B Clearance @ Swee Lee

Swee Lee is having good discounts for B-Stock items. I find some of the guitars clearing for good prices but the extent of the B-grade was not disclosed so I'm a little wary when it comes to recommending others on what to grab before the offers cease. For instance, bridge misalignments, despite being slight, should be avoided due to intonation issues. Also, fretboard lifting off might lead to expensive repair episodes down the road. 

A sub-$3K PRS Silver Sky should interest many fans of this guitar but as mentioned before, the nature of the flaw was not disclosed in the listing details so tread with caution. Two colours are available, moc sand & dodgem blue ($2,931 ea).

This Cort G300 is one heck of a player. Because it doesn't sport a glam brand on the headstock, players are naturally not drawn to one. I played this model a few times back when it was still available at Swee Lee's Bras Basah outlet & it's an easy recommendation for those looking for a good guitar without spending a bomb ($805).

This is an easy recommendation for newbies but pros won't mind getting one for backup - Heritage Ascent H-150. The only dislike (personal) are those tuners. For all models that I've tried in store, they were either dodgy or stiff ($289).

Pics: SL / Cort / Mannys

Ibanez 2025 (6)

Still trolling the Ibanez web page & looking at the 2025 offering, this time veering off into acoustic territory. The thing about Ibanez is, the manufacturer continues to offer good acoustics (nothing boutique) at reasonable prices. No new models in the mean time, just this AAM50 offered in saphire blue burst...

... & a coral red burst iteration. The AAM50 was already in the catalog pre-2025 but offered in a natural finish. Be informed that the AA model sports a slightly shorter scale (25") & this AAM50 comes with a solid spruce top. These are already available at Swee Lee for a good price: $399.

Pics: Ibanez

Ibanez GS121 (2)

About a couple of weeks ago, I managed to acquire a pre-owned GS121 from someone who stopped playing guitar altogether. True enough, the guitar wasn't purchased locally, it was ordered through Amazon back in the day. I am a firm S-Series fan & wouldn't let this go even if it's not a revered model. It's a mere GIO Series, no biggie. How much? I sold off my BOSS delay pedal for this & still had spare change to drop by the supermarket for some cans of sodas & a jar of freeze-dried coffee. Previous episode: CLICK

To be concluded...

No / not yet?

Walked past Cristofori a couple of days ago - no Kramers in sight. I sincerely hope it's a matter of not yet instead of none. A friend highlighted the fact that Cristofori makes money through its music courses & lessons. Selling instruments is a secondary business. This is why I believe in supporting music stores which are true to their cause instead of establishments like this. It also highlighted the fact that for a big name like Gibson, only certain distributors here can truly represent the brand in terms of intent. Imagine having the '84s & Night Swans in store for you to try & renew your Kramer inclinations. Not in the mean time, I guess.

Standard 2025 (2)

There's one more Fender model joining the Standard Series (Indonesia) this 2025 & it's the Acoustasonic. Currently there are only a couple of guitars on the list, this Telecaster you see above & the Jazzmaster. I believe we all know the Acoustasonic didn't really hit it with many players due to its quirky nature being in the intersection of an acoustic (which requires amplification to sound good) & a solid body model (compromised by the non-ergonomic body, the neck is awesome). To top it off, the price was a put off; excessive to say the least. This year, the Acoustasonic continues to populate the Fender catalog but becomes a rather affordable offering (USD1,099 USD599) in the hope of attracting whoever it needs to in light of it not being firmly rooted in any music genre. 

Pic: Fender

Ibanez 2025 (5)

We have to give it to Ibanez for not neglecting their non-guitar products when it comes to innovation & revision. If you own the NS Series of Ibanez cables, you know those are really wanting in terms of durability / reliability. I'm gonna say it upfront; don't waste your money on those. This year, the manufacturer has the Glideline Series of cables to consider. These cables were actually beta tested with the JTC group of guitarists before the official release. I'm aware many of us are of the opinion that some guitar accessories are bordering on being snake oil; you just can't hear the difference. I'm one of those skeptics when it comes to cables until I really tried a good one, something that was backed by a fair amount of investment in terms of time & R&D. For the record, I have not tried the Glideline cables (are they even here yet?!). Looking forward.