Value-for-money SEMIs

Rally Neosound

Samick Royale 1

Those of us hunting for affordable & good sounding semi-hollow units now have the above, well-constructed models to consider:

• Rally: Neosound (List: $380, Standard Value)
• Samick: Royale 1 (List: $380, Davis GMC)
  

The SMASH lure...

The SMASH series of guitars (by Swing) never fail to impress me in terms of tone & playability. I was at Standard Value recently to purchase some accessories & I couldn't help but give the S1 another test-drive. The instrument in whole is an impressive player, through a deserving amplifier, it sounds incredible. The maple fretboard version has a more defined top end bite which a typical Strat player would love. I own the ash-bodied, rosewood fretboard version which sounds very impressive under lots of drive & I could hear the difference between these models. However, it's rather self-defeating advocating this to the masses because the general mindset is that, if the name on the headstock doesn't mean a thing, it's rubbish.

This is especially true for the impressionable youngsters out there who are starting out. I'm not blaming them for treading the Gibson/Fender path because these are indeed formidable names in the industry but there are other impressive alternatives which should be considered. The paradigm shift has not occurred... yet?

Fender Road Worn '50s Strat

I was at Swee Lee just days ago to try out the much heralded Road Worn series (I tried the '50s Strat), new by Fender this 2009.

• This guitar is a relic on a budget (not quite the savings, though...) , the manufacturer has touted it be more toneful on grounds of condition- the worn in attributes allegedly make the guitar more soulful than any other unseasoned instrument.

• Feel-wise, I really did feel the worn out surfaces on the body & neck areas; akin to handling an unfinished chair, fresh from IKEA. This is strictly a love/ hate affair, some of us welcome this rawness, others deem it repulsive. Nevertheless, it doesn't get in the way of playability unless of course, some of us get too affected by it that we break down. Be informed that the neck profile here is a mild V, unlike the contemporary Fenders we love to handle.

• In the tone department, the default pickups are Fender's own Tex Mex units. As I am an all-out-distortion fan, it's rather disappointing that the single coils here can't do metal to save my life but on hidsight, the Tex Mexes weren't conceived to address this need. One can dial up a very feel-oriented blues crunch from this trio & that's pretty much the forte of this guitar. The cleans are Fender's typical, signature, crystaline twang but with less top-end bite, reflective of the vintage theme of this series of offerings.

It's a good instrument to own, the asking price could be more attractive...

What: Fender Road Worn '50s Strat
How much: $2,685 (list)
Where to get: Swee Lee

PS: Thanks ADAM TEOH @ BB Showroom for the try-out invitation.

Shhhh...

I usually do not attach my noise gate between the PPE & Cool Cat overdrive because the background noise generated is not annoying... nevertheless, it's getting to me... so today it's there to preserve lucidity.

Body of evidence

In a move to protect its intellectual property, Fender has recently attempted to register its Stratocaster & Telecaster body design but failed on account of its inability to indicate source. It's interesting to know that a 5-year litigation cited the following manufacturers contravening the iconic body designs:

• Spector
• ESP
• Sadowsky
• Lakland
• Peavey
• Warmoth
• Schecter
• Tobias
• Suhr

Adding insult to injury would be the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board of the USA's conclusion that the (Stratocaster) guitar' s design is so generic that it is depicted as a default design for a typical electric guitar in a dictionary.

Bag for SOB

Those of you who wish to purchase the SOB, please be informed tat there is a ready bag for it but sold separately: $45.00