Aged

Bacchus has relic'd models in their lineups. This one here is the TACTICS24 AGED/RSM, available now at Davis GMC ($1,100). The price is a little steep for something equipped with in-house locking tuners & pickups but it's definitely a winner with that roasted maple neck / fretboard + steel frets. Yes, that's a Wilkinson bridge. 

 

Pic: Deviser

B-Ash

Absolutely nice ash-bodied Bacchus models are now available @ Davis GMC.

It's actually roasted ash, so you get a double roasted deal with the neck being roasted maple as well. Do note - these models sport a 25" scale length so it's nearer to the PRS vibe as opposed to Fender.

Pics: Bacchus HG

Review quickie: Ibanez AZ2203N

Ibanez had been generating rightful anxiety in the Strat camp since the inception of the AZ Series. The design departed from the traditional shredder image (RG et al), treading precariously on that oh so familiar Strat curves. This 2023, it's outright aggravation with the AZ2203; a shameless triple single coil take with no intentions of conflict management, it seems.

Likes:

• comfortable design
• neck profile
• pickups
• blend control
• quality hardware
• steel frets

Dislikes:

• blend control
• volume control - too near the  bridge pickup
• price

Conclusion

It's a Strat take by a non-Strat-inclined brand name & in my opinion, it's an outstanding manifestation. If you wish to look away from the Fender offerings when it comes to single coil considerations, this is it. Also, the design ergonomics ensure a non-Fender feel while still treading the Fender territory. The Seymour Duncan Fortuna continues to excel in providing the player with both traditional & contemporary tones. Please be reminded that this is an N version of the AZ, meaning - no cavity under the bridge to facilitate a floating set up. Of course, you can still float it by over-pronating the bridge ala SRV. 'Floating' is never a bridge type, it's how you set the bridge up. The absolute plus here is that neck profile, facilitating ease of movement without necessitating a thinner take.

The blend control cuts both ways; it either serves you or annoy you. I am someone who prefers a definite configuration so the blend function duplicating pickups setting in positions 2 & 4 is unnecessary & pointless. Ibanez, hopefully in time to come, should make this an option by turning it into a push-pull switch. Those of us who want a blend function at times, have a choice to activate it. There will be a maple fretboard version in the near future right, Ibanez?

Rating: 90%

Ibanez AZ2203N

• $2,699 (list)
• hard case included
• Available at Swee Lee Co.

Pic: Ibanez International

BJB @ DGMC

More Bacchus goodness at Davis GMC, this time it's the awesome J-type bass, the BJB-2R (List: $365) to be exact. That's right, this one features a roasted maple neck for an immaculate feel. Unlike standard J-basses, the pickups here are humbucking. This is absolutely value-for-money considering the QC on offer & comfort. Sunburts, red, blond, surf green & pink are the other available colours. 

Pic: Bacchus International

Japs

Have been spending time with these two. Ibanez AZ2402 (pink) & RG550 (yellow), both Japanese but worlds apart.

RG550. I've been conditioned by the RG since the start, not this one but my RG560. The thin & flat neck profile stuck with me for a good while & everything else was just not my thing. Other neck profiles just make the instrument difficult to play for me. That happened for about 7 years or so till I bought my first Fender which was a Telecaster. It was a real change in terms of playing feel but I persevered.

AZ2402. This was something unexpected when it comes to Ibanez; that thick, round neck was it. It's the most non-Ibanez feel ever, a total departure. However, unlike Fender & it's other derivatives, Ibanez did something to the neck, a roasted treatment of sort so it gave the neck a very inviting feel despite moving away from its roots. Also, for a brand name with a steep inclinations for DiMarzio pickups, the Seymour Duncans were a very bold move. I was at Swee Lee to just test the guitar but it sort of grew on me. I did not buy the initial batch of AZs that came in but it happened much later. Pink was not priority, the instrument passed my inspection at the store & it clicked right from the start.

Sometimes we are deceived by familiarity; we tend to stick with what works & reject the rest. Any compromise & it brings us down in so many ways. Life has taught me to adapt. That triggered my purchase of other guitar brands which have no obligations to replicate the Ibanez profile in every way. Job experience also taught me to work out of my comfort zone to bring out my best performance & that translated to guitar playing. In my case, the other guitars prepared me to play my Ibanez better. Those times that I struggled with Fender & Gibson, when I returned to Ibanez, it makes playing a breeze. If it's within your means, do invest in guitars which are not your thing. These are the implements that will bring out the other side of your playing that might prove to be that refreshing change you are waiting for.

Good roast (2)

These are just re-stocked at Davis GMC, (Tel: 6-337-5-092) the Bacchus BTE-2-RSM/M (List: $325). Yes, no hiding it's a Tele-like guitar but it features a roasted maple neck-fingerboard.

Some of us are simply into the feel of things & a roasted neck material contributes to this rather markedly. There were the Strat-type versions in store last year (CLICK) & those lasted for about a month only before being sold out completely. I would recommend these instruments (Bacchus Universe Series) for their value-for-money considerations. They are simply well-built guitars with above-average feel due to the roasted neck considerations. Lots of goodness for an entry-level price tag. A hidden gem, really.

PICS: Bacchus International

Fender 2021 (Japan): Roasted

The good Fender stuff, they keep coming from Japan. This here is the limited run Hybrid Stratocaster featuring a roasted maple neck. They should have more of these in the USA range, really. That humbucker there is a Shawbucker so if you think this is another second fiddle Japanese Strat, then it's not. 

Pic: Fender Japan

Dean 2021

Nothing particularly outstanding in Dean's 2021 releases but we take note of these two developments. Firstly,  Dean has joined the roasted maple camp, represented by the MD24 here. This one features an FR1000 bridge as well as a pair of Seymour Duncans (Custom / Alnico II Pro). Serious appointments here so that we do not dismiss Dean as a fringe brand name. 

Secondly, the Fluence pickups are in selected models as well. The V Select here sports a pair of Moderns. If you think roasted maple & Fluences are exclusive appointments to certain brand names then these prove otherwise. 

Pics: Dean

Good roast

 

This is simply awesome & worth every cent. It's a Bacchus BST-2-RSM & available at Davis GMC. Got to handle one last weekend & the appeal is way beyond its asking price - $325. For many of us, anything Strat-ish has to be, at the very least, Fender associated. This is the reason players gravitate towards Squier. Now remove the Squier association & replace it with awesome feel. Awesome because it sport a roasted maple neck (mind boggling at this price point). It will be an uphill task trying to convince people to embrace this brand name for its sheer goodness. With regards to the price tag, we would be bent on catagorizing it as an entry-level unit but if you handle one in person, it's way beyond that performance.

Solar bolt

Hot off the press - Solar guitars now offers a bolt-on option (Above: AB1.6S). That's right folks, the new model even features a roasted maple neck. However, I am waiting for a non-Evertune model, not that I dislike this type of bridge but I want something simple.

Epic

If you think a roasted maple neck & stainless steel fretboard will manifest costly instruments, these Agile Epic are USD399. We wonder why guitar manufacturers out there wouldn't want to re-think their instruments' spec.