Thank you & goodbye: Wayne Charvel

The world remembers Wayne Charvel for his extended guitar tinkering that eventually led to the Charvel brand name. I should have made it a point to purchase these guitars before they were acquired by FMIC. These used to be available at City Music together with Carvin guitars. Those were the days.

Pic: Guitar

BEAMed here

The Blackstar Beam mini is now in stock at City Music ($255). Tempting. Waiting for LANEY's Prism Mini to be available here to make the final decision.

Pic: Blackstar

Hamer

If there is a big miss along the way, then it's my failure to check out Hamer guitars while they were still available here. Hamer guitars used to be available at City Music once upon a time. This was a long while ago when the ZOOM 505 was everyone's gateway to enjoying multi-effect goodness without spending a bomb. I don't recall seeing a V back then but I remember there was an Explorer-type as well as a DC-type models on display. Subsequently, the Californian was available albeit briefly. What a miss. Anyway, Morbid Angel's Trey used to play this absolutely cool Hamer Vector (depicted above) but some say it's not a real vector as the headstock there mimics the Gibson version more than an in-house Vector design.

Pics: C Martinez FB

Explore

Is there an Epiphone that I won't hesitate buying in the mean time? Yes - it's the Explorer. This model is perhaps the least reworked in terms of outline & features when it comes to differentiating an Epiphone from a Gibson. The latest generation of Epiphone Explorers under the inspired by collection feature some trustworthy electronics (CTS / Switchcraft) as well so in my opinion, these are value for money.

The Explorer you see above is available at City Music for $999. If you are out & about in KL, be informed that Music Bliss has this on sale for MYR2,299 (SGD734). 

Pic: Sweetwater

G&L @ CM

This is happening now at City Music. We know how it is with G&L in the mean time, it would be sad to see the company shutter. I have no idea if there are fans here who appreciate the G&L stuff & not see them as a Fender competitor (inevitable). My take on the American models - a worthy consideration. Friends whom I talked to tend to mention the rather unsightly bridge design of the whammy models but these hold their own when it comes to reliability & durability. Those of us on a tight budget & would like to move away from the Squier offerings, the Tribute range might have some good stuff for your consideration.

Pic: CM

Founder's Day Sale

If you're not bogged down by any festive expenditures then this might be for you.

Epiphone Tribute... how much?

As predicted, the Epiphone Les Paul Tribute is now listing at City Music for $459 (Initial mention: CLICK). If you are interested, please be informed of its bolt-on construction hence the very pocket-friendly price. The 2-knob SG version is also available for $429.

Pics: Epiphone

Guitar fest @ CM

Late to this, only found out when some friends asked if I am going (unfortunately, I would be across the Causeway on this day). More details here (registration required): CLICK 

Pic: City Music

Rampage @ SG

The oh so GAS-inducing G&L Fullerton Deluxe Rampage 24 is now oh so available at City Music: Rosewood 'board $3,210 / Maple 'board $3,010. Checking wallet now... Empty. Cue sound of cricket. OK maybe it's only oh so attractive to dweebs like me who likes single pickup guitars. Maybe.

Pics: Audiofanzine

Epi @ CM

City Music has the following Epiphone guitars for pre-order:

• LP Standard '50s: $1,069
• LP Standard '60s: $1,069
• Dave Grohl DG-335: $1,999
• LP Custom: $1,219
• ES-335: $899

We hope to see more Epiphone selections in time to come, especially the more utilitarian models: LP Studio, SG, Designer Series, etc.

 

Pics: Epiphone

Gibson / Epiphone @ SG

This is a major announcement for us gear geeks here - Gibson & Epiphone guitars will return to Singapore & will be distributed by the above-depicted dealers. This should put a stop to the unreasonable Gibson & Epiphone prices in the after-market. I had delayed this announcement in the hope that the Kramer distributor would be made public as well but there were no such revelations to be had prior to this posting. In any case, it's good to have these brands back here because these are the formidable names in guitar-dom that should not be overlooked. 

Vox clearance

Folks, there are good discounts to be had from City Music's VOX clearance sale. Please refer to the full listings at City Music's web page. If you're GASing for some tube amps, this is a good opportunity.

Pic: City Music

Price watch (82)

If you play the ukulele, Kala would be a familiar name to you. The U-Bass you see here was made in the spirit of the instrument's niche appeal. It lists for USD349 (SGD470) on the manufacturer's web store so the asking price is a little unreasonable. 

If you have a shop & this is part of your inventory, reminding buyers of the original price, shipping & tax considerations might be a case in point considering it's the only one available here in the mean time. But this was a personal purchase so it should be treated as such. 

We note the Blackstar Carry-on ST bass is available at City Music for $295. It's similarly spec'd & much more affordable with after sale services by the store. For the record, the ST bass has a scale length of  23.46" so it is even shorter in this respect. On that note, I have nothing against the U-bass, just presenting a case here.

Pic: Blackstar

Black Friday 2023

Yes, it's that time of the year when buying new gear is on top of everyone's mind. Various deal in town, I'm just highlighting a few here. Sound Alchemy has some combo deals that's worth checking out but these last till Cyber Monday.

Davis GMC's deals are online. 

Swee Lee added guitars & bass to its Black Friday deals. Do visit their web store to view the lists.

Last but certainly not least, City Music goes one-up by kicking off their year-end sale this Black Friday.

Do give due considerations to the stuff you fancy before taxes go up come 2024.

CM: Re-Opening SALE

Following its soft re-launch recently, City Music is holding its official re-opening at its new premises (LHK Building, Sims Drive) with the above-mentioned sale. *Checks wallet*

Pic: CM

Why?

The final sale happening at City Music now is offering this G&L ASAT  Classic Fullerton Standard for $1,305. Awesome guitar, made in the USA.

Meanwhile, the most affordable American Telecaster (American Performer) is listing for $2,049.

Given the price enticements, many of us won't go for the G&L. It's a good guitar, well-made & the discounts just made it a very enticing instrument with regards to value-for-money. Nope, it's a G&L & it's a no go. Considering the close history this brand name has to Leo Fender, we still won't budge. 

So what is really preventing us from buying a non-Fender, is our ego, really. For many of us, it has to be a Fender. We just have to go with that name because it's status symbol of sorts. Many people will understand this because they still aspire to acquire Mercedes & Rolex when other brand names offer better performance & quality. There's nothing wrong with getting a Fender. It's still the benchmark in the industry but if something more worthy is presented to us, we have to be wiser with our decisions. On that note, I'm not compelling you to get a G&L. At that discounted price, why not check it out, at the very least. If it doesn't click with you, then it's all about personal appeal. Nobody can fault you on that.

Review quickie: G&L ASAT Classic Fullerton Standard

Pic: glguitars

G&L is Leo Fender's final guitar goodwill before his passing. Things are as Fender as it gets but due to the non-Fender label on the headstock, he was at liberty to differentiate his designs & explore refinements. The ASAT is a Telecaster offshoot but this Fullerton Series (Standard in this case) has its own take on the Classic label label. The ASAT CFS sports an alder body & a rosewood fretboard on this particular model. The maple 'board variant is available for an identical price tag.

Likes

• good balance for both sitting down & strap-on applications
• overall construction / fitting / finish
• versatile electronics & tone
• playability
• price

Dislike(s)

• classic by name only

There's no hiding the Telecaster impression here but the ASAT Classic is a proven progression in terms of sonic applications, mostly. The overall feel is arguably Telecaster in whole but some of the purists among us would miss the 3-saddle bridge feel. The audition model was impressive in terms of build quality; virtually faultless. 

Tone-wise, the ASAT, despite its Classic moniker, is a contemporary singlecut instrument. If you expect a Tele-esque twang, it is present but not overwhelming. I would pin this down on the pickups; these were conceived to be modern-sounding more than anything else. If your life indeed depends on the cowboy twang, you should not exceed crunchy overdrive settings. Everything beyond this would bring you into other musical territory which you might not associate with a Tele-looking instrument - prog & metal among others. Also, I managed to dial up some of the best lead tones from this guitar which seems to fancy higher amounts of gain. All in all, the ASAT CFS is a versatile instrument that conjures a certain vintage conjecture but would most likely leave you with a fine discovery of contemporary antics.

Final rating: 90%

G&L: ASAT Classic Fullerton Standard

Availability: City Music

Price: $1,740 (bag included)

Final haul

Final purchase before the year turns; strings from City Music. Will be looking forward to their new home at Sims Drive. Hopefully, my finances would be stable enough to afford some good rewards at their subsequent YES.

LT

Was at City Music's YES & got this one since I'm in the mood for distortion. I was wondering if the ISF feature can do its magic to somehow mutate the distortion voicing but of course it cannot. However, it remains on my reference list as a good pedal if you wish to tinker with tone. 

City Music SALE

City Music sale - last one at the current venue.

Making it a good deal for those of us buying our first instruments