Black S (2)

Once upon a time (CLICK to know when exactly this was), I promised to do a follow up on this guitar but somehow failed to keep to the promise. The primary frustration was getting those upper frets to not buzz. After countless attempts, I gave up. Today, I decided to re-look at things from a fresh perspective. It seems that the neck didn't sit level against the pocket surface. Was wondering how the previous owner dealt / endured this. Have a feeling he didn't venture up the upper frets. A quick levelling of the neck pocket (sand paper) & shimming did the trick. Folks, whatever the issue, sometimes it's important to leave things unresolved & return with a renewed vigour to solve things, not just guitar-related issues.

A quick re-string, of course.

 

If you are atrracted to & intend to purchase these Chinese rail-type humbuckers - don't. 1) There are no specific neck / bridge models so the neck & bridge tones are the same (no kidding) 2) Excessive bass. In fact, I had to put my amp's bass level to ZERO for it to sound normal / acceptable but it could have been lesser. 3) Note separation is absolutely rubbish 4) The clean tones manifest fuzzy farts & this would give you a clue to the kind of output on offer. These pickups are dirt cheap (less than $10 each) but I regret not spending on strings instead. Oh, well.

Wishing everyone a good week ahead.

Marauding Friday

From one offset Fender to another; this time the Marauder. This is the Modern Player version, not to be confused with the original Marauder sporting 3 single coils. I'm not drawn to the shape but the fact that the Modern Player series are absolute value-for-money (made in China). If you still associate quality with the country of manufacture, your opinion on quality in general might be myopic. We've seen awful Gibsons & we know where those are made in. 

Some read my Jaguar entry the other day & thought the rounded string retainer was unsightly. You might prefer this one; it does not feature a protruding base. Made by GOTOH.

I'm slowly playing my other guitars which got lesser play time not that I dislike them but I would reach for the guitar that would best manifest my ideas & mostly it's to appease the dark, foreboding desire  to annihilate pleasantries.

Have a great weekend, everyone. 

NK

Folks, this is an NK guitar. It's a Chinese made instrument, the one you'd tell others to avoid & the subject of ridicule when a conversation about knock-offs gets going. Yes, it's  trying to do a Strandberg of sorts but that bat wing tail end design is a miss when it comes to close manifestations. 

This one came in for a re-string & some other general maintenance. I did a fret polish, fretboard re-hydration & tidied things up at the bridge end; it was mostly corroded. I have a feeling this was an impulse buy & it was left to hibernate along the way. A quick check revealed that it's no longer in production, NK Guitars had moved on with other goodness in their catalog & moving up the price range as well. New, this could have been had for less than $400.

There is currently a pair of DiMarzio Air Classics in there which leaves me to appraise it for its good tones; surprise, surprise. My overall impression of this guitar - it's surprisingly a good player but two things:

1. That bridge there is proving to be a scourge. One of the reasons why I accepted this for a re-string was to see how this thing works. Apparently, you need a key to turn the tuners, this could be done with bare fingers but it requires a good pinch to turn. I suppose, this is to keep tuning in tact while in use, a locking mechanism. Also, it did not manifest a radius compliance; having played the guitar for quite a bit, I can feel that the fretboard is not flat. It might be a 14" Ibanez-esque curvature but definitely not flat. So The action at both E strings felt higher than the rest of the strings.
2. The body is a slab design. That's right, no elbow relief, no ribcage contour; a very Telecaster type design. It makes playing uncomfortable especially for someone with a medical condition like me. 

OK so this episode put NK Guitars as another benevolent brand name from China. It's not shabby by any means. Eart & NK, good stuff. 

Phat Jazz

And yet another re-string adventure before the year ends. This is my Fender Modern Player HH  Jazzmaster. There are not many fans of this series namely due to its Chinese pedigree. The MP series were all made in China & they are not fakes. I'm reiterating this because there are people of a certain age group with firm Fender inclinations thinking these are copied instruments. The fact that they are from China, it somehow concurred the belief. Well, the MP series were handled by the Chinese Squier team. These are nothing but tastefully twisted upper end Squiers rebranded as Fenders. The MP instruments were the first most affordable Fenders & they were very good value for money instruments. 

The MP HH Jazzmasters came in two finishes, this is the other one featuring a rosewood fretboard. I chose the maple fretboard version simply because the Jazzmasters are traditionally made with rosewood fretboards, the maple version was rare. Today, you can get the other maple fretboard Jazzmaster from the American Professional series. 

I have swapped out the Tesla Plasma X-1 pickups for these Seymour Duncan Phat Cats. The difference was stark. This decision came about because I'm about done with trying to convince myself in getting the American Professional Jazzmaster with a price tag exceeding $2K. It was on my 2018 list but in view of the price & after trying it in person at the store, it was a definite NO. As consolation, I decided to make this MP version more Jazzmaster-ish by having single coils in there instead of humbuckers. I must say that the Phat Cats are all but under-appreciated when it comes to high octane overdrive & all-out shred stuff. Having these in this guitar- no regrets!

The other subtle change  here are these Strat-esque control knobs.

Of course, a fresh set of D'Addario 9s to get things going. 

Holiday eve re-string

Had some spare time today so it's re-string time. My Fender Marauder here is one of the easiest instrument to play due to the action, neck profile & pickups chemistry. I was skeptical having to  part with good money but this guitar re-inforces my belief that the country of origin (China or otherwise) matters very little if the instrument is well-made. 

The other green meanie

This is a drive pedal (by the obscure manufacturer called Valeton), the hue of which implies the obvious; it's a Tube Screamer repro. It's Chinese & has no obligations to shadow the original product closely. It also runs on adaptor only, the smaller footprint here means it's a favoured selection for the pedal board geek. I don't own a pedal board & I think I have enough TS variations to see me through some above average drive tones but after hearing this one in the store, it had to come home with me. Too many of such clones failed miserably when both volume & drive are turned up but this one maintained its composure so the harmonics sensitivity as well as drive saturation are present without dysfunctional distractions. All this in a vintage platform that would appeal to players who prefer a contemporary voicing. Splendid.

Fender: Modern Player Jazzmaster HH (review)

We're still in Chinese territory. No territorial trespassing though, just craftsmanship appraisal. This time it's Fender's Modern Player Jazzmaster HH. Once again, to re-affirm the Modern Player philosophy; everything traditional with a dash of eccentricity. So you see a Jazzmaster here with details you won't normally see in one; humbuckers, absence of slider control for the lead circuit, tune-o-matic type bridge & maple fretboard.

If you are accustomed to the Strat or Tele, the Jaguar & Jazzmaster are definitely extensive in body measurements; it's not that handle-friendly. Adding considerable weight to that, the Jazzmaster here is quite a beast. Ditto the neck profile- despite the familiar C curvature, it's a meaty version. It is no wonder then the Mustang, Musicamaster & Bronco were produced back then to offer a more manageable handling. In this aspect, this MP Jazzmaster is keeping with traditions in terms of outline & mass.

Moving on to the differences, the MP Jazzmaster sports a mahogany body, a pair of humbuckers & maple fretboard (rosewood version available). The slider switch controlling the lead tones were also not included at the factory. Without plugging in, we are already dealing with specs contrary to the traditional Jazzmaster. A quick strum revealed some warm midrange, typical of a mahogany response. No pronounced brightness coming from this one.

We need to at least hear a P-90 type guitar in action to know where the Jazzmaster stands in terms of tone. The original Jazzmaster pickup is a single coil affair but these are humbuckers so let's not get too carried away with the tonal departure. There isn't any fat single coil tone to be heard here, the stark truth- the MP Jazzmaster is another humbucking guitar out there. Zooming into the pickups, they are pleasant in clean mode with no accentuated frequencies, rather flat-sounding if I may add. In drive mode, we know they are neither too high output nor vintage sounding. 

So what do we have here? A Jazzmaster? Not really, it doesn't sound like one despite looking like one. What makes a Jazzmaster a Jazzmaster? Essentially, it should be a chemistry of the looks & the tone. We have the Jazzmaster looks here despite some feature differences but the Jazzmaster tone is absent. Some of us would be happy campers knowing that one of Fender's overlooked player is finally offered with humbuckers because we just can't stand that single coil hum. Well, that could be a purchase consideration.

Because I'm the type who discriminates workmanship as it adds to cost, I'm rather unhappy with the test model as it features stained frets. Stain here isn't merely chemical pigmentation but (light) rust. Also, the 3-way toggle is a little dodgy; the bridge pickup failed to connect at times. That's rather worrying. Please take some time to ask yourselves why you'd want to buy this guitar. The Jazzmaster in its traditional incarnation, is a special guitar, tone-wise especially. This Modern Player Jazzmaster has the looks but not the tone, not even close.

Rating: 70%

Fender: Moder Player Jazzmaster HH

Availbility: Swee Lee Co.

Price: $700

Fender: Modern Player Mustang (review)

To many of us, 'Fender' & 'Made in China' should not go together. It's production execration to say the least. But this relationship had been going on for a while for a reason; China's QC is up there, together with other India, Vietnam & Indonesia among other developing countries offering top notch manufacturing for less cost. So the fault lies with us who fall into denial every time we see this twosome.

To the uninitiated, the Modern Player series are Fender's take on its established makes with a dash of eccentricity. Historical accuracy isn't the objective here, it's the freedom to include slight differences that are appealing. So the MP Mustang you see above is every bit a Mustang less the P-90s in there.

The QC is rather faultless. Coming from an appraiser's perspective, the Chinese hands should have devoted some quality time on matters pertaining to set up as well. In brief- everything's top notch less the set-up. The Mustang also exudes that typical Fender experience, namely a C-type neck profile with lots of twang coming from the weight-electronics chemistry. By the way, the Mustang sports a pine body which isn't a bad thing considering the familiar mass it has to offer (as opposed to its lighter Japanese counterpart) & its similar grain pattern compared to the traditional alder- so now we know why this wood was considered above the availability & costs factor. 

Tone wise, the traditional Mustang was a single coil proponent & having a pair of P-90s in this one isn't a wayward inclusion. The traditional Mustang switching system is retained, regular/ off/ out of phase so you need some getting used to especially when you are more at home with a Strat-type selector. Whatever you expect from a P-90, this one delivers; fat & twangy with lots of midrange warmth. However, the issue with many of us is the fact that we have limited applications for an out-of-phase P-90 tone. Personally, I find it too nasal with lots of drive/distortion, so most of my test time with this guitar was hearing it in its traditional P-90 tone. In this aspect, please acknowledge the fact that P-90s are hum excessive with lots of drive & this might be the put off factor. In clean mode, there's nothing to dislike. The P-90s deliver that expected midrange warmth they're known for, enough to differentiate themselves from the standard single coils or humbuckers.

All in all, the MP Mustang is a little more 'special' with the inclusion of P-90s but this is the Modern Player philosophy; traditional with a dash of likable eccentricity. I'd recommend this to the more adventurous players who would want to embrace a slightly different Mustang experience & wouldn't mind doing just that.

Rating: 80%

Fender: Modern Player Mustang

Availability: Swee Lee Co.

Price: TBA $700

Gotcha

If you come across any blokes with bloated ego telling you straight in the face they are proud to buy American, you can show them this pic. I'm not here to disrepute the manufacturer, heck, why would I buy this brand name if I'm of the opinion it's turd. Just wanna prove that when you're not looking, you might be played like a fool.

Anyway, I'm doing away with this circuit board, it doesn't matter. Guitar in question- Gibson SGJ.

Fender: Marauder (Modern Player series) 2

Fender Marauder's headstock- I used to dislike such bulging, obnoxious late 60s/ 70s headstocks but over the years, I've learned to accept them as the manufacturer's signature quirks. Those tuners are the vintage hole-in-the-machine heads type.

Over at the rear- it's clear where this guitar was made in. Some find it repulsive but it's not the final determinant of a 'good' guitar.

Fender: Marauder (Modern Player series)

Come on, this isn't the real 1960s Fender Marauder. The body is off its original lengthy design, has 1 more fret, the wrong whammy bridge is seen here, wrong pickup selector type & darn, those are definitely not the right pickups in there. Frankly, this is a Marauder only because the manufacturer says it is. Sheesh.

But hey, this isn't a critical entry, it's appraisal inclined & here we go... The Marauder is a value-for-money instrument considering it bears 'Fender' at the headstock & doesn't even exceed $550. It's ironic that this interpretation of the Marauder looks more acceptable despite still being eccentric & dare I say it; more functional. The body wood here is of the koto make, which is more commonly recognized in the interior paneling circle, quite the buzzword for the home improvement guys as opposed to the guitar dweebs. Anyway, it emulates the crispy attack of alder & that's quite the signature Fender tone in there considering the pickups aren't quite the flagship single coils responsible for that hallowed Fender chimes. But we get fat single coil tones coming from the neck Jazzmaster-type pickup; hear it clean, please. It's the pickup's forte, it can pull-off a good jazz tone in this mode. The bridge pickup, in summary is a drive/distortion wonder; just sounds good in isolated use. Whatever triple-humbucking hype there is in there is distracting the fact that this pickup is definitely above-average in all applications.

The playability here is an absolute cracker, the body sports those critical cutaways for all manner of playing & this shouldn't hinder shred mongers whose upper fret foray seem second nature. The quirky body design is as balanced as it gets played both sitting & strapped-on so don't let ugliness get in the way of needful judgment. The neck here is a little deceiving, Fender says it's their typical C-profile but after a personal encounter, it's a 'C' alright but there's that added slimness that could only be felt by players who spend adequate time with skinny profiles. Also- it's gloss finished, so be warned.

Okie-dokie, let's not kid ourselves into believing that it's a convincing Marauder interpretation- it's a clear NO. But it's a good utilitarian guitar less that true single coil tone so not quite a Start or Tele content in there. It's a member of the Moder Player series so it's made in China a definite contender for a pariah guitar just by virtue of this consideration but it'll sift those genuinely interested in well-built instruments from the posers concerned only with elite brand names.

PS: Thanks to the good people @ Swee Lee Bras Basah for the 'review' test- Yadni for telling me it's new in store, Faizal for the set-up. You guys rock!

Fender: Marauder (Modern Player series)
Price: $539 NET (bag not included)
Availability: Swee Lee Co.

Fender: Modern Player- Marauder

How many of us would swallow some pride, embrace one of our favourite guitar brand name which is manufactured in some distant eastern instrument plant, renowned for disrespect for intellectual property? I wouldn't mind at all after seeing things in person & hearing what it's capable of. Pic: my Fender Marauder, made in China. It's an official Fender product, so...

Poll: Made-in-China Fender

We know where this is going, don't we? When it comes to 'Fender' only an American matters, the rest are second fiddle. But relegating the non-American Fenders to the dumps was a passing phase. The Mexican proved that the 'Fender' monicker is colossal enough to withstand the country of manufacture stigma. The Japanese showed us some resilience in this matter, not too long ago it was the Korean, now we have the Chinese. Players/ buyers value QC more than anything else but when we put them to task by measuring it up against the brand name, some beliefs wavered, the rest still embrace QC. Although the result of this poll isn't quite conclusive but sellers out there would be interested to know the fact that there is a market for Chinese Fenders despite it not being as rooted as the Japanese take. On a personal note, I've tried those Chinese Fender guitars & basses recently- not bad at all. But one thing is for sure; when it comes to non-American Fenders, it's a dichotomized embrace.

Desolate riposte (1)

The Chinese Charvels are in at City Music, they are a few days old, very new, evident from the shiny strings, lack of metal parts oxidation & sparse fingerprints on the glossed body, he he... But do not rule out the fact that the City Music guys give them a dedicated wipe-down at the end of the day in the name of product maintenance.

I managed to try the Desolation DS-3 today, it's the most affordable amongst them, currently sporting an introductory price of $310 so it's a typical Chinese cheapo you might say? Fault-laden & a laughing stock? Heck, NO.

This is great manufacture for the money, everything's well in place in making it a wonderful player but I'd caution you for committing this assurance to general belief because while I was looking at the other models such as the DC & Soloists, there were some inconsistencies to note. However, these weren't grave demerits, certainly not flaws to render the instruments as duds. The DS-3 sports a very sturdy bolt-on construction & that simple oil finish for the mahogany neck made it addictive to the touch. The mahogany body-neck combo means it takes a toll on the treble end & rightfully so, the default Desolation pickups could have done better in this consideration. 

Les Paul tone by any chance? Oh, please... let's not go there knowing that the outline remains to be the only association to that name, the DS-3 is a typical bolt-on guitar, nothing deep & boomy to behold but it does give off some of those albeit far from being a signature voicing. Highly recommended for a no-frills, beginner model but it works as a secondary reference as well.

For the record, I was served by brother JAYA- very pro service, forthcoming to say the least. Thumbs up, bro!