Up (what else)

I'm here to highlight to you price differences of Gibson instruments & harbour no ill-intent towards the reputation of any dealers here. The objective is to provide a buyers' perspective to this nasty thing called procrastination. So OK, some of us are simply not in a position to buy when the price is right; believe me folks, it happened to me countless times. We have kids to feed, house to finance, car to maintain... stuff like that. 

Starting off with the Gibson LP DC Junior Tribute model. The newer version is now $200 dearer. How to tell them apart? The revised model has its input jack relocated to the side.

Designer series - $100 more than before.

This one's a deal-breaker if you ask me - look at that price; the LP Jr is now beyond $2K. We understand that previously, it wasn't an Original Series designate & proved to be one of the most affordable, no-frills Gibson one could own. I got mine for less than $1.4K when it first appeared in the store.

Folks, this would also mean, after-market sellers can now flex more bargaining muscle citing the current price increase as a refusal to bring prices down. But hey, prices are gonna continue to climb & we are virtually powerless in letting this not happen. The real issue for many of us now - our damn pay isn't increasing as much as the prices of things around us. It's gonna stay this way seeing how the economy continues to crawl with the current spread of Corona Virus & all. Testing times ahead.

Aero II

This is actually Episode 2 of 'Available but not updated'. That's right folks, Fender's Aerodyne II Strats (MAde in Japan) are now available in store.

The HSS version is also available. I usually reject black guitars but this one has white binding & in person, it looks attractive. Unlike its predecessors, version II features an alder body & 2-point whammy bridge. The string saddles are also steel so you get that beefy bright top end & it helps during solos.

Sky colours

These are also in stock at Davis GMC but they are moving fast. What I like about The Silver Sky is that, despite being a signature model, the price remains realistic, in fact, it's lower than majority of the core models. In this upright position, I just feel that the headstock design is darn retarded.

But in this playing position, it makes a lot of sense. More importantly, I would like to thank Davis GMC for inviting me to try one in person (I tried the Tungsten finish). 

Leading

Reminding ourselves of Fender's re-living its past glory with current re-issues. This is the Lead II.

Both maple & pau ferro fretboard versions are available.

If you fancy a humbucking version instead, the Lead III might be it.

That's right, pau ferro version here. The fact that these are Mexican models imply affordability. Prices are along the lines of the current Duo Sonics. 

Ash

I managed to re-string this one during the CNY holidays. My TL71 has creamed off after four years & the ash grains are beginning to rival my floor laminate. Despite being ash-bodied, it remains light with the typical pronounced lower midrange coming from this wood type. The thing about Japanese Fenders, most of them feature a glossed neck & it might put off the purists. However, I deem mine to be as playable as my other non-glossed necked guitar; it's a matter of familiarity. I bought this one at Sound Alchemy when Beez was still their neighbour at Excelsior Shopping Center. 

That's right, I swapped out the string retainer for this rounded version for this guitar as well. 

Pickups: Hot Stack (b)/ Quarter Pound (n). These Seymour Duncan pickups are really something. So I have the Hot Stack in my TL-Rose as well & I love the stinging tone & it's more pronounced here due to the brass saddles there. The hot neck pickup was intentional just to underscore the fact that I don't do country music with this one - no disrespect to country music proponents out there.

Harmony strings are good albeit under-rated. If you wish for a neutral-sounding set (nether too bright nor too mellow), this is the brand to get. Together with Martin's Darco range, they are absolute value-for money. 

Servco

Big news - Fender is now owned by Servco Pacific Inc. Not so big news - Servco had been with Fender all along, they are now majority share holders, that's about it. It's good to know that the management team stays in tact. This means, the product end of the business is in the good hands of people who are instrument inclined unlike the CBS era where commercial objectives got in the way of product focus. Here's wishing them all the best; new year, new owner; what a start.