Mustaine LP

Gibson & Dave Mustaine have a Les Paul going. It's a compromise between what Mustaine wants (eg. 24 frets) & Gibson maintaining its traditional LP appeal. Is this necessary? By all means, no. Mustaine is not one who is seen & associated with a single cutaway design. There are however parties taking this opportunity to push sales & it's all understood from a commercial point of view. Signature models are not my thing so this is just news to me 😅

Pics: wolf patrick_jones

Thanks & goodbye: John Sykes

Another guitar great had left us - John Sykes (20 Jan '25). Many of us would have known him for his Whitesnake stint but do take time to check out his Blue Murder stuff where he had a bit more guitar authority going. It is unclear what kind of cancer he was battling with before passing on but from one cancer patient to another - our time will come & we bid goodbye with thanks.

Sykes was a Les Paul guy through & through & his LP Custom with metallic appointments was an unmistakable i/d. It's an open secret that the Edwards brand kept the JS version of their LP Custom-esque range in a John Sykes iteration (hence the JS monicker in the model citation). If you own one (depicted above), please hold on to it as Edwards had stopped / will cease production of this guitar.

Pics: ESP / JS official

Orville

This was a fun partial restoration project completed today. It's an Orville (Japan) Les Paul that weighs a tonne. It had been through a few owners & surprisingly in a good condition (lightly used). 

 

This is pretty much the reason why this guitar is so heavy; there's a sumptuous amount of maple on top of the main mahogany body.

Why did I remove the pickup mounting rings? This is the reason. Folks, for vintage specs instruments, especially the Les Paul variety, the correct mounting ring length is less than 9cm. Guitars with modern, wide necks (eg. Jackson), it's a little longer (9.1cm). Apparently, the incorrect version was installed in this guitar causing material compression as seen above. 

This is how it looks like after the correct mounting ring was purchased & installed. Folks, respect your instruments. It shouldn't be equipped with ill-fitting accessories. In a buy-sell situation, it becomes a reason for others to mitigate prices. It also reflects on you as the owner; why pay more to individuals who don't give a hoot about their belongings especially when there are crucial follow-ups to be done  post-purchase. Anyway, the bridge mounting ring was retained as it was of the correct measurement. My take on the matter - someone over-tightened the neck mounting ring & it cracked. That person bought the incorrect replacement part & couldn't get an exchange for the correct piece. 

Also folks, it is my habit to reinforce the pickup coil tape with a new layer for older pickups. During installation / removal from the guitar, the sides might rub against the mounting ring repeatedly causing some wires to be exposed. In terms of looks, it is more presentable should you decide to sell the pickup away. The Seymour Duncan pickups in this guitar: JB (b) / Jazz (n).

Finally, a fresh set of Darco (10s) strings. Summary of other maintenance procedures not visually documented:

• Replaced tune-o-matic / hard tail bridge. New set of GOTOH parts.
• Replaced tuners / machine heads. Also a new set of GOTOH units. Three out of the six were wobbly & could not hold tuning well. 
• Replaced all rusty & rounded pickup mounting screws.
• Fret polish.
• Cleaned & re-moisturized fretboard. The amount of gunk removed... OMG.
• Thorough wipe down & polish of body, neck & headstock.

LP - SG

Good day, folks. Hope the Monday started well for all of us. Just leaving some things here when it comes to the LP - SG dimensions. As you can see above, the SG is actually longer than the LP. Many of us wouldn't have noticed this until they are placed side by side like this.

Do take note of these measurements as well; the SG body width (longer than the LP) & the bridge distance to the body edge (more than the LP). Why are these important? If you buy a bag that fits the LP, it does not automatically fit an SG. Same goes for hard cases. Also, if you wish to mod the bridge to let say a Bigsby type, that distance to the edge might make / break your plans. Before we go, the LP you see above weighs 3.9kg, while the SG is 2.9kg. So if you had been playing an LP all along & wish for something less spine-taxing, a switchover is a valid move.

Disclaimer

The SG featured above is the SG Special T (2017) which features 24 frets. Does this make the neck longer than the SG Standard featuring only 22 frets? 

Answer: No. The 23rd & 24th frets are actually occupying the empty space as indicated above.

Pic: Gibson USA

Jones' Bees

This one had been touted as a 'much anticipated' instrument by cult followers. So the Epiphone Adam Jones LP made its debut a few days ago. It's fair to say the guitar per se is nothing special, it aimed to replicate the Gibson goodness (whatever that means).

The hidden draw is the feature art located at the rear of the body & it will be different every time a new one is released. That's right, there will be six more to come & the collectibility of it all means some of us are bent on buying all seven of these; same guitar, different artwork. I'm neither a keen LP fan nor an Adam Jones follower so these are novelty purchases to me.

Pics: Epiphone

Out & about

Had been spending the day with this one. This peculiar one, to be more specific. Why? Gibson said in its spec sheet, this sports a slim taper neck profile but it's somehow more comfortable to play for me especially. Then I realized that the 70s neck spec includes a slightly wider measurement as well so the slim taper + wide elements left an impression on me in terms of playing comfort. 

But Gibson equipped strange & rather repulsive capacitors in this guitar; a pair of blue, very small ones, no bigger than a baby's fingernail. It somehow made the guitar sound very bright. OK so the mini humbuckers do sound prickly by default but if I could do something inexpensive to this guitar to make it sound more appealing to me, then the capacitor consideration kicked in. These Orange Drops are the .033uf & they smoothened the top end nicely. Beez did this swap for me in under 10min.

Ended the day with a brief chill-out at Gloria Jeans (Esplanade). It was brief because there was a traditional dance event at the outdoor stage so it was crowded, compounded by the usual weekend crowd. Definitely not the environment for introverted people like me. I prefer coming here on a weekday. 

Wishing everyone a good week ahead. 

Simple melody (3)

Belated conclusion. The Melody Maker I acquired back in September was equipped with a .022uf capacitor, wondering why that happened because clearly, the guitar has a single coil pickup on board. There's no wrong or right when it comes to capacitor values but there are preferred & suitable ones pertaining to the guitar's features. So that made way for this over-sized .047uf Orange Drop version; the only one I had then. 

Les Paul tribute

 Pic: NPR

Two days ago, June 9th, was the late Les Paul's birthday. I had wanted to mention it here then but it slipped my mind. Whatever opinion you have on him or the guitar, it is significant in guitar history. The man himself was a visionary, very much like Leo Fender. He had a certain set of ideals which worked out contrary to the popular opinions of naysayers. 

Like Les Paul, I like my Les Paul guitar to be of a certain spec. I started out disliking the LP because it went against my ideals - glossed neck, limited upper fret access & poor body ergonomics are chief culprits. Along the way, I discovered some fringe Les Paul models which offered a compromise & taught me to adapt. The LPJ you see above is an example. Body ergonomics are still wanting but it's spec'd towards my tolerance. Along the way, I appreciate the LP for its tone more than anythings else. 

From within my domain of musical interest, there are notable players whose impactful music are delivered by the Les Paul guitar. First & foremost, Mayhem's Euronymous - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was the LP through & through. We know how this album changed the world of aggressive music.

Towards the end of his time, Jon Nodtveidt (Dissection) put his LP Custom to marked use & it redefined heaviness as documented in Reinkaos. 

And there are others. The Les Paul is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to that deep, distorted aural assault. Perhaps the Les Paul experience will be fragments of our musical past if things continue as it is when it comes to the Gibson distribution here. 

Wino prophecy

Not one but two - that's how many Epiphone Jerry Cantrell Les Paul you'd see in the market soon. I would see this as a smart move - adding an affordable version that is almost 10x cheaper than the real deal. However folks, there's no piezo feature in the Epi version, pickups are Epiphone versions & body is weight-relieved. Nevertheless, it looks appealing.

The other model is this Prophecy iteration, meaning, it has a modern slant to it. Fluence pickups & push-pull switching options set it apart from its Wino bother. Also, this one has two more frets. Of course, there's absolutely no news if the current Epiphone distributor here are still bringing stuff in. Your guess is as good as mine.

Pics: Musicradar

Power! (2)

This is just the Ibanez IGB724 follow-up. Showing you the fitting should you consider getting one for your prized guitar(s). As you can see, the RG fits with no issues.

Fits a Les Paul nicely as well.

Not forgetting the Strat. Note - the neck rest was removed as it is unnecessary for a non-angled headstock guitar.

How long?

From the above pic, which guitar is longer?

The Les Paul is longer

It's rather obvious that the Les Paul is longer when it comes to end-to-end measurements. The LP features a headstock so it adds significantly to length.  

The Kiesel is longer

That's right, folks. When it comes to scale length, the Kiesel is longer. It is 25.5" as opposed to the LP's 24.75". Scale length here refers to the measurement from the nut to the bridge. 

Why is this important? It dictates tone. The LP, any LP for that matter, has its strength in the lower frequencies. It just gives off that kind of warmer sounding notes in the lower / lower midrange especially with overdrive in the mix. The Kiesel has that Strat-type snap for single note clarity but in this case, it's a little compounded by its overall dimensions. The weight is not that substantial to manifest what a Strat could. Also, the type of pickup matters. In this case, Alan Holdsworth preferred a deep sounding pickup in his guitars for his smooth legato works. So this is a reminder to everyone, myself included, when it comes to dimensions, scale length considerations should be factored in.

Hello, April 👋

Satins

Having owned a few Gibsons, I must say they don't quite supplement my playing quirks - fat necks, blocky heels & no elbow / belly reliefs. This is one of the reasons why I held back from buying one early on. Early here refers to the 90s when prices were not as crazy but that was the prime time for shred & Ibanez was the order of the day. At least for the guitar scene here. This is namely due to the fact that the other formidable names in shred - Jackson / Charvel / Kramer / ESP - had no strong distribution here. I was going to give up on Gibson till I tried the faded SG.

Faded here means there was no gloss coating, satin by another reference. It's basically a stained neck plus a layer of sealant to hold everything in place. That was the turning point. Despite the non-preferred neck profile, the finish made the difference for me. Till today, I still keep a good lookout for satin finished Gibsons. Two of which are seen above: LP 60s tribute / LPJ. Keep this in mind- if a guitar neck profile is not your preferred profile, that's a hindrance to your playing proficiency. If the gloss neck finish gets in the way then you are dealing with two hindrances. Know what helps you play better. In my case, the gloss finish impedes my personal playing progress so if it's subtracted from the equation, I'm actually removing 50% of what gets in the way. That was what exactly happened. A gloss-free Gibson neck is something I find acceptable & I managed to adapt better. In fact, the Gibson neck profile grew on me to such an extent that it now doesn't matter if it's glossed over or satin finished. So folks, some things are indeed make or break for us, we just need to know what it is after taking time to reflect. We also need to give some things a second chance 😁

My Gibsons with gloss-free finish:

• LP 60s Tribute
• LPJ
• SGJ
• Firebird Tribute
• LP Special humbucker edition
• SG Melody Maker
• Flying V Melody Maker
• Explorer Melody Maker
• LP CM

Price watch (29)

 These are good prices for used LP Studios. 

But if yours is not a 'Gibson' & it's priced in a similar bracket, do consider reasonable offers from interested parties. There's a limited interest here for Orville, Tokai & Burny. I would say, the Edwards brand name has a stronger following for guitars manifesting this design.

Whites

Because the instrument is mine & I dictate how it should look to suit my pleasure... 

... swapping out parts to my preferred selections is inevitable. Thank you Davis GMC for stocking spares which help me achieve this introverted change.

G bag

Do I need another Gibson bag? No, I don't. 

Doing my bit to help out a fellow cancer patient. I thought I had it bad but his chemo turned his fingers & feet black. This is another timely reminder for me to be grateful for everything, even in the face of adversity. Folks, unlike Gibson hard cases, the bag is generic & it fits both LPs & SGs. According to the manufacturer's website, this is the Premium soft case. Let's see if it will do its job down the road.

Selling: Epiphone hard case (SOLD)

Holiday eve listing. Have an Epiphone hard case to let go since it ended its duty today.

Condition: 8/10. Fits Explorer I think you can see my Explorer outline there. 😅 Due to my medical condition, I can only deal at Bt Batok mrt station; thanks for understanding.

• Selling: Epiphone hard case (8/10 condition)
• Fits: Explorer type shape
• Deal at Bukit Batok MRT station
• No reservations / trades
• Query / confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $70

EDIT: Folks, this case fits the Explorer shape the best, please note. Price revised.

Lazarus

A new signature by Epiphone, the Lazarus Bonamassa Les Paul. I lost count as to how many Epi signatures Bonamassa did under this brand name. If I recall correctly, it went back to the days of the former headstock design.

It was named as such after the Gibson version. Bonamassa bought a '59 which used to be red. He had it stripped & bingo - there's a gorgeous flame underneath & it was properly restored hence the name Lazarus; back from the dead. As you can see above, the Epi version has a flame grade which is nothing like the real thing. You might say that it's unachievable for an Epiphone at this price point but if it's gonna bear the name, some kind of close replica would justify the purchase. The Lazarus is actually an Epiphone '59 with a single pice neck. The neck construction is the only feature that separates it from the product Epi '59. Between these two guitars, there's only a USD50 difference. Anyway, we don't have an Epiphone dealer here (yet / any more), so...

Pics: Epiphone / Reddit

Price watch (20)

I'm still trawling the after-market, it had become a pass time of sort, owing to the fact that no new stuff are coming into the stores for a while now; especially Gibsons. It's the pandemic affecting this aspect of business. In any case, brand names like DiMarzio & Ibanez, among others, are also experiencing this slow development. Let's take a look at the Les Pauls above - the Tribute model is virtually listing itself not to be sold at that price. Folks, Tributes sit a little below the Studios in terms of price-to-detail tier standings. The 'burst Studio, in my opinion, has a fair asking price. Also, a full fledged Studio, that red one on the right, is listing for less & it comes with a hard case. 

So what can be learnt here? You really need to know what you are selling & what you are competing against, which contribute towards the demand - supply situation. Regardless if your instrument is relatively new or well-maintained, it's all about putting things in context. Yes, these factors do place a little weight on your asking price but it does not invite desirability & an invitation to treat.

Life's Ax

I'm still digging into the Epiphone catalog. IMO if there's a good time to buy an Epiphone, the time is now; before further price hikes & the fact that Epihone has levelled up its offerings. I believe this Alex Lifeson signature model will trigger some interest if it gets here. It's equipped with a Graph Tech Ghost vibrato bridge so you get to whammy & enjoy piezo moments. 

Lest we forget why it's called an Axcess. This is not to be confused with the modern contoured heel version of the LP Modern which still features the blocky joint unlike the Axcess smooth relief version. 

Pics: Epiphone / Guitaristas

59 lure (2)

I did not realize this was here at Swee Lee not too long ago & it's now out of stock. Bummer. 😐

That's right, both versions are now waiting list items if you are interested. I'm in no position to buy new guitars in the mean time but thought of giving this a try. The non-59 Standard is already a worthy purchase in my opinion, this 59 is just a spruced up version that's worth checking out, at the very least. 

It comes with this very tasty pink interior Epiphone hard case & at $1,149 it's a very attractive proposition. If you've missed my previous highlight of this model, it's here: CLICK

Pics: Andertons / Gbase