Selling: EHX Green Russian Big Muff Pi

Letting this go to fund my chemo bills which seems unending. That's the price for falling sick.

• EHX: Green Russian Big Muff Pi (box included)
• Condition: 9/10 (no velcro at base plate)
• Self-collect: CCK / Yew Tee mrt station
• No trades / reservations
• Query / confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $99 (final)

Goodbye, July...

Gibson - Hammett

This was announced two days ago. I'm somehow glad he left the ESP camp. Let's just leave it as that.

EDIT: As at time of entry, one Kirk Hammett, guitarist of American band, Metallica, is still on the ESP endorsers list. I have no idea what took place between both manufacturers when it comes to this deal. I'm not a fan so whatever the situation, it might have a $ignificant & gainful impact all round.

Tamura Mod

Godlyke Distribution had parted ways with Maxon, we wonder what happened but let's not think of that. Let's think of how we could get our hands on this limited edition Ibanez TS808 Tamura Mod which was released after the presumably amicable parting.

It puportedly contains some magic in the guts, specifically designed by Susumu Tamura himself. The initial 100 units were signed by the man as seen above & was sold out even when it retails for a whopping USD349. Damn!

Pics: Godlyke

Dusty Hill (RIP)

 

Guitardom says goodbye to another music icon, ZZ Top's Dusty Hill. All that beard & whole lotta blues rock; these are unmistakable. Like Joey Jordison, preliminary reports cited death in his sleep. We note that of late, Dusty Hill did not front ZZ Top due to hip issues but we remember him all the same. Here's a live version of Tush as we keep Dusty Hill in our fond memories:

Pic: CNBCN

Joey Jordison (RIP)

Another phenomenal talent has departed (26 July 2021)- Joey Jordison, best known for his drumming efforts in Slipknot. Talent because once you listen to Slipknot's debut album, you will hear his ability beyond just band drumming obligations. The standard was high, to say the least. Preliminary reports stated a passing in his sleep, no details were disclosed yet. We are aware that he has bouts of depression which might have contributed to his demise; reserving further comments till details are in hand.

Pic: CM

The other greenie

Since there's so much hype surrounding this pedal & the fact that I'm still in no position to buy a new guitar, have decided to check it out. I'm currently in distortion mode so an overdrive might be something a little off preference. It took quite sometime to arrive, the seller could have indicated it as being out of stock so that our money won't be locked down by the wait for new stock to be available. To be continued...

BOSS bags

This was rather unexpected coming from BOSS - a guitar case. Seen above is the CB-EG20. Well, it's a semi-hard case, to put things in perspective; a hard case with a soft, bag-type exterior, similar to what Ibanez did for their Premium Series guitars.

I find the interior impressive; lush with thoughtful support where it matters - neck & body edge.

The smart design ensures adjustments / removal of these features to accommodate the type of guitar you own. It's just an instrument storage case but the thing with manufacturers that do not produce instruments; they tend to put more effort in design appeal. We also have Mono & Reunion Blues to account for this understanding.

Pics: BOSS USA

Hale Gibson

I didn't see this coming but Gibson had appointed Lzzy Hale as its first female brand ambassador. They cited some collaborations in the works & if that guitar is indeed one of those outcomes, one word - ugly.

Then again, ugly was done before - Custom Shop Bonabyrd.

Pics: Gibson / IGM

Get grooving

New from the Edwards camp, the E-Goover bass, seen here in a vintage white finish.

Also available in seafoam green (along with black & natural). As I grow older, I kinda appreciate simple designs more, the E-Groover bass here is the epitome of simplicity; just a pair of P-Bass type pickups (Seymour Duncan SP & it's good to groove (Seymour Duncan SPB-1). Even the pickguard is a simple affair.

Pics: ESP

Price watch (20)

I'm still trawling the after-market, it had become a pass time of sort, owing to the fact that no new stuff are coming into the stores for a while now; especially Gibsons. It's the pandemic affecting this aspect of business. In any case, brand names like DiMarzio & Ibanez, among others, are also experiencing this slow development. Let's take a look at the Les Pauls above - the Tribute model is virtually listing itself not to be sold at that price. Folks, Tributes sit a little below the Studios in terms of price-to-detail tier standings. The 'burst Studio, in my opinion, has a fair asking price. Also, a full fledged Studio, that red one on the right, is listing for less & it comes with a hard case. 

So what can be learnt here? You really need to know what you are selling & what you are competing against, which contribute towards the demand - supply situation. Regardless if your instrument is relatively new or well-maintained, it's all about putting things in context. Yes, these factors do place a little weight on your asking price but it does not invite desirability & an invitation to treat.

Epiphone - Slash 2021

This dropped last week - the new Epiphone Slash 2021 collection. These were made to be close reflections of the Gibson version hence the familiar finishes you see here. I'm not a signature model fan by any means but I choose to see these guitars as good guitars without the exorbitant prices owing to the artist endorsement. These retail for USD899 for all versions including the acoustic selections. That green Anaconda Burst you see there has quite the looks. 

Pic: Gearnews

Roasted hybrid

As mentioned countless times before - the good stuff comes from Japan. This was a Summer release - Hybrid Telecaster Custom. It's a limited run model featuring a roasted maple fretboard. It's no longer a big deal (at least the way I see it) for an instrument to feature a roasted maple component; it's been done on even the budget offerings with outstanding outcome. It"s definitely a desirable feature & I must say Fender is a little behind with this regards. They have no obligations, of course, but it will boost things in terms of sales. I'm just hopeful that the Japanese Fenders will make their way here. The American side of Fender is a little stale.

EDIT: Took a closer look & it's an online store exclusive. Bummer 🙄

Pic: Fender Japan

Aidiladha 2021

By the time you read this, Aidiladha, the day of sacrifice, has closed its chapter. It's a somber eid compounded by the COVID-19 situation & further aggravated by the unforgiving developments in this country of late. As at noon today, the authorities had announced the reversion to no external dine-in & stiff limitations on social gatherings, in view of the escalating number of infections for the past few days or so. The way I see it, the spirit of sacrifice - forgoing current pleasures to acknowledge an emergency - is a lobsided affair here. Then again, I'm not expecting too much from the authorities whose grip of the situation is threatening to jelly. 

Regardless of whatever unfolds in the days to come, Eid Mubarak to all Muslims, may our sacrifice be in the good books of the Creator, not under the hankering attention of puny mortals. Onwards!

Like a BOSS

I seriously do not know what to make of this release - it's a BOSS Eurus synth guitar. Is there a current synth guitar revival? Not that we know of but the idea of having synth technology in a guitar isn't new. Casio's DG series were there & became a compelling entry in a chapter of guitar history. Ditto Roland's GR guitars. Simply put folks, the Eurus is literally a guitar with a synth pedal on board which has a niche appeal. I don't see synth-inclined guitar dweebs ditching their synth pedals entirely to embrace the Eurus. We can safely conclude that guitarists would rather own a guitar with synth options in an external format to preserve the purity of owning a musical instrument.

The video above isn't a comprehensive promotional sound clip, it's the creators of the Eurus guitar, represented by a spokesperson,  schooling us on the motivations that gave birth to this instrument. After understanding what it has to offer, I must say that the body outline is appealing; that treble side cut away is very shred-worthy. However, the headstock can be a little more exciting but it's all about the functionalities ahead of aesthetic appeal here.

Pic: BOSS

Head issues (3)

Here's the RG560 headstock all taped up & ready for re-lacquering. The lacquer acts as a final overcoat to protect the new decal from being scraped / wiped off. 

This is the Watco brand lacquer used in this process. It's available at the local hardware stores here for about $20. I intended to purchase a guitar-specific lacquer product from Stewmac but decided against spending more money & waiting longer for it to arrive. FYI, it contains nitrocellulose, the same ingredient used in guitar finishing that will age nicely over time. I have no expectations for that to happen, really. Just glad that it's suitable for such guitar-related adventures.

My makeshift spray booth; just a flattened out box. This was done at the common corridor when the neighbours were all away at work / school. Remember to don at least an N95 face mask to prevent those invisible particles from entering your respiratory system. Also, a non-windy day is crucial for any spraying activity to take place. Seven coats of lacquer were applied with ample drying time in between. Thirty minutes of drying is recommended but I only did twenty because I blasted the table fan at it. There were cloudy build-ups along the way but this was successfully polished away using just normal guitar polishing fluid before the subsequent coat was applied. 

The protective tape was removed & you can see the original colour of the headstock there - Ibanez calls it jewel blue. I did not re-finish the headstock in black. The decal & blue overcoat came off on that fateful day when I cleaned the headstock with a simple intention of re-stringing this guitar. Someone I talked to mentioned the possibility of the blue turning black over time due to repeated exposure to light & chemicals. I have no idea if this would indeed happen to solid finishes over time but this RG560 will be 30 years old come December & the time element here might attest this understanding.

Okie dokie, it's all strung up (D'Addario 9s) & ready to rumble. I gave the final coat of lacquer an overnight drying before fixing the hardware. FYI, the pickups here are DiMarzio PAF (b), Fast Track 1 (m) & Half Track (n). This guitar had been through quite a rough ride but it's still good as ever. I will share what happened throughout its 30 years of existence in time to come. 

Wishing you a good week ahead, please stay COVID-free & stop believing the KTV outlets are equal to an F&B establishment despite the authorities licensing them as such. Idiots, yes?

Previously (click):

• Head issues
• Head issues (2)

Graphic

Darn cool release - Kramer's Custom Graphic series. These just scream 80s.

This Baretta example is one of the best representative of that era. We can, in the mean time, hope these will make it here because even the non-custom graphic ones are nowhere to be seen despite the updates (current status - unavailable, acquisition upon request). 

On that note, despite being unavailable (online store status), the VT-211S is available in-store @ Swee Lee's Bras Basah branch (correct as at 10th July 2021, Saturday). Yours for $199 but bring / get your own bag.

Pics: Kramer

Price watch (19)

Still trawling the after-market to check prices. The Ibanez PGM above lists for nearly $3K.

It's described as a super mint instrument as depicted, so claimed the seller. Folks, mint refers to an unmarred condition, as if fresh (Merriam Webster).

Looking at this close up image of the guitar's bridge - does this look mint to you? How about 'super mint'? I personally won't pay $2k for this in view of the trouble that would entail should I get this looked into. Floyd Rose replacement parts will not fit into the Edge simple because the Edge bridge is not a Floyd Rose. 

Folks, in the course of anxiety, I think we should strive to be more forthcoming when it comes to representing the true nature of our items. This is the reason I under-value my items slightly when it comes to managing others' expectations. Our mint might be their trash. It's better to deal on agreed terms regardless of the condition. If you can't represent your item accurately, then don't. Providing pictures (like this seller did) is best, let the buyer evaluate but you are free to mitigate. 

Orange

Watch this space, interesting developments. 😎

Pic: Davis GMC edited 

MOMM (5)

A Darkthrone release is always priority listening for me. Their latest, Eternal Hails, offers only five tracks but over 40min of music. I must say that the doom element here is rather prominent without sounding like a doom outfit; things are in gear two for 90% of the songs, there was no hurry to be anywhere, to prove anything. It's also fundamental drumming for all tracks so if you are looking for some adrenaline supplement here, maybe it will happen in subsequent releases. In fact, only Voyage to a North Pole Adrift offers a double bass attack & not entirely at that. This is one for the fans who know what the band is all about but forgive them for going off tangent in the name of introversion. For me, this release has one of the best sounding guitar tones considering Darkthrone had always been lo-fi since their sophomore release. It's a more polished production guitar-wise but not on the verge of betraying their dark roots.

Special burst

Some playing time this morning after too much allocation for maintenance & makeovers - Gibson SG Special.

After some serious considerations, the '61 humbuckers made way for a pair of Burstbucker Pro. Nothing bad about the '61s, I have three Gibsons with these pickups so it's time for change. The BB Pro, in a nutshell, is the high octane rock reference if Gibson is your thing, without losing vintage-esque voicings at lower guitar volume settings. Some Alnico V magic here, definitely.

Fresh set of strings while I'm at it. Not an Ernie Ball fan but I don't exclude them entirely.

STG

Despite whatever's written on the headstock, be informed that this is a good guitar. It's Aria's STG-004. It's a Strat-esque guitar, let's not look away from that. 

It's the manufacturer's no-frills entry level model (together with the STG-003) before things go into a more intended territory with the likes of STG-57 & STG-62. What I like about this guitar is the weight & pickup clarity. Despite not weighing much, there is ample resonance here & the tone's single note definition is a healthy serving; these are in-house units, mind you. The humbucker there could be the deal breaker as it lacks warmth compared to the rather impressive single coils. Things get too bright rather quickly especially at overdriven settings but we expect such manifestations with guitars at this price point. With that said, the humbucker's clean tone with chorus dialled in is a pleasant surprise. On a budget but not wanting poor tones - the STG-004 should be on your checklist.

ARIA STG-003 (List: $185)

Available at Davis GMC

Head issues (2)

So a replacement decal was purchased, I didn't know it comes in a pair.

Organic outline to facilitate a more presentable aesthetic.

No instructions came with the product & it turned out to be a non-water slide version - caught off guard. Darn. It's this transfer version, as you can see, it required a peel off after drying. It's a delicate process & took some time. Not for the impatient, definitely.

Regardless if it's a transfer or water slide version, there will be this bumped, ugly outline as indicated above. Do click the picture for clarity. 

After some delicate press-downs / unidirectional rubbing, the edges were successfully made to 'disappear' into the background. This image was taken at this particular angle to show the successful outcome; no more unsightly bumps. At this stage, the decal is very vulnerable to scratching, it's also very sticky & will transfer itself onto another surface. Extended drying is necessary. One more step & it's done. 

It's my first encounter with this type of make-over & it turned out above expectations. Grateful.

To be concluded...

Previously: CLICK

RP

In line with its video showcase, PRS' Silver Sky is now available in everybody's favourite colour - pink. Roxy Pink to be precise. 

Pic: PRS

Head issues

It's one of those days when you decided to be thorough in your headstock cleaning & literally everything came off. Geez... 

To be continued 😖

Continued here: CLICK 

G&G

Charvel has announced the release of these guitars but they will only be available in 'Fall (September). These are the new Rick Graham (bottom) & Guthrie Govan (top) signature models. What's the big deal? These are made in Japan so it won't be as costly if these were made in the USA. The former feature Bare Knuckle pickups while the latter are Charvel's own custom units. The pertinent question: Will these be here?

Pic: Gearnews

Knobs

Once again, a totally unnecessary mod but a happy one for me. New knobs for my Kiesel Holdsworth. There were red ones in there previously but I prefer these instead as they are more pinkish. 

This was what took place every time knobs are replaced. It's bordering on being OCD but I'll share anyway. I have this shim / wedge that I place before installing the knob. As you can see, it's made from  a trashed warranty card pieced together using sticky tape. Two layers of card material were used to give a certain clearance off the body surface.

Once the knob is in place & sits on the shim, it is locked & the shim duly removed. The reasons for doing this: 1) It provides a uniform clearance for a knob off the guitar body. We do not wish for it to be touching the body surface because it will scratch it when in use. If it sits too high, it affects effective handling. 2) It prevents us from doing a precarious balancing act while locking the knob in place. 

This is, of course, totally unnecessary & a newbie-like approach to a simple task. I'm used to this & it has its benefits. If you are a master knob installer, good for you. I stick to what works for me.

Nobel segue

Way Huge has released this interesting little pedal - the STO WM25 overdrive (Super Terrific Overdrive). It's a little hazy, by my understanding especially, as to why the STO is cited as a country music stellar supplement which is mirrored after Nobel's ODR-1. One gear-related website went as far as saying it's country guitar's great secret sauce. I'm not aware the ODR-1 has that association to begin with but this is not to discredit both pedals; they sound very good for the application, whatever yours might be. I hear some clear treble end responses despite the punters dubbing it as a popular mild midrange bump. Anyway folks, do listen to the clip here:

Pic: Jimdunlop

Headless quest (2)

The new Ibanez Quest models are offered in two frets types; Standard (Q) & Slanted (QX). Note that slanted is the correct reference for the QX, not fanned frets. Let's look at the RGD neck & Q necks in the pics above. The RGD (top) sports a fanned fret; frets are tilted both in the clockwise & anti-clockwise directions hence forming the fan pattern. The Q (bottom) neck, on the other hand, is only tilted one way so technically, these are slanted, not fanned. Based on this understanding, fanned frets will give rise to two scale lengths on the same neck as depicted above; the bass side will observe a longer scale length while the treble side remains standard.

Why did Ibanez go the slanted way? An immediate answer to this is, nobody out there is offering this feature (correct as at time of product release). If both sides are of the same scale length, why bother, you ask. Ibanez is addressing finger comfort. Frets are tilted this way to conform to the player's finger direction during play. At the very least it gives rise to a more economic / dynamic finger movement, depending in your style of play. I reserve agreements to this claim until I try one in person. In any case, it's a smart commercial move by the manufacturer in offering this feature.

Pics: Ibanez