Monday blues

Monday blues in its absolute sense: 1) Playing a blue guitar on a Monday. But the manufacturer says this is green, not blue. 2) The neck pickup is not working. I don't want to to talk about it. 

Goodbye, February...

2(HH)(2)

Indoor Sunday. Rained & everyone here is a little under the weather (forgive the pun). I just got my booster vaccine yesterday so the body is a little weak. Everyone had their reasons to stay indoors. Played another pair of HH guitars:

• PRS S2 Mira
• Ibanez Q52

Miss Mira there will also be a joy to play. It's equipped with a pair of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, very JB-ish in the bridge but has that spongey midrange that I like. The hollow nature adds to some top end zing but the PG has a strong bottom end response so it's perfect for aggressive music.

The Q52 has factory default Quantum pickups but they meet my expectations. These will stay put till I hear a reason to swap them out. I don't know if it's down to the metal covers there but I also find the Quantums below par in other guitars, namely the S-Series. Here they sound above average but I might raise the bridge pickup in time to come. 

Both guitars are light weight, the Q52 being slightly lighter between the two. 

ESP '22

These are perhaps the initial batch of new ESP releases. No, I do not consider the LTD releases as ESP releases; do you equate Epiphone releases to be Gibson releases? Looks like the Snappers are leading the way; seen above, the Snapper CTM. Swamp ash body, SD pickups - Hot Stack Plus (n/m) & 59/Custom (b).

There's a bunch of 7s as well, this here is the Snapper 7. Alder body for this one, the SDs here are - Custom Staggered (n/m) & Custom 5 (b). Nothing really ground breaking with the initial batch.

Pics: ESP International

MOMM (14)

Slaegt's Goddess won't be released till mid-March but here's a taster from this album. You can say that I'm bracing for an Abbath let down (again) & finding solace in other releases.  Slaegt's previous release, 2018's The Wheel, was impressive. For the initiated, Dissection's overtones were rather obvious but many might be put off by the image of the band; these people dress up like hippies. Nevertheless, deep inside their musical awareness, there's plenty of black metal for consumption. 

Pic: E Metallum

JP-4000

I'm not a synth guy in any way but my Korg Monologue experience was a positive one & this Behringer JP-4000 is a wonder release. It's pocket sized for maximum portability, can be powered by an external source with USB feature. Imagine making music on the go; in the bus, train, while waiting for the Mrs to be done with shopping or your kids' dismissal from school. I prefer this to looking at mobile devices. You won't believe the price - USD49 but slated for a summer release. We can wait, yes?

Pic: gearnews

Catalina

This gorgeous beauty was sent to me for a re-string - Fender Catalina. 

The strings were too old, really. Those rusty string retainer screws had to go as well. That's my service commitment; not just a mere re-string, if I can help it & within my means, I will carry out minor cosmetic surgery as well.

Polished headstock & those new string retainer screws. The body was polished as well; the reason it's shiny in the first pic. All wooden parts are cleaned & conditioned.

Those who want it easy on the fingers with great bendability without sounding dead - try this one. 

Guitar belongs to my friend, Wallace Cheong; darn nice guy & outstanding agent. Do contact him.

40th gold

I usually get more turned on by maple 'board P-basses but this one, with the block inlays, anodized guard & gold hardware, is just too attractive to ignore.

The J-bass version is equally attractive; that blonde finish is just ace with the rest of the appointments. These are part of Squier's 2022 lineup under its 40th Anniversary group of releases. List prices suggest a SGD1K price tag, might be the first here to be priced as such. Crazy, yes?

Sale... ex...

Sale extended... but the good stuff were all snapped up. Visit their home page & click on the pricelist too see if the remainders are worthy of your attention. 

Single Mc

I can't play leads with this. Ok, let me re-phrase that - I'm not inspired to play leads with this one. The bottom heavy, dense bass notes are too tasty too ignore.  This guitar screams Dissection through & through so it's riffing madness with this one. It's also one of those guitars with default pickups that make me happy. These 58/15 S humbuckers sound like 59s in terms of cleans & drive response; very close in deed. I'm just not too into the bird inlays, wasn't a fan at the start, won't become one any time soon. I bought this guitar for the tone & playability, colour / finish was the last consideration. I missed out on the green / blue versions & glad I grabbed one before price hikes & COVID setting in, making purchases a waiting game more than anything else. A lot of how this guitar sounds like is down to its scale length - 24.594" a very 'relaxed' tension when it comes to the wound strings. I have 10s in there.

Price watch (27)

Do avoid this one.

I'm doubting its authenticity based on these contentious points:

• A: Pickguard is misaligned; it goes too near to the edge of the cutaway
• B: This part of the pickguard is located at the 21st fret - it should be 20th
• C: The truss rod cover is misaligned to the left & the tip is levelled with the low E machine head, it should sit a little higher. Em... is it just me or does that string retainer look crooked?

Disclaimer: Pickguard & truss rod cover might be OEM replacements which are ill-fitting.

I've contacted the seller who has no guitar knowledge, said it belonged to a cousin who had moved out of the house.

Good deal for this episode goes to this SKB hard case - awesome condition & a sub-$100 price tag. 

HR8

New stuff from Edwards - the Horizon goes 8-string + FR bridge. Not too many 8s sport the FR bridge, the one in this guitars is the FR 1000, 8-string version. 

If you don't fancy such bridges, this fixed bridge version is also available. Pickups for both guitars are Seymour Duncan's Nazgul / Sentient pair. 

Through-neck construction if you doubt playability & upper fret access. 

Pics: ESP Japan

Ibanez LACS 50th Ann

So, after the dust had settled on the 2022 Ibanez releases, they pulled some surprises from the LACS commemorating the manufacturer's 50th Anniversary which I am unaware of. I will mention three in this episode which are fundamentally the AZs, given the LACS treatment. The flame maple top version here is called Sly.

If you prefer a quilted version instead, then meet Roscoe.

These are just costly, super hyped AZ models, you say? It's the first to feature a through-neck design. Most probably, this will not be cascaded onto the other interpretations, making these models unique.

But you are an HH kinda guy / gal then the Golden Eagle might be it.

Unlike Sly & Roscoe, the Golden Eagle has a completely finished rear body so you can't see the through-neck construction. Also, it has a pau ferro fretboard & a swamp ash body. Its other two siblings sport a mahogany body & rosewood fretboard. All three guitars sport a generic black headstock finish which IMO make the instruments look less exquisite at this end. Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway because these won't be available here. The official Ibanez distributor said these are American models which they can't acquire. That's strange isn't it? Considering the EBMM & some exquisite Fender Custom Shop models in store are from the USA as well. 😶

Pics: Ibanez CS

Vin Man @ Kramer

This pretty much ends Vinnie Moore's relationship with Dean. We wait with bated breath as to the coming Kramer enticements.

Pic: VM @ FB

LTD 2022: 7s

Still on single pickup guitars, actually - the LTD Black Metal Series are seeing a couple of 7-string models, this one is one of them; the EX-7.

This is the other; the Phoenix -7. By the way, both are baritones, sporting a 27" scale length. You get stainless steel frets with these guitars. The EX has EMG & the Phoenix, a Fluence, so the intention is clear - all out metal assault, no compromise. Also, these come with form fit cases, so that's value for money for both instruments. These are not high end LTDs, unlike the Deluxes but they are spec'd out well. Due to the single pickup nature, these will be a niche appeal. 
 

Pics: ESP international

2(HH)

Not one of the best Mondays but I have these guitars to see me through:

• Kiesel DC400
• Ibanez S1625

There's always this concern that a guitar without any single coil pickup options is not a versatile instrument. The guitars depicted above have no single coils but I enjoy playing them. Here's why:

• The Kiesel is equipped with a 5-way pickup selector. In position 4, the humbuckers are split, so I get two single coils working in tandem. In position 2, the neck humbucker is tapped to generate a pickup output very close to a single coil voicing
• The Ibanez is equipped with a 3-way selector that has no coil split options so it's a humbucking experience through & through. However, the Seymour Duncan '59 is able to emulate a single coil tone (a get by tone, nothing fantastic) at lower guitar volume settings

So folks, when there're no single coils in your guitar, it's really not the end of the world. A humbucker's split coil tone hold its own. I hear people dissing the split coil tone a lot, saying it's not a real single coil voicing. When you shut off one of the humbucker's coil you effectively get a single coil at work. The issue here is whether this appeals to you or not. Yes, compared to the actual single coil, an isolated coil of the humbucker is not the same in terms of dimensions; the reason why one would appeal more than the other. Some humbuckers, the vintage voiced ones especially, get very single coil-ish when you lower the guitar's volume. This is the reduced output effect, similar to a tapped output of a single coil. What's the point of tapping a humbucker's output, you may ask. It's making the humbucker emulate a single coil without humming. 

When I play a dual humbucking guitar, not having a single coil tone is the least of my worries - I have Strats to handle just that. I let my humbuckers fulfil their potential. They shoudn't stray from their true task.

Price watch (26)

I have personally handled the S671 - if you like things ergonomic with great playability & tone, this is the one to get but at that price...

... considering it's listed for much less when new - a firm NO. Even if you include a hard case in there, it won't bring up prices to $1.7K. No matter how well taken care an instrument is, once the owner decides to part with it, it's a pre-owned unit, rightfully, it should not be as much as a new instrument, yes? Of course, limited edition / collector's item would be subjected to a different price consideration. 

And the good deal for the day goes to this Prestige RG1450. Looks well-maintained & that price - it's about $1.3K when new at the store. Do take note that no bag / case was included from the factory despite being a Prestige offering. 

Once again, I'm not the price police, just sharing stuff here so that you get your money's worth.

Dark singles

Raining + no money = Stay home, play guitar. The Strat lasted for 10min. Not a Strat day for me, kept making mistakes, movements across strings were awful. The AZES - 30min. I am just glad I have different guitars in the house when this kinda situation happens. On some days, for some unfathomable reasons, I just can't play a certain guitar but in other days, that same guitar is great. Today, the Strat was just not it but I want to hear single coils in action so the AZES more than made up for things.

Dark here refers to the dark fretboard. I have a thing for maple fretboards when it comes to single coils but there are days the darker rosewood has more tonal appeal. The AZES31 on the other hand has a jatoba fretboard but still exudes the warm midrange. 

McRocklin

... and Thomas McRocklin gets his own Kiesel signature guitar. Nothing really new, it's based on the Zeus model so it retains its bolt-on nature. Pickups are his own signature Fluence & this is perhaps the first Kiesel signature to feature a richlite fingerboard.

Pic: Kiesel

Price watch (25)

I own a PRS McCarty gold top. When I purchased this guitar years ago, it wasn't a finish that was offered for the dual humbucker McCarty. It was only offered for the P90 version. So this was a special order, kindly administered by the good people of Davis GMC for my wedding. That's right, it was a wedding gift from my wife. Despite costing extra, it was a whisker under $4K.

Moving on to present time, a custom colour gold top (available at Swee Lee) can be yours for that amount depicted above. Disclaimer - there might be other factors that might contribute to this amount, the bird inlays for instance, might be one of it. Same goes for current shipping charges. 

This is an example of price movements these days, the more you delay getting something at the current price, the more you will look back & regret in time to come. Then again, gear expenditure is a luxury consideration. We have other priorities; a family to feed, a house to finance & bills to pay. Instrument prices are in the crazy figures these days. I observe the Edwards range of instruments to be the most stable in terms of prices but recently, the shipping charges have contributed to unreasonable listings so everything got hit, nothing was spared. As we approach the 9% GST mark, many of us would re-think when it comes to spending dear money on gear.

VM Bari

Squier has a new Tele for 2022. 'New' here refers to the fact that it's a baritone instrument, sporting a 27" scale length. Its full reference: Classic Vibe Baritone Custom Telecaster. Folks, 'Custom' here is not a reference to a custom tier where appointments are exclusive & costly. It simply refers to the range of Telecasters in the 60s sporting a bound body & rosewood fretboard which are clear appointments in this guitar. It is also offered in black. Who plays a baritone guitar? The downtuned metal chaps, prog-ers & selected jazz cats. We often associate this non-standard tuning individuals as those who embrace excessive distortion exclusively - no. Some of us venture into down-tuning because that's the envelope where our ideas thrive in. When things get lower, there's always a string tension issue & that's where the baritone proves itself useful. Squier's Classic Vibe & Vintage Mod instruments are always worthy in terms of QC & tone. I personally consider them a little above the standard offerings in terms of tier standings. Let's see if these would be available here soon.

Pic: Fender International

JV

Fender released the JV Modified series this 2022 to re-live the 80s Japanese vibe. The irony of it all - back then, the Japanese were trying to keep up with American standards but today, they hold these in high regards. Those of us who were destined to handle / own one in person would know that these instruments hold their own when it comes to quality & tone. Some things to note:

• Bodies are basswood
• Special switch to activate neck pickup regardless of which pickup combo you're in
• Locking tuners - look like the Magnum-Lok Gotohs but Fender might have something totally their own 
• Medium jumbo frets
• Thick, soft V profile neck. The last soft V profile I came across that was a joy to play (because the V wasn't intrusive) was an Edwards. Hope this version is comparable

Pic: Fender International

Oryx

When Craig Bellamy took over Manson guitars, many of us thought it's gonna be bent on producing his signature & the derivatives exclusively. You know, that singlecut design that looks like a mutant LP / Tele hybrid. Come 2022, we have this Oryx as a surpsise, really. The brand name moved away from being solely owner-influenced, worked with a prominent endorser & the Oryx was born. I like the simple design & the fact that it comes with reputable pickups - BK's Polymath humbuckers. If there's anything significant about this development, I feel that it's taking on that Chapman / Solar vibes & working towards refinement in time to come. We don't have Manson dealers / distributors here, unfortunately. Teaser :

Pic: Manson guitarworks

LTD 2022 - Singles

I'm still looking through the LTD 2022 releases. Nothing 'new' just some interesting iterations. This year, they have entry level, single pickup models. In fact, they have a few, beginning with this EC-201...

... the Explorer-esque EX-201. That's right - reverse headstock ...

... the super shred-friendly M-201HT ...

... & the TE-201 (I still don't fancy that headstock). Each guitar is finished in black from one end to the other & feature 24 frets. These are simple, utilitarian guitar with a no-frills one pickup performance. You either embrace the limitations or move on with other models with more pickups on board. 

Single pickup guitars, well, they are risky business. You either have a local fan-base for them & enjoy good sale or you don't. Judging by these releases, the implication here is that the single pickup models, across the board, are doing well. No point making more of these if they don't bring in the money. I look forward to see these here at Davis GMC but it might take a while. These are affordable models & I sincerely hope the current shipping charges won't drive prices up excessively like they did to the PRS & Edwards guitars.

Pics: ESP Guitars

Alignment

Just look at this retard; would you buy it? It clearly has alignment issues affecting more than one string. The orange line there is the straight reference. You might say it's a minor anomaly, the guitar still works fine any way. So do dented bodies & rusty hardware - the guitar still works, yes? If you cascade this understanding onto Jacksons / Charvels / EPSs, then I have no issues with that; these brand names make guitars with tilted headstocks. Ibanez & Fender headstocks observe a straight string pull, anything lesser is unacceptable. We wonder how these things get through QC & shipped out of the factory.  

The guitar in question is the Ibanez S521, offered in two finishes. They're still offered for sale as normal, non-blemished / issue-free instruments. I sincerely hope that others are not affected, otherwise this will be considered batch defects & requires some looking into with regards to its sale status. 

All that glitter

No idea if there's a strong Yvette Young following here but the Ibanez YY20 is available at Swee Lee now ($1,399).  

The thing with both the YY10 & YY20, it emulates the original Talman model closely with very little variation in features. The final iteration before being discontinued, the TM302, (pictured above) costs less than $500; very affordable & decent as well. If you bought one & had a pair of Seymour Duncan pickups in there (like the YY20), it will still cost considerably lesser than the YY20. Of course, if you have a thing for glitter finish, you might have a go at it. If you are into Yvette's playing style, it is a similar approach to the Polyphia guys & Ichika Nito; lots of double hand tapping. The way I see it, there is a stronger following of the guitars endorsed by those latter artists. Specifically, I'm referring to the Premium AZ THBB, SLM & ICHI10 models - these are hot stuff, hardly in stock.

Pics: Ibanez / Manga

Holiday zoning

Played this for the entire morning yesterday before taking time off for lunch. This is the Ibanez SEW761FM, one of the standard offerings equipped with DiMarzio pickups from the factory: Tone Zone (b) / True Velvet (m/n).  

I have no issues with the True Velvet when it comes to tone. These are some of the best single coil offerings DiMarzio has in store & would recommend them to those in need of both good cleans & overdriven tones with twang to boot. The Tone Zone is another story. It's a little finicky & does not cascade good performance into various guitars it's fixed into; hits & misses, mostly. I first had it in an RG560 & it sounded awful there - muffled, bass heavy. I tried a friend's RG3120 which had the TZ  & it sounded awesome. This prompted me to move that spare TZ into one of my Les Pauls & it sounded amazing as well. Then I bought the SIR70FD & that TZ dislikes distortion, it prefers overdrive. In this latest episode, the TZ sounds a little grizzly & tends to fuzz out when the amp gain is turned up. I lowered the pickup a little more into the cavity & that helped somewhat. For some strange reason, this TZ isn't bass inclined like its other siblings, it has more top end. 

This is mostly my experience with DiMarzio in general - unpredictability. When it comes to Seymour Duncan, I do not encounter this headache. The JB for instance, will sound like the JB in any guitar so I know what to expect & have not been proven wrong thusfar. I'm not dissing DiMarzio in any way, in fact, I really like what some of them have to offer for the music genre I peddle - extreme distortion. 

The ring

 

When you purchase a Seymour Duncan Trembucker pickup, a complementary mounting ring will be included - have you ever wondered why?

Before we begin, Trembucker here refers to the slightly wider pickup pole pieces of the Seymour Duncan bridge humbucker to accommodate a Fender-spaced string spacing type. This is usually in the range of 5cm - 5.2cm. The DiMarzio version of this string spacing is called the F-Space. Contrary to popular belief, F is not for Floyd Rose, it's for Fender. The Floyd Rose brand follows the Fender spacing. Logic would tell us that, chronogocally, the Fender bridge was created way before the Floyd Rose.

Moving on, unlike other pickup manufacturers, Seymour Duncan actually widens the pickup structure to match this spacing. Other manufacturers simply space out the pole pieces only, the pickup dimensions remain the same. This is the reason why the SD Trembucker is a super tight fit in many default pickguards & mounting rings as those do not accommodate the Trembucker. This is the reason why SD includes a mounting ring when you purchase a Trembucker. From the picture above, we note that SD mounting ring (top) is slightly wider than the Ibanez mounting ring (bottom) which was chosen for this example.