GS270 (5)

I'm particular with the drying of paint / lacquer. I discovered that putting it out in the sun gets the job done very well. If paint / lacquer does not cure properly, it will turn sticky & react with the guitar bag's / case's interior & it would mean re-finishing the body once more. Grateful that the weather had been scorching hot days ago & the drying turned out well.

To be concluded...

MORK @ SOLAR

Mork's Thomas Eriksen & Alex Bruun are now in the SOLAR camp. Heck, yeah!

Prism mini

After some deliberations & watching many review videos before sleep, I went with Laney's Prism mini ($185 @ Davis GMC). More updates soon.

New saddles

I dislike vintage-type bent saddles. As depicted above, that's how much grip space each saddle has if you need to raise the action. When you shim the neck pocket, the corresponding necessary adjustment would be raising the action to accommodate the new tilt angle. Bent saddles are just unsuitable for this rectification.

Also, the width of those bent saddles are 10mm each. These are not commonly sold at the shops. Most saddles are meant for the super-Strat type string spacing, these are 10.5mm each. The moment I saw these 10mm saddles available online, I knew they would accommodate my needs.

Price watch (107)

Ibanez fans would know, the RG7320EX is a 7-string model. This here is not a 7-string & the details look sus. One more time - let's not waste our time & money dealing with someone who doesn't know what s/he is selling.

GS270 (4)

Decal arrived today. I've stopped using the water-slide version. It's messy & fragile, certainly not for a novice like me. This here is the rub-on transfer version. Material is thicker than the water-slide version & dried up a lot faster.

The set of tuners there is the ARM brand. Virtually unknown & very affordable. I've realized that if you go for the cheaper set, more often than not, they would turn out dodgy. However, if you opt for something cheap but branded, regardless of the brand's obscurity, they would turn out better. I didn't know the ARM brand existed before this episode.

To be continued...

CY returns

The CY makes a return to Edwards' line-up this June with a simpler look.

Once upon a time, the CY was one of the upper-most tier instrument in the Edwards catalog. It had more than 24 frets, excessive binding, Seymour Duncan pickups, gold hardware... the works. The current version is a rather restrained look but equally inviting. The pickups are Seymour Duncan Rails: JB / Vintage / Jazz. 

Good to know that the neck-through-body construction was retained for the current incarnation. Despite the trimmings, expect to pay about $2K if it's made available here.

Pics: ESP

GS270 (3)

Body is ready for a re-finish. I did not remove the existing finish entirely. The idea here is to scratch the surface so that the new coat of paint would stick. That's it. That existing coat there prevents me from having to pore-fill the bare wood before a re-finish would take place. Of course, it's very unprofessional but very befitting for a novice like me. My objective had always been as long as it works. 

These are the trem post holes. I had stuffed them with foam, yes that one that came with the pickup packaging, very spongey. This prevents paint from entering the holes & mess up the screw threads. Also, the cavities in this body had been lined with paper. It's been scorching hot lately so it's a good time to be spray-painting .

To be continued...

CORT @ 10% off

A little late in knowing that CORT guitars are currently on 10% discount (@Swee Lee till 12 June). Cort KX models are direct competitors to Schecter's Omen & Ibanez SZ models once. While Ibanez discontinued the SZs, Schecter's Omen are getting more inaccessible to many beginners. CORT kept prices down & this KX100 is a very affordable bolt-on version currently listing for $296.10.

This GS200SE ($269.10) is one of the better affordable / entry-level instruments out there. Pickups are above-average to me & those single coils are surprisingly good considering I plugged it into a solid state amp. I'd rather you check this out than a Squier.

Do not doubt CORT's craftsmanship, they make guitars for Ibanez & PRS (among others).

Pics: CORT

Jacks

The input jack on the right suffered from intermittent connection. It couldn't click properly once a cable was connected. Notice its shorter main prong; this is typical of '80s guitars. The replacement jack (left, HOSCO brand, available @ Davis GMC) is a Japanese product & it sports a significantly longer main prong to ensure a secured connection each time. For those of us who are still reluctant to replace the default components of our guitars, we should keep in mind the fact that along the way, product design improved & we should embrace improvement as opposed to blind infatuation.

SL June savings

Some mid-year enticements for those of us whose pockets are a little more filled up than the others.

I have no idea if people are still buying pedals these days but I've had personal experiences with this EHX trio which are currently subjected to the June savings.

• Nano Big Muff Pi. A good start for those of us who are intrigued by the fuzz unit. Nothing special, just an above average fuzz unit to get things going. It goes well with a Tube Screamer unit or something of this nature, for some creamy tones this side of Eric Johnson. 
• Soul Food. Touted as the Klon on a budget not too long ago, this one performs well regardless of the association. Something treble-ish but pleasant, that's how I hear it.
• Crayon 69. This one's off radar but I enjoy using it as an OD-3 alternative. It has that wee bit top end push that you might like if you play in a band setting. 

The opinions shared above are mine. My personal experience with thee pedals might not conform to the manufacturer's perspective considering I am distortion-inclined, invest excessively to sound heavy & dabble in fusion-esque settings for solos.

Pics: SL

Pac Man

Once again, Fender never fails to entice us with novelty. This Player II Telecaster would perform equally well without the Pac Man graphics. Then again, should we be buying Fenders in view of what it's doing to others?

Pic: Fender

GS270 (2)

I really hate dealing with stuck screws. I needed to remove the truss rod cover to re-finish the headstock to match the body. Knowing this guitar had been set aside, unplayed, untouched, I was expecting this to happen. I avoided drilling them out. I removed the truss rod cover instead, sacrificing it along the way. The dead screws were left exposed & it could be easily removed using a pair of pliers. I was fortunate  the screws did not turn malleable & snap.

To be continued...

VD

Sunday, Vesak Day. Time to unwind, spend time with family, read a book, listen to music, play with the cat, stuff like that. Wishing everyone a good long weekend. Happy resting.

Walk

 In view of my medical condition, I am now unable to engage in sporting activities that I used to enjoy once upon a time. The sudden start-stop movements (e.g. badminton, football) will make my knees feel they are on the verge of dislocation. During jogs, I would lose sensation of my right leg & recently, my left arm. When this happens, I have to stop & recover the sensation before moving on. Climbing stairs - I can do this thrice a day. Anything more, my thighs would cramp up & my chest area would feel constricted.

These days, I limit myself to brisk walks usually on weekends & public holidays. I prefer walking at night because my skin condition right now (protein deficiency) makes me very prone to sunburn. I got sunburnt before & that was like the late morning sun, it was not even scorching hot yet. I continued walking & the burnt areas rubbed against my t-shirt / pants causing abrasion. That's how it is with sick people, they would want to return living their normal lives but simply could not. 

By the way, this is the neighbourhood kitty I see during my walks. 

Player @ DGMC

Was at Davis GMC after lunch, saw this Fender Strat going for a very reasonable price. FYI, the Player Series are made in Mexico. I'm of the opinion that the Mexican Fenders should be close to the $1K mark & should not stray away from it. But Fender being Fender, it's trying to elevate the Mexican made stuff via re-introduction & bit-part upgrades which many of us are not looking forward to pay for. I'm largely ignoring the Player / Vintera models for this very reason. The price you see here is the lowest for a Player II if you wish to purchase one brand new. 

 

Price watch (106)

 Should you pay $350 for an Ibanez SA160? Maybe, depends on the condition.

Bu the Ibanez SA in question is not an Ibanez at all. Why buy from someone who doesn't know what s/he is selling?

GS270

Someone I knew just graduated from the local polytechnic here. This guitar used to keep him occupied during his student days. He would be going back to his homeland & did not wish to bring this with him. In fact he had stayed away from music altogether prior to his graduation, busied himself with food delivery instead for the extra cash. So this guitar went home with me. Nothing fancy, just an Ibanez GS270. 

When I brought it out the first time, this guitar felt sticky all over. The finish (or the lack thereof) might have reacted to the inner lining of the bag. It looked unplayed less the rusty strings. The tone pot was stuck, no rotation possible & the B/E strings were literally embedded into the nut slots. 

To be continued...

Time to scream

Before we get too excited, know that this CITIZEN - IBANEZ collaboration is a Japan exclusive arrangement. Only 500 units are offered for sale. I believe many of us might be heading to Japan for the mid-year holiday & would stand a chance to purchase this. I'd rather you check this out than a Fender kitchen sponge.

Pic: Ibanez

AB polish

I will never return to Brasso / Autosol for my metal polishing needs. If these brands work for you, by all means, go ahead. I came across this unknown brand polish at Mustafa Center that works very well for metal / chrome parts. Bonus - nice scent.

 

Cracks

Even when you take extra good care of your instruments, some things were not meant to last. The cracks you see here were most probably caused by temperature changes, repeated temperature changes to be exact. This plate, along with miscellaneous screws & such, are expendables. Don't be too upset if you have to replace them & you keep thinking it affects the authenticity of your instrument. This only matters if you are dealing with historic / vintage instruments that require period correct components to retain its value. Please don't lose sleep over component replacements. Even your car needs it. 

50th Custom

This is definitely a cool release - the 50th Anniversary Seymour Duncan Custom / '59 set. Pickups were constructed for a bit of time-travelling episode, the '70s to be precise, when the Custom was conceived to push distortion boundaries without being too overbearing; a medium output pickup with a ceramic magnet. Anyway, that semi-distressed look, nostalgic sticker & MJ's initials would get fans excited. The catch - only 500 units of these would be offered for sale. Sigh.

Pic: SD

Grand S

Welcoming the weekend in the knowledge that Dimmu Borgir is releasing a new LP today: Grand Serpent Rising. That's 8 years after their last LP & there are only two founding members left in the band. My favourite DB album had always been the re-recorded Stormblast with Hellhammer on drums. The band made it big after Death Cult Armegeddon (2003) which virtually can't be beaten in terms of appeal & musicianship. Along the way, Mustis (keyboards) left & the void in orchestral elements was deafening thereafter. In the mean time, a track off GSR:

S by S

S by SOLAR are the more affordable takes of the standard SOLAR offerings. The X designs are new to the lineup.

Available in both tune-o-matic bridge & Floyd versions. The Floyd here is a licensed model presumably included to keep costs down. Please manage expectations if you are whammy-inclined.

Pics: SOLAR

Snaps

Tasty Edwards Snapper models are now in stock at Davis GMC ($1,550). This is a great HSS Super-Strat type guitar to own. Unlike the previous incarnation, these are currently sporting ESP's own Custom Lab pickups (previously Seymour Duncan). I believe this version with a covered humbucker is new here. I'm aware things are litigious when it comes to the 'Strat' & that S-type body outline. I'm reserving further comments on this but it will be an episode mentioned here in the near future.

Pic: ESP

DGMC / SL

Folks, be informed that Seymour Duncan & DiMarzio pickups are now available at both Davis GMC & Swee Lee. I love both pickups but currently leaning towards Duncans due to the nature of my set up. 

Pics: SD / DiMarzio

Baked EVH

New one by EVH - Wolfgang Special Baked Maple TOM. New feature more like it because the Wolfgang Special was already a model in the catalog but that iteration has no fine tuning hardtail & the neck / fretboard are not the baked version. Late to the game? The EVH brand name is a member of the Fender group of brands so no surprises there. Fender is not known for not keeping up with the pack & this attitude inevitable spilled over unto the sub-brands as well. 

Pic: EVH

LM10

This is Luca Montovanelli's new signature, the LM10. He already had the LM1 (Japanese), this iteration is the more affordable take. Also, this version feature an HSS pickup combo, unlike the all single coil LM1. Both models do not feature Ibanez' Alter Switch system & this LM10 is a standard 5-way affair. The LM1 has a blender pot so it manifests more voicings than what the 5-way selector would traditionally offer.

Pic: Ibanez

Price watch (105)

This is something that is currently listed in the after-market. Seller stated it as no mods but 1) The hard tail piece is not an original model. The default piece from the factory feature slots as depicted 2) Pickups look different albeit the blurred details. Ibanez's Seymour Duncan IBZ humbuckers for this Ibanez SZ2020 only featured a single row of slotted pole pieces as depicted.

In due fairness, the seller might not be aware of these changes as s/he is not the initial owner of this instrument. 

The Crown

Was at the hospital recently for a medical review. I'm into my 5th year of post-cancer treatment. The thing with cancer is, the 5th year is a sensitive period where there is a possible relapse for some patients. I hope to get a full discharge this coming October if everything goes well.

Side note - in addition to blood tests, I also have to undergo physical examinations to check if the chemo side effects are affecting me excessively. As it is, I'm experiencing nerve damage, which is nothing new, but it's beginning to affect one of my eyes - this is new. It seems that the nerves there have deteriorated & affecting the ability of my pupil to dilate & react to light intensity. Over time, the excessive amount of light might cause retinal damage & manifest this type of blindness where there's a permanent dark patch in the center of my vision. 

That definitely killed my appetite for lunch. Did a quick escape to think things through over a glass of cold brew. By the way, if you are interested (depicted above), this is called The Crown, available at Whiskdom@OneNorth.

Wishing everyone the best of health.

The locking argument

The default tuners of this guitar got wonky. The pegs & shafts were wobbly. Tuning wasn't stable when the guitar was in use. Decided to spend some money (saving up to buy a new computer, actually) to get locking tuners. Didn't go premium, just a set of decent ones to see things through. This episode is my attempt to understand if locking mechanisms, in this case the ones at the tuners, contribute to tuning stability or the purported belief in these contraptions got misconstrued along the way.

To be continued...

Pre-owned @ Black Crane

There are currently a few pre-owned Edwards models at Black Crane Guitars. These are one-offs, if you are quick, you would get to own ridiculously well-maintained instruments which could have easily passed off as brand new. I dropped by to take a look at these guitars personally, only the E-LP-STD is available ($1,400), the rest - a Navigator & two other Edwards - were sold off. Stay tuned for more enticing pre-owned Edwards in the near future.

Pic: ESP Japan

Dino @ Kiesel

Fear Factory's Dino Cazarez is now in the Kiesel camp. His signature guitars are based on the headless Kyber model. No 6 strings in the mean time, just 7 & 8.

Pic: Kiesel

Ed 2K

The Ed Sheeren PRS SE is now available at Swee Lee for $2,150. When the SE line debuted in 2001, it was in the $600 +/- price bracket, truly aimed at the beginner / hobbyist. Who would have expected an SE to actually exceed the $2K limit today. I find the SE & S2 prices repulsive. To be fair, they were objective in the beginning but became ridiculous very quickly. The endorser association compounded the situation, definitely. In my opinion, endorsers should not interfere with the economy tiered products.

Pic: PRS

Pocket

This neck pocket belongs to the Ibanez AZ41B1 which I appraised recently (CLICK to read). It came in for a re-string & set up. When this body was sprayed at the factory, the pocket wasn't spared. However, during the neck - body attachment, the fit was excessively tight so this part of the pocket had to be sanded down. Is a very tight neck pocket preferred? No - it might stress the fragile areas out & we get a paint crack at this part of the instrument.

Satin metallic

Fender Japan has this new finish for the Hybrid II Series, it's called satin metallic. Instruments feature an alder body, rosewood 'board & locking tuners. I love that satin feel since the Highway 1 days. Rest assured, this satin version is definitely not the Highway 1 version when it's excessively thin & very prone to dents. I also like that very clean look over at the headstock. If you missed it, the hardware here sports a metallic sheen to it as well.

Pics: Fender Japan

SOLAR Sus

If you have been wanting a SOLAR guitar with a Sustainiac system on board + a pickguard, this AP1.6FRG is it. If there's something we noticed about SOLAR guitars, it is the fact that the manufacturer will include features that are popular in other brands. It's not an immediate manifestation but it happens along the way.

Once again, SOLAR would like us to know that this is one of those finished neck that has a satin feel instead of a gloss overcoat.

Pics: SOLAR

BEAMed here

The Blackstar Beam mini is now in stock at City Music ($255). Tempting. Waiting for LANEY's Prism Mini to be available here to make the final decision.

Pic: Blackstar

G-EC flame

Grass Root's G-EC debuted in September 2024 & now its flame veneer top iteration is here for your consideration. LTD's prices are going out of hand in the mean time. We thank ESP for the Edwards & Grassroots for us commoners.

Pic: ESP

Brutal truth

So Ibanez deleted my comments at their FB page. I'm not offended at all. I saw & told them what's plain to see. They have the right to manage comments in the interest of self-preservation. I have the right to tell them not to shove hot air down our throats in order to sell their products. In case you missed it, it's depicted above.