Red

I played this one yesterday. In conjunction with CNY, I grabbed the nearest red guitar & this was it. Didn't play the single coil much (Duncan Hot Strat), just the JB & Jazz all the way through. It's true that some guitars with their individual quirks & tone, would influence what you play. So this one, compounded by my heavy rotation of Atheist albums for the last couple of days, saw some tech-death moments which have not been my playing staple lately. Unlike the other metal sub-genre, all these tech-y stuff requires purposeful playing & very little peddling unlike black metal, for instance. Also, speed is optional. If you listen to Pestilence, it's mid-tempo for the most part.

Hope everyone is still revelling in the CNY celebrations with loved ones.

550 Sunday

Spent time with my RGs. The 550s you see above are from the same Genesis family but different iterations. The DX has a granadillo fretboard & a set of Seymour Duncans (JB / Hot Strat / Jazz). The Road Flare version sports a maple fretboard & kept in its original form, no mods. 

Are there benefits from swapping out the default pickups to some other brand names? It really depends on the owner - are you happy with the default pickups? The in house Ibanez V/S pickups are alright. They are not bad in any way, still capable of pulling off good rock tones. However, I realize that if too much distortion is dialled into them, they sound honky / nasal. The Seymour Duncans, on the other hand, has more tolerance for distortion, maintaining clarity & note definition. 

We're into the final week of April. That's fast. 

Still Duncan-ing

I've been playing slimmer necks lately, I think it helps keep my fretting hand more at ease due to its preferred profile. More importantly, it addresses my needs. The whole of last week, I've been with the RG550DX mostly.

I gave it a Duncan makeover with whatever pickups I have lying around here. So here's the lineup:

• Neck: Jazz
• Middle: Hot Strat (RWRP)
• Bridge: JB

Very happy with this trio. Many players would have second thoughts about the JB being in a guitar with locking, double action whammy bridge. To many, it sounds next to shrill due to the excessive midrange / top end.

Even the manufacturer's EQ representation of the pickup's performance suggests it is unsuitable for such a guitar. But I guess it all boils down to the real time tone one hears & for me, I've been hearing the JB in action in many guitars so despite the documented suggestion, I know if it's gonna be a make-or-break investment. Yes, we generally need a good bottom end push for guitars with such a bridge but it doesn't exclude other pickups that manifest a different tonal range than the traditional expectations. The other two pickups in this likeness are Duncan's Custom Custom (TB-11) & DiMarzio's D'Activator. 

Wishing you a good Monday & a good week ahead - take care. ✌🏽

Pic: Seymour Duncan