Ibanez 2009

Ibanez has decided to expand its maple fretboard RG offerings this year, among others, we see the introduction of the RG3550M, above. The highlights of this guitar:

• DiMarzio pickups (not the DiMarzio IBZ units, mind you...)
• 1987-profile, very thin necks
  

Also resurrected this year is the RG1550M, so if you see ads in the domestic guitar forums of dweebs trying to off-load their pre-2002, discont'd RG1550 for a ransom, be informed that you can wait for the above guitar to debut here. It'll save some money, of course.

Hey, dad! (Part 4)

Hey, dad! I like your new Ritter bag too. If I run my car over your Kelly, it'll still be in good shape, yes?

What Marshalls are good for...

I was at the John Little sale two days ago, there was this promoter who was very busy advocating the superiority of his pillows & bolsters but look at what he's using for amplification- a defunct Marshall VS30R.

Ritter for Kelly

I bought a Ritter bag for my Jackson Kelly.

If you are looking for a travel-worthy bag with lots of carrying comfort, Ritter is the brand name to check out.

The interior neck-headstock compartment features a strap to buckle down the neck so that it stays put & not wobble in transit.

The lower compartment features a canvass patch to prevent the guitar's strings/ other hardware protrusions from scratching the surface. This is indeed one of the many oversights when it comes to entry-level bags for the traveling musicians.

PS: This bag also fits other Explorer-type guitars of which the Kelly is a derivative.

Planet Waves: Custom Pro cable

One of the most anticipated product in my books late '08 was indeed a cable (how exciting... *yawn*) from Planet Waves' Custom Pro range.

I've been buying cables from BEEZ with Amphenol plugs which prove to be durable & provides excellent contact- it's good to see manufacturers like Planet Waves incorporating tried & trusted parts in their products.

Duo Smash Sonic

These are my 2 most played guitar for the last week or so:

• Squier Duo-Sonic: I still can't get over the very alluring scale length of this guitar & the lightness of the instrument in whole, contributes to much clarity.
• Smash S2: It's a contrasting player to its Squier counterpart, namely attributable to its heaviness & scale length (25.5") . The default pickups are also very pleasurable to the ears, quite a surprise in this price bracket.
  

Kelly drop

More mods for my Kelly:

• Orange Drop cap (pic)
• Coil split switch (@ tone pot)

I have no particular preferences for caps but I have Orange Drop & Mallory in my guitars because they give off what I want to hear. I took pains to have them installed even in my inexpensive guitars because I am basically a guitar + amp person, I vary my guitar volume settings to get that little difference which matters. This isn't quite beneficial if you have pedals in between your guitar & amp.

Kudos to Beez for keeping the cavity layout very near & tidy even with an over-sized cap in there.

The Duo-sonic has landed...

My Squier Duo-Sonic arrived yesterday; was too involved with the instrument to update anything here. The Duo-Sonic isn't a new product, it's an instrument in the Fender range made in 1956 as a student alternative; a reference to a more affordable model by the manufacturer compared to the primary sellers at that point in history- the Strat & Tele. The Duo-Sonic saw its demise in 1969 but resurrected in 1994 for a 3-year production period.

The pickguard is indeed a gold-tinged aluminium, doubt if it's anodized. The only inaccuracy here is the Squier's 12 screw attachment, the original Duo-Sonic had only 8.

The subtle maple flame seen at the headstock is indeed eye candy. As evident here, the good Chinese production hands included the instrument's job card, documenting the guitar's necessary measurements for refderence should the owner need to differ.

The Duo-Sonic sports the current Jaguar scale-length: 24". This is another inaccuracy as the original Duo-Sonic had a 22.5" scale length by default. The guitar plays nicely, it might be just me but I thought I play faster on this one... either this or it's the Red Bull at work.

BGW Guitars- this was where I got this instrument from. If you are interested, please visit this link: http://www.bgwguitars.com/

Founder, Mr. Brendon Leung, provided an impeccable customer service which included shipping updates & price negotiations- kudos!

Blut Aus Nord- French Majesty

It seems that black metal's French extensions are the ones who dare purvey the essence of the music for want of authority. Blut Aus Nord has shown us how the genre could preserve its menace despite a conceptual morphology; what began as a pagan/ folk dabbling (Ultime Thulee) made way for a more industious adventure (The Work Which Transforms God) which segued into the current drone fest. Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Star, is conceptually a return album but much thought was given to further the music's structure. The signature minimal palm-muting guitar approach are still in tact, ditto the commanding drums but Memoria Vetusta II possesses a certain artistic flair reserved for the daring among the elite. In this light, Blut Aus Nord & Deathspell Omega remain in the forefront of the 'break away but still rooted' school of black metal currently quite exclusive to French acts.

Ibanez: RG2470

You can say I'm splitting hairs, but maple fretboard Ibanez RGs has this little more definition in the neck pickup that makes it addictive for solos (I have my RG1550 to thank for that). Ibanez don't make too many of such guitars & the RG2470 pictured above is surely one to try & like.

The new Edge ZERO vibrato bridge does add weight to the guitar (in a positive way) but it fuses the best of the Edge's reliability & the ZR's silky responses.

List: $2,407
Availability: Swee Lee Co.

Duo-sonic, this way comes... (Part 2)

Duo-sonic will be in my residence this weekend... certainly a good start to the month.