October-core

It's the final day of October. Personally, it had been an uneventful month guitar-wise. Every manufacturer is holding back their new stuff to be released only at the year's end. Bleah.

Managed to snag the above guitar before I changed my mind, was gonna buy something else but that didn't happen :-)

Ibanez: PF58-MH

You & I know that Ibanez isn't a grand name in acoustic guitars; it's just not in the same turf as the big players- Takamine, Taylor, Martin, et al. However, Ibanez makes some of the most value for money acoustics out there & they are above average to say the least.

Recently, Ibanez released the PF58 in all mahogany (less the fretboard).

It looks overwhelming but the PF58 is a travel size guitar, which I am a fan of. Why bother with small guitars that sound equally tiny, you ask? It's a personal appeal. I struggle to play the acoustic, I do better with something more appealing in terms of size & tone. You'd do well to keep in mind the wood used here- mahogany- so in collaboration with the diminutive nature of the instrument, it might just appeal to some of us in terms of tone, especially if you are considering a Martin LX model, which is equally, small & devoid of a solid body construction.

The PF58-MH is all acoustic, no plug-in options (in the mean time), you just get an on-board tuner for the money. Also, it comes with a bag. I'm currently enjoying the PF-58 in terms of tone & playability, there's hardly any eye candy to behold here but the all mahogany construction is more than pleasant to the eyes. The PF58-MH is first featured here: CLICK

Driving East River

The East River Drive by EHX is a simple overdrive, nothing harsh, no distortion voicings to be heard here.

Things are kept simple to such an extent that the EHX chaps decided to use a 'safe' drive formula this time round- the JRC4558 chip, the beloved unit used in your Tubescreamers :-)

Selling: Fender ST-62

I had the opportunity to re-string this Fender ST-62 & it's up for sale. Well-maintained condition, it's virtually a closet classic; bought, played a few times, kept away, never left home (OK, it did for this re-string). Instrument in my possession if you are interested (nearly 50% off... how?) :

• Fender ST62- 70TX (bag included)
• Condition: 8/10
• No trades/ No reservations
• Queries/conformation: dark1349@hotmail.com
• Asking: $650 (neg)

Re-string Sunday: Tanglewood Uke B

Yesterday's re-string episode: Tanglewood baritone ukelele

• re-polished frets
• clean + re-conditioned fretboard
• lubricated nut
• re-string

This one's a little tricky; the machine heads are straight-shaft models so they don't grip the strings upon winding. The onus is on the owner/ person re-stringing the instrument to tie the strings at both ends (machine head + bridge) so they stay put.

River glove

Got mine :-)

Parallaxe enticements

Washburn's Parallaxe series are hitting the stores everywhere (but here) this fall (manufacturer's promise, this one). Judging by looks alone, I'd say they are worthy posessions but let the tone & playability do the talking- all this when the guitars get here, of course. Glad to see the manufacturer retaining/ incorporating the Stephens' cutaway, in my opinion, this makes the Washburns really inviting.

Fender: The VA series

This is a new release by Fender, the VA acoustic guitar, seemingly normal you say? (Above: CD-60 VA)

It features a foldable neck so it makes ideal storage for travel. This idea was first developed by Voyage-Air in Summer 2012 so it is now a collaborative effort between both parties to further the idea; an especially crucial partnership considering how 'Fender' sells.

But Stewart's Travel Guitars has a Stow-Away model, seen here with a completely removable neck which can be inserted into the body for maximum storage ergonomics. Because it's 'Stewart', not 'Fender', it's not as well publicized.

Re-string Friday: Ibanez RG370

This Ibanez RG370 belongs to my colleague, Mr. Khoo GV- re-string/ reconditioned fretboard/ lowered action. It's been a while since I handled colour-coated strings but I must say that the current generation of coated strings are more resilient than their predecessors.

Pic taken from FB Khoo G Vui

Edge Pro- promo now on

If you are looking for a replacement bridge for your Ibanez/ project guitar, Eillekoet is now having an Ibanez Edge Pro promo. Black/ chrome/ gold versions available at good discounts, so here's the link: EDGE PRO

Pick away

I gave away some picks to a bunch of students who are guitar newbies. Hope they were inspired to take their learning to another level of competence.

Merrow's proto

If you are 7-string inclined & gravitate towards all things heavy, Keith Merrow shouldn't be a stranger here. Schecter has a signature proto for the Merrow man & it looks good. It's so darn simple, no-frills & it reflects the man's priority- his tone & skills. I'm for that reverse headstock, definitely.

Embrace death (3)

The Deathbucker went into my BC Rich Gunslinger.

Master Beez gave it a thumbs up as well. We were taken aback by the cleans, definitely.

Summary of the Deathbucker performance:

• high output pickup, absolutely impressive with lots of distortion
• manufacturer says, it sounds like an active- yes, that's audible & present
• how about the cleans? As this is a passive pickup, the cleans are above-average. Has an impressive performance in split mode, true to the manufacturer's claim as well, it's quiet even with distortion dialed in
• cleans to die for- as in, will it rival a PAF-type pickup? No but the cleans here is really something considering it's a high output unit

The Lace Deathbucker is available at TYMC, yours for $125 :-)

Project subtraction (3)

I bought this guitar used, for less than  $100.

Nothing fancy, just a Strat-type Timbre.

Enough with the predictable. Let's try something different this time round :-)

Embrace death (2)

This is how the Lace Deathbucker looks like underneath- no coils! There is a sealed & patented circuitry in place of the traditional pickup slugs & stuff so the pickup is incredibly light.

Each pickup set comes with a CD which contains all wiring diagrams & other product-related videos.

Embrace death

Heading down to Beez's tomorrow to get this fixed into my _____________________. Yes, it's a pickup.

Gibson: ZW Moderne

We can still smell the freshness of the re-issue Gibson M-III but Gibson wants you to smell this one as well- Zakk Wylde's Moderne of Doom. A limited edition Moderne (existed but never released) with active electronics & a Floyd Rose locking vibrato unit. 

I was gonna reserve more respect for Gibson after the M-III move but with this one, I feel the manufacturer is giving itself a reason to look through their dusty design shelves to cash in on the forgotten. Gibson has every right to do so, of course, who are we to disagree. 

Maybe they should re-issue the RD...

... since the band Ghost is the flavour of the moment & they are RD toting people. But then again, Ghost vs Zakk Wylde... never mind.

EHX: Glove

This one's on my to-get list; EHX's Glove overdrive. Yes, I own many drive pedals but I'm always intrigued by the OD's ability to pull off a smooth tone should the need arises, unlike the distortion, even a mild-mannered distortion unit is no match for the OD's silkiness (it's all about the clipping, extent, really). Anyway, the Glove here has a rather impressive gain sweep & it emulates the voicings of an EL-34 powered amp instead of being just another overdrive unit in the market. Add to this, the ability to run it on 9V or 18V options- splendid! But do keep this in mind- the Glove is British-voiced from the start. Some sound clips:

Eid greetings!

Eid greetings to all Muslim friends & blog readers! For the rest of us, it's a good in-between break (ok, not quite a midweek holiday). It's already mid-October. In less than 80 days, the year would come to a close. Absolutely looking forward to that.

Ibanez: Prestige Re-issue RG550/ 570

If you'd recall not too long ago (September, in fact), Ibanez released the Genesis models which are essentially reissues of the '80s RG models, complete with the old school block neck-body heel & the beloved Edge bridge (OK, just click this to refresh your memory: CLICK). Those were Japan-only models but this October, the manufacturer announced the availability of the RG570/ 550 reissues to the region (sorry they won't make it to the USA. Yet). Oddly, Ibanez didn't label it as a Genesis offering, instead it's described as a Prestige re-issue but it still sports the same blocky heel joint & Edge bridge. By virtue of this implication, these guitars should be the Japan-only Genesis models but whatever they are, they are making a timely comeback but these won't be here soon, perhaps early 2014. I'd say it'll be the worthy wait.

Saturday activity

This was yesterday's indulgence- active pickup. It's not my initial foray into active territory, no. Just that yesterday, my goal was to take something I seldom use or not quite in favour of & try to tweak it to be 'nice'. Don't get me wrong, I love active pickups- for all things distortion & harsh-sounding, that is. For the rest of my needs, the passive pickup just kicks the active in the rear in terms of dynamics. But hey, there's no 'better' when there are numerous options out there, it's just a matter of preference for the intentions- what do you need to deliver? So choose the tools accordingly. So this was yesterday's set up:

Guitar - Compressor - Amplifier

The Seymmour Duncan Blackout provides definition to it all, it wasn't the reason why I sounded like the way I did yesterday.

Squier: VM '51

This is new but isn't new. New because Squier has just re-issued it. Not new because this is the third reincarnation. When it first debuted, the Squier '51 was a popular guitar for mods; it's very affordable & it's down right good sounding & good playing. This might prove to be popular once more for those of us itching to own something 'different' as our practice model or a good back-up for things. Squier's current take puts it in the Vintage Modified series implying it's not a lower end model so prices might not reflect its original value so don't shoot the stores for this, shoot yourselves for not knowing.

Ibanez: PF58MH

Another new Ibanez for the final quarter of the year- Ibanez PF58 in mahogany. This is a travel size guitar, so all you skeptics who swear by your standard size acoustic, you need not read on. It's a full mahogany unit, neck included, so expect something different from this baby. Pity it isn't a solid top but does a solid top guarantee good tones, a sure formula, if you will?

Ibanez: SA960

Finally, Ibanez offers a Premium version of the SA series, which I thought was near extinction. Considering Kiko Loureiro's upcoming signature model would be based on the SA series, it would really be unwise for Ibanez to discontinue the SA range altogether. So here it is, the S960QM.

Wrath of the titan

Here's a new DiMarzio for all you distortion yuppies out there- The Titan humbucker. Developed for Periphery's Jake Bowen, this one has a midrange spike you'd most probably adore. But hey, looks like DiMarzio has jumped into the active-housing type humbucker.

Selling: MXR chorus

This very new MXR chorus up for grabs (not mine), box included. Velcro at base-plate for easy pedal board attachment. Interested parties to contact Mr. Taufiq: 9-672-739-7. Asking: $100.

Selling: Pre-wired pickguard (SOLD)

Just a reminder that this one's not taken off a Fender, there should be a slight misalignment at the bridge cut-out.

• Selling: 3-single coil, pre-wired pickguard (5-way pickup selector/ 2 tone + 1 volume)
• Condition: 8/10 (plastic lining is still in tact, please peel off yourself)
• Self-collect: CCK mrt station
• Queries/ confirmation: dark1349@hotmail.com
• Price: $20 (final)

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Item SOLD 13-10-2013. Thanks :-)

Re-string Sunday: Uke

Done earlier today- ukelele re-string. This is a baritone model & it's not mine. I'm not into nylon strings:

• Take forever to stay in tune
• They roll-off easily so I always run them over the 'board edges
• Nylon strings don't go too well with thick picks & I'm particular about my picks

Anyway, this uke is well made but there was an errant fret in there that needed a little knocking into & it was done swiftly, no major issues here. But I enjoyed re-stringing this one, it's a different experience & it counts (for me).

Gibson: M-III back to life

Ladies & gentlemen, Gibson has just re-introduced its M-III model to the world.

This is the original M-III for those of us who had missed it.

Looks like it's pretty much the same as before less the pickguard & coil-split toggle switch. Of course, the logo placement is slightly off as well so don't go round saying it's a fake because of this.

I personally won't miss the pickguard. It's an oddity from the look of things & it could only imply scarcity when replacement is due. As for the coil-split switch, Gibson had incorporated it into the volume knob so it's not totally missing. My only concern here is the single coil middle pickup- note the direct mounting. Say you prefer some other single coil to be in there, let's think of which other brand names feature screws through the bobbins.

Price? MSRP: USD2082 & they will hit the stores (in the States) come November. Let's say you want one, it's prudent to hold on for a month, chances are, there'll be yuletide discounts to be had. I won't mind buying one if the price is 'right' :-)

Still the lone star

It was around for a little while & subsequently re-introduced with some revision. Click here to recall: CLICK

The Lone Star Strat received more revision in keeping up with the times. Actually, there are no 'modern' refinements here, in fact, the headstock took a turn for the retro- 70s fat version. But there's one more fret to signify a nod towards the contemporary & this time round, we can have the maple 'board version.