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