Pro Hamilton

Page Hamilton did a signature pedal with Pro Tone & here it is.

Run for cover?

I'm a huge Seymour Duncan fan but I deem this unnecessary. The manufacturer has released a few Slash pickup covers to match your 'style & attitude' with regards to your music. Let's pause to consider if someone with death metal tendencies would be deemed as more death metal sporting black nickel cover as opposed to the dude with gold covers? Why SLASH covers? Why not Peter Green/ Gary Moore/ Joe Perry/ Joe Bonamassa covers? Why??

MSM

Folks, the Ibanez MSM is now available at Swee Lee (SGD1,649). To note- the fretboard is now stated as panga panga instead of wenge (2014). 

Fried(man)!

Tuesday night, with the man himself- Marty Friedman. To many of us, Marty will always be one half of our childhood shred fest that is Cacophony. The other, being Jason Becker & these two shouldn't be taken lightly in terms of talent & musicianship. They were ahead of the game when many of us are getting anxious to serve National Service. Yes, they were there that young & they're still in it.

Last night was a little different because no shred fest took place, just Marty & his Jackson guitar serving some melodic instrumentals to ardent fans. On a personal take, because I'm gear inclined, I heard a restrained gain serving with loads of volume instead. This is the safe formula for live applications- we dime our volume & keep the gain in check- but Marty looked to be struggling a little with fast runs & that's a natural consequence of the said approach. From where I was sitting (immediate stage vicinity), there's simply too much bass coming from the monitors & a quick check with friends after the show, who were present at various areas of the venue, the lower frequencies were indeed excessive. All in all, it was pure adrenalin-pumping entertainment & the Q&A was done with tongue in cheek & Marty forgetting the Tornado of Souls solo was memorable indeed.

Something done differently this time was the guitar give-away. It's definitely a thumbs up & a good move to reward those present. We wouldn't expect this to happen every time but it's something meaningful for the attendees. 

Hoodlum

This is Jan Cyrka. He's one of those rare guitar talents who don't prioritize shred in guitar instrumentals but still has lots of mojo going in his music. I bought his first two albums (Beyond the Common Ground/ Spirit) at the now defunct MPH Music Power House CD section at Stamford Road. 

I remember JC because of his guitar which had some Hoodlum graphics on it. It started out with his Kramer (as seen in the preceding pic) & the Hamer here. 

He recently gave his Ibanez AZ the Hoodlum treatment as well. My respect to him for keeping this enthusiasm alive. For some of us, a certain image triggers bitter memories of our past which we strive to suppress but for the rest of us, those images are the very definition of ourselves. I think I belong to the former camp. 

PICS: Ibanez UK/ Jamtrack Central

Orange bite

Had been spending time with this guitar (Schecter VG-TE-A-SM) for most of the days last week. Its weight is substantial so the bottom end is rather healthy with this one. Despite having Duncan's Quarter Pounds in there, the tone is pretty much smooth & threatens to mud out with overdrive (especially in the neck position). So out came the DS-1 to remedy the situation & true enough, it's all the guitar needs to manifest its true potential.

I have other Tele type guitars here & they don't prove to be troublesome when it comes to the tone's top end. It's all about the weight; with heftier wood, there's not much bite when resonance comes into play so a smooth overdrive response won't sweeten things up. I'm also glad I have a good range of effects here with me to help supplement my needs when the situation arises. So folks, if it's within your means & you pretty much have decided on your guitar-amp choices, do invest in some pedals for tone shaping. It's about what you wanna hear for yourself & the best person to make it happen is you. Make it count by having some effects at your disposal. 

Have a great final November week ahead. 😎

Reapers

Heads up! The 2019 Schecter Reaper models are now available at Davis GMC. Managed to try the 6 string version yesterday both in the FR & fixed bridge options. Ash body + ebony fretboard make for a bright sounding experience for both versions. The FR1500 bridge there is simply functional & awesome so the Schecter camp is telling the world it's not having a shoddy make in there for 2019. Splendid. 

CM EOY sale 2018

Sale starts today. *checks wallet*

PS: This entry was supposed to appear yesterday because after alerting them, they realized that they got the SALE date wrong- it's 23rd instead of 24th. I am using the wrong version, obviously.

Good

One of the best Black Friday deals here; just look at that price. 👍

Platypus driving

New by Way Huge- the Purple Platypus. OK, if you're a fan, not so new because this is the MKII version. Once upon a time, the MKI version came without the Hi Cut control so this is basically an octave drive unit with an option to smoothen the tone some some proto-synth experience.

SALE @ TYMC

Sale now happening at TYMC- amps, ukuleles, guitars. 😐

Marauding midweek

Had been playing my Marauder for the last few days or so. Since I had been spending time with some offset Fenders, why not this one? Come to think of it, this guitar is my least problematic Fender I own & every mod done on it was a value-added move.

The pickups are GFSs: Power Rails (B) & JM90 Vintage Overwound. You might read elsewhere in cyberspace, a good amount of thrashing by skeptics who deemed GFS stuff as over-celebrated cheapos. This, together with Tesla & Artec, always get the basement treatment from people who qualify themselves as tone-meisters of sorts. I value tone over any brand name & had always, time & again, stick to what works (for me). GFS website- one of the more reliable & safe references for online purchases but sometimes, it takes a little too long to get here. 

The rounded string retainers here are definitely replacement pieces. They don't snag strings as much & look good so that's a plus.

And these are Tusq (by Grpah Tech) saddles; self-lubricating & don't sport those tall adjustment screws that kill the picking hand. White to match the pick guard. 

When I got the Marauder about 5 years ago, Swee Lee was still doing their 50% end-of-year sale event. I remember being there a little late & seeing the good stuff all snapped up, was on the verge of leaving when I saw this one with some Squiers & Epiphones next to the bag deposit counter. It was a high risk purchase because during sale time, there's a strict no trying policy so I relied on its acoustic/ unplugged tone more than anything else. It was also a good decision partly because I purchased a Jazzmaster from the same Modern Player series with no issues so the quality inference was there. 

Wishing everyone a great midweek. 😎

Next

The recent buzz in ampland- BOSS Nextone amps. Classic looks but still revelling in solidstate technology. Manufacturers are aware if they choose to tread a certain path when it comes to amps, their brand name should propel preference. In this case, BOSS very well knows that if they embrace tube tech, they won't go far because not everybody looks forward to own a BOSS tube amp- oh, I'm so gonna get me a BOSS tube amp!- we won't hear this any time soon. This isn't demeaning but it's being respectful. BOSS got things going with the Waza amp & they are heading somewhere with the Nextone series.

These are open back models with proprietory power amp simulation modules. Users get to choose their preferred model- EL34/ 6L6/ EL84/ etc. & get to hear very convincing voicings & touch sensitivity. I hate to rub it in to you but it's all still in solidstate territory. I'm definitely not trying to dis this take on tone in any way but I've come across too many friends where regret sets in very quickly. Regardless, here's some documented actions, endure the talk, listen to the details:

KX7

Cort just released this, a baritone 7-string (27" scale length). If there'a any market for such guitars, then it's a sluggish one at best. However, we know Cort makes good stuff.  (Cort KX257B, available now).

PIC: Cort homepage

Feline weekend

Yesterday's playing time with the Jaguars- Chinese (L) vs Japanese (R).

OK so, I didn't really pit one against the other. I simply love the Chinese for its mahogany + P-90s. This is really a winning combo. Fender should offer more Jaguars with simple electronics but some of us are rooted in tradition despite the need for something manageable controls in terms of electronics. I also like how clear the P-90s are under lots of distortion but the humming is unbearable. Thank good ness for noise gates.

The Japanese started out as a loser. Yes, I like the guitar but not really the tone. If you think all Fenders sound brilliant & represent a flagship of sorts in single coil territory, the Jaguar is best described as an under-achiever. The twang wasn't really convincing plus the bottom end isn't really there. So there you have it, double whammy (no pun intended). All that dissent till the pickup swap. The current single coils in there are a pair of Mojotone Knockouts; higher outputs for some real punch. Took some courage to order them for an unproven performance & a real chance of not hearing any difference but they proved otherwise. Worth every cent as they are not cheap.

Hope you people had a better week than me. But I still play my guitars 😋

Black deals

Damn! Selected  offer for black SOLAR Guitars. Hope it's not too late for you if you're interested. I've got too many black ones here, wish it's extended to other colours.

Pathos

You know Tosin Abasi, yes? This one's from his brand of pedals. After watching the demo, it is quite different from his recording tone (which is largely digital) and nothing a Wampler Pinnacle/ Sovereign couldn't match. Not to belittle the Pathos in any way but if you are looking specifically to re-create the Abasi tone, the AXE-FX would be a better bet. OK, we shouldn't dismiss the fact that the Pathos was created to be free from that association but if a product carries an endorser's label, sounding different is a difficult selling point. 

MF-1

Just in time for the upcoming Marty Friedman clinic, the Jackson MF-1 is now available at Swee Lee (List: $1,099).

Decimating

Managed to get this earlier today. A little consolation for some down times.

PRS 2019

Good things to come in 2019 from the PRS camp. First up- new acoustics. OK, not that new but new wood combo for next year. We have quilted maple back/ sides for both the A55e (above) & T55e.

Stunning, to say the least. 👍

PIC: PRS homepage

Marty masterclass

Something to look forward to. 😎

PIC: Swee Lee

Wah-versary

Morley is offering this chrome version of their wah to mark its 50th anniversary.

Presented nicely in this box. So for all you wah fans, this should generate some excitement.

I don't wah. 😎

Follow the anniversary

Ibanez Apex200, one of the Korn signature moments, is now going for charitable cause. Maybe you'd like this for yourself. 

SA EOY sale

Sound Alchemy had started theirs. *checks wallet* 😑

Silent night

Last night- anything but quiet. Had been going unplugged on most days. Trying to approach my playing from another perspective, something less linear. Due to being too comfortable with the electric, I can't quite get cohesive ideas going. 

Also, I'm of the opinion that mahogany makes some of the best acoustic tones around. I'm not into that spanking strumming projection, more of the reserved, finger picking type. Quite the total opposite from my solid body, amplified, excessively driven approach. The reason why I resort to the acoustic for fresh ideas.

The return

Gibson revived this guitar for its 2019 (also the 40th anniversary of this guitar) lineup- The Paul. Glorious walnut body, not as thick as its other single cut siblings, flat top with strategic bevelling at places. Good move? I think so. It's not an extravagantly priced instrument (USD1.4K), it's got that neat look that will bodes well with players from all walks of life, students included. Since it's not as bulky as the rest of its kind, hopefully there's no bullshit chambering in there.

Glad they voluted this part of the neck to strengthen the overall structure; we know how weak Gibson necks are, here.

This is how the guitar looks like when it debuted late 1970s. Notice how the cut away was a little sharper. Also the headstock flap had flushed strips instead of the darker version today. There was a Deluxe version along the way with covered humbuckers. 

Going further down the road, The Paul II featured an arched body top while still retaining it's thinner depth. The toggle was moved to the traditional placement as well.

In case you missed it, Les (French) = The (English) 😎

Pictures: Gibson, Gumtree, LP forum

Haunted acquisition

Managed to grab this on Deepavali holiday. Happy. The coffee was good as well. ✔

Martin strings promo @ CM

City Music is clearing their current Martin Strings stock to make way for the new breed. This link, if you missed it: CLICK If you wish to see how much clearance is on offer: CLICK

Light greetings

To all Hindu friends & blog readers- enjoy your big day. Happy rest day to the rest of us, especially for yours truly, it had been a hectic week with too many downs. Looking forward to spending time with the acoustics today.

FR Solar

There's now a Floyd Rose equipped Solar model. Together with the Hipshot fixed bridge & the Evertune version, there's some serious options in the range. Good.

The Reaper

2019 stuff are slowly being disclosed by Schecter & we have the Reaper for next year. A very C-esque construction philosophy with a 6-in-line headstock design.

Jiva

If your are waiting for the Ibanez Jiva to be here, well, it's here now. Available at Swee Lee & listing for a whisker shy of $1.8K, I'm gonna ask you if it's good money for a non-Japanese model.

Midnight goodness

These are new from Fender but they are Japanese. I can't recall the last time a Japanese Fender got accorded international attention. Traditional Midnight series, these are called. Let's see if they would make a debut here. 

Next gen pick?

Interesting take on an essential contraption. The features to promote a good grip are all there; raised surface, grooves & even a gaping hole so it won't slip through. Three corners there representing three types of thickness. At a single glance I first thought it was a fidget spinner. Anyway, here's the promo vid: 

Happy November, everyone! 😎