Gib-Sunday - MM edition

I'm very happy playing a lesser known guitar. It's a firm indicator of not yielding to trends. This Gibson Melody Maker is a good example. Nobody would be motivated to spend good money on an estranged guitar with a missing tail piece; the reason it was listed for sale.

The usual let's re-string before playing routine. Not a Roto fan, this was purchased when Swee Lee had discounts for them. They are currently OK, unlike previous episodes of rust spots & oxidation even when purchased new.

Nylon Saturday

Masochistic Saturday - indoors with nylon strings. I definitely need more time to adapt to nylon strings. These things simply roll under my fingers while playing, making me look & sound beyond amateurish. But I deem such torture necessary to become a better player. It's when you dwell beyond your comfort zone, you are compelled to adapt & excel.

Did a re-string before play. I tried the ball-end set, now back to the tie-end method. For nylon strings, I like my action a little higher than what I'm used to when playing the acoustic. It somehow reduced the rolling phenomenon during play.

Assassin 27

New one by SOLAR guitars - the Assassin VA1.61FR. The first to feature 27 frets. Actually, the 26th & 27th frets are partial frets. Hamer, ESP & Ibanez had such frets in their respective models. As for me, I'm happy with 22 frets 😅

Pic: SOLAR

Tribute Plus

Finally, Epiphone realized it shouldn't treat the SG as a second class citizen in its Tribute line up. I'm saying this because the previous Tribute lineup (affordable bolt-on models) featured an inaccurate manifestation of an SG - two knobs instead of four. Currently, the newer Tribute lineup, called the Tribute Plus, are not in (yet) at City Music.

Pic: Epiphone

CK @ KL

Was in KL (Malaysia), dropped by CK Music which was merely a couple of blocks away from my hotel. I wish they would update their website because the listings did not match the in-store inventory. Enough said.

Iron-iversary

Still in the Fender end of things - the Iron Maiden 50th Anniversary collection was just announced / released. The guitars you see above are the (L-R): Janick Gers Strat / Dave Murray Strat / Dave Murray Masterbuilt Strat. That's right, no Adrian Smith model because he's playing a Jackson which ironically is a Fender sister brand. 

Of course, Steve Hariss' P-bass is included in this line up.

For the record, the 50th Anniversary's time line started in 1975 when the band first formed up. The debut album only happened in 1980.

Pics: Fender