In brief: Aria STB-PB/M

Bass on a budget - a rather tricky proposition. More often than not, a very affordable bass manifests too many compromises, it affects playability & tone. Bottom line - why bother. The Aria STB-PB/M is indeed a budget bass ($299) but it's worthy of your considerations.

Likes

• good playability, no fret sprouts
• smooth pots
• responsive tuners
• well-slotted nut

Dislikes

• tone taper could have been better
• heavy

This is one of those no frills bass on a budget, no doubt about it. Hardly any oversight in terms of build, impressive in this price range. If you are a tone connoisseur (wondering why you are looking up basses in this price bracket), chances are, you'll be bothered by the tone control sweep; a marked brightness / bottom end boom is virtually absent here. Some electronics upgrade should do the trick but adding on components which eventually exceed the instrument's price is not a prudent move, yes? Also, be mindful of the substantial neck profile, a complete opposite from a Yamaha Attitude / Ibanez SR. I see this being favoured by home-recording enthusiasts & those in need of an above-average bass to get things done disregarding its lack of flash; it's plain looking indeed but it's not awful. Recommended 👍

Final rating: 85%

Aria: STB-PB/M ($299) - available @ Davis GMC

ESP: Phoenix II

 

 The item inside that case, darling, is daddy's new ESP guitar, the Phoenix II.

 

The Phoenix II is ESP's mockery of Gibson's Firebird model. It's still a through-body make but the rear has a rib-cage bevel to promote playing comfort. The neck is slim & U-shaped. Every now & then, ESP finishes a selected few of their regular production units in a misfit colour. The Phoenix II does not come in a sunburst finish for regular production units; they are strictly black or white. The models sporting odd finishes are only made known to dealers & not lay-people like us.

The Addict's (Slight) Return...

The institution which my family was founded on saw a near terminal conclusion, recently. I was seldom home & had no internet access so updating this blog was impossible. As guitar was my primary distraction, I did not want it to cloud my judgment during turbulent times so this blog took a back seat but I guess that melancholy is now a former episode of my life's journey so- I'm back...

On the night of my imminent announcement to terminate my legal attachment with my partner, I took my PRS McCarty out & decided to part ways with it so giving it a last look was a natural thing to do, it was her wedding gift to me. I'm the type who would want to sever all reminders of my bitter past, I have no qualms turning something I so dearly love into a hateful token in dire need of disposal, I guess there exists inside of me this associative dissent- I hate you so I hate everything associated with you...

I have not showcased this guitar extensively in any guitar forums because I believe doing so is a snob practice. But I consider it a revered tone generator in terms of tone. I have grown accustomed to my Ibanez guitars, this McCarty proved to be a challenge in terms of playability. The guitar has stock parts because I'm happy with the display model I tried but I requested a non-flame top, one which is preferably quasi-put off in terms of looks because I don't believe in visual attraction. So there you have it, an absolutely boring gold-top McCarty...

If you can see here, the serial number was hand-written at the factory. As PRS himself is a fan of Gibson, the neck-headstock portion does not feature a rear volute.

The PRS faux-binding (body) gets my approval because it's a reflection of a genius production technique; getting that bound look with no binding strip added.

The body rear is flat & features a sole electronic cavity (sticker added on much later). There is a heated debate pertaining to that massive neck-body heel. Some say this effectively hindered upper fret access so it's no better than the Les Paul but if you actually get a chance to play a PRS, you'd know this isn't true; upper fret reaches is still superior to an average single-cut design body.

If there's anything I dislike about this guitar is the nickel-plated pickup cover; I stopped polishing it (note the contrast between the covers & the hard tail bridge) because the tarnish would be there regardless of how much polishing is done. Anyway, manufacturers who include nickel-based plating in its hardware formula have intentions for this component to manifest a 'vintage' vibe over time- which I'm not into... However, the tone produced by this pair is absolutely praise-worthy, covering vintage-type output to blistering black metal assault; quite unbelievable but that's what to expect if you have no idea what a McCarty could do.

to be continued...

Mini Marshall: Red edition

I'm getting good results plugging in my Pocket PODs into pocket amps. I did own a Marshall MS2/ MS4 but were given away so when I came across the red MS-2 today, I decided to buy it (@ Davis GMC).

Coated!

Yes, I do install coated strings in some of my guitars. I have the above DR red set...

...in my RG1550. So what's the big deal? Coated strings last longer, they would not corrode till the coating wears off. People are wary of coated strings because these affect feel- not quite. the coating here is minimal, it won't bump your .009 wire much thicker, it's negligible. However, people still feel the difference, some said the coating restrict movements but if one's accustomed to the feel, it's not a hindrance. A friend also told me the coating restricts (pinch) harmonics triggering. I've not encountered this problem thus far; the fact that my gain/drive/distortion is always at overdose levels might be the assurance.

The real setback here would be the cost of these strings; $18 per pack, that could get me 3 packs of D'Addarios...

Also, for us dweebs who grind our strings, the coating over the picked length disappears more rapidly than the bits over at the fretted section.

DR strings are available @ Davis GMC.

Carl Martin: DC Drive (Part 2)

I am liking my DC Drive:

• Great drive tones- from a mild, drive whiz to a full throttle bark- that's before the booster function kicks in
• The FAT mode adds to bass quite significantly but I hear much clarity in the overall mix

The manufacturer groups this pedal in its Vintage Series range but it's very contemporary in tone. Of course, you can tweak it to sound vintage-like but I'm not one to do so.

SX: EG-2K

Davis GMC now has this LP alternative in store, it's a bolt-on make actually & very affordable: SX EG-2K.

So when I tried it yesterday (I was actually testing out a pedal, this guitar was the most convenient to grab...), it manifested some good stuff:

• great cleans, nothing fantastic but not in the PAF league, mind you

• above-average driven tones, clarity coming from the bridge humbucker

• neck profile- will reward those looking for a meaty but shred-worthy unit

• tuning stability + overall QC- thumbs up
  

Carl Martin: DC Drive

I'm not quite agreeable with the manufacturer's claim but I bought one anyway...

Carl Martin: DC Drive
List: $150
Availability: Davis GMC

PRS SE: Mike Mushok

The PRS SE Mike Mushok baritone guitar is available @ Davis GMC- was too distracted by something else to try it just now...

List: $990

LTD: Miguel & Hamilton

2 more LTD Signature guitars are now available at Davis GMC:

• Travis Miguel model (Artreyu)
• Page Hamilton model (Helmet)

Both were conceived to give imposing responses to high octane drive/ distortion. If you wish for an all out distortion assault, the EMG equipped Travis Miguel model would be your cup of tea. the Page Hamilto model on the other hand would reward those who do not like their drive too abrasive in the top end; the reason those DiMarzios are in there. Both guitars are brilliant in their own turf but the latter guitar possess a more curvacious body design which makes playing quite tranquilizing. These Korean guitars are superbly crafted at World Music Factory, the same production hands responsible for the respectable PRS SE models, as well as selected Ibanez Prestige units.

• Product availability: Davis GMC
  List: $1,600 (both guitars)

Alice & Clayton

If you take a closer look, the above picks are not your favourite Dunlop Stubby units, these are Alice picks. They are made exactly like the aforementioned (stiffness/ dimension/ thickness) but upon close scrutiny, are a little lighter; not too telling if you handle the 1mm/ 2mm ones but the 3mm version. You'd suspect if these are OEM items after all...

On the subject of picks, Claytons feature a cork ring on one side to promote grip. Great idea but the feel is acquired taste. Nothing too repulsive though...

Alice & Clayton picks are available @ Davis Guitar.

Bag talk: CNB

The CNB bags for musical instruments are rather unheard of unless you are one to specifically hunt for a well-padded unit to protect your instrument in storage or in transit. I was looking for such a bag & came across the CNB brand name which offers superior padding to such an extent it makes carrying logs like the Les Paul very manageable. Read on, please...

As you can observe, in addition to the generous compartment inclusion, the bag in question is very well-padded at the rear, especially the straps. This means the carrier wouldn't be poked by the instrument's hard edges while on the move. I especially like the netted surface because this design dries sweat faster- so you thought it was mere design, eh?
That small, outer-most compartment is actually detachable & features a rear loop for your separate use; you can belt it up for additional personal storage. You'd thought that it's mere novelty but small compartments are more ideal for fragile accessories like tuners & such so that these items stay put & not move about while in transit only to end up with cracked display surfaces (because they knock against your cable tips/ pedals/ etc.).
But the utmost importance here to me, is the bag's inner features:

• Velcro-type strap for the guitar's neck security
• Waterproof inner lining
• Layered protection on the bag's cover sleeve to withstand string scratches.
• That minimal but important inner pocket for the instrument's body insertion to further secure your prized possession. A good bag ensures minimal/ no instrument movements; it virtually hugs your guitar all the time

It's futile exercise to give excessive praise to any brand name because chances are, it reflects personal preferences but the CNB bag gets my absolute thumbs-up in terms of design considerations, durability & value for money.

CNB bags are available at Davis Guitars.

PS: Guitar featured above- Edwards E-LP92-SD/P

New LTDs @ Davis

Tried these LTD guitars @ Davis today...

**LTD M103FM (List: $420)

• maple fretboard is the highlight here; grab-friendly yet very shredable
• very impressive default pickups, especially the single coils
• superb QC for the money
  

**LTD V-200 (List: $550)

• the most full-sounding V-type guitar i've come across (in this price bracket)
• humbuckers are great drive performers
• QC: as per M103's

PRS: SE Singlecut Trem

PRS has added a variation of the very successful SE Singlecut in their offerings; the SE Singlecut Trem. This is a whammy-able version of the SE Singlecut whose tone is somewhat different to the discerning ears; it has added boom due to the overall heftiness of the body & not primarily due to the addition of a different hardware.

There are some of us who find the stop-tail PRS guitars (SE or otherwise) a little too challenging when it comes to picking hand palm mutings, more so for the metal lads who chug their bass notes; the aforementioned hardware doesn't easily respond to such playing due to its flushed radius design but it's still possible with a little more effort in trying. If that's the case, the whammy type bridge would provide a good alternative.

The PRS SE Singlecut Trem is now available @ Davis GMC for less than $1K...

LTD: Part 2

A better capture of the LTD models mentioned previously. Thank you Janet for reading my entries & providing this pic!

PS: To Sg dealers out there reading this blog, if you need some product propulsions, please let me know (e-mail me, thanks!)...

LTD: More new stuff @ Davis

There are more new LTD guitars over at Davis. The above pictured signature models are definitely worth owning (disregard the endorser's associations, these guitars are good instruments per se). Pic L-R:

• Michael Wilton MW-600
• George Lynch Serpent-600 (the serpent model has been permanently withdrawn from the ESP range, you only get the LTD manifestation WEF 2008)
• Jeff Hanneman JH-600 (the latest version featuring revised fretboard markers)
• Will Adler WA-600