Gunslinging Sunday

Nothing much happening today, just a quick re-string & staying indoors mostly. It's also one of those days when I think I could get by with just a single pickup.

I also wanted to hear a menacing hubucker in action & Lace's Deathbucker here is certainly one of those. Sometimes, those high output pickup will turn mushy at higher volumes / distortion settings. The Deathbucker, despite its intimidating label, does very well when it comes to single notes clarity. I simply can't get this from the Invader (Seymour Duncan) for instance. Sometimes we just don't know a pickup's true performance until we actually hear them in action. Also, I swapped out the default Floyd Rose Special bridge to the Graph Tech you see above. 

Wishing everyone a good week ahead 👍

Life's Ax

I'm still digging into the Epiphone catalog. IMO if there's a good time to buy an Epiphone, the time is now; before further price hikes & the fact that Epihone has levelled up its offerings. I believe this Alex Lifeson signature model will trigger some interest if it gets here. It's equipped with a Graph Tech Ghost vibrato bridge so you get to whammy & enjoy piezo moments. 

Lest we forget why it's called an Axcess. This is not to be confused with the modern contoured heel version of the LP Modern which still features the blocky joint unlike the Axcess smooth relief version. 

Pics: Epiphone / Guitaristas

Saddle up

A set of new Graph Tech saddles for my Fender Sixty-Six. Are these upgrades?

I don't consider the previous bent steel type saddles a grade lower than these. The previous version sports that vintage design & has a marked depression on the top surface. I find this very uncomfortable especially when peddling bass notes; it pokes into the picking palm. These are minor changes that I won't hesitate to undertake as my instruments should serve my needs. 

Marauding midweek

Had been playing my Marauder for the last few days or so. Since I had been spending time with some offset Fenders, why not this one? Come to think of it, this guitar is my least problematic Fender I own & every mod done on it was a value-added move.

The pickups are GFSs: Power Rails (B) & JM90 Vintage Overwound. You might read elsewhere in cyberspace, a good amount of thrashing by skeptics who deemed GFS stuff as over-celebrated cheapos. This, together with Tesla & Artec, always get the basement treatment from people who qualify themselves as tone-meisters of sorts. I value tone over any brand name & had always, time & again, stick to what works (for me). GFS website- one of the more reliable & safe references for online purchases but sometimes, it takes a little too long to get here. 

The rounded string retainers here are definitely replacement pieces. They don't snag strings as much & look good so that's a plus.

And these are Tusq (by Grpah Tech) saddles; self-lubricating & don't sport those tall adjustment screws that kill the picking hand. White to match the pick guard. 

When I got the Marauder about 5 years ago, Swee Lee was still doing their 50% end-of-year sale event. I remember being there a little late & seeing the good stuff all snapped up, was on the verge of leaving when I saw this one with some Squiers & Epiphones next to the bag deposit counter. It was a high risk purchase because during sale time, there's a strict no trying policy so I relied on its acoustic/ unplugged tone more than anything else. It was also a good decision partly because I purchased a Jazzmaster from the same Modern Player series with no issues so the quality inference was there. 

Wishing everyone a great midweek. 😎

Gunslinging revival

This may sound far-fetched & ridiculous but I dreamt of my BC Rich Gunslinger two nights ago. In that dream, I was laughed at because no sound came out of it. I couldn't recall if it was the amp's fault but it prompted me to bring this guitar out the following morning.

True enough, the pot was dead & I had Beez fixed in a new one yesterday. This time, it's a plain pot with no coil-splitting feature since I didn't use it much in this guitar.

I actually had this pack of strings in the guitar bag, no idea how long it's been hibernating in there but it's good to go. I'm not averse to the lesser known guitar string brands, I'm always game to try. Sometimes the obscure ones are full of pleasant surprises. 😁

Here's why I have no use for a coil split feature; I have a very high output pickup in there- the Lace   Alumitone Deathbucker. I would deem it as an angrier DiMarzio X2N with no practical clan applications, let alone hearing it in single coil mode. I also swapped the default bridge out to the Graph Tech Floyd Rose-esque model. The original bridge was a Floyd Rose Special which I find detestable. The FRS features very brittle zinc parts which gave way more than once. So dreams are premonitions after all. 

Some (recommended) stuff

You might have seen a similar set up to the one depicted above; guitar- pedal- pocket/ desk top amp. I'm an advocate of simple set ups  especially when focus is the order of the day, not a flashy display of possession. Despite the fundamental line up of gear here, it's actually a display of discrete quality & certainly not a boutique affair:

1. LTD ST-213 I refer to my LTD instruments as 'LTD' & not ESP LTD because it's not an ESP to begin with. No doubt, the LTD label is a sub company of the ESP name, I do not wish to ride on the safety of a higher brand name & let the reference be; it is as it should be referred to, not something else. With that said, I am totally happy with the Series 200 LTD instruments & it's unfortunate that the manufacturer had decided to do away with these models early this year. Unfortunate because the ST-213 is a quality instrument from head to toe, much overlooked by people who are too busy chasing after a Fender-backed alternative when hunting for instruments in this price bracket.
2. Tesla Plasma 1 Tesla is one of Korea's pride & joy in terms of quality manufacturing. Despite the different ingredients used for pickup concoction unlike its American counterparts, this brand name still deliver the goods. Totally happy with these pickups in this guitar.
3. Graphtech Tusq I'm totally happy with Graphtech products as well, the Tusq range included. They are affordable. They are reliable. They are fuss-free. The reason why I have them here- to replace the default set of vintage-type saddles with protruding screws that kept jabbing my hand. While at it, why not invest in something with a little extra in terms of delivery? So, there.
4. Amphenol plugs Beez introduced me to this brand of cable plugs when he was still operating at Roxy Square. I remember bringing him a crackling cable for a re-solder job. The soldering came off at the plug end simply because the default rubber/ plastic plugs were not meant to last. He mentioned the Amphenol brand as a personal recommendation & I gave it a try. They lasted till today. Eight years & counting.
5. CMATmods I first bought a CMATmods pedal from SV Guitars at its Marsiling branch. I don't look up to boutique brand names because they are costly. Not all boutique pedals out there are pleasant sounding in terms of tones, the cost to satisfaction ratio is bordering on the ridiculous. The availability of affordable alternatives just proves the fact that boutique brand names are selling you subjectivity more than anything else. However, the CMATmods people know what they are doing & they don't promise you something they can't deliver. I own three CMATmods pedals in the mean time, the Brownie here is one of them.
6. Blackstar I must say the Blackstar brand had gained positive momentum over the years not just based on reputation per se but on delivery. I will give my backing to their non-digital amps any time & these amps are worthy drive-wise as well as cleans. The FLY 3 desk top amp here is in my opinion, a break through; something this small yet pleasant sounding for a quick grab-&-play application. Highly recommended.

Graphtech: Whites

These are the default string saddles in my Fender Marauder. They aren't defective in any way but those action adjustment screws protrude to jab my picking hand palm during play so...

... they made way for a set of Graph Tech units & this time, I've gotten myself a sextet of whites.

Graphtech-ed

The guitar in question is my Ibanez GRGR010, a budget GIO model with no bling factor at all. Recently, the bridge saddles turned dodgy due to rusty action adjustment screw. I could have easily replaced the affected screws only but went all the way to replace all saddles with the Graphtech version. Some would deem my decision wasteful; why spend too much on a budget guitar but I treat all my instruments with respect. I give them due attention because they serve me well regardless of the lower tier the are in. Imagine having a child & giving him/her secondary treatment just because he/she isn't as smart or capable as his/her siblings. It reflects very much on you- are you stroking your ego or treating your property with due care because you know it's your responsibility to do so?

The nut case

This was the label stuck on the rear cavity cover of my Omen 7 & 8. It means that my Schecters were equipped with Graphtech's Black Tusq nuts at the factory.

Is this a case of stamping superiority on one's product? 'Superiority' here is subjective but whatever's the case, I am happy to know that Schecter made a wise inclusion for its guitars. We often overlook the nut's importance when it comes to tuning stability. We often do not make sure it is suitably slotted & lubricated for a reliable performance. 

Thumbs up to Schecter for this.

Return of the Graphtech

My (Fender) ST-72 now gets a set of Graphtech saddles.


What's so good about them?
They are not 'so good', mind you. They just serve their purpose- to ensure smooth contact between the strings & the saddle.

How much?
$40 per set, available @ Davis GMC

Does it kill tone?
I don't hear any tone deterioration, my Strat still sound as snappy as ever. However if you love your default pickups but wish for a less protruding treble end, the graphite helps.

Saving hand

It's not quite obvious here but the action adjustment screws in my Brian Moore i91 were protruding & jabbing my picking hand palm each & every time I play this guitar.

But I've substituted them for Graph Tech's FerraGlide saddles which are more palm-friendly as depicted above. Due to my picking aggression, those protruding screws tear up my palm every time I play so the FerraGlides help. However, after reading this entry, many of us would be interested in acquiring them in an attempt to address a similar issue but be informed that the FerraGlides were conceived to, first & foremost, counter string snapping at the saddle area- the reason for the graphite bits there.

Graphtech: Ferra glides

Since I'm at it, I might as well replace the bridge saddles of my Fender ST-72. I've had the Graphtech graphite saddles in two of my other guitars so it's time to try something different but I'm sticking to the Graptech brand name. This time, it's a set of Ferra Glides.

The Ferra Glides saddles feature a graphite insert between each individual saddle's action adjustment area (those small screws you see at the pickup end of the component). This would prevent string breakage & better response to tuning adjustments as claimed by the manufacturer. It would also mean each saddle weighs less than an average steel unit so there's an impact on tone while retaining the steel's brightness. However, I have not re-strung this guitar. Yet.

Smash it again (2)!

I've decided to not whammy with my Smash S2 Lite, so 2 more vibrato bridge springs were installed. Is this necessary? The 2 added springs prevent the bridge from jerking up during bends, if the bridge moves, the pitch would run.

I've also installed a set of graphite string saddles (this time it's the Graph Tech version) not because it's addressing a pertinent string breakage issue but rather a tone enhancement move (adding a little more brightness in the output) & the fact that these saddles do not feature protruding action adjustment screws which are murderous to the picking hand.