The Warzone beckons

Here's good news: The UNO Warzone is back in stock @ SV. Adding to the GAS factor, both Warzone versions are now available, so you can choose what you want to hear; a pair of passive TESLA pickups or actives for an all-out distortion affair. No price differences here, both retail for $790 (each).Do keep this in mind- for this amount of money, you get:

• Above-average QC- I looked & re-looked but the faults were not there for scrutiny. Maybe they are hidden elsewhere. Either way, it's a thumbs-up affair.
• Great playability- very fast neck but not excessively thin. Great upper fret reaches (set neck feature)
• Impressive pickups- The TESLAs are largely overlooked pickups but they deliver likable tones.
• Floyd Rose! Yes, it's not a copy or a licensed reproduction, it's the genuine, impregnable, article. I know what you're whining about- for the same amount of money, you couldn't quite get a guitar equipped with a reputable double locking whammy bridge but here's the Warzone for your considerations.

I gave the WZII another audition yesterday & it was an instant hit for me (again). It's a matter of time...

PS: The other Warzone entry: CLICK HERE

Swing: MG-103

Mike (SV) told me Swing's M-103 is one of his in-store favourites due to its simplicity. I was at SVG yesterday to give this guitar another go & it's simply good (no pun intended). The instrument was well set up which contributed a lot to playability & if you like what Ibanez has to offer in terms of neck profile, the M-103 will have something for your pleasure. However, I'm of the opinion that the manufacturer had the right pair of humbuckers in there, Swing's own Dual Max pickups did well to accentuate saturated distortion for some good definition but they are not to be well-liked in clean mode. Nevertheless, it's not the reason to be ignoring this good player. The M-103 is available in red & white finishes as well.

List: $450 (10% discount still applicable @ SVG sale)

Swing: MG-505

I was at Standard Value yesterday, away from the rain. It's a spares hunt but I ended up trying some guitars, one of which is Swing's MG-505 you see here. I think we are all too distracted by the Strat-alike Swing models, the MG series are largely ignored. The 505 is essentially a rock guitar, the Hearbreaker humbuckers in there are distortion inclined. The neck profile is a little strange, if the intention here is to induce speed-playing then the neck would make sure you remember to put lots of bends & feel into your fretting; it's a sumptuous C-profile (rounder than the average Fender make) with much Gibson meat to it invoking a (Fender) Jeff Beck feel. The other feature I noted was the amount of wood behind the bridge; there's much more material there which induces more sustain & low end punch.Coupled with a deserving amp, the 505 is a great guitar to own.

Who can put oranges in my guitar?

Ok, so I've been talking too much about the Orange Drop caps- who actually sell/ install them?

You can purchase & get them installed at:

1. Look for BEEZ
2. Standard Value/ SV guitars

Please click the link at the left column for their respective addresses.

Swing: Flame TM

I was at Standard Value last week & managed to try Swing's Flame TM. I avoided this guitar initially because it was black, a poor excuse for trying to avoid being attracted to a colour that I've had too many of. This guitar is an all-out rock machine; the default Heartbreaker humbuckers there being very tasty in drive mode & we can hear that PAF-ish tone in the neck pickup but not in great servings.

If we take a close look here, the tune-o-matic type bridge is placed in a cavity making the overall action/playability very low-action & shred worthy. If you are put off by this bridge type namely due to its inability to manifest that crucial low action feel to address your fast playing, the cavity feature depicted above is a wise move to make you re-think your options.

Thanks Mike for letting me have a go at this guitar, you somehow knew I'm still shopping for gear at the close of the year.

Just finished my morning jog. Still panting.

UNO!

My UNO- I've chosen the Standard; slimmer neck & body dimensions are what I've always wanted from a Les Paul-like guitar.

 

UNO guitars sport a matching body-headstock finish. It's equipped with D'Addario strings at the factory, as tagged.

A pair of Custom Tesla pickups. Great cleans (neck) & lots of clarity under intense distortion. I seldom play clean so these pickups are very likable.

Here's a look at the neck-body fitting. The slimmer body dimensions allow for a fit binding which almost intrude into the neck but there were no bleeding of this nature. Everything's kept neat & tidy by the manufacturer.

UNO: D-Classic

Have you handled a Les Paul Custom? The Epiphone version, you say? No, that's only a Custom by name, the neck profile, body mass, overall tone are all... em... 'wrong'. I wouldn't say the UNO D-Classic here is a better manifestation but it's treading along those lines, especially the neck profile. Unlike the LP Custom whose substantial neck depth dictates a very rounded affair, the D-Classic has a nice 'D' to it, personally, I feel this promotes grip. Tone-wise, this guitar has lots of clarity simply because the pickups are uncovered & it's a Duncan JB in the bridge position; the pickup known for its fierce midrange response. Over at the neck, you'd be surprise to know the '59 here, because of its uncovered nature, has more attack to it which might displace the 'woman tone' fans but it's nothing your amp EQ couldn't cure. How's the QC then? Absolutely top class & deserving of its $1,250 price tag.

Strings blitz

Standard Value is currently having a price revision for their strings so it was my chance to stock-up. Bought GHS & Pyramid strings yesterday & managed to drop by Mustafa Centre to get drinks as well, he he... The regular GHS Boomers are going for under $5, the Pyriamids now list for sub-$10... 

Bro Ijau, if you are reading this: You want any? He he...

UNO: Standard

We get excited upon seeing a Les Paul-like guitar because the instrument's reputation precedes everything else. UNO's Standard isn't a Les Paul, it just looks like one. The Standard is my most likable UNO singlecut design & it's the most affordable in its range- it's Indonesian. However, the manufacturer took measures to make this guitar (very) attractive- stunning looks as depicted above, custom TESLA humbuckers & superb construction; the model I tried was faultless. However, the other attraction is the guitar's thinner body akin to what ESP has to offer with the Eclipse models but the extra seduction here is that slim neck. Imagine a Gibson slim taper profile but only slimmer (nothing Ibanez-thin though...). You like distortion? The Standard performs well with loads of that. Nice cleans for you? Just engage the neck humbucker & listen. Sub-$1K budget for you? Well, it's only $590...

UNO: Warzone II

I'm just back from Standard Value (Woodlands) in search of strings actually but knowing Mike, he talked me into trying the new goodies in store. I tried all the UNO guitars today (was fixed on the Standard singlecut model but had to give it up to audition other models). This is the first in a series of UNO guitar entries so if you are really interested in these instruments, watch this space...

I'll start off with the most intriguing model in terms of distortion applications- the Warzone II. It's a Floyd Rose bridge in there, mind you, it's the original article despite the sub-$1K price tag. Also, you get a pair of custom Tesla humbuckers to fit the aggression bill; stellar performance with lots of clarity & then some sweet cleans from the neck. Albeit the shred invitation, the neck profile here isn't typically Ibanez-skinny but substantially slim to promote lots of speed fretting. Upper fret reaches? No problem because the Warzone II sports a set neck construction. So all of these enticements for a mere $790 listing? If you wish for a predominantly rock-type tones, a familiar outline with attractive playability, the Warzone II would give any mid-priced guitars a run for their worth. Definitely recommended.

Strymon: blueSky

I was at Standard Value to get some guitar spares yesterday (tinkering in progress...) when Mike told me to take a seat & give the Strymons a listen. There were no drive pedals to behold so I was not as enthusiastic but after some trying, the blueSky lifted me up, way up...

This is a reverb unit, an extensive one I might add. It's actually a simple twin feature offering; the reverb TYPE (3 type there on offer- plate/ room/ spring) & MODE (ie. how deep you wish your reverberation to be). The rest of the features are voicing tweaks. I was rooted by the Plate + Shimmer combo for a good... can't remember, maybe 20min or so (might have been longer, he he...)? The objective of a reverb unit is  the addition of depth to your note definition. If you do lots of distortion, reverb might just get in the way; the reason why Van Halen dislike this feature in his tone/ amp. The best appreciation for a reverb effect is to play clean. It helps you acknowledge the value of slowing down & refined listening. The Shimmer feature here adds a chorus tingle at the death of each note. This is definitely Robin Guthrie territory, plunging into dreamscape, turning notes into an art form. 

If you wish for a simple reverb, this pedal is unnecessary, especially at $455 (it's not cheap, mind you...)- you are better off with your amp's default reverb feature. However, if you are adventurous in plying your trade, the blueSky is an astral touch.

Smash: JB1

Ok, so the new family member is a jazz bass copy, Smash's JB1. I've been waiting for this one for some time now, nevermind if it's not a superstar brand name on the headstock. I've tried countless Smash guitars & they are promising instruments for the money so there's a positive anticipation here. The fresh batch of Smash guitars & basses are now made in Indonesia, no more Chinese output. The JB1 was well set up back at the factory so Mike required no tampering for this one. I've had issues with a full scale bass before but on hindsight, I think they were not well set up, I could easily play the JB1 because it possesses the deserving attention to manifest great playability. It's slightly after 3.00am, just stopped playing this great bass.

Profile difference

 

We've seen the Ibanez RG350M before. Nothing special, just a regular RG (there's a cult following elsewhere, mind you...) but the finish is all the attraction. Anyway, a fresh batch of these guitars just arrived at Standard Value & Mike did a splendid set up for one of them (a great set up is Mike's thing, by the way...) so that I could spend some time testing it out but I've tried the RG350M & its other manifestations countless times. Mike insisted this one's different so I gave it a shred attack; true enough, the current consignment of RG350Ms feature a much slimmer neck, it's not even a 'D' profile typical of the Wizard II spec in today's catalogue. What you get is a very rounded feel, very 'C' & shallow, close to yesterday's fabled Super Wizard make. I'm wondering if there's a mistake of sorts here, a mis-match over at the factory but the slimmer, Prestige Japanese necks aren't shipped to Indonesia, yes? Maybe the manufacturer intended it to be this way which is definitely good news to ardent fans.

Plated Pyramid

I was in the neighbourhood & dropped by Standard Value to check out the Pyramid string range. Was hoping to get a pack of steels but it turned out there wasn't any pure steel version on offer except for the nickel plated version. Better than going home empty handed.

Jumbo frets (Rally)

The fresh batch of Rally GL models (WEF this batch of GLs that is...) now feature jumbo frets. Implications:

1. More feasible for lighter touches 
2. Moving away (slight) from the Gibson feel

But this doesn't affect the playability of the guitar in whole; still very pleasurable & the QC is still tops. Thanks Mike (SV) for the time.

Rally: JD series

Mike asked me to give Rally's JD series a try while I was there (SV) recently, the neck profile of these guitars is a PRS-like experience, particularly the wide fat feel. However, the humbuckers are the GL series affair; sound very similar in voicing & drive inclination. If you have no Les Paul-on-a-budget urge but still have the Rally brand name in mind, the JD should be considered & the range sports a more affordable price tag (lesser than the GL).

Cool cleaning

Saw more cats on my way home from Standard Value, this time a couple taking time cleaning themselves...

The Special one (slight return...)

I dislike Fender's CBS-era, fat headstock but it won't deter the acquisition of a good guitar. The American Special Strat maintains a high QC standard as evident in this model; the nut displays one of the tidiest cut I've come across.

The body is super glossy but it might be attributable to its fresh nature. Despite this observation, its not as hefty as its American Standard counterpart. Have been busy playing, those stickers will come off later, maybe during the next re-string...

The Special one

The no-entry yesterday was the distraction above- my new Fender American Special Stratocaster. I was contemplating a rosewood fretboard initially but I guess I am more accustomed to a maple fretboard Fender.

Fender: American Special

Fender's American Special sits above the Highway 1 series, before the American Standard offerings. These guitars are what the Highway 1 series should be, given some touch-ups which do not sum up to exceed the American Standard units in terms of pricing. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to handle these guitars as a... em... pre-purchase scrutiny.

QC
The American Special has top notch production assurances written all over it; no contest here in light of the standard set. In fact, the Fender team already got it right with the Highway 1 series, the American Special shouldn't depart from that successful formula. Unlike the Highway 1s, the Special's body has a gloss overcoat. While many of us would think this is a 'better' manifestation in terms of finish, it is actually a different finish & not necessarily a grade above the Highway 1 version.

Tone
Some of us were left disgruntled after trying the Highway 1 offerings due to its flavourless, non-American pickups (despite sounding above average) & this is where the American Special make its mark heard. The Texas Special single coils may not be everybody's aural preference but it's the deserving pickups in this guitar; lots of sparkly cleans (pepper some chorus there & hear the chimes) & then some with drive/ distortion.

PS: Thanks Mike @ SV for the invitation & enduring my nonsensical noodling for more than an hour...