Revised DC Tribute

They didn't have to but they did- the Gibson LP Jr DC Tribute has a revised manifestation just days ago (released together with its other 2019 'Fall siblings). The bridge is still a wrap-over model but it's a new design & the input jack had been shifted to the side.

The former incarnation for reference. Not so good news- price goes up by USD100... 😦

Stock in

This guitar was featured here last year: CLICK. It's now in stock (List: $1,499). Just showing you the one piece neck. 😎

Gibson: Les Paul Jr DC Tribute (2)

This is one of the bridge studs/ posts. It's totally unnecessary but I took it out to lubricate the thread. It's not a moving component, why would I do that? I've had other guitars with such studs getting stuck in that cavity with traces of rust. Such decay- it has to stop.

If you can't see this clearly, do click on the pic & enlarge. It shows a blue string slot. We note the body's finish in blue. Sigh.

The usual dry fretboard case. Not blaming the manufacturer for this, just showing you that it's necessary to address this with newly purchased instruments.

Jazzy, Paisley

Some things look awesome in a Paisley/ Blue Flower finish- don't you think so?

Some good things just don't make it here despite having an official distributor- don't you think so?

Emerging Standards

I'm pretty sure you know this happened a few days ago- Gibson finally released their Juszkiewicz-free 2019 models. That's right, it's a little confusing. Let's be clear that the 2019 models that appeared at the start of 2019 were the Juszkiewicz 2018 leftovers. What happened was that the 2019 models were announced around August 2018. The manufacturer already had those in production & they were obliged to be released. Curleigh, the new CEO, waited till Fall 2019 to announce the manifestations under his helm & those were listed over at the Gibson homepage which was re-vamped to accommodate this debut.

On everyone's anxiety list was the Les Paul Standard, the very flag-bearer of all things Gibson. As promised, the manufacturer delivered a back-to-goodness manifestation of the guitar to some very grateful devotees. I'm not a Gibson fan but I'm grateful that it happened because it means that it's worth considering the Gibsons again. My Gibson journey started with a no-purchase  after being under-whelmed by a '57 reissue. On that fateful day, I paid good money for a PRS McCarty instead which was of course worth every cent- no regrets. 

Do note that the major return-to-form feature of the LP Standard is its non-chambered body. It would mean a lot to folks in their golden age because the typical LP Standard is a whopping 4.5kg on average. That's gonna be pretty taxing for those of us who play standing up for the money. If you have plans to ditch your current weight-relieved version for the new model, please re-consider. Maybe turn it into your No. 2 so that you could have a breather in between numbers. I've handled both versions & of the opinion that the difference matters.

Also included in this consideration are the PCB-free circuitry & a wonderful capacitor to begin with. From the factory, they are strung with a set of standard 10s as opposed to the current practice of 9 - 46. 

Saving the best for last- the price. This generation of LP Standards retails for USD2,499. What's so benevolent about paying that much for one? The current exchange rates would tell you that it'll probably be listed for SGD3.4K +/- here, a far cry from the 2019 LP Standard listing for SGD4,599 in the mean time. I'm definitely checking one out for throwback's sake- maybe this time I'll end up buying instead of walking away. 

Top to Bottom: LP Standard 50s (Cherry Sunburst)/ LP Standard 60s (Unburst) 😙

Labour Day 2019

A tribute to workers everywhere for their blood, sweat & tears in keeping things running. Most of the time, these efforts get overlooked. Employers treat the workers for granted, giving them bare minimum (or less) to get things by. They forget that they are dealing with human beings. In this country, the economy is everything. It is fortunate that people here are law abiding, any plans for retaliation is quickly quelled by the possibility of losing a good income source. Workers here think of their family, mouths to feed, more than themselves.

On that note, cases like this (CNA, 23/4/2019) shouldn't happen. It reflects badly on the affluent society here, leaving care & concern in the gutters, opting for profits instead. Respects workers from all walks of life, they make or break the country's economy. More importantly, they are our fellow human beings.