Ibanez June '24

Ibanez continues to prove the naysayers wrong by churning out more Japanese models as the year unfolds. Yes, they hardly had any of these at the January NAMM event but for those of us who know the manufacturer better, this was all intentional. For June, we have this owesome  reverse headstock RG - RGR5130. It's equipped with a pair of Fluence Modern humbuckers & a Lo-Pro Edge bridge. Also - steel frets & ebony fretboard.  

Over at the Japanese market, the RG6 is now offered in blue; this one is called blue gray. Any chances of seeing this available here? The previous iteration didn't make it here so let's not think too much about this one.

Night by the river

Was away with my ex-colleagues to Malacca. The initial plan was to just drive up to northern JB to dine but we had other plans as the day unfolded. Walked along the river bank to enjoy the night music & tonight, there were about a handful of live performances that really captured the festive atmosphere. This gentleman here did some oldies to the delight of both the dining patrons & bystanders. The others (spread along the river banks) mostly played Malay songs.

My visits to Malacca can be considered as frequent; at least twice a year for formal family holidays or quick getaways. I enjoyed walking along the river banks both at night & during the day time. There is a rustic charm here as opposed to the river banks in Singapore which are overwhelmed by F&B establishments & formalities. More importantly, everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Hello June / mid-year...

10

On this final day of May, I would like to pay tribute to my cat, Lisa, as it is her birthday month. We couldn't remember when her birthday was exactly but it was definitely on the later half of the month. She is not a lap cat & would most probably bite / scratch strangers but she's such a darling, lying around the house & keeping us company. She's a definite lizard terminator & had eaten quite a number that she had caught. More importantly, she kept me company when I stayed up late at night & would sleep beside me when I called it a day. It's still amazing how she would get up every morning at the exact same time, every day of the week. We basically had no use for an alarm clock because she would meow us up. We tried getting her a companion but she didn't like the idea & would hiss at her partner & stopped eating. She remains the princess of the house till today, no other shall share her space & time.

On that note, I used to have a cat before getting married. On my wedding week, the cat died & this loss  wrecked me emotionally for a while, even on my wedding day. I had absolutely no intention to get a new cat because I know its departure would wreck me again but Lisa came into our lives. Someone abandoned her at our work place (we didn't see this happen) & when we took her home, we discovered she was toilet trained so that's how we knew. Our workplace was scheduled to shut down by the year end & the thought of Lisa being abandoned a second time just overwhelmed me. We decided to take her in. Happy 10th birthday to the princess; we absolutely love you being here with us.

Have a good weekend, everyone. Goodbye, May...

Out

Decided to be out of the house today. Staying home & being reminded of unemployment wouldn't do me any good. Had breakfast & added this thirst quencher to the order; iced milk tea. It's also one of my comfort drinks especially on days when I feel darn low.

Was at the East, decided to drop by my favourite satay stall but it's closed. Hope the owner merely took some time off & not end the business for good. That missing store sign is downright disturbing.

Was at a loss. Didn't feel like having rice or noodles as consolation. Decided to just have bean curd with ginko nuts before heading off. 

This is me on my down days. I will always stay away from people, spend time alone & head to places that still hold some fond memories of my past; those days when I wasn't sick & happy. I feel for those who are sick & immobile /  bed-ridden. That desire to be out & about, pretending one is not sick might be more daunting than we perceived it to be. Wishing you folks good health & happiness, always.

GEN 3

There's a mixed reception when it comes to the new Katana GEN 3 amps. Those who already liked the previous iterations will continue to love this version while skeptics continue to question the minor addition in features. Whatever the case may be, I'm of the opinion that the amp per se is a good sounding amp with enough on board features to exclude additional pedals while in use. This is of course based on my experiences with the previous iterations. These amps are now available at Swee Lee less the head version you see here. 

A quick demo by Alex Hutchings to hear the amp's potential which may / may not be your thing. In any case, it gives you an idea of the amp's clean / driven applications.

Pic: BOSS

Soloist prices

The domestic price for the Jackson (Am Series) Soloist SL2MGHT is... $3,999. 

I'm trying to understand why the FR bridge version is listing for as much. Elsewhere, in other guitar stores beyond this country's borders, there is at least a $150 difference, the HT version being the one that lists for less. It makes sense because you pay more for an FR bridge. Deal breaker? Hmm...

Pics: Jackson