Damage control (3)

So after seeing this damaged RG550 back to life, the owner asked me if I'm interested in the guitar. Two reasons for his disinterest: 1) He's working shifts, hardly has playing time  2) It's a first locking, dual action bridge for him, he's too used to his Strat & ES335, he's just not into it. 

I told him I'm in no position to buy, I have treatment bills to account for. At best, I would pay $200 for the neck & bridge as these are still in very good condition. He said $200 is above his expectations 😮 but at my end, I have to pay him in two instalments, I really cannot afford to spend on gear in the mean time; it's just out of the question. A few days ago, I managed to transact the final instalment but the guy refunded me saying he has to offset me for the pickguard, pickup & other electronics expenditure plus the fact that I needed Beez to wire it back to life. At the end of it all, I paid $100 for this Ibanez RG550. It's the last thing I would spend money on considering the body cavity misadventure (click HERE to understand the situation). It's a nice birthday consolation but today is not my birthday. To the nice guy who made my day, if you are reading this - salamat aking kaibigan! Take care, everyone. Have a good weekend ahead. 😎

PS: Goodbye, April.

Fusion Thursday

Spent time with my Agile Septor 625 today which was left unplayed for quite some time.

The pickup mounting ring cracked at one of the corners & broke when I removed the screw. I gave up looking for a replacement piece because Agile used a slightly longer version back at the factory & the ones sold in the stores here are mostly spaced for Gibson. I managed to find one online & waited for more than 10 days for it to arrive. I have a spare DiMarzio humbucker in the house & it went into this guitar (Fusion Edge). It sounds rather likeable here. Hmm...

MOMM (4)

That's right, I'm still the CD guy; I actually buy physical references of the music I like.  Warrant's Dog Eat Dog is simply their hardest / heaviest offering. Back in the early '90s, people were too distracted by the grunge movement & such gems were often ignored. I used to own this in a cassette tape format so I'm re-living the moment with the CD version (Japanese pressing). Ola Endlund's second solo release was in the mailbox. I'm a big fan of the man & look forward to all his gear related antics. Signed copy of Starzinger - beyond cool. 😎

Joe 'Carty

PRS has a limited edition McCarty 594 singlecut to show. It's an endorsed, Joe Walsh version. Only 200 of these will be offered, all signed by the man himself. The critical differences here are namely the custom voiced 58/15 LT + humbuckers & a slightly thicker body.

The way I see it, Mr. Walsh is very happy with how the guitar sounds; it's a celebration of the single coil clarity in a humbucking format. Maybe this will work for some of us too, hearing lots of twang in a non-single coil guitar but I wouldn't spend money on humbuckers to sound like a single coil. Usually I'm not a fan of such tones but the crunchy voicings here are simply great.

Pic: PRS

Removed

This is a little something Ibanez did for the 2021 models. Note the RG Series label on the headstock.

WEF this year, it's removed. Albeit a minor inclusion, such labels add to cost. It also means that  unlabelled necks can now be used for other models which sport a similar profile, namely the S-Series & the RGA

Pics: Ishibashi / Ibanez

550 Sunday

Spent time with my RGs. The 550s you see above are from the same Genesis family but different iterations. The DX has a granadillo fretboard & a set of Seymour Duncans (JB / Hot Strat / Jazz). The Road Flare version sports a maple fretboard & kept in its original form, no mods. 

Are there benefits from swapping out the default pickups to some other brand names? It really depends on the owner - are you happy with the default pickups? The in house Ibanez V/S pickups are alright. They are not bad in any way, still capable of pulling off good rock tones. However, I realize that if too much distortion is dialled into them, they sound honky / nasal. The Seymour Duncans, on the other hand, has more tolerance for distortion, maintaining clarity & note definition. 

We're into the final week of April. That's fast. 

Damage control (2)

I proceeded to advise the owner of this unfortunate guitar to just invest in a new pickguard & get the electronics looked into. The neck (Super Wizard) & bridge (Edge) are still in very good condition. In fact, there was no fret wear to be seen & the bridge is showing no signs of neglect either. The guitar might have been kept away for some time after the gouging episode. The owner asked me if I could handle this project considering my conditions. I told him it's possible but I will take my time & he has to agree to some limitations with regards to spares availability.

First thing -  purchased a single humbucking pickguard for a no-frills look. FYI, it wasn't a perfect fit for a Japanese Ibanez, three screw holes are totally off the mark. This pickguard was meant to fit an RG350 hence the misalignments (Japanese RG550 vs Indonesian RG350 specs). I have a DiMarzio D'Activator X in the house so that became the pickup of choice. 

The guitar received a thorough cleaning, frets were polished & all screws were replaced. The Edge bridge was dismantled for a good wipe down & the innards were surprisingly oily - no idea what took place. The battery enclosure you see above was left in tact to cover more gouging horror. The block heel indicates a recent RG550 iteration - the Genesis model. This was confirmed by the serial number on the headstock; it's a 2013 model, the first batch of the Genesis RGs.

Very happy with the neck, only needed to raise the string retainer to a more optimum level since it was screwed too much into the headstock. 

To be concluded...

Switching

An unlikely purchase but if you stay at home & spend time with your guitars excessively, it might end up this way. I've been toggling between two amps lately, was thinking it would be great to hear both in action simultaneously. I own the Switch Blade but this Plus version lets the player activate both amps instead of mere toggling. I'm still in no position to engage in a substantial purchase so a small gift to myself makes me feel happy; there is still life in the midst of settling one's medical bills.

Red re-string

Indoor Thursday, spent some time with the red RG550. It's the only one left in its original incarnation, no mods.

With that said, I simply had to replace these pickguard screws. Folks, rusty screws are darn difficult to remove. You might round off the top while doing it & that makes it even harder for you. Also, super rusty screws might snap off in the midst of removal so some drilling is required to extract the broken bits. Rusty screws are easy & not costly to deal with so better safe than sorry. If you think leaving your guitar be in its hard case won't cause screws to rust - it doesn't work that way.

A set of D'Addario 9s for this one.  

Damage control

Well, well... what do we have here? Someone bought an Ibanez RG550 from the after-market. The initial owner told the buyer it was extensively modded to accommodate active electronics & a kill switch. The guitar was sold without pickups for a clearance price (whatever amount that was, I wasn't keen to find out). The buyer then asked me if I can help look into the matter & advise what's the next course of action. I agreed because I have some spare time at home.

The first thing I did was to remove the pickguard & saw this atrocity - the cavity was excessively gouged out to house whatever electronics that served the initial owner. The tech who handled this might have been Edward Scissorhands because it's rather obvious from the pic above that improper tools were used to get things done. The unblackened bits there - wood had been removed from the base layer of the cavity to make it deeper. Not a good thing to do because it leaves that area very vulnerable to breakage since it has the thinnest layer of wood to see things through. There were also multiple pickguard screw holes to imply the use of an ill-fitting after-market version.

This is a classic case of under-disclosure; the seller not being upfront in terms of expectations because the rot was not visible since it was hidden by the pickguard. It's totally OK to sell things as it is - just do your part to disclose the condition. If the buyer agrees to purchase then it would save you from a misrepresentation case which could be unpleasant in many ways.

To be continued...

Marshall music

When I saw this at Marshall's webpage, I was thinking Marshall's still trying to pull a fast one on us since it's still April but heck no. This is a genuine valve driven vinyl jukebox. The manufacturer is trying to push it as your chance to relive any music moment with a touch of Marshall valve goodness. Yes & no.

Yes - it's an amp. If you walk into any audiophile stores, they will show you a tube / valve driven amp. This tech has been there for a while, nothing new (solid state / tube). If you wish to re-live your music in the valve moment, it's possible without the Marshall name.

No - if you tell me your guitar rig has a Marshall vibe to it because you invested in a 100W all valve Marshall amp, I'll vouch for your happiness. If you tell me to spin my music in this one & hear the Marshall magic in action then it's a load of hot air. 

This jukebox is manufactured by Sound Leisure on behalf of Marshall so an external party handling + the Marshall brand name will definitely add to costs. 

Pic: Marshall UK

Black boxes

Nothing particularly interesting here, just passive attenuators. Showing, for the record, two generations of the JHS Little Black Amp Boxes with different brand name scripts. The one on the right was purchased from SV Guitars before they did away with their storefront at Peninsula Hotel basement. The one on the left was from Swee Lee. I think I bought the last one; it's been marked as SOLD OUT ever since. I have two amps which are in active use. So to avoid the hassle of transferring the LBAB from one amp to another, it's good to live with two. 😎

Gotoh - gone

Sad to learn that Gotoh will not be making pots any more. This is my go-to made-in-Japan brand, they last a long time & feel smooth in use. More importantly, they fit into my Ibanez instruments without issues as they are in metric  form. The ones you see floating around in the mean time are left-overs.

Pic: doremi

San D Bass

Hot off the press - Charvel has released the new San Dimas bass. Seen here is the PJ IV model.

This is the JJ V. I expected a 'JJ' to feature a jazz body outline but that's not the case here. The pickups are Dimarzios & the rest of the appointments are very contemporary - caramelized neck / fretboard & jumbo frets, among others.

Pics: Charvel

 

Re-visit: Ibanez SZ2020

Another indoor day for me as my right leg felt numb for a good part of the morning. Spent time with the SZ2020 here. It's one of the few Prestige models made in Korea. This happened for three years only (2005 - 2007) & excluded the RG Prestige models which were still made in Japan. 

The Korean Prestige models were made by World Music in Korea & were easily identified by the cream tuner buttons seen here. 

Ibanez collaborated with Seymour Duncan to manufacture the Seymour Duncan IBZ pickups which are genuine Duncans made in the USA. The ones in this SZ are based on Seymour Duncan's '59 / Distortion models. They are simply awesome sounding to me. The SZs were the most popular Ibanez model in terms of sales back in the day but they were discontinued despite making money for the manufacturer. When the SZ debuted, it got many players by surprise because Ibanez actually moved away from skinny necks for this model. It's also a set neck construction, again, a departure from the bolt-on design of the RG / S-series.  Ironically, the thick neck construction proved to be another selling point for Ibanez today - the AZ series.

In memoriam: Allan Holdsworth

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH (6 AUGUST 1946 - 15 APRIL 2017)

I remember Allan Holdsworth for his fluid legato notes which are inhuman, to say the least. When I started learning to play, I thought the legato approach are for the lazy players, trying to cover as many notes while trying to impress at the same time. I was more of a staccato camper; Malmsteen, Gilbert, et al. However, over the years, I began to understand how the legato school of playing is just another playing approach. Sax players for instance, sound more commanding with legato phrasings as opposed to staccato. Also, I remember Holdsworth for his chords - have you ever heard him strum a chord? He played so many other worldly chords but none were strummed. They were either fingered or arpeggiated in various ways. Allan Holdsworth will always be the guitarist's guitarist; holding his own turf beyond comparison. That's a measure of greatness indeed. 

Sky revisions

Do you you know that, between the initial batch of rosewood board Silver Sky models (the one that came with a hard case) & the current ones (come with a bag), there are subtle revisions? 

1. Frets. The current model sports a slightly bigger set of frets. I couldn't really identify the specific difference while trying one out recently; it could either be a set of wider / taller ones in the guitar. I felt the difference but it's rather subtle. Smaller, vintage type fret means when you bend & exert some pressure to the strings, there's a chance that the strings would touch the fretboard while doing so. 
2. Pickups. The ones now are of lower output. Again, it's a subtle difference but when you employ higher drive settings, the current ones sound more jangly. This would definitely appeal to players who play the SS clean mostly or with a touch of dirt. 

Pic: Mannys

50th

I'm just not that motivated when it comes to Strats but do own a few. Those that really speak to me, I will pay attention to them. It might just be down to the tone - the 5-way pickup options don't really get me going. I'm only a fan of the middle & neck pickup played in isolation. 

This Strat here is Fender's 50th Anniversary version marked by that neck plate. It has an ash body with a single ply pickguard which I really like. I bought this in 2005 at Swee Lee's BB branch. When the 50th Anniversary models were released, they came in three versions: American Vintage / American Deluxe/ American Series. I chose the American Series because at that point in time, I could only relate to contemporary Strats with 'normal' features. The Deluxe version had gold hardware which was a put off for me (till today, I don't fancy gold hardware on any guitars). The Vintage version cost more than the other two so it was out of my consideration. I find ash-bodied Fenders to be very prominent in its bottom end despite its more reduced midrange overall resonance. This is only obvious if one dabbles in excessive overdrive. In clean mode, the guitar sounds clear without being excessively trebly.

Ironically, the PRS Silver Sky re-kindled my interest in a 3-single coil guitar. Unlike the Strat, the Silver Sky offers a 5-way pickup combination that is attractive in all positions. I think it's down to the PRS-John Mayer philosophy of making the instrument likeable regardless of the pickup(s) in use. Oh, well.

Ramadan 2021

Wishing all Muslims out there a blessed Ramadan. It's the second COVID Ramadan but the situation is so much better this year with many restrictions lifted. Have a wonderful journey ahead 🙏 

Gold Glory - official specs

The official specs for Jared James Nicols' Gold Glory was released just about a week ago. The good stuff are kept in tact - ebony fretboard + Seymour Duncan P90 pickup. The rest of the specs are basically the same less the revised Epiphone headstock outline. More interestingly, let's see if the price will be retained at $999 or in many such instances, it's a classic case of bringing it up; it's a 'new' offering, they would say.

Pic: GW

59?

I think many of us are aware that for both Seymour Duncan & DiMarzio pickups, supplies had been hit by the COVID-19 situation. As such, we resort to cybershopping looking for whatever's available in the mean time. Someone asked me if the SH-1 above is a good deal considering it's less than USD50 per piece. The Seymour Duncan '59 (SH-1) comes in two versions; the 2-conductor, vintage type (has no brand label on it) & the contemporary 4-conductor version (bottom right in pic). In both cases, the pole pieces are the slug-slot combo. The budget SH-1 you see above is a pirated article; the black hex pole pieces are a dead giveaway. Folks, be careful buying from online re-sellers, some of whom are unauthorized entities, others are simply fake-mongers preying on the uninitiated. Before you commit to buying, it's best to ask around first unless it's your every intention to buy fake stuff - there are indeed people like that.

SA Igno

Got this one out yesterday & fixed an appointment with Beez. This is my Ibanez SA1260, it's a rather heavy guitar but it's bright sounding.

Beez wired the DiMarzio Igno into this one. 

The thing about pickups, we can't hear them in action first before buying. I based my choice on the pickup's EQ performance as seen above. I try not to get swayed by the tones I hear from a video performance because the player's quirks & set up tend to influence tone. So the Igno is a clipped treble pickup, quite likely to complement the bright nature of the SA. However, I overlooked the fact that it has an Alnico 8 magnet that might just add to brightness but everything turned out well. Despite the touted reduced top end, the brightness is rather commanding. The pickup has a strong lower frequency response so if your music is largely based on that EQ focus, it will serve you well. 

Fresh set of strings - La Bella. Pickup & strings purchased from TY Music 👍🏾

EQ pic: DiMarzio

JS?

Someone's selling this Ibanez JS in the after-market.

This is how a JS looks like. Seen here is the JS100.

I tried to clarify & this was the reply.

Let's look at the disturbing details:

1. Cutaways. These look wrong from the start. From the pic itself, we note that the edges are not rounded off like the JS design.
2. Neck. Re-look at the first pic & then this one - noticed the seller had swapped necks. The first one features a 24-fret neck with no JS inlay, this one has it. However, if you look at the JS100 closely, for the discontinued 22-fret version, there's a gap between the fretboard & the neck pickup but this one has none. 
3. Alignment. Bridge pickup is slanted. Volume & tone controls are in a straight line which is not the case as seen in the JS100 above.

Then again folks, let's give credit to the fact that it's a Santriani model, not Satriani. It's as original as it gets so it's $400 to the good. 

EDIT: Thanks to bro Hotaru for pointing out that all necks featured here are 22-fretted, not 24. It must be the chemo meds. I'm leaving the entry as it is.

On the way home today, I asked a friend to take a second look at this guitar. For $400, does the Santriani model actually have a genuine neck at least (consolation, perhaps). He highlighted some misalignments as indicated above (Right - JS100 headstock for comparison). Even the strings do not travel straight to the posts. Hmm...

Not a Junior

Alright, let's get this right - The Gibson LPJ is not a Les Paul Jr. As clearly seen above, the LPJ is a very LP Studio-like model that debuted in 2013 (seen here is the 2014 version). Featuring a no-frills appointment & a non-gloss finish, it was the most affordable LP of that time. The LP Jr. has always been a slab body, non-humbucking one pickup guitar. I was at the guitar stores yesterday looking for spares & strings. I saw an LPJ in one of the store's display window & was asking how much it was. 

Me: Hi, I can't see the LPJ price tag at your window, how much is it?

Store Owner: Which one?

Me: The dark brown Les Paul - LPJ.

Store Owner: Oh, the Les Paul Jr.

Me: No... I don't think you have a Jr. in your store, the non glossy Les Paul with zebra type pickups

Store Owner: Ah, yes. The LP Jr.

Me: 😖

If you think it's a local confusion, a quick check at YouTube revealed the same disorientation. Gibson is largely to blame for this, naming their models as such. The uninitiated would conveniently equate the J with Jr. since it's a legit model reference for a Guitar in the manufacturer's catalog & believing they are correct. Gee...

Pics: Gibson Legacy / YouTube

Review: PRS Silver Sky (rosewood)

The PRS Silver Sky (SS) went from a much maligned variation of the Strat to its current reverence as one of the best. Thanks to the conflicting views in cyberspace, I was motivated to try one in person. This appraisal is actually slanted towards discovering how good it really is in its own right as opposed to the Strat-killer status conferred by players who are obviously satisfied with their Silver Sky investment. Could there be any case for concern? 

Construction/ fit/ finish

This is a core model PRS so we enter this appraisal with preceding reverence. The immediate feel here is that of substantiality. Against a typical Strat, the SS is not too far off in terms of weight. Strummed unplugged, the guitar gives off an amazing resonance with a little treble suppression that sounds pleasing. The neck profile is a substantial C but nothing overwhelming like a 50s take. The body has a typical Strat feel to it so if you are indeed a Strat camper, it would not be a departure. 

The SS headstock had been the controversy since its debut but it was designed this way to address the endorser’s quirks. We note that the lower cutaway mimics that of a Strat since John Mayer angles his fretting hand at the lower frets rather often & the clearance was for that intention. This is the reason why the headstock looks stunted compounded by the fact that it’s a reverse design as opposed to its other PRS siblings. More importantly, the headstock, despite the inclusion of locking mechanism, balances out with the body very well so there is no placement issues when played both sitting down on strapped on. Every detail here is nothing short of a custom shop standard but as reflected in the price tag, it remains affordable while being in the higher bracket. Top marks for the SS in this department less the rattling hardware at the headstock. It’s not an anomaly but the locking mechanism for all six tuners were not tightened. I have no idea what happened along the way but it’s something that was addressed quickly. Oh, that curved input jack plate – nice!

Rating: 89%

Playability, tone

The SS sports a C-profile neck carve that is not overwhelming like some 50s era Strats; it sits nicely in the hands with a full grip. The edges are rounded off well so it gives a nice purchase for players who take their time with every note and the ones who tend to play fast. I am not alluding to a shred-type character but it is possible for that application. The audition model has a very well-conditioned fretboard but there were pale streaks at the bass side edge around the 5^th – 7^th fret area. The frets here are definitely non-vintage; I deem them as medium profile. These chord nicely and facilitate fast movements especially past the 12^th fret. 

Down at the body cutaways, the treble side horn was carved out to facilitate higher notes access. There is no breakthrough design in that aspect but PRS had been very mindful in giving it a very scooped profile with generous chamfering. The blocky heel at the flip side features rounded corners as well so all these add up to a very pleasant playing experience for players from various music genres including the more aggressive ones like yours truly here. If you missed it, the body attaches to the neck at the 18^th fret; one higher than the average Strat. How’s that for maximum playability? 

When the SS debuted, its control knobs & selector switch tip were considered as downright ugly. The knobs look unsightly with those taller domes & the flatter selector tip is rather distasteful. However, under playing conditions, the knobs lend themselves to better grip with regards to the extended height design. Ditto the selector tip. If you are the Malmsteen type who frequent the controls & selector almost all the time with ravishing fervour, these are worthy inclusions. For the rest of us who are not, the chances of having a sure grip / handling on these are definitely higher. There is a negative element to highlight for this particular model & it’s a fret issue. Notes buzz & choke out at the 20^th – 22^nd frets. A closer look reveals no component anomaly; no scratches, dents or uneven fret surfaces to manifest this complication. However, the string saddles over at the bridge do not conform to the fret radius curvature. This might be the issue. It’s rather disturbing how this escaped QC before the instrument left the factory but hey, these things happen. I hope there’s no deeper concerns that would actually relegate this particular guitar as a factory second. I do not think this is part of the PRS philosophy especially so when they saw sub-standard end products into half before trashing them – yikes!

 

Moving on to the most worthy part of this appraisal – tone. The SS is equipped with the signature 635JM single coils. 635 here is actually a mid-way reference to a 63 & 64 tones from his Fender experience (hence 63.5, get it?). Mr. Mayer’s overarching concern with Strat tones is the fact that the pickups do not manifest desirable tones in all combinations. His particular dissent was the number 4 position (neck + middle single coil combo) where the quack totally destroys the excellent individual performance of each pickup when activated as a combined effort. Having heard the SS in person, I must say that these pickups are simply excellent in all available selections. The bridge single coil in particular, does not manifest that edgy, shrill tone in clean mode. It is also a first for me, hearing very adaptable tones in positions 2 & 4. The absence of nasal voicings when two pickups are activated simultaneously in these combos makes for a remarkable playing experience. For the sake of this appraisal (possibly an individual agenda, come to think of it), the 635s were made to go through excessive gain settings (heavy distortion & cascading drive) and they fared well, way above expectations in fact. So there you have it folks, possibly the most accomplished Strat-type performance ever manifested without going into boutique territory. The overall tone manifestation of the SS is that of a charming midrange, thanks to the rosewood presence lest we forget. Great clarity in both clean & dirty settings – the SS has plenty of those. The only killjoy here are those problematic upper frets as mentioned previously. I did not let that anomaly get in the way of a deserving tone appraisal. 

 

Rating: 92%

Conclusion

I am neither an ardent John Mayer fan nor a single coil devotee; these are simply not my thing. Signature products tend to have a partisan leaning towards the endorser pre-requisites which have very little appeal to many of us in terms of utilitarian needs. The single coil’s lack of bottom end lends itself to being a specialist in a particular genre appeal on most occasions. The SS changed all that. It is a big thing for people like me who tend to stick to whatever that works for our personal intent & avoid venturing out of our comfort zone. Then the SS came along & gave a wakeup call of sort for us to put things into perspective. Let’s be firm here – the SS is not a Strat despite harbouring details of one. It is a very clever interpretation of the single coil tone which others have done excessively but failed to appeal in a wholesome way. While playing the SS in person, it’s very difficult to stop when every single pickup selection hold its own when it comes to tone; you just want to keep going & hear the different tones in action without being jaded to the ears. Folks, the SS is priced wisely if that is your concern – value for money. At $2,999 you could be buying the Fender American Pro with spare change & comparable performance all round but you cannot get that 635JM tone appeal. This price point is also below what a Suhr or Tom Andersen would be asking for when a boutique Strat-style experience is the call of the day. The SS sits nicely in between with lots to offer in terms of playability &, once again, tone. I wish the upper frets issue was absent during audition time & it’s the only factor that prevents it from getting an OTT rating here; I am simply putting things in perspective; it’s all well understood, yes?

 

Final rating: 89%

PRS Silver Sky ($2,999 @ Swee Lee Co / Davis GMC, bag included)

Likes

• Playability
• Well-balanced construction
• Upper fret access
• control knobs & selector switch (promotes grip)
• Pickups

Dislike

• headstock design could have been more appealing
• choking upper frets

Pics: PRS / Gearnews / Guitar

Tuesday blues

Had some time to kill today before treatment. Finally managed to blue all plastic parts for my Ibanez RG521 & gave it a fresh set of strings while I'm at it. It took me this long to realize that the pickups were too close to the strings. Since day one, I've been adhering to the Ibanez factory settings but the oversight here was that the output of the pickups should be taken into consideration. So both pickups were lowered into the cavity, not too much, just to eliminate wolf tones. This refers to the sound of the pickups fuzzing out while in distortion mode. FYI those are Seymour Duncan's Alpha - Omega set.