Red alert

Saying goodbye to July with this unexpected acquisition. 

To be continued...

HNY

 To all Muslim blog readers - a new chapter begins. Wishing you a good year a head. 

Quickie

 

Just wanna share this - a couple of changes featuring the new single sized DiMarzio humbuckers. The top is the older version, the new one is the current design. Note:

1. DiMarzio now features a quick connect system. You solder only once & change pickups freely through the QC plug. It's a wonderful revision for people like me who would get bored on some days & wish for change.
2. The outline is now more streamlined, unlike the triangular-ish design of the older version. This is made possible because now the wires attach to the base of the pickup, not at the edge.

Power players

Latest from Epiphone - Power Player Series. These are scaled down guitars, 22.73" in scale length. Epiphone markets this as instruments for the younger players & those in need of travel-friendly accompaniments.  

Currently, only the Les Paul & SG models are offered. In my opinion, those pointy & extensive models like the Flying V & Explorer, these will benefit from being scaled down. On that note, scaling down instruments to appeal to a particular segment of the market, well, Epiphone is a little late to the scene. LTD, Ibanez, Jackson, Aria & Bacchus, to name a few, were all there before. Unlike the acoustic counterpart, there are no real ambassadors of scaled down solid body electrics. Ed Sheeren was perhaps the single absolute reason why the travel-sized acoustic remains relevant & popular. 

The bolt-on feature might be a deal breaker for some of us.

Pics: Epiphone / Keystone

Squier's 40th

Was at Swee Lee today. Saw this on display, just had to try it. One of the best Squiers around, great build & finish. It has to be great as it commemorates Squier's 40th anniversary of music-making. Pickups - above average, lacks warmth, still sound like budget pickups but great with distortion. Block inlays - I like them. What I don't like - price. Paying more than $800 for a Squier? You are better off with a used Mexican. 

What an S! (4)

The default Ibanez pickups in this guitar made way for a trio of DiMarzios: Fusion Edge (b) / Cruiser (m) / Air Norton (n). I'm a Seymour Duncan fan but do not dismiss DiMarzio pickups; they are good but not appealing to my kind of music. The DiMarzios here are essentially exiled pickups, quite forgotten so to speak because they performed poorly elsewhere to such an extent that I lost faith in them.

Not so in this case. The Fusion Edge, for instance sounds muffled, with poor bass definition but in this guitar, it gives off that pleasant grisliness most suitable for bottom end chugging. The Cruiser - I dislike it because it's so single coil-ish, it fails to perform well under high gain settings but somehow, in this S270, it can pull off that high octane single coil distortion tone without the excessive single coil clunkiness. Air Norton - I thought it's just a slight variation of the Norton which I really like but it's very PAF with vintage vibes aplenty. I'm not into that kind of responses, it's all out attack for me which the Air Norton failed to complement but strangely in this instrument, it has a very Seymour Duncan '59 vibe to it with clarity to boot. These forsaken pickups, I'm really glad I held on to them. That's the least I could say. 

Hammer time @ SL

Fender's Hammertone pedals are now available at Swee Lee. These were January releases & you now see them here like half a year later. But hey, shipment is an issue in the mean time for many industries, not just the instrument end of things as workers are down with COVID related issues. Quick price references:

• $149: Flanger / Delay / Chorus / Reverb / 
• $119: Overdrive / Distortion / Metal distortion / Fuzz 

Pic: Australianmusician

Morse retreat

Steve Morse is taking a step back with his Deep Purple involvements to attend to his cancer-stricken wife. Being one myself, I must applaud him for doing the right thing. Cancer patients need a lot of care & attention, their body has taken a beating from the chemo sessions & morale is low as well. Being there for your loved ones when it matters most - that's a hero's job. All the best to Steve Morse.

Pic: Future Music

NK

Folks, this is an NK guitar. It's a Chinese made instrument, the one you'd tell others to avoid & the subject of ridicule when a conversation about knock-offs gets going. Yes, it's  trying to do a Strandberg of sorts but that bat wing tail end design is a miss when it comes to close manifestations. 

This one came in for a re-string & some other general maintenance. I did a fret polish, fretboard re-hydration & tidied things up at the bridge end; it was mostly corroded. I have a feeling this was an impulse buy & it was left to hibernate along the way. A quick check revealed that it's no longer in production, NK Guitars had moved on with other goodness in their catalog & moving up the price range as well. New, this could have been had for less than $400.

There is currently a pair of DiMarzio Air Classics in there which leaves me to appraise it for its good tones; surprise, surprise. My overall impression of this guitar - it's surprisingly a good player but two things:

1. That bridge there is proving to be a scourge. One of the reasons why I accepted this for a re-string was to see how this thing works. Apparently, you need a key to turn the tuners, this could be done with bare fingers but it requires a good pinch to turn. I suppose, this is to keep tuning in tact while in use, a locking mechanism. Also, it did not manifest a radius compliance; having played the guitar for quite a bit, I can feel that the fretboard is not flat. It might be a 14" Ibanez-esque curvature but definitely not flat. So The action at both E strings felt higher than the rest of the strings.
2. The body is a slab design. That's right, no elbow relief, no ribcage contour; a very Telecaster type design. It makes playing uncomfortable especially for someone with a medical condition like me. 

OK so this episode put NK Guitars as another benevolent brand name from China. It's not shabby by any means. Eart & NK, good stuff. 

Limited biege

Fender Japan recently released this blonde Strat in limited edition satin finish (SGD1,460).

Flashback 2001 - Fender USA released the Highway 1 Strat in satin blonde (SGD1,040). Hmm... 😜

Pics: Fender Japan / Shelton

Price watch (38)

A couple of good acoustic stuff seen in the after-market. This Sigma is the OMM-ST. If you are familiar with the brand, then you're aware of its Martin association once upon a time. The OMM-ST is one I'd recommend if you wish for a good guitar, no frills & a wonderful tone (it's a solid top, this one). Used, I'd always urge friends to look out for a sub-$200 deal & this looks like a good deal. Recommended.

I'm a fan of Taylor's Academy Series - good stuff for a reasonable asking price. This 10E is nearly $300 off its listed price & it's worth looking into. Taylor has this neck carve that you'd appreciate if you are constantly handling the electric instead of acoustic. On that note, it's very beginner-friendly & has one of the most pleasant tones this side of the Taylor offerings.

Worthiness

I met a nice guy a couple of days ago in one of the guitar stores here. We talked gear a bit & he was in the market for an Ibanez, the AZ series in particular. He was looking at the SLM10 (above) & asked me why an Indonesian guitar is a dollar shy of $2K? It's made in Indonesia after all...

I really didn't know where to start but judging a guitar's worth by where it's made - it's one of the most outdated reference considering the quality development of instruments made in cost-cutting countries like China & Indonesia, lately. Just addressing this case in particular, the SLM10 is a signature model to begin with so it's not gonna be in a very accessible price point despite being made in Indonesia. Ibanez deems this as a Premium grade model & had priced it as such plus a little bit more for the endorser association. It's not about it being made in Indonesia & having to reflect an Indonesian made guitar price. 

On that note, is there such a thing as an Indonesian guitar price? How about a Chinese guitar price? Eastman guitars are made in China & it's way beyond the price points of guitars listed on Ali Express for instance. So why the excessive price tag? It's about quality. Let's not fall for the fallacy that guitars made in America / Japan are the standard to beat when it comes to quality manifestations. We have read one too many accounts of how horrible some Gibsons turned out to be. This skewed perspective of price-to-country it's made in association has to stop. I'm not defending Ibanez squarely on this but regardless of the brand name & country it's made in, the guitar has to be respected for what it's worth. If you deem it unworthy of the price tag then it has to be judged within the quality consideration boundary, that's a fair reference, yes?

Still on matters pertaining to worthiness, this Chinese brand, EART, is on my watch list. I managed to handle one in person (it belongs to someone) & it's certainly up there in terms of quality-to-price considerations. I've mentioned this to some friends & the initial reaction was kinda expected; it's a Chinese guitar & Ali Express listed so it's not really worth the consideration but I feel that's outright snobbery. 

Pics: Ibanez / EART

Pantera. Not.

Apparently, there is a planned Pantera reunion, featuring the musicians you see above. Wylde & Benante are filling in for the act. If this really takes place, it shows disrespect for Dimebag & Vinnie Paul. If this line-up propel themselves as a tribute band, it will be more acceptable - that's how fans are seeing it in general. Pantera is never Pantera without those deceased brothers. If they continue to go about performing as Pantera, it will invite a legal complication at the very least, in addition to the countless detestations among fans. 

Pic: Loudwire

Price watch (37)

Despite the price that includes an amp & a multi-FX unit, a non-Japanese Ibanez with a nasty chip at the body is a very difficult proposition for more than $2K. (Update: Price had been revised to $1.5K as at 19th July).

This one's listed at Amazon - $616 for a guitar bag? Even if you are not a guitar fan, that price is suspect.

S-pop

Played this one in the morning. Didn't give it too much thought - just grabbed & played. Plain strings were corroded & the neck was slightly warped. 

Decided to give it a re-string before resuming play. Was thinking of only replacing the plain strings but there were no loose strings around so it was a complete re-string in the end, might as well. The fretboard got a little treatment & the neck attended to as well so now it's to my preference once more. The pickups you see here: Perpetual Burn (b) / Quarter Pound (m) / Jazz (n). Despite looking rather captivating, the veneer poplar top is not holding too well, it's starting to come off round the pickup cavities. 

What an S! (3)

The Ibanez S270 features the discontinued SLT101 bridge. Despite looking like a Floyd Rose bridge, it is actually a non-locking unit. So how are the strings secured here? 

The strings are inserted at the end of this barrel type feature. The ball ends are visible & these stay put by virtue of the string tension pulling them inwards. As such, there is a chance of movements taking place if the whammy is in use. The SLT101 were equipped in the lower series instruments & proved to be short-lived together with the ILT version.

ZOOMing

Last minute catch from the recent mid-year City Music sale. Planning to capture inspiring sounds around me. Really. 😅 

Wide jazz

Aw darn, it's always limited edition when it comes to the good stuff. Fender Japan Jazzmaster, featuring a pair of wide range humbuckers. But this is niche stuff, if you have encountered the wide range humbuckers & they sound appealing to you, this might be equally appealing. The Jazzmaster purists would scream blasphemy; a Jazzmaster not featuring the default single coil pickups. Ultimately, it's your money, yes?

Pic: Fender Japan

MOMM (24)

It's bloody disrespectful to relegate Meshuggah as a djent act. Really, what is djent? With every new Meshuggah album, I renew my conviction that there is no djent, only Meshuggah & the music that developed thereafter. One website, encyclopaedic in nature, included Meshuggah in the metal category because of their back catalog of releases. That's very dismissive & delusional.

Immutable is as heavy as it gets while treading the Meshuggah realm; that innovative odd meter peddling that defies categorization & constant exasperation. However, the choice of Broken Cog as the opening number is a little confusing. It's a little down tempo with extensive intro, something that shouldn't be used to impress but the album opens up well as you continue to listen. Nothing too refreshing all round but I'm giving this one plus points for engagement. Unlike its predecessor which had outstanding tracks in the midst of tedious others, this one does pretty well to make you interested from start to end. Not exactly hook-laden but it's a very good effort in its entirety. Black Cathedral has an interesting black metal vibe to it & you'd expect some singing but it's an instrumental segue. Interesting inclusion, this one.

Banzai!

I'm feeling very blessed right now - one the blog readers here handed down his BOSS DS-1 to me saying he's done for good due to old age. From the looks of it, when I shook his hand to thank him, he might be in his late 60s / 70s. It's compounded by the fact that he remembers Swee Lee used to be located at Capitol building & that's way beyond my time. I already own a DS-1, it's my most used pedal in the mean time.

But this is the Japanese version. Let's see if there's any life left in this one.

To be continued...

What an S! (2)

The Ibanez S270 that I dealt with earlier had a deteriorated bridge cavity lining. It dried & became fragile, felt like that sponge my Mum inserted into her flower vases as faux soil.

So it was removed & all the cavity surfaces sanded. This helped level the surfaces to accept the new replacement material. 

My choice for the replacement material - shoe insole. The thinnest version was chosen & I prefer this rubberized material. It's synthetic rubber, really.

Done - everything glued into place. 

To be continued...

Eid-ul Adha 2022

Blessed Eid greetings to all Muslim friends & blog readers. A quiet celebration on the brink of inflation & possible uncertainty. Especially hard for me running on unstable income & still fighting to recover & paying bills. Taking time this Eid to be grateful I'm not worse off; just thankful I've not fallen behind on anything. To rest of us out there - happy long weekend. Stay safe, folks.

C-colours

Speaking of colours, Charvel has some interesting finishes of its own. The one you see above is called sunburn -  notice how the colour of the pickups matches the colour of the body.

And the DK22 SSS gets a natural walnut treatment. I simply like the colour of wood. There are some who dislike the fact that there's actually no colour on the body & Charvel offers this in other colours - blue, black & gold. 

These two are part of the upcoming Charvel releases in August. Hope these would make it here.

Pics: Charvel

F-colours

Fender Japan gets my vote for offering more vibrant colours despite the instruments being the same ol' Strats & Teles that have been around for quite a while. We still love these guitars but the current generation of players can relate to some spunky hues to reflect the times. The sunburst, white & black Teles & Strats won't go away any time soon so it's good to see something 'new' in the mix. But these are limited runs, be informed. 

Pics: Fender Japan

Sweet child

How much did they pay Guns & Roses for revisiting their albums because that's what you'll hear throughout the movie; Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, November Rain & of course, Sweet Child of Mine (what the story is about). Bonus - Rainbow in the Dark (DIO!!). Personally, this movie is below expectations. OK, won't say any more. Do catch it over the long weekend for continuity's sake. 

Pic: Comicbook

Edwards E-RS: Discontinued

Another one gone from the Edwards catalog - the RS model... 

... or better known as the Random Star model which began life as an ESP. As you can see, it's basically an Explorer with a sizeable wedge outline removed from behind the bridge.

Not many of us could relate to this model unless you grew up in the Loudness era; this was the preferred body outline of one Akira Takasaki, one of the best Asian guitar slingers. I have no idea where ESP is heading with the Edwards range, the lineup had been much trimmed over the last couple of years with no signs of similar replacements. 

Pics: ESP Japan / Loudness FB

What an S!

This is an archaic Ibanez S270. It's dated to be a 1997, made in Korea. It was in a neglected state but brought back to life recently. In fact, I got Beez to do his magic on this guitar yesterday. It's now a treasured member of my S-Series line up.

To be continued... 

Green goodness

This is my shred Tele so to speak. It sports a low action, lower than some of my Ibanez guitars & yes, it's a little buzzy at the upper frets but it's not fret buzz, it's due to the low action.

This was brought out for some attention due to the dead parts you see above. The 3-way selector is so rusty, it won't budge even after using a generous amount of contact cleaner. These are expendables & we shouldn't hold back from replacing them, especially in this dire condition. Same goes for the volume pot you see there. 

And a fresh set of strings to end things on a good note. Next time it's out, it will undergo a cosmetic make-over. That won't be soon. 

Review quickie: DiMarzio Air Classic

Low / Vintage output humbuckers - these have very little in store when it comes to high octane rock & beyond. They are equipped with weaker magnets & assigned for clean tones more than anything else. DiMarzio's Air Classic (DP190) is one of those pickups but interestingly features am Alnico 5 magnet. So what's the real deal with these humbuckers?

Likes

• Clean tones in both positions
• Clarity at crunch settings
• Overall warmth
• Sustain

Dislike

• Not meant for intense drive / distortion setting per se, requires pedal reinforcements

The bridge Air Classic was conceived to have a spiked top end. The overall midrange is enough to manifest warmth, especially for bluesy stuff.

The neck counterpart has even more treble response but the midrange is a little reduced. The overall effect here is that of good clarity, clean chords sound true & unmuffled. 

All in all, the Air Classics were meant to be inclining towards the PAF characteristics. They sound absolutely wonderful clean & crunchy. The latter refers to the addition of a wee bit of distortion for blues rock settings. The ACs are not for heavy metal tones to begin with, they won't appeal despite much tweaking. However, the ACs with pedal re-inforcements, is a different beast. Yes - beast mode. I am able to dial up, one more time, Dissection type tones (Reinkaos era) quite easily via the drive pedal + dirty amp channel combo. These have the depth for heavy, palm-muted notes despite the manufacturer citing limited bass responses in their EQ charts. When we deal with such pickups, acknowledging what the manufacturer claims is one thing, hearing them is person, is another experience altogether. Please be reminded, due to its output limitations, these cannot match the Super Distortion or X2N fin terms of drive intensity & harmonics content; these are not that kind of pickups but they can serve you well in their own right. 

Rating: 85%

Availability: TY Music / Swee Lee

Pics: DiMarzio

Paisley & flower

I actually half expected this to happen; Fender offering new finishes for the Acoustasonic. This is the paisley version...  

... & this one, the blue flower iteration. The Acoustasonics are not doing too well sales-wise. Even the more affordable Player version isn't crunching the numbers. It is marketed as a utilitarian instrument, jack of many trades. Well the touring pros, they bring a few guitars with them. The small time buskers, they get on with more affordable instruments, the Acoustasonics? Costly. From an innovation perspective, these are cool guitars. In terms of real interest, the acoustic camp would want a true acoustic, ditto the solid body campers. How about the electro-acoustic camp - surely, they can get along with these? The last time I talked to these people, they worship the Godin Multiac 😅

Pics. Fender International