Studio trouble

Gibson now has the Studio version of the Double Trouble Les Paul (USD1,599). The initial version was a Standard, this time round, things get more affordable as the Studio version has no binding & it comes with a soft case. Be informed that modern weight relief (aka generous chambering) is a feature of this guitar.

Pic: Gibson

Beez @ basement

Dear friends, be informed that Beez is now located at B1-21, same building - Excelsior Shopping Center.

Pic: Beez

Explorer @ Davis GMC

A virtually unplayed / NOS Gibson Explorer '76 ($3K) is now available at Davis GMC. I believe it's a one-off acquisition. The current Explorer price is $3.8K...

 

Tokai @ Davis GMC

A trio of awesome Tokai guitars are currently available at Davis GMC: LS-101 ($1,850), LS-101F ($1,950) & SG-101 ($1,850). Please note, the images used here are not representing the actual finish in store. First impression - above expectations).

Pics: Tokai

Aria @ Davis GMC

Can you still get good guitars at reasonable prices today? Of course you can. These Aria Pro II guitars are now available at Davis GMC.

The 714 is a good HSS guitar to own if you require a repertoire of tones for contemporary music; rock, blues & cleans, the AE200 can handle these with ease. When I tried this one out, I'm more impressed with the single coils; very strong note definition. A quick check revealed them to be sporting Alnico 5 magnets so that explains things. 

The MAC here is a D600, meaning - it sports a fixed bridge. I believe the D600 neck is quite the highlight of this instrument. Feels sturdy as heck & very comfortable to handle but don't expect a Wizard kind of profile as this is not an Ibanez. Nevertheless, it is as appealing as the Ibanez (& maybe some LTDs) in this price range.

Pics: Aria

In brief: Ibanez AZ41B1

This is yet another April newbie in the Ibanez camp; the AZ41B1. It is only the second AZ model (discounting the AZS lineup which feature a fixed bridge mostly to propel the Tele vibe) to be featuring a fixed bridge. The blacker than black manifestation is an obvious attribute of the Iron Label series of which it is a member of.

Likes

• weight
• playability
• tone
• tuners
• fixed bridge

Dislikes

• blacked out theme impairs navigation for beginners

Upon handling, the weight was rather significant most likely due to the lack of cavity for a whammy bridge system. This adds to sustain & more bottom end even when strummed unplugged. Everything was tip top for this guitar & the default tuners were rather impressive. We know these are the likely compromised components when it comes to cost-cutting but the ones in the test model worked well. I somehow felt the neck was thicker than a Prestige version but it's spec'd to be identical according to the manufacturer's webpage. In any case, playability was brilliant all round, very easy navigation even for non-metal applications.

The default pickups here are DiMarzio Fusion Edge which is a hit / miss affair. I have these in some of my guitars, they tend to sound more appealing for lower tunings. In this guitar, these somehow sound brilliant for both clean & heavy distortion. I'm wondering if the instrument's overall weight has something to do with this. 

I am of the opinion that a blacked out finish hinders the beginner in terms of navigation & familiarity. In this case the electronics & absence of fretboard markers go against the player who is trying his / her best to get acquainted with the instrument. On the contrary, the seasoned lot will find these fundamental orientation very familiar & it won't mess up their playing in any way. Is black the de facto metal endorsement? Well, there are players out there who play non-black guitars & are oblivious to whatever visual implications there are to the music. At this price point, a bag should be included, yes?

Final rating: 82%

Ibanez: AZ41B1

• available at Swee Lee
• $1,399
• Bag not included

PS: Thank you Mr. Faizal & Ram @ Swee Lee Star Vista for letting me try this guitar & enduring my scrutiny 😁