Grassroots: Mystique

The good people at ESP are slowly (but surely) cascading their standard models unto the more affordable sub-brands. I sincerely hope this was the byproduct of an internal realization that the LTD models are becoming more expensive (& unreasonable) & pricing many eager players out. This here is the Grassroots Mystique, last manifested as an Edwards iteration. On a personal note, I still can't get over that headstock outline which looks like a glorified mistake.

Pic: ESP Japan

Roots tone

Sent this to Beez for pickups installation yesterday. Had been playing it all morning. It's my Grassroots G-SG. Obviously a Gibson SG copy but it's darn affordable.

Someone sold me these Gibson 57 classic pickups for cheap. I had forgotten about these pickups as these were kept inside the pocket of one of my guitar bags which had deteriorated over time. Was about to throw away the bag last weekend when I found these. I dislike Gibson pickups, especially the neck model; they sound muddy as heck at high gain settings. I decided to swap out the default G-SG pickups as they sound below expectations especially when I have lots of distortion dialled in. These remind me of those cheap Ibanez GIO pickups; next to lifeless. Told myself I got nothing to lose by putting Gibson pickups in there. 

Surprisingly, these sound impressive. Even the neck humbucker did well, lots of definition in both clean & driven settings. These would sound interesting in split mode for sure but the 2-conductor wiring means there's no chance to hear that happen.

Olympia 10 - 46 for this guitar.

Personality highlight (3): Bro Ijau

In this episode of giving due highlight to music-oriented individuals, we traverse the South China Sea to Bintulu, Sarawak (Malaysia). This is Mr. Razali but in the virtual domain, he is Mr. Ijau D. Koceng. He is a guitarist in the band Metuk Ulau Project consisting of close buddies & definite gear geeks. He is one of the rare individuals out there who still documents stuff through a blogging platform. Despite being music-oriented, Mr. Ijau is also a boxing devotee. I admire individuals who keep themselves active in sports in their later years as this contributes very much to self-discipline & staying healthy.

Here's Mr. Ijau's gear picks:

• Charvel So-Cal Style 1 HH. As a green enthusiast, this is his preferred guitar. It's also the one for live performances in view of its inherent colour mojo. Pickups on board are DiMarzio Tone Zone (b) / Evolution (n). By the way, this is the guitar depicted above (left).
• Epiphone 1957 Les Paul gold top. His main axe (depicted above, right) before the arrival of the afore-mentioned Charvel. Lately Mr. Ijau is spending more time with singlecut designs as opposed to S-types.
• Ibanez SR300. The tried & tested formula for lasting throughout live performances; if you are performing standing up, the Ibanez Soundgear bass design is a life-saver.

Mr. Ijau's message to the music-inclined: It's never too late to start learning something new as Mr. Ijau himself kicked off this interest in his late 20s. There's much to learn from the sound production / management aspect of music as well as instrument maintenance / up keep which is essential for performing individuals. Mr. Ijau also benefitted from picking up soldering skills & electronics know-how along the way.

Closing notes - this is Mr. Ijau's latest acquisition, a Grassroots Horizon III which looks gorgeous. Good ol' GAS manifesting itself. 

Pics: Ijau D Koceng FB / blogspot

Grassroots: EC

That's right folks, the EC model is now available in the GrassRoots offerings (G-EC). Bodies & necks for these models are mahogany with ebony 'boards for all models. Pickups are in-house PRIDE humbuckers. The MSRPs for these are in the $700 bracket & hopefully these do get here.

Pics: ESP Japan

G-Horizon

This Grassroots G-Horizon-FR was released today. Despite being a Grassroots version, it features an alder body & an ebony fretboard. However, pickups are in-house units & the bridge here is a Floyd Rose Special. It's a good looking guitar & is a serious alternative to the Ibanez & Jackson models in the same beginner-esque category.

Pic: ESP Japan

Got grass?

Still whining about not having that G-brand singlecut guitar, eh? This Grassroots G-LP-60S is available at Davis GMC for less than $700. One more time - instruments of this outline / design won't be around for long. You know what to do.

Pic: ESP Japan

F-less

A bold move by Grassroots releasing this fretless acoustic bass (G-AC-BASS) in December. In less than a month, manufacturers would be releasing their 2022 offerings & that's when people take note of what's in & what's out.  In addition to the fretless wonder, there's a magnetic pickup there just in case you need to rock out louder than you usually would with an acoustic instrument.

Neon

The Grassroots G-Mirage-WK/M Neon models are now available at Davis GMC (List: $690). Didn't manage to plug in as I was in a hurry but managed to handle one. First impressions - well-constructed, good set-up & feel out of the box (yes, these were freshly unpacked today). This should give the Ibanez GIO / Standard models a run for the money as they are in the same price bracket & appealing to the same segment of players; those in need of a reliable, affordable alternative to their primary instruments. 

Pic: MXing73

Sparkling

These are new at Davis GMC - the Grassroots G-Snapper Sparkle series ($690). Seen above, just one of the few that made it here; sparkle silver. Look forward to more Grassroots stuff in time to come. 

Pic: ESP.cn

New horizon @ Grassroots

It's been quiet at the Edwards front. A major revision is in progress. In the mean time, the Grassroots division had announced these good looking Horizon models but we know how the Grassroots brand won't be readily available in the international market. Oh, well...

All guitars played today

I took the opportunity to clean some (moldy) bags & cases today because of the fine weather. I gave them a good wipe-down & left them to dry in the sun; what little sunlight was available today, actually. 

While waiting for them to dry, the instruments were played. First was the Grassroots G-LP-50S; felt like playing a singlecut but not a Gibson so this was the natural pick. The neck profile made this playing experience enjoyable. When I play a Les Paul, it's like OK, I'll play for 15min tops then switch guitars but not with this Grassroots.

Then there was this urge to hear some low & heavy riffing so I moved on to Schecter's Omen 7. The treble strings are dead by now, the guitar needs a re-string. OK, that will happen this weekend.

Finally, before my evening jog, the ESP M-II took over- simply love a single coil  tone which isn't coming from a Strat. This one's in need of a re-string as well. So 2 guitars to attend to this weekend... which would make an awesome New Year weekend engagement. At least to me...

Goodnight. Retiring early after a warm cup of tea & some reading. Bothered by that sinking feeling of having to start work. Wish my office disintegrates by the time I wake up.

Horizon...

No, I'm not referring to a Malmsteen song with 'Horizon' in the title, referring to ESP's Horizon III model, specifically addressing brother ijau's inquiry as to whether there are any Edwards version of the same pedigree.

So here it is, the Edwards version- also available in white as well as a swirl finish.

Also the Grassroots version...

Grassroots: G-RV

 This Summer's new additions by ESP included the above G-RV-55 guitar, a simple V-type instrument yet looking very attractive. Again, I wish the stores here would make the Grassroots models more available for us budget conscious dweebs.

Depth differences

When we scrutinize LP-type guitars, many of us would like to assure ourselves of the instruments' body depth. This feature determines how much a copy detracts from the original LP hence the tonal difference. Of course, this isn't the end all determinant, other tone shaping factors do come into play as well; electronics, wood type, finish, etc.

A quick look at my Edwards & Grassroots above shows a clear depth difference, the Edwards sporting a thicker body than its Grassroots counterpart. The clearance at the neck heel is a good visual guide. Also note how the neck heel profile differs as well; the Edwards sporting a bulky make while the Grassroots' slimmer version is more akin to the ESP Eclipse model.

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PS: EHX Little Big Muff $70- good for today only (17th May '11)

Les Pauls?

Are the guitars in the above pic Les Pauls? No they are not. They are merely copies (my Edwards & Grass Roots singlecuts- I favour them to the Gibsons). I talked to someone recently about Les Pauls & the lad was whining endlessly about the instrument quality & body chambering until he mentioned the Japanese Les Pauls being more worthy in terms of craftsmanship proportionate to the asking price. So my natural question to him was, which Les Pauls are made in Japan? The answer was Edwards, so I duly told him they aren't Les Pauls, they are merely copies. We, lazy folks, find it convenient to refer to them as such. Only Gibsons are Les Pauls. But he insisted they are by virtue of design. So there we have it; insistence based on a personal interpretation. 

Grassroots: G-LP-55C

Grassroots has another LP-alike model in their catalogue (new for 2011): G-LP-55C. I just wish they are more readily available here. While we look to the Edwards brand name as an alternative to the ESP selections in terms of cost, those guitars remain to be out of reach for many of us beginners or those working with a tight budget. The Grassroots offer a better range in this aspect.

Re-string: G-LP

Gave my Grassroots G-LP-50S a re-string- Curt Mangan .0095 set, which I'm running out of. G77 does have the CM strings in store but not the .0095s... I simply love the feel of these strings, very similar to the Pyramids but with extra crunch. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh set of strings to enjoy playing.

Topless

You've seen my Grassroots G-LP-50S (otherwise clik HERE)- notice the flame top, yes? For lower tier guitars, despite the gorgeous flame top you see, it's actually a visual deception. Manufacturers equip these instruments with the thinnest cap material (referred to as laminate) for obvious cost restrictions. They just want to get the visual captivation going, oblivious to the fact that a substantial cap would do wonders to tone. Other manufacturers don't even bother including a wooden laminate, they make do with photo tops- yes, it involves the photographing of a gorgeous flame/ quilt top & pasting this image on the guitar body to give an illusion of a wooden presence (back in the late '90s, some of the Japanese Fenders are of this make).

Back to the pic shown here, a quick look into the pickup cavity reveals no real maple cap/ laminate for that matter so the implication here is rather obvious.

Dry

I was re-stringing my Grassroots G-LP-50S & chanced upon the opportunity to share how a dry fretboard looks like.

A closer look at the extent of dryness; the white patches/ bits there are dry spots. Note the overall hue of the fretboard wood before treatment.

The dry spots are given 2 coatings of Beemis Wood Conditioner (the same fluid used for this proses: CLICK), a 15min drying time was observed after each application. It clearly benefited from this re-moisturizing process, the darker fretboard looked much 'healthier' thereafter: Love your instrument, it'll serve you well.

Still on the issue of dryness, my throat had been excessively dry lately- it's the haze from the forest clearings in Indonesia.

Running in the family

Here's the break down of the above brand names:

• ESP: Japan's best selling guitar brand name
• Edwards: ESP's subsidiary company specializing in popular copies, outputs are namely for the domestic Japan market
• Grassroots: The more affordable versions of what Edwards has to offer, it's akin to Fender's Squier & Gibson's Epiphone offerings