Review Quickie: PRS SE CE 24 Standard

This is the most affordable PRS SE guitar in the manufacturer's current line-up. This model is basically a glossless version of the existing CE 24. Features are nothing special less the rounded heel, bolt-on construction which is a unique (or differentiated) version, quite removed from the non-SE CE mode.

Likes

• weight
• overall feel
• tone
• construction / fit / finish
• price

After playing this guitar several times (on different occasions) & under careful considerations, I'm of the opinion that there's nothing to dislike about this all goodness, no-frills affair. There's everything to like about this guitar; great playability, good tones & downright affordable. Despite being the most affordable in the manufacturer's catalog, the guitar does not manifest cost-cutting measures & necessary compromise. The pickups here could be a hit / miss for some but these fare better than many budget guitars out there. Also to note, the whammy bridge would need some play-in time plus a generous amount of lubrication at the nut slots to really make it reliable when in use. 

Rating: 100%

PRS SE: CE Standard (bag included)

Availability: Davis GMC / Swee Lee

Price: Kindly refer to the respective dealers' web store

Force vits

This is legit. It's an official product by the man himself. Applaud him for his pro-health movement as opposed to other musicians with booze affiliation. 

Noted this over at his official IG account. Let's see if they have this here.

Pics: Malmsteen / IG

 

PM Buskers

Spent the Sunday at JB. Was shopping for work pants & a new pair of shoes at Paradigm Mall. Managed to drop by the food court where these two gentlemen were playing. Unlike back home, the busking culture at JB are not as regulated. Musicians are at liberty to set up a performance area & do their thing. It is important to provide social spaces for artists to manifest their creativity. More often than not, these individuals are not there for the profits, they are enjoying themselves within their creative boundary while drawing others into their domain.

If there are any Johor-eans reading this - where else can we enjoy such performances? I don't think there are established performance venues like the SOGO vicinity at KL. TIA.

S(tr)aturday

Strat on a Saturday - Straturday. I prefer maple 'board on a Strat but will always make exceptions to good playing guitars. Had plans to replace the Japanese in-house pickups but for some reason, they sound good with my scant set up. This is one of those guitars that I can play for hours & it brings out very good phrasing ideas.

Did a quick re-string before playing. This cobalt slinky set was complementary of Swee Lee but I can't remember the occasion. 

10s

It is in my interest to give equal attention to both affordable & upper tier guitars. As such, these LTD 10-Series (L-R: EC-10 / F-10 / MH-10) are always among my recommendations to those in the hunt for affordable guitars that are reputable, not shabby & vlaue-for-money. These are back in stock at Davis GMC (List: $399). The EC model is also available in red & blue.

Pics: ESP

Boxing '24

Boxing Day. Took this out to play but spent almost the entire morning trying to figure out where i placed the strap buttons...

Gave up looking. Got a new pair after lunch. So the most eventful thing today was fixing fresh Dunlop strap buttons onto my guitar. The story of Boxing Day in a nutshell.

Season's greetings 2024

Season's greetings, folks. Hope you had a good time with your loved ones this year. I had too much on my mind so it was an outdoor adventure today in an attempt to allay insecurities & prepare to embrace a possible irresolute sequence of events in the near future.

Took a morning walk at JB today. A couple of days ago, I took a walk at the beach but it took me nearly 2 hours to get there partly due to moronic bus drivers who chose to drive the bus extra slowly on a weekend morning. My trip to JB today took just 40 minutes. Was expecting a sizeable crowd at the customs but there was hardly anyone. Walked round the Segget & Tan Hiok Nee area just to soak in the holiday morning atmosphere. Some restaurants were packed with customers spilling onto the pavement. Some restaurants were closed in view of the public holiday. I love spending time (& money) at JB. I personally feel the nice, hardworking people here deserve my injection into their economy. I foresee spending more time in JB than roaming around town back home. Everything is so inflated & there's this scrambling attitude permeating amongst the people - what's the point? I'm still unwell & need to chill. Thanks, JB. Will definitely be back (often).

VH car

Was on my way to meet a friend for lunch & saw this just across the road. This guy must be a No.1 fan.

The other side has the 5150 tag for emphasis. Salute!

Headless Syn

Got word on this from a friend - Synester Gates now has a headless signature model. Schecter is not new to this so no surprises there but Synester embracing one is definitely a change. Many fans would be missing that signature, pincer-type headstock for sure. Be informed that the body is chambered & pickups are in-house Schecter USA models. 

Pic: Schecter

Sunday guitar

Another indoor Sunday episode (excluding morning walk). It seems that SG is abbreviating Sunday Guitar 😅 at least for my case. I never did a follow-up to this entry here: CLICK pertaining to the DiMarzio Evolution humbuckers in this guitar so here it is. I took this out to play because I needed to hear good DiMarzios in action. So DiMarzios are bad? Of course not, I personally prefer Seymour Duncans but I do pay attention to the DiMarzios that serve my needs.

The pickups in this guitar are actually an Evo 2 & an Evo. As depicted above, the bridge pickup has a rather flat response save for a little nicked treble. The neck pickup on the other hand has a slightly boosted bottom end & wee bit more treble than its bridge counterpart. There's also a little more high mids on offer.

These may be minor differences but in use, it makes all the difference. The bridge pickup sounds very biting with loads of clarity. The neck also manifests much clarity for solos despite a curbed treble response. Folks, this is strictly a Gibson - DiMarzio chemistry especially involving an SG. Please do not cascade this understanding unto your Jackson / Ibanez guitars sporting a whammy bridge & be upset with the outcome. In due fairness, the EVOs were made for Steve Vai who is using an Ibanez with a dual action whammy bridge so by virtue of this understanding, the chances of these pickups working in such a guitar is a highly likely outcome. My point in bringing this episode to you is to share the fact that the EVOs sound very appealing in Gibson SGs as well. If you kept coming across reviews of the EVOs in shred-esque guitars then let me be the one to tell you that these work wonders in other guitar types as well. 

Ascent+

I'm looking forward to these Heritage Ascent+ (Ascent plus) guitars which will be released soon. Yes, the Ascent Series are the budget counterparts of the H-150 line. The current Ascent models are all bolt-on guitars.

The Ascent+ features a set-neck construction with an all access trimming. Interesting? Definitely. More importantly, It would mean those who are not keen with what Epiphone has to offer (similar price bracket) can look forward to these guitars as a deserving alternative. Looking forward to try one when they get here.

Pic: Swee Lee 

Busker @ KL

Was at KL a couple of weeks ago, this brother was busking in front of the chicken rice shop where we had our lunch. A simple Squier Tele into a pedal board & a battery powered amp. The thing about KL street musicians, they are super friendly & would engage you in a conversation readily. Despite the scorching afternoon sun, he played & sang his heart out so we pooled some money & made a deserving contribution. To all the street musicians in KL - respect!

MOMM (55)

I really thought Blake Judd would have ceased his Nachmystium act following the scandalous merchandise episode but giving up the passion for music is downright difficult. We accept Mr. Judd for who he is first & foremost; a rather imposing figure in (US) black metal. Blight Privilege contains materials which are rather doom / stoner induced but in a positive take, of course. Mr. Judd also revisited his psychedelic meddling on some instances but not as dedicated as Assassin (Part 1). Mid-tempo adventure for the most part, folks, be informed but a credible return to form.

Depeche Mode - I'm revisiting albums by my favourite bands which are less popular or well received by the laypeople. Delta Machine contains virtually no stalwart hits, I purchased this pre-owned copy just listen to the broader appeal from the trio.

Re-fret, let's go!

I had been self-taught all along. Come to think of it, since Day 1. It's time for me to venture into re-fretting. Regardless of the outcome, I will document this here. Nothing to be ashamed of, if there's a plus point to all this it's that we could learn something from this (mis)adventure. I deem this feasible after watching many tutorials involving simple tools. There's no major drilling or chunking of wood involved so after some pertinent risk assessment, I'm ready to go.

To be continued...

Rei

Another late release, this time by Fender Japan - the Rei Stratocaster. That's right, I've not heard of this name either since I'm not into the Japanese pop music scene but she can play guitar well. Anything special about this Strat? Maybe the 24 frets, everything else seems standard. OK maybe those default Graph Tech saddles is a 'different' Strat offering.

Pic: Fender Japan

Monday's S

Lots of things on my mind, bills, health, extended unemployment... But there's always time to just leave everything aside & play guitar. Today, the S570B is the guitar of choice. That's right; strong urge to hear the Seymour Duncan in action. Was on the bridge position mostly & just enjoyed hearing what the TB-5 could do with lots of distortion on tap. Hope your Monday had started well. Have a good week ahead, everyone.

Price watch (89): Gibson @ SG

First & foremost, I have nothing against 35 Guitar Avenue. In fact, they are one of the most welcoming guitar stores here & I can attest to this personally, especially the Peninsula outlet (now permanently closed). Since they are currently the recognised Gibson distributor here, I would like to highlight the prices of some of the models in store against a popular guitar store in the USA. Prices at both ends are regular listings & not subjected to seasonal / blowout discounts. Starting off, the Gibson LP Studio Smokehouse Satin model depicted above is more than SGD3K here, State side, it's USD1,999 (SGD2,695). Here are others:

• SG Standard '61 (vintage cherry): SGD3,090 / USD1,999 (SGD2,695)
• LP Standard '50s (gold top): SGD4,590 / USD2,799 (SGD3,774)
• LP Standard '69s (bourbon burst): SGD4,590 / USD2,799 (SGD3,774)
• Slash LP Standard (november burst): SGD4,890 / USD2,999 (SGD4,044)

Note: SGD prices are in red, USA prices are in blue

We note prices are not on par with the listings in the USA. You can visit the official Gibson webpage & note that the US store is listing Gibsons according to the manufacturer's recommended figures. Are all Gibson distributors obliged to comply? It depends if the distributor has a good business plan to cut  profits & offer them on parity. While we applaud the return of Gibson to our shores, does this equal to letting stores here screw us up with prices? You & I know the answer. We are not privy to the business formula of product pricing. Whatever prices stores wish to list their guitars for, they know better. We can always choose to not buy from them.

Pic: Sweetwater

50th 250

This is definitely a cool edition of the DOD OD/PRE 250. To commemorate the manufacturer's 50th Anniversary, it's given a 3-mode make over. This way, if you like what the pedal already offers - no frill OD with a very smooth response - the variation here means you can also sound a little edgier & conjure harmonics fairly easily. Sadly, only 1,974 units are made available to the world & if your local authorised dealer isn't enthusiastic about it, it won't be made available where you are at. 

Pic: Yahoo

 

Pink Friday

Despite being smaller than its standard counterparts, the Jackson Minion RR is still very protrusive in its outline. In fact, the last time I played it, that extended tail end knocked onto boxes & I barely moved save for some bending down to turn on / off the amp. That V outline somehow allows a complete rest of the picking arm so it's less tiring for the picking hand but it has to be strapped on. 

This guitar has a pair of LACE humbuckers onboard which are passive models. I'm beginning to like covered pickups more as my pick does not get caught between pickup pole pieces. 

Year End discounts @ Swee Lee

If you are still shopping for gear, Swee Lee is offering tiered discounts once again this year end. Details as stated above.

Pic: Swee Lee

Fender: Bassman effects

New from Fender, a line of effects for the bass guys. I have nothing against the bass (I own basses myself) but effects for bass is, in my opinion, a niche appeal. I can say that there are definitely some effects that proved to be essential for bass, the compressor & chorus to name a couple. Fender effect units in this 3-knob format are not new, the Hello Kitty fuzz & its predecessors were there before. The guitar pedals didn't really move much off the shelves, these bass counterparts, I believe, won't fare any better. Reason being - Fender is not a name we all look up to in the effects pedal realm.

Pic: No treble

Charvel Super S

I featured this guitar here back in July. It's my kind of guitar; a no frills single humbucking super Strat type. It's now available but at a deal-breaker price (to me): $2,399. There are somethings that I won't buy for more than $2K, this Mexican Charvel is certainly one of them. Same goes for Indonesian Ibanez. 

Pic: Charvel

Bag

Was at JB last week, dropped by C&M Music in search of a basic, utilitarian bag. This one's a no-frills model, minimum padding but the zipper looks like it will last. Just happy to see a headstock / neck strap to prevent the instrument from excessive movements while on the go. MYR40, which in my opinion, is value for money.

SC Sunday

Early start to guitar-ing. Feels like playing a singlecut today. Every time this happens, I will always have a PRS in mind, not a Gibson. So today's guitar of choice - the SC250.

Re-visiting the pick that kick-started my custom order itch; the DAW MAN guitar pick. I'm sticking to the ones with rough / unpolished edges for aggressive music. This one does not disappoint every time.

Review quickie: Ibanez Q52PE

The Q52PE is the first Q model to feature an ebony 'board. The body also features a pale moon ebony top. There are no other additional features here, it is just showcasing a wood variation of the existing Q52. 

Likes

• weight
• overall construction
• neck profile / playability

Dislikes

• neck fitting
• pickups

Those of us who have tried any Q-Series model can attest to the guitar's playing comfort both sitting down & strapped on. The ebony in this guitar does not contribute to weight issues at all, in fact the fretboard feels smooth, lending top marks to playability. The overall construction here is also top notch. The only contention is the neck tilt angle, making the frets past the 14th mark rather challenging to play. Of course, it's nothing a little pocket shimming could not cure. Despite being ceramic, the in-house Q58 pickups are rather bland. The lower frequencies coming from the bridge humbucker sound very laboured at high distortion settings. Glaring conclusion - the ebony fanfare here adds nothing to tone but does well for visual demeanour. If you already own a Q52, there is no plausible reason to switch allegiance. 

Pic: Ibanez

Final rating: 80%

Ibanez Q52PE (bag included)

• Availability: Swee Lee
• Price: $1,749

Schaller

Was asked to try these Schaller humbuckers which I believe are defunct. Someone told me these were called Hot Stuff pickups & they simply polarize opinions in terms of distortion applications. From what I hear, having spent a week with them:

• the bridge pickup has a strong midrange response like the Seymour Duncan JB, lots of clarity but sounds bland in clean settings
• the neck pickup has excessive bass, not too appealing when it comes to solo applications, note separation could have been better. Apparently, the boomy overall tone sounds good for clean, jazz-type playing. 

In session

In the mean time, Gibson has a new Les Paul Studio called the Session. In my opinion, this is a good release but nothing ground breaking: chambered body, ebony 'board, 57 pickups, stuff like that. The controls allow you to tap each pickup to give that pseudo-single coil experience. There's a phase switch & a tone bypass switch for the bridge humbucker. Countoured heel feature here means you get more upper fret access.

Pic: Gibson

Gibson moving to...

Many people are awaiting the confirmation of this announcement. The source of this article had already taken it down just hours ago. I reserve further comments till more details are made available.

Pic: MSN news

Ibanez December '24

In a strange move this December, Ibanez decided to put out something new. It's a 7-string J-Custom RG8527 in this sunburst-esque finish, they call it brownish spharelite. Be informed that the black version is already available at Swee Lee ($4,799). 

 

Pic: Ibanez

CHUG Tuner +

This is a really neat tuner by SOLAR Guitars, the CHUG Tuner +. It has a boost function on board so if you want more gain, it's there. That big knob is also a good consideration for those of us in need of a quick reach. A sturdy overall construction as well. Tempting.

Pic: SOLAR

'84 HH

So the Kramer camp decided the '84 deserves a neck pickup & it happened. In addition to this detail, the guitar also features two mini switches for split coil applications. This ebony fretboard version comes with a maple veneer.

You can also get the maple fretboard alternative but these come in  non-veneered tops featuring solid colours instead. Giving the '84 a neck pickup is good for tone variation but this feature, together with the mini toggle switches simply killed the inherent '84 vibe - simplicity & focus. 

We already know the new Gibson & Epiphone distributors, waiting for a certain commercial music establishment here to announce their dealership for Kramer but it looks like another case of sheer disinterest. 

 Pics: Kramer