Selling: Ibanez AGB200 bass (SOLD)

Have not been playing bass for months & this is my least played bass. Please note: 1) It's a semi hollow instrument 2) Scale length is 30.5"

• Ibanez AGB200 bass (bag included)
• Condition: 8/10 (fading / tarnished gold parts)
• Self-collect: Yew Tee / CCK mrt station
• Query / confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• No trades / reservations
• Price: $399 (final)

Guard & gates

Was restless, decided to give this one a makeover:

1. Mint pickguard. Added contrast, together with the burst body, it now has a Strat vibe. Wasn't going for that but it happened.
2. New pickups: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates set. Had second thoughts initially knowing how bright the PG could be & my Mira here isn't a full solid instrument so it might go into treble overkill but it didn't happen. The PG has good clarity with a rather spongey overall tone, close to what a Custom Custom has to offer.

Fresh strings while I'm at it.

But this is my main highlight for now; the guitar is F-spaced / Trembucker-spaced. We assume guitars with fixed bridge, tune-o-matic, hard tail & other iterations that don't whammy, to manifest standard spacing instead but this proves otherwise. There shouldn't be convenient assumptions any more, measure & know your instrument's features, it doesn't take much effort.

ESP 2021

Now that the LTD highlights have been completed, ESP has unveiled its ESP labelled instruments in its Phase 3 announcements. As usual, I'll be highlighting selected models here, the rest can be found at the manufacturer's home page. We begin with this gorgeous USA model, the Eclipse Semi-Hollow. The X-Tone models used to be the flag bearer of ESP's non-solid body models but the Eclipse now has this to offer. If this makes its way here, be informed that price will be an upward of $4K. Do note the slight difference in the fretboard inlay design; these are the split flag version as opposed to the standard design of the Japanese / LTD models.

Moving on to the E-II selections, we have this simple beauty in the full thickness range, meaning, the body now sports a thicker depth & we all know it's striving to match the Les Paul dimensions for that deep inherent voicing. However, pickups here are the Fluence Open Core Classics. 

If you are inclining towards the more vintage side of things, this honey burst version with Duncan's JB/'59 pairing should be it. In this particular hue, it definitely looks very LP-ish.

Pics: ESP

Reclaimed glory

This one got me excited when it appeared at Davis a while back. It's not an extraordinary PRS model, top of the line affair but it's limited edition, definitely. PRS used reclaimed wood to get this one going backed by some amazing stories of how the wood was salvaged & what it used to be. These are not important to me. What's important was the fact that it's the first featuring a non-gloss neck. It's a different experience & it matters. The guitar is a light player, 2 things: 1) No gloss removed weight quite considerably from the instrument 2) It's semi-hollow. Despite these features, the guitar sings & note clarity is all present, it's something that I look for in default pickups. 

It's not for fussy owners as the reclaimed wood was used in its as-is condition. Mine has insect-bored holes in them & I'm absolutely fine with this considering its background. No sweat at all.

A quick re-string, 9.5s of course. 

Semi-Vela

A nice one by PRS- the S2 Vela is now available in a semi-hollow version. I'm quite a fan of the S2s. Some people dismiss this series as a false enticement due to its selected Korean parts despite being labelled as American. I am happy with what's offered in entirety & the price-to-goodness ratio is hard to beat. Some convincing:

Mira: Slight facelift

New pickups in my PRS S2 Mira: Phat Cat (n)/ Custom (b). Still keeping things 100% Seymour Duncan here. 

This is the uncompromising Beez standard when it comes to wiring: 1) Exposed wires are tubed up (that blue coat you see there) 2)  Extended wire length is kept in check (by strapping things up).

These screws are compatible with pick guards & rear cavity covers. Unlike the default screws (round heads), they are flat heads. The thing with flat heads is, you have to prevent it from being over-sunken into the hole. If that happens, it will crack your pick guard. They are definitely way more affordable than those sold at guitar stores; for 80c, you get 14 screws. The ones at guitar stores- $6 for 10 pieces; that's daylight robbery. Remember my dead, rusty screws? These are the deserving replacements. 

The other thing to note is that these generic screws come in a chrome finish only. I have no issues coating them black with paint markers for selected guitars. If you refer to the first picture of this post, you'd see them all blackened. 

A set of D'Addario 9.5s for the Mira.

Good as ever. This was done last Sunday before things get busy over the festive period. 

Green power

Spent a good time with this one some days ago. PRS does not make this S2 Singlecut Semi-Hollow in this green finish as a standard offering (kindly refer to the current production finishes at their homepage). This was specified by Davis GMC as a dealer special. I'm not a fan of whatever outrageous flame maple top any manufacturer has to offer, I prefer solid colours & this was it. 

I had Beez istal these Seymour Duncan pickups recently: JB (b)/ 59 (n). Another big decision here was the removal of the coil split feature for this guitar.

Gave it a fresh set of 0095s before playing. 

Wishing everyone a good weekend ahead. 😎

Hollow Johnson

Eric Johnson had teamed up with Fender once again for another Strat adventure, this time, it's a semi hollow. Despite featuring only an F-hole on the bass side, chambering was done at the treble side as well. This might be a good thing for the Fender camp because the Tele had been a thinline flag bearer for the manufacturer all this while & now the Strat is coming into the picture. Lest we forget, the Starcaster & Coronado were the Fender versions of what was successful at Gibson- the ES models but they weren't quite the hit in this semi-hollow campaign. The Fender benders among us are still loyal to the Strat & Tele incarnations first & foremost so this EJ version is a smart move. 

LTD: PS goodness

Was checking stuff out at Davis GMC a couple of days ago & came across this LTD PS-1 which was part of their latest (final for 2017) shipment.

The instrument in question is player-friendly & has enough meat to make it sing like a good semi, without the excessive treble end. The slight offset design might prove a little awkward for some of us but this consideration contributed greatly towards balance. I'm not a big fan of semis, the last one that I really got on with is the Ibanez Talman TM302 but this is something worth every cent considering its list price of $650 👍

Distorting anger

Some stuff.

1. An angry amp will see your anger through. More precisely, if you wish for some extreme distortion, you'd be more successful addressing it over at the amp- get a high gain unit, first & foremost.
2. Push it, push it some more. If you think everything is OK 👌 but have a feeling it can do better with a little push, get a basic drive/distortion pedal. Let's relate to the set up seen above. The EVH 5150 is a raging beast. My distortion unit only works well in the blue (crunch) channel where there's a little restraint of sorts. The red (lead) channel will mush individual notes up given the pedal treatment. I had to switch to an OD unit (my 2 fav reference: Pro Tone Dead Horse/ BOSS OD-3) to ensure some clarity while keeping it very angry. So let's not assume whatever pedal you have in your collection would turn out well with an amp of choice.
3. Your guitar will deliver if you know your gear. My semi-hollow PRS Mira seen here is perhaps the 'wrong' choice for some angry black metal during a festive weekend (tell me about it!). We'd think a solid body instrument would be the wiser choice but as it was yesterday, the Mira was a perfect inclusion despite its hollow element (embrace the feedback if you choose to tread this path).

So the implication here is definitely a sum of the whole. That's right, every bit of your set up matters & there's no one attribute that reduces the final consideration even if it means putting something in there which isn't first choice to begin with. 

Hey, anyone checking out Tom Quayle later? 😁

PIC: Davis GMC

PRS: S2 Vela (reclaimed)

Back in March, I alerted Davis GMC of this intriguing PRS S2 Vela semi-hollow model made from reclaimed, aged, unfashionable, wood (peroba rosa top, brauna preto fretboard). I was waiting (still am) for the S2 Standard 22 Satin to make it here because I badly want to experience the manufacturer's non-gloss model; I know it'd be something different in terms of feel & tone. More importantly, I'd like to witness the extension of PRS' impeccable QC & tone-worthiness trickled into some lesser known wood. If they claim to be one of the greatest name in the guitar-making business, their satin finished instruments should be on par with the glossy counterparts. 

The good people of Davis GMC was up front about it. This is a limited run model, PRS might have a preference allocation for authorised dealers in terms of quantity as well as the export time frame (meaning- get ready to experience a semi-eternal wait for one). I told them I am willing to commit a deposit for it as it's a definite purchase. I was given a positive answer; they'd include a special order for me (just this one for their upcoming shipment) but it's subject to cancellation at the behest of the manufacturer. It's all understood with me; I just want this to get here. There's a 50-50 chance of disappointment. 

Fast forward June 2017; the guitar finally arrived in impeccable condition. It was quite a surprise because as at May 2017, PRS posted the above announcement at their homepage & that basically dashed hopes. But all's well that ends well. 😬

Would like to thank Janet & the Davis GMC camp for this worthy endeavour. 👍

Semi-unlike

I'm totally happy with this guitar but not the tone. Semi-hollow guitars tend to sound wooly in the upper frequencies especially when it's in neck pickup mode. Since I'm not into creamy tones, the humbuckers here will go as soon as my targeted replacements are in stock. 😐

Meanie, greenie, semi

Darn. Another one of those too-good-to-ignore guitar. Was hunting for a birthday present but today's not my birthday. 😅

Ibanez: Core changes

The most affordable semi in Ibanez's lineup was the AM73.

This year, it's superseded by The AM53.

The major switch- sapele body (previously maple). Ibanez returned to a more generic bridge/tail piece combo as well (ART-1/ Quick Change III). I've been procrastinating when it comes to investing in a semi & looking at the rather unenticing 2017 line-up (personal take), this might be it.

Semi-H

So here's how it was yesterday; a little sore neck & backache. But I wanted to play. Picked up something light- the PRS S2 Mira.

I've been away from the semi tone for a while. Couldn't really remember why the action of this one was a little high but it was lowered. I was in the mood for some high gain stuff yesterday & this Mira served me well. That airy midrange is a delight when chunky solid body tones were all I hear prior to this. Also, the neck pickup tone of a semi does not benefit from too much distortion (period!) if it's a non-high output pickup. 

Played some fast stuff but I was utilizing the bridge pickup most of the time. It seems that my 4-notes-per-string ritual was in auto mode but I managed to keep in time so there's the take-away right there; adaption to timing regardless of the type of player you are. 

Semi-Tal

I think I missed this one along the way- Ibanez has this semi-hollow version of the Talman TM302. It's not featured in the catalogs yet as many of the Talman models (those Strat-esque models especially) will debut in the stores only after Musikmesse 2016 (Spring time). Here's hoping this one would make it here.

PRS: SE 277

I've been waiting for this to happen (honest)- a non-signature PRS SE Baritone. The SE 277 you see here is such a guitar. That's right, the 277 there refers to the instrument's scale length- 27.7" which necessitates thicker-gauged strings to be used & maybe a lower tuning to be employed. That would mean the 277 is predominantly 'metal' in its application but...

... PRS also has the semi-hollow version for you to consider (especially those among us who are averse to lower tunings & do not embrace heavy metal). That P-90s in there should ensure some spanking cleans despite the longer scale length. *Checks wallet*

EDIT: The SE 277 Semi-Hollow is available at Davis GMC at time of entry.

The shorter hollow

This is a PRS variation of its existing 245 model which has gone semi-hollow with piezo goodness. The other semis in the PRS range do not sport a shorter scale length so they missed out on being the true voice of traditional guitars in this nature & the 24.5" measurement here means it's a tad shorter than those old-timers & should sound 'different'.

PRS S2: Mira Semi-hollow

I'm using this first day of the year to update what I had been keeping in view on the final few days of 2014, starting off with this one; it's a PRS S2 Mira semi-hollow guitar.

It was given a full appraisal here if you missed it: CLICK As you can see, I've opted for the dot inlays.

I'm actually very pleased with the unconvincing semi-hollow tones coming from this guitar- I MEAN IT, really. It's all about the construction which isn't a 335 philosophy. We thank manufacturers like PRS who do not make it an obligation to adhere to the industry's expectations or norms. The tone in question is blissfully solid-sounding as opposed to manifesting hollow acoustics through & through. To be fair to PRS, the warm, hollow resonance is present albeit in small servings but it's good to hear the difference. I personally find Gibson's ES-335 a little muffled-sounding when it comes to distortion & that's the reaoson why I bought this Mira; it has more clarity when it comes to dirty tones. The instrument is also light, well, the current PRS SE 245 is believably twice the weight of this guitar so it's friendly in this consideration.

The default pickups are standard S2 humbuckers but these are the uncovered version. They possess more clarity but not as classic sounding as their covered counterparts, especially in the neck position. I have plans to replace them soon (I've already acquired the replacements) but in the mean time, they are some of the more gratifying default pickups I've ever come across especially for driven tones.

One more thing before signing off- the workmanship of this instrument is faultless. Definitely worth every cent of the asking price.

PRS: S2 Mira semi-hollow

PRS has 3 variations in the S2 range, one of which is a trio of semi-hollow guitars which this Mira (above) is a member of. FYI, the S2 range is PRS' most affordable selection of USA-made instruments offered by the manufacturer. Unlike the manufacturer's 'core' USA models, these guitars do not come with a hard case, a PRS bag is instead supplementary to purchase.

Overview

The Mira is unlike PRS' other double cut designs- the Standard or Custom models- it features some trimmed dimensions, including the cutaway horns. As with other S2 makes, the Mira sports beveled edges instead of a curved body top. The hollowed out portions of this Mira are limited to the body's bass side. Should that f-hole be covered up, the Mira would qualify as a chambered solid body. The implication here is that the Mira's hollowed out sections aren't as extensive as its Custom & Singlecut S2 siblings. As such, this Mira isn't as lightweight as one expects it to be, compared to its soilid body version. It is the only model retaining its body depth of 43mm so between the S2 solid body & semi-hollow interpretations, there isn't a difference in this aspect.

Construction/ fit/ finish

PRS has promised no compromise in terms of physical presentations despite its S2 range having undergone massive cost-cutting & this Mira is no exception. Simply refer to the unbound f-hole to witness the standard in finishing- impeccable. Despite not featuring a maple cap, this S2 semi-hollow retains that superior feel, worthy of the PRS label. In this consideration alone, the instrument here is worth every bit of its asking price.

Feel/ tone

My personal expectation here was a slight neck-heaviness in view of this guitar being more hollow than its solid body counterpart while retaining the body depth measurement but no such anomaly was observed. Implication- there's a clever play in balance resulting in no penalty in terms of overall feel. There was no additional discomfort pertaining to the finished, wider-necked & very D-profiled neck considering I am someone averse to such neck properties (I attribute this to my Ibanez inclinations). It handles shred & deep blues bends in equal measure so there's no excuse (less personal preferences) to sloppy playing, really. 

The biggest consideration here is tone. Ladies & gentlemen, what is the purpose of manufacturers hollowing out solid guitar bodies? The immediate desired effect is the fusion of hollow acoustics with magnetic signals to produce that proverbial Gibson ES-335-esque tone. This effect is audible in clean mode, coming from this Mira (albeit not as pronounced as one would like it to be but PRS has 2 other models in this range for your scrutiny). We hear a more sponged-out midrange but once any form of overdrive kicks in, we note the instrument's more pronounced top end despite that acoustic resonance in the mix. Two things- this Mira's diminished body dimensions which means more hollowed proportions should be included for a more desirable acoustic effect and those uncovered pickups. Specifically, PRS had avoided calling them the #7s since they are cover-less but a company spokesman revealed the fact that they are indeed #7s without the covers. The semi-hollow purists would deem this heretical but I'd say it's a gem in terms of clarity if you deem this important to tone. It cuts both ways depending on your interpretations of what you hear. So what would the Mira semi-hollow be good for? Simple answer- everything notwithstanding its hollowed elements.

Conclusion

Out of the 3 semi-hollow models offered in the S2 range, the Mira is the least hollow sounding but its acoustic presence is available despite being a little inconspicuous. There shouldn't be anyone out there equating both the Miras in terms of tone (solid vs semi-hollow); it's a clear 'no'. This Mira has the best defined tone in the S2 semi-hollow range so if that is your priority, it should be a clear pick. I have a personal take on this instrument but I'm saving that for a later discussion :-) Do not approach any of the S2 semi-hollow guitars thinking it's a budget ES-335, the S2s were not conceived for that to happen.

Rating: 80%

PRS: S2 Mira semi-hollow

Availability: Davis GMC

Sale: $1,400 (dot inlays, less $100)

Pic: PRS.com