Flash Swing

Saw these going for good prices at the SV Guitars web store (flash deals). Putting them here for your considerations especially if you are going the Squier way. I'm not dissing any brand names here but these Swings are definite value-for-money deals especially after the current discounts. Between Swing & Squier in this price range, the Swing wins it in terms of: 1) Neck profile/ playability 2) Switching/ tone options 👍

SV Guitars: Festive promo

Greetings, gear geeks 😁

This Swing Korina singlecut guitar is going for $488 at SV Guitars. However, the National Day 2017  SV Guitars promo is listing it for $399 & the package includes: Amplifier, strap, instrument cable & a bag. That's definitely value for money. Also on the promo list are Classic X & GL-300 models. Colour availbility- please call the store for further details: 63383371

Selling: Swing S1 (SOLD)

Alright... letting go of my Swing S1.

In cherry sunburst finish.

Bag included. Unplayed since its last re-string.

Selling: Swing S1 (cherry sunburst finish, bag included)
Condition: 9/10
Self-collect: CCK mrt stn, no reservations/trades
Confirmation/ queries: subversion.sg@gmail.com
Price: $199 $190 (final)

SV Guitars SALE: Recommendations (2)

Are you afraid of single coil equipped guitars featuring rosewood fretboards? Lest you forget, there's a certain Stevie Ray Vaughan whose phenomenal music reminded us of what a slight variation in preference could do. If you are on a tight budget but wish to venture into such exceptions, the Swing S1 here is actually going for less than the price of a branded replacement pickup.

This is Swing's Anniversary S2, finished in gold for good measure. It features a more straight up one volume, one tone control & a 5-way selector compared to the S1 but that Wilkinson bridge underscores its pedigree. All this for less than $400 & a gentle reminder that the SALE will see its final day tomorrow, 18th March 2016. 

Swing to this

Was at SV Guitars earlier today; looking at effects pedals. Those JHS, Wampler & CMatmods stuff are prohibitive till sale time. But their recent sale ended just last weekend so I was about to leave the store till I saw this Swing CD-1. It's a simple guitar & I'm quite the sucker for a single pickup; it makes playing one very objective. 

It's not costly (List: $299) & had all the trademarks of a good production line model save the fretboard which was dry at several spots. That aside, everything else was ace. The thing with such guitars is that you have to plug it into a good amp to prevent it from being another dud from the entry-level range & I must say the Sound Drive amp it was plugged into was awesome. After 20min of audition or so, I'm of the opinion that the CD-1 is a value-for-money instrument. It plays well but some of us might be of the opinion that the overall feel lacks character, it feels too much like a starter guitar but let's not forget it's not one from the higher tier offerings. This P-90 pickup isn't wimpy by any means, it's pleasant in clean mode & manifests much character in all other drive applications; heavy metal included. So it's all a matter of taste- is it fulfilling enough for you or is it too much a novelty interpretation to be true?

Re-string: Swing R2

Today's re-string adventure: Swing R2, belonging to my neighbourhood friend, brother Randy.

I am obliged to include the following services with the re-string engagement:

• action set-up- it's kinda unethical for people doing re-string without an action set-up complement knowing a fresh set of strings are highly likely to affect the previous tweaks.
• fretboard cleaning
• neck diagnosis- check if your neck is too warped for its own good, will tweak it if it's within my means
• pickups height check
• see if your bolt-on neck needs shimming, will offer my services if you think it should be addressed (because some chaps like it to tilt a little steeper to prevent upper fret buzzing at the expense of a slightly higher action after the 12th fret, of course...)

At an affordable fee, definitely. 

Swinging set-up

Met up with YC last night after work, his Swing needed some looking into after he tweaked it a tad during re-stringing the day before & something was a miss thereafter. What's done:

• Reduced neck back bow
• Revised action for a set of .010 strings
• Lubricated nut slots

After a year's worth of ownership, I must say that YC had taken good care of his baby, more so when he's a definite Swing fan.

SOLD: SWING SS1

This is my Swing SS1, it's for sale, nothing wrong with it except...

... that it's not wired. I've detached the original pickguard recently to test-fit a pair of P-90s but I've decided to use them for other meddling + I've an in-coming guitar to deal with, he he... 

For sale: Swing SS1

• bag included (as depicted) + complementary string set (your choice of .009 or .010)
• Condition: 9/10
• guitar currently NOT wired
• original string tree replaced with rounded version (click here for details: CLICK)
• Self-collect at CCK mrt station
• No reservations/no trades
• Asking price: $149 (final)
• All queries/ confirmations: dark1349@hotmail.com

Less priority to those with the following queries: Any further discounts?/ Anything wrong with the guitar?/ Why are you selling it away- only 3mth old right?/ How much is the original price?

Guitar SOLD as at 3rd April 2012.

SWINGing colours (MG-505 content)

Greetings fellow guitar enthusiasts. It's now 10 days before Xmas & many of us are walking around with bloated pockets due to the year-end bonuses. Some of us are interested in Swing's MG-505 & I'd concur that it's indeed one of the best contemporary, no frills guitar out there right now & it won't break our piggies (more so with the Indonesian version in stores) . But be informed that only the trans-black version is now left for your considerations.

Swing: S2 Stage

Another wonderful guitar- affordable & worth every cent of the asking price. When I tried this one a few days ago, I was thinking Swing was pulling a fast one on us by offering another S2 with a fierce flame top. After hearing it in action, I'd say that it reminded me of how 'special' guitars with direct-mount pickups are. You'd argue that it's a marginal variation, this one's without a pickguard unlike the rest of its S2 siblings but that little difference mattered to tone. It also made me select the middle pickup more than my usual playing routine. Remember, selected Swing models are now more affordable due to Indonesian production; the S2 Stage is one of them. List: $260 @ SV Guitars.

Swing: SS1 (Part 3)

This is the Swing SS-1 headstock's flipside view, all neat & tidy. The 'Made in Indonesia' stamp & serial number clear for all to see.

This strap button will go. Yes, it's functional but slip-prone, especially for worn out strap slits.

This is a great consideration by Swing; a lining for the bolt plate. This way, the metal won't fuse with the finish so the chances of you peeling off the paint upon its removal are slim.

Mike (SV Guitars) had not set up any of the new Indo Swings when I was there to check them out, he did a quick one for me & it was perfect. Be assured that the guitars concerned (in store) are all set up now & ready to rock.

Swing: SS1 (Part 2)

The first mod for this guitar; that's the default, vintage-type string tree you see there. Nothing wrong with it, really, but it affects tuning responses.

In with the new; the rounded tips are simply more effective.

Swing: SS1 (Part 1)

This is Swing's SS1, a very affordable model available at SV Guitars for a measly $190. It's one of the newbies from Indonesia which  underscores affordability, quality & tone. A guitar like this is important to me, not because it adds to quantity in my possession but it speaks volumes about being relatively unknown yet exceeding expectations. Many of us are constantly looking for a worthy buy in terms of every dollar spent relative to product satisfaction- this is the deserving candidate. A splendid consideration for those of us looking for a dependable back-up as well, especially at this time of the year, with that windfall of yours, he, he... A great X-mas gift? You bet.

I very nearly didn't buy this model, in fact, I was attracted to another one of its siblings but the neck profile just won me over. It's not the typical rounded-C of a Strat, it's shallower in depth hence giving off a psuedo flat feel which is perfect for speed. The default pickups are budget in-house units which I was very well aware of when trying it at the store. But that interaction with distortion was there & I prioritize this chemistry above sparkling cleans- I spend only about 10% of my playing time doing cleans, I'm simply not that kind of resident, I tread the drive turf, everything else is a byproduct of boredom.

To be continued...

Swing: MK-1 bass

Here's a simple bass that works (& an absolute value for money)- Swing's MK-1. It's one of the new Swing arrivals from Indonesia so you know it's not gonna break your (piggy) bank; listing for $330. This is a rewarding bass if you are looking for an affordable unit with active electronics on board. A great thumping bass but the neck profile isn't meant for speed exclusively. Its outline is also a departure from traditional designs which, to me, is an attractive consideration.

SWINGing good prices

I'm just home from SV Guitars because Mike alerted me to the availability of the Indonesian Swing guitars. So what's the big deal? The big deal is that prices are revised (downwards) for many of the models, take the MG-505 you see above, the Korean version goes for $550 but the Indonesian model lists for $390. I was there to affirm the QC & tone of this instrument (& many others...) but couldn't detect the compromises, in fact, the manufacturer promised none to begin with. So if you are looking for value-for-money acquisitions, do include the Indo SWINGers on your list. Please refer to SVG's official price reference at their home page (click the link of this page's left column to get you there).

OK, I bought something...

Of course I'm sure

Not too long ago, someone quizzed my reference to the Swing Paul Danial signature model. Was I sure the guitar listed for less than $900 when the SV Guitars listing was $3K?

What I played was the Paul Danial Signature model which was in store before the Custom Shop model. It didn't help that there were no record of it anywhere so my reference to it then was rather loose- which model was it in particular? But the <$900 price tag there was no mistake. So it didn't matter that I played this guitar several times & took note of the price tag, shared it here, I was still doubted. This is one of the reasons why I dislike quoting/ disclosing prices (I'm not the shop selling it anyway, why would price advocacy be of importance to me?). I'd rather the interested parties get price references from source... gee... it's just a phone call away.

Swing: MG-103

Mike (SV) told me Swing's M-103 is one of his in-store favourites due to its simplicity. I was at SVG yesterday to give this guitar another go & it's simply good (no pun intended). The instrument was well set up which contributed a lot to playability & if you like what Ibanez has to offer in terms of neck profile, the M-103 will have something for your pleasure. However, I'm of the opinion that the manufacturer had the right pair of humbuckers in there, Swing's own Dual Max pickups did well to accentuate saturated distortion for some good definition but they are not to be well-liked in clean mode. Nevertheless, it's not the reason to be ignoring this good player. The M-103 is available in red & white finishes as well.

List: $450 (10% discount still applicable @ SVG sale)

Swing: MG-505

I was at Standard Value yesterday, away from the rain. It's a spares hunt but I ended up trying some guitars, one of which is Swing's MG-505 you see here. I think we are all too distracted by the Strat-alike Swing models, the MG series are largely ignored. The 505 is essentially a rock guitar, the Hearbreaker humbuckers in there are distortion inclined. The neck profile is a little strange, if the intention here is to induce speed-playing then the neck would make sure you remember to put lots of bends & feel into your fretting; it's a sumptuous C-profile (rounder than the average Fender make) with much Gibson meat to it invoking a (Fender) Jeff Beck feel. The other feature I noted was the amount of wood behind the bridge; there's much more material there which induces more sustain & low end punch.Coupled with a deserving amp, the 505 is a great guitar to own.

Swing: Flame TM

I was at Standard Value last week & managed to try Swing's Flame TM. I avoided this guitar initially because it was black, a poor excuse for trying to avoid being attracted to a colour that I've had too many of. This guitar is an all-out rock machine; the default Heartbreaker humbuckers there being very tasty in drive mode & we can hear that PAF-ish tone in the neck pickup but not in great servings.

If we take a close look here, the tune-o-matic type bridge is placed in a cavity making the overall action/playability very low-action & shred worthy. If you are put off by this bridge type namely due to its inability to manifest that crucial low action feel to address your fast playing, the cavity feature depicted above is a wise move to make you re-think your options.

Thanks Mike for letting me have a go at this guitar, you somehow knew I'm still shopping for gear at the close of the year.

Just finished my morning jog. Still panting.

Paul Danial: Swing endorsement

I'm a little late at this end of the enlightenment but local guitar hero, Paul Danial (aka Paul Das), has received an endorsement deal with Swing guitars. He has a signature model in store now featuring a pair of tasteful Swing in-house pickups. It came as a surprise for me because Mr. Danial had been seen with a Gibson Les Paul as well as his favoured Fender Strat, only to have the Swing model feature a Floyd Rose bridge & 24 frets. That's quite a move away from his traditional preferences.