Good

One of the best Black Friday deals here; just look at that price. 👍

Light set up

A simple set up while watching TV last night. But the strings felt yucky at the start.

A quick re-string & it's good to go 👍

The Yamaha RGX A2 is a light guitar. In fact, it's my lightest but manifests one of the best tones even with simple set ups. Martin's Darco strings are one of the most affordable brand name out there but it's one of the best in terms of feel despite not lasting that long. If it's within your means, do invest in something different in your arsenal. It need not be an 'upgrade' of sorts but something that affects the way you play, bringing you out of your comfort zone. The struggle would make you a better player. 

Yamaha SALE: Recommendations (1)

Yamaha is relatively known for its Pacifica range of guitars but this one here, the RGX A2 is a wonderful player. The purists would dismiss it for its virtually empty body but it was conceived to be such a guitar- a lightweight player with midrange accentuation. Also, the pickup selector is a knob so getting a quick flick ala Malmsteen is virtually non-existent. Those barrel type tuners might not be your thing either. Recommended for those of us who don't mind having something different but nothing too alien.

SALE: $789 $631

Coming back to the Pacifica consideration, it is indeed one of the best value-for-money instruments out there. Yes, it's well beyond its glam heyday but the PAC112VMX seen above is a highly recommended model for a no-nonsense performance. Yes, the PAC112 is available in other solid colours as well.

SALE: $429 $299

PS: Sound Alchemy is also a participant in this SALE event, please call to check if they have the specific model you wish for.

Absent guidance

When I started out, fretboard markers were crucial. The fundamental dots were my numerical markings for notes. They were there for absolute references. Subsequently, they confused me as I own both 22-fret & 24-fret guitars. The 2-fret difference is a small issue to many other players but for someone who is musically illiterate & banking on visual references, those 2 digits were make or break for me on many instances. 

Then came a time when I told myself, surely, I could do without those markers because those blind players, they adapted from day one. If they could do it with a handicap, those without such an issue could surely adapt. That was when I bought this Yamaha RGX A2, it's my initial foray into marker-less territory but it was a breeze in terms of adaptability. I guess by then, my ears were guiding my playing more than my eyes. This was the reason why I could still play while watching TV & for the record, I could pretty much play if you blindfolded me. It's no longer about looking & knowing where to place one's fingers, it's about instantly recalling the placement of that 'sound' & being one with the instrument. These days, I prefer a blank fretboard; it's the freedom to travel without being reminded where you are.

Tesla: P-90 humbucker

If you think I'm trying to pull a fast one on you by saying those pickups in my Yamaha RGX-A2 are Tesla humbuckers but they actually aren't- here's a closer look at the Tesla label on the pickup cover. These are actually prototypes, not in standard production yet but Mike (SV Guitars) were given a complementary set so I have to (strongly) convince him to sell them to me because I need them. He he... This is the reason why you can't see them at the official Tesla homepage.

DiMarzio has the DLX series pickups for the job but I'm not too keen on them (I've heard them in action in one of my LPs before like more than a decade ago, that was before my cat died) because I know they won't appeal to me in terms of tone; I prefer Tesla's crunch in drive settings. I just wanna give these Tesla a try & they get my thumbs up.

Yummy Tesla

My new Tesla pickups went into my Yamaha RGX-A2. First impressions:

• Much brighter responses from both units. The default Yamaha pickups were acceptable but they lack that extra edge at the top end & the neck definition suffered the most. This neck model manifested a more appealing clarity which complements my playing.
• Distortion! My main gripe with the default Yammy pickups was the fact that they sounded fantastic clean but were under-performing with drive/distortion dialed up & I do lots of distortion. There was indeed a need to replace those default pickups & this Tesla pair did the job real well in this application. I've yet to try them with pedal distortion, this will happen soon. Hopefully.

Thanks, Beez for the fantastic job once again!

Played today...

It's a mundane Monday, there's absolutely nothing to look forward to after work ended- it was raining on my way home. But for me, music never fails to pick me up even if it means a brief 5min of play. Today's playing session was kinda regimented; it's a strict 10min per instrument:

• LP Tribute 50s (humbucker)- First up was my LP, the objective was to get on with an annoying start, it's all about the instrument as I'm not that receptive to Les Pauls. It was a difficult instrument to play (for me) but it's the perfect pick to test my persistence. 10min of scales regurgitation, timing changes & clean tapping. Enough already.
• Ibanez GARTB20- The bass inclusion was intentional, forcing myself to think differently after a 'difficult' start. Playing bass is also my way of appreciating cleans. I don't distort/drive my bass. The bass also helps me strengthen my right hand co-ordination, it forces my right fingers to be up to the task because I don't pick my bass, strictly fingers. 
• Yamaha RGX-A2- One of the most enjoyable guitar I own, very ergonomic in terms of construction, makes playing very addictive. It's a nice conclusion to the session because the LP's torture coupled with the bass' non-guitar idiosyncrasies paved way for a virtually effortless guitar playing when the RGX was in use. However, the default pickups in this guitar need to go. I've already bought replacements & it's a matter of booking some tech time with Beez. That would be soon, of course. Good night :-)

Played this week

All guitars played since Monday (L-R):

1. Yamaha RGXA2-  I'm paying more attention to guitars with hollow/ semi-hollow bodies as these instruments sound different with intense distortion. They manifest this different kind of thickness as well but the RGXA2's default pickups have to go. Waiting for replacements to be available...
2. Gibson Les Paul 50s Tribute (humbucker)- still trying to like Gibson LPs, still trying. PFFTTTT.
3. Jackson DK2T- One of the most rewarding guitar in my possession, those Duncans in there sound... I've loved Duncans all along so I have nothing negative to say :-)
4. Schecter Omen 6- I'm really glad to have this guitar in the house, it goes to show that you can have a good guitar without spending a bomb. Also, the pickups in there are superb: TESLA's Opus2/ Nitro. I think the Nitro is my most rewarding discovery.
5. Edwards E-MA-100SD/QM- I'm rather averse to singlecut designs, namely because it alludes too much to the Les Paul- play any singlecut guitar & the other person in the store would go, 'Oh, it's a Les Paul'. But manufacturers like Edwards know what they are doing when it comes to a thoughtful design, regardless of the outline, of course. People like me wouldn't mind owning a singlecut if they are appealing in terms of playing ergonomics. Janet said there'd be more Edwards to come (@ Davis) & I'll definitely be on a lookout for them :-)