Sunset assault

Here's an intriguing new model from Schecter - Sunset Triad. It features a triple coil pickup at the bridge position, Tripocalypse they call it. The neck single coil is the Apocalypse. As the names imply, the guitar is set to stun; metal & beyond, that is. The thing with pickups, despite the manifestations & names, it might not meet your tonal expectations. Example - Seymour Duncan's Screamin' Demon isn't exactly what the name suggested it to be. 

Lest we forget, Fender's MP Marauder had a triple coil pickup in there. It was OK. 

Ibanez's ATK bass had a triple coil pickup in it as well. That Sunset Triad looks cool as heck but if you dislike the bridge pickup, then be informed, finding a replacement would be a needle in the haystack quest.

Pics: Schecter / GAK / MR

The other cowboys are back

Heck, yeah! Darn glad these chaps are back in it. Job for A Cowboy was the few death-core bands, or whatever fashionable label they put on people playing this kind of music, that I respect & enjoy listening to. Nine years of waiting & hoping, folks, we have this first single off their new album. One of my criteria for liking a band / musician is to show mastery in the music. It's not just being technical; we know too well how some technically adept individuals failed to appeal through their music. Leaving this here for the initiated to get to know the band:

Pic: JFAC FB

Erupt-bucker?

Pic: Gibson / Kramer

There's always a gainful return with any Van Halen associations - amplifiers, pedals & guitars, obviously. Looks like Kramer (to a larger extent, Gibson) would want a share of the proverbial Eddie pie. They are working closely with VH's ex-tech, Jim DeCola to manifest brown sounding humbuckers, to put it loosely. The way I see it, bearing the Kramer name is an easy excuse for a VH association as the late man himself embraced Kramer along the way. It's like, Eddie did some Kramer time back then & we should know better because we are Kramer. It's a semi-perilous endeavour because VH never sought after Kramer's expertise back then for his pickup needs, he tinkered & it paid off. 

Anyway, EVH has good pickups to deliver the brown sound. My rather recent experience with the '78 Eruption (Striped Series) can attest to that. Also, Seymour Duncan did well with the '78 humbuckers. Gentle reminder - these are the various manufacturer's interpretation of what makes a good VH-like tone. To say one manufacturer stands out above all else in this engagement is a little myopic.

Review quickie: Squier Classic Vibe '60s Custom Esquier

Pic: Fender

In Fender's history of the solid body, single cutaway, bolt-on electric guitar, the Esquier precedes the Telecaster in service & was only equipped with a bridge pickup. The one appraised here is the Squier version, coming from the Classic Vibe series in the 60s Custom iteration. Classic Vibe means, this one is not an entry-level Squier, in fact, the CV Series pride themselves as a worthy rival to the Mexican Fenders in terms of build & tone. 60s means, the fretboard would be rosewood & has a shallower neck profile compared to the 50s version. For this model, Squier used laurel instead of rosewood, keeping costs down. Finally, Custom means, there's binding on the body (double bound).

Likes:

• very comfortable neck profile, neither too shallow nor too thick, just nice
• overall weight
• responsive tuners / electronics
• good fit & finish for the money

Dislike

• scratchy frets

If you think a one-pickup guitar is the epitome of cost-cutting, then be informed that Leo Fender intended it to be that way at the start. The 3-way selector was there to supplement this intention. This Squier version is simply an iteration of an Esquier, not a faithful re-issue, so please manage your expectations. 

I like everything about this guitar while trying it out, it's simply a good guitar. My only beef here is that some of the frets were not well-polished at the factory, these sound scratchy & will definitely affect the bend-inclined among us. I personally dislike small frets because the strings would touch the fretboard while fretting but these are the tall version so they are not far from a medium jumbo in terms of feel during play. 

The only factor that would prevent you from buying this guitar is the one-pickup feature. Fret not (no pun intended), the 3-way selector is there to keep tone variation in check. The tone control works only in Position 2. The Position 1 tone bypass means you get a very open twang & one of the best that I've come across. Position 3 runs the circuit through a fattening capacitor & it does just that; fatten the tone while keeping the treble down. Don't mind me saying this but that one pickup feature would make it a contender for a non-mover. I won't be surprised if it would be subjected to periodic discounts in the near future. All in all, this is a good guitar, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

PS: Special thanks to Mr. Failzal (Swee Lee Star Vista) for letting me try this guitar.

Rating: 90%

Squier: Classic Vibe '60s Custom Esquire

Availability: Swee Lee Co. 

List: $649 (bag not included)

POST REVIEW

Pic: Guitar Q

Folks, the initial release of this guitar was way back in 2021. You know how it was back then, yes? The world was trying to crawl itself out of a pandemic. Some things don't make it here due to the frozen shipping activities. There were three colours offered, two did not make it here & the sunburst option just landed here a few weeks ago. So there.

Bernie Marsden: 1951 - 2023

Pic: PCN

Late Friday night / early Saturday morning - the news of Bernie Marsden's passing would surely break the hearts of Whitesnake fans. I'm not a die hard follower but I do have Whitesnake songs on my phone's playlist.  

Pic: Andertons

Not too long ago (pre-2020 if I got it right), PRS did a Marsden signature available in the SE range. The guitar had a 24.5" scale length with only one master tone control at the helm. That would have hinted at how important Marsden was to the PRS camp & we know he had some hits up his sleeve back in his Whitesnake days.

Two of the most prolific Marsden tunes with Whitesnake are Fool for Your Loving / Here I Go Again. Leaving you with the former as a tribute to the late & definitely great, Bernie Marsden.

Patchy tones

Just days ago, I was playing a single coil guitar with a loss of top end in the mix. So the amp was tweaked, pickup height was re-looked at & the guitar's tone control was kept in check. No changes were heard. 

Then I saw something different when I looked down at my pedals; the Ibanez patch cable (left) was used instead of my regular pancake plug one. A quick swap & that did it. Folks, instrument cables, as mythical as it gets, do affect tone. Simple reason - manufacturers used different wire types / thickness / length for their products. Do not dismiss this as the consideration in the diagnosis of your tone.

Sunset Extreme

Schecter's Sunset Extreme - a new, no-frills guitar aimed at the metal heads.  I absolutely like that one-knob affair & fixed bridge for easy re-string. Pickups here are Schecter's own Sunset Strip (b) / Pasadena (n) which are American made. Very good upper frets access as you can see above.

Pic: Schecter

Travelling Kohlman

I've always been impressed with the Kohlman bags due to its comfort & durability factors. You can now get one for your travel-size acoustics at TY Music Center ($87).

Pic: TYMC

SS Sale

More discounts from Davis GMC - the PRS SE Silver Sky models are now going for $999. Worth it if you are into a Fender alternative that will not keep you awake at night thinking you've plundered your piggy for a guitar.

Pics: PRS

VI

The Fender Bass VI definitely has a cult following. In the mean time, Fender has no interest in reviving one in the catalogs but it did make the Squier manifestation instead (Classic Vibe Series, seen above). The Bass VI was understood to be the first baritone instrument that fits into the guitar domain as opposed to the bass domain. Maybe this helps - it's a guitar made to encroach the bass territory while retaining the guitar characteristics, as opposed to a scaled down bass that is actually very guitar in nature. OK so it's trapped in the middle but it's definitely unique. The Squier version, in recent times, had shown a very strong price appreciation but it's available for a reasonable $699 (Swee Lee) if you are interested. 

Pic: Ubuy

ROSS @ SL

This is the buzz in the mean time - JHS brought back the ROSS pedals ($269 ea). No idea if there's a strong following here but there's a little bit of history which you need to be immersed into for the Ross name to maybe conjure some desire. It's losing out on space-saving consideration for sure but that's all in the name of accurate reproduction. It's also a minimalist affair (2 knobs). At that price tag, many of us would maybe consider a BOSS WAZA pedal or something equally appealing in terms of status appeal. More importantly, if you like it after you tried it, that's all that matters. Available at Swee Lee now.

Pic: GW

SE sale

Some great deals for selected PRS SE hollow body models. In view of the price hikes, you won't come across these kind of prices any more in the near future.

Pic: DGMC 

Squier Anniversary - slashed prices

The Squier 40th Anniversary models are going for a discount. Again. I believe this is the third round of slashed prices. I have no intentions to impede sales but these guitars are not moving due to the price, more than anything else. I've mentioned this to a friend who asked for a frank opinion on this deal.

Pic: Deviser Co.

A Squier above the $500 mark is a difficult enticement. Why would I spend that much money when I can get a Bacchus BTE-1RSM/M (above) for slightly more than $320? The Bacchus comes with a roasted maple neck which is more enticing than the Anniversary Squier's normal, nothing special, neck. We can see why the 40th Anniversary guitar is virtually screaming do not buy one at the original $700+ price tag. The 40th Anniversary slant is merely commemorative, nothing extra in terms of features, were factored into the design. If these do not clear the shelves by the year end, that 40th Anniversary thing means nothing in 2024. If you have ever owned a Squier, you'd agree that the Standard, non-commemorative models are good enough to see you through so paying more for an anniversary model is definitely not the way to go. 

Price watch (63)

The PRS S2 Standard 24 is now listing for $2,249. If you see any of these guitars going for less than $2K, those are from the previous shipment. That's right folks, guitars are not getting any cheaper. First, Fender, now PRS - prices are going up quite unreasonably, I would say. There are no design revisions for the current Standard 24 models so why the steep price increase? 

Pic: PRS

Muse - Olympia

Playing guitar on a weekday is a little difficult as I try to overcome the work fatigue. But nothing beats the urge to play, to manifest that tune that's been ringing in the head for the entire day. So this guitar was brought out to fulfil that urge. When I play this Epiphone Muse SG, I know I am playing an instrument with great playability & tone. Yes, those default Epiphone pickups appeal to me more than some Gibson pickups; great PAF character with lots of clarity. More importantly, the sound awesome with loads of drive dialled in.

Today's playing agenda was also about putting a set of Olympia 10s in there. After this round of playing time, I will give these strings their due appraisal.

Heritage maple

Fender (Japan) Heritage late 60s Strat is offered as a Japan-only option in the mean time. As with its predecessors, it will somehow creep its way into the stores here. If you are new to the Heritage Series, these are top tier Japanese models, listing for very close to $2K

Pic: Fender Japan

Bad cats

Bad Cat amps are now available at Swee Lee. If you are into boutique tube cleans & maybe that pushed crunch, do check them out. Yes, expect boutique prices as well. The last impressive clean tones that I came across (this side of Fender) was a Two Rock back at Davis GMC. 

Pic: GC

Gauge error

This happened last Saturday. After re-stringing, I was wondering why the A string required extra tension during tuning. A closer look revealed that both the wound E & A strings were of the same gauge (.042) *sigh* It's quite obvious from the pic above. Folks, these things do happen every now & then. Don't get too upset, bring it back to the store with the issued receipt. If you kept the strings for a while & the receipt is gone, then simply get a replacement string (like I did). 

Terrorizer - imminent return

Best news today - Pete Sandoval will revive Terrorizer with David Vincent in the lineup. Word has it, Brian Werner (Vital remains) will also be in the band. I consider World Downfall, the band's debut, to be a necessary distraction from the Morbid Angel indulgences way back in the day. The subsequent releases failed to somehow recreate the WD magic; the music was kind of predictable. Looking forward to this come back, definitely.

Pic: Metalunderground

Black guard (again)

Because I lack the finances to feel the elation of owning a new instrument, the next best thing (to me) is to make something look new.

So the Strat gets a new pickguard. It's a faux single ply; I coloured the edge black. Pickguard screws got the black treatment as well. There. The most exciting thing that happened to me this week. Whatever.

Espada HH

Heck, yes! G&L finally released the humbucking version of the Espada. This guitar was previously equipped with the split / Z-coil pickups making life very difficult for players who wish to swap them out. I always look forward to interesting non-Fender Tele type guitars as I prefer this design over the Strat. Looking forward. 

Pic: G&L

Price watch (62)

Would you pay $2,179 for this Sterling Sabre? Yes, it has some eye candy here; flame maple neck, Fluence pickups, locking tuners... but would you?

EDIT: The listing for this instrument had been removed as at 12th Aug.

Also, would you pay $1K for the Squier version of Tom Delonge's signature Strat? 

58th

Today marks the 58th year of independence for Singapore. Living in this country is all about slogging it out to make ends meet. Prices are going up, houses are getting smaller & the divide between the people & the elitist government grows bigger. 

Pic: ST

I am struggling to get re-employed post-cancer while this guy does nothing & still get paid. The last time I checked, the deductions for my income tax are still active. This $8,500 - whose money is used here? Folks, loving your country does not equal to a total agreement with the government. It's not a crime to do so, yes?

The people must also do their part in showing sincerity when it comes to respect for the country. They can start by putting up the state flag the right way round, not like this, of course.

Morrissey @ SG

 

Looking forward to this one since I missed the last one (Marina Barrage) due to academic commitments.

Pic: Livenation IG

ND deals 2023

Swee Lee dropped this today. I'll save you the trouble.

There are no electric guitars on this discount list. The closest thing that might get you excited are the Fender Acoustasonic models you see above (there are other models if you are interested).

There's a bunch of Taylors as well. So there.

Pic: Swee Lee / FB

Headless Sunday

Wasn't motivated to leave the house in this scorching heat today. Indoors with the headless siblings.

Kiesel: Allan Holdsworth

One of my favourite / go-to guitars for inspiration. Used this one to play ideas really slowly before speeding up to taste. I'm not a fan of signature models (if you've been following the entries here closely) but the custom options meant I could trim this down to my specs; that's the only reason I bought this guitar.

Ibanez: Q54

Wasn't attracted to this because it's a headless guitar but because it sports a body contour very close to the Radius series. Was wondering if that kind of ergonomics would help me play differently but I believe it's more of the player, not the instrument. I am too used to the way I play so this was adopted to the guitar & not the other way round. There's something about Ibanez that makes me play fast & fumble all the time. Darn.

Wishing everyone a good week ahead. 

F-bag

 This Fender bag is the FET-610 (List: $79). 

I'm totally happy with the form & comfort factor of this bag. However, its lack of substantial padding disqualifies it as a reliance for robust handling. It's adequate for point-A-to-point-B type of application. If your instrument topples over, this bag won't guarantee any damage-free aftermath. It's an enhanced basic guitar bag, wonder why it should cost this much considering Gator, Ritter & Ibanez offer more considerable features at this price point. It's all about the name, isn't it?

Hot 20

Received this in the mail today. I'm sure you did too if you are on their mailing list.

Pic: SL

DOD: Preamp 250

Finally had some time to try this out. It's the re-intro of the DOD Preamp 250 which was quite a hit in its heyday. This debut (sort of) is rather eventful as this pedal was the initial batch of effects units handled by Cort, the new owner of the DOD brand. I get easily distracted by such pedals as they add something useful to my signal chain - boosting my amp's dirty channel, mostly. If you are expecting a very yellow pedal, well, it's actually closer to gold. Not quite apparent in this pic, it seems.

I'm also constantly looking out for pedals that has a battery capacity as I am a pedal minimalist. I simply do not wish to set up another PSU for pedals. I'm only using two at any one time (sometimes just one) so the 250 is a good one for me.

To be continued...

Review quickie: Seymour Duncan Five-Two

This is a quirky pickup by Seymour Duncan. The Five-Two here refers to the magnets used in this pickup - Alnico II for the E-B-G strings & Alnico 5 for the D-A-E strings. This model is offered for both Tele & Strat applications. 

Likes

• clarity
• warm cleans
• thick distorted tones

Dislikes

• rather sensitive to pickup height adjustments

If there's any magic manifesting from this hybrid magnet design then it's proving its worth. The Five-Two has very good articulation across the frequencies despite the EQ chart suggesting a scooped setting. In clean mode, it sounds warm with an impressive midrange presence, again, contrary to what the EQ documented. I love this pickup for its lead / solo applications; it sounds very humbucker-ish without becoming mushy at high gain / drive levels. If you wish for a commanding lead tone without resorting to the ceramic discourse, then this pickup is it. I feel that it's rather sensitive to pickup height adjustments, more apparent in distorted settings.

Rating: 90%

Let Larry Basilio convince you:

Seymour Duncan: Five-Two

Availability: Davis GMC

List: $130

Pics: Seymour Duncan

PF 3/4

This August, Ibanez has some acoustic highlights in their new release line up. Nothing too interesting but this is worth mentioning - the PF model is given the 3/4 treatment (24"). Also, it has the elbow slope which was once a feature of higher tier models.

The frustrating thing here is that the PF15JR models were not given a solid top. Ibanez might reserve this 3/4 + solid top combo for the AW54JR.

Pic: Ibanez