Thank you & goodbye: Edwards E-LP-92SD-P

Said goodbye to this Edwards last weekend. A worthy handover as the buyer was a fan of P-90 equipped single cut models. That marked another worthy departure. 

On that note - goodbye March... 👋

Minor happiness

I've been playing my LP Standard in its as-is condition. I've finally found time to address certain matters which are not major in its undertaking but necessary for me. First up is the fretboard; a good re-conditioning goes a long way. As seen above, the guitar's fretboard was dry (left) since day one. 

Both strap buttons receive the felt treatment. Doing this because over time, metal will fuse with the gloss finish, especially under certain temperature/ humidity. It's something do-able at the user end & I encourage you to make this small investment. These are available at both Davis GMC & TY Music.

They say Gibson guitars deserve Gibson strings & I believe this is a load of 💩 I'm just doing it this time round to prove myself right. According to the Gibson camp, the strings contain the optimum amount of magnetic materials to limit the pull by the pickups. Maybe they got this right but it affects tone. I know I have my preferred strings brands & I'm getting the right feel & tone from them. Folks, address your needs first, shenanigans can take a number.

Selling: Edwards Eclipse (SOLD)

On the to-go list, my Edwards Eclipse model. Specifically, it's the E-MA-100SD. Bag included 😎

• Edwards: Eclipse E-MA-100SD (Default pickups: Seymour Duncan JB/ 59)
• 8.5/10 condition (bag included)
• Self-collect: CCK mrt station
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• No reservations/ trades/ instalments
• Price: $700 (final, non-nego)

More guitars to clear soon, just waiting for the right time. 😁

**SOLD (3rd May 2020)

Brass-ed

Installed brass saddles into my Fender TL-Rose. These are the Gotoh version & they are tilted as such by default. This is of course to address the intonation issues of the traditional Tele saddles. 

The benefit of having brass is that it adds more sting into the tone. I hear the difference but only more apparent in clean/ semi-driven tones. Once the overdrive kicks in at full tilt, you'd hear the drive more than the brass. My take in this is, if you play predominantly clean tones, it's worth the hassle. Otherwise, stick to the default units. 

Sale @ City Music

Happening at City Music now. Might have something you want at the price you wanted 😎

Free ghosts

In the true spirit of being loss in the unknown & slowly consumed by uncertainty, Nine Inch Nails have released two new albums for free. That's right folks, you can download both releases, Ghost V (Together) & Ghost VI (Locusts) over at their home page. There are many freebies out there in the mean time, for music enthusiasts, online lessons, softwares, etc. in the hope that everyone stays lucid amidst this insecurity. Stay safe, everyone, as we dive into the uncharted weekend yet again.

New guard

Nothing major here, just a new pickguard for my LP Deluxe. It's the Allparts version because ironically, the Gibson version has a misaligned screw hole (near the neck pickup). 😶

Class of '87

As mentioned in my Winter '20 NAMM entries, ESP stepped back into time with the '87 models under the LTD offerings. Nothing quite defined shred like the late '80s & this was the opportune moment for ESP.

The models you see here are all available at Davis GMC now. Remember folks, these are limited offerings & would not be perpetuated in time to come. They are in the price bracket of Mexican Fenders & Axion label Ibanez selections. 

Thank you & goodbye: Ibanez RG2610

Parted ways with my Ibanez RG2610 just moments ago. While it's still worth it, handing it over to a deserving owner was no loss to me. I have a few other Ibanez & Japanese guitars to be delisted from my inventory. I have other plans but still geeking out on all things guitar. 

Closed (temporarily)

Everyone takes a hit in the mean time, big G included. As announced yesterday, the company will cease to operate temporarily for 14 days in view of the COVID-19 situation. Employees were given $1K consolation to tide things through & management will evaluate production status after a fortnight. International showrooms in the UK, Japan & Europe were also shuttered in the mean time. 

As we come to terms with the impact of this pandemic, know that things will shift into lower gear sooner than anticipated. The objective now is to stop the virus from spreading & along with this, work stops as well. Business entities everywhere are dealing with manpower issues as this takes the worst hit in terms of production. There are simply tasks in the manufacturing process that requires human touch. If you don't see some things in the stores in the mean time, know that it's happening everywhere.

Stay safe, everyone. 

Psyched (3)

This was the pre-occupation yesterday. I was mostly indoors save for the lunch moment. Yes folks, I've souped up my PRS Vela since there's time to spare & pickups available. 

Both are Seymour Duncans: Seymourized Mini SM3N (N)/ Psyclone (B). Is the Psyclone that good that I need to hear it twice in two different guitars? You might have seen the Psyclone in my Gibson previously but I didn't get to hear the real Filtetron tone in action but then again, is there such a thing to begin with? This pickup type thrives in lighter guitars like a hollow/ semi-hollow unit to help accentuate that top end. It's about dealing with the sting not the boom. On the matter of weight, my Vela here is indeed a light guitar despite being a solid body. I made a calculated guess & went with the Psyclone, ta da! The tone has a sweeter sounding treble, crispy with loads of raw, old school black metal potential which was not part of the plan, of course. 

A set of 0095s while I'm at it. To sum up the past week - a little short-changed but totally happy with the tone adventure. The Psyclone is definitely not my next in thing, just something that is different & fulfilling. Being me, I feel it's worth investing in another one.

Exit: Namtar

Unless you embrace this music genre, you'd likely not know Namtar. He's the drummer of Carach Angren, one of the best out there to not make the music boring & predictable. As you might have read in my previous entries, drummers inspire me to play the guitar more than guitarists. It's that completion mentality; I feel more involved playing with drum tracks then another guitar in the mix. His reason for departing the band alluded to mismanagement & bowing down to commercial demands. I wish him the best in his future engagements, especially in this bleak times but creative people have very little issues getting a grip of themselves, it's others who are the problem - they find individual approaches unacceptable. Creative people exist to fulfil their objectives first, other agenda can wait.

Down

Just a reminder that it's bleak times ahead for many of us. On the business front, many commercial entities are forced to scale down production or go into a lull period, not by choice, mind you. Examples depicted above show how legislation had forced business into a standstill due to manpower reasons. People are not at work & this affects output. Please understand that there will be shipment delays & products not available off the shelves in the near future. Also, it's not just the music business but business in general, everyone is taking a hit in some ways now. The last thing that we would like to see is unfounded tension due to acquisition issues. Please be mindful & keep emotions checked. We are all affected, you're not alone.

Our thoughts are with those who are in dire straits, financial or otherwise, due to this pandemic. There is no other way but to stay strong & rebound when everything is over. 

Psyched (2)

So this was the pre-occupation for the entire week - Seymour Duncan's Psyclone humbuckers. These are not high output pickups to feed your heavy metal ambitions with, be informed. They are Filtertron-esque models with standard humbucker mounting flaps. This intelligent re-interpretation means you can now fit them into your humbucking guitars & need not worry about drilling holes into the body for accommodation. I've been eyeing a particular Godin guitar here which are Filtertron equipped as it's on my bucket list. With the availability of these Seymour Duncan alternative, it's a less costly affair for me; just get the pickups, not the entire guitar.

If you are looking for a bass-inclined pickup, steer clear of the Psyclone. These are meant to sharpen a trebly experience so that things don't mud-out if you keep your distortion high. You know, it's the Brian Setzer mojo without buying the $3K Gretsch. I might be doing it wrong by having them in a solid body instrument & turn the amp's gain way up but that's me in a nutshell; if it doesn't serve my needs, it takes a back seat. I'm not into clean tones as well but these offer a different clean experience, moving away from the vintage, rounded treble PAF experience. Still in the classic territory but nothing boomy. I am able to dial up those raw, Darkthrone type, open picked bass notes with this one so I'm a happy camper in the mean time. 

A quick re-string & it's the nearest set that I could grab - D'Addario.

No regrets having them in my LPS, I had been planning to replace the DiMarzios which resided there for some time already but bent on trying something different & the Psyclone was the perfect opportunity. By the way, this is one of those guitars I bought online for a whole lot of trouble but worth the hassle. The store was clearing them for cheap & the humbucking version just clicked with me (Specials are P-90 equipped, traditionally). Purists might reject the torrified maple fretboard (yes, it was that year Gibson got raided for wood & they took the rosewoods away) but I went with what I prefer.

Seymour Duncan Psyclones are available @ Davis GMC as a matched pair or individuals. 

New Heritage

Fender has launched the new Heritage Series (Japan) just days ago. It's good to know that we now have more Fender options which are non-American & on par with their State-side counterparts in terms of quality & tone. However, I feel that the Japanese catalog is a little choked in the mean time with the Traditional, Hybrid & Modern offerings. The selections from these series can easily fill the void from the Heritage models despite Fender reminding fans that the Heritage range are period-correct models (50s/ 60s/ 70s) & outstanding in terms of affordability compared to the American Original range. We can look forward to these being available here unlike our friends in the USA as these are Japan-only releases.

Pic: Fender Japan

Give away: Dragon's Heart picks (TAKEN)

I have no idea if I'm making others out there happy in the midst of this doom & gloom season but I will continue to give, anyway. Three Dragon's Heart picks up for grabs as seen here, these are totally unused. What's with that queer outline, you ask. The idea here is having three different picking tips at your disposal. E-mail me if you are interested. Note the pick thickness: 2.5mm 😎

Update: All picks are taken (Fri, 20th March). 

Flash sale

Good to see some enticements during this bleak period; these gorgeous acoustics (Left: MT-110C/ Right: MTD-110C) are going for $279 $99, a recommended buy for those of us who are spending more time at home now. (Available as online purchases from SV Guitars). On that note, it would be good to see stores here offering discounts - clearance, one-off, B-stock/ discontinued model blowouts - to address this downturn. Remember, both sellers & buyers are now affected by the pandemic. For buyers especially, we are re-thinking our to-get lists, we are finding that one outstanding reason to fork out money for non-essentials. That's the buying sentiment in a nutshell. 

Link to SV Guitars: CLICK

Pics: SVGuitars

Heritage assault

There might have been further developments since this took place some days ago but let's understand the initial occurrences. Heritage guitars had initiated a 'defensive suit' against Gibson in light of Gibson's ongoing harassment of other manufacturers of late. 

We have limited details why this legal wrangling is taking place. In light of the potential economic slump attributable to the COVID-19 situation, manufacturers should start collaborating, not opposing one another. I have a particular interest in this because:

That's right folks, Heritage has a Singapore element now & at some point in time, especially at the backdrop of such a fallout, people might question if the Singapore pedigree has anything to do with such aggression. I'm sure you'd agree that we need to reserve further comments till finer details surface. There are loyalists here in both the Gibson & Heritage camps but we should be guitar loyalists more than anything else. Such tension would eventually affect product integrity; the ultimate losers here are buyers.

Product recall: LINE 6 Relay G10

Folks, the following LINE 6 products are recalled immediately due to serious safety issues (faulty components leading to fire hazard):

• Relay G10
• Relay G10S
• Relay G10T

If you own any of them, please stop using immediately. If your warranty is still valid, please consult your distributor regarding compensation (if any). If you run a blog/ possess any social media accounts, please help to spread the message. Let's keep fellow musicians/ enthusiasts informed & safe. 

PIC: LINE 6

Give away: Hard, thick picks

Have these to spare if you are interested:

1. DAW: Shred Line 3mm (TAKEN)
2. Gravity: Edge (Big mini, unpolished) 2mm (TAKEN)
3. Gravity: Edge (Big mini, unpolished) 3mm (TAKEN)
4. Gravity: Classic Pointed (Standard, unpolished) 4mm (TAKEN)

E-mail me, tell me your preference & I will get back to you. NOTE: Gravity picks have a custom  'theGUITARaddict' engraving if you don't mind 😎

Selling: Mojotone Filtertron

Got this for a mod adventure which didn't happen. I've been eyeing a certain Godin to fit this into. I got the first with the intention of getting the guitar subsequently. Then the Swee Lee Katong clear out happened & a change of plans was necessary. Totally unused.

• Mojotone: Filtertron type humbucker (bridge position)
• Condition: Unused, screws & box included
• No reservations/ trades
•  Self-collect: CCK mrt station
• Confirmation/ query through e-mail
• Final price: $120 (non-nego)

TB59

SDs in trembucker spacing in chrome cover are a little difficult to come by & here's a hint to another tone-chasing project happening in the upcoming week 😎

Emmanuel

Acoustic wizard, Tommy Emmanuel, has a new signature model. This is it right here; the Larrivee C-03R-TE. It's not a Maton, it's a 12-fretter & it sports a cutaway outline. All these unlikely features took many by surprise.  However it's made clear that this isn't new. There was a one-off named the C-10 not too long ago which was also made by Larrivee. 

Here is in action. We could all agree that whatever Tommy Emmanuel plays, it's bound to sound awesome; more of the man defining his music, not quite the instrument.

Psyched

Getting ready for this weekend's tone adventure. 😎

MOMM (2)

I've been re-visiting old favourites lately & these are two among many.

1) Danzig: Lucifuge (1990)

If Elvis joined a metal band, this is how it would sound like. Some heavy stuff in here but largely treading a doom pathway. Do not hope for some speed therapy because things are largely in second gear & it's about driving the emphasis through. Danzig/ Christ/ Von/ Biscuits - this is perhaps my favourite line up. 

2) Sepultura: Beneath the Remains (1989)

I remember getting this album late, a year later to be precise. It was the cassette tape version which died  a year on due to overplay; the tape got crumpled at the edges & on one fateful day, it got tangled in the player. It wasn't until 1992 that I managed to squirrel away some money to buy the CD version. To me, this is a landmark album. It's a worthy Metallica competitor & that's saying a lot then because nobody could pull off something heavy & this potent while embracing the deathly vocals. The down-picked riffs here are potent (some of Cavalera's best) & if we take time to dissect what Kisser played, he's filled gaps using repetitive but memorable passages. To those of us who over-think our ideas, it's time to re-think. I still re-visit this one for inspiration.

Devo - out

This is much belated but Devo Andersson is out of Marduk. I like what he did, bass-wise, for the latest release, Viktoria. Devo's not departed entirely from the music scene, he's still producing stuff & that's what he likes more. I admire people who knows what they want to do & not see change as a lesser discourse to their previous engagements. I should be like him. We all should. Marduk's current bassist is  Joel Lindholm. 

PIC: Blabbermouth

Flawed gold (2)

Remember the Gibson LP Deluxe I purchased from the recent Swee Lee Katong sale? So here's the flaw - finish checking. That's right folks, it's a brand new, unplayed guitar kept away untouched till the clearance happened. If it's a relic job, this would be ace. However, since it's not, it is considered as a damaged affair. There is actually nothing wrong with the instrument, even the wood is in perfect condition. A finish checking means the paint job under the gloss coating cracked due to temperature changes. If you are bothered by this condition, it's a definite deal breaker.

Even the binding had begun its undoing plus a cracked pickguard - all these when the instrument was unboxed. And I still bought it! The pickguard issue could have been avoided if the factory hands had been a little generous when tightening it during assembly. It should not be over-tightened & given the opportunity to 'breathe' when subjected to temperature changes which would definitely happen as the instrument travelled across continents & kept away in storage thereafter. Given the checking issue, the cracked pickguard was the least of my worries; it's replaceable. 

That's right, a plain truss rod cover for this one as well.

I managed to add felt cushions for the strap buttons to prevent the glossed body surface from reacting with the metal parts. I don't see why this was not considered at the factory.

After a quick fretboard conditioning & re-stringing, goldie here proved to be one of the most appealing LPs in my books. If this guitar was kept longer in storage, it would have died a negligent death, which would be a very sad affair. The fact that the clearance happened, it was fated to be taken out & live out its remaining life with a deserving owner & that would be me, I guess. I agreed to buy this one because: 1) It was clearing for a good price 2) Whatever happened to the guitar was not due to any mishandling. The only human oversight here was that it was inventorized & forgotten. I was told, this is the only one here & the LP Deluxe models that came after it were the awful robot tuner, 3-knob models. 

The neck profile is unique. It's neither a slim taper 60s type nor a fat, 50s version; this is the initial attraction. Those default mini humbuckers are also likeable for folks who shred & engage in high octane rock/ metal. If they were conceived to sound vintage then I don't hear that coming from my set up. Then again, my setup does not facilitate that kind of tone manifestation. Regardless of the flaws, I like this one from the start. 

Not laurel

This is stated at Swee Lee's website. Laurel is one of the current popular substitutes for rosewood. It's a straight-grained, porous wood type with a brown hue. As depicted above, that's clearly not a laurel fretboard.

To be fair to this oversight, both Cutlass versions are featured at SL's webpage, it's quite the case of a duplicate spec sheet. Why am I putting this under the microscope? I'm asking you to exercise due care when buying something online especially if there is a probability of not getting what you clicked for. We understand that some stores are bound by their exchange policy & getting your issues addressed is a little tricky. Nothing personal against SL here, it's an oversight that can be attended to quickly.

Good light

These are two of the lightest Gibsons I own - Firebird Tribute

Melody Maker SG

I'm beginning to like these two more than the rest of the Gibsons & it might be down to the weight, definitely. These lighter Gibsons, they sound clearer while still retaining a good bottom end. OK so the heavier Gibsons, Les Pauls in particular, they excel in giving us that big, boomy, bottom end. There's actually no superiority in terms of tier standings; these less costly Gibsons, they deliver something which might appeal to a niche group of players, I'm certainly one of them. Some of us just need that clarity when playing single notes, we don't need wooly woman tones like some people do. We thrive on heavy, gain-inclined music, our needs are different. Special mention goes to those default Firebird pickups; they are something. 

70s miss

This is new for 2020. Gibson released a 70s era Flying V in this white finish because it's one of the most collectible version they ever made back then. However, that headstock there is not the 70s deal.

The period correct headstock looks like this; a little narrower plus a rounded tip, not as pointed as the current version. Nothing much really happened at the Gibson end of things during NAMM 2020, the Epiphone highlight pretty much hijacked the limelight.

Fly away

Blackstar's Fly 3 desktop amps are clearing for good prices at Davis GMC (starting at $68). One of the best of its kind, did away with others since I bought one. Limited quantity, folks, be informed.

Not offered here (damn!)

In the mean time, I'm gassing for this one. It's a standard S-Series (SEW761) with a fixed bridge, nothing special. However, the HSS pickup combo is not something that happens to an S-series regularly. Judging by its pedigree, it should be affordable but it's NOT offered to the Asian market. Damn, you Ibanez!

Pedal power

This is one of those things people warned you not to purchase - a novelty pedal. I disagree. It's meeting my objective of having a simple, no-frills, power section to hook your pedals to. The entire set-up & more insights would come soon. Suffice to say that it won't level up against any small, low wattage tube amp. The guitar-solid state chemistry is a total departure from what you'd hear coming from your 'real' amp, For those on the go, it would just prove to be a crucial standby unit when all else fails.