Congress

I have no idea the Congress brand name has electric guitars in their catalog. The ones depicted here are sub-$200 (Swee Lee), clearly levelled at beginners. My take on the Congress brand had always been that budget acoustic preferred by the void deck posse back in the 1980s. Wondering why Swee Lee, with their mighty lineup of brand names, is in need of another entry-level range of guitars to see them through. Hmm...

Pic: Swee Lee web store 

7 extended

If you are familiar with a 7-string in terms of feel & tone but wish for a lower, detuned performance - perhaps rivalling an 8-string - this one might be it. The Solar A2.7W-29 is an extended scale (29") 7-string with simple appointments. 

This is a neck-through model, so upper fret access is impressive. 

Pics: SOLAR

Solar: Summer sale

There is no Summer here, quite obviously. There's Summer elsewhere & Summer sales are happening elsewhere, not here. Good thing for us, there's international shipping so those of us without Summer sales to be throwing money at, we can still buy stuff from Summer sales elsewhere. Visit SOLAR's webpage to see good Summer discounts (unlike the sale discount figures here). 

Pic: Solar guitars

Black Saturday

Was at Beez's to get pickups fixed into my Ibanez RG521. Was there early to avoid the road closures for the NDP 2025 rehearsal but roads closed earlier than I expected. The good thing - the City Hall-Peninsula-Funan underground linkway facilitated regular pedestrian movements regardless of the road closures. Thank goodness.

The pickups in question are DiMarzio D'Activator X. I have these pickups in my Ibanez Destroyer so I know what to expect from them but strangely, in this guitar, these manifest more low frequencies. It might be due to the direct body mount but I like what I'm hearing.

Of course, a quick re-string before the pickups were mounted. So this pack of Harmony strings were left inside a bag at my storage space since March 2024 - yikes! But Harmony strings, true to its enduring nature, remain usable.

Fluence Friday

This is my Ibanez S61AL, not a new model, it was discontinued in 2020, lasting only a year in the catalog. I deem this model as one of the most alluring S-Series in view of its simplicity. Ibanez named the finish here as the Black Mirage Gradation which is absolutely my kind of finish as it resembles a burst but a more captivating iteration of it.

Anyway, I took this guitar out to replace this totally revolting knob. It's designed to promote grip as the volume pot here is also a push-pull pickup voicing selector but it's downright ugly. Ibanez refers to it as the Sure Grip III. 

As depicted above, the knob was replaced with a locking chrome aluminium version. I also took this guitar out to remind myself how unsuitable the Fluence brand name is for legato playing. This guitar, for me, is a riff machine extraordinaire more than anything else. The Fluence Modern pickups are sharp sounding. With added bass, it sounds very thumping for aggressive music. It also sounds good for those Tosin Abasi-esque slapped tones which is not my playing style. 

Price watch (98)

The most affordable Gibson Les Paul, the LP Studio, is available here. Let's put things in perspective, price-wise:

• 35 Guitar Ave (S'pore): SGD2,450
• Gibson official website: USD1,599 (SGD2,054)
• Music Bliss (M'sia): MYR7.890 (SGD2,388)

The last time I did this, I got put down by an individual (somewhere in a country whose cowboy president is currently going round with revised tax rates if you wish to trade with his country) who alleged that I was not objective in view of the exchange rate & existing taxes in place. That said individual highlighted the fact that we imposed a 9% tax on American guitars which is already a chronic figure when crying foul of price hikes. The last time I checked, our 9% GST covers all non-exclusive products, not just American guitars. 

I'm not trying to imply anything, just showing you folks what prices are like. Custom duties, exchange rates & dealer mark-ups are the expected considerations before we start to whimper at the figures today. These days, if you are in Malaysia, it's a good time to be buying Gibson instruments. Ironically, not too long ago, we see Malaysians coming here to buy Gibson stuff. How times have changed, rather quickly, mind you.

Pic: GIbson

Ibanez: July 2025 (4)

New this month but not entirely new specs-wise; the AZ26P1. There had been a couple of HSS models featuring both pickguard & pickguard-less iterations. Waiting for: 1) A non-black version 2) Chrome hardware 3) No Alter Switch.

Also new in the AZ Premium lineup; the AZ47P2K. 'K' here refers to the Koa top (basswood body). Also, if you think the Alter Switch is not for you, this one is devoid of that feature. Pickups are also DiMarzios (Air Norton / True Velvet / Tone Zone). 

 Pics: Ibanez

MOMM (59)

These two albums are on heavy rotation here in the mean time. Yes, it's a throwback of sorts, re-listening to great albums. Great here means good musicianship & totally delivering the genre's vibe. Also, I'm in need of inspiration & as related before, I always get some from drummers. 

The drummer for both albums is the great Nick Barker. He's been lying low lately after being diagnosed with kidney failure but still in high spirits & managed to distract himself from what's bothering him. That's the pertinent message here - do not live on in despair knowing there's still much in you left. 

The reason why I enjoy listening to him is his precision. He's very detailed without the excessive emphasis on speed. Also, those tight movements mean he's in control which reduces the chances of fumbling. To all those fighting on & living the moments one day at a time (your truly included), never give in & embrace what lies ahead even if your journey is bleak because that defines you.

Pics: Amazon / Metal Imperium

Ghul's in

I have no idea if there are The Kovenant fans here but that's not the point. Guitarist, Astennu, had been replaced by Ghul (Mayhem's current guitarist). If you continue to fray the band's cohesion (backline staff included) & couldn't stay professional while on tour (staying sober is the very least you could do), then you are replaceable. Now, that's the point.

Pics: Mayhem FB / Equipboard

Price watch (97)

Folks, the Ibanez RG565 (Genesis Series) is not a Prestige Model. Once upon a time, the initial batch of Genesis guitars were marketed as a Prestige lineup. Shortly after, Ibanez removed the Prestige association from the Genesis range. The RG565 was never part of this initial categorization.

On that note, the Genesis models, the RG565 listed above included, are indeed bang-for-the-buck Japanese guitars that reflect outstanding QC. Just because it's made in Japan, it does not automatically become a Prestige model. I have nothing against anyone selling a good Ibanez Genesis RG either.

Bored

Got bored. I know I cannot afford any ESP guitars in the near future so I entered some configurations in the ESP configurator tool. I'm basically a single pickup person & enjoy seeing a reverse headstock on my instrument, regardless of the brand name. So this was my natural choice. Something simple & extremely boring. Guitar is based on the current M-1 model.

The other equally boring version is this Horizon-II based rendition. Notice - no whammy bridges for both. It's not that I've averse to that kind of bridge but I don't whammy, so why have it at all?

Pics: ESP USA

Winter rails

Latest in the Seymour Duncan rails lineup - Black Winter. Yes, it's touted to be the fodder of those who are into metal music & beyond. The surprise - the neck version is actually adept to other applications & this include clean applications. No kidding. 

Pic: Seymour Duncan

Narrow

This was the big news over the weekend. The singlecut NF53 is now offered as an SE version. There is this rather strong association with the Tele by virtue of its outline but that's a convenient association at best. This guitar isn't essentially a Tele & the pickups in there reflects no attempt for it to be one - those are humbuckers. This is of course, unlike the Silver Sky which is a Strat re-interpretation (less the headstock). If you decide to part good money for one, you need to like the tone, first & foremost. There are no ready replacements out there. Let's see how much this would list for once it gets here. 

Pic: PRS

Ibanez: July 2025 (3)

One of the new Ibanez releases this July is the RG470. This one is the DX version which means it features shark tooth inlays. There is already an RG470 in sea foam green in the current lineup ($699). 

The other RG470 is this burst-esque finish with a flame maple top which is highly likely a veneer at this price point. It'll be interesting if this one would list for as much as its non-flame sibling.

Pics: Ibanez

Music @ Angsana

Was at JB today, looking for some bargain work pants. Not that they are unavailable in the domestic shopping centres but the one here appeal to me in terms of the cutting / fitting. Too many slim fit ones at the local stores, I'm more comfortable with straight cut these days.

Saw these in-house musicians at Plaza Angsana. They were located at the rear food court facing the open air car park. If you see them, please give generously, the vocalist is a visual impaired individual who can easily out-sing those semi-pathetic hopefuls you see competing on TV.

Not a K

Received this in the mail a couple of days ago. Had been testing it with various guitars. Not tone-chasing in any way, just curious & it happened to be affordable. May / may not keep it.

To be continued...

With the chickens... again

The same family of chickens now judging my Ibanez. Following yesterday's Strat episode, there was a strong urge to hear single coils in action but not in a Strat. So out came the AZ2203N.

Does the AZ2203N sound like a Strat? Reality check - any single coil equipped guitar would sound like a Strat because those are the pickups in a Strat. Things would get a little fiery when someone in the conversation would attest to the fact that Fender's version of the single coil sounds the best. Best is always subjective but we all could agree that Fender sets the standard.  Everything else is measured against this yardstick. 

Does the AZ2203N feel like a Strat? Reality check once more - it says Ibanez on the headstock so it doesn't give a hoot if it feels / should feel like a Strat. Strat is Fender's proprietary reference to a triple single coil equipped guitar & it became a utilitarian reference along the way just like how the Pampers brand is understood to mean baby diapers. The neck profile here differentiates itself from a Strat; it is a little thicker & rounder. Those who are accustomed to a Strat would agree that it hold its own. It's a darling for deep bends as well as some shred-esque applications. 

Why did you buy the AZ2203N when you already have Strats? I embrace variation & re-interpretation. These factors manifest appeal & will continue to be the inherent account for why people buy a non-Fender 'Strat'. It works because we humans, do not have the same hand profiles so some variations on a popular theme would appeal to some of us. When I pick up my AZ2203N, I tend to play differently; I don't stray into the clean zone & I tend not to slow down my playing. It's a different case if I pick up a Strat; to me this is the best tone to be adding chorus to & I enjoy playing slower on a Strat. Some playing psychology & maybe a placebo effect there but that's how it is. 

Friday... Stratified

It's finally Friday. The end of the wretched work week. Well at least I'm working for the next 70 days or so. Whatever happened / did not happen, the week is over. Good riddance.

The urge to Strat today is very strong so out came this one. I'm not averse to rosewood 'board Strats & this is not the only one. Time & again, I would want to play, feel & hear the Strat in action despite being a Tele guy through & through. I also own more Strats than Teles. The one you see above is the Japanese Heritage Strat, currently listing at Swee Lee for $2,149. I bought it some years ago before the price crossed the $2K mark. Everything is stock in this guitar less the pickguard. I kinda dislike white pickguards for both Strats & Teles. I would at least wanna swap the bridge pickup out as it lacks punch for heavy stuff, then again, who does heavy stuff with a bridge single coil? Anyway, it sounds acceptable after hooking up a Tube Screamer in the mix. 

Wishing everyone a good weekend ahead.

Ibanez: July 2025 (2)

So this Summer, Ibanez paid attention to the S-Series a wee bit but it's nothing refreshing. Still, it's something to populate the line up. The S670QM is a variation of something that's available in the current offerings; an HSH S-Series.

But I'm a fan of this one - the S520AH, an ash body, HH guitar. Pickups here are direct mounted as opposed to the S670. Still waiting for an S-Series Genesis model to happen.

Pics: Ibanez

Redemption

Purchased direct from the web store, it took a while to get here but it's here. Looking forward to this one because I find its predecessor a little underwhelming. 

I enjoyed watching this behind the scenes footage leading to the completion of Redemption. The amazing thing was, there were no rehearsals, maybe a few re-takes, but everyone read from the script.

Ibanez July 2025 (1): Vampire & Electric

Ibanez is treating this summer as a new year of sorts with plenty of releases (more than 10) in its July line up. Some are not entirely new, just given a new finish like this RG565R in vampire kiss finish which, to the layperson, is purple. 

It's also available in blue, electric blue to be precise.

Pics: Ibanez

AI... not really

We end June in the knowledge that AI is ironically not intelligent enough to understand what you want. Even after giving specific instructions (detailed prompts in AI speak), it's unable to manifest desired outcomes. I wanted an Ibanez RG550 in a yellow finish & one of the outcomes was close (the left most image) but still not good enough. The models out there need to be trained on guitar images which, I believe, is not the immediate interest of these model builders.

Flower power '25

Fender Japan is doing a Summer 2025 revival of the Blue Flower finish. The party pooper in this line up is, of course, the Acoustasonic Tele because it did not exist back in the day. Bodies are alder for the Strat & Tele, do note. Frets are the vintage profile which might be a turn off for contemporary players but once you get used to it, it's as playable as what ever frets you are playing in the mean time. I like the fact that the Tele & Strat stay true to the fret numbers - 21.

Pics: Fender Japan

Chleo

This is the new Herman Li signature by PRS, it's called Chleo. They took a while to get this going because the proto which went on the road with Herman Li broke as a result of rough handling. Rough here refers to the act of kicking the guitar while it's still strapped on. There are plenty of clips going round showing that structural failure but I'm not here to highlight comic relief.

As you can see, Chleo is essentially a re-interpretation of the Ibanez Egen. It's tapered at the sides to mimic the S-Series proprietary design but required some swelling to accommodate the pickup selector & input jack. That's hinting at how thin the body is. Pickups here are Fluence & it sports a Gotoh bridge. It exceeds $6K & currently on a limited run. 

Pics: PRS

New Year greetings

Blessed new year greetings to all Muslim blog readers. Stay true to faith & everything will fall in place. To the rest of us - have good weekend ahead. 

Price watch (96)

I am an advocate for affordable strings. I don't embrace those semi-trash cheap strings sold online; they sound bad, feel awful & don't last till our next paycheck. Olympia makes good, affordable strings & I've been using them a lot lately. Please avoid buying from Cristofori music as they are selling them for the prices depicted above. You can purchase them from Music Theme / Ranking Sports for $1 less. I do not wish to call out guitar stores out there like this but some stores are much disconnected from the buy/sell climate because they have primary services that assure self-preservation; selling instruments is just a side hustle.

2204

Spending the midweek with my AZ2204. Ibanez did a smart thing by moving away from the shred-esque neck profile with the AZ Series. The AZ necks are nothing like the ones in the RG / S-Series. It's not trying to mimic any competitors' proprietary care either but some are hinting at the Suhr / Fender elements which, in my opinion, are dismissively convenient. Despite this different neck profile, I am still able to do my thing so that speaks a lot about the AZ holding its own in terms of playability appeal.

Would like to thank all my gear for keeping me occupied throughout the uncertain days of unemployment. Nothing beats the anxiety of not knowing where / when your next paycheck comes from. It would mean desperate times for some of us but it comes with consequences.

Charvel Evertune

Looks like Charvel has joined the Evertune camp with this Pro MOD Plus So-Cal Style 1HH Evertune E. As it is, at least for the local players / musicians here, we are doing OK with non-Evertune equipped guitars. Yes, the Evertune systems has some plus points when it comes to tuning stability (especially for pro live performances) but there are some set-up technicalities to deal with before being ready to play. Personally, I don't have a need for my instruments to manifest such tuning stability so there's no desire to own one.

Pic: Charvel

Away

I love spending time in Malacca; the laid back feel, the food & the riverside night-ivities. I've been here countless times but keep coming back for more.

One of the dining places we went to showcased some in-house music & I got a chance to chat with the musicians pertaining to gear & stuff. They were kind enough to let me document their gear. This is the guitar set-up. All songs were played on acoustic guitar, even if the original numbers have distorted electric guitars in them (eg. Bon Jovi / Scorpions).

The bassist had a bare-bones set up; just the bass into the mixer; the reason you only see a D/I box here. By the way, there were no instrument amplifiers used, both of them were hooked into the PA system & they sounded good throughout.

Snaking through

Not too long ago, it's VH (CLICK). Today, it's Whitesnake. Don't see too many people who are keen to  manifest their rock affiliations on their rides. 

Pink Saturday

Another indoor Saturday but I'm not complaining. Spent time with my AZ2402. I remember being asked if I would want a non-pink finish, it's available on Swee Lee's inventory back then but I prefer this pink one. It was a conscious choice, of course. I went with something off beat, focusing on tone & playability more than visual appeal. You'd read in countless Ibanez / guitar forums everywhere of how 'true' Ibanez fans express displeasure by virtue of a non-DiMarzio pickup in the early stages of the AZ Series production. The default Seymour Duncan Hyperion are fantastic pickups. Just because one is a DiMarzio fan, one need not castigate these pickups for their inability to fulfil one's tonal requirements. It's like dissing the electric car just because you drive a petrol driven vehicle. Choices are aplenty out there, if something doesn't float your boat, exercise your choices.

Strings were oxidized when I took it out of the case. The .009 snapped & I'm still trying to figure out why this happened since the nut & bridge saddles were devoid of sharp contacts. I'm not going back to Ernie Ball, of course. I still have bonus point with Swee Lee, just using them up before they expire. I still prefer D'Addario but I'm not buying them due to price issues. 

Hard drive

Another good one by JHS - the Hard Drive distortion. I'm definitely a fan if such voicings; a hard hitting distortion without crossing into the metal domain. For the metal end of things, I usually leave this to the amp. The pedal's job is to spice things up, the spicier, the better.

To be continued...

 

Violet

This is a wonderful pedal. It's the JHS Violet, the signature overdrive of Lari Basilio. It was mirrored after the Morning Glory pedal with an added twist. It's my kind of pedal.

To be continued...

Dishonest

I'm leaving this here & it's obvious as to what took place. If you think you can trust certain entities / individuals online, do re-think. Also, it's good to document unboxing activities to help you mitigate the circumstances. Take care, everyone. Hope your mid-week is not as rotten as mine.

Price watch (95): BFG edition

Pic: Sweetwater

Greetings, folks. This is not another issue for contention but an attempt to understand the after-market climate & it's price related. I'm sure you've come across the Gibson Les Paul BFG before. It's that bare-bones LP which received a generous number of plaudits & disdain, depending on which camp you are from. The LP BFG used to be available at Swee Lee & listed for $1.5K +/- before further iterations were made available along the way with the accompanying price variations. 

I cam across a couple of BFG listings in the after-market recently which offered food for thought when it comes to pricing discontinued products. The first listing depicted above shows a $1K asking price. I personally find this a fair proposition as the guitar is in a well-played condition & it comes with a hard case of similar condition.

The other listing is a little confusing (it depicted other BFG models) & the asking price is way more. There is no way to assess if this figure is a deserving asking price for the guitar as no actual pictures were included (maybe seller can provide to you personally upon request). 

How much does a BFG go for these days? The politically correct answer is - it depends on demand & supply forces. Do we peg the price according to after-market listings which are not from this country (I currently know of one store here listing their pre-owned products using this formula)? No because the demand-supply conditions are different there compared to local circumstances which I believe is fair application here. So it all boils down to value perception; the seller lists the guitar for that amount which he thinks is deserving. We need not agree to the amount because our perception of value is different as a buyer. 

Of course, there's this arguably false consideration that all discontinued products should command a hefty price tag due to its scarcity. Then again, we need to return to the demand-supply understanding; the final price of the guitar is what had been agreed by both the buyer (demand) & seller (supply) & not a virtual strict adherence to scarcity.