Classic notes

Managed to play this one midweek. The thing about having dedicated volume/ tone controls for each pickup is that you get more tone dynamics albeit the need to manage the features in hand. For live performances, the last thing that we need to deal with are fiddly knobs because they get the better of us. We get caught off guard due to our poor knowledge in handling them; we are not aware of their ability to drastically change tones/ voicings at higher volume levels. 

I'm trying to get a decent tap-friendly tone. It's a little tricky because I still rely on high levels of gain -  that's my thing, I'm affected if the gain stage is below my needs. Can't help it, I have a light touch, I need increased sensitivity & higher gain is one way to see that through. However, over the years, I discovered that tapped notes sound more inviting with single coil pickups & lesser gain along the lines of Yvette Young & the Polyphia/ Chon guys. The LP Classic here is equipped with a coil split feature so getting single coil tones is no issue but once that happens, the high gain levels means lots of hum. Because I depend on the amp's gain levels to prevent me from being noob-ish (missed notes, half-baked fretting, stuff like that) I managed to get round this by lowering the pickup volume to taste (Currently - neck at 75%, bridge at 50%). This solution is actually there all along & it only occured to me to try after watching Kiko & Vinnie Moore play; these people are very particular about their guitar's volume levels & it pays to actually see them play as opposed to just listening.

Here's wishing everyone a good week ahead. We're still under restricted movements but life must go on.

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. 

Gibson: Les Paul Studio 2014

The Gibson LP Studio 2014 edition (note 12th fretboard marker) is now available at Swee Lee Co. Let's go for the good news first- it's a wonderful piece of work. I'm happy it featured some new considerations that we would implement into our LP Studios as a 'upgrades'; coil split feature at both volume knobs, Orange Drop capacitor (finally!), Graph Tech nut, large strap buttons & grip speed knobs. The default pickups are Gibson's own 490R/490T pair which many distortion fiends find lacking but these are undeniably the manufacturer's signature tone to begin with so any disagreements here is strictly personal. The audition model was virtually flawless. I was paying particular attention to the fretboard edges because time & again, Gibson's unbound neck had proven to be its Achilles heel in finishing QC but this one did well. The overall playability was enhanced (subjective) by the instrument's Slim Taper 60s profile which many speedsters would be at home with. Despite the default set of .010s in there, the default Cleartone strings just felt right.

The not so good news is that, this year, Gibson had decided to exclude the LP Studio from the hardcase option. This means, you only get a supplementary Gibson bag with your purchase. I personally don't see this as a negative in any case, maybe this helps to keep prices down & that could only be good for us (buyers). 

Rating: 80%

Gibson: LP Studio ver 2014

Availability: Swee Lee Co.

Price: SGD1,390

Other online price references: USD1,089/ Euro945/ BP767.25/ Aus1,700

Douglas: Grendel (2)

Did the ritual to my Douglas Grendel today. A push-pull coil split switch...

Orange drop capacitor. This pic also shows you the interior appearance of the control cavity; a well-finished affair, I should say.

A pair of Tesla Plasma 7-1 humbuckers. I hear good stuff from this pair in my Schecter Omen 7 & they did well here- more definition, less mush from the 7th (B) string.

After much playing & physical scrutiny, I am giving my Grendel a quick appraisal:

The Douglas Grendel is a cheap guitar, there's no hiding that. But there's also no hiding that it was well made; from one end to the other, it's top notch. It's not a 'wanna be' guitar, it didn't draw inspiration from any particular brand name model out there so you won't feel played out by some false expectations. 

I need to remind potential buyers out there that the neck profile here is the fat & wide type, coupled with a rather flat radius (13.7"), it could be quite a challenge to some of us who are too accustomed to a 6-string. Compounding this experience would be the fact that the manufacturer employed a 'uniform neck profile', meaning- the thickness at the first fret, traveling up to the 12th, only experiences a 0.5mm difference. Please keep this in mind.

Electronics-wise, the Grendel is equipped with budget features so the pickups there are the typical 'get-by' grade, nothing fantastic. In fact, some of us might find it excessively bland across frequencies. One of the pots was extra stiff & I did away with it yesterday.

All in all, the Grendel is arguably a worthy 7-string to own. I wouldn't quite recommend this to players who are starting out with an extra string in their guitar, due to the neck profile. However, if you find skinny necks detestable, this would be a good pick. It's value for money, no doubt about that, it just need a little getting used to.

Coil splitting iron

Since I am not gonna have the pickups in my Ibanez Iron Label SIR27F swapped out, I had Beez do a coil split push-pull switch. The Ibanez S-series sports one of the thinnest body edges out there so there was limited room for such a switch in the tone position. As seen above, the switch is in the volume position instead.

Gibson: Les Paul Custom Lite

Latest Gibson Les Paul incarnation- the Custom Lite. Featuring a chambered body (hence 'Lite') plus a missing tone control... there's a coil split switch there instead (red arrow). Desecration?

The yellow fellow (4)

After the finish make-over, I still kept the booster unit in tact. I was thinking of doing away with it because it's seldom utilized but it's a default feature which is unique to this guitar so it's for keeps. The split coil switch was also preserved.

However, the default strap button made way for the Planet Waves version. I like how this dig into the slits of my straps, they also complement the use of locking contraptions like this one: CLICK

Ibanez 2013: SV

I thought the Ibanez SVs were dead & buried but heck, no. They will be re-introduced in 2013, this SV5470 here, is one of them. It features a stunning quilted maple top & a line-up of EMGs. As if that wasn't enough highlight, it features a coil split switch (volume knob). Just a reminder that when the SVs debuted, they feature the SynchroniZR bridge & that's what you see here.

Ibanez: RG3XXV... mods

Was at Beez's yesterday, had the push-pull coil split done in my Ibanez RG3XXV.

More importantly, Beez helped me re-organize the mess in the cavity & covered all bare wires. If you read in other forums, the down factor (in terms of QC) for this guitar is that the tech over at the factory left bare wires unattended to. I have no idea if doing so saved the manufacturer a significant amount of money at the end of it all *sigh*. Also had the orange cap installed, barely visible in the above pic.

Gibson: Les Paul 50s Tribute (humbucker) Part 4

Here's the revised wiring courtesy of Master BEEZ, of course. The circuit board had been removed so you can see the wooden base there, Gotoh pots in use & a pair of Orange Drop caps.

The tone pots are also push-pull coil split switches for some single coil moments when I'm bored...

Rectification (2)

The second guitar to have its innards looked into was my Jackson DKMGT. See the 2 push-pull knobs there? 

1. Coil-split selector
2. Turbocharger pre-amp selector

Since the Turbocharger (defunct) could accept other passive pickups, I had the EMG-HZ removed & replaced with a pair of Tesla pickups: Plasma 3 (bridge) & Plasma 7 (neck). The EMG-HZ are fine pickups, they sound good in many other guitars but in this Jackson, they are too fuzzy especially with the Turbocharger activated. The Teslas are simply wonderful in this application, a wonderful boom & some slicing lead tones to be heard.

Ibanez: Halberd (Part 3)

This was what became of the Halberd's innards after the active circuitry was removed. The scratches you see at the input jack area were present when I snipped the wires off. The battery compartment was also removed (tell-tale sings: 2 screw holes there) but it wouldn't get in the way should it be left in tact. Sparse controls? Definitely, there's only a 3-way pickup selector in the middle of the cavity & a push-pull coil split switch which doubles as the volume control. No Orange Drop cap needed here as there are no tone control for its application. Do note that the wood at this part of the instrument is rather porous, no amount of white paint could quite cover & level the surface.

The push-pull coil tap switch- since there is no tone control here, this switch proved useful in keeping some tonal variations in check.

But I am enjoying my pickups' very open tone in the mean time, good to hear something different at work. The pickups in there: Duncan's Distortion (bridge) & Jazz (neck). I could dial in much bass for both pickups & still obtain note clarity. I would say it's partly attributable to the pickups' default voicings as well as the absence of any capacitors in the circuitry. I get the 'right' results having Duncans in my guitars, this is no exception.

ESP: Special order - touchdown (4)

I was at Beez's last weekend, had a push-pull coil split switch installed in my ESP Special Order M-II so that the Duncan JB there could be reduced to a single coil for a wider tonal option. I'm currently liking the fact that there's no tone knob in this guitar so it churns out that very protrusive growl.

This is how the control cavity looks like- spacious & absolutely neat all round.
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My other ESPs:

• Eclipse II (satin finish)
• Horizon II
• Horizon III
• Phoenix II

Push-push

The ESP Horizon III is equipped with a coil split switch by default. The version here is the push-push type, very much like Yamaha's SG2000 which I favour. This enables the picking hand to touch-activate the switch unlike the pull-push type where the picking hand requires to handle the knob while still holding the pick. It's an acquired art.