Espada HH

Heck, yes! G&L finally released the humbucking version of the Espada. This guitar was previously equipped with the split / Z-coil pickups making life very difficult for players who wish to swap them out. I always look forward to interesting non-Fender Tele type guitars as I prefer this design over the Strat. Looking forward. 

Pic: G&L

DiMarzio: The Tone Zone (DP-155)

Good day, folks. The pickup you see here is DiMarzio's The Tone Zone (DP155). It's my first DiMarzio, my first branded replacement pickup as well. It was chosen to uplift my Ibanez RG when I was still a newbie in guitardom. The tone coming from my RG needed a boost in the bottom end spectrum. The default tone was sharp sounding so those bottom end chugging did not sound thumping enough no matter how I tweaked the amp & pedals. 

Back then, the gullible me was enticed into purchase by DiMarzio ads in magazines, this one here being one of many. Back in 1991, Mr. Big released Lean Into It & I find Paul Gilbert's lead tones impressive; lots of clarity & a punchy bottom end. No Tone Zone was found at Swee Lee back then, it was a very new release & a lack of online exposure at this point in time meant stores were next to clueless when you mention it. A guitar repair store proximate to Hard Rock cafe (it had since relocated) had an incoming DiMarzio shipment with this pickup so I bought one without too much consideration. It was an impulse buy.

Coming back to the pickup concerned, this is its EQ specification; it's a bottom end thumper but rather reserved when it comes to top end responses. After hearing it in a few guitars, I have the following opinion:

• The TZ performs well in warm-sounding guitars. By this I refer to the instrument's body wood. It just sounds more appealing in mahogany. I played an RG3120 with the TZ on board & it simply sounds superb. Also, I've ever fitted one into a Les Paul before & it sounded outstanding as well. 
• It's got nothing to do with the bridge type. Some players I talked to said the TZ fared better in guitars with Floyd Rose bridges or its equivalent. The one in the Les Paul mentioned previously certainly wasn't equipped with such a bridge & I came across two good-sounding Ibanez S-Series fixed bridge guitars with the TZ as default pickups. So the bridge type is independent of the TZ tone performance.
• The TZ thrives on overdrive. Yup, it's overdrive, not distortion. I'm saying this in context of course. The overdrive here is used to push your already distorted amp's front end & not as a primary drive source. 
• It's meant for the bridge position. Ok this will irk the ones who swear by the TZ in the neck as a positive outcome of a non-conventional embrace. If you are looking for that smooth bottom end in the neck position without muddy-ing out, I feel the Air Norton does a better job. 

So did the TZ I bought for my RG work? No. In fact, I hated my guitar after the make-over. It sounded bad compounded by the fact that the store installed a non-F Spaced version. For goodness sake, it's an  Ibanez equipped with an Edge bridge. That showed how much knowledge these people had back then & they worked in guitar-related establishments. Darn. That TZ was migrated into an Ibanez RX which was a lighter guitar & it fared better there. 

Fatigue Sunday

 

I bought this quite some time ago. I was gonna fix it into one of the Gibsons but held back & saved it for one of the single humbucking guitars. Then it got misplaced, was MIA until recently when I went looking for my keys. It's a Custom Shop Alan Holdsworth humbucker, the AH1B otherwise known as the Metal Fatigue, proudly wound by MJ herself. The thing is, it's given a relic look at the production end, the rusty  pole pieces are definitely not my thing. Since this approach worked for me for one of my SGs, I bought a plastic cover to give it a blackout look.

It looks like the Kiesel Holdsworth now sports a serious active humbucker but you know what's going on, really. Why did I swap the Kiesel humbucker out for this one since Kiesel custom voiced its pickup according to Holdworth's specs? I think you know by now that I'm a Duncan fan & I somehow believe that this version has something for me. It's that unspoken magic or just mere understanding of what the Seymour Duncan name has to offer when it comes to tone. Both pickups are capable of capturing the signature Holdsworth tone, that deep, bass inclined, semi-alien voicing which is almost synth like in its qualities. However, unlike the Kiesel version, the Duncan version is richer in harmonics & would serve metal dweebs like me when it comes to extreme distortion & quick solo bursts. So that was yesterday's indulgences. It's a quick trip to Beez's to get this installation done, was home in a jiffy to enjoy the 'new' tone.

JB/J

 

The Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz pair, seen here in gold covers, are simply... the JB & Jazz goodness. If you wish for clarity & some tasteful brashness, the JB has those. The jazz is the proverbial neck pickup that does cleans & drive well despite its name. Yes you can do jazz along the way as well, no surprises there. I don't fancy gold covers but it fits into the vibe of this guitar. Another good tone day for me. 

Single hit

Letting off steam with a singular objective. Naturally, the RGR08 was my pick. I still have a soft spot for single pickup guitars, regardless of the brand name. The Duncan Nazgul pickup here is perfect for angry moments but it's acquired taste. In addition to being an all out distortion affair - nothing less than the SH-6 - the Nazgul is injected with some grizzly top end.

This is perfectly reflected in the Duncan EQ chart, note the reduced bass response but it does not equal a poor bass performance, just lesser than the average high output humbucker. If your amp is up to it, chances are, you can dial in a good low end as compensation. My take on the Nazgul is that it's a pickup for the metal camp. Nothing smooth/ prog-esque about it, in fact, it sounds grizzly & menacing. It won't quite supplement all your chug fest either. There's a healthy dose of fuzz going on in here if that's your thing but it's nothing grungy, all out metal. Imagine Darkthrone coming out of your amp & laying seige to everything nice. OK enough already. I think you get the picture.

Psyched (2)

So this was the pre-occupation for the entire week - Seymour Duncan's Psyclone humbuckers. These are not high output pickups to feed your heavy metal ambitions with, be informed. They are Filtertron-esque models with standard humbucker mounting flaps. This intelligent re-interpretation means you can now fit them into your humbucking guitars & need not worry about drilling holes into the body for accommodation. I've been eyeing a particular Godin guitar here which are Filtertron equipped as it's on my bucket list. With the availability of these Seymour Duncan alternative, it's a less costly affair for me; just get the pickups, not the entire guitar.

If you are looking for a bass-inclined pickup, steer clear of the Psyclone. These are meant to sharpen a trebly experience so that things don't mud-out if you keep your distortion high. You know, it's the Brian Setzer mojo without buying the $3K Gretsch. I might be doing it wrong by having them in a solid body instrument & turn the amp's gain way up but that's me in a nutshell; if it doesn't serve my needs, it takes a back seat. I'm not into clean tones as well but these offer a different clean experience, moving away from the vintage, rounded treble PAF experience. Still in the classic territory but nothing boomy. I am able to dial up those raw, Darkthrone type, open picked bass notes with this one so I'm a happy camper in the mean time. 

A quick re-string & it's the nearest set that I could grab - D'Addario.

No regrets having them in my LPS, I had been planning to replace the DiMarzios which resided there for some time already but bent on trying something different & the Psyclone was the perfect opportunity. By the way, this is one of those guitars I bought online for a whole lot of trouble but worth the hassle. The store was clearing them for cheap & the humbucking version just clicked with me (Specials are P-90 equipped, traditionally). Purists might reject the torrified maple fretboard (yes, it was that year Gibson got raided for wood & they took the rosewoods away) but I went with what I prefer.

Seymour Duncan Psyclones are available @ Davis GMC as a matched pair or individuals. 

Selling: Mojotone Filtertron

Got this for a mod adventure which didn't happen. I've been eyeing a certain Godin to fit this into. I got the first with the intention of getting the guitar subsequently. Then the Swee Lee Katong clear out happened & a change of plans was necessary. Totally unused.

• Mojotone: Filtertron type humbucker (bridge position)
• Condition: Unused, screws & box included
• No reservations/ trades
•  Self-collect: CCK mrt station
• Confirmation/ query through e-mail
• Final price: $120 (non-nego)

Psyched

Getting ready for this weekend's tone adventure. 😎

Fantom menace

Good news indeed - DiMarzio has humbucking P-90s, aw damn! It's called the Fantom P-90, available in three versions as seen above. Very glad that it's offered in a humbucker housing & that's what I'm gonna get once these are available here. P-90 fans would understand how this pickup iteration is second to none when it comes to midrange goodness. The issue with high gain applications is definitely its excessively noisy nature. I've been enjoying midrange goodness with Seymour Duncan's Phat Cat with a dash of noise gate but it somehow sucked some top end away. 

Sounding out (2)

That's right, Gibson pickups. I'm not too thrilled about them since they don't serve my needs but there are exceptional ones. It's really not about who makes them any more; brand name preference should be secondary to tonal delivery. I have been subconsciously observing this philosophy by having DiMarzios in some of my guitars despite being a firm Seymour Duncan camper. It shouldn't be different with the Gibson brand name. One of the two you see here is my bucket list item. Updates by this week.

D & G (2)

The Lace Drop & Gain pair went into my Jackson Minion V. It is my intention that this guitar should manifest gain-inclined tones as much as possible. 

The bridge humbucker has a very active-like clarity when it comes to power chords. Single notes, on the other hand, sound twangy- rather unbelievable. I have no idea what's the chemistry here but it's a very likeable pickup in this aspect. The neck pickup strives to match the bridge counterpart in terms of distortion voicings & it did not disappoint. The single notes however, are woolier & not as pseudo active. For solos, I tend to activate both. A value-for-money acquisition since these are on clearance. 

In reverence: 57/08

These are PRS' coveted 57/08 humbuckers. They were revered by countless players who tried & admired them thereafter. They are not new, first released in 2008 (the 08 in the model's numerical reference) as default units & made available as independent, off the shelf items in 2017. Naturally, I'm not attracted to these pickups as they are not my thing; vintage inspired (mirrored after the '57 humbuckers, no surprise there), a whole load of clean propulsion & not much stead in the aggressive realm. 

But they made their way into my PRS S2 Singlecut Standard, not by choice but by designation. My plan was to turn this guitar into a formidable tone machine, sporting an unlikely pair of pickups but equally able to deliver death & destruction with whatever amp & effects at my behest. Not a simple feat but I somehow know the 57/08 is worth its salt.

Currently, the reviews & tone checks available out there, uphold the 57/08 as the refined manifestation of the Gibson 57 pickups. You'd hear & see the golden generation of players putting them through vintage amps & farting out excessive fuzz-laden tones which seems to delight guitardom. I'm of the opinion that such interpretations sound like cheap set ups, unworthy of being deemed as 'good'. I make no apologies in putting the 57/08 through high gain settings & grind a thousand notes per second just to prove that it's actually more than competent in handling intense music. We often pigeon hole a certain implement of a certain nature to be proficient in a certain assignment because they were proven worthy by a certain pool of consumers. It's only when a paradigm shift occurs that we discover an alternative prospect. 

Let me tell you where I'm coming from- I dislike the Gibson 57 tone. If your life depends on affectionate cleans & maybe an occasional dirty segue, then you are most probably a 57 fan. I can't stand how the 57 fails to hold a tight bottom end under intense distortion. There's a simple reason for this- it wasn't made to kill but to mesmerize. I'm definitely not a fan of that but secretly admire the 57's glassy treble; first class smoothness without being too piercing. When Paul Reed Smith dabbled in his electronic alchemy to re-interprete the 57, I somehow knew something awesome would manifest. He's a fan of the tone to begin with, a determined individual bent on making something great sounding a little more usable to a wider pool of players, not just the vintage worshippers. My enthusiasm died when I read that the 57/08 was not an open market product but were strict inclusions for selected PRS guitars. A good 8 years or so later, due to pressing demands & sheer admiration of the 57/08 tones, the pickup was made available to public but they are not cheap, mind you (USD210 each, damn!).

My sublime attraction to the 57/08 was inspired by how the late Jon Nodtveidt delivered crushing heavy tones through his LP Custom sporting default pickups (Reinkaos era). The message there was, the guitar & its default features were already good for the job, it's the duty of the user to make it sound potent. Similarly, the 57/08 was already churning out awesome tones, it's my job to make it sound killer through my set up. I see its potential in delivering good distorted tones & I'm not obliged to limit it to its coveted turf. There are other people doing just that & I do not wish to follow suit. I hope this is not seen as an excessive praise for the product per se. Personally, I feel that it's a pleasant surprise & the unlikely reference for heavy music. Thank you, Davis GMC, for bringing them in. 

Jupiter rising

Waiting with bated breath.

Bleakest winter

I've been re-stringing guitars everyday. This was done on Saturday- my Ibanez S1620FB. It's one of my best S-Series & it's also another one I got for a bargain. Despite being a Prestige model, certain special editions/ regional exclusives don't come with a hard case. 

The current SD pickups in there are the Black Winter humbuckers. There used to be Teslas but I had a feeling the BWs would be awesome & they are above my expectations in terms of high gain/ intense distortion applications. Thus far, I'm of the opinion the Alpha/ Omega are on par with the BWs in this aspect, the former pair being less crunchy & smoother in the bottom end. These are by no means PAF-like in terms of subtleties but the BW in the neck position can rival the Sentient/ Jazz in terms of clarity & single note separation- rather surprising.

This guitar was fitted with a set of Cleartone 9s, seen here in its new packaging (now available at Davis GMC). 

It's the week before 🎄

Not today

Had some playing time before dinner. Itching to hear single coils in action but couldn't dial up a good driven tone from the Strat. Simply awful & nasal. The humbucking guitar was nearby so that saved the day. It's times like this that I just wanna smash something. 

Re-string Saturday: Gold

I think many gear dweebs like me, would take the weekend opportunity to check on our instruments. Gave my Gibson LP Tribute a re-string this morning. This is perhaps one of my preferred Gibson due to its satin finish. If you've been reading the stuff here, I prefer non-gloss necks because I sweat easily & a sticky experience isn't something that makes a pleasant guitar day. When the Tribute model hit the stores, I waited for the humbucking version to be available & there's no turning back.

This happened because I'm old & I always grabbed the wrong knob- always. So a simple solution is seen here; volume knobs are differentiated from the tone knobs. To many LP purists it's desecrating the looks but I embrace practicality more than the preservation of originality. 

Another LP desecration- Seymour Duncans. I simply can't stand the rounded treble tone of Gibson pickups so this had to happen. I also believe the SH-6/ SH-2 are tried & tested pickups when it comes to good driven tones with clarity. 

Re-string holiday

Nothing like re-string therapy on a holiday. My Ibanez RG471 gets a fresh set of strings & moisturized fretboard. This is one of my guitars sporting a very low action profile with a set of 009s. 

The Screamin' Demon/ '59 pair is really something here. I like how the squawking midrange of the Demon gets offset by the ask body's trebly response. 

Evoready

The Evo is ready. 😊

New Year Eve

Good Sunday morning, guitar-verse! It's the holiday eve but the weather turned rather early in the morning. After an emphatic clap of thunder in the wee hours of the morning, I couldn't sleep.

Spent time with this Gibson & let me share some stuff: 1) This is the first guitar I ever bought online. I am totally against buying instruments I cannot handle in person before trying but I decided to jump into unknown territory. If I received a lemon, it'd be a very costly affair but I could say I tried & it turned out foul. One of the reasons I was enticed to buy this piece of very not-my-type instrument was because of a very deep price slash; it's a mere USD300+ but the shipping cost really killed it. Fortunately, it was shared between myself & a friend (who managed to secure his first ever lefty Gibson SG at a bargain price, of course) so the rot was kept in check. Why is it not my type?

• it's a Les Paul
• it has limited upper access
• no belly cut, no elbow slope
• Gibson pickups are not my thing
• that's not a rosewood fretboard in there (it's my first encounter with baked maple)

2) It's my only Gibson with DiMarzios. Not everybody's discourse, I know. Between the default Gibson humbuckers & DiMarzio, I'd rather settle with the latter. Don't get me wrong, I do not harbour discontent with all things DiMarzio but, save for some models, they don't give me what I want to hear. Both DiMarzios you see here were purchased from the annual Swee Lee sale which is now defunct. They were no more than SGD80 each after the price cuts. Bridge: Tone Zone, Neck: Humbucker from Hell. I had my beef with the Tone Zone because it sounded rather bad in my Ibanez RG but that was history. I gave it a chance here & it fared better, not that it really appealed to me but after dialing in gobs of distortion, it's a pretty decent pickup for what it's for.

Was this a totally deadened affair with nothing to like? Not at all. Firstly, the slim taper neck profile was a joy to play. This is the other shred neck for me, this side of an Ibanez RG Super Wizard profile. It's not even trying to rival an Ibanez, just another manifestation that clicked (with my playing). Secondly, the Tone Zone turned out more appealing than expected for distortion applications & I don't see it departing any time soon. The main take away with this Gibson is that, we should not totally dismiss something that's not tailored for our inclinations. It's an opportunity to adapt, that's how I see it. I have a limited liking for Les Pauls but that does not mean I won't play them at all.

PS: The guitar you see in this entry is a Gibson Les Paul Special, humbucker edition. It was purchased online from Musiciansfriend. Waiting for people to ask me, "Hey, I thought they don't ship stuff to SG?"

You are what you instal

Saw this guitar being offered in the after-market. Note the compromised pickguard; an additional hole was drilled to accommodate the replacement humbucker. If you are diligent enough to read up on stuff before you commit to purchase, this won't happen. Seymour Duncan offers 2 versions of their production pickups, the standard & trembucker. The former is denoted by an SH abbreviation prior to the assigned model number (eg: Duncan Distortion = SH-6), the latter a TB abbreviation (eg: Duncan Distortion = TB-6). In addition to the slightly wider pole pieces spacing to accommodate the Fender bridge, the TB models feature 3 holes on the mounting bracket should you need to have one fixed into a Fender pickguard. 

But the darn thing still works, there's still sound coming out from the speakers! Yes, you're right but it shows the type of owner you are & how much commitment you put into product knowledge. Such anomaly invites the potential buyer to further negotiate the deal price, do keep this in mind.