SIT - refreshed

Ending August in the knowledge that SIT strings are still alive & kicking, with a revamped look - premium packaging they call it. Also, the packaging had been improved to promote a longer lifespan.

Pic: SIT

SC Monday

Yet another episode of staying indoors. The guitar if choice today was this PRS S2 Singlecut Standard in gold finish. Nothing fancy / special, just a singlecut with a limited run finish.

While playing, the knobs were rather stiff. A quick check revealed no deterioration / anomalies. A quick contact spray treatment did the trick. Those huge orange drop caps were replacement units for the default ones. The two volume pots are Gotohs while the tone pots (with default push-pull coil split options) are default units.

The humbuckers here are also replacement units, the 57/08 models which, as the name suggests, micmic the Gibson 57 models. I hear more treble coming from these pickups so they are my kinda pickups. Costly pair but worth every cent.

A pack of fresh SIT .0095s for the playing experience today.

Monday (laser) blues

Monday with nothing much to do. Brought this out to play. I have very few Ibanez guitars with original pickups in tact, this is one of them - RG565 in laser blue finish. 

I seldom buy coated strings, I must have bought this one some time back. It was in one of my guitar bags. A quick re-string.

I'm back to using a slightly smaller pick in an attempt to change my picking ergonomics. Seems to work on days when I'm not angry. Anyway, this is the Mini Coffin pick, custom made by Northern Ghost guitar picks (Canada).

Strat-ifying

Have not played this one in quite a while. I consider this to be one of my best single coil tone guitar & it's not a Fender: Edwards E-SE-100M/LT.

The headstock edges of this guitar are especially rounded, more rounded than a typical Fender. Reminds me of a seasoned instrument. Felt pieces were added to the strap buttons as these were not included from the factory. Edwards uses the ESP embossed string saddles, a reminder of the instrument's pedigree.

These are the key components of what makes me happy when playing this guitar; Seymour Duncan's SSL-1 (n/m) + SSL-3 (b). They are default from the factory & simply sound fantastic. I still can't nail down why these work perfectly well here. It might be attributable to some key considerations, namely the action settings as well as the weight of the instrument. 

The second tone control of this instrument is also a blend switch. When activated, the bridge & neck single coils are activated so at selector position 3, all three single coils are in use. Interesting feature but I seldom use it for rhythm work, just solos. 

I will always acknowledge good strings, regardless of the brand name. SIT's PG Pure Nickel are good stuff, available at Davis GMC.

SITting on good tones

So less than 10 days later, my Veelah To Go gets a fresh set of strings. If you've been playing long enough, the sound of wood seems to be more enchanting at night, especially so when you take your time & make every note counts. From time to time, I will revert to a set of SITs just to hear if I'm missing something. Chances are, I'd hear how good a no-frills set of strings are, this Phosphor Bronze is no exception.

Unworthy (strings content)

This happened yesterday. Showing only one of the strings, yes, the rest were rusty as well. All trashed.

So I thought the coated version wouldn't be rotten but hell no... the irony of it all; coated set to retard corrosion but they died even before putting them into action.

I have given up on Ernie Ball years ago, this is the reason why you don't see my re-string updates featuring EBs. I gave them a second chance ibecause they made effort to have the strings in sealed packs as depicted here but that guarantees nothing. As far as I'm concerned, EB strings are not worth the trouble & I need not worry about alternatives because there are plenty out there. 

For the record, D'Addario & SIT strings are the more reliable ones in this aspect. Come to think of it, I started with EBs, loved them for their crunchy freshness which was very addictive. D'Addario, on the other hand, was a frustrating affair; they started to corrode the moment I had them in my guitars. Years later, it's a reversal of reality, EBs are hype & their standards in preservation are much to be desired. D'Addario had become a very player-centered company, they listened to feedback & tried their best each & every time. Salute!

May the 4th

May the force be with you.

But when it comes to string preference, you shouldn't force yourself to like what's trendy. Look deep inside yourself you must, believe it's true.

SIT silencer

This set of strings are almost a year old; left in another one of my guitar bags & forgotten. The 'silencer' label is there to indicate its coated nature; the strings are coated with a very thin layer of silk so that when one drags one's fretting fingers over the wound strings during play, it would minimize that annoying screeching sound that entails. This coating's other benefit would be its corrosion retardation function- the strings inside are still shiny & ready to go.

8string

I am finally settling down with this string gauge for my Ibanez RG2228:

• D'Addario EXL110-7 set (.010 - .059)
• additional SIT .008 high E as the 8th string

One of the obvious setbacks of owning an instrument of this ilk is the unavailability of a ready string set. Before this decision, I had to buy 2 packs of strings & do a mix-match accordingly. I can't make do with a regular 7-string set + the additional .008 as the RG2228 sports an extended scale length so it has to be thicker to avoid that slack feel once the guitar's in tune. By the way, I tune this guitar only a half step down...