Blackened

When you are all cooped up at home, swapping pedal knob becomes an epic adventure. Black makes it look flushed.

Goodbye, April...

Downturn

This was yesterday's headlines. The economy was already in a turn for the worse, this was just formality. When termination & wage cut/ freeze become rampant, people won't be shocked as it's already made known to the world.

Very soon, this would become reality; people are unwilling to spend whatever little they have left on gear. They have bills to pay & mouths to feed so the last thing they would want to do is accord money to gear. Priorities will win over unnecessary acquisition. How will buyers react in the mean time?

Price drop

The best thing that could happen now is for dealers to slash prices. It is happening in the mean time if you look hard enough. Dealers are doing away their old stocks for good prices & since the stores are all closed now, they will even send your purchases over for free. Should all dealers observe this shift to entice people to buy? Yes & no. Yes because people are still in a position to buy. It's a good time to entice but it won't last. No because those with international branches, they will move stock to where it's wanted to preserve prices but the cost of moving them might offset price preservations. 

After-market

People will not hesitate to look at used gear now. Those in financial need will see the after-market as an avenue to recuperate funds. That Les Paul they are hoarding, it might be some people's cash avenue now. Bulky, unused amps might be let go for cheap. Pedals might be offered at 2-for-1 prices. Things are more likely to happen here.

Hands-off

There will be, among us, those who would stay off gear entirely in the mean time. In fact, they will close all avenues which are gear related with no confirmed date of recovery. It wouldn't be a surprise that some would even see this time as a good time to stop playing music altogether. The gloom forecast warned everyone of a constricted economy that will extend to the year's end. That's how severe things are. 

I see this as a possible struggle for dealers. They have rent to clear with no incoming stocks to keep the revenue going. It is within their immediate interest to make us buy but buying will not happen if prices are as it is. Discounts must happen. Buyers are treading the line with bare essentials. 

Sizing

Got my BFG out yesterday for a re-string.

While at it, I took the opportunity to try what Rick Beato proposed - that thinner strings actually give a more favourable tone. The theory was that thinner strings actually got less in the way of magnetic string pull & overall instrument resonance. He & a few musicians even tried a set of 8s in a Les Paul which is courting trouble in terms of string tension but that's how Page (Les Paul) & Malmsteen (Strat) got away with cheap tricks while making tone count.

I have no 8s with me in the mean time but my BFG got a set of 9s for this experiment. Verdict:

Clean

Cleans & anything near clean in the amplified world, benefits from a thicker set of strings. I'm coming from the perspective of someone who seldom dwell in the clean zone but at this point in time, actually heard the difference. This is why we prefer 11s & 12s in our acoustics, yes? 

Driven

This is purely my take, folks. Thinner strings give your driven/ distorted tones a breather. This is especially true for the wound strings as more definition comes to play but for many of us, the lack of appropriate string tension with regards to the guitar's scale length bothers us more than the tonal benefits. Also, whatever benefits of having those in our instruments would perish if we observe a very aggressive string picking style. However, telling players in the rock, metal & other intense music domain to cease picking like a beast is futility. 

Flash sale: Pedals

SV Guitars' flash deal this week - effects pedals. The ones you see here are going for good prices + delivered to your doorstep. Do check out price details at their online store: CLICK HERE

EZ does it

This Ibanez RGA32 is one of my fav. Not because it's another Ibanez but the neck is something. It's not Wizard thin by any means which led me suspect if they actually made a mistake with this one; it has a rather substantial U profile that's found on sone Gibson LP Traditional. Flat but not too thick.

These are not default Ibanez units but replacement Wilkinson EZ Lok model. Each machine head has 2 slots to let you tuck in the excess tip so technically, it 'locks' the winding.

KR

Had been playing my Schecter KR. Glad to have gotten hold of a Japanese Schecter as not many of these make their way here. This is one of those guitars with a ready coil tap switch so no push-pull option needed to be installed. I simply love how the Seymour Duncan El Diablo reacts to a tremendous amount of distortion, it just keeps growling without falling into muddy territory. That quilt top is a plus for me, I'm not the type who would fall over for exquisite tops. This kind of attraction is not important to me.

Hope you folks are staying home & staying safe. 👍

Ramadan 2020

Ramadan greetings to Muslim readers out there. It's gonna be a tough one this time, might be a first for all of us. Keep steadfast & accord Ramadan its due respect, nothing less, even in dire straits. 

Take care, stay safe, stay home. 😎

Head-ache

I'm still waiting for Epiphone to reply pertaining to this query; did they do two versions of the current Les Paul Muse headstock? This is what we are getting here (as depicted above).

This is what is shown at the Epiphone homepage - saw the difference? It cuts both ways, folks. 1) They accidentally released a proto batch to dealers which shouldn't happen. No idea what it's gonna entail but we hope for the best. 2) It is a legit, pre-revision design because there are other models sporting it; Tom Thayer & Vivian Campbell's signature models are examples. 

In any case, we would wanna avoid the situation where one would accuse the other of owning a fake. It could end ugly. 

Obscurity

This was a tragic announcement (to me, at least). 3/4 of Obscura had parted ways to form Obsidious. Media statements did not hint at any major internal friction but as it is with such big line-up changes, inner turbulence might be it. This is one of the most talented band in extreme metal with schooled musicians making the numbers. Darn.

PIC: Obscura IG

Ashless (2)

There's more disclosure now pertaining to why Fender discontinues ash as its tone wood for instruments. We already knew previously that the two chief accounts are climate change and insect invasion. The bottom line - these affect supply & life should go on as there are other choices lying in wait.

One of the alternatives mentioned was pine. Visually, it would match ash in terms of hue. It's also light, not costly and on the sustainable list of commercial wood procurement. However, its softness isn't popular with woodcrafters & reacts to sunlight easily. 

Another worthy lookalike contender is sassafras. Not familiar to many of us but rather established in the realm of aromatics. Elsewhere, it's preferred for its durability and receptive to glue and colour stains. It also holds screws well. Sounds like a winner.

Cedar is no stranger to the guitar world, a preferred resident in the acoustic realm than solid body electrics. Fender is most likely looking at the wood's durability and low warp factor solid units. Its limited high frequency resonance might just be the magic some single coil guitars need in the mean time. 

Blocking

Was inspired by fellow blogger, bro Ijau DK, to try these since he purchased them last month (20/3) & vouched for their functionality & practicality. Nothing groundbreaking, just a set of strap button inserts to make sure the strap stays put especially after prolonged use. The expanded strap slits, if unattended to, would invite disaster during play (especially damaging during live performances) as your strap gives way leading to the instrument's death once it kisses the floor violently. Better safe than sorry.

One more thing, folks - stay home, stay safe.

All that jazz

This is the current buzz from the Fender camp. It's a recent release in the manufacturer's Parallel Universe series range where they fuse elements across models & call it new. Nothing wrong with that, really.

In case we need a little reminder, the Parallel Universe series had the Tele version. Comparing the two, we don't see much differences or improvements so to speak, but we note the differences: One more fret/  different knob colour/ block inlays/ matching headstock. At the end of the day, if people say the current version makes it sound Strat-ier than the Tele version, we need to ask what these people had been ingesting prior to giving that opinion. 

Low rider

Got this sudden urge yesterday to play something detuned. I've dedicated my RGD321 for this task since it sports a slightly longer scale length (26.5"). This one is tuned to C#. This beast has a set of DR flat wounds & looks like it's gonna last forever. That's right folks, flat wounds are easier to clean since they have little to no indentations along the entire strings length so once a wipe down is effected, you are most probably going to dislodge all the dirt on your strings. 

Is there a disadvantage to having flat wounds in one's guitar? If you are tone-specific, the flat wounds are anything but bright sounding. This is the reason why jazz cats love them in their semis; the guitar is already rather bright by default so the string set helps even out the overall tone with added warmth. This will definitely be a plus point for finger pickers. 

Kieseling

This was the guitar of choice yesterday. Not really a fan of the bridge pickup but the neck pickup rules! It's not a warm PAF-ish type, but something that has lots of clarity with single notes under high gain. My kinda pickup, very similar to Duncan's Distortion/ Pearly Gates. I didn't really care about the semi-birds eye maple fretboard until Beez told me that it looks good there. This was listed at the Kiesel webpage under the clearance list some time ago & the price was just too good to pass. In that listing, the photo didn't highlight any birds eye maple affair maybe due to its B-grade vibe. Regardless, this is a good guitar.

Ignited

Yesterday's playing time saw my Jericho Fusion Ignition 6 out of its slumber & into some overdue aggression. Still couldn't bring myself to play something nice to maybe pacify the time. There's always this draw to aggression that keeps me going. If you do not embrace this kind of music genre, you might think that people my type are all about negativity & bent on destruction. Seymour Duncan Nazgul simply kills.

The local infection cases here are seeing crazy digits & some people we arrested on grounds of defiance. It's an easy instruction - stay home - yet people are trying to prove they are beyond this emergency measures. It's just not worth it.

Ashless

A little taxing on the eyes, apologies. More importantly, Fender sent out a message to dealers recently notifying them of the discontinuation of ash as tone woods for their instruments. Reasons: 1) Insect infestation 2) Climate change (flooding). Will you be scampering to grab hold of an ash-bodied Fender instrument in anticipation of this situation? 

On a personal note, I have ash-bodied Fender instruments here as well as basswood, mahogany & alder. In terms of tonal advantage, very little separates them but in terms of weight & sustain considerations, there might be a case in point.

Type V

The Type V is finally released (some days ago). All this in the midst of a Gibson intimidation pertaining to design trademark & Kiesel stood firm. Personally, I'm interested but it's the wrong time to buy in view of the rising USD + pandemic uncertainty. It's easily in the SGD2K bracket after shipment so it has to wait. It's more affordable than the Silver Sky that I struck off my to-get list so the  consideration is still alive. SGD2K will see through a low income family here especially during this dire times where people are unemployed & struggling to see the days through. Until I attend to this social needs within my means, the Type V is on indefinite hold.

In the pink - not

Before the sun sets, for the past few days or so, I've been playing guitar. Today's choice: Jackson Minion RR.  At such times, in this frame of mind with a whole load of semi-rubbish home assignments, no happy tunes are to be heard. Just grateful that I have my guitars around to keep me lucid. No, I've not tried making dalgona coffee because it's a fad that will die off. 

Take, care everyone, stay home, stay safe.

DuRability

I somehow knew I had this lying around in the house somehow. I bought colour variations to match some guitars but this blue one was (again) stashed away in a guitar bag somewhere & forgotten. In fact, it's now discovered about a year later. OK so the strings were coated to begin with & upon opening the pack, everything was as good as new. My GRGR010 happened to require a fresh set so it now has a proud blue set to see things through. I have ceased buying DR colour coated sets as I simply do not see the need for them in the mean time but I still buy the 10.5 set & occasionally, the flatwounds. You can get DRs at Davis GMC. 

Covid FS

SV Guitars are still offering some awesome online deals for us who are cooped up at home. Just head over to their website to know what's offered from time to time. They are also keeping up with the delivery schedule - thumb up to that. Please understand the 5 days - 1 week fulfilment leeway for all online orders. Remember folks, stay home.

Copper

This was yesterday's lockdown guitar of choice: Ibanez GRGR010. It's the cheapest Ibanez I currently own (bought new) & certainly one of my best. It's one of those guitars I can't play 'nice' songs with, the playability & tone just screams heavy metal & beyond.

Blue power

This was yesterday's lockdown guitar of choice, my blue strat. It was a Straturday, anyway. Played in the late evening & got too tired to update anything thereafter. I basically played only the middle & bridge pickups, the neck was ignored. It was a high gain setting & hardly any cleans were played. Even awesome sounding cleans couldn't entice me to do away with drive. It's just not in my nature to like cleans. 

Happy weekend, everyone. Please stay home & stay safe.

No NAMM

Not surprising; better safe than sorry. There can always be a virtual/ online NAMM if they put some efforts/ resources to it.

Dragon departure

In a recent interview, long time Ibanez endorser, Herman Li (Dragon Force), gave his reason for leaving the camp:

Ibanez aren't able to make me the tool that I need to do my job.

I find this rather difficult to digest. I believe Ibanez can deliver a guitar to his liking but there are some things they are not willing to do in the name of commercial preservations. This is the reason why guitar greats like Petrucci, Gambale, Broderick & Henderson, among others, left & never looked back. I'm not saying this from an Ibanez fan's perspective per se. Like Li himself, I have other likings beyond my affiliations to Ibanez. However, I am not a pro endorser. My life doesn't depend on a manufacturer who can deliver me the exact tool for my trade. It is only respectable to say that we move on because we have other people who are more willing to look into our needs rather than slapping the hand that fed us. 

PIC: UG.com

Solar respite

All cooped up at home & I'm not counting the days. The authorities have given the date to be back at work but things may turn & I'm not hopeful. 

It's not even a week since the start of the lockdown but I've learnt that people have issues embracing less. Not talking about acquisitions here but work. If one adopt a different work approach it is not objective to deliver the same amount of work. If one runs every day & the situation requires one to walk instead, should the target distance per day be the same? The authorities even made it clear that we won't be penalized for embracing less. In dire times like this, people are afraid to embrace change. Screw them.

I've made it a point to play one different guitar each day while the situation remains like this. Today's guitar of choice: Solar A2.6LN. I simply love the Solar Duncan pickups.

Stay at home & read

I'm re-reading this book. Remember gist of it but definitely not the conclusion. Comparing a plague to the current pandemic is a little excessive but the occurrences were similar; panic, fear, police state, deprivation, ignorance... death.

Yesterday's lockdown guitar: Kiesel Holdsworth. My hand is now showing adverse reactions to rounded neck profiles. Yesterday was one of the very few occasions when it cramped up. Will make it a point to warm up before dealing with such necks.

AZ7

The rumour that there's an Ibanez AZ 7-string version out there had been quelched. This model you see here, belongs to Martin Miller.

This other version belongs to Wes Hauch. Both are protos & won't be in regular production soon (till announced). Interesting to see only one knob in the Hauch model. Anticipations....

Midweek lockdown

It's midweek & all cooped up at home. Supplies are still good, didn't even step out of the house to buy stuff. The lockdown instruction was simple; stay home. Maybe play a guitar & that happened. So today it was the PRS S2 SC250. I enjoyed playing the pick more than the guitar actually. Hope everyone out there is safe despite having their freedom trimmed a little.

Lockdown

Good morning, folks. As we enter the lockdown phase, I'm wishing everyone all the best, take care & more importantly, stay indoors. I have no expectations of what's to come, in fact, the probability that one of us here had been infected is real.

Thank you for dropping by & reading stuff, hope everyone finds more time to read now that we are all cooped up at home. I will still keep this space going but it may not be as gear-inclined as before. Please understand if there are scant updates & such.

Take care, folks. May we see this through with ease amidst the uncertainty. 👍

No sky

I've been saving up for this one. That's right, folks. Since they did the maple fretboard version with the outline birds inlay, it made my consideration list. I simply prefer the flushed headstock-fretboard look. Now that the pandemic had turned for the worse & cash could be put to a more objective use in the mean time, this one is struck off my list. More importantly, a price hike of $300 is simply the deal-breaker. 

Closure United

As at time of posting, the stores listed above have made official announcements in stating their temporary closure during the circuit breaker time frame (7th April - 4th May). On behalf of gear enthusiasts here, I would like to thank them for observing this difficult but necessary compliance. The music community here is a small & symbiotic one, let's do our part to see this through. Please visit their respective home pages to see if provisions were made for online purchases. 

Take care, everyone & here's wishing you a good week ahead despite the tension & uncertainties.

Turned

The Prime Minister addressed the nation yesterday as the country took a turn for emergency procedures with effect from 7th April 2020 in view of worsening situations. Commercial establishments would take the hardest hit as all non-essential businesses were instructed to close down till 4th May 2020. The government calls this a circuit breaker observance but we all know it's another reference for a lock-down with enough critical specifications to exclude this version from what everyone else around the world is observing. Politics.

This would mean the guitar stores here would cease to operate within the time frame stipulated above. I'm in the midst of finding out what alternatives they would be offering & might just find the time to update them here. Let's accept the fact that our gear indulgences are not essential in the mean time but I believe the same gear would help see us through the times while being cooped up at home. Folks, do spend the weekend getting some 'tide-through' items like strings, cleaning fluid, batteries, etc. to keep ourselves occupied. It's not gonna be easy but we can definitely see this through. Take care, everyone. 

Positive distress

More good stuff from the Solar camp. These are the so called distressed models but they look absolutely mint to me. I'm quite a sucker for that natural finish but we all know how it is with the availability of anything Solar &  new - S L O W.

Orion mesa

These two gorgeous looking PRS Silver Sky models are now available at Davis (Left: Orion Green/ Right: Golden Mesa). It would be some time before you see a fresh batch of PRSes appearing at Davis GMC. Many companies today are facing labour issues due to stop work orders from the country's respective governments. It's an emergency situation for many of us but if you think you are in a position to buy, just go for it.

Why?

Folks, you might have recalled that I have highlighted the safety issues pertaining to the LINE 6 relay products & made it clear these were not to be sold in any way (Click HERE to refresh). It's an international re-call & not discriminatory. It concerns safety & it's the standard protocol even for other products, the more obvious ones coming from the motor vehicle sector. We read countless recall notices of cars with faulty air bag system, brakes, etc. & these were removed from the market. It entails costs, no doubt, but safety is the bigger cost considerations here. Those showing diminished understanding of such issues reflect who they really are; merciless commercial entities with disregard for human considerations by putting profit first, everything else can go to hell.

As on Tuesday, 31st March, Yamaha S'pore is still selling the LINE Relay system through its web store. I'm putting Yamaha under the microscope here because they own LINE 6 & they are the main distributor of the items. The recall exercise happened about two weeks ago. The fact that Yamaha is still selling the Relay system with no major recall announcements at their homepage, speaks a lot about them.

Personally, I do not wish to marginalize any commercial entities here because our relationship with them is largely symbiotic. You'd agree that we would have forge a special relationship with them once we become regular customers; it's simply human nature. We reciprocate others' good intentions to keep things going. We don't benefit from having negative relationships with the dealers. Bypassing them & going straight to source is an expensive ordeal for many of us. 

I would like to thank Sound Alchemy & City Music for being very responsive to the matter in hand, They are re-sellers of LINE 6 products & (ironically) react way faster than Yamaha. Please understand that I have no personal motivations to undertake this scrutiny; I'm not being paid to do so & there's a high probability of straining relationships while at it. Currently, what takes place in the music market here is  below the authority's radar. If it involves safety & consumer consequences, I would like the issues to be resolved amicably. Doing the right thing is sometimes unpopular & I don't mind losing some friends along the way - it helps me define who my real friends are.

Z-sale

Nope. This isn't an April Fool's joke. SV Guitars are clearing these blemished Z-Custom acoustics for cheap. I happened to have tested them out not too long ago & would recommend them for beginners looking for a cheap-but-good guitar. Once again, please bear in mind these are blemished units; cosmetic imperfections but nothing averse when it comes to playability.