Headless Leia

I've been tracking this for the past few days. This is Kiesel's new release for Summer 2020. It's another headless one for the list but not quite a refreshing design. Leia looks very close to Zeus, the main difference being the neck-through feature of the former versus the latter's bolt-on design. Anti-climax, really. OK maybe I'm not meant to spec another Kiesel.

Goodbye, June.

PIC: Kiesel FB

Indigo

Fender camp's latest release. See anything new? It's actually that blue finish, based on some lost art of Japanese colour dyeing or something along those lines. Bottom line - nothing new, another Fender Strat & Tele. If you find this blue affair to die for then be informed that it's a limited edition, Japan exclusive listing for USD3.8K each. OK maybe that lipstick tube trio in the Strat is kinda appealing.

PIC: Fender Japan

All that (faux) jazz

I talked to someone a few days ago regarding having good single coil tones in the neck position. I specified a beefy & rather treble-ish response. If there's any P-90 in mind, maybe that learned person could rattle some recommendations. His outright response was that P-90s won't give that kind of tone in the neck. They tend to mud-out for that wooly tone which is the reason why Gibson favour them in their early hollow bodies. He was right.

I have no issues with P-90s in the bridge but in the neck position, it needs more bite for solos. My best reference for a P-90 neck tone along this requirement would be my Seymour Duncan Phat Cat. This pickup isn't quite a P-90 but it's very close to something else which I could not pin-point until this morning.

This morning was a morning with my Jazzmaster (above - American Performer Jazzmaster). This is the kind of single coil tone I favour; thick & treble inclined. It doesn't wool-out for that Les Paul-esque woman tone pioneered by a certain Eric. Nothing jazzy transpired this morning. Instead, I'm still after that crunchy tap tone which I believe only a single coil could champion. How about the standard, Strat single coil, wouldn't that solve everything? Not for me; it's twang excessive. I'm moving away from that tone but still staying in the non-humbucking territory. 

Price watch (10)

Before you shoot me for swaying others into a biased perspective, know that I have no intentions to discredit anyone/ any entities relating to unreasonable price issues. I have every intention for this to be informative. At the end of it all, if you exercise some thinking before buying, then my mission is accomplished.

The guitar depicted above is Ibanez's RGD61 which is a whisker shy of $1.8K. It is made in Indonesia.

This is Gibson's Les Paul Special Tribute (humbucker) lists for $400 lesser than the Ibanez counterpart. It's American.

If you are looking for a worthy investment, the Gibson is an obvious pick. The brand name ensures a good re-sale value while the Ibanez would be a lucky clearance if it could retain 60% of its original price. In this American vs the-rest-of-the-world hypocrisy, people are more inclined to go with the Gibson. American, today, implies some quality assurance but if you are a guitar geek & know what's been happening in the Gibson side of things, you'd know that QC & Gibson are hits & misses. But let's give it to them, they've been picking themselves up well after much debacle & disrepute. They have even won me over on a couple of occasions. It's a good thing.

The Ibanez, on the other hand, is still manifesting a cult appeal. Its Indonesian pedigree has yet to instil buyer confidence because in the minds of the lay people, China & Indonesia are the pariah grounds for guitar manufacturing. People don't value the finished product per se, they still choose to judge where these products are made in above all else. However, we know that China (Eastman guitars) & Indonesia (Ibanez Premium series/ Solar guitars) hold its own when it comes to construction standards. If you choose to exercise selective acknowledgements then we cannot compel you to acknowledge the Emperor is naked & his invisible new clothes were orchestrated conspiracy to begin with.

What am I driving at? Let's look at these two examples for now- the Ibanez costs more than its American counterpart but you are basically paying for the branded pickups (Lace Fluence) & bridge (Evertune) more than anything else. We know Ibanez make affordable RGD models without these appointments & these are not dud instruments (I own one) by any means. At that price point, the RGD should come with a bag but it's not offered. The Gibson on the other hand is a niche appeal. Its flat top & compensated fixed bridge is an obvious compromise leading to affordability. Some of us thrive on such limitations & would go with the Gibson any time & hey, it comes with a bag. So my friends, we assess our needs & willingness to pay for anything before committing to purchase, guitars included. In any case, if you consider the above Gibson as a direct competitor to the Ibanez, do tell us what you are smoking. 😁

Genesis: Blue (2)

Since I bought it in February, I've only managed to give my Ibanez RG550DX some TLC & due attention recently. The main consideration was getting the electronics done before tinkering with everything else. That means waiting for Mr. Beez to resume business after the CB period ended & it took longer than expected. The intonation for this guitar was off for most of the strings (4 out of 6 to be precise). The most horrible was the low E & from the physical evidence seen above, someone in the store was aware of this & pushed the saddle way back to address the issue. It looked wrong thereafter. If you have to push it way back, that's where the other (front) hole is for.

The front hole was utilized this time leaving the rear vacant & the issue was solved. 

Compare these front screws to the rear counterparts, these are obviously oxidixed. It happened when the instrument was not wiped down after play, leaving sweat to act on those metal parts.

These were removed, sanded & re-sprayed black. To make it a consistent affair, all four screws were given this treatment instead of only the two affected ones. 

Finally, the joke of it all; look at the orientation of the rear cavity cover. The slots are there to facilitate  tension spring adjustments. Even if your screw driver is the long version, it won't reach the adjustment screws as the inclination there requires some clearance.

This is the correct way. The slots give you immediate access to the adjustment screws. You can even see them to begin with.

Please bear in mind that this guitar was in showroom condition when I purchased it. It's not an out-of-the box unit in pristine condition. We can understand that all these anomalies were present in an attempt to re-string the instrument, making it more presentable (at least) before the sale event took place (it's what I wager, you need not agree). However, due to unfamiliarity with the features & mechanics, tuning & subsequent intonation issues manifested. I am glad that I could attend to these setbacks without breaking out too much sweat. If it's sent to a tech, it might entail some costs which might defeat the instrument's sale price to begin with.

Sweet dreams

In the mean time, Taylor has released the American Dream acoustic. These are full solid body instruments at affordable price tags. By affordable here, it means that when they touch our shores, expect a sub-$2K price tag. Remember, these are full solid makes, not merely a solid top. I'm just grateful that the big names in acoustic-dom are slowly, but surely, offering quality at reasonable asking prices. This isn't the first for Taylor, the Academy series are, in my opinion, serious value for money. Wish the American Dream had the elbow relief design incorporated like the Academy models but these are good stuff per se.