Ironed

Re-string adventure continues- Ibanez SIR70FD. Pickups on board are DiMarzios: Tone Zone (b)/ True Velvet (m)/ Air Norton (n).

I'm somehow thankful that Ibanez has the Iron Label range albeit my gripe with it in terms of purpose. The guitars in this range were given the alternative treatment without ending up as costly proto-customs. I was particularly drawn to this model due to its blank fretboard. That's my quirk- I have more confidence playing an unmarked fretboard. The SIR70FD is part of the pioneer Iron Label releases. The RGs at this point in time, featured EMG pickups while the S-Series were given the passive, gain friendly DiMarzios instead. 

The S-Series in this range had evolved to feature a reverse headstock & some fancy body caps but the DiMarzio & fixed bridge features stay put. I sincerely hope the Iron Label series won't go out of hand because as it is, it's a little fuzzy when it comes to being identified as a definite tier in terms of offering. Then again, this year the Axion Label became the branch-off which threatens to push the Iron Label into extinction.

Unlocking

Got my Ibanez S-Series out early in the morning: S420 (t) & SIR70FD.

The S420 is equipped with a pair of Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates while the SIR70FD has a default set of DiMarzio Tone Zone/ True Velvet/ Air Norton. 

The S420 is so much heavier due to the ZR bridge in there but the overall tone is crunchy without excessive treble. I'm saying this because the PG is associated with raunchy Texan sizzle but if you could manage your set up well, it'll give you that modern heavy metal tone which is suitable for prog as well.

The SIR on the other hand is a light guitar with that smooth top end response, instant Dream Theater tone on call here thanks to the DiMarzios on board. I'm not a fan of this pickup brand but there are some models that I fancy. The Tone Zone is not one of them but previously mentioned, it's something that's appealing once you figure out your set up in its entirety and not just banking on pickup performance for your tone ideals. 

Anyway, I like both guitars for their blank fretboards; ironically, I make less mistakes when dealing with chromatics & legato.

As you can see here, this episode was conceived at CBTL in the late morning as I was waiting for my daughter to finish her morning supplementary class. Despite its early operations, the air-conditioning here will only function at 10.00am, so it's sauna mode offset by a serving of sparkling ice tea. 

Have a great weekend, everyone. ☮