KX700

A new one by Cort: KX700TT. That TT there stands for True Temparament frets, those wavy (steel) frets you see here. This kinked design offers a true tuning manifestation. The guitar, according to learned, bionic-eared musicians, are slightly out of tune at various positions across the fretboard so those kinks serve to correct that anomaly. If you actually hear this out-of-tune phenomenon  happening every time you play, this might be for you but it's gonna set you back a good $2.5k (available at Swee Lee now). In addition to that, you will also get a state of the art Schaller fixed bridge & Fluence pickups. Personally, my idea of a Cort is affordability + no-frills. That asking price is a little too much, really. 

Pic: Cort

ESP 2023: E-II

I believe ESP had released its full 2023 offering in view of the recently concluded NAMM show. The EC FT ET FL you see here gets my vote for the best looking model but personally, the Evertune bridge there is a deal breaker for me. It kind of broke the visual pleasantries but remains discrete here owing to its colour scheme.

I'm still not a fan of the Snapper headstock but this reversed version is very acceptable indeed. (SN-3)

Would have loved this more if it has a maple 'board but ebony is more than worthy. (M-1 Thru).

This year, the E-II models have largely been contained to kinda regurgitate the ESP counterparts so nothing really new was featured. Many models are now featuring Fluence pickups which is of course keeping up with the times. The Fluence is a hit with many players because it caters to both the high gain & clean-ish camps.

Pics: ESP Japan

Tod & Krys

A December product announcement is not an Ibanez thing but this seems to be an exception. What's the hurry, we wonder. 

New this month are the pair of guitars for the Polyphia guys. This here is the TOD10, a new one for Tim Henson. Gone are the DiMarzio (Fluence replacements) pickups & alter / dyna MIX9 switching system. Also, it's an HH config this time. Fretboard is ebony with a cheeky tree of death inlay. What you don't see - push-pull voicing switch (tone knob).

The Scott LePage iteration has Fluence pickups on board as well but these are pickguard mounted. Ebony fretboard here has block markers which I find more appealing. Nope, the dynaMIX9 switch is not retained, that's a voicing toggle switch. The Krys features an ash body, Tod is a basswood.

These guitars are not radical changes for Ibanez to deal with. So costs are presumably kept in check when it comes to construction. The Fluence pickups are the major changes. Prices might just be about the same as the previous iterations but factoring in inflation & GST hikes, by the time these get here in 2023, it would cross into the $2K bracket.

Hello December 👋

Pics: Ibanez

Dean 2022 (2)

After Rusty Cooley left Dean, his signature models were re-interpreted to become the Exile models. These are basically super shredder guitars in Dean's offerings. The manufacturer is not known for the shred reference despite having such players in their endorsement roster. Seen above, the Exile X, the most affordable in the series featuring an FR 20 bridge. Pickups are in-house DMTs.

This here is the NT version which costs USD1.1k more than the X, has a flashy top, FR 1000 bridge & Fluence Classic / Modern humbuckers. I'm just wary of the thin cutaways of the Exile. Rusty Cooley specified those to be as such for a functional purpose; he cited unobstructed upper fret access to be his thing back then. If the guitar should topple, these thinner contours might not be as resistant to absorb the impact. Then again, we rarely hear of such incidences but it's a concern for me.

Pics: Dean

New 7s

New Solar S1.7AHLB featuring Fluence pickups. Poplar burl is still the top of choice for some Solar guitars & it's a very tasteful inclusion. For me, it's a move away from flames & quilts. 

The HS pickup combo is now featured in a 7-string offering - AB1.7HTPB. Together with the roasted maple neck & SS frets, it's one heck of a guitar. Can we get these in the stores here, what do you think?

Pics: Solar guitars

ESP 2021 (3)

Rounding the 2021 ESP affairs, these three E-II models are worth mentioning. The Fluence-Evertune details are now offered in a 7-string, baritone (27" scale length) as seen in this M-II 7B.

Flying the bolt-on flag is this Snapper, all spec'd up for a contemporary feel; Floyd Rose Original bridge, Bare Knuckle Aftermath & an ebony fretboard. The thing with this S-type take is that, it's competing with Fender & Charvel in a similar performance domain but losing out on price appeal compounded by the fact that there's no ESP label at the headstock to propel buyer confidence. Yes, you can announce to the world that the E-IIs are indeed your former ESP Standard models in another incarnation but potential buyers do not wish for two brand names in a single instrument. It invites doubt more than assurance. 

My final mention goes to this M-I. It's easily a likeable guitar in my books for that single pickup feature. It's also whammy-free, has an ebony fretboard & a through-body neck construction. If this gets here, it's very difficult to look away but at the rate things are going for me, it's  just a wish list guitar.
 

Pics: ESP

ESP 2021

Now that the LTD highlights have been completed, ESP has unveiled its ESP labelled instruments in its Phase 3 announcements. As usual, I'll be highlighting selected models here, the rest can be found at the manufacturer's home page. We begin with this gorgeous USA model, the Eclipse Semi-Hollow. The X-Tone models used to be the flag bearer of ESP's non-solid body models but the Eclipse now has this to offer. If this makes its way here, be informed that price will be an upward of $4K. Do note the slight difference in the fretboard inlay design; these are the split flag version as opposed to the standard design of the Japanese / LTD models.

Moving on to the E-II selections, we have this simple beauty in the full thickness range, meaning, the body now sports a thicker depth & we all know it's striving to match the Les Paul dimensions for that deep inherent voicing. However, pickups here are the Fluence Open Core Classics. 

If you are inclining towards the more vintage side of things, this honey burst version with Duncan's JB/'59 pairing should be it. In this particular hue, it definitely looks very LP-ish.

Pics: ESP

Dark phoenix

I'm a little late in noticing this inclusion; LTD's Black Metal series now includes the Phoenix. It features a solitary Fluence Modern humbucker with a black end-to-end finish. I'm usually turned on by all things single pickup but somehow, this doesn't appeal. 

Epifluence

Get ready, everyone. These were meant for the Summer NAMM release - Epiphone is in the Fluence game. And why the heck not. We can agree that Epiphone is having a splendid 2020 so far following its re-launch & it's the right time to add 'new' stuff to the fray. We can agree that should these Fluence pickups made it into Gibsons instead, there would be limited appeal. The smart move here is to have them into something within reach & the Epiphone range makes sense. 

PIC: Guitar Player

Ibanez 2020 (4)

I find this a little disturbing. The S671ALB is the only new S-series addition to the 2020 fold. Compared to the S61AL in 2019, the new iteration is given a new colour (available in 2 new finishes) & a middle single coil of the Fluence type. Everything else remains the same. Ibanez is telling us that there are other up & coming models to focus on (AZ) & this is consolation. There are already fans out there dissing this one for the middle pickup which gets in the way & seldom used. I'm not an active pickup fan & this is certainly not appealing. 

ESP/ LTD 2020

For 2020, the Phoenix will be revived but offered in the LTD higher tier, the Deluxe version. Seen above, the model featuring active Fluence pickups.

You prefer passive pickups instead? Here's a version with Duncans. Really liking the idea of having a Phat Cat in the neck. So it's a fair offering; something for both active & passive fans. Good job, LTD. 👍

Ibanez 2019 (7): Axion

Fan-fretted RGDs are not new in the Ibanez catalog. For differentiation's sake, Ibanez added a new variation this year to the Iron Label series called the Axion Label. The RGD61ALMS you see above feature a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern active humbuckers. Supposedly, these active units generate lesser noise than their counterparts out there & there's also a promise that they sound better in clean settings. Whatever the purported 'upgrades' the manufacturer has for the AL series, I personally think it's unnecessary. There are no comprehensive models to define the Iron Label series & this year, Ibanez bombed us with the Axion Label to further define what the guitars of this nature has for players. We are more confused than liberated. I see the Fluence pickups as consolation, the rest- nothing special.

This model ($1,399) together with the initial batch of 2019 Ibanez instruments, are now available at Swee Lee. This is the first time new models are made available before the NAMM event. On previous occasions, we had to wait till March to see new models making it to the shelves. There was a time when we had to wait till May (damn!). So thumbs up to Swee Lee for putting things in perspective. 

Ibanez 2018 (10): Multi-(in)fluence

The new Ibanez RGDIM6 is not quite about the multi-scale feature (which had been an explored detail the last time round). This is the debut model featuring Fishman's Fluence Modern Humbucker. So I'm gonna sound like a broken record saying that these Fluence active pickups are the current flavour of the technical prog geeks out there. They may/ may not deliver what you want to hear but it's good to see options. Be reminded that the standard RGD features a 26.5" scale length while the  the IM6 is 26.7" at the bass end. 

In Fluence

Available at Swee Lee's Star Vista branch during my recent visit- Fishman's Fluence pickups; the current flavour of prog/tech music geeks. 

It's Boxing Day. Every where else, it's still a holiday. 😑

Influenced

This was a recent intro at the Summer '15 NAMM- LTD's Fishman Fluenced equipped Snapper model. The Snapper isn't new, the Fluence is. Fishman's Fluence are coil-less pickups so instead of fine wires going round the magnet core, it's replaced by an applied material. Advantage- humless applications. I've yet to hear one in action personally but it should make a good consideration for those of us who are looking for  alternatives.