Vai @ SG

We end July in the knowledge that a prominent guitar idol is making his way here. Still wondering why that performance venue was chosen.

Pic: LAMC FB

Hendrix shrine

Dunlop has these mini Hendrix pedals in its Shrine series. These are available at Davis GMC ($190). These days, gigging players are not too keen with lugging around hefty pedal boards so this makes sense. The price could have been more appealing considering the countless number  of mini pedals out there with quality & tone to prove their value-for-money's worth.

Pic: Dunlop

3-string

This is the real kiddy standard. It's a 3-string Fender Strat done in collaboration with Loog. Meant for kids but no harm buying one for days when you are so bored, you are watching your fingernails grow.

Tele version also available. (List: USD199)

Pic: Loog

JTM45

Marshall brought back the JTM45 for its founder's 100th birthday. Swee Lee has this amp on its coming soon list.

MOMM 43

I do not shy away from listening to the lesser know bands out there. It's not about the band, it's about the music. If it appeals to you, then the band recognition means nothing.

Mefitic: Woes of Mortal Devotion

Not a new release, it's 8-years old this year. It's not easy listening especially when the deep sounding vocals are panned out at the background. Also, those guitars are not the typical black metal tones, they sound crunchy, not crusty. In fact, they are on the verge of sounding great. Production is awesome here, every instrument equally audible in the mix. 

Shezmu: A Travers Les Lambeaux

Yes, it's entirely in French. No, they are Canadian. Not new as well, a 2020 release. This release is predominantly doom-y against a black metal back drop which I appreciate. It goes to show that you can dwell in one genre & include other elements to make it artistic. Not a new formula but difficult to execute tastefully. 

Pro Plus

Here comes more Fenders Jacksons. These are the recently launched Pro Plus models featuring plus appointments in terms of pickups, frets, etc. Are these releases necessary? I personally don't think so but the manufacturer has to make a point when it comes to prices. The Korean & Japanese Jacksons are currently sporting semi-obscene price tags so if the manufacturer does not do something about their other guitars in terms of pricing, it would make the afore-mentioned models look bad. At least in terms of prices, absolutely nothing to do with performance. Regardless of how much more affordable the Pro Plus models are, these instruments are making you re-think about the value-for-money considerations when it comes to buying a Jackson. 

Pic: GW

Tom D: The return

Fender announced the return of the ever popular Tom Delonge Strat (USD1,299) in a limited edition run. Fixed bridge, single humbucking - my kind of guitar. Despite being a Seymour Duncan fan, I dislike the Invader. Also, it's a signature model which I am not into.

Pic: Fender

Jackson strings

Jackson strings, now available at Swee Lee ($8). Fender owns Jackson so... there. 

Pic: Swee Lee

Call of Cthulhu (5)

 A much delayed conclusion to this episode but just wanna share the sticker experience.

The body was covered front & back. About 80+ pieces of stickers were used.

All in all, it's not something I would encourage others to do in view of the time spent on this. However, if you are game to try, be sure to select the sticker type that is water resistant & has good adhesive. Do not be upset if you end up using more stickers for a particular spot than others. The sticker method allowed me to cover up the middle pickup cavity rather easily. That was filled up with sponge first then covered up by stickers. Waterproof, strong adhesive stickers - plenty sold online (eg. Shopee). 

Review quickie: Seymour Duncan Psychedelic (neck)

I'm not really a single coil fan but I appreciate the clarity offered by single coils & its lush applications with chorus. I only got this pickup in search of a neck replacement that is out of my comfort zone. The Psychedelic came to mind as it sports a scooped EQ which I totally detest.

Likes

• Clarity
• Good for both clean & overdriven tones

Dislikes

• Lacks bottom end

As you can see from the image above, the Psychedelic is a scooped player in all positions. In use, I could hardly detect a marked scooped tone. It's all about the treble here which others might disagree. As it is a neck unit, I had the tone control maxed out to prevent any muddy definition & it sounded sweet with distortion. Clean, it performed equally well. If you are into sweep arpeggios, this is a good pickup option. With reference to the SSL-1 which is arguably the benchmark for decent single coil tones, the Psychedelic isn't too different, I hear a stronger treble response from this one which might appeal more to those of us who solo in the neck position.

Rating: 89%

Seymour Duncan: Psychedelic Strat

Availability: Davis GMC

List: $125

Pics: Seymour Duncan

Dean death?

Word is, Dean guitars are on the brink of death. There are major issues surrounding the parent company, Armadillo Enterprises, involving the owners who are actually family members. Won't say too much here, just watch this: 

Pic: G&M

Suona

Another Fender in the market; a thinline Strat from the limited edition Suona Series. A Tele & Jazz Bass version are also available in the same finish seen here. Let's ask ourselves if we are in the market for a thinline, would a Strat-type be the first that we would think of? Semi-hollow aficionados; would they be interested in this concept offering or would they still stick to the venerable ES-335? That marker-less fretboard - yay / nay?

Interesting to note that ash is used for this one with a spruce top. Ebony fingerboard is a plus feature to me & it bodes well with the marker-free look as a very dark version is used here. Narrow frets but tall ones should complement the compound radius but things remain challenging when it's a span between 7.25" to 9.5"... & it's a whisker shy of USD3K...

Pic: Fender

Star

This is a rather recent release by EVH; the single pickup Limited Edition Star. I like everything about this one less the kill switch.

Of course, about a decade ago, Charvel had a very affordable single pickup, star type guitar going in their Desolation Series (China). Yes, the star design had always been a Charvel thing. A pity these were discontinued. A revival in the EVH iteration would mean paying more for the name.

Pics: Charvel / GAK

Plus price

Fender's Player & Player Plus Strats (Mexico) are in stock now. The one you see above is listing for $1,579.

The Japanese Hybrid II Strat is $1,399. That's more than $150 savings.

The Edwards E-ST-90 is equally Japanese & downright delectable for $990. That's more than $550 difference with no QC compromise & very desirable single coil tones. My point here is, The Fender Mexican listings are losing out on price. If you insist on a Mexican, then the after-market has very good deals for your considerations. At this price point, who are the Mexican Fenders for considering players out there can own a Fender (new or otherwise) for less money? Where is Fender going in this price bracket? Does made in Mexico matter to a typical Fender fan (any more)? Decisions, decisions...

Paranormal presence

This was the buzz just days ago; an Epiphone bridge being used in a Paranormal Series Squier Strat-O-Sonic. The Squier spokesperson said it was unintentional which is hard to believe. How can you not realize it's an Epiphone part; the name was there & plain to see. There's no ruling out the fact that the factory handling the Squiers are also doing Epiphones & convenience was it. The other possibility - there is a need for a non-F Spaced bridge which is what the Epiphone bridge is. Why non-F Spacing was required? The P90 does not come in an F-Spaced version so a Fender fixed bridge would misalign the strings against the pickup pole pieces.

Pic: Guitar

Wolf in Japan

So the Japanese itch went full circle for Fender as the EVH name debuted a Japanese model. Should we get excited considering anything with the EVH name at the headstock that is made in the USA will command a hefty price tag? It's made in Japan after all, right - it should cost less than an American, yes? There is a Mexican '78 model in the stores now & that's currently listed for $2.7k... Wouldn't want to guess how much this would list for here.

Pic: EVH

 

Walking flanger

Never knew Andy Summers had a thing for flanger. The fact that it took this long for it to be noticed & a signature flanger being done shows a lack of contemporary chemistry in the mean time. Let's face it, it's increasingly difficult to have something exciting put out into the market these days. Falling back on yesterday's heroes might be it.

Pic: EHX

MJ Charvel

So the Charvel camp is also doing the Japan revival thingy & had recently released a few models, one of which is this model here - MJ San Dimas Style 1HSH FR QM. These are not here yet but we can expect the same dreadful prices as the Jackson counterparts. The current SD1 24 is listing for $2.8K. No surprises here as Jackson & Charvel are both owned by Fender & the cascading of awful instrument prices, regardless of where they are made in, is inevitable.

Pic: Charvel

Price watch (61)

These are $6.50 each at Swee Lee. Self-collect at these prices - NO. 

Yes, the Squier CV has a cult following. That price tag has the MONO bag factored in. Chances are, there will be interest in the guitar but not the bag. Please offer a guitar-only consideration. 

This is a second gen H1. The initial H1 models do not sport the large, 70s headstock. Can't really tell if this is a H1 model, need to see it personally. Does it matter?? Yes - H1 don't come with a glossed body. From these pics - no way of telling for sure. There is currently an American Performer listing for $1.2K + which, to me, is better value for money. Are the H1 highly collectible hence commanding a higher asking price? Not that I'm aware of. Non-glossed body is nothing really special, you can sand the gloss off from any guitar rather easily / get the shops to do it.

MJ Jackson

There's some sort of a Japanese revival recently at Jackson. Models released were nothing special, just enough to invoke the Japanese era lineup. The fact that many of today's younger players did not know this happened not too long ago, in my opinion, is an awful commercial strategy. Will those generation of players who witnessed this occurrence flock to the stores to buy one today? I believe it's a firm NO. Reason - awful prices. The charming white RRT you see above is listing for $3,999. For something extremely ordinary, that's expensive. For more appealing appointments for the same amount of money, ESP is the way to go. Yes, these Japanese Jacksons are now available at Swee Lee if you are interested but do consider other options based on value-for-money alone.

Pic: Jackson

New boss

The stand-in guy is now boss at Gibson - Cesar Gueikian. Will he move on & let Swee Lee resume Gibson distribution? Your guess is as good as mine.

Pic: GN

MOMM (42)

That feeling of receiving new music in the mailbox.

Paul Gilbert: The Dio Album

I stopped buying Paul Gilbert's stuff because he sang in his album. He's one heck of a guitar player but I somehow don't like to hear his voice. Also, he changed his music / guitar philosophy along the way which didn't click with me; single coils, fuzz, thin picks, etc. This Dio stuff is an all instrumental affair. The music was done very tastefully but the vocals were replaced by slide guitar fills, mostly. This, to me, somehow ruined the vibe. 

Ruim: Black Royal Spiritism

Ever since he left Mayhem, Blasphemer had proven his worth; Vltimas, Twilight of The Gods & now Ruim. Ruim is basically his solo outing with CSR on drums &  guest vocalist, Proscriptor for Fall of Seraphs. There is always a guitar inclined appeal to his composition, not the shred type of appeal but it's that subtle technicality that reminds the world he can actually play the instrument. BRS is a bleak album done well in terms of production & composition. When the world thinks black metal had lost its threat & dangerous demeanour, then there's Ruim.

Indoor Sunday

Not much happening today. Stayed indoors with those two (above) keeping me occupied. When you are sick(ly) & having your expenditures curbed, keeping yourself occupied / distracted is the way to go.

GRGR010LTD: I sometimes forget how good this one sounds. Simple guitar & I'm still loving that copper finish. Shreddy stuff on this one & I'm sticking to legatos lately; the smooth, connected notes sound addictive. Trying to play in the Olympia strings which still feel new & unseasoned. 

S370 (mod): This one went out of tune despite not being played for a few days. Got the tuning sorted out & keeping watch of the blocked bridge which, I think, is the suspect. Lots of doom ideas with this one. It's not about what guitar it is but what it inspires you to play. 

Wishing you all a good week ahead.

7-7

Swee Lee did a 7% off everything promo which was good for only one day - yesterday (7th July). 'Everything' included expendables like the strings you see above, as well as B-Stock items which were already discounted. Is it a big deal? Definitely. Some of us, due to severe financial constraints, are hoping, simple but important items like strings, picks, polish fluid, straps, etc. would be discounted occasionally which other shops are not doing. If they do then highly likely, it's an annual discount. 

Would like to give a thumbs up to the delivery time - I bought the strings on the night of 7/7 (after work, winding down, online shopping, that kinda thing) & these were delivered this morning (8/8). Awesome.

Re-string Friday...

Another guitar receiving a set of Olympia 9s. Will be testing / using this brand in the mean time as I impose a stricter gear expenditure measure on myself to address my poor finances in the mean time. Weekend is here - have a good one.

Call of Cthulhu (4)

The pickups in this revived Ibanez S370 is a pair of DiMarzio ibz humbuckers. Back in its time, it was burdened to fulfil the DiMarzio expectations but Ibanez clearly mentioned these were created in the image of a typical DiMarzio spec but not being an outright DiMarzio per se. These do not possess the smooth voicings of a DiMarzio once high octane distortion is in use. A stronger midrange response is its firm identity, inclining towards the Super Distortion. In clean mode, these are quite devoid of any PAF warmth hence its much maligned existence back then. I am totally alright with such tonal offerings, the reason I look out for them in the after-market. They give me what I want to hear. 

To be concluded... 

Flagship @ Japan

The Fender flagship store was recently launch in Japan & these two (among others) caught my attention. This is the Flagship Tokyo Gold Strat. Nothing really special considering the many Strat iterations out there but the body binding suggests a non-rounded outline, very much like the Aerodyne model. 

Here's the Tele counterpart. Yes, both sport a quilted maple top & rosewood 'board. 

Pics: Fender Japan

Lil '78

Seymour Duncan's Lil' '78 is now offered in the single coil-sized dimensions. Tempting...

Pic: SD

Drab July

It must be a dismal July for Ibanez because there are only two new instruments released this month & both of them are GIOs. The first one is this GRG170DX.

The other, this GRG121SP offered in three metallic sparkle colours. That's how exciting things are this month.

Pics: Ibanez

Salen

New Plini signature guitar by Strandberg - Salen NX6.

If your finances are not helping your aspirations, then this Acepro interpretation might be your thing.

Pics: Strandberg / Aliexpress

 

DD

Starting off July with something new. No, this Ibanez S1620 isn't new. Been with me since 2007 if memory serves me right. I've been having a love / hate relationship with this one for a simple reason - the pickups.

But not this time, of course. I now have likeable pickups in there; a pair of covered Seymour Duncan Distortion humbuckers, specially brought in for me by Davis GMC. The TB-6 there is a tight fit. It has a wider dimension to accommodate the TB spacing. Every TB model comes with its own pickup mounting ring because the people at Seymour Duncan know the guitar's default pickup ring won't be the right one for the job. After a few rotations of pickups, the Distortion will stay put here because they simply sound good for all my needs. 

1st July is SAF there so there's no National Day rehearsal today at the Padang & that made the visit to Gloria Jeans more enjoyable - no crowd. We're already into the other half of 2023. Time flies.