To come?

I'm intrigued by this image. It's the latest Ibanez Martin Miller signature model featuring: 1) A Lo-Pro Edge bridge 2) Active pickups. So this might signal the things to come (2027), the AZ model featuring locking bridges & active electronics. Also, the volume knob had been moved away from the bridge pickup.

Pic: MMFB

Fluence Friday

This is my Ibanez S61AL, not a new model, it was discontinued in 2020, lasting only a year in the catalog. I deem this model as one of the most alluring S-Series in view of its simplicity. Ibanez named the finish here as the Black Mirage Gradation which is absolutely my kind of finish as it resembles a burst but a more captivating iteration of it.

Anyway, I took this guitar out to replace this totally revolting knob. It's designed to promote grip as the volume pot here is also a push-pull pickup voicing selector but it's downright ugly. Ibanez refers to it as the Sure Grip III. 

As depicted above, the knob was replaced with a locking chrome aluminium version. I also took this guitar out to remind myself how unsuitable the Fluence brand name is for legato playing. This guitar, for me, is a riff machine extraordinaire more than anything else. The Fluence Modern pickups are sharp sounding. With added bass, it sounds very thumping for aggressive music. It also sounds good for those Tosin Abasi-esque slapped tones which is not my playing style. 

Eclipse Monday

Had been a boring & restless Monday. Spent time with the Eclipse. 

•  Dodgy 3-way selector switch, barely connected to either pickups once it's in use. Crackling controls & input jack. Contact cleaner to the rescue. Done.
• I used to like the EMG 81 a lot but it sounded fuzzy today, no matter how much EQ I tweaked. Then it hit me - battery needs a replacement. Done.
• Strings were replace right at the start - DR 0095 set. I like that in-between feel for this guitar, these just feel 'better'

Those inlays are creaming off nicely, slower than the binding, though.

Activity

One of those rare days when I wanted to hear some active pickups in action. The EMG 57 / 66 pair  - the only likeable ones for me thus far.  These sound like high output passive units instead of a pair of uncontrollable actives. I simply can't tolerate the active's very hairy response when it comes to distortion; I prefer a passive response. My Charvel Desolation Soloist here needs a re-string as well so it's Darco 9s this time. 

Epifluence

Get ready, everyone. These were meant for the Summer NAMM release - Epiphone is in the Fluence game. And why the heck not. We can agree that Epiphone is having a splendid 2020 so far following its re-launch & it's the right time to add 'new' stuff to the fray. We can agree that should these Fluence pickups made it into Gibsons instead, there would be limited appeal. The smart move here is to have them into something within reach & the Epiphone range makes sense. 

PIC: Guitar Player

Re-string: E-II HRF

OK, so this was last weekend's engagement. There was this strong urge to hear some menacing active pickups in action & I don't have too many around as I prefer passive pickups. The E-II HRF here is equipped with a pair of Seymour Duncan Blackout humbuckers & they just sound brutal in an appealing way. 

Here they are up close. I actually bought this guitar because the active pickups are not EMGs. I've nothing against the EMG, the 57/66 are my firm favourites from this brand name. 

A set of Acoustic Science strings which I still have lying around here. That name there is a little misleading; it's supposed to be a brand name, not the type of strings contained in the pack. 

Just to share - the ESPs were equipped with Cleartone strings at the factory & this is proof. I liked them since I bought my first ESP & I still like them now. These days, the Cleartone name faces stiff competition from Elixir & D'Addario in terms of string life technology & a little under-rated in terms of exposure. 

To end this entry, I just wanna say that this was my final ESP purchase, I stopped buying out of sheer disappointment. It had absolutely nothing to do with the quality on offer; these are still handled by the people who did their bit for the ESP Standard range & remain to be the pride of Japanese production. I'm just super let down by the fact that market segregation necessitated a label change & they chose to drop ESP from the headstock while still flagging this as an ESP product. I have more respect for the Edwards range as they are getting by in a stand-alone environment but still remain ESP to the core. If you have saved enough money to acquire an ESP, would you tell people, darn I'm finally gonna buy an E-II! Or would you rather go with, darn, I'm finally gonna buy an ESP! I have a spot spot for ESP as we have something personal in common but that had come to pass. We move on. 

OK folks, it's the holiday eve - party responsibly, promise?

Ibanez 2020 (4)

I find this a little disturbing. The S671ALB is the only new S-series addition to the 2020 fold. Compared to the S61AL in 2019, the new iteration is given a new colour (available in 2 new finishes) & a middle single coil of the Fluence type. Everything else remains the same. Ibanez is telling us that there are other up & coming models to focus on (AZ) & this is consolation. There are already fans out there dissing this one for the middle pickup which gets in the way & seldom used. I'm not an active pickup fan & this is certainly not appealing. 

Active, pink

Some interesting releases by Solar guitars at the close of 2019. A singlecut design with active pickups - might give the LTDs in this price range some stiff competition. (GC1.6TAW)

Solar joins the Kiesel, Charvel & Ibanez camps, among others, in giving us our all time favourite finish - pink. (A2.6PN)

These are currently unavailable here & we sincerely hope it's a matter of time before they appear at the dealer's. Since June 2019, no other models were available except for the initial few that were offered. At the rate that things are going, the distributor is implying disinterest in bringing in the newer models & it's hinting at the possible need to clear current inventory before stocking the fresh stuff.

PICS: Solar guitars

Ugly ducklings

Quite a buzz in the Fender camp this Summer NAMM but here's something from its subsidiary Squier sector; the Starcaster. That's right folks, this model had been revived in the Squier range after leaving Fender's Modern Player series as once mentioned here: CLICK This is the most affordable take coming from the Affinity range.

Next in  line, in terms of price-to-feature considerations, the Classic Vibe version. 

Last but not least, the Contemporary Active version, still a semi but without the F-holes. With reference to the active pickups on board, this might be a swing at the high gainers among us but with that outline & a very psychedelic overall vibe, it's unclear which segment of the metal heads would embrace this.

I still can't get along with the Starcaster headstock outline, maybe it's just me. It took me a long time to come to terms with Fender's fat, 70s-style headstock & that was after telling myself it looks awesome when the instrument is in playing position. Tilt it upright & it screams spastic. We shouldn't dismiss these instruments for the looks, playability & tone count more than anything else when it comes to delivery. 

Ibanez 2019 (3): Initial sadness

Damn it. This is the only new Ibanez S-Series for 2019: S61AL.

Thanks for having the Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers in there but gone are the maple neck (walnut/ panga panga) & mahogany body (nyatoh). If there's any implications to all this, Ibanez is telling us that the active pickups would render body wood consideration less significant.

This makes the S61AL the only other S-Series to be featuring active pickups in a regular production model. The last time we see this happening was the S920E (above) & that's been done with in 2014. Instead of the active push per se, the Fishman electronics feature 2 voicings via the volume knob's push/ pull facility. Together with the coil tap feature, this would make an interesting tonal palette.

I sincerely hope there are some other regional exclusive models for consideration or Ibanez would be releasing subsequent variations by Summer NAMM (high hopes!). Having only a single addition in  the midst of others is a sign of impending extinction. 

Ibanez 2018 (10): Multi-(in)fluence

The new Ibanez RGDIM6 is not quite about the multi-scale feature (which had been an explored detail the last time round). This is the debut model featuring Fishman's Fluence Modern Humbucker. So I'm gonna sound like a broken record saying that these Fluence active pickups are the current flavour of the technical prog geeks out there. They may/ may not deliver what you want to hear but it's good to see options. Be reminded that the standard RGD features a 26.5" scale length while the  the IM6 is 26.7" at the bass end. 

Black magic

Was a re-string Sunday. A set of Martin Darco strings into my Ibanez RGR08. What does a name like 'Martin' mean to players in the solid body turf? Not much, really. But the Darco set is one of the most affordable & above-average out there. If you think you don't have much $$ to spare but in need of a reliable set of strings- there you go. Just be informed that the B string is a little thicker, going at 11.5 instead of the standard 11.

Sometimes we just have to go the other way to be inspired. I'm not much of an active pickup fan but I do own guitars with such pickups. The Ibanez RGR08 is one of them. Last weekend was my bout with crushing guitar tones which didn't really make the cut in terms of clarity. I kept blaming the amp for the short-comings but a quick switch to active pickups did the job. Active pickups were meant for simply that- cold, calculated, crushing distortion so they should be the rightful reference. We often try too hard with what we think would get the job done instead of embracing what were meant for it all along.

Fresh Iron

I'm not a fan of the Ibanez Iron Label series because I see these guitars as variations of the standard model, just souped up with active electronics.

The finish is a little different as well.

The release of the models you see here, are at best, nothing special.

It's a little overblown when the media labelled them as 'new'.

Nothing new, really. Ibanez had been working with this formula before. Even before the Iron Label models came along, the 8-string RG2228 features a pair of EMG pickups. Do I own any Iron Label guitars? Yes, but I'm with the S-Series version with passive pickups. 

Loomis' Duncans

We've seen these pickups in Jeff Loomis' new Schecter Cygnus guitar. We know Jeff Loomis is with the Seymour Duncan camp this 2016. More importantly, we know Jeff Loomis knows exactly what he wants. Interestingly, he mentioned the primary purpose of having these in development- for solos. Lots of great midrange on offer, listen:

EMG clearance @ Davis

Happening now at Davis GMC- EMG pickups clearance for individual models or sets. While stocks last :-)

The saving grace (57/66)

Nothing new here, just my Charvel DX-1 ST.

However, these are new: EMG 57/ 66 humbuckers.

I lost faith in this guitar, but after a re-think, I blame the default pickups in there which were EMG's 81/ 85 pair. I'm not an ardent active fan but I do make it a point to live with some active tones once in a while. This helps me with tone diagnosis; what to do when dealing with a deviant aspect of my equipment. 

Both the 57 & 66 feature an Alnico 5 magnet core with ceramic pole pieces but there is a need to remind ourselves that all magnetic goodness are displaced by pre-amp influence in an active circuitry. Players who worship active tones tend to declare a real, audible influence in magnetic essence but it's like telling people the voice going through a loud hailer sounds fantastic.

I'm very pleased with the 57/66 namely because they do not sound as tampered by the active circuitry, less charged response, more magnetic. It's like hearing a set of passive pickups with a pedal-boosted assistance. As such, some guitar volume play yielded a rather responsive outcome, making both pickups go from crunch to stun at the turn of the knob. Having said all this, I am not of the opinion that these sound 'better' & more suitable to players already affiliated with passive pickups, but they sound slightly different from their 81/85 counterparts for instance. Clean-wise, I won't say this pair have what it takes to outperform a sweet-sounding, passive pickups but it's more likable & that's a lot coming from an active heretic like me.

So there, my adventure with active pickups taking a turn for the better.

Selling: EMG 81/85

I have this pair of EMG 81/85 for sale, those mounting screws included. Unfortunately, I do not have other supplementary accessories to go along with them.

• Selling: EMG 81/85 set (mounting screws included)
• Condition: 8.5/10
• Self-collect @ CCK mrt stn
• No reservations/ trades
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $165 (final)

Referential, not preferential

My holiday adventure. Nothing new, really, just revisiting stuff that I'm not inclined to but do own for the sake of reference. I'm referring to EMG pickups as well as signature products.

I'm not an EMG fan (or fan of active pickups per se) but I make it a point to own EMGs. Despite the non-preference, I believe there is an application for EMG somewhere along the way. It's the reason why I crave to hear EMG at times & when that happens, whatever EMG tone I hear would be more of an acceptance than rejection. However, it's not something I would return to subsequently, it seems that the EMG tone is only a reference (for me).

This is the same mindset when I deal with signature products. I'm quite averse to signature guitars but not quite amps & pickups. The reason you see the EVH 5150III in this post. Despite being a signature amp, I am able to concoct my own voicing from it & it delivers what I want to hear & I don't accede to what it has in store for me to begin with- this is the wrong reason for buying stuff; you actually want to sound like the flavour of the moment. That's a big NO for me.

Sunday morning guitar-ing

The first Sunday of 2014, nothing has changed, I still grab my guitar after breakfast. This morning I revisited a certain discomfort in an attempt to revise my understanding of why I do not favour the active tone. The guitar in use was my Charvel DX-1.

There was nothing to dislike when my initial set up was to supplement an all-out aggression. The active pickups excel in distortion, the more you dial in, the more it feeds off the clipped signals to give you that much needed definition during play. However, the situation is not so favourable once I tried to dial in a less distorted tone & attempted to manifest that smooth, fusion-esque ear candy. It's not impossible but it's not an excellent discourse. The active pickup thrives on its pre-amp function, once you changed your mind & wish for a more subtle touch, wanting to hear a more lurid clean & warmth in the mix, the active pickup has trouble interpreting this want. 

So what's the moral of the story? There's no addressing different wants without considering the change of tools. Do not blame the equipment in your less successful attempts to get to where you want to be. There are various selections out there for your considerations & some were made to excel in a certain interpretation more than others. It's like blaming the single coil for not giving you quiet moments during distorted play- the problem is actually the player's lack of knowledge. 

This is the reason why we buy more than 1 guitars :-)

Charvel: DX-1 ST

Kramer, Jackson & Charvel are the landmark names you need to know if you are into guitars for some sleek performance. 'Sleek' here would encompass both technical flair as well as menacing delivery. Since Charvel's withdrawal from Japan, we are generally bothered by Charvel's QC probabilities especially after knowing they would originate from China. This spells then end for you (as far as interest & beliefs are concerned) if you believe in the fact that doomed guitars come from China.

Build/ fit/ finish

That's a narrow conclusion considering some outstanding workmanship come from China as well but let's not cite specific brand names to propel belief, we have the Charvel DX-1 ST here for scrutiny. Adversity report- zilch. Yes, nothing's amiss with the test model save for the fact that the strings & general hardware were tarnished over time. Please be informed that the DX-1 is a bolt-free instrument & one would expect a smooth transition at the neck heel but this is perhaps the guitar's Achilles heel as the instruments two different finishes converge. The DX-1 neck is simply an oil-stained unit to preserve that very inviting wood feel but its body receives colour treatment as well as a gloss overcoat so there exist a 'bump' at the heel due to this difference. The unspoken objective, in terms of feel, of a through-neck construction is the seamless feel at the heel but that's not observed here. Rest assured, this 'bump', is well managed; it's visually pleasant & proved to be of little bother throughout play. The rest on offer in this area of consideration is nothing short of pleasant. (Rating: 85%)

Playability/ tone

As you would have realized, the heel bump issue discussed above was a necessary pre-empt in our understanding of the DX-1's playability. The neck profile is a compound radius type, we get both a rounded & flattened feel in one serving. Let's not get picky & dwell on that slight bump mentioned earlier; the neck proved to be very playable even at the upper fret area. The stained finish would mean the DX-1 neck promotes grip & nimble movements without the yucky, dirt-induced stickiness from a finished unit (think Gibson necks... well, majority of them). Shred fans would be pleased to know that this neck manifests a degree of flatness necessary for finger technicalities but it's not an Ibanez Wizard-type. So, flat- yes, relatively so, but thin- not quite. Nothing to complain about the curved body top; all's good in terms of a comfortable arm placement. (Rating: 85%)

Tone- a pair of EMGs at the helm so nothing deficient when it comes to distortion but you know how it is with cleans coming from active pickups- bland but nothing too repulsive. We don't embrace actives for their cleans, yes? Prior to this, I had the chance to test a DST with the same pair of EMGs on board (85 neck + 81 bridge) & there was more bottom end coming from that guitar compared to this DX-1 implying that the amount of wood (as opposed to this more aerodynamic Soloist outline) tampers inherent tone frequencies. In this regard, I'd urge potential buyers to establish some perspective tone wise (if it's within your time allowance) & hear the difference because it might matter to some of us. We'd be splitting hairs if we are to debate the tonal qualities of an EMG because we know, in any guitar, the EMG takes over whatever the guitar's tone wood has in store for definition in general. However, this doesn't spell bad in any way, the clarity & cutting edge of active pickups are beyond what passives have to offer so if this is your thing, embrace EMGs; they are different from passive pickups, not 'better'. (Rating: 80%)

Conclusion

We have a well-made guitar before us, that's right. We also have a visually attractive instrument before us, that's right too. However, this guitar will not serve all in terms of tone. Players who are after playing nuances, that somewhat crucial dynamics coming from every emotional bend & digging into stubborn frets, will most likely walk away from active pickups. If they were microphones, we wouldn't give them to Elvis but Tom Araya would benefit from such an implement. So the selling point for the DX-1 is its absolute quality in construction & overall presentation in terms of feel & visual aesthetics but looks alone won't win trophies. As far as instruments go, there need to be a balance of physical, visual & tonal goodness to become a real winner. However, if you truly appreciate what this DX-1 has to offer keeping in mind what it could not deliver was intentional anyway, you'd probably like it more than question its purpose. (Final rating: 80%)

Charvel: DX-1 ST

Availability: Citymusic

Price: $540 (SALE till 31-12-2013)

Bag not included