Happy birthday, Malaysia

To our dear neighbour - Happy Independence Day! I miss my moments there; seafood at Malacca, the hustle & bustle at KL & those serene sunset moments at Penang Beach... I just want to re-live those moments because they keep me sane. Really. 😔

This is my most memorable song when it comes to Hari Kemerdekaan. Watching Francesca Peters sing it on TV back then, I shared the proud moments celebrating national identity. My TV was monochrome till the late '80s. I was from a low income family. We inherited TVs from others who gave theirs up for coloured versions. We had not phone, no fridge as well.

This is the current rendition of the song featuring other artistes & Francesca Peters at the helm. Treasure your neighbours, they are the first to be there for you in times of need. 

Goodbye, August.

Pic: Bergerpaints

Type A single

Aw, darn! I get all hyped up just by looking at this (A2.6AG). Thank you, Solar Guitars, for recognizing that small segment of players who just need a no-frills, single pickup guitar to get things going. In fact, it's all we need to bring out the best in us. Can we look forward to this one being available here? Of course not. I don't want to get started with the ineptitude of the Solar dealer here. Enough. 

Pic: Solar Guitars

Ghostly

Nothing much folks,  just spending the Sunday with my new picks - the Uno (l) & Planchette (r). I can no longer play thin picks; these are 3mm. Any thinner & it would make me flop. OK so I use thinner picks for acoustic stuff. That's something else. If you are interested in these picks, do check them out here: Northern Ghost picks

MOMM (7)

Yet another Music of My Moment episode this weekend, a good time to catch up with the tunes that I love. 

Suzanne Vega (Solitude Standing). I grew up with the radio more than the TV. The radio was switched on when I was at home, especially during weekends. This is one of the reasons '80s music is still alive in me till this day. One of those catchy, memorable tunes still playing in my head is Suzanne Vega's Tom's Diner. If I hear it played for that day then it stuck with me for the rest of the week or so. I was also fortunate to have a very passionate Literature teacher in school who would use song lyrics to teach poetry; Luka was one of them. So the music of my moment was kept alive & relevant in ways that enriched me more than merely being a tune on the radio.

Mayhem (Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando). This is not a new one from the lords of black metal, it's an interesting EP consisting of original tunes & covers. Out of the three black metal tunes, one track is an unreleased number which was not included in the preceding Daemon LP - Voces Ab Alta. The remaining songs are punk covers. That's right folks, many black metal philosophies perpetuated today got their roots from punk. Discharge, Dead Kennedys, Rudimentary Peni & Ramones contributed to the musical well-being of the Mayhem chaps & these were covered brilliantly here. Ex-Mayhem members, Billy Messiah & Sven Kristiansen, made their contributions count. Thoroughly enjoyable, this one.

Wishing you a good weekend, hopefully one filled with some music re-discivery of your own.

Japs

Have been spending time with these two. Ibanez AZ2402 (pink) & RG550 (yellow), both Japanese but worlds apart.

RG550. I've been conditioned by the RG since the start, not this one but my RG560. The thin & flat neck profile stuck with me for a good while & everything else was just not my thing. Other neck profiles just make the instrument difficult to play for me. That happened for about 7 years or so till I bought my first Fender which was a Telecaster. It was a real change in terms of playing feel but I persevered.

AZ2402. This was something unexpected when it comes to Ibanez; that thick, round neck was it. It's the most non-Ibanez feel ever, a total departure. However, unlike Fender & it's other derivatives, Ibanez did something to the neck, a roasted treatment of sort so it gave the neck a very inviting feel despite moving away from its roots. Also, for a brand name with a steep inclinations for DiMarzio pickups, the Seymour Duncans were a very bold move. I was at Swee Lee to just test the guitar but it sort of grew on me. I did not buy the initial batch of AZs that came in but it happened much later. Pink was not priority, the instrument passed my inspection at the store & it clicked right from the start.

Sometimes we are deceived by familiarity; we tend to stick with what works & reject the rest. Any compromise & it brings us down in so many ways. Life has taught me to adapt. That triggered my purchase of other guitar brands which have no obligations to replicate the Ibanez profile in every way. Job experience also taught me to work out of my comfort zone to bring out my best performance & that translated to guitar playing. In my case, the other guitars prepared me to play my Ibanez better. Those times that I struggled with Fender & Gibson, when I returned to Ibanez, it makes playing a breeze. If it's within your means, do invest in guitars which are not your thing. These are the implements that will bring out the other side of your playing that might prove to be that refreshing change you are waiting for.

Never(rich)mind

S Elden, the baby in this pic, who is now 30 years of age, is putting Nirvana on trial for implications relating to pornography. He claimed that no proxy consent was done at the time, by his parents, allowing this image to be used as an album cover. As such, he allegedly suffered 'extreme & permanent emotional distress'. The parties implicated here are the surviving members of Nirvana, Cobain's estate, Courtney Love & the photographer. 

This situation reeks of desperation. If there is any real concern for pornography, the parents should have injunctioned the parties involved much earlier as a preventive measure relating to the current psychological effects of the individual concerned. The fact that he agreed to recreate the album cover as a commemorative effort speaks a lot of what's going on behind the real concerns & allegations.

On that note, the girl in this famous historical picture of the Vietnam War, should consider legal proceedings as well, yes? 

She can even get extra for the real damages caused by napalm. Does she suffer mental anguish from this as well? What do you think?

People, driven by greed, will always find opportunity.

Pics: The Guardian / BP / The World / Birminghammail

Sykes

If you know John Sykes, you're most probably a Whitesnake fan or you've been checking out the band's history. John Sykes is most often seen with his preferred Les Paul, a '70s black custom he continued using during his Thin Lizzy stint. That era saw him modding the guitar to feature chrome / silver-esque parts that became his signature feature. 

Edwards did a take on the afore-mentioned Gibson. Specs are close to the original instrument less some good tweaks; ebony fretboard, Seymour Duncan JB/59 pickups, among others. This guitar, the E-LP130CD-JS to be precise, is a good mid-priced Japanese-made instrument. I wouldn't say it's a Gibson LP Custom on a budget, that would be disrespecting this instrument of notable pedigree. It's a good Japanese singlecut guitar in terms of build, great playability with a substantial neck feel & that tried & trusted Seymour Duncan tone. It won't sound vintage-esque for sure but great tones are definitely available on tap. It's available on/off at Davis GMC, if you are interested, it's currently in stock (List: $1,450). I've been keeping track of this guitar for a while in terms of price fluctuations & must say that it's been stable from the start; it never crossed the current listing & did go for a little less in one of the previous shipments. 

Pics: Davis GMC / JS

De-wired

Removed. These tubes had been in my arm since October 2020 (left). The reason it was there - to prevent repeated puncturing for my daily chemotherapy which would be detrimental to my veins. The drug administered had a side effect on the skin, it's virtually a skin eater, making the surrounding area devoid of a top most skin layer. Every time a new dressing was required, removal of the top skin due to the tape's adhesive, was inevitable. As such, I was more prone to infection compounded by the cancerous blood condition. The advice was to stay indoors as much as possible to prevent the untoward from happening. Those tubes had been removed (right) as I am moving towards remission / recovery. 

MT discount

Just a heads-up if you are looking to buy gear from the Musictribe group of brand names from Swee Lee- TC Electronics, Bugera & Behringer among others. 

Pic: Swee Lee

Strat-ifying

Have not played this one in quite a while. I consider this to be one of my best single coil tone guitar & it's not a Fender: Edwards E-SE-100M/LT.

The headstock edges of this guitar are especially rounded, more rounded than a typical Fender. Reminds me of a seasoned instrument. Felt pieces were added to the strap buttons as these were not included from the factory. Edwards uses the ESP embossed string saddles, a reminder of the instrument's pedigree.

These are the key components of what makes me happy when playing this guitar; Seymour Duncan's SSL-1 (n/m) + SSL-3 (b). They are default from the factory & simply sound fantastic. I still can't nail down why these work perfectly well here. It might be attributable to some key considerations, namely the action settings as well as the weight of the instrument. 

The second tone control of this instrument is also a blend switch. When activated, the bridge & neck single coils are activated so at selector position 3, all three single coils are in use. Interesting feature but I seldom use it for rhythm work, just solos. 

I will always acknowledge good strings, regardless of the brand name. SIT's PG Pure Nickel are good stuff, available at Davis GMC.

Dime - 59

Thought long & hard about it & finally decided to do some mods to this guitar. I believe this guitar is the one most attended to by Beez. The 3-way selector & pots get corroded very fast. I have no idea what's going on with the internals of this guitar, it's like there's a mini seaside atmosphere with salty winds blowing in there & corroding metal parts in no time.

The major make over was the neck pickup; the P-Rails made way for a '59. The late Dimebag's pickups in his guitar were a Dimebucker - 59 pair just that his 59 was a bridge version deployed in the neck position. Since I'm not Dimebag, I have no obligations to replicate that set up so I went with an average Joe's '59. The reason for doing this - I have a current affinity with lower output pickups & an appreciation for their interaction with high levels of distortion. It's also one of the best when it comes to a no frills clean tone. 

The other mod not seen above - removed the coil split tone pot, making do with a regular version. There's a lot of flak out there when it comes to the Dimebucker. Many people find it too excessive in the midrange & not an ideal pickup to be had in the bridge position which makes any pickup a little bright in there. So there's excessive brightness that renders the humbucker 'useless' but this is a niche pickup with a peculiar spec by the late Dimebag himself; it's supposed to sound like that to begin with. Players who bought the pickup in the hope that it sounds like something else were clearly misrepresented along the way. I bought this one in the absolute knowledge that it would be a make/break pickup due to this manifestation. Hindsight told me that it would be a good one with a detuned application since it's a bright one to begin with. The reason you see it in this RGD321 (detuned to C#) for a long time now (since 2011) is because it works.

This set of Everly B52s was recently discovered in one of my bags & it's more than a year old. I no longer play 11 - 48 for detuned stuff, I prefer 11 - 49 so this set will be my final experience with a 48 in the low E. The strings are surprisingly still very usable. Bought this one from Davis GMC but they don't bring this brand in any more.

Affordable monkey

This is the current buzz over at the Gibson camp - Iommi's 'Monkey' SG Special in a more affordable format. It's a celebrated SG Special, given the pickup mounting ring & wrap over bridge without the unsightly stop tail holes. It looks much cleaner & more presentable. If it's available here in time to come, it would list for at least SGD3K. The irony of it all; it's just an SG Special given the celebrity treatment. Nobody pays attention to a P-90 equipped SG till this comes about, of course. It's a niche appeal. Monkey sticker included.

On another front, if you are just triggered by the simplicity of an SG Special, be informed that the non-signature version had been in the catalog since 2019 & listed for much less (prices above in SGD). Even the Epiphone version looks inviting at that price point. 

This isn't the first Gibson commissioned Iommi SG, the cross inlay version with the covered humbuckers was the predecessor. I managed to try this at Swee Lee when it was still available & find the signature covered pickups to be one of the best for distortion application. If your set up consists of a very intense fuzz unit, these pickups would be a nice complement. 

Pics: Gibson / Epiphone

New Squiers

If you are eagerly anticipating the new Squier Affinity Series, be informed that they have landed here. My prediction of the new price (CLICK) fell a little short but we understand that costs went up along the way hence the final figure depicted above. There will be reminders that the new version features 'upgrades' &  'improved' design along with a range of lively finishes etc. all translating into the new price range. Really, nobody would want to see the older design Affinities with a new price tag; that would have been deplorable. These new features are really a facade to justify revised prices. This happened to Fender's Highway 1 series some time ago (no idea if you remember those) before they evolved to become the American Special, among other Fender models. Price contention aside, the revised Affinities, in my opinion, have gone up a notch in terms of deserving improvements, aesthetic appeal included. In terms of value-for-money, the new Affinities face a steep competition against Bacchus & others who are ahead of the game in terms of contemporary considerations (eg. roasted maple neck).

Pics: Premier Guitar

Gold covers

I've been giving this guitar some TLC & it received a new pair of pickups plus some other minor changes. This is my Gibson LP Studio Premium Plus which made it to Davis GMC somehow, 21 years ago. I remember them telling me they have just displayed the guitar before I walked into the store & bought it on the spot. No questions asked.

The main highlight here are the new pickups in this guitar; a pair of Gibson 490 humbuckers. These were originally uncovered, double black units. I purchased a pair of gold covers to match the other gold hardware of the instrument. As you can see above, these are simply add ons, no extra wax potting were done, the covers were not soldered to the base plate as well. It's a tight fit but still allows pickup height adjustments. 

The strap buttons are now a pair of Dunlops. These are significantly bigger than the original buttons equipped by the manufacturer. I encourage LP owners to do this swap as we read horror stories of how straps gave way during movements on stage resulting in countless broken Gibson headstocks. I just wish Dunlop would supplement gold screws with their gold buttons. The one depicted here is the original screw that had been polished & showing its true nature; a chrome finish. 

The truss rod cover was also replaced with a black version so it looks flushed against the headstock. If you know me by now, I dislike the cover displaying the guitar's model. It adds some expectations relating to the guitar's performance which should not be the case to begin with. A fresh set of Harmony strings this time round. 

Price watch (22)

I'm always tracking price developments here. I believe I represent the good majority of buyers out there in saying that price will always be a make / break consideration before we commit to purchase. Also, I'm not discriminating stores / individuals in particular when prices are being scrutinized. It's all about noting how the value of things get inflated over time due to various reasons & it's not just happening to guitars.

We're happy the Japanese Fenders are making their way here continuously & that we are the very few who enjoy reasonable prices when it comes to these instruments. Just a note of how prices go up with every shipment as depicted above but these are still reasonable figures compared to how much these would go for in the American & European markets. It's making us see how substantial import costs are & these would trickle down to the price listings which we are subjected to. Why bother taking note? Because our income do not level up proportionately when prices go up. That's why. 

Happy birthday, Indonesia

17th August - wishing our neighbour, Indonesia,  a happy Independence Day. 

Enjoy this number by the Indonesian band, Cokelat. (Bendera = flag). I like this version featuring new members Aiyu (vocals) & Axel (drums).

Here's the original version. I believe music is the best platform to conjure patriotic fervour; the reason why every country has a national anthem.  

Flag pic: Factsofindonesia

BST LH

Not forgetting the south paws among us...

Bacchus' value-for-money BST Series left-handed versions are available at Davis GMC as well (List: $275). I'm highlighting this here because someone asked me for some lefty recommendations last weekend. We don't see too many of these here across brand names but there are some worthy considerations. Seen above: BST-1R in black & white finishes. 

Pics: Bacchus Guitar

Not mine

If you are guitar hunting & come across this ad in the after-market, yes that's my guitar in the last pic.

 But it's only my pic used with permission. Please note. 😎

Neon

The Grassroots G-Mirage-WK/M Neon models are now available at Davis GMC (List: $690). Didn't manage to plug in as I was in a hurry but managed to handle one. First impressions - well-constructed, good set-up & feel out of the box (yes, these were freshly unpacked today). This should give the Ibanez GIO / Standard models a run for the money as they are in the same price bracket & appealing to the same segment of players; those in need of a reliable, affordable alternative to their primary instruments. 

Pic: MXing73

PAF 59

While browsing the DiMarzio webpage, I chanced upon the PAF 59. I must admit the '59' tag got me interested. FYI, DiMarzio has a few PAF iterations; PAF (discontinued) / PAF Pro / PAF 36TH /  PAF Master / PAF 59 / PAF Joe. I went with the 59 as they are relatively low output with Alnico 5 magnets. These specs are beyond my usual inclinations & would provide some sort of push to perform beyond my comfort zone. If there's any dynamic performance to be had, after years of hearing different pickups in action in different guitars, I must say the Alnico 5 magnet is it. I bought these from TY Music; they have a fresh batch of DiMarzios in store despite other stores waiting for the much delayed shipment from the manufacturer.

The bridge version is a relatively balanced performer. In use, it has a very uniformed response especially with lots of distortion dialled in. Despite the manufacturer's EQ chart marking a slightly reduced top end response, I don't hear that happening. In fact, it sounds a little boomy in clean mode.

The neck counterpart stays true to the manufacturer's EQ specification; lots of clarity with controlled bottom end. I really like how it responds to distortion for solos especially. In clean mode, the tone sounds like a hollow body guitar; clean & crispy. 

Was at Beez's yesterday to have them installed in my Les Paul as you can see above. I thought of dropping by midweek but due to my bone marrow aspiration last Tuesday, the after-effects prevented me from sitting / standing for extended periods. I also could not manage handling the guitar; it felt excessively heavy & triggered pain at the hip bone where the aspiration was done. I don't see myself using the PAF 59s for much cleans but these are the best sounding clean tones coming from a DiMarzio that I've encountered thusfar giving the Air Norton a good run for the money. These were conceived with the vintage vibe in mind but proved (in my case) to fare equally well with contemporary settings. If you are interested please be informed that the PAF 59 is only offered in a single conductor version. 

DiMarzio: PAF 59

Availability: TY Music

List: $110 ea

EQ charts: DiMarzio

MOMM (6)

Latest 2 acquisitions:

• Naglfar - Cerecloth. This is their 7th full length release, reduced to a trio. From Sheol onwards, the production got more contemporary losing that crusty black metal vibe but all is still good in terms of  intensity. Can't help but hearing parallels to Cradle of Filth in this release.
• John Mayer - Sob Rock. Absolutely loving the laid back '80s vibe in this one. Despite New Light being released way ahead of the rest of the numbers, it fits in perfectly. John Mayer will always be that someone who will get away with whatever music he churns out; people look up to his songwriting prowess regardless of the genre he's dwelling in.

BK-DCA

Bare Knuckle's collaboration with Duelund Coherent Audio, still the PIO type. Support local, buy from SV Guitars: CLICK

B & B

Swee Lee is now the official dealer for Bugera.

They are also distributing Behringer stuff. These are not boutique brand names but for those of us with a modest budget to get our music going. They're not new to the industry either. The GDI 21 for instance, was featured here back in 2008: CLICK 

EDIT: Behringer stuff are available through online purchase only. These will not be available in any showrooms.

Shout out to blog reader Nic Burrows for alerting me the good stuff 👍

Pics: Swee Lee / Behringer

Crackling

LTD is now offering the '87 models in this colourful crackle finish. It's good to see the '87s still being manufactured. These may be an overlap of what are being offered in the other series but they remain to be an important part of the manufacturer's history.

PIC: Guitar

56th

Happy 56th birthday to the beloved country. Things are still shackled by the pandemic but we are grateful for the mini celebrations & a day off work. The dissidents here - we still love our country, we are just averse to the administrators. These people should be replaced soon.

Very happy with this year's National Day theme song, it's a deserving upbeat tune with bits of sombre takes in between; all done tastefully. Definitely a turnover from last year's semi-meloncholy number & the recycled compositions of the years before.  

Price watch (21)

This is a very difficult proposition; a 'limited edition' Gibson going for $2K in the after-market.

It is an SG Special, signed by local artiste, JJ Lin.

This is the description of the guitar. The designed by label there is contentious; which part of the guitar was designed by the artiste? From the image provided, it's fair to say that custom graphics were added to make the instrument look unique & this might just be the extent of the 'design' by the artist. Other than that, it's a regular SG Special, just a little celebrated. I'm not putting down the artiste here, I have no intention to, all respect to him; it's just the guitar. Granted, it's given a special touch to commemorate a special event but guitar fans won't be won over by these details. They will just view it as an SG Special with custom graphics that extended onto the body surface & might be too problematic to get rid of should there be intentions to restore this guitar to its former self. There might be a JJ Lin fan who is also a Gibson fan out there but in the mean time, he / she is not manifesting himself / herself to secure an interest.

The way I see it, in order for this guitar to garner some interest:

1. Charity sale. There is a higher chance for a philantrophist to be interested. There are indeed individuals who would commit to charity regardless of what's on sale.
2. Open invitation. Do away with an asking price, consider all sensible offers. This requires an objective consideration by the seller who would need to swallow some pride & understand the after-market which is quite devoid of Gibson fans who are OK with JJ Lin appendages on the instrument.
3. Lower the asking price. If there should be any price enticements here, the figure should be lower than the current listing. In fact, it needs to be very much lower. An SG Standard could be had for this price plus some spare change, do keep this in mind.

Corroded balls

I treat my guitars equally. The entry-level models get the same TLC as the others. The Ibanez GIO here got a re-string today plus some fretboard & fret attention. 

The former strings in there were blue coated DRs & they were still very much alive but I noticed this at the ball ends; corrosion. These had to go before they snap. I wonder how moisture got there to begin with since this end of the strings were not in contact with bio fluid from the hand / arm. I have a feeling I handled them during re-stringing so this might have precipitated the corrosion. 

Fresh set of Darcos & it's good to go. Darcos are out of stock @ City Music in the mean time. Darn.