent; at least twice a year for formal family holidays or quick getaways. I enjoyed walking along the river banks both at night & during the day time. There is a rustic charm here as opposed to the river banks in Singapore which are overwhelmed by F&B establishments & formalities. More importantly, everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Hello June / mid-year...