Classic catch

I had no plans to get anything from the recent Swee Lee sale except that Epiphone Viola bass for my dad; it was an easy decision. Maybe those stash of D'Addario & Harmony strings were part of the plan as well. But when they slashed prices by 40% on the final two days of the sale, some guitars in store were under my serious considerations. Inevitably, this early 2019 Les Paul Classic went home with me. I preferred a non-black option but choosers are losers during such times.       

Another blank truss rod cover treatment. 

I'm actually OK with these so called modern electronics. Those CTS embossed pot base plates remind owners they are worthy components in this rather crowded existence. I thought the tone taper is rather impressive & hope the magic came from those yellow capacitors there - look suspiciously like a pair of Mallories. 

I had a negative experience with Gibson's '61 humbucker in a Melody Maker. I guess the 61 needs a hefty body to make it sound, at the very least, useful. That's what is happening here, the '61 has that rather stinging midrange which I didn't hear from the '57s coupled with a good dose of bottom end thanks largely to the weight of the guitar. On that note, this guitar is heavy despite whatever body chambering that took place at the factory. 

A quick fretboard 'shower' & re-string. The default 9 - 46 strings were quite lifeless despite looking new so this DR set took over. There's something about the DR's rigidity that is so appropriate for angry music & that happened for about 30min or so before I got all sweaty & required a shower.  

Epi in

It's a brand new week & we begin with the news that the initial batch if Epiphone 2020 models are in.  I'm just gonna do some price comparisons here to get your considerations going.

It is also a reminder that there is now an Epiphone version of the current Gibson range. I have no idea if this is status quo with immediate effect but this is the current commercial strategy till further notice.

There are many more models on offer, I'm sure you are enterprising enough to check them out but I just wanna highlight the LP Studio for this episode. Note that no LP Studios are offered below $2K now. This price here is the latest from the Curleigh management & it pretty much reflects where things are going in terms of prices. Yes, this is lesser than the final Juszkiewicz batch but it's still above the $2K mark. Why is this such a big deal? The LP Studio is the most affordable LP in the family. It's devoid of cosmetic extras yet performing on par with its more exorbitant siblings (no binding, no AAA maple flame top). Based on this consideration, the Studio should not be a deal-breaker for many of us in terms of price but it is definitely not the case as we know it. The Gibson camp is trying to say that their most affordable LP is still worth that much despite being stripped down. More importantly, they will tell you that the real affordable deal is the Tribute range, not the Studio. With the Epiphone 2020 range, we can now re-consider our options with regards to price but an Epi will never go into Gibson territory in terms of material treatment; sounding good & playing well are bonus manifestations.

So folks, for about a quarter of what you would fork out for a Gibson, you now have the Epiphone version to consider & it's worth the trouble keeping in mind that the Epis are now reflecting the Gibsons very closely. You get upgraded pickups, nut & pots for that asking price & selected models are featuring ebony fretboard as well. Things are looking good here but not for the models sporting the older, clipped dove wings design; these are destined for a clear-out in terms of desirability but we know they are not second fiddle in terms of performance & tone. 

So there you have it, hope it'll be a good start for many of us this week & one more time - stay vigilant, stay virus-free. Take care. 😊

Harmonious end

It's the final day of the Swee Lee sale & I managed to grab some worthy strings. There are some D'Addarios in there but majority of the haul are Harmony strings. You might not have heard this brand name but they are there in the history of guitars & all things related. They don't do much contemporary stuff & only your Dads or Granddads might know who they are. That aside, they make good, affordable strings.

Do you often drop by the Katong branch? Not so for me because it's out of the way; I'm from the West & this outlet is in the East. It's almost an end-to-end travel but if there's something worthy to check out, I'd gladly make effort to get there. The store's also a cozy corner with ambient lighting & I certainly enjoyed the less crowded atmosphere (especially on weekdays) & always took the opportunity to talk to the staff. More importantly, being in the Katong neighbourhood means making my way to the food center across the main road to enjoy a Mee Rebus quickie & a wonderful, warm serving of Cheng Tng. With the departure of Swee Lee, my trip to Katong would be few & far between. Thank you to store manager, Mr. Faizal & his motley crew, for the memories; my every trip there was worth it.

You know, it's testing times with the Covid-19 situation in the mean time. Stringent temperature screenings are in place in many venues. In the name of the greater good, please adhere/ comply to the requirements. If you are offended by the intrusion of these temperature checks, I'd suggest you stay home & make online shopping do your bidding. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to the Swee Lee Katong team who braved the insolent, foul-mouthed individuals at the store entrance for refusing to comply with the temperature screening & hand sanitizing exercise. It's a quick one at the door & you're free to enter the premises but your darn ego chose to make it difficult for yourselves & others. You know who you are, you belong in the gutters & should not mingle with society. 

On that note, have a good week ahead, everyone - stay vigilant & virus-free. 👍

Final 40

You read that right, folks. The final sale discount as stated above before Swee Lee Katong calls it off for good. Last day of sale: Sunday, 16th Feb 2020.

If you are in the market for a good, no-frills Les Paul, I'd recommend this LP Studio which is still available as at time of posting. After discount, it's slightly more than $1.4K & that's value for money considering how much Studios go for these days (blame it on the manufacturer, not the dealer). 

Free shipping/ delivery

Shout out to the good people at City Music for this consideration. Many of us are really restricted by all this COVID-19 anxiety & would want to avoid crowded places. You can now place orders with CM online & avoid such situations - enjoy free shipping/ delivery till end of May.

PIC: CM FB

Virginia

Fender's latest pride - Eric Johnson's Virginia Strat. It's a copy of that Strat which propelled Ah Via Musicom into immortality (Manhattan is still my favourite!). However, it's not a faithful repro.

It's more aparant from the rear; the maple neck has some scary flames there which wasn't the case for a typical '54 Strat in its original incarnation. It seems that Fender is continuing its strategy of re-visiting past glory & indirectly re-affirming its perpetual affirmation of old models. It's hurting the focus on the newer models, that's how I see it. Fender is competing on two fronts; against other manufacturers (who are increasingly versed in out-Fendering the manufacturer) & against themselves (the vintage stuff, it seems, are still unbeatable).

If you are interested in this one, folks, be informed that it's available as a standard production signature model & a Custom Shop version. These are only good for a year, none will be offered come next year.

PICS: Fender CS