Asahi & Oscar

Paying it forward - I did my bit to ensure the people at work benefit from a fresh set of strings & clean, gunk-free guitars. Between the two, the Oscar Schmidt wins it in terms of tone & playability. No idea if it was ever set up before but it just played great & the tone wasn't excessively bright. Maybe the fresh strings contributed to this positive encounter. The Asahi just sounded bland despite being more visually attractive.

My employment contract ends this week, another impending episode of a miserable year end. At least I would end my stint here knowing I did my part in making others happy.

Re-string midweek - Veritas goodness

It's midweek already, time just zips by when you are pre-occupied with stuff. I'm a little pre-occupied with medical bills, coming fast & hard. The P20 here is the perfect distraction for that bother. I'm just thankful that PRS makes parlor-sized acoustics for people like me who struggles to handle a full-sized acoustic guitar; not the scale length but the body outline. 

I'm a DR convert in the mean time. The Veritas strings sound very crispy; it's that slinky feel when one experiences Ernie Ball strings for the first time but this is the acoustic version of that ecstasy. Also, they last longer than the average acoustic set without being outer coated in any way. They are loud as well, no idea what took place at the factory but they manifest a superior volume projection. DR strings are available at Davis GMC.

Little wonder

Someone's son gave up guitar last year & put this up for sale. It's a Samick Greg Bennett ST6-1, half-sized acoustic guitar. I'm a fan of smaller acoustics namely because I'm small-sized as well & find the standard acoustic models a struggle to handle. From the condition it's in, this little guitar did not get much play time. There were no dirt anywhere on the fretboard & fret wear was non-existent. I must say that I got this one for a steal. 

There was a small chip on the headstock & it's an acceptable anomaly considering that a student beginner once handled this guitar. It's 'restored' with black paint & still looks awesome after a good wipe down & polish. I received this guitar in its as-is condition; lots of dust & rusty strings but all's good now. The plastic stick-on pickguard was my doing, you can get one from SV Guitars & they are on sale now.  

It's an all mahogany guitar (rosewood fretboard/ bridge) but not a solid top model, understandably so at this price point. The instrument sounds a little boxy & I bet the next string change with a bronze set on board might improve the tone somewhat. Despite all that, the sustain is healthy, in fact, it's one of the best from a budget model. It's also my first acoustic with a 12th fret joint to the body, an exciting addition to say the least. 

PF blue

My immediate acoustic guitar 'upgrade' years ago was an Ibanez PF. Back then I didn't know nuts about acoustic guitars & thought the Ibanez name on the headstock would prove some potency in terms of quality & tone. More importantly, the guitar wasn't costly & proved to be a very comfortable player neck-wise. Ibanez still makes the PF range to be affordable instruments & today it comes in this cool blue finish (seen above: PF18) for daring players who believe in being seen. Definitely a no-frills instrument in terms of features, something worthy in the $250 price bracket.

Earth50

Cort has playable guitars in the Earth 50 range (available in both solid/non-solid tops). 'Playable' here  refers to scaled down features for both body size (7/8) & scale length (24/75"). These would do well for smaller built players but certainly not limited to females & kids exclusively (so please stop marketing your products in this slant). Here's why you should consider one if you struggle playing a standard size acoustic:

RIP: Bill Collings

A little late but better than never. A sad day in the acoustic universe as Bill Collings passed away on 15th July 2017. We have big name acoustics here in the stores but we don't see Collings largely due to its boutique price tag but we know Bill made some of the best out there. RIP, Bill Collings (August 9, 1948 - July 14, 2017)

Ibanez: Thermo acoustics

Good Thursday morning, guitar nation. Have you heard of this process whereby wood reserved for guitar making are made to go through a heating process before being turned into instruments?

It's called 'torrefaction'; forcing wood to dry up in a vacuum space. This way, the material concerned would become more tinted & lighter. Ibanez chooses to call it thermo ageing. In essence, the instruments featuring such processed wood would sound louder (improved projection) & richer across frequencies.

This Summer NAMM 2016, Ibanez offers a quartet of such thermo aged guitars in both top only option of full bodied thermo aged selection. All models are depicted here.

So Ibanez joins Martin & Taylor in this wood treatment but as you know with Ibanez, their selections cost lesser than the competitors'. We shall wait for these models to make it here before passing further judgments pertaining to tonal preferences. In the mean time, here's a brief take:

Jumbo Jr

Looks like Taylor's GS Mini has a deserving competitor; Guild's Jumbo Jr. As the name implies, a jumbo in a manageable size & it's a mid-priced player so you get all the Guild goodness without feeling too much pain :-)

Written

I have these to thank for a song completion earlier today:

• Takamine GY93E: My only acoustic left in the house. Not a big acoustic fan but it helps to open up perspective every now & then. 
• Korg KR Mini: Responsible for keeping time more than anything else. However, the type of rhythm accompanying your guitar moments, helps trigger ideas & arrangements.