Little killer

What you see here:

1. Amp head: Blackheart Killer Ant (1w... ha!)
2. Cab: CRATE 4x12 GT412 (discont'd)
3. Line6: Pocket POD Express
4. Beta Aivin: Noise Gate NG-100
   
5. Ibanez: TS7
6. Guitar: LTD M-53

This has been my practice set up for days. At times, the guitars were on rotation but I keep coming back to the M-53 which had its action further lowered recently. There's a digital effects unit in the chain (the Pocket POD Express) so whichever guitar I employ didn't really matter because the final tone coming out from the drivers, is rather generic. Hence, it's all about feel & precision which my M-53 has plenty.

The Killer Ant churns out only a mere 1W for my sonic assault but it'll bring many other bigger wattage amps to their knees. Thanx to the 4x12 cab which makes it sound bigger than it should be. Contrary to convenient opinion, lower wattage amps need not be restrained in its performance. It's all about knowing what you are dealing with in action.

Quack!

The simple effort in making one's guitar-playing more enjoyable: Changing strings...

I had a fresh set of Dr. Duck strings (.009 set) in my LTD M-53 & that fresh, crunchy feel under the fingers made me play for hours... Feels good = Play more :-)

Smash the LTD

Would I smash my LTD? Not a chance...

Had the opportunity to play my SMASH S2 recently, but my LTD M-53 was lurking to make sure I return to something I am very familiar & comfortable with. Would one guitar replace the other? No- they are too different in terms of tone & feel.

LTD/RG

These are my 2 most played guitars of late:

• Ibanez RG321: This is my no-frills RG. I keep coming back to this guitar for these fundamental reasons; (1) feels good (2) sounds appealing. It's equipped with Duncans- Distortion (N) & Custom (B). Some friends deem this combination rather foolish because the Distortion is more ferocious in the neck position but my intention was for my solos (usually done with ths pickup) to be more pronounced & I'd like clarity here as well.
• LTD M-53: I have this guitar out on the stand while playing others, I usually stop playing whatever guitar's in hand & starts playing the M-53. This is also one of my few guitars with default pickups in tact, the set-up was also superb right from the start, there were no further tinkering done- a reminder of how some of the lower-priced guitars could be so right if we look hard enough. We must also not be dismissive of the lesser instrument before we know what's in store for the money.
  

No whammy!

Just installed 2 more springs in my LTD M-53- I don't whammy, I don't intend to either.

Morning practice

Can't sleep... have been playing since 6am... a simple set up as depicted above... ampless, of course, save for the mini speaker.

LTD M-53: Mine!!

I truly believe in the (LTD) M-53. It's a good guitar through & through. Despite its entry-level status, I enjoyed what it has to offer in terms of playability & tone. I am also not one to cast aside a good guitar regardless of its make.

The pickups on board the M-53, nevermind their in-house nature, are brilliant to say the least. I can't rule out the fact that my amps played a significant role in making them sound above average; the single coil units, in particular. I seldom retain factory-default pickups but these gems are for keeps. Definitely.

The manufacturer also included a bevelled (as arrowed in pic) section at the bolt-on area which promotes upper fret access but not markedly. I believe that the fretting hand posture does not benefit from such allowance as much as having a real recessed area pertaining to the block structure itself. Nevertheless, the guitar per se is a wonderful production piece.

All in all, the M-53 is my 36th addition to the family & a lovely one indeed. It's very inviting feel & tone-wise. It is proof enough that good instruments don't cost us a bomb these days, I can't say this was true a decade or so ago.

PS: Thanks to Janet & co. (Davis GMC) for letting me have a go at this guitar (& enduring my eccentricities while doing so)

PPS: Thank you darling for the excellent consideration. Every time I play this one, I have you in mind closer than ever. I can't thank you enough... :-)

LTD: M-53

Managed to try LTD's M-53 @ Davis today...

Sometimes, we look too hard for something affordable & impressive. LTD's M-53 is a guitar which doesn't break your piggy & sounds + plays above average. Upon handling, I was greeted by the instrument's unyielding QC. It's no hiding the fact that this one's in the lower price bracket range & constructional compromise is expected but none was detected here.

The tone of this guitar is wonderful, the in-house LTD pickups are simply attractive for driven settings but for cleans, the single coils did better. These remind me too much of my SMASH S2 pickups- very anonymous but fantastic for the money.

LTD M-53
List: $299
Available @ Davis GMC

PS: My darling is thinking of getting me this one instead... hmm...