Standard affair

It's Tuesday. The holidays (despite the restraint) are over, bracing for work soon. Decided to re-visit this Standard because it possesses the most attractive tone this side of Gibson. The pickups there are a pair of Burstbucker Pros. Usually, the 500T gets my vote for being the all-out, distortion-inclined beast but there's something about the BBP that is both menacing & vintage without turning me off. So today, I've lowered the pickups a little in the hope of hearing some early Led Zep-esque tones, you know, those single-coil-ish affair. These did not disappoint but I'm not a Led Zep fan in any way. My dad would have enjoyed their music tremendously.

From this angle you can see that the body binding had lost all hope of still being creamy. So to all those Gibson owners with body binding, please do not lose hope or think that your instrument is now of lesser significance due to this occurrence. The body binding is the most susceptible as it is being treated together with the entire body in the finishing stages. The extra chemicals there will cause it to change differently over time. Next in line would be the neck binding but mine still looks a little creamy but not for long. Compare all this to the cream pickup mounting brackets & the the poker chip & toggle switch cap, despite them being made from a different materials. Note that the inlays are browning off as well.

A fret set of La Bella strings for the Standard as it accompanied me till the sun set today trying to emulate the Dissection (Reinkaos) tone. That's right, even the 'Les Paul' label there is fading into obscurity. 

El Cheapo strap-o

All cooped up at home & bent on trying - so I ordered this from a popular China-based online store. It's less than $5 plus shipping. 

It doesn't feel like a guitar strap. By this I mean to imply that it's like getting a spare utilitarian messenger bag strap. You can somehow feel the difference. It's also very thin, threatening to scratch or tear once in contact with any sharp, pointed object. The thin material also means that the buckle doesn't stay put & moves easily. Moving on to the strap ends, these are by no means leather. The material is rubbery, very similar to those faux leather belts sold at the local night markets but much thinner. As you can see there, the slit stretches easily & won't retain form. 

If you can help it, refrain from buying such accessories online, especially those listed for dirt cheap. There are very affordable guitar straps sold in the local stores here which are also offered online. These don't cost much either but if you choose to skimp on essentials like a strap, you know that your instrument would suffer along the way. By the looks of it, this strap of mine might give way soon. There's a very good reason why leather or compound leather is used for strap ends; elasticity matters. 

Eid 2020

Blessed greetings of Eid-Ul-Fitr to all Muslim blog readers, friends & acquaintances. It's an indoor Eid for many of us, an estranged celebration devoid of many cultural/ traditional routines. This pandemic  certainly taught many the true meaning of Eid. While many clamour over the statutory restrictions, they failed to understand the over-riding emergency concerns. Conditional celebrations were not instituted for marginalized restrictions, these were never meant to attack your faith & devotion but some people continue to believe so. 

That aside, here's wishing you a meaningful reflection of Eid & heightened commitment to faith in time to come especially during these testing times. Take care, think before you act.

Holiday eve...

It's the holiday eve. On past occasions, I would have been super busy with chores or running errands. This indoor episode had opened up some time for me to just lay away the time playing guitar. Work was cut down to a minimal. It's Saturday with my SGJ.

Everything is good, less the dry fretboard but that was easily attended to. I'm not a big fan of Gibson due to the playability factor. Some people thrive on fat, round neck profiles but I'm not such a player. One of the important reasons I bought this SGJ was due to the fact that it's gloss-less from head to toe. I also kinda like a pickguard-free look. I think some of the more attractive things in life are the simple, distraction-free ones. 

Solar bolt

Hot off the press - Solar guitars now offers a bolt-on option (Above: AB1.6S). That's right folks, the new model even features a roasted maple neck. However, I am waiting for a non-Evertune model, not that I dislike this type of bridge but I want something simple.

Bill's Monty

If you've been into intense music long enough, you'd know Bill Steer. Yes, it's that guy credited in Napalm Death's Scum inner sleeve, also the founding member of Carcass. 

Bill teamed up with Monty pickups recently to release his signature model. I believe it's a deserving move in view of his contributions to all things intense music especially during the formative years. Some convincing here:

PICS: Monty pickups