Poll: Gear-buying

Once again- thanks to all who participated. Thought I'd close the month with this statistic; it seems that many of us feel more secured having a go at the instruments we intend to purchase before parting with cash. It's good to see what you are getting as opposed to having received a lemon through mail order & spent precious dollars (& time) to have your gear rectified subsequently. However, some of us embrace convenience; we don't mind the mode of purchase, as long as we end up a happy camper.

Farewell February... :-)

Less is more (Ha!)

This isn't new- Ibanez's RG7321...

This is the (not so) new RG8...

You'd think the instrument with more strings (more tuners, more wood, etc...) would cost more but currently, the RG7321 is USD50 more than its 8-string sibling... Hmm... Good time to get an 8? Definitely...

More 8s

Good to know the Rotosound people have joined the 8 camp; variety is good. AVAILABILITY is better :-)

Marshall: JVM 1W

It's a Marshall Sunday & I chose to play this one: JVM 1W. It's one of 2012's anniversary models by Marshall which I didn't quite appraise at the close of last year but it's a keeper, definitely.

The immediate address here would be- 'would this puny rep be any close to the real JVM?' & the quick answer to this is- there is a semblance. The JVM is 'new' to Marshall in terms of drive voicing, it's unlike what a DSL or JCM800 has in store, it's just a little more defined. The clarity on board is much appreciated & you could hear that in this one. However, due to feature ergonomics, this JVM does not feature that fiery red mode of its drive channel so in terms of utmost extremity, it's not gonna happen. The cleans- one of the most respectable Marshall cleans out there; think contemporary, though, not vintage.

Tonal proceedings are restricted by the small 8" Celestion driver but it's a 'Celestion' you say & it's suppose to mean something in terms of tonal command- it's the size, not the brand name that pretty much defines this amp.

So it's my Ibanez S420 & this JVM this morning. I'm a little under the weather but it's no excuse for a good guitar time.

Pro Broderick

The new (2013) non-USA (Pro series) Jackson Chris Broderick models look the works- mahogany body, DiMarzio pickups... but why the Floyd Rose Special bridge? If you have any experience at all with this least expensive version of the FR bridge, you'd know how fragile it is. A little over-tightening of the locking string saddle & it'll crack. I don't mean to be demeaning this product but it's better off not being there.

Laney: Budget Iommi

If you've been reading around, chances are, you'd know Laney had this one featured in this year's NAMM show- the TI15-112 combo seen above. It's a 15W version of the gain hungry Tony Iommi Laney amp head. With a reputation like this, you'd want it to deliver good distortion despite its size & you need only watch this:

However, do keep in mind that it's a single channel unit, if you are GASsing for one, understand & embrace its nature, do not penalize it for its short-comings; it's not conceived to be otherwise.