New Euro

New SOLAR models made in Euro (European Master Series). Very classy, very pricey as well - USD3.8K. That dark, rosewood-esque fretboard you see there, it's richlite. The maple fretboard version comes with piezo-type pickups in the bridge.

Pics: SOLAR

Player Fusion

This looks promising to those who are in the market for a contemporary Fender Tele; it's a Mexican Player Fusion Tele HH. The throw off - Floyd Rose Special bridge.

Pic: Fender

Ibanez mark-downs @ SL

It's a good October if you are in the market for an Ibanez. Swee Lee is currently having mark-downs for selected models (till 18th October). One of the most value-for money consideration is this RG565R ($1,549 $1,316).

The AZ2204 / AZ2203N are worth considering as well ($2,999 $2,399).

If you prefer the non-N version, it's also discounted with a price variation ($2,999 $2,549).

The 540PIII is barely a year old but it's discounted in the mean time. I see it as a non-mover due to its peculiar body outline. Having played one in person, it's a very easy instrument to deal with. ($1,749 $1,486). Do check out Swee Lee's homepage for more Ibanez deals. I'm just highlighting these (IMO) worthy Japanese models.

Pics: Ibanez

White-ober

This October, Ibanez released a trio of white guitars with similar configurations but each coming from a different series in the catalog. The common factors: 1) Gold hardware 2) Okoume body + ebony fretboard 3) Fluence Modern humbuckers. The guitars (top to bottom): RGR621 / RGDR61 / S721R. If you've noticed, Ibanez doesn't mind equipping their guitars with Fluence pickups for active electronics, but not quite the case with EMGs.

Pics: Ibanez

Pale

I got this one for a good price. The previous owner basically gave up because he screwed the bridge pickup too much into the body, the screws literally pierced through the rear end. Nothing special here, just an Ibanez Q52 model given an ebony treatment (fretboard + body top is pale moon ebony).

The pickups you see there are my spare DiMarzio X2N humbuckers. I've been saving them for an RGD but they look very intimidating in this guitar. 

I have 10s in this guitar in the mean time because it's tuned down to Eb. 

To come?

I'm intrigued by this image. It's the latest Ibanez Martin Miller signature model featuring: 1) A Lo-Pro Edge bridge 2) Active pickups. So this might signal the things to come (2027), the AZ model featuring locking bridges & active electronics. Also, the volume knob had been moved away from the bridge pickup.

Pic: MMFB

SL exclusive

That's right, if you look this up at the Ibanez home page, you won't find it there; this RG550 in Antique Turquoise is exclusive to Swee Lee.

Pic: SL webstore

Revstar MM

About time. Yamaha released the Matteo Mancuso signature Revstar (RS20MM). I respect the Revstar, it's a very respectable guitar but this finish & the gold hardware won't win me over. Folks, DiMarzio PAF 36th humbuckers in this one if you are interested.

Pic: Yamaha

PIII HH

Ending September with the knowledge that Ibanez is currently so in love with the Genesis 540PIII that this HH version featuring a throwback pickguard is one of the September 2026 highlights. Are you enticed?

Pic: Ibanez

Rotos for Kala

Needed some time away from guitars so it's a good time spent with the ukulele today.

Trying these Rotosound set. These are non-ball ends so some tying up is required. Nothing different from dealing with classical guitars. Immediate impression - strings give off a good volume projection. These are loud. 

But I'm not too agreeable with blue strings against a dark fretboard. That's about it. Nothing averse in terms of quality & performance, just that some of our vision (due to old age) are affected / easily fatigued by certain colour schemes. 

Fan-fretted ice

This was one of the surprises this month, least expected as well. So who are the players looking / lobbying for a 7-string, fan fretted Iceman? I hardly see the regular / standard Iceman being played around so this iteration is a baffling manifestation more than an intriguing September release. The ICMS721, they called it.

Least we forget, the fan fretted 7-strings coupled with a pair of oversized Fluences was already done recently, yes? So this part of the instrument wasn't exclusive to the ICMS721. I don't see the Alpha camp giving up theirs in favour of the ICMS721 in the mean time, The way I see it, the Alpha has the upper hand when playing standing up. Ibanez has the statistics to back their manufacturing up, yes?

Pics: Ibanez

HSII: H-137

Nice to see Heritage has this Standard II H-137 out. I just love simple guitars for some of the music I play; less fiddling, more playing. There are only two finishes offered in the mean time, this one & a black version. It's already available at Swee Lee ($2,599). Hoping to see some other colours along the way. FYI, Gibson did a humbucking version of its LP Jr 😅

Pic: Heritage

Historia

SOLAR guitars had just released these baddies; classic-looking models despite the contemporary outlines called the Historia Series. Looks darn cool but I'm about done with such burst-type finishes in any iterations. Also, the pickups here are in-house brands but the ceramic magnets make them darn suitable for high gain applications.

Pic: SOLAR

Silence

This is the seemingly new, limited edition, American Pro Classic Strat that looks like the previous Strat you saw at your dealers'. The highlight here is the Fender Silent System which, according to the manufacturer's promo clip, includes a dummy coil to eliminate the single coil hum & it's battery-free. Have we heard of this tech before? The answer is rather obvious.

Pic: Fender

EnEpi

I must work incredibly harder because if Epiphone can accord a signature model to this guy (Jay / Enhyphen)...

Pic: Epiphone

Defenders

So this just happened - PRS announced a collaboration with Land Rover to release the SE Defender models. So finally we have... : 1) Matching headstock 2) Black pickguard.

I'm looking at this beyond the colour play or even the black 'guard inclusion. This is PRS telling the world that the Silver Sky label now is a worthy name to perpetuate other ideas instead of offering guitardom with the ultimate Strat alternative exclusively. It's like the Les Paul name perpetuating Gibson's extension of ideas; Les Paul Standard, Les Paul, Studio, Les Paul Deluxe, etc. Hopefully, the PRS camp would extend this beyond a limited edition offering.

Pic: PRS

Kelly 27

Just seen this after browsing the Jackson homepage to look for short scale basses. 27 fret Kelly with an HS pickup combo, single volume knob, Duncans... nice. But not into the gold hardware & the fact that it's a signature (Brandon Ellis) model.

Pic: Jackson

New Jiva

While I appreciate Nita Strauss peddling the S-type Ibanez & not letting the RG occupy the spotlight too much, I'm wondering if there is any strong demand for the JIVA in the mean time. No details / numbers to back me up in the mean time but I'm very sure it's not happening here. Regardless of the circumstances, Ibanez has a new (non-Japanese) JIVA10R out this September but offers nothing new in terms of pickups; still the DiMarzio Pandemonium humbuckers with a True Velvet single coil in the middle.

Pic: Ibanez

Domestic cyclone

Pre-lunch indulgence, a Cyclone episode. I bought this one because: 1) It's neither a Strat / Tele 2) It sports a 24.75" scale length sitting between the Jazzmaster (25.5") & Jaguar (24") 3) It was listed for a clear-out. 

A set of 10s to accommodate the afore-mentioned scale length.

The pickups in this guitar (Seymour Duncan): JB (bridge) / SSL-1 (neck). Was actually at Beez's yesterday to sort out the out-of-phase situation when both pickups were selected (middle position of the toggle switch). I need to rotate the selector toggle so if flicks up / down instead of the current left / right.

Johnston V

A new Schecter for Nick Johnston to perhaps properly blend into the Mastodon persona. Currently, this USA V-1 is out of reach for most of us, listing for USD6.5K. Perhaps a more affordable iteration would be made available along the way like they did for his Strat-type models.

Pic: Schecter