Chleo...

Ending October with this announcement - the PRS SE Chleo is now available at Davis GMC for $2,288. This figure is easily the monthly income of some people here. In fact, this is approximately how much an untrained teacher earns monthly in this country. So, there.

Pic: MR

Ross the boss

I got this through a swap deal; my octave pedal for this discontinued ROSS distortion. The ROSS brand of pedals were briefly handled by JHS before being discontinued late last year. These were offered at clear-out prices State-side (USD99) but it didn't happen here. Since I'm more of a distortion fan as opposed to wallowing my tone in octave adventures, it was a worthy deal.

In brief: Aria STB-PB/M

Bass on a budget - a rather tricky proposition. More often than not, a very affordable bass manifests too many compromises, it affects playability & tone. Bottom line - why bother. The Aria STB-PB/M is indeed a budget bass ($299) but it's worthy of your considerations.

Likes

• good playability, no fret sprouts
• smooth pots
• responsive tuners
• well-slotted nut

Dislikes

• tone taper could have been better
• heavy

This is one of those no frills bass on a budget, no doubt about it. Hardly any oversight in terms of build, impressive in this price range. If you are a tone connoisseur (wondering why you are looking up basses in this price bracket), chances are, you'll be bothered by the tone control sweep; a marked brightness / bottom end boom is virtually absent here. Some electronics upgrade should do the trick but adding on components which eventually exceed the instrument's price is not a prudent move, yes? Also, be mindful of the substantial neck profile, a complete opposite from a Yamaha Attitude / Ibanez SR. I see this being favoured by home-recording enthusiasts & those in need of an above-average bass to get things done disregarding its lack of flash; it's plain looking indeed but it's not awful. Recommended 👍

Final rating: 85%

Aria: STB-PB/M ($299) - available @ Davis GMC

Dream 2026

Heads up if you're a fan. I'm sure many of us here are looking forward to Portnoy back in action with the band. FYI, 3 February 2026 is a Tuesday, workday night for many of us.

Pic: BMS

Jr for Tele

Still wondering what took so long for Seymour Duncan to make this available. Anyway, this is the JB Jr. for Tele. The Strat version had been available for a while & it's time everybody's Tele get to experience this sonic pleasure. 

I have a soft spot for the JB, it's my first Seymour Duncan humbucker but I got it installed in the neck position 😅 This made way to the bridge a long while later but realized, I needed a TB version because the guitar in question was an Ibanez (featuring a Lo-Pro Edge bridge). Along the way, I tried many other Duncan humbuckers but the JB has that signature midrange thrust that's so suitable for my brand of metal music. 

EDIT: This might not be a completely new product but a revision of the existing model. Awaiting confirmation.

Pic: SD

Black cat

Well, look what just happened; it's a black kitty now. This will retail for more than $600 if it debuts here. Worth your precious money? Up to you, it's your money.

Pic: Fender