Joyo's MAs

Things are looking good in the mini amp camp. We have Blackstar to set the standard & a close following by Laney with other manufacturers trickling into the game. We now have Joyo with their trio of acoustic (orange), electric guitar (black) & bass (cream). These are the MA10 models, do check them out (once available here, of course)

Raijin

I have a love/ hate relationship with MXR's Custom Shop models. Love- because some of them are good for the money. Hate- because there are indeed ordinary sounding units with excessive price tags due to the Custom Shop label. As for the Raijin Drive above, watch this & decide for yourselves (forgive the Teen Spirit-esque vibe, yes?):

Re-zoning

I used to own the non-Waza version of the Metal Zone (MT-2) during my early days of playing. It used to be my understanding of the most worthy metal type distortion out there. It delivers crushing riffs, heavy, doom-laden fills & searing solos- it was everything an angry guitar person would need without paying too much. In context, back then, the pedal market here offered very limited range of distortion pedal. BOSS & DOD were the staple, everything else was unheard of. Also, the amplifier market did not quite move beyond Peavey & Fender. Marshall was still in its Valvestate days & those were hits/ misses. 

Along the way, I began to incline towards the amp drive & pedal drive became a last resort. I can't stand how pedals turn distasteful once you bring the level up. It requires a setting recalibration of  other units in the chain as well. My pedal set up was bare minimum; a drive unit acting as a booster mostly & a tuner. That's it. The MT-2 was sold off to a friend (Zahid, are you reading this?) & it wasn't missed.

Come 2018, I'm pretty much still amp inclined but BOSS re-interpreted the MT-2 to become a Waza offering & it was worth checking out. The Waza treatment gave the pedal a modded voicing so players could choose between the traditional signals & the beefed up Waza mode. I do not wish to re-iterate how the MT-2 sounds like. It's a safe bet that many of us here have come across the MT-2 once & ended up as proud owners. The strength of the MT-2 in my opinion is its dual midrange control. Ironically, many players notch this down to zero for that mid-scooped voicing which always fail in a band setting, relegating the guitar tone to trace level signals, leaving the drummer in much limelight. The MT-2W offers a beefed up midrange, first & foremost. This means that players are more inclined to have midrange in their EQ considerations & not wiping it out entirely. There's a tad more poke here too so overall clarity is good, nothing muds out at higher level settings. Through my set up, I was more into making the treble end useful rather than messing with a tight/ loose bottom end & a useful midrange inclusion. 

The MT-2W is a keeper in the mean time. I'm using it in its Waza mode rather than the original circuitry but more importantly, it's not a reason for me to give up my amps. The pedal domain is still secondary to me, amps come first.

Gibson LP Jr DC Tribute- first impression

After the recent surly encounter with a 2017 Gibson SG Standard, I was still in the hunt for a gift-to-self guitar. It must still be in the Gibson ballpark but the expectations are now much lower. It's no longer a case of looking at the upper tier offerings to prevent disappointment because disappointment itself is not defined by compromise exclusively. Even something from a noble standing could let you down. It's really about fulfilment & we all have a personal definition of what would let us down. The 2017 SG Standard had let me down & that was no second rate guitar by any means. It's just not meant to be & I have decided to look at something else. That something else ended up being the LP Junior DC Tribute model from the 2019 range you see above.

There's something about the brash P-90 tone that appealed to me lately. It became a fatal attraction after a tone tinkering episode where I managed to smoothen the top end to taste for my kind of music.  After much looking around, a P-90 equipped guitar was definitely not on my list but it made the cut for being good sounding despite the fact that I dislike Gibson pickups. The reality here is that Gibson's P-90 tone is way more appealing than the manufacturer's average humbucker. That was that & I was happy this happened.

Those small, button type tuners are certainly not my thing but a guitar of this profile doesn't look appealing with bigger ones. At the very least, they are not problematic & deserve to be where they are now.

I'm still looking into this instrument & scrutinizing some features. My initial encounter with it had been pleasant. More importantly, it sounded good with my set up & worth every cent.

Pro switching

This isn't an effects pedal but at some point in our lives, this will somehow inspire us in another way we thought trivial to begin with. Watch:

FM

This was pretty much the talk of yesterday. Fractal Audio had discontinued their AX8 in favour of this scaled down manifestation referred to as the FM3. I'm neither in the market for a digital multi-FX unit nor a fan of digital effects per se. I've had negative encounters with them & pretty much dislike a digital interpretation of an overdrive or distortion. The Fractal rack units had been impressive, I must say, but I don't need one. With the FM3, I really need to hear it in action before deciding if it's time to re-visit the digital realm.

CONGRATS: Ibanez JTC pick giveaway

Congrats to the following blog readers:

• TK Hoo
• M. R
• Shane Helms

Your pick is on the way (if it's not in the mail box already). Thanks to the rest for participating & keeping this blog alive.

Not quite

I was in the mood for a Gibson- birthday present to self. I went over to the guitar store to try the 2017 SG Standard because it features a pair of 57s. Within the Gibson circle, there's quite a following for these pickups so it's time for me to find out what the hype's about.

It was paired up with the Marshall DSL 100 as depicted here.

The guitar wasn't well set up. OK, so maybe it wasn't set up at all. It could also be that the neck reacted to the colder room temperature. The action at the 12th fret was beyond 3mm & it might be due to both a high default action & the neck bow. Upper fret finger gymnastics were unpleasant. The neck profile per se is, in my books, one of the best Gibson has to offer in terms of comfort & playability. I always believe that the neck to body thickness ratio defines an SG's goodness & this is a fine example.

The '57s- judging from this performance, they aren't my thing. It's got that under-wound chemistry that some would find astounding. I just can't stand how they sound very restrained under high gain performance. You might argue that these are meant to crunch, not crush. In the metal realm, they might fit the bill if you pedal doom; a coarse-sounding tone with high tendencies of fuzzing out. With that said, palm-muted notes are simply not this guitar's forte. When it comes to restrained goodness, the Seymour Duncan '59 might be the standard to beat. I didn't allocate a clean time for the tone test, I didn't intend this to be a clean machine to begin with; I prefer Strats for that.

Left the store empty handed.

Three amigos

My current go-to trio:

1. V-Pick: Mummy Had been my favourite since I tried them. They are currently offered in a 2.75mm thickness which is below my standards. However, the efficiency I get from this one is impressive
2. Gravity: Custom Shop Edge This is a recent resurgence; I had abandoned them for personal reasons but that's all buried away for goodness sake. Similar material to V-Pick but the custom options here mean you get to choose the thickness, colour as well as grip type. This one's a 3mm, might be going up to 4mm in time to come.
3. DAW: Custom engraved Shredline Ordered a set last Black Friday, 3mm & partial acrylic. The smoothest, fastest but lacked a good grip. Still, it's the one I ended up using for the rest of my playing time after starting with the other two.

Note that I have pretty much settled with unpolished edges. This prevents the picks from giving off that chirping sound when you hit the plain strings; no chirping annoyance with wound strings. 

Giveaway: Ibanez JTC picks

Finally- the Ibanez JTC picks. The good people at Swee Lee decided to let me have a complementary pack since it's gonna be used as a blog giveaway. I'm keeping 2 pieces for review purposes, one will be on its way to Bintulu, Sarawak (Malaysia) so that leaves 3 pieces for quick blog readers. Here's the deal:

• Send me a blank e-mail with the subject: JTC me!
• Do not disclose personal details until you are declared one of the successful recipients
• FYI- my e-mail address is found somewhere on this blog page
• All postage handling fee- I'll take care of that 😎

Big thanks to branch manager, Faizal, for making this happen.

Minion V (2)

Alright, let's take a look into the details of the Jackson Minion RR. The guitar was strung up with a set of 9s from the factory. It's too wobbly for me so the 10s were in there after a few days it made into the residence.

I thought these were gonna be bad for the money. You know, those typical entry-level, shrieky, treble excessive pickups in any of such guitars are not gonna sound good. However, these are alright for what I've designated this guitar for- absolute high gain & nothing less. Neck clarity is good & make sure you address that extra brightness coming from the bridge if you're into this. We can all do that, can't we?

From experience, I know how these labels would stain the finish of a satin type over-coat.

So it's designated to the control cavity cover together with the gang.

A look into the cavity- nothing shabby here maybe a little messy with the shielding paint but that's acceptable by my standards. All wires bound & things are looking neat & presentable for the money. Have a feeling that selector switch is not gonna last.

These tuners are decent. Out of the box, two of them were loose & one was over-tightened. It's got nothing to do with them being faulty, just a little less meticulous treatment of the tension screws back at the factory.

Selling: Ibanez RG721 (SOLD)

Letting this go after a good consideration. Some polish stains on bridge, slight corrosion on bridge pickup be informed.

• Ibanez RG721RW, Premium case included
• Pickups: DiMarzio D-Sonic/ Air Norton
• Condition: 8/10
• No trades/ reservations
• Self-collect @ CCK mrt station
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $650 (final)

Guitar is SOLD off. Thanks ✌️

Count down

If your social media platforms are guitar related, you might have come across the above update. It's a reminder that the post-Juszkiewicz Gibsons are about to be unleashed.

I'm actually one of the dweebs world over who is holding out on this. It's not an affirmation of the right thing to do because these might be lemons for all we know. It's about looking forward to sensible people fulfilling a good intent. If you've been with me for a while, you jolly well know that I find Gibsons a sorry reaosn to be spending hard earned money on. This had been compounded by the Juszkiewicz buffoonery that plunged the brand name goodwill into the dumps. 

The NAMM '19 preludes were promising & there's no reason not to at least look forward to good stuff. If this is the time for me to put aside my abhorrence to the Gibson name, then I should be embracing the quality of things, not the name on the headstock per se. 

This is also my umpteenth reminder to you that the 2019 models you see online & currently available in the stores now are still the Juszkiewicz leftovers. If you like them, fine. 

A good Friday

Enjoy the long weekend if it's a holiday being observed wherever you are. Happy rest day for those of us with no religious observance, it's a deserving break especially for yours truly here- overworked.

Regravitated

April is the month when I make peace with the Gravity camp. Had been communicating with them for a bit before this happened. They are business people. 

Game of...

The latest from Fender, commemorating the conclusion of Game of Thrones. Are these necessary, considering that none of the models lists for less than USD25K? 

Minor threats

We now have the following, junior-sized guitars are in store now: Ibanez's PGMM21 (22.2")...

And Jackson's Minion Dinky JS1X (22.5")

As you can see, the respective scale lengths would suggest a non-traditional feel  & tonal response & this blog entry is my effort in reminding you what you would be dealing with should you decide to buy one of these. Are such guitars really for kids? Most probably, they are but we should not exclude the consideration for smaller-built players & they make perfect instruments for the money, not a compromised secondary offering. 

Since I have given them some personal performance time, my money's with the Jackson- that's saying a lot considering I'm a long-standing Ibanez fan. I'm giving an adult perspective here, so the playability of the Jackson, in my opinion, would appeal to the grown-ups. Jackson did their necks a little wider so the adult wouldn't feel too challenged when handling the neck. That quirky Ibanez control layout is strictly a Paul Gilbert affair which may not appeal to guitar fans in general. Jackson did theirs the traditional way; volume, tone & a selector. Pickups-wise, the Jackson is a high gain beast. Those default factory units are all about distortion with very little room to sound warm & intimate. With that said, good cleans can be had but not as engaging as the Ibanez's. 

Availability: Swee Lee Co.

Ibanez PGMM21: $299

Jackson Dinky Minion JS1X: $229

Panama

Hope this will be available here soon. In the mean time, here's Pete:

Minion V

Another fortnight-ago purchase. Still giving this cutie a go with various set-ups. More updates to come but in the mean time- it's worth every cent. 👍

Do-Tri

So the enticements continue. G&L now has the Doheny in the non-American Tribute version. If it ever makes its way here, it'd be probably in the sub-$1K price range. A sensible move considering the Doheny is picking up in terms of desirability but remains to be an acquired taste in terms of a Jazzmaster affair without its traditional whammy type bridge, quirky pickup options & a maple fretboard. 

Oh, really?

The new Ibanez RG550 is finally listed online at the dealer's webpage but if you frequent the stores, it's been there for about three weeks. 

If we refer to the manufacturer's web page (correct as on April 2019), the RG550 is firmly placed under the Genesis banner. Yes, it's a Japanese production unit & was under the direct Prestige tier not too long ago. I'm not contesting validity but throwing caution to disputable facts.

Beyond 10

This happened last weekend. The 10.5 set went into my Gibson LP CM to accommodate a slight detune- everything a half step down. This gauge set is not available at the stores here, I bought it online. I have a particular assignment for this guitar & only this gauge set could move my mind away from dealing with floppy strings while playing. 

Deactivated (yet another)

My Ibanez RGR08LTD. I see this as one of the better made ones from the Indonesian factory.

This was the original pickup in it; a factory default Seymour Duncan active Blackout humbucker.

It was removed & the Nazgul took over. I would describe the Nazgul as a mystic Distortion, lots of vent-up anger shrouded by the black arts, ready to be unleashed. Is it a direct substitute for the Blackout? A passive unit will never do an active's job but it can deliver aggression on its own merit. I think I've lost interest in active pickups, they were not my thing to begin with & I see this swap as a sensible move. 

Got spare change?

Hey. You got spare change? Maybe $10K? It's available here.

Q&M @ SG: Done

So I was at the Tom Quayle & Martin Miller guitar masterclass last evening. I decided to sit at the top & rear row (3rd last from the back), away from the potential blast of the sound system. Forgive this zoomed in picture on that note. 

Turnout

The attendance for the evening was fantastic. By 6.20pm, almost all seating spaces were occupied. By the time the gentlemen made their way to the stage, the gallery could hardly accommodate curious passers by. It was a good mix of guitar buffs & whoever else with time in their hands & happened to be there. Definitely more attendance compared to the Marty Friedman show.

Sound

A let down. When both guitarists plugged in, there was nothing to be heard for a few minutes. Quayle made a quick appeal to the audience to 'hang in there' while the tech look into things. A few minutes later, only his guitar signals got through, nothing from Miller. After countless plugging & unplugging, flicking of switches & running to & fro, the tech dismissed the possibility of Miller's amp making it for the show. I couldn't quite make out who asked, "Is there any other amp?" but the tech shook his head in the negative. It's every performer's nightmare coming to life- equipment failure.

It is disturbing to know that there was simply no backup considering that Swee Lee's flagship store was just a level above the performance area. No efforts were made to source for a replacement there (I might be wrong, though). A little perplexing because I was there just before the show to grab a smoothie. People were there trying guitars & I really wonder where all those guitar sounds came from. 

Technical glitches continued to plague the show further into the performance but that was handled more swiftly than before. All this while, I only saw one bloke trying to troubleshoot the matter, reorganize failed equipment & manning the mixing console. Yes- ONE person. After this underserving episode, I hope the relevant parties would look into contingency management, including having helping hands from individuals not from the equipment provider. 

The sound system management was poor in its entirety. Quayle's show opener was plagued by inaudible guitar sounds; the backing track overwhelmed everything. Miller kept gesturing to the mixing desk for Quayle's guitar volume to be turned up but being at the side of the stage instead of the front, the poor guy couldn't really gauge how much of which signals to be boosted or cut accordingly. Quayle & Miller's microphones manifested volume imbalance; Miller's was way louder than Quayle's. It seems that when the softer mic was turned up, it automatically did likewise  to the other & when Miller started speaking, the volume was overboard. To be fair to the tech, this could have been affected by the fact that both guitarists had one working amp to be contented with- the reason why you only see one amp mic-ed up in the pic above. The re-routing of signals might have everything to do with the wayward volume. A let down for sure.

Performance

Both gentlemen were outstanding professionals throughout the show. Despite the technical flaw, they got the audience engaged while things were attended to. They sequenced their contents very well, no clash of talking, guitar playing, even the jokes & sarcasm were in place. Thumbs up to them, nothing less. On a personal note, there were too many clean moments, I'd love to hear more overdrive & distortion from two of the best guitar educators right now. Whatever was dished out that evening, the music was simply outstanding.

All in all, the show was delivered as intended (glitches & all) & I got to enjoy an overpriced serving of banana-mango smoothie as consolation. There were free magazines given out so people had something to bring home instead of just the rancid memories of the sound system gone wrong. I have always enjoyed guitar clinics & this was no exception. Just wished that things were handled better but hey, these things do happen & let's not forget the fact that Tom Quayle & Martin Miller were there to deliver awesome music & that happened.

Selling: Seymour Duncan Blackout (bridge)

Letting this go. I can do with lesser ACTIVE-ity 😎

• Seymour Duncan Blackout bridge humbucker
• 8/10 condition
• Included: Pickup mounting screws + springs/ Pickup mounting bracket/ 25K tone + volume pot + capacitor/ Stereo output jack
• Self-collect: CCK mrt station
• No reservations/ trades
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $90 (final)

That neck

Last weekend, I was at Swee Lee Katong & managed to try this discontinued 2015 Gibson LP Traditional. We know what went on that year; robot tuners & a metal nut. What made me pick it up? The neck profile. I believe I handled a wider-than-usual slim taper LP neck. It's definitely one of a kind or maybe, not being an in-the-know LP fan, this was a typical offering. I don't know for sure & not motivated to look into the matter (just not an LP guy).

However, I must say that a certain amount of flatness coupled with a commanding width, the guitar was an awesome player. It's somehow the right kind of neck for this guitar. I'm still holding out till Gibson releases the 2019 LP Standard. Remember, the current ones you see in the stores are the Juszkiewicz leftovers, not what Curleigh would have approved.

New look

I'm putting this here so that, if you ever intend to buy a used unit out there, know that the EHX Small Stone's look had been recently revised. Same everything, just a facelift. It's minor revisions like this that would trigger low ballers out there to say that hey, you're selling the old look version, it should be going for less. Whatever the outcome would be, it's down to negotiation. 

Notorious appeal

I seldom get turned on by DiMarzios especially before I get to hear them in action personally. The DiMarzio Notorious minibucker was conceived for Polyphia's Tim Henson & it sounds the works for a midrange intense tone. Watch/ listen to the following demo & understand why this pickup speaks for this kind of almost bass-devoid tone. Don't get me wrong, it won't decimate your lower frequencies altogether but if you wish for a phantom response in that bandwidth with loads of crushing midrange inclined distortion, this is it.

Horizons

Just when I thought the Edwards camp would be a limping entity this 2019, these new HR 7-string models are the works.

Even the rear is a looker. 👍

Foot button

I've been meaning to update this- it's Muztek's Pedal Big button.

It's something you attach to the button of your pedal. After removing the packaging material, it looks like this. The wrench is included to lock the button onto the pedal's foot switch.

After installation, the button's surface area is now your foot switch's surface area. Purpose- the bigger surface area means: 1) There's an increased probability of you not missing the foot switch while in use 2) Those who play barefoot at home, this will be a less painful experience. Available at SV Guitars now. 

Epic

If you think a roasted maple neck & stainless steel fretboard will manifest costly instruments, these Agile Epic are USD399. We wonder why guitar manufacturers out there wouldn't want to re-think their instruments' spec.