Caged destruction

Got this like a week ago. Scott Hull & company are still kicking it at a furious tempo after all these years but Head Cage lists some of the more accessible songs this side of grindcore. You could say that the band dropped gear in the name of palatable outreach but things are still brutal. I seriously do not think that by dropping some notches down in terms of speed would disrepute you if your band had carved a signature sound which is still maintained, not erased. I'm actually looking out for Scott's guitar works & he didn't disappoint. If grindcore is your staple, things would get bent on speed but Scott Hull kept things in check guitar-wise. Frantic grinding could co-exist with appealing riffs, people tend to pin down this genre in terms of speed which is not the exclusive definition of the music.

Farewell

It's just two days ago that I gave the VFE Pale Horse a thumbs up & here we are dealing with this sad news. VFE pedals are saying goodbye for good in cyber space. A good move in view of Mr. Rutter's current need for focus financing & family time for his newborn son who's facing upcoming surgeries. We wish him a good passage into testing times & be granted ease in dealing with all affairs. The remaining pedals are going for good discounts. One more time in case you missed it: CLICK

Euro killings

The Killing Floor is indeed my staple pedal for each playing session. I kinda prefer hearing the guitar with more of what it should sound like rather than colouring it with a drive pedal. It's also dead simple, just a one knob affair with 3 voicing options. Grabbed the Euro II by mistake while playing but decided to stay with the pick throughout- mistakes & all. 

Wishing you a good Monday & a good week ahead. 👍

Good horsie

I've given this horse a good ride & it's time to share the good bits.

The Pale Horse (PH) is a TS-ish pedal, there's no hiding that. It's even conceived in a TS colour scheme, there's no hiding that either. The VFE philosophy is not solely about cloning & riding on the originator's runaway success, now that, is worth not hiding. What the PH retained from a certain mid-bumped mild overdrive is the value of transparency. In fact, I believe the PH is one of the best in redefining this transparency (whatever it means to you)  which I understood to be unhindered clarity. Theoretically, that's impossible; once a signal is made to go through a clipped processing, the output would be coloured, however audible that may be. The PH, after a personal encounter, is indeed one of the best when it comes to positive intrusion.

Having that in mind, the voicing of this pedal could be manifested into three interpretations- Asymmetrical, LED & MOSFET. Sounds familiar? Of course, these are the standard approaches in regulating intensity in terms of drive. I'm hearing the most transparent of responses in the A mode, leading to more aggression in the L & M modes, the last of which is the thickest in terms of bottom end & closest to a fuzzy response. There are two more EQ related controls in addition to the master tone control defining bass & treble. These shouldn't be too hard to figure out especially when they are rather sensitive in terms of the sweep on offer.

I'm actually not really interested in the details especially so when there are more hidden controls once the base plate comes off. Indeed, there's a pot to control the LED brightness for the battery-conserving dweebs out there. I'm interested in the pedal's overall performance; is it really a clever re-interpretation of a certain other green pedal or just another clone riding on shadows. So here's my understanding of why the Pale Horse was conceived as such- it's a wonderful stand alone unit if you need quality transparency in your signal chain. I'm very happy with it in this aspect especially with the single coil tones- one of the best. In M mode & a little combination with a booster unit or maybe - dare I suggest - a distortion unit, you could have a faux fuzz tone going. Personally, it has the push to drive my amp's dirty channel into dark, black metal territory, with lots of shredder harmonics to boot.

Sadly, the Pale Horse is out of production. Peter Rutter did away with the later series of his effects series, only retaining a key few units for his resume. The Pale Horse was one of the highlights of the initial series of effects units, still featuring that comic-esque graphics; horses, dogs, bees & company. He returned to teaching (his other passion) & spurred students into his electronic engineering track. He is currently funding his newborn son's upcoming surgeries to correct a cleft lip. Do some good & check his stuff out over at his webpage (CLICK). The Pale Horse is still available at SV Guitars going for 50% off if you are still interested. 

M & P

Had some playing time this morning so it's these two through the same set up.

The Potbelly is LP-ish in looks but not in feel (slimmer, flatter neck profile here but not the shred type). The Duncan 59s in there are ace; awesome cleans & lots of beef for high gain stuff. The Mira has the JB in the bridge for its cutting tone & the P-Rails in the neck to keep things smooth on some days. Both are adept to my quirks, fast enough for shred stuff, smooth enough for legato works & angry enough for days when black metal is the only rewarding genre to play.

If both could satisfy the same needs, is it not logical to keep only one? No.

It's down to playing comfort & feel. I could not sustain good riffing on the Potbelly without lethargy setting in & inducing mistakes. The Mira, due to its bevelled body edges, sustains a comfortable elbow placement for the picking hand & it drives me on for extended playing. I am more comfortable playing legato stuff with the Potbelly due to the narrower neck profile. The wider Mira neck checks on my sloppiness; it encourages precision playing & accuracy. So there you go, having more than one will always keep my playing in perspective. 

Clearly new

If you are secretly a fan of Cleartone's treated string technology (like yours truly), be informed of the new look packaging. 

Red 59

Might be an interesting weekend after all. 😁

New head

This was like a couple of days ago- the new face of Gibson. The new head, I should say. James Curleigh is a guitar player himself & used to steer the Levi's fleet. So at the start of his new appointment, let's cut him some slack.

PIC: TGM

Brewed?

When you are drunk, everything sounds good, yes? 😐

Discovery pack

Not an Ernie Ball fan but I'm not one to look away from sensible enterprises. Ernie Ball offers the player three packs of the same string set but of different manifestations. This way, players can relate closely to the differences in string treatment technology. Smart move.

Revived (again)

OK, nothing new, corroded parts. Dumped.

As usual, Beez to the rescue.

This isn't the first time all those parts went dead. If memory serves me right, it's the 5th instalment & it's time to look into the matter. I have no idea how moisture seeped through, it might be the case of the guitar body itself not being totally dry & increasing humidity levels in the cavity. That small sachet you see there is a desiccant derivative keeping moisture in check in food packets, as functional as silica gel. I sincerely hope it'll address this issue.

The guitar in question is my Ibanez RGD321. 

Selling: Fender Santa Ana OD

Letting this go, barely a month old:

• Fender Santa Ana OD (box included)
• Self collect- CCK mrt stn
• No reservations/ trades/ trying
• queries/ confirmations: subverison.sg@gmail.com
• Final: $190

An eye for destruction

Let's be quick with this one because it's a single objective pedal- mega destruction. If you wish for lots of distortion, a blatant disregard for EQ & setting everything to extremes, this is it. So is that a good thing? It depends on the manipulator If you are looking for something intense but with singing tonal quality then you are wasting your time. Being 'nice' should never be a point of reference with this one, maybe that's the reason two knobs are all it needs to serve its master. TCE's Eyemaster, together with Digitech's Death Metal, are on equal terms when it comes to maximum delivery. On the more appealing side, I dare say the Eyemaster has a more usable bottom end by default. If it helps, Entombed's Left Hand Path should be a useful backdrop when it comes to understanding what's in store for the player. Perhaps one needs to dial up a wee bit more lower frequencies over at the amp end to make it more convincing.

What I like about this pedal- the holes you see depicted above. These keep the battery clip tips in place if no battery is in use. This way, the clip stays put & most likely would not damage/ short circuit the pedal. 

TC Electronic: Eyemaster

Availability: Swee Lee Co.

List: $79

Pick Friday

This was in the mail today.

A pair of 5mm picks courtesy of Bro Yustech- awesome! Thank you sir, you made my day! 

RIP: Oli Herbert

Announcing the departure of an incredibly talented guitarist in the metal scene- Oli Herbert (All that Remains). At press release, no further details were available pertaining to the cause of death.

I remember him for his embrace of the Ibanez Xiphos before moving on to the Jackson camp in 2012. There were mentions of him in the entries here: Link 1/ Link 2/ Link 3. Rest in Peace. 

Beyond Oblivion

Trivium's Matt Heafy was in for a rude shock when his touring Epiphone LP came in with a broken headstock. How? Fedex. 

How's Fedex taking it? Total denial of this mishap & Mr. Heafy's claim was rejected. That's adding salt to a deep wound right there. Are we surprised at all with such a tragedy? Not really because we know how airlines, airports & shipping agencies are oblivious to the fact that musical instruments are fragile. The real mystery here is that of accountability- nobody wants to own up. 

If you've ever bought a guitar online, chances are, Fedex might be the responsible party bringing it right to your doorsteps. We depend on companies like Fedex because they have a reputation of doing it right. Maybe not for musical instruments in particular. I wonder how entirely different it would be handling guitars in their rugged hard cases across oceans as opposed to something else which is equally fragile & similarly bundled. If people out there are working on the assumption that everything should be handled one way since this works for everything, they might need to re-think this approach. The tank-grade enclosure might survive the harsh terrain but what's inside it might not. Blame the case for not doing its job, no? But I'd say blame the hands for being untrustworthy as well; we did not simply tasked you to get it done but we trusted you to do it right. At the end of it all, you showed us that you could not be trusted with such assignments so why should you not be blamed for it?

Back to Richness?

BC Rich had been teasing the community with images of their 'come back' (one of which is seen above). In a few months time, they will be celebrating their 50th anniversary so all these pre-empting of what's to come better be good. 

Good pot

Had some playing time this morning, sudden urge to hear the 59 in action but the Potbelly needed a little attention to the fretboard.

Rather obvious which side of the neck is showing some re-conditioning.

A set of new strings (Curt Mangan) & it's good to go. What I like about the Duncan 59s in this guitar is that they remain true in terms of performance (not a high output unit) & sound very commanding when it comes to drive. A little intrigued as to how this could be the case but some of the best driven tones don't require an over-the-top output rating. 

Sunday blues

Ending the Sunday playing my Ibanez RG521 & using the DAW Jazz King pick throughout. This guitar is equipped with one of my current favourite pickups, Seymour Duncan's Alpha/ Omega pair. They are both very good for distortion & smooth overdrive settings. The Jazz King has that thick, rounded edge which makes fast riffing a breeze. Since the edge is tapered as well, it's equally adept to solos. 

Soft approach

Gibson's 2019 SG Standard will not come with a hard case. As seen above, it will be supplemented with a 'soft shell case'. 

The case in question looks like an over-zealous (leather) bag. The immediate effect- a reduction of USD40 from the RRP so this is something to take note of if you're in the market for an SG in the near future.

Pic: Reidy

Pale in

Supporting the good people @ SV Guitars in their SALE/ promo/ pre-reno clearance. This is a discontinued, older version of the Pale Horse. It's an OD unit & it's in that colour scheme so no prizes for guessing what it does. 

Player Plus

These were released late summer in three different pickup manifestations as seen above. The rest are essential LP features less the satin finish & richlite fretboard. Price-wise, listing for a little short of $2.7K (at Swee Lee), the PP won't find a ready pool of fans owing to the aforementioned specs. If I were to be looking for an LP in this price range, I'd opt for the LP Classic (2016 - 2017 range) instead as it sports a rosewood fretboard for about the same asking price. Also, the Tribute range benefits from the satin finish more than any others due to the no frills features. The BFG did a take on this finish type which proved to be unpopular among players who are after a road-worthy attribute. I personally prefer the bare satin option but not on instruments in the higher price brackets. 

Pre=reno clearance @ SV

Happening now- SV Guitars' mark downs, clearance & deep discounts before the store gets a facelift. 

Another golden sighting

Yet another golden edition by Ibanez- the AZ2204. 😑

Bass terror

Ok, Orange did a Terror version of the bass head. We acknowledge the popularity of the Terror guitar heads & would expect a trickle down of technology & concept into the bass version but that's not quite it. Bass dweebs swear by a clean headroom first & foremost & we know solid state technology handles this manifestation better than tube tech. The Terror Bass head wisely sports a tube pre-amp section, coupled with a solid state power section & churns out 500W of brutal low end thump. The TB would do well to preserve bass requirements more than fulfilling the Terror hype in a bass amp format. To date, bass aficionados like to keep their amp specs simple & focus on delivery instead & we see Orange is driving up that alley. 

In the bag

Hello. I'm the fur kid in this house & I love it when my dad brings home big bags for me to play with (like the one from Davis GMC seen here). I can also camp in for hours but I prefer the bed at night, he he...

Helix- redux

It's quite apparent that Line 6 is pushing its way past its POD history. The Helix technology is a new chapter in this light & the HX Stomp here is currently the most fundamental but extensive offering. The manufacturer had basically shrunk the HX Stomp into this very portable format without compromising essential features & tones. Unlike the full fledge HX Stomp, this version was designed to operate without a real amplifier reliance so that's a big plus for those of us who, at performance venues, plug into the house mixer without any backline amp support. 

I just want to hear how the amp modules help refine tone. In my books, the Helix stuff still falls short of what POD had to offer in terms of driven tones. 

JPM re-visited

The legendary Ibanez JPM in the house!

Not mine, it's here for restoration & I'm doing a friend a favour. Ibanez fans will understand what a pain it is to be sourcing for replacement parts. It's not going to be over-hauled, just giving some parts due attention. In any case, detailing this guitar with non-original parts will further de-value it. It's gonna be an adventure for me because I enjoy handling such guitars & contributing towards its re-emergence. Will detail progress here.

Selling: Iron Curtain (SOLD)

I have more than one noise suppressing unit, this one will be the least engaged due to my personal set up requirements:

• TC Electronic: Iron Curtain
• Box included, 9.5/10 condition 
• No reservations/ trades
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Self-collect: CCK mrt station
• FINAL price: $65 (non-nego)

Waza Zone

The Waza Craft version of any standard BOSS model is the manufacturer's take on going boutique. So the latest 2 pedals to be WAZA-ed this time are the Metal Zone & Dimension C. The DC-2, when it was still in active production, had quite a following for being rather futuristic. The MT-2 is the manufacturer's proverbial intense distortion unit which currently has a dichotomised following. Regardless of the situation, I'm keen to try them when they are available here. Soon. I hope.

Over rated

Looks like it's gonna be an over rated weekend. 😎

Authentic

They've been authentic all this while so the name of this series doesn't serve to underscore authenticity. Looking forward to try them because Martin makes good, affordable strings.

Gold screamer

Another gold sighting. Want. 😐

Ironed

Here we go- a very affordable noise gate by TC Electronic. If you are familiar with this range of effects by TCE you are assured of two things: 1) Quality 2) Value-for-money.

The Iron Curtain is a noise suppressing unit with two essential controls- threshold & decay. The former is the effects limit setting which passing signals have to overcome to be manifested over at the amp. Background hissing, cycle hums & extraneous noises have difficulty getting through this barrier so to speak unless the unit itself was created with a very low threshold range. The latter, in simple terms, controls the extent of ringing notes; sustain if your will. Some heavy metal dweebs prefer an immediate muting after each picked note, others want to hear their notes die a natural death. Whatever the preference, you deal with this knob to get the desired outcome.

Most pickups (only passive ones were used for this review) couldn't get past the threshold limit of about 40%. However, higher output humbuckers (eg. Duncan's SH-6) require a higher threshold limit of 70% +/-. If you are the type who tempts the noise suppressing unit with a drive pedal, be informed that the IC was conceived for best performance involving a direct instrument connection. 

Battery access requires a removal of the base plate. The screws keeping that attached to the main housing are the very small ones you see above- definitely not a wise thing to do at dark performance venues. This might be the only gripe I have with this pedal, everything else are no frills, deserving of the asking price. 

The Iron Curtain is a member of the second wave of affordable TCE pedals which re-assures the player with budget limitations of quality returns. It's neither boutique nor skimpy, something in between & treading on affordability more than deliberation. 

Rating: 75%

TC Electronics: Iron Curtain

Noise reduction/ elimination unit

Availability: Swee Lee Co.

List: $79

TX!

No, I wasn't suffering from acoustic withdrawal for the last week or so, just a change in priorities. The PRS SE TX20E is in my possession just a week ago & it was a tough decision because I was out to get a pedal actually & this happened. Prior to that, I was at Swee Lee the week before & played a Taylor Academy model at the Star Vista branch. Was just killing time while waiting for the sales guy go get my stuff. I had stayed away from full-sized acoustic guitars all this while due to playability issues but it goes to show how manufacturers have been raising their appeal standards over the years to carve out a target product in addressing market needs. As they compete & refine their production, the players benefit. There's something about the Taylor Academy 12 that simply didn't click with me but that's not the focus of today's episode.

Well, nothing has changed, I still struggle playing a full-sized acoustic guitar but the TX20E's very appealing tone & neck profile more than made up for the repulsion. PRS was the last name on my mind when it comes to acoustic goodness but we shouldn't equate familiar names with a sure outcome especially so for musical instruments where personal appeal is everything. Full appraisal to come. 

Drive making

Starting October on a good note. DSM Drive Maker, made in Chile. Appraisal to come.