In memoriam: Covers

I'm still in Andy Fletcher mode so I'm doing this to re-live the memories by listening to others who are re-living those memories. I am sharing three Depeche Mode songs which are covered by other musicians & these are tasteful interpretations, firmly rooted in the genre embraced by the covering musicians. When I heard Jhonny Cash sing Nine Inch Nail's Hurt in the movie, Logan, this cover of Personal Jesus is another brilliant Cash cover which must be shared. Melancholy at its finest. 

This one preserves the genre authenticity - Behind the Wheel, by the Argentinian act, Voil Tage. Brilliant & impressive effort all round.

This is here because: 1) I am the Faceless fan 2) This is the genre I thrive on. It's darn difficult to manifest a Depeche Mode song in this genre but I must say this was done well, without losing the song's essence (Shake the Disease).

Thank you for taking time to check out my indulgences. We say goodbye to May in memory of many things, Andy Fletcher included.

Busking @ neighbourhood

 

Was running errands during lunch time in the neighbourhood, met this busker. Managed to stop & say hello, didn't ask his name though, was in a hurry but managed to talk about his guitar - that's an RG655. Don't see too many people busking with Ibanez. Epiphone & Squiers aplenty but an RG-wielding chap is a rare sight. Hope to catch him again sometime, somewhere. If you recognize him, do share details.

Gibson vs Dean: Token victory

A few days ago, a federal court ruling stated that Gibson has the legal rights over its guitar designs against Dean. These are notably the V & Explorer type outlines which existed in the Dean catalogs. However, it merely received $4K in damages owing to the fact that they took too long to effect this legal right, as such, no commercial damages were observed along the way. It's like saying, you ignored this right all this while so it implies you are ok with it so here's some candy money for your trouble.

The effect here is that, since Gibson won, Dean no longer has the right to have these designs in their offerings, these must be stopped / removed. Dean stated that the designs are now generic & used most notably by almost all guitar manufacturers. This was the contention that was defeated by the court & led to the Gibson victory. 

If I were Dean, I would bring the matter up to appeal, stating that the crucial factor that excludes any manufacturer from litigation is the headstock design. This refers to all guitar outlines, not just the V & Explorer that treaded the legal discourse. If you can vary the design at the headstock end, you are pertty much safe. You can imply similarity & possible confusion but you cannot effect a design infringement claim since it's not exactly the same. 

Moving on, this is next in line for Gibson. This is the reason why there are currently no Gibsons in Swee Lee's catalogs save for the leftovers from years back. We are simply baffled why Gibson is pursuing the matter considering they gave their blessings to the Heritage camp plus the fact that there're design variations as well. The case had been in contention since March 2020. 

Pics: Guitarcollective / Music Radar

Aggression collective

Had been playing this combo since Friday. There's so much aggression in this pic:

• Ibanez RG550. Pretty much the utilitarian guitar for anything distortion inclined. The neck profile might please some & irk the rest, acquired taste for what's 'right' for you. 
• DiMarzio D Activator X. Often confused with the X2N with reference to the looks per se. One of the better pickups in my possession to supplement distortion, a little grizzly so needs some EQ tweaking at the amp end.
• DAW Shred line pick. I've grown accustomed to this pick profile over time as it caters to my playing quirk. Very rewarding for me as I kinda use my pick to kill string while playing. 

So, does an aggressive music set up require one to invest in pointy guitars, active pickups & an equally pointy pick? Of course not.

Fletcher: 1961 - 2022

I grew up listening to Depeche Mode on the radio. The radio was my best friend because TV back then only started at 3pm. Radio was there for me early. Some of the best songs that went on air in the 80s was from Depeche Mode. In addition to their pop sensibilities, Depeche Mode has a tangent for protest, all this concocted in memorable melodies, a permanent imprint in my case - Strange Love is still playing at the back of my mind in times of loss. With the passing of Andy Fletcher announced today, it effectively meant that there is no synth expert in Depeche Mode. We don't see the remaining duo recruiting a replacement to see things through unless there is a contractual performance to be fulfilled. It is a great loss indeed, it's hitting me rather hard because Depeche Mode is still relevant to me till this day, I look forward to the band's releases but as it is, things might come to an end for them soon. 

Crackling

Jackson has new stuff in their X-Series of guitars, this crackle finish Soloist SL3X DX, is one of them. This is now available at Swee Lee ($1,299) together with its other sibling, the blue version. I like this one because it captures the 80s vibe very well but the deal breaker here is the whammy bridge - Floyd Rose Special. Kudos to Swee Lee for bringing in the new stuff here, not just Jackson stuff, rather quickly. We are still holding out on the Gibson stuff. 

MOMM (22)

Dark Funeral's 7th full length release, We Are the Apocalypse, still advocates for the band's brand of intense black metal. This one features new drummer, Jalomaah, whom you might have heard in action in Imperivm.  So this release has slower, heavier numbers but still blast-beat defined - Let the Devil In & When I'm Gone are examples. To me, these are necessary variations to showcase that one's band is capable of steering the music & not bent on speed exclusively. The bass works here are, in my opinion, the best they have ever recorded; present & relevant. The dual guitar works are also varied at certain passages & that's a welcomed change. My only beef would be that opening track- listen to the drum production, it's one of the worst. When the blast beats kicked in, together with the cymbals, everything turned to muck. The same drumming approach was repeated in Track 6 (Beyond the Grave) to no detriment. Production oversight, possibly.

Ultra Luxe feline

This is the 60th Anniversary Fender Ultra Luxe Jaguar. It's now available here for $3,599. The Jaguar is one of those eccentric but attractive model Fender has to offer; fat single coils, shorter scale length, quirky whammy system & an even quirkier pickup switching options. But those are not found here in this model. In fact, it's a departure from those appointments; humbucking pickups, 25.5" scale length, whammy-less bridge system, D-shape neck profile & a flatter 10 - 14" compound radius. Yes, it's a commemorative take on the Jaguar but the least meaningful, I should say. It would also prove to be a difficult one in the after-market. For that kind of money, you're better off in a Gibson investment but then again, we are aware of the Gibson situation here. 

Pic: Fender Int.

Lil' vermin

This will debut at Summer NAMM - the Lil' Rat distortion pedal. It's a Rat pedal just a little smaller. By the way, you do know NAMM's back, right?  

Ken's Strat

Still in Fender Japan territory, this here is the Ken Strat. Ken, in the Japanese music domain, is the guitarist of L'Arc-en-Ciel. The unique thing about this guitar is that it features a trio of direct mount single coils, so that makes the pickguard a little unnecessary. Also, the elbow relief there is painted gold, same goes for the whammy bridge & control cavities. I like the fact that it sports the 70s headstock, that simply complements the overall design.

Pic: Fender Japan.

StraTele

The people at Fender Japan are really splicing things up to offer variety & unique appeal. This latest incarnation is the Hybrid II Stratocaster HSS with a reversed Telecaster headstock.  

It's certainly not a first as Ian Moore's Strat features a Tele neck / headstock albeit not being reversed. It's downright quirky but totally functional. Limited edition, Japan online exclusive, folks. Not something you can get off the shelf easily.

Pics: Fender Japan / Reverb

Not Flowing

The Dunlop Flow pick was hype a while back. As you can see above, it's streamlined for a slick picking performance. Being me, I just couldn't get along with it. It felt wrong to begin with. Despite being acclimatized to acrylic picks I do own picks made out of other materials. It seems that the Flow's proprietary Ultex material isn't one of that other material that appeals to me. Less than 5 minutes later, I'm playing my DAW Shredline pick instead. As you can see there, I prefer a more bevelled edge with an unpolished surface. This catches the strings readily & offer lots of grind when peddling bass notes - for angry people like me.

MOMM (21)

I lost interest in Ghost along the way as they banked in on their stage theatrics & their music diminished in intensity. They are not a firm metal act to me, they have the essence of heaviness in them but they are steep into the hard rock side of music more than anything else. The anonymity & fiendish facade do help convince the metal fans, definitely. I pretty much ignored them after the If You Have Ghost EP, the Abba cover was impressive. The thing that intrigued me here more than a new Ghost album per se is the fact that Fredrik Akesson handled guitars here. 

Jumping into the content of Impera here, I must say that it's an acquired taste but the good thing for fans like me is that this one sees the return of that dark, sinister element that defined Ghost to begin with. Akesson's contributions here are in terms of melodic refinements, solos included. No trailblazing shred stuff here but you know those marked guitars passages are Akesson's master touches. 

If you think that cover there looks familiar, then you know what inspired that pose.

Pic: SCMP

James

The latest in amp town - Blackstar's St James. Surprisingly, this amp is propelled on account of its unbearable lightness of being an amp. The 50W head is 6.7kg, the combo 12.8kg & the 2x12 cab 13.6kg. Drivers are Blackstar's collab with Celestion, a ferrite-based Zephyr. 

When an amp is being pushed on accounts of everything else but tone, what does that really tell you? For gigging musicians, this might be helpful but the pros have roadies & other handling mechanisms to see this through. Also, when you buy one for home use, chances are, it stays put at a spot. Lightest amp for your money - not quite the pivot for reputation. Amps are all about tone.

If Blackstar has a signature tone to be proud of, the Series One are the ones to pay attention to. This St. James series isn't a flagship tone as far as I am concerned, it's something a Vox can handle when it comes to a good, get-by tones. We also have Morgan & Two Rock if you don't mind paying silly money for this kind of tone. I need to try this one in person for its hidden magic. Maybe.

St. James amps are available at City Music

• 50W head: $1,395
• combo: $1,515
• 2x12 vertical cab: $630

I prefer Duncans

I always annoy the heck out of Ibanez dweebs by showing them my Duncan equipped guitars. More often than not, it ended up killing any conversations about the brand. There seems to be an unwritten law stating that Ibanez guitars should feature DiMarzios, everything else is unworthy. Well, Ibanez make it a point to vary their offerings throughout the years with the defunct SZ Series & the current AZ models featuring Seymour Duncan pickups largely. There are newer models with Bare Knuckles in them as well. You have to blame the hair metal days of relentless shredding when Ibanez endorsers were seen with DiMarzios in their guitars. If you plug into a computer & your life depends on digital emulations, the pickups don't really matter. 

Anyway, my RG565 above feature a pair of Seymour Duncans; the Custom Custom (b) & Cool Rails (n). The CC is my lesser known go-to pickups. It's a hot-sounding humbucker running on weaker magnets with the default EQ not featuring a scooped default setting; absolutely my kinda tone to begin with. The rest is about tinkering & discovering what works best. The Cool Rails is basically a '59 in a single coil size with blades instead of pole pieces. Unlike a true blue '59, the Cool Rails is a little hotter & that's what I like about this pickup in the neck; the hotter output guarantees clarity.

I'm a little angry today & it intruded into my mood at home. The angry shade of orange here best reflects my temper for the day.

Seconds

Not in the best of moods. Did what I had to do, came home & played guitar. Just thankful that these are my benevolent distractions, always there to see me through, making sure nothing untoward happens to me. Just want to hear some single coils in action today but not from a Fender so I had the above guitars out.

AZES31

I like everything about this guitar; the fixed bridge, the default single coils & even the rosewood 'board. I usually prefer maple for single coils. That slightly shorter scale length - wonderful. This is one of those single coil guitars that actually likes to be distorted. I have a 095 set in this one, no plans to change string gauge any time soon.

Silver Sky SE

I spent some time tinkering with the action of this one, before settling with a slightly higher version from the rest of my guitars. Not much higher actually, just a wee bit to make it right for speedy moments. There won't be any guitar that would not induce me to play fast but playing fast is not what I do all the time. The single coils in this one sound much more appealing in clean mode compared to the AZES. They don't sound as thick in distortion mode though, they are what I refer to as crunchers - lesser distortion, more volume for optimum performance. 

Both the AZES & SSSE exist with expectations to fulfil the performance of their bigger brothers, the AZ & Silver Sky respectively. This is a difficult feat considering the compromised features they were conceived with. Then again, we are not objective if we buy these guitars with such expectations. It's a myopic assessment of what these instruments are all about. They hold their own in their respective price brackets & should not be seen exclusively as they budget alternatives of their greater manifestations. 

In any case, both manufacturers made a wise commercial move with these instruments. Ibanez - in view of how popular the AZ Series are in the mean time with the endorsement of next gen guitar mavericks to back up reputation, do note that the AZES models are not given the GIO label, despite residing in a GIO price range. Ibanez retain the class appeal of the AZ by letting the budget interpretation reside in its own domain referred to as the AZES. The Silver Sky SE had to happen, considering the SE models are bringing in the money for PRS across the board, not just the Silver Sky version. PRS did the right thing by making each & every SE model good contenders of playability & tone by paying attention to quality all round. As such, they remain as hot sellers despite not really being that accessible in terms of price, for beginners especially. 

Thank you & goodbye: Epi SG Special

Preparing this one to leave my estate; re-string, re-condition fretboard & a good wipe down. It's one of my go-to guitars for doom, fuzzy stuff, especially so after the pickup swap; those Wilkinson P90s are definitely recommended for drive-inclined indulgences. It's also a testament of how Epiphone instruments have seen revised standards in craftsmanship. 

I won't be employed next month & going back for treatment (2 sessions). If you are the bread-winner with bills to pay, mouths to feed, it's very difficult with no money coming in. It makes you re-think priorities. To all sick Dads out there with your own passion to drive you through your illness - things happen for a reason. Heads up & move on. 

V-day 2022

Another long weekend here. To many of us, it's an opportunity to catch up with Eid visits. To the rest, it's a much deserved day of rest. Take care, everyone, stay safe.

Ice-pink destroyer

Interesting developments - the guitar you see above is a hybrid Iceman / Destroyer Ibanez model which used to belong to Paul Gilbert. It was actually a legit custom shop model when it was conceived.

Maybe this pic will help you understand where the design got its influence from. Anyway, Paul Gilbert used to own this guitar which was sold off (USD16K) to help ex-Racer X bandmate, Juan Alderete, with his medical condition. Recently, it was back up for sale: USD18,500. Prior to this, I had always thought this guitar was a left-over mishmash from the factory but it turned out to be a custom shop conception. 

Pic: Reverb

MOMM (20)

This is one of those black metal acts that infused other elements into their music & has no obligations to further their primary music indulgences. That said, In Aphelion is 50% Necrophobic & we can hear the twin guitar works here (Ramstedt / Bergeback) but these display lesser speed emphasis. Other elements as aforementioned are strictly metal but not the black variant, doom & heavy metal more like it. I make it a point to listen to side projects just to hear what other creative juices manifest from musicians who are more known for their primary band commitment like these Necrophobic lads. Other interesting examples would be Vltimas & Twilight. All in all, Moribund is a good release, nothing groundbreaking though. Here's a taster:

Price watch (31)

$100 for a used DS-1...

Swee Lee sells it for much less. It's out of stock in the mean time but BOSS pedals get replenished all the time.

Pic: Swee Lee

 

This one is a difficult proposition; missing knob, dirty rubber parts (looks mouldy to me) & labelled like new. 

Rust in acoustic peace

Fresh for the fold - Gibson's Dave Mustaine Songwriter acoustic guitar. I don't see why this had to happen. Is Mustaine a big acoustic guy? You & I know the answer. This will sell because it has Mustaine's name on it plus the fact that there are 24 frets in there. All yours for USD4,499.

Pic: Gibson

HM

I guess I just have to try this one; it has a 2-band EQ & says Heavy Metal so it must be alluding to...

to be continued...

MOMM (19)

A quick look at this quartet would have you think they are another stoner / sludge-core act that would be floating around metaldom trying to hitch a hit. I was of this impression of them when I first saw some promo pics; with the bell-bottoms & baroque tops, these people wouldn't be metal. And then you listen to their music & everything changed. Slaegt had been a better part of obscurity until, arguably, The Wheel debuted in 2018 with that heavy nod towards Dissection in their musical essence. Anyway, Goddess here takes a trip into the heavy realm with slower moments conjuring doom & that epic 11min closer that is Goddess, it's a wholesome trip, I would say. For want of a better reference, this is very close to what Nachtmystium did with Assassins. A worthy purchase.

ALS

Besides Jason Becker, I only know one other individual who is strickened by ALS. He is Riz Sunawan, a former news presenter here. It's good to know he'd received some help, together with other local & well-known individuals in the media / entertainment industry here. The immediate impact of living with a serious medical condition is the loss of income. Ironically, the individual would be facing mounting medical bills but where is the money coming from? 

Having been in this situation, I could totally feel for these individuals who are relegated to the fringes of memories with virtually no incoming funds to oversee their medical attention. Have I recovered from this financial plight? Absolutely no. I don't see any positive financial recovery for myself in the near future. It's about living day to day with uncertainty & virtually no savings; what comes in goes out with limited savings prospects. It's a real struggle but we are grateful for what we have now, limitations & all, because we know they are others more miserable than us out there. 

Pics: MND / Grammy

Uncradle

Aw, darn. One of the crappiest news this week - Richard Shaw had parted ways with Cradle of Filth. This guy is one of the best when it comes to blending technicalities with extreme music. There are some bands I follow owing to the presence of certain guitar talents, COF is one of them, along with Deicide, Obituary & Nile, among others. When the line up changes, I ceased to follow because I know something would be missing in the music. On that note, keyboardist Anabelle Iratni also departed COF.

Pic: PRS

New trio

Super stoked to know these three Seymour Duncan pickups will be available here soon. Watch this space.

To be continued...

Wino prophecy

Not one but two - that's how many Epiphone Jerry Cantrell Les Paul you'd see in the market soon. I would see this as a smart move - adding an affordable version that is almost 10x cheaper than the real deal. However folks, there's no piezo feature in the Epi version, pickups are Epiphone versions & body is weight-relieved. Nevertheless, it looks appealing.

The other model is this Prophecy iteration, meaning, it has a modern slant to it. Fluence pickups & push-pull switching options set it apart from its Wino bother. Also, this one has two more frets. Of course, there's absolutely no news if the current Epiphone distributor here are still bringing stuff in. Your guess is as good as mine.

Pics: Musicradar

Ibanez: May update

Ibanez is re-highlighting the lefty RG550 this May (Genesis Series). Yes, re-highlighting because this was done back in 2018. This time, only the yellow version is offered. Keep in mind that the Genesis range is entirely removed from the Japanese market, the J-Line took over proceedings when it comes to Prestige-type credibility & affordability in mind.

Lately, Ibanez had been making their GIO models appealing. Maybe not so much of features, more of the looks. This GRX120 looks stunning in this blue with a pair of covered humbuckers.

Verdict: Fair. I would have deemed this May adventure boring save for the fact that the lefty RG provided considerations for the southpaws among us & the entry level Gio models are making themselves appealing for the money.

Pics: Ibanez International

Odd

I have no idea why PRS puts black screws in there when the rest of the hardware are chrome...

So out with the black, in with the chrome. These are minor changes that won't devalue your instrument. The original details can be restored if the guitar is to be sold or can be included in the sale, no big deal.

Eid Ulf Fitr 2022

Warmest Eid greetings to all Muslim blog readers. Finally, a breathable Eid after a couple of years under pandemic restrictions. Personally, I can feel the difference this time round, more crowd at festive shopping venues, more preps all round as well. Please forgive all my short-comings & oversights & have a good time with your loved ones, 

Review quickie: PRS SE Silver Sky

Intro

This is the SE version of John Mayer's Silver Sky model, made in Indonesia at a lower list price. It's not a direct duplicate of the USA version, differences being:

• bigger truss rod cover
• plastic tuners
• 8.5" fretboard radius
• SE version pickups
• non-American electronics
• covered rear cavity
• poplar body

This guitar was officially released in 2022, given quite a fanfare by John Mayer himself, despite being an SE. Currently, only the rosewood fretboard version is available & it comes with an SE bag.

 Likes

• overall build quality - near flawless, darn!
• tone - as versatile as the USA model, very usable tone in all pickup positions
• playability - despite a difference in fretboard radius, from the core model, it's comfortable as heck!
• well cut nut slots

Dislikes

• dry fretboard
• tuners - inconsistent performance

Conclusion

Despite being an SE, this version of the Silver Sky holds its own in terms of tone & playability. This might be the reason the PRS camp went all out to launch it, they know it stands for quality more than anything else, SE or otherwise. If you remove the pickguard & take a look at the pickups, it has a bar magnet at the rear, typical of budget, in-house units which are more likely to be high output & semi-useless clean. Not for this guitar, though. Whatever inner variation it sports, these pickups are above expectations in my books. Bonus for distortion freaks like me - they sound equally awesome in high gain / drive mode.

That 1" difference in fretboard radius is negligible especially so for dweebs like me who seldom chord. The tuners are budget grade & its performance exposed only after being put to action. In fact, 2 of them are stiff. I wouldn't worry about the dry spots on the fretboard (only at the 3rd & 5th fret area), might be due to temperature fluctuations & of course, at this price point, it might be of a lower grade but definitely not a dud feature. All in all, the Silver Sky SE is not a second fiddle to the USA version. Despite the lower price point,  this is a quality guitar worth checking out if you are a single coil fan regardless of your John Mayer inclinations. 

Overall rating: 90%

Availability: Davis GMC / Swee Lee. Please refer the respective distributor's website for prices.

Pic: Sweetwater

Labouring

It's that time of the year again when we pause to pay tribute to the people who keep the engine of the economy running - workers. In recent times, the media had announced impending price hikes in view of the increasing prices of raw materials so prices of basic amenities, food especially, will see upward revisions everywhere. Are wages keeping up with this? Who determines if the wages should keep abreast with the times? Should it be kept in check at all? These are the issues of labour welfare which are rightfully under the ambit of the union. But the union here has a friendly relationship with the government & always scope their interest with compliance in mind. What's the point of having an organization supposedly looking after the acute interests of workers? You can be friendly but remember who you are looking after.

On that note, here's wishing all workers a deserving day of rest, it's a long weekend for many of us with the festive holiday as the bonus extension.