Spalted mirage

A new one by Edwards- a spalted maple top (alder body) 7-string M-series. Looks like Edwards are slowly (but surely) revamping their line up. 

Pain(t)-over

A rather stunt-laden Gibson release this Summer- the LP Standard Paint-over series. 😐

As the name suggests, you get a Les Paul Standard finished in a double coating, relic-ed to give you that seasoned look. Mind you, both Fender & Gibson suffered a re-finished manufacturing along the way in an attempt to cover supply deficiency. Today, such instruments are deemed fashionable despite the fact that you are getting a standard production guitar made hype by that double exposure outcome.

New Gibson

Something new by Gibson: Modern Doublecut Standard.

The flame top version will cost USD300 more.

Lest you forget, Gibson did make a Les Paul doublecut. The manufacturer is reviving something similar, we could say. Gibson's doublecut models are not as popular as SGs, let's see how long this will continue.

Got synth?

Aw, darn- just when the pockets are a little empty! Anyway, a fresh release by the EHX camp, the SYNTH9. I'm a fan of the Mel9 & Key9 so this one should stir some interest. In action:

SR 30th

Still in the Ibanez camp, the SR bass is also celebrating its 30th birthday. This is of course over-shadowed by the JEM's 30th anniversary but I'd mention this here on grounds of impartiality. 😁

I'm not a bass person & still struggle when handling a full scale bass. My dad has an SR bass which he plays during wedding performances & that exposure was my personal encounter with the SR. It's is a sleek bodied bass with a very comfortable neck profile. The SR to me is the S-Series of the Ibanez bass range. The SR managed to overthrow the RG bass during its heyday in terms of popularity/preference & survived the years. The anniversary SRs were made special by being semi-hollow units instead of a full blown solid body. It's something the manufacturer never did with this range & has a possibility of throwing the purists off in terms of expectations. Fans should be thankful that the anniversary models are in the Standard & Premium range as opposed to the more costly Prestige line up. 

LBX II

New for the year- EVH 5150III LBX II. If you own the current LBX, be informed that there are no new edits to the drive. The new element here is the amp's clean channel as opposed to the former's crunch channel. The manufacturer included stacked pots for independent gain & volume controls per channel. Since Ver 1 is not discontinued, it is now made more affordable, meaning- Ver 2 will now sport Ver 1's current price. The manufacturer recommends a $100 difference so if your dealers charge more, kindly ask them to justify the difference.

Bridge of sighs- fresh issue

For those of us late to the scene, be informed that WEF 2017, Gibson has a dedicated range of entry level guitars called the S Series. These are affordable models that do not represent any upper tier counterparts directly. They are tweaked to be readily identifiable while retaining crucial elements of the Gibson philosophy.

One of the models is this M2 single cutaway. A very simple & functional guitar. I have plans to at least give them a go when they appear in the stores here. I have a better hit with Gibson's lower end models, even the quirky ones.

Less the LP Custom Studio, the guitars in this range feature the Adjustable Wraparound model. I've been talking to owners online & already they are warning me against buying guitars with this hardware. 😶 It seems that even at the lowest possible action setting, string tension would cause the bridge to tilt forward (towards the nut) making the action higher than it should be. Tsk, Tsk.

All pics: Gibson online

Low ebony

Last year, I talked to a few people (both in store & online) about the re-intro of the RGD. Now that they are offered in a non-Prestige (more affordable) range with DiMarzio pickups, would they venture into the extended scale length territory & buy one? Most of them answered the negative. In addition to the non-standard scale length, they disliked the maple fretboard. So this 2017, Ibanez offers the RGDIX6 with an ebony fretboard & we'll see if this is enough enticement for people to change their mind. 🤔

Ash burning 2017

My John Page Ashburn experience last year told me this guy is heading in the right direction. He would take it slow & only offer sensible releases in the market & it's beginning to be so in 2017. The Ashburn Special here is an inevitable release, nothing too different from the 2016 make but with an ash body.

The Classic is offered in an HSS variation this year & it is a sensible move indeed. 

Boss' expression

I used to own a BOSS expression unit. It was sold off due to under-utilization. Actually, the big footprint was a put off as well. The EV-30 here is a more compressed version that promises some estate saving on your pedal board.

More importantly, it has a dual output function so you can manipulate 2 pedals in a single use so that's the winning feature right there. The expression pedal is perhaps one of the least exciting unit with many pedal geeks but those with years of pedal use experience would tell you that over time, you tend to look forward to subtle sculpturing of tones rather than setting everything to 10 & let it rip. So the moral of the story here; it might be boring but it's useful.

JEM it one more time

Winter NAMM 2017 is over by now. The dust has settled & we move on. Ibanez JEM fans are moving on with this 30th Anniversary commemorative model. Over at the manufacturer's social media feed, it's touted as Steve Vai's 'new' guitar. I must say that I'm offended by this claim because it's nothing new. The volute under the locking nut disqualifies it from being a true re-issue as well, compounded by the anniversary neck bolt plate. Despite being drawn to Ibanez all the time, I have zero interest in JEMs largely due to my disinterest in signature models. This is no different- still averse to JEMs. However, we have the JEM to thank for when it comes to the countless RG permutations out there. It was a successful endeavour & looks like it's gonna last for many more years to come. 

Stoned

The official release of Fredrik Thordendal's Ibanez baritone FTM33. Affectionately dubbed as the Stoneman by the endorser himself, this one was in the making since 2012 at the LACS. We note that it's not a Japenese model & it's not true to the custom specs when it was in proto version. Acquired taste, definitely but it may be your thing.

Bridge of sighs (yes, that one)

This is the highlight of the moment, the star player for Ibanez at Namm 2017, if you will- Ibanez's Premium RG6. I have nothing against this guitar.

In fact, I feel they did a good job in reinforcing the neck & moved away from the maple dominance.

I'm wondering why the bridge in this gorgeous piece has to be the EZ-II. If they had given this some considerations & maybe include an Edge at the very least, it would have been a winner with me. The manufacturer might be keeping costs down this way or letting it get away in a gorgeous looking guitar. Subconsciously, you'd be paying good money (that's right, this series isn't gonna be on the lighter side of the price bracket despite not being a Japanese model) for something with a less favourable feature which would be largely ignored or 'accepted'. If there's a fixed bridge variant in time to come, maybe I'd consider. 

Small victory (2)

Em... Paul Gilbert's take on NAMM 2017, a Mikro version of his Ibanez PGM model. We all want one, yes? 😏

Small victory

The good people at Blackstar are continuing their quest to serve good tones in small packages. This LT Echo amp is a good inclusion & on my to-check list.

Our beloved FLY3 desktop amp gets a Bluetooth upgrade which is awesome. So while something big is happening at NAMM 2017 in the mean time, never forget the small stuff.

ESP Head

Don't know if you chaps were expecting something radical from the Brain Welch-ESP project but this is it- an ordinary guitar. Along with this release comes the re-visiting of the man's past; how he was responsible in shaping 'nu metal' (if you believe there is such a thing) & pioneering the use of 7-string next to Vai, etc. The background exposure was necessary we reckon but it's a jaded past. ESP also has the knack of pushing the LTD versions of signature models & keeping the ESP make exclusive- all understood from a commercial perspective.

Mooer: Mini preamps

For those of us who are put off by multiple amp line-ups, Mooer has these mini preamps going for 2017. These are definitely not amp replacements but would address those ears tired of pedal tones (ironically, these reside in pedal territory) & require you to embrace a good serving of emulation. Priced at USD99 each (MSRP), these might be a good alternative for many of us in terms of mobility & tone. Hear:

Ibanez: Core changes

The most affordable semi in Ibanez's lineup was the AM73.

This year, it's superseded by The AM53.

The major switch- sapele body (previously maple). Ibanez returned to a more generic bridge/tail piece combo as well (ART-1/ Quick Change III). I've been procrastinating when it comes to investing in a semi & looking at the rather unenticing 2017 line-up (personal take), this might be it.

Sonzera

Thank you, PRS, for this amp news. I think I'm a little desensitized when it comes to guitar feeds these days; it's just not the focus in the mean time. Anyway, I wouldn't say the new Sonzera amps by PRS is a breakthrough release by the manufacturer but it's a sensible offering. I'm counting on Mr. Paul himself when he said (in the video clip below) it's a good one with not too much money going. I'm also liking the simplicity (just 2 channels) & the fact that each channel has its independent attributes. OK, looking forward to this one.

Vox: Tiny threat

This Winter NAMM 2017 will see the release of Vox's MV50 trio amp. It's one of those small wonders that'll make or break the manufacturer's innovation momentum. Tone chasers will be enticed to check them out namely due to their tube-type tone. The fact that there are no tubes in there will be an issue for players who would settle for nothing less than a tube unit but frown upon inconvenience in terms of maintenance & mobility. Whatever it is, let's hope that it is a source of good tones to get us by because that's the ultimate bottom line that we often deny.