RIP: Reed Mullins

This was a little difficult for me to accept but Reed Mullins (Corrosion of Conformity) passed away just days ago. He's one of my favourite drummer despite me playing guitars & not knowing how to drum for nuts. However, I'm intrigued to play after hearing inspirational drumming more than some shred-worthy guitar passages. The thing about Mr. Mullins here is that he's able to pull things off with just a single bass drum & not sounding less heavy than his peers. 

Here's Mine are the Eyes of God as the perfect example of his drumming prowess - still my firm favourite after all these years. I saved up $18 just to but the cassette version of this album way back boy bands were starting to make headlines in the music world.

Kramer!

We end January in the good knowledge that the Kramer name is still alive & kicking, now under Epiphone's watch. The Pacer (above) was one of the shredder's standard reference back then. This tiger finish screams '80s.

The Baretta is as simple as it gets with a lone Duncan JB in there.

But I prefer the '84, especially in this green finish. Between the Baretta & the '84, the latter sports a non-tilted headstock, body end truss rod access & a non-slanted humbucker but it's the Duncan JB as well so tone-wise, not much difference.

Last & certainly not least, it's the Holy Diving Kramer haunting our GAS list since forever, the Nightswan. Thank you, Kramer, for having the FR 1000 bridge in there & in my opinion, these guitars rank higher in terms of functionality compared to the recently reissued Fender HM Strat. 

Since these are now under the Epiphone distribution, I strongly urge dealers/ distributors everywhere to make them readily available in stores. If there's a good time to be selling these nostalgic models, it is now. Fender & LTD, among others, are playing the nostalgia cards this year, if dealers do not see the potential of Kramer doing likewise, it is at their loss. 

Rosy re-string

This has to be my shred Tele; action is super low on this one. I'm actually making full use of the smaller, shorter frets which allow for a lower action. The overall satin finish on this one also spurs me to play faster. I bought this at Davis GMC when there were many Japanese Fender models in store. Good to know that they are bringing in more of such Fenders soon. 

If you take a closer look, I've swapped out the original M-type string retainer for this rounded, modern version. The former pushed the strings way down, strings are touching the headstock bit just after the nut. This helped with the elevation issue & it's more responsive to tuning as well.

Unexpected combo but what a pair! These Seymour Duncan pickups simply compliment each other. Despite being labelled as a Vintage Stack, the neck pickup can keep up with the bridge Hot Stack in terms of drive & distortion. Also, these stack models don't wimp out in terms of clarity which is essential for me. 

La Bella strings this time & they are good strings indeed. Note that these feature coloured ball ends & not to me mistaken for D'Addarios.

Kiesel FG

This was showcased at NAMM recently. Ironically, Frank Gambale started out with a Strat before moving on to Ibanez, Yamaha & currently, Kiesel. It's unclear if it would be a regular production model as it's not listed as such in the mean time. Any yellow Gambale guitar never fails to induce GAS.



Here's the sweep picking master himself showcasing the guitar in question. 

HM

Fender's commercial strategy for 2020, it seems, is a return to its glorified past. This HM Strat was a significant part of shred history once but it couldn't keep up with the Ibanez/ Jackson pace of things. While there's still no firm representation from the Fender range in terms of fast & furious playing, why not bring the HM back to stir it up a little, leverage on nostalgia while everyone else is distracted by 'new'. 

The reality here is, when it comes to 'Strat', players would be affected if the design moves away from the traditional outlines. Fender would argue that there are design refinements here to facilitate modern/ shred applications. If that's the case, then Fender is trying too hard to fight itself because they endorse players like Malmsteen, Blackmoore & the Iron Maiden guys whose guitars are all the traditional Strat design through & through. 

It's good to see Fender offering both rosewood & maple fretboards for die hard fans. For me, this is the deal-breaker right here - FR Special bridge. I've had very bad moments with the bridge & it won't sway me back into believing that it's an OK bridge to begin with.

Bumbling

I'm sure you have amassed a small fortune after three days of festivities & wouldn't mind forking out cold hard cash for this limited edition EVH '79 Bumblebee guitar, yes? It's available in the stores now for only $28,599. 

Epiphone 2020 (3): A-MUSE-ing

Continuing with Epiphone's impressive 2020 showcase - the Muse LP. It's a modern, chambered body affair but with thoughtful appointments. I like the inclusion of the belly cut & this green finish here - I've never seen one coming from Gibson/Epiphone - is downright attractive. 

The SG version is also available. This finish is equally enticing but that green is calling me...

Nele

I was hoping to get more details on the new Washburn Nele from the official website but it seems that no new details had surfaced (as yet). When we thought Nuno would end his Washburn relationship somehow, we get a new signature which has all the simple attractions. As a mark of respect, Washburn, the least you could do for endorsers is to update details of new products at your home page. Perhaps this is a little too difficult for you to do. 

Modern appeal

These are not updated at Swee Lee's online store page at time of posting but they are already in store.

So far, seen only the Strat & Tele versions. Personally, these are way more attractive than whatever American Ultra models Fender has to offer; you notice I've been ignoring them here. Both the Fender Made in Japan Modern HH Strat/ Tele list for $1,999 & available at the Star Vista showroom. That's right folks, you read this here first; feels like I'm working for others for free...

Giv up

This is bad one, made in India. It belongs to a young learner whom I promised a free re-string if he continues to learn playing it. 

That's right folks, it's a Givsun & a bad hint of a lack of ideas. The zero fret there is totally useless because the nut sits higher. The machine heads are not tapered so you simply cannot get the strings to centralize upon winding. The flat, coin-like tuners didn't help either; stiff beyond belief & it's not about oiling the gears. Fail!

In the spirit of trying to be jazz-like, the bridge is a removable unit but has almost no density. I bet you some matchsticks are denser than this one. Some jerk scratched out permanent lines on the body as position guides & that's idiotic to say the list. The fact that you can scrape the finish off very easily for this to happen tells you a lot about how this was finished. 

Last but certainly not least, look at those awful frets. I thought it was oxidation but turned out to be hardcore rust. I tried sanding it off but the frets got sanded down as well. Tells you a lot about the type of metal used here, certainly not instrument-worthy. After re-moisturizing the fretboard, things didn't look any better so there's no point applying more fretboard oil to it.

If you wish to invest in a budget guitar for your kids, please do a little research & avoid buying novelty items which are next to being trash after some playing time. This piece here is a total waste of resources & will not inspire your little ones to play in so many ways. These days, there are many lesser brand names that make worthy starter guitars. One of the worst I've come across. These people should be arrested.

Like rats!

It's finally here, the year of the Rat. Not that it will be more significant than any other CNYs, I simply love the long holidays. It's longer this year as the new year falls on a Sunday. On a less celebratory note, we are on the brink of another plague threat. The Wuhan virus claimed its first victim here just two days ago, followed by two more yesterday. I remember that year when SARS wreaked havoc in 2003 & plunged the economy into the gutters. Bleak times ahead, it seems & that's a little too soon considering many of us were treated with crumbs as bonus at the close of 2019. The irony of celebrating the year of the rat knowing these critters were disease carriers back in the old days.

That aside, I'm looking forward to have some guitar moments this long weekend with very little other things planned to fill the holidays. Here's Like Rats by Godflesh from their 1989 release, Streetcleaner. Wishing everyone a virus-free holiday.

Re-string: E-II HRF

OK, so this was last weekend's engagement. There was this strong urge to hear some menacing active pickups in action & I don't have too many around as I prefer passive pickups. The E-II HRF here is equipped with a pair of Seymour Duncan Blackout humbuckers & they just sound brutal in an appealing way. 

Here they are up close. I actually bought this guitar because the active pickups are not EMGs. I've nothing against the EMG, the 57/66 are my firm favourites from this brand name. 

A set of Acoustic Science strings which I still have lying around here. That name there is a little misleading; it's supposed to be a brand name, not the type of strings contained in the pack. 

Just to share - the ESPs were equipped with Cleartone strings at the factory & this is proof. I liked them since I bought my first ESP & I still like them now. These days, the Cleartone name faces stiff competition from Elixir & D'Addario in terms of string life technology & a little under-rated in terms of exposure. 

To end this entry, I just wanna say that this was my final ESP purchase, I stopped buying out of sheer disappointment. It had absolutely nothing to do with the quality on offer; these are still handled by the people who did their bit for the ESP Standard range & remain to be the pride of Japanese production. I'm just super let down by the fact that market segregation necessitated a label change & they chose to drop ESP from the headstock while still flagging this as an ESP product. I have more respect for the Edwards range as they are getting by in a stand-alone environment but still remain ESP to the core. If you have saved enough money to acquire an ESP, would you tell people, darn I'm finally gonna buy an E-II! Or would you rather go with, darn, I'm finally gonna buy an ESP! I have a spot spot for ESP as we have something personal in common but that had come to pass. We move on. 

OK folks, it's the holiday eve - party responsibly, promise?

Ibanez 2020 (6)

We're back to the Ibanez front & I must say that the Pia entry just days ago didn't sit too well with some of us here. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Ibanez fan; almost half of what I own in the mean time are Ibanez stuff. I see the Pia making some false turns in terms of refinements & I will confidently say it won't live up to the JEM legacy. I'm sure it's a good instrument in every way & will please the fans. Moving on, lots of things happening in the AZ camp & it's definitely good news that a lefty model joins the ranks this year. Well, done, Ibanez.

This next one has what I want in terms of variation. It's an ash bodied take with covered pickups & 22 frets. Some of us might think that 22 frets is an inferior take but 22 is ideal for people who seldom venture up high & I must say I'm definitely one of them. What I don't want is an exclusive burst finish & in the mean time, that's the only finish available. 

This AZ2204B is the buzz. People are liking the finish & overall colour combo as it makes the instrument very Gilmour-ish. If you've noticed, Ibanez only introduced black for the AZ this year & guess what? Nobody talks about not having black previously so it proves that a black finish, despite having the ability to sell truckloads, isn't entirely a dominant selling factor. 

On that note, another black finish is available for the AZ2402. Discontinued this year are the sea foam green & pink so making them highly collectable. Be wary of those who are trying to clear them away in the after-market & citing them as rare. 

Re-string: Ibanez SZR520

So I had some playing time last weekend despite being busy. No point dwelling into something that doesn't have a definite end, engage in your indulgences instead, it helps to keep you sane. I simply love this one, more than the standard SZ models. The SZR, folks, were the final iteration of the SZ series before Ibanez killed everything off. A little sad considering the SZ model was the stronghold when it comes to sales. They decided to get a little quirky before ending things & you have the SZR here which looks like a botched design of the SZ. Actually, Ibanez already have a similar design in its archives; the Ghost Rider but this one is not one of those. 

The headstock design was the major departure from the SZ & it closely resembles the aforementioned Ghost Rider. If they expand the width of this outline, you'd get a PRS Silver Sky headstock 😆

These are my absolute favourite when it comes to in-house Ibanez pickups. Only for this year of manufacture, the SZR was equipped with the NDR-1 humbuckers. The magnets used are neodymium & showcase some OTT drive reaction. I have to say it's one of the meanest I've come across before we enter into active territory. Come to think of it, a speaker magnet was used instead of the ceramic & alnico selections preferred by countless manufacturers. Now you understand why I keep them in tact. 

I have a set of 9.5s in there as it sports a 25.1" scale length. Please do not believe whatever Ibanez encyclopaedia out there stating a 24.75" scale length as I've measured this one personally. 

Epiphone 2020 (3)

I kept re-visiting the Epiphone website just to soak in the 2020 goodness. This one here is the LP Modern. That's right, there's an LP Modern in the current Gibson lineup & it's as modern as it gets - chambered body, asymmetrical neck profile, ebony fretboard, coil-splitting electronics & other modern appointments (forgive the pun). The good thing is, these are all replicated in the Epiphone version.

It includes the contoured neck heel & that's the bomb right there! There are some of us who are hoping deep down it would happen; that Epiphone steps up their game & follow Gibson closely because they are affiliated anyway. So Epiphone did just that & we have everything to look forward to when these hit the stores soon. I find this sparkling red finish very attractive; the sparkle isn't OTT & it's dark enough to exude class. 

SSS?

New for 2020, but still a little uncertain? I'm saying this because Charvel's DK22 SSS shouldn't be named as such. There's a humbucker there so the third 'S' is a little misleading. You can say that it's still a valid reference since they are emphasizing the size, not the pickup type. Well, whatever floats your boat, Charvel. I thought this would make a good Strat killer since it's by the same people handling the Strats but the politics of product differentiation dictates the need for an obvious difference so this had to give & it's slanted the other way. Good to see this one featuring 22 frets instead of its 24 fretted predecessors. These days, I prefer 22 frets so might give this a go when it gets here. FYI, those are Duncan's Custom Flats & Hot Rails in the bridge. 

Terror stomp

The amp-at-your-feet idea isn't new - we knew this. EHX & Seymour Duncan currently have them in their catalog. Many of us are wondering what practical purpose it serves since performance venues are equipped with amps anyway. That's exactly the issue right there - those are not our preferred amps. We can quickly put stomp box amps to use because we know these had been tried & tested by us & it would replicate our preferred tone. Also, it acts as a back up if the performance amp suddenly stops working like they always do in crucial times. 

The Orange Terror Stamp here appeals to us in terms of pricing (MSRP - USD199) considering it's tube driven. Yes, we love to hear hot, cooked up tubes in action & it's possible with this one through the pre-amp stage. Of course, do manage expectations because such things are designed to serve a purpose & it's not as established as non-portable amps.

Apex

Ooh, la la... There's something about Maxon drive units that make me excited.

OK before we dismiss this as just another iteration of the Tube Screamer, let's remind ourselves that the Maxon camp was the reason why the Tube Screamer became legendary. I will leave the historical reading of the TS-Maxon relationship to your free time enterprise. In the mean time, the Apex version here is a refinement of what makes the TS808/ OD808 much sought after in terms of tone. 

This one was personally handled by the chap who had his hands in the initial success of the pedal, Mr. S. Tamura. The chip used was traced down to the original manufacturer plus year of production & recreated here. In view of its offerings, the Apex will serve the user in a stand-alone application as well as a booster unit best cascaded into amps. Folks, this one is hot, it's already sold out at many pre-order websites. It's also a little costly, hovering over the USD300 mark. 

I need to at least check this one out. 

Epiphone 2020 (2)

It's a little early to say but I'm saying it anyway - Epiphone's 2020 lineup is easily the steal at Winter NAMM. Everyone's a little skeptical when it comes to the new headstock outline especially when some early hints of them debuted in the signature models late 2019. We are now assured that the Casino type dovetail version won't be the staple of the revision, this Kalamazoo-esque early design is it. 

Folks, the Inspired by Gibson collection basically apes the current Gibson Original versions & I've featured two of them here - the Les Paul Standard 50s. They simply look the works. I will entice you into considering one for future acquisitions by stating the fact that it's only USD 599 vs the Gibson version of USD2,499. That's merely a quarter of what you need to spend should you be going for the Gibson. My take os that, the Epiphone wins it in terms of value-for-money (had always been the case) & a possible put off might be coming from the pickups. They won't sound too shabby but they are the compromise when cost-cutting is involved.

The LP Custom version if you think they stopped at the Standards.

Looks like everything is falling nicely into place for the Epiphone camp & their re-think at the close of 2019 was well considered & helmed by good leadership. We can say that nothing much happened in terms of fresh ideas. Re-iterating existing ideas with a little twist is risky; it's a 50/50 take on the current success in terms of sales figures, Folks, if you don't already know, Epiphone instruments are the revenue-making units in stores everywhere. It's partly due to the Gibson affiliations & partly due to the fact that quality got better along the way. Loyalists would tell you that the clipped dove tail headstock version is not an entire put off especially so when you value other details in the package. 

Pia?

They kept this under wraps till NAMM. Looks familiar? It better be, otherwise, the affiliations would be lost & that spells trouble for sales. Vai's JEM lost its monkey grip in favour of that Ying-Yang teardrops. While the JEM's monkey grip facilitates handling, these do not serve a similar purpose. Oh, they call them the petal grip & you won't be the only one who believe petals are supposed to look like, em... petals. 

In case you forget it's not a JEM... Well, if they move the label up a wee bit, there's space to turn this into 'pig'. 

The new DiMarzio pickups for this model are named UtoPIA, featuring a scooped tone with a more pronounced bottom end. 

If you get this version in gold, they did you a favour by having colourful inlays there so life would be a little more exciting for you & your loved ones. 

Folks, I'm not a JEM fan. In fact, I'm not a fan of signature models. They might inject some major excitement for those of us who embrace our heroes like no other. Good for you because such instruments are indeed of the higher tier offerings & they should be above expectations in every way. I respect Vai but this iteration of the JEM doesn't sit well with me because it took a lame turn. I own two signature models in the mean time & rest in the comfort of them being tasteful in every way. I can't seem to come to terms with this Pia model; it reeks desperation & bordering on being pathetic. I shouldn't try too hard in any case - I'm not a fan to begin with. 

Acoustasonic Stra...

Bloody predictable, Fender.

Have I seen that somewhere?

If you've not realized by now... 😏

Outline, wood types, pickups, controls, number of frets... similar price points as well. Hmm...