Have been taking it easy lately so it's just my bass & me on the couch on most days. This is my Bacchus WJB-Mini, a short scale bass which feels like a slightly longer baritone guitar (29.5" scale length) so it's nothing too overwhelming for me.
And it's goodbye February...
Was restless, decided to give this one a makeover:
Fresh strings while I'm at it.
But this is my main highlight for now; the guitar is F-spaced / Trembucker-spaced. We assume guitars with fixed bridge, tune-o-matic, hard tail & other iterations that don't whammy, to manifest standard spacing instead but this proves otherwise. There shouldn't be convenient assumptions any more, measure & know your instrument's features, it doesn't take much effort.
The Muse series was officially released in 2020 by Epiphone. These are modern spec’d instruments not mirroring any models from the Gibson range & feature metallic finishes in what seems to be inspired by nail polish colours (especially the sparkled bit).
Features / fit / finish
The Epiphone model on review here has a very clean design, it’s even devoid of a pickguard. You’d notice a neck tenon cover here (between the fretboard & the neck pickup) which is actually fabricated to serve no protective or cloaking intention; it’s there for show. That’s right, upon removal, there are no unsightly tenon lip underneath. There could have been some cost savings if this was excluded but then again, we are not endowed with that designer foresight for its inclusion.
This guitar is as SG as it gets with the double horn design, dual humbucking, 4-control layout & the traditional, 3-per side tuners over at the headstock. New for 2020 would be the re-designed headstock outline for majority of the solid body Les Pauls & SGs so this model looks more SG & Gibson-like than its predecessors. It is traditionally glossed over from one end to the other & nothing looks amiss upon closer inspection. If there’s any credible attention to detail from the less costly Epiphone line, this is a good example of one.
There is no particular shortfall in this department save for the fact that two of the tuners are stiff (in-house Epiphone tuners manufactured by Marvel) & that’s expected from an instrument in this price range. Screwdriver tinkering did not address the tension issue so these are indeed under-performing tuners. The Indian laurel fretboard is a little dry but there are drier examples coming from the Gibson range so this was rather presentable. More importantly, the dryness here does not entail any flaking related damages.
Rating: 88%
Playability / tone
The immediate positive impression coming from this Muse are those well cut nut slots; no choking in the way. Also, the neck profile is a slimmer C-curve, it feels inviting to both the seasoned & novice players. At this point in time, we shouldn’t be too critical of the inherent neck dive & sticky gloss neck rear as these have been the SG lapses that we have all learnt to embrace & adapt. However, a closer scrutiny revealed some sharp fret ends over at the bass side (frets 20 – 22) but this is a less ventured neck territory for the playing majority & should not be a major demerit.
Moving on to tone, the guitar itself, strummed unplugged, it gives off a rather strong midrange response. The resonance here is also loud considering how slim the body is. In plug-in mode, the clean tones give off great clarity with no particular bass inclinations. This was perpetuated by the driven tones, the highlight of which is that signature AC/DC crunch that lends itself well to none-muted notes. Considering these are Epiphone’s own Alnico Classic Pro pickups, I must say they are impressive & do not sound cheap or compromised. If you favour modern highlights with a good dose of vintage or lower drive / gain settings, these are thrilling to say the least.
The electronics feature hidden tone variations in the guise of three push-pull options. The two split coil options (for each pickup) might be familiar to many of us & the resulting single-coil tone is above average. The phase inversion switch, simply put, turns standard tones into honky voicings that would please funk fans more than anything else. Also, it sounds more inviting played clean than excessively driven. Bonus feature – there are treble bleed components for both pickups to keep clarity in check should you engage in some volume clean-up.
Rating: 90%
Conclusion
I have no idea what Epiphone was driving at when the Muse range was conceived. If there’s any modern enticements to appease contemporary players then the Prophecy series got that covered rather comprehensively. In this price range & considering the above-average playability & tone of the Muse, it’s a definite winner. There is only a $10 difference between the Muse & the Standard & they both feature the same impressive Alnico Classic Pro humbuckers. In terms of wider tonal possibilities, the SG has those extra push-pull switches to keep players occupied & it’s a definite winner in my books.
Final rating: 89%
Epiphone SG Muse
Likes
· Good default pickups with lots of clarity for distortion applications
· Impressive finish
· Coil-split & phase inversion features for a wide range of tones
· Well-cut nut slots
· Treble bleed feature for volume controls
Dislikes
· Tuners could have been better
· Pointless tenon cover
· No bag
So this was the anticipation - Dave Mustaine's Gibson models. Despite the official announcement, no details were disclosed pertaining to specs & tier offerings. As you can see above, despite the custom options, the design formula was based on existing Gibson models; the Explorer headstock & V body that scream anti-climax. The Mustaine-preferred control layout & signature Seymour Duncan pickups were retained. The fretboard inlays look kinda out of place but those should be Mustaine approved.
The other two models on show are the Kramer version & that acoustic oddity. I see the Kramer as a more deserving design due to the sharper V corners. Now, that acoustic is really unnecessary because we know that Mustaine's time with non-solid body guitars are limited but I guess it's the signature fanfare in the mean time; sell it while it's still hot. The Vic graphics on the headstock & scratch plate are, in my opinion, juvenile.
While the Kramer version represents a positive outlook in terms of affordability, it's a possible headway for the brand name acting as a slave reference for its parent company. It's a first. Which other Gibson model has a Kramer version serving as a lower tier offering? Giving this the benefit of the doubt, for all we know, there might be a separate Kramer line of Mustaine guitars. Time will tell.
Edit: Was informed that some of the Kramer versions are made in the USA & won't be as mid-priced as they were thought to be.
Pics: Guitar
Pics: Andertons / Gbase
Just a friendly reminder - if you own an Ibanez RG with the Edge / Lo-Pro Edge bridge, there is a need to unlock the height / action adjustment stud before lowering / raising it. This came after an acquaintance heard a nasty crack when tinkering with Prestige model. In the set of accessories that came with the guitar, it includes a very thin allen wrench which serves this purpose. Simply fit it into the stud as shown above & unlock the mechanism inside before proceeding. Lock it when everything's done. Ibanez spares are not easy to come by here so prevention is better than a very long wait for replacement parts.
In any case, do spend some time knowing what this guitar has in store from the endorser himself:
Pic: Charvel
Pics: Bacchus-guitar
The latest Jason Becker model iteration from the Kiesel camp - the Yin Yang. It's something that doesn't move too far away from the previous versions but the marked difference here is the 24.75" scale length. You are expected to hear a more boomy bridge pickup performance with this measurement then again, it's really up to your set up. Also, there's a single coil in the neck position instead of a humbucker. There are (currently) no custom options for this model, it's strictly this iteration. Note that only the maple fretboard is roasted, the neck is not. Some stuff (Bonus points to those who know which JB tunes were replicated for this clip):
Pic: Kiesel YT screengrab
I contemplated on swapping out these 61 humbuckers in my SG Special for a pair of Duncans. After getting acquainted with them for a while, they will stay put. The 61s are not particularly strong in the lower frequencies in this SG unlike the pair in my LP Classic. However, I managed to tweak the amp's EQ & my Distortion pedal's tone control (DS-1) to manifest some good midrange only angry metal guys would understand. The 61s should be your consideration if you thrive on classic / blues rock & inclining towards a crunchy setting. On that note, these will do you good if you favour ACDC more than Black Sabbath.
Replacement tuners for my SG Special 2015. The robo-tuners were done away with, you are looking at a set of locking Ratio tuners. The thing about locking tuners, it's a love / hate affair. Many dislikes for locking units go to the fact that they add more weight to the neck. Be informed that Gotoh makes light-weight ones without the locking wheels you see here, it's a matter of knowing what are the available options out there before being dismissive.
Some people feel strongly against locking tuners, they feel these cumbersome contraptions take away the rigour of stringing / tuning the instrument up. If that's the case, then it's clearly missing the point. Locking units do not take away the fact that re-stringing & tuning need to happen. It's a little more convenient to re-string with locking units on board & for the novice players, it helps build confidence when dealing with non-locking ones. The locking tuners won't replace the traditional ones for sure. Traditional ones work but some of them manifest issues & we need to be patient with them.
If you don't fancy locking tuners, it's totally your choice. Nobody is compelling you to embrace them. However, keep your opinions educated, the locking units were not invented to replace traditional tuners per se. They work for those who believe in what they offer - convenience, effectiveness. Yes, we learn much by dealing with our instruments sporting traditional hardware but we can learn from the ones featuring contemporary hardware as well. It's like driving - manual vs auto gear transmission, they co-exist.
It's that time of the year once more - Wishing all readers a happy Lunar New Year. The ox symbolizes effort & hard work so it might be a laborious turn for some of us this time but it sure beats being all cooped up at home, staying away from the virus & potential infections. The virus is still there, it has not gone away but we are dealing with it better than before. The economy had been hit hard & many of us are hoping for a recovery of any kind to come our way. Have a good one, folks. Be clear of the visitation guidelines, yes?
Folks, it's gonna be a long weekend, do note the operating hours of the stores featured here.
Pics: David GMC / City Music / TYMC FB
That's right, chemo funding continues. Letting this go... 😔 It's a ukulele-sized guitar, best used for chord works more than anything else.
October 2020, before things took a turn for me, I bought this guitar from TYMC. The price was marked down to clear. Nothing fantastic, it's an SG Special (2015).
Yes, it's that dreaded Gibson year easily identified by the LP100 script at the headstock compounded by the fact that it's not a Les Paul. It also features a metal nut & a zero fret. I will keep this in tact for variety's sake.
And the bane of it all - the G-Force tuning system which I totally dislike. Something will happen to it for sure. This guitar's overall condition is superb; looks almost unplayed & absolutely no fret wear. It's like the previous owner gave up on the G-Force even before playing the instrument. I'm not averse to something that doesn't really click with me, the purchase of this guitar proved just that. I appreciate the condition of this instrument, its deep discount & knowing I could do something about it to make it more my kind of guitar.
To be continued...
Managed to drop by Beez's yesterday. Please be informed that he's now at #02-03, Excelsior Shopping Center just in front of the escalator. He's also on the same level as the Singapore Drum Shop, partially seen in the pic above.
This happened last weekend; BOSS released the Waza Craft Tone Bender pedal in collaboration with Sola Sound. In guitardom, the TB is a celebrated fuzz pedal in similar reverence to the Big Muff & Fuzz Face.
Compared to the original TB, the Waza version is virtually half the size & will attract interest from the pedal geeks in view of its space-saving dimensions. It also features voltage variation to alter tone & of course, a germanium transistor for all your preferred fuzziness. Note the original label font & colour / texture were brought over to the Waza incarnation for that much needed nostalgia.
I'm not much of a fuzz fan. I'm just not into its lack of clarity especially for muted notes but I know fuzz units are preferred for some sonic applications. I will be checking this out nevertheless. If you are interested, be informed that only 3,000 units are manufactured for worldwide distribution.
Pics: Boss
This is the Pro-Series Monarkh. Unlike this one, the MF signature has: 1) More material at the cutaway (rounder as well) 2) Reverse headstok.
I've played the Monarkh before & half of the time, I'm fighting against the instrument neck-diving & trying to kiss the floor. It's that cutaway design for sure. If you play standing up with the instrument strapped on, it shouldn't be a problem.
Pics: Jackson
Spent Friday night with the Strat - was trying to hear the rosewood in action. There's an established dichotomy that you can / cannot hear the fretboard wood. Since I own both versions, I'll tell you that the maple counterpart sounds sharper in the top end which is quite apparent when you engage the neck pickup. The rosewood, well, there's a rounder midrange to be heard. This is why, in general, folks like to hear the rosewood in action (SRV/ John Mayer/ Thomas Blug); it sounds sweeter & less harsh.
I'm in the maple camp. I just enjoy hearing lots of clarity with single coils which can be subtracted through some EQ magic, especially so of you do high gain / drive. Then again, some of us can't hear the fretboard wood if it's made to explode in our faces. More importantly, we are able to appreciate the single coil voicing in some musical applications.
Pic: Premier Guitar
I used to list this here once but I'm re-listing it with a to-go price. Please note, this is not a full tube amp, it has tubes only in the pre-amp section. It's hardly played, in very good condition. Reminder - you need a speaker cab for it. Thank you for supporting my chemo funding.
Received news last Monday that fellow blogger & tech, bro Yusri Yusof (aka Yustech GT), has passed away. We met up once in 2019 at JB to hand over some repair related items. Bro Yusri was a mild-mannered individual & very into electronic repairs. Prayers & thoughts are with his family.
Pic: Khalid Fadil FB
I'm re-listing this for sale, the Ibanez Halberd XH300 (bag included). There were issues with the former Seymour Duncan Distortion in there, together with the neck humbucker (Duncan Jazz), they were replaced by the high output blade type pickups you see above.
Please note the above; the wood joint has expanded causing the line you see there so it's priced to clear. Thanks for understanding my price is final - chemo funding continues.
So I intentionally left this update late. For 2021, the AZ sees a new iteration, the AZN (N = Non-recessed bridge cavity). This is essentially an AZ with the following differences:
