UC update

Fender's new Ultra Core strings are now available at Swee Lee. Prices are as follows:

• Regular ball end (1250): $15
• Bullet end: (4250): $19

We can get a non-Fender ball end set for $9. We are paying more for the brand name, yes?

Pic: Fender

 

KOBA

I discovered this electronics spare store after talking to an acquaintance who used to work for Telecomms. That's right, before Sigtel was known by its current name, it used to be called Telecomms. Met him during the festive season gathering at one of my relative's residence. The conversation turned into gear talk when he found out that I play & maintain my instruments myself. He told me, back in the day, guitar spares were hard to come by as the guitar stores back then did not inventorize spare parts readily. According to him, this store depicted here used to be located in the Sim Lim area & had moved out to its current location at People's Park Complex (Chinatown). 

I decided to drop by & was surprised they have many electronic parts that are suitable for guitars / amps. There was a slider switch that's definitely compatible with Fender Jaguar / Jazzmaster. Many pots available for cheap. The catch here is that these are brandless & highly likely originated from China. I don't mind buying / using such items as long as they work well. Output jacks are available as well & these look suspiciously like some of well-known brands selling for way more at the guitar stores here. If you are interested, this store is located at LEVEL 3 & very proximate to the washroom. It's closed on Sunday.

G-Dist

No idea if this would be made available here. Fender's Godzilla Diction pedal (a distortion pedal) is already available in Japan. The manufacturer cites an op-amp based circuit which is not entirely exclusive because other manufacturers were there before Fender. There's an additional midrange trim pot which is located in the pedal's innards. Currently, the Japanese online store limits the purchase of this pedal to two per customer. Maybe something big is happening there. Maybe.

Pic: Fender

Explore

Is there an Epiphone that I won't hesitate buying in the mean time? Yes - it's the Explorer. This model is perhaps the least reworked in terms of outline & features when it comes to differentiating an Epiphone from a Gibson. The latest generation of Epiphone Explorers under the inspired by collection feature some trustworthy electronics (CTS / Switchcraft) as well so in my opinion, these are value for money.

The Explorer you see above is available at City Music for $999. If you are out & about in KL, be informed that Music Bliss has this on sale for MYR2,299 (SGD734). 

Pic: Sweetwater

Badder

Is Badder better? We shall see...

To be continued...

AEWC

It seems that Ibanez prides itself with acoustic guitars featuring captivating tops. This AEWC16QA (Swee Lee: $499). These look great if you wish for a commanding presence. We can agree that the true measure of a good sounding acoustic guitar is its inherent tone. This, in most part, is the role of the guitar's sound board. The basic understanding here is that a solid top acoustic guitar does wonders to tone, first & foremost. The guitar captivates the audience if it sounds incredible, nevermind if it looks plain & boring. This is the reason why you see the specialist names in acoustic craftsmanship - Martin, Taylor, Takamine et al - do not feature gaudy tops but focuses on making the instrument sound good.

I'm of the opinion that Ibanez makes too many acoustic models with very little intent in offering the buyer a good sounding instrument as opposed to a good looking instrument. That said, Ibanez has other series of guitars with dedicated tops to propel tone. Here's hoping the average Joe out there gets to own an affordable Ibanez acoustic with a solid top to say the least. We refer to names like Tanglewood, Sigma & Cort among others, that are able to do so.