Little wonder

I told myself to steer away from guitars for a while to trigger some creativity but that brought me back to my bass time. The Bacchus WJB Mini here was a recent purchase, in fact, it's only 2 days old. I have never gotten on with a full-sized bass so this was the answer to my current non-guitar moments, a 30" scale bass, feels like a baritone more than a bass. Nothing spectacular, here just a substantial poplar body, maple neck & a rosewood 'board. Nothing seems amiss with this little one in terms of QC, just that the set-up could have been better. Right out of the box, the action wasn't set according to the fret board radius so that would be looked into soon.

Ibanez: SRC6

Ibanez SRC6 is as confusing as it gets; it's a bass sporting a guitar's baritone scale length & tuned to the guitar's standard tuning. So there you go- who is this instrument really aimed at? The bassist who would eventually feel the SRC6 has too much guitar vibes to be really bassy? The guitarist who would eventually realize that the SRC6 is really a bass given guitar vibes by the players themselves?

One thing for sure, the SRC6 is there for the taking. If you wish to treat it purely as a bass, by all means, go ahead. It's a bass after all. Alternatively, if you think it's a guitar in disguise, we shall not pretend that there are no baritone guitars out there not matching the SRC6's specs. So ladies & gentleman, the SRC6 is an instrument ready for your interpretations. In both music & art, we shift boundaries & the SRC6 might be the one helping you do just that.

More importantly, I'm glad to have come across the SRC6 & I'm ready to explore its potentials. :-)

**PS: If you are interested, the SRC6 won't be around for long, so... Here's a promo clip by the manufacturer to get a better perspective of what the SRC6 is capable of doing:

GJ8: Intro

This 8-string behemoth isn't mine, it's on loan for an appraisal here. This installment serves as an introduction to what my friend, Mr. GJ Kung, has to offer. 

The guitar was crafted in Singapore, it's definitely a product of sweat & toil. However, it's not a recent addition, the instrument was made 3 yrs ago. It sports a 30" scale length so it's as good as dealing with a short scale bass. The neck is also a little wider than what you might come across in the stores here but still very playable. Mr. GJ Kung told me this is strictly a prototype for some introverted moments but in the mean time, he's ready to take orders from you if you wish to customize a 6/ 7/ 8-string guitar: gjkung@hotmail.com

Watch this space for more disclosures.

Ibanez: Artcore AGB200

I've been wanting this bass, honest. So when it was still available during the Swee Lee SALE yesterday, it was a sign. Nobody was interested in it maybe because it sports a shorter scale length (30"), not a solid body instrument in its entirety & the fact that the neck humbucker there, sitting flushed against the neck end, presented a limited slap-&-pop technique applications. The shorter scale length was the key interest for me so without hesitation, the Ibanez AGB200 became mine.

I love all the features the bass has to offer but the plastic tuners were quite a turn-off.

Like all Artcore models, the body is arched at the top...

... & at the rear. I've not played the instrument enough to give a final say in terms of tone & playability. This will happen at a later update. I can feel the strings here are not .045s, will swap them out soon.

PS: Do note, this AGB200 is a pre-2011 model sporting the former headstock decal. In addition to this revision, the current AGB200 features a pair of Sure Grip knobs & the easy access truss rod cover.