MOMM (17)

I seldom dwell into live stuff. I buy live albums with the intention to check substantiality, not the music because chances are, I've already heard what's on offer. Mayhem's Live in Sarpsborg was performed in 1990 featuring Dead on vocals. The music here is an unpleasant trip in terms of production - was there any to begin with? The drum's crashes & rides are undefined, compounded by the grizzly sounding distorted guitar & bass. I bought this album to check out what's the standard like back then - 1990, the world is about the be hit by the grunge explosion. But beyond the realms of mainstream showcases, Mayhem had already cast their dominance as the flag bearer of black metal. The only mark of excellence here is Hellhammer's drumming, the rest are too murky for consideration. 

Standard Jones

Some guitar websites out there dubbed this new Adam Jones LP Standard as a 'much anticipated' guitar. Not being a fan of signature series of any brand, I don't see the outright appeal of this one, maybe the fanboys out there might get turned on. I see the price of this one as the main draw - USD2,999. It costs as much as a Slash signature. More importantly, it's USD7K cheaper than its custom shop counterpart. That's right, don't talk about it too much, the Gibson distribution status here is still hazy.

Pic: Gibson 

SM-1H

I'm seriously GASing for this new one by Kramer - the SM-1H. They already have the SM-1, it's an HSS guitar but this one is a simple beauty. Mahogany (body / neck) & ebony (fretboard) is a good combo. This one's a neck-through design & sports a slim taper neck profile so it's primed for shred but maybe that gloss finish might get in the way but it's not a deal breaker. A FR1000 bridge also means it's not quite a beginner model then again, it's not mid-priced as well. Pickup - Duncan JB. The only make / break consideration here is, I believe, is the inlay. Personally, I hate them. OK not to say too much because Kramer is a brand under Gibson & the Gibson status here in this country is still very hazy - what's really happening? Your guess is as good as mine

Pic: Kramerforum

Fender Juniors

New by Fender Japan - the Junior Collection. The very inclusion of 'junior' here would naturally invoke a student profile but that's not the case. For those smaller built players, there's the Mini series which are currently in the Squier range. The Junior features a 24" scale length which is not a strange measurement for Fender - the Jaguar is 24". The basswood body size is reduced by about 5% & chambered but not entirely, enough to match the reduced scale length.

There's the Telecaster version as well.

I sincerely feel the Jazzmaster version is unnecessary. As mentioned before, the Jaguar is already sporting a 24" scale length but I guess the reduced body size is the difference that necessitates this inclusion. 

The Jr collection also includes a bass - the Jazz bass. However, like my Jazzmaster sentiment, it's unnecessary as the Mustang bass sports the exact, reduced scale length - 30". A P-bass version would be a wiser consideration. Looking forward to see these here.

Pics: Fender Japan

Tilt

Indoor Sunday. Nothing to buy because there's no money to buy it with. Managed to re-string this guitar.

Before that happened, managed to give it a shim. Used a leftover DiMarzio inlay card. This was chosen for its thickness; nothing too extreme. If you read around, luthiers recommend a cigarette box but I find it a little too excessive. This card is thinner. You only need to shim the neck pocket if the action past the 12th fret is a little too high after you finished setting the string action up. Modern Fenders will have a neck tilt adjustment feature at the neck pocket area so shimming is unnecessary.

Before fixing the neck back into the pocket, I always powder the sides so that there's less resistance, forcing the neck into the pocket might cause the thin parts of the pocket wall to crack.

City Music: Founder's Day SALE 2022

City Music's Founder's Day sale is now happening & it's gonna be the last time any sale will be happening at the current Peace Center showroom as they prepare to move out. For the 2022 edition, they will open on Sunday (27 March) to accommodate the special demand. What were your fond memories of the Peace Center showroom?

Kick it

 

In the mean time, guitardom is enjoying Def Leppard's new single, Kick. I like it.

Bag error

I'm loving the new Ibanez Power Pad bags which are now available at Swee Lee. The level of comfort, security & fitting for the money, is amazing.  However, just a minor oversight as seen above; the IBB724 is labelled as a guitar gig bag.

On the official Ibanez website, the IBB724 is listed as a bag for bass. The dimensions, as listed, also suggest that it's a bass bag. The guitar version is the IGB724 instead, which is also available at Swee Lee.

Pic: Swee Lee webstore / Ibanez international

Re-string: LP Black

This is my LP Classic, a guitar that I should not have bought because it's black. I've had it with black & sunburst finishes. I don't fancy these colours any more. I find them over-hyped but this one was on a clear-out at Swee Lee's I12 branch back in 2020 & it's an opportunity not to be missed. I particularly like the slim taper neck carve & the '61 humbuckers but only in this guitar. Somehow, the '61s sound good here especially for distortion. The slim taper neck profile is Gibson's take on a fast neck but it's nowhere near what Ibanez has to offer when it comes to 'slim'. This was played last weekend & had a re-string done.

I'm still wondering how dirt got to this part of the bridge pickup mounting ring. During play, this part was clearly blocked by the strings so how do those get there? Hmm...

The only imperfections in this guitar are the tooling marks at the fretboard edges. I'm just showing one part of it. In my opinion this guitar should be a B-Stock. 

This is a common issue with LPs sporting pickguards. The nut leaves a dent on the body but it's invisible, of course, unless you remove it like I did here for cleaning. The nut was covered with sponge & taped up to prevent further physical aggravation. Problem solved.

Strings of choice for this re-string episode - DR's Veritas. DRs are for those of us who are aggressive pickers, not for those who thrive on bends. Metalheads will enjoy DR. My Dad likes DR bass strings, that's what made me check them out.

Satins

Having owned a few Gibsons, I must say they don't quite supplement my playing quirks - fat necks, blocky heels & no elbow / belly reliefs. This is one of the reasons why I held back from buying one early on. Early here refers to the 90s when prices were not as crazy but that was the prime time for shred & Ibanez was the order of the day. At least for the guitar scene here. This is namely due to the fact that the other formidable names in shred - Jackson / Charvel / Kramer / ESP - had no strong distribution here. I was going to give up on Gibson till I tried the faded SG.

Faded here means there was no gloss coating, satin by another reference. It's basically a stained neck plus a layer of sealant to hold everything in place. That was the turning point. Despite the non-preferred neck profile, the finish made the difference for me. Till today, I still keep a good lookout for satin finished Gibsons. Two of which are seen above: LP 60s tribute / LPJ. Keep this in mind- if a guitar neck profile is not your preferred profile, that's a hindrance to your playing proficiency. If the gloss neck finish gets in the way then you are dealing with two hindrances. Know what helps you play better. In my case, the gloss finish impedes my personal playing progress so if it's subtracted from the equation, I'm actually removing 50% of what gets in the way. That was what exactly happened. A gloss-free Gibson neck is something I find acceptable & I managed to adapt better. In fact, the Gibson neck profile grew on me to such an extent that it now doesn't matter if it's glossed over or satin finished. So folks, some things are indeed make or break for us, we just need to know what it is after taking time to reflect. We also need to give some things a second chance 😁

My Gibsons with gloss-free finish:

• LP 60s Tribute
• LPJ
• SGJ
• Firebird Tribute
• LP Special humbucker edition
• SG Melody Maker
• Flying V Melody Maker
• Explorer Melody Maker
• LP CM

Theo

Latest from Gibson - Theodore. A design manifested from the manufacturer's 1957 records. By the way, this was the idea of then Gibson President Ted McCarty. Ted, is of course, short for Theodore & now you know why it's called that. There are only 318 units made & these are Custom Shop instruments listing for USD4,999. 

Pic: Guitar

Swee Lee price slash: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III

I regarded the Epiphone LP Ultra III highly years ago. Precisely, it appreared in this entry: CLICK. 11 years later, it's going for a good price, highly recommended to those in search of something that incorporates an acoustic-like tone. The Ultra III's nano mag pickups are located at the neck end, where the neck pickup is so it sounds much more pleasant compared to a piezo counterpart located at the bridge. Everything explained in the clip below. 

Pic: Swee Lee webstore

Good for us

This one is supposed to be a Japan only, online exclusive deal. Thanks to Swee Lee, they are now available in store: $1,799 (list). However, only the black / white/ sparkle blue versions are available here. Maybe the online exclusive here refers to the sunburst finish. Hmm... 

Pic: Fender Japan

Price watch (29)

 These are good prices for used LP Studios. 

But if yours is not a 'Gibson' & it's priced in a similar bracket, do consider reasonable offers from interested parties. There's a limited interest here for Orville, Tokai & Burny. I would say, the Edwards brand name has a stronger following for guitars manifesting this design.

Red is good

Being quite the Tube Screamer fan, I had to get this one. It's something within my very small budget for gear consideration, anyway. Also, it's been a while since I chilled at Swee Lee's Social Club.  

Meteora Player

In the mean time, the Fender camp is getting everyone's attention by including the Meteora into the Player Plus Series (main diff - this one has a whammy bridge). This has to be the most radical & acceptable Fender body design of late & it's doing rather well namely because that outline facilitates playability. I played the Alternate Reality Meteora & deemed that one very player friendly despite that shape. I prefer the Meteora to the Jagstang. 

Pic: Fender International

Selling: Orange Rocker Terror 15 (amp head) SOLD

After much thought, I have decided to put this up for sale: Orange Rocker 15 Terror amp head. It's 15W of all tube goodness with the capacity to half-power (7W). My income is going to be affected (again) soon & the fact that I seldom play this one.

 Near-mint condition, no scratches / dents, strictly used indoors for a limited time. The Rocker 15 Terror is the only Terror with: 1) 3-Band EQ 2) Rear FX loop. The other one with similar specs but for a higher price, the discontinued Brent Hinds version.

Comes with a carrier bag. Thanks for reading, everyone. Have a good weekend ahead & stay safe.

• Orange: Rocker Terror 15
• Full tube amp head, bag & power plug included
• Condition: 9/10
• Self-collect: CCK / Yew Tee mrt station
• No reservations / trades
• Query / confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $500 (final)

Item SOLD to a nice guy + avid blog reader ✌️

Whites

Because the instrument is mine & I dictate how it should look to suit my pleasure... 

... swapping out parts to my preferred selections is inevitable. Thank you Davis GMC for stocking spares which help me achieve this introverted change.

Gibson clearout @ Swee Lee (selected models)

If you've been trawling the Swee Lee website in hope of something Gibson-related event to happen then this might be it. They have slashed prices of selected models & the happiest would-be buyers are: 1) Left-handed players 2) Those who don't mind getting an HP version of a particular model. These are the most plentiful while the rest are unavailable. I referred this offer to someone who responded with  dismay citing the fact that prices are still exorbitant. They are indeed in the higher reaches of anyone's budget only because these are the older models; the Henry J's era line up where prices do not justify the details & QC of the instruments. However, if you keep your eyes peeled, there may be good ones hiding in plain sight. 

In the mean time, do avoid the guitar on the left in the above picture as it was wrongly labelled; for a guitar to be an HP version, the nut should be a metal piece & feature the robot tuners (among others). The left guitar is devoid of those details if you visit the website & click the individual pictures (Quick link: HERE). I've alerted this to one of the store managers.

Price watch (28)

Epiphone LP, listed for a price too good to be true.

 Gorgeous top, yes?

And then this. Look at that gashed headstock, you wonder what happened. Could there be a tuner there once upon a time that actually fused with the finish over time? That would mean it was left there for quite a while. No tell tale signs of a fall - no visible cracks at that area. Also, note the string winding round the E, B, G posts; it's the wrong way round. For $149 - would you buy this one?

Ultra night pick

 

Was out & about last night - Merlion Park. You'd have thought there's serenity after sunset in the city but, heck no. Half of the time, I was avoiding bicycles. Cyclists were enjoying the scenic route & yes, it was quite a sight, the city at night. There were tourists & I would say they made up more than half of the population at this time of the day. The airport is privy to some people from some part of the world so no surprises there.

I was accompanying a friend taking shots of Ultraman to commemorate the 55th anniversary which was supposed to happen last year but there were more stringent social distancing measures then. That plus the fact that the Ultraman figurine here did not arrive till late 2021. Consolation shot - Ultraman securing my pick from potential monsters. 

Something happening @ CM...

 

From the hint above, we can conclude that a moving out-related event will take place soon. We wait for further developments.

Revived

You read about this RG565 here: CLICK. This was brought down to Beez yesterday. I kept thinking about it, it bothered me.

Beez took a look at the wiring & managed to diagnose the issue in like 5min. Since the guitar works when both pickups are activated, it means the pickups are good, no issues with those. Next, since the neck position is not working, he reversed the wiring; the bridge pickup is now in selector position 3, where the neck option used to be. Still no sound in position 3. Implication - the wiring at that position needed looking into. Beez just replaced the wire there & it's good to go. 

Pickups in this guitar: DiMarzio Super Distortion (b) / Half Track (n)

Monday blues (March edition)

Monday blues, literally. Playing a blue guitar on a Monday. This is a Gibson Melody Maker Flying V, reduced overall dimensions but standard Gibson scale length (24.75"). Re-string episode with some rectification bouts.

Truss rod was stiff. Tried to turn but to no avail until some WD40 was used. The neck is now straight, zero string buzz.

The tough one - stuck bridge studs. Won't budge till again some WD40 was used & gentle knocking from the sides with a hammer. The idea here was to slightly dislodge the stud threads so it won't 'stick' & allowed for rotations. Implication - these were not adjusted since day one. Strings for today - Darco 10s. That's a DiMarzio D-Sonic in there, more tone stuff in upcoming episodes.

Review quickie: Orange Rocker 15 Terror

Orange Rocker 15 Terror

The Rocker 15 Terror is a family member of lunch box-sized, low wattage amp heads, by Orange. As the model citation implies, it’s a 15W full tube amp head with a signature British tone that some players swear by. It offers two channels – clean & overdrive & the ability to function at half power.

Unlike its other Terror siblings, this one has 3-band EQ & a rear loop feature. The former means you get more precision when tweaking your amp tones with the treble, midrange & bass tweaks all isolated unlike a universal tone control of the other Terror models. The rear loop here means, effects that work well post pre-amp like delay especially, has a dedicated outlet unlike the other Terror models where you plug modulation effects before the pre-amp & might sound underwhelming / dysfunctional when in overdrive mode (ie. the amp’s OD channel).

Likes

• 3 band EQ for isolated frequencies adjustments
• Rear FX Loop feature – crucial if you wish for a dedicated modulation effects performance
• Smooth treble response, one of the best for overdriven voicing, does not affect clarity
• Responsive knobs
• Volume presence that adds significantly to overdrive performance
• Impressive compatibility with external distortion / fuzz pedals
• Impressive clean tones despite no controls for further voicing adjustments, good complement to external pedal / effects
• Differentiated tone between full power & half power, giving the player an ‘extra’ voicing option
• Earthed power supply cable included 

Dislikes

• Bare bones clean channel – absolutely no avenues to sculp tone
• Underwhelming overdrive, lacking in intensity despite being maxed out
• Amp handle – permanent fixture on top, not collapsible

Conclusion

The Orange overdrive tone is for those of us who think that Marshall would have sounded more acceptable if it’s not too excessive in its treble response. Also, the Orange has that smooth overdrive voicing that works very well when you add an external distortion / fuzz unit; the reason Doom Metal fiends deem the Orange as a go-to reference when it comes to tone that matters. The default overdrive, to say the least, is underwhelming per se, until the volume control is used to add intensity to overall proceedings. However, the trade-off here is that volume addition messes up your tone & further EQ tweaks are required. If you swear by amp overdrive plus pedal supplements, I would dare say the Orange is a better avenue for this co-existence compared to Marshall & Vox, in Brit-voice territory, of course. Last but not least, clean tones are simply there. Bland, to say the least, due to the absence of EQ access but it holds something for those of us using multi-FX units. It’s actually one of the best flat response voicing to slave for external effects but then again, we don’t pay good money for the Rocker 15 Terror for this intention.

Overall rating: 80%

Orange: Rocker 15 Terror (storage / carry bag included)

Availability: Davis GMC

List: $690

Pics: Orange amps