DAW!

I'm trying out the Shred Line picks (red/ black) by DAW, these were in the mail recently. DAW is offering free international shipping in the mean time if you are interested.

Simply works

Ladies & gentlemen- what triggers you to plug in your guitar & play the while away? I think a simple answer to that would be tone. If you have a good tone at the ready, you will be moved to pick that guitar up & start strumming/ shredding. So it begs the next question: What's a good set up to have?

That's quite personal, I would say. Your preferred tone might be sonic rubbish to me. So start taking note of what works for you regardless of the gear in question. It might be a cheap pedal, a seasoned guitar & a small boutique amp or whatever you can get your hands on, that works for you. Also, please exercise some permutations of combination. Combine what you have in different order, use batteries for you pedals on some days, maybe give a different string brand a try, use a shorter guitar cord at times- you get the drift. Very soon, you'll be going back to the stuff that you like hearing or know to work well for certain intentions. There you go. A ready set of reference at your disposal.

Coming back to this pic here, my Blackstar Fly 3 amp is a go-to reference on days when I wish for a quick but pleasant set up. It's not exactly the best in the house but it's a guaranteed affair & that's more important to me than trying to figure things out when I need a quick set up. I've been using this amp often enough to know that it benefits from a little kick in terms of overdrive so a mild drive/ distortion unit would usually be hooked up as supplementary. With these two going, pretty much any guitar I play will sound pleasant or I should say, to my liking. Enough satisfaction on lazy days, on lethargic days, on days when I need a quick fix.

Ryland ESP

PIC: espguitars.com

Borknagar fans will know him- Jens Ryland. He had been playing Gibson all along but look what we see here- an LTD Eclipse & a 7-string as well. 

I'm not here to promote the ESP/ LTD brand name, really. I'm here to remind us that over time, when we feel there is an urge to change, why not give it a go. We can always go back to our initial preferences but we sure would benefit from a fresh brace. T.his way, we have more 'likes' to work with. That's surely a good thing, yes?

Poll: Used gear

Thank you once again for the poll participation- this means a lot to me.

Many of us are looking at the after market for gear- this is absolutely normal. The fact that we treasure used gear does not equal being a Scrooge. We acknowledge the fact that some of these used stuff are still in absolutely wonderful condition due to under-utilization. 

Now on to the figures. We enjoy trawling the after-market for a simple reason- price. This adventure is further emboldened by negotiations culminating in absolute buying satisfaction. The fact remains unchanged- prices in stores aren't negotiable & any attempt to verbally lower prices will be met with stern looks & poisonous stares. They have their reasons to keep prices fixed & we would like to respect this principle. 

We look at the after market for another crucial reason- the gear we want are discontinued. This does not equal unavailability; there are owners out there with what you want so it's a matter of offering the right prices to pry them off their owners. 

There is an interesting pool of players here who cite used gear as a better option than buying fresh stuff. The reason being; they can't differentiate the satisfaction levels between owning used gems & fresh buys. At the end of it all, the result they are after are the same so what kind of gear is concerned does not matter any more.

Finally, convenience is a real consideration. There is an increasing number of people who lost touch with planet gear because of time factor. They would really want to go out there & look at the stuff in the windows but it's just not permissible with work, studies, family, etc. getting in the way. It's all understood my friends, the after market is here to address your needs but be mindful of what you are dealing with, it shouldn't be compared to the stuff in the stores. 

So there you go, buying used gear isn't lowering yourselves down in terms of worthiness. Keep in mind that some awesome deals are in the after market indeed; those 60s Strats, 50s LPs, shred-era Ibanez RGs are lurking under someone's bed or hybernating in the store rooms somewhere out there.

Wire tapping

TE Electronics had just redefined the standard in looping technology; OK maybe not looping per se. The Wiretap here is a recording/ playback unit which can be utilized as a looping device. Best thing is, you can control it via Bluetooth over at your smart phone- aw darn! I want one!

Ibanez: The retainer returns

Another Ibanez RG in the manufacturer's catalog (RG2570). But note the following:

• Ibanez re-installed the string retainer at the headstock plus no sliding truss rod cover
• This is a Prestige model but no 'Prestige' label there at the headstock
• OK, so they did an alder body for this one.