Da Funkey Guitar

All I want to dumpling festival is...

2009-05-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

A Guytone OD2.. for my precious casino

an a MXR Microamp..

HNGD

2009-05-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

Stands for Happy New Guitar Day ( HNGD)

I walked into the guitar store without any intention of buying anything.

and then..

Wham! this came home with me.. what was I thinking? Was I lucid?

Well, I guess! Cos its so freaking beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those of you that know the Epiphone Casino are aware that it has a full hollow body ( yea I ditched the Valensi Riviera in my prev post cos somehow I couldnt bring it in) and it feedbacks easily under high overdrive. It is meant to be a jazz guitar - but it can accodomate decent amount of overdrive..

family shot! I really wanna adopt the Stop At Two policy..

The Casino sounds wonderful.. although I don't like the fact that it has restricted upper frets access - meaning I can't solo past the 17th fret without looking like I'm doing some serious fondling.

Wizard of Oz decals.. my friend and I designed it..

http://forums.epiphone.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=10354 <-------- view pics in full here blogspot resized mine!

Now to cosmetically upgrade the Casino! ON TO WORK!

A New Hope

2009-04-28T18:15:00.001-07:00

Hello guys! been a long long while..... I was away in hibernation while deciding or indecisive over my next axe.

After misses and dismisses, I've finally (i hope) decided on the Nick Valensi Riviera by Epiphone.

As you can see its a typical archtop guitar - but fitted with Gibson P94 pickups - P90 sound in a humbucker shell! Artist's quirks aside, this guitar probably encompasses the bare essentials that I need to get my music across.

Some may dismiss Epiphone as a less-than-adequate subsidiary brand of Gibson, but I believe their archtops are among the most value for money out there, after trying the Epi Casino - a really delicious archtop with the works - alas it can't take too much gain because of its totally hollow body..

Amplified madness

2009-03-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

Vox AC4TV & TVH

Word is out - these new Vox babies are coming soon to SG!

4 watts home practice amp - I like. This will most likely replace my Marshall MG series - If I find it complementing to that 'voice' in my head.

Vintage vibe - 10/10

All I'm hoping for is that it goes easy on the wallet..

Buying Advice

2009-02-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Where hardest Lessons are learnt

With your pocket jangling with spare change, its always better to strategise before anything else. For all you know you might be whistling to your own doom.

Strategise

Think hard of what you want - yes - hard.

Put tone before aesthetics/brand. The meanest looking axe always bullies your wallet and ears. After that you might want to take the sharpest edge of the Gibson Explorer and stab yourself.

Get something readily available locally. Shipping is costly and very Jack in the Box-ish, unless you are very very sure of what you want.

Consider everything

Consider the P & P - pickups and playability.

Pickups and amplifier defines about 60% of your sound. The rest is up to your guitar.

Don't go for what your fav artist plays - go for his/her sound. His amp/guitar/effects may have been heavily tweaked from the stock product.

Comfort

Something that doesn't break your back or fingernails.

Always test before buying - TEST ADEQUATELY! Don't do a five minute run and decide already - its like checking a girl out and bringing her back home only to realise she has an Adam's Apple and a deep voice (pun intended)

Check for string buzzing/ tension/ feel.

A worn guitar like above doesnt necessarily equate to bad - it may have been lovingly played over and over and developed its own special sound - so don't dismiss so quickly!

Enjoy your purchase like David Cook!

World's most expensive guitars

2009-02-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

Sweet dreams are made of these...

This really feels like some dream where :

1.) I step out of the hotel, dust my shoes on the red carpet, gallop briskly down the stairs amid the burst of shutter, grab one of these babies while patting the bloke on the shoulder/slipping him 50 quid while slipping myself into the waiting limousine.

2.) Elton John/George Michael/Boy George's wet dream

3.) Prince Harry replaces Chris Martin as frontman of Coldplay (he'll prolly choose the brit jewelled strat)

4.) One of these guitars committed homicide!

Enough of the dry jokes, this one below features Rory Gallagher's well worn Fender Strat.

Well worn enough to warrant an entourage of muscled men in tuxedo + one x bullet proof van.

RIP Rory Gallagher - the man who redefined blues - the Irish Way!

Discoveries..

2009-02-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

We discover new things every day..

Recent Discovery - The tone that I really like are found in the vintage ones, that of the 60's.

How to achieve it? Weak pickups (low output pickups) or vintage pickups should do the trick.

Gibson PAF humbucker

PAF stands for Patented Applied For. Copyrights I think? Anyways, low output pickups produce this sweeter, clean sound. Very bluesy and jazzy, but not particularly helpful for metal. For metalheads, look for high output pickups like the Seymour Duncan Dimebucker for that melting shredder tone.

My favourite tone. The P90 pickups. Nicknamed the soapbar, I'm sure you see the similarities now. This thing can bite and bark and whimper all at the same time!

Looking for Jimi tone? These single coils should do the trick!

GAS hits again..

2009-02-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

Unable to suppress my urges, I have found myself wandering (or wondering) again...

Edwards SA 138 LTC

This instrument is actually good for what I play - blues and jazz.

Considering the neck pickup, its a Seymour Duncan Jazz model - the SH2-n,

and the bridge pickup suits the AC/DC rockin' mood should the need arise - with the higher output Seymour Duncan Custom humbucker.

It also features an ebony fretboard and gold full body binding and hardware - very B.B King Lucille-ish.. very blues-ey, very sexy.....

-looks at wallet and frowns

Tone Mongers

2009-02-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Pursuit of tone.. Is it a reasonable justification for making better music?

Tone is subjective - perhaps reasonable tone + feel is more explosive than a $3000 pedal rig.

Here are some of my favourites.

Eric Clapton of Cream

I absolutely love Eric Clapton's woman tone. A vintage Gibson vibe perhaps? He explains it in an old video that the tone can be achieved simply by pulling the tone knob all the way to zero, and volume full up on the guitar controls.

Him with his ES-335 in his younger days. I do not really prefer his current Fender Strat tone though - perhaps the creaminess of his Gibsons are submerging me..

Jimi Hendrix ala The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Now this is the strat tone I absolutely love. Nothing but his strat, a fuzz and wah pedal, amp controls blasted on full, and him working his mojo till the Wind Cries Mary.

His strat is a right-handed one - but he flips it over and plays with his left - effectively reversing the polarity of the pickups to produce a unique, signature Jimi tone.

David Gilmore of Pink Floyd

David Gilmore, most noted for his works with Pink Floyd is the one those "feel" guitarists that I really respect and admire. There was nothing fantastic about his playing - no virtuoso fretboard burning stuff -

Just his emotion burning his guitar.

Till it becomes hot and heated and groans in the intensity of Gilmour's playing.

the Gilmour we know today - philantrophist, musician, poet, and great contributor of simplicity.

Hiatus...

2009-02-02T03:14:00.000-08:00

Widened Horizons

Due to a series of unfortunate events, I was away for a good amount of time..

Now I'm Back in Black! well, not really. Much has happened, I shall now share..

Angbao status has confirmed me with the go ahead of a new guitar. Choice? Fender Japan. However after much scouring, I settled to a Mexican one! Beautiful tones, playability.

Also, as many of you know I was never a fan of Gibsons for their chunky necks. However the Les Paul Studio I tried at Zen Guitarworks (is it? the bras basah one) was a dream to play - and great tones too.

Also, I tried a Gretsch - Again, sparkling clean tones and wonderfully slim neck, albeit the bulky yet light body.

What really impressed me was a custom-made tele in the shop. It had P90 pickups (the guitar is not that of below, this is just an example), and they sounded snappy with a tinge of vintage tones; really great.

thanks for tuning in! more really soon!

March of the reds... again

2009-01-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

PRS SE Custom 24

PRS ( Paul Reed Smith) guitars have released a newest addition to the SE (Student Edition) family - the Custom 24!

It features 24 frets, a tremolo bridge and and a wide thin neck! Most importantly, its in crimson red!

However, while they are supposed to be affordable, they usually do not feature locking tuners. I hope this edition has!

And now the dilemma starts its cycle again - Fender JP/PRS SE?

Band Talk

2009-01-12T05:27:00.000-08:00

La'Cryma Christi

This was the only better picture I can get of them without looking funny!

Note: There's five guys, Don't know where's the missing one!

Anyways.. One of the reasons why I bother listening to them is really because of the melodic fill-ins and
uplifting solos. Sometimes they can sound really messy and the singer is a pain to listen to. But I do like one or two songs from them! Enjoy!

Seeing Red

2009-01-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Gretsch Electromatic Corvette

I bet you guys are kinda sick of seeing red/crimson/cherry guitars here. I guess I kinda have a soft spot for red guitars. It has that very Candy-Land/Sex Appeal/ Vintage feel and look to it that I just cannot resist.

Studies have also shown that men are very responsive toward the colour red(so its not just me). So women were encouraged to wear red lingerie -hints-.

However, its not the red colour that fascinates me. It's the whole chunk of vintage sound that this thing can croon.

I was watching Youtube - this German fellow named Greg - playing his arsenal of vintage gear, and I spotted the Corvette. It was surprising because Gretsches have a distinctive tone to them (because of the TV Jones pickups), and this Corvette had a very 50s vintage tone to it.

For a moment, there was a connection. And I knew that I would have to own this one day. One fine day!

watch - GregGuitars on Youtube

String-ing woes together

2009-01-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

Strings

As guitarists, we may have musical differences, but we have a common enemy - rust.

Sure there are many who claim to have produced/manufactured the fabled anti-rust strings but then again If that was really true, no one will buy their products twice.

This morning I tried the Dean Markley Blue Steel Strings

- I've tried it before, but I didn't have a lasting impression of it - It was a quick job (pardon the pun) in and out, brought it to jam and it came back rusty already - no thanks to the wonders of air conditioning.

However this morning was different. I wonder if it the windy/cloudy vibe or what, but these strings feel really good.

They resonate well and long, it was easy to bend and vibrato - feels like I haven't even tighten the pegs.

But - there's always a but - I can' t get a feel to it. I'm using gauge 9 -42 instead of my usual 10-46. Nice to shred, but not nice to get all blues-ey with it.

the march continues

2009-01-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

The March of the SGs

This week, I just could not ignore this any longer. It had to come up here.

Many of you know that I've been looking for an suitable SG guitar that is not of Gibson territory.

I've seen Edwards, Tokai and am impressed - I'm also a sucker of Japanese guitars.

However, one fine day, while browsing the ESP Japan site (faithfully), I've chanced upon the Navigator Series of guitars.

Navigator SG 450LTD

Utter shock. Speechless.

This thing screams "take care of me!" with same vehemence of Medusa but at the same time the lull of the Syrens.

While the Edwards Model sports Seymour Duncans SH-1 and SH-4 humbuckers, this baby has both Alnico II Pro humbuckers - absolutely vintage.

But this thing costs a cool 345000 YEN. That's SGD 5688, people. As compared to the Edwards which is $1200 at most.

Resolutions, Procrastination, Absolution

2009-01-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Rig?

This will be my potential rig! I do not know how the order works, so this is just a messed up version a la guitargeek.

If any of you have read my earlier pedal resolution post, please ignore that; I change my mind like a girl changes clothes - sounds familiar?

Out of this entire rig I've only acquired one - that is the Vox Wah. So far, so good..

I've also decided to change amplifier choice - the VOX AC 30 - but that Fat, Vintage Brit sound, the Brian May way! I've also decided on the Fuzz Factory for my fuzzzzyyyy needs.

Another addition is the Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster, just what I need to push my Ibanez strat harder, its time for those vintage single coils to shine!

I've also pretty much made up my mind about the Edwards SG. Don't fail me now!

And the Sitar.. well.. it looks really funky.. the owl cannot overlook that.. Cheers!

Pedal-ing

2009-01-14T16:13:00.000-08:00

Needs and Wants - Distortion or Fuzz? Or overdrive?

The search continues..

But this time its the enhance-ment of sound. After a recent jamming bout, I realised that my(okay, Amos's) Ibanez Smashbox distortion was abit too much on the wild side.

It is almost too sizzly for my liking.

Boss DS-1

This Boss Distortion unit is one of the most common and "safe" choice. However upon hearing excerpts of it I also decided it is abit too sizzly for me.

I went on and realised maybe the problem is that I needed an overdrive pedal to boost the distortion in order to add more volume(as in to fatten) to the sound.

Digitech Bad Monkey

Not very popular, but I like what I hear, and its not that pricey. It adds a nice ring to the instrument.

Biyang OD-8

Upon reading the review made by Subversion ( a much revered guru), I might consider giving this obscure unit a try, since I heard that it also habours the same chip as the Ibanez Tubescreamer fame.

Since I was jamming to Muse materials, I know Matt Bellamy uses this inside his guitar. Yes, inside.

Zvex Fuzz Factory
Pretty design aside, it is very versatile. As are most versatile units, this one costs an arm. Maybe a leg as well.

With Chinese New Year around the corner, which is the most value for money? The Fuzz Factory is a want, not a need by the way.

The Jimi Tone

2009-01-12T16:55:00.001-08:00

Ears on Jimi

As a kid I've always wrote off Jimi Hendrix as a drug induced loonie. Never heard any of his songs until recently.

I'd have to admit Hendrix was fantastic. Nice to listen to, difficult to emulate. He is the epitome of mojo. His riffs are painfully addictive and refreshing, even till today I hear parallels in playing styles in big names like Slash (ex- Guns & Roses, Velvet Revolver) and many others.

I'd like to talk about his guitar tone. Absolutely sweet! This is just one of his many psychedelic strats. It is very distinctive in terms of tone, I know its because he's playing a right-handed guitar on reverse (He's a lefty, duh.) and the 'inversion' results in this special tone (wikipedia).

However I'd like to know more about his amp and stuff. Does vintage gear really play a part? Can modern instruments really emulate this tone?

Another fantastic tone monster - his custom Gibson SG guitar. Now I also wonder the three humbucking pickups actually contribute to the overall tone, or am I just being too superficial on this aspect for searching for tone?

Timeless

2009-01-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Joe Pass

I always believed that music of the purest form was that of the post war era, when jazz was really popular. It was no frills, no fancy gadgets, complex equipment, just simple trust and understanding between Man and his Instrument.

I say it is of the purest because it is timeless. It sounds wonderful in the yesteryears and today it still works.

Joe Pass romanticises Jazz with his fluent hands and bald emotion (pardon the pun). His picture itself is a scene of serenity. Listening to his music is like wading in a cool lake by the countryside in autumn, letting the water carry you away...

Growth

2009-01-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

While we desperately grope our ways into the mangled thicket of music, let us not forget people who enlighten us along the way.

Only when left alone do we realise that ignorance was not so blissful after all.

Hence, let this post be a tribute to those who had guided us along this roller-coaster ride.

Amos

Yes, this handsome boy is not me. He shall be known simply as Amos, the one who has enlighten me the Ways of the Sound. Had I not met him, I would be still confined in my jack-in-the-box doing mimes.

Deo

has graciously accepted and tolerated teaching me the Way of the Music, whom I hold in high regard for his passion and direction in the Yellow Brick Road to musical Nirvana.

And of course, I can never thank anyone more than whoever who has listened to my rantings and ravings and constant salivation over blots of woods and paint, and still clung with interest and encouragement.

The most beautifuls things are always shied from us, but I am glad it has not from me, as I count my lucky stars.

The older you are, the blues-ier you get?

2008-12-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

I think in America (or is it anywhere?) it is said that you had to be of a certain age to be able to play the blues. It is their special way of saying that it is a genre played by people who have been through and seen alot.

Above is a video I really like about blues! One of my favourites. Will write up about them soon! The long haired guy(without hat) plays for in ayumi hamazaki concerts for a period of time. Personally I think thats a dreadful waste really!

Anatomy

2008-08-11T01:56:00.000-07:00

Almost anything affects tone. From the wood in which your guitar is made of; to the kind of pick you use, it really depends on how fussy you are.

Ok first, a brief anatomy of the guitar.

(picture ripped from blogskins.com)

Tuners - This is a no brainer. Tunes your strings, blah. However if you use tremolo bridges(explain later) you will need locking tuners to keep the guitar from going out of tune.

Headstock - Houses the tuners. Interesting fact: Many leading guitar luthiers/manufacurers like to design specific headstocks as a signature, such that people can identify the guitar brand immediately just by seeing the headstock. e.g. Dean Guitars headstock is "V" shaped; making it look really fierce! It is also said that angled headstocks(tilted ones) tend to have better sustain than their levelled counterparts.

angled headstock of a Gibson guitar.

Nut - It is an itsy plastic looking thing between the neck and the headstock; holds strings in place. It is that white thing in the picture above.

Frets - Those metal dividers on the neck. There are different kinds of fret gauges to accomodate different playing styles - Medium, Jumbo, Medium Jumbo, Extra Jumbo. Jumbo frets make barre chords easier to play, easy bending and vibrato as well. If you're into metal and shredding etc, jumbo and above are just for you. However if you press jumbo frets too hard the notes will go sharp; and blues players will find it hard to get used to as well. It all depends on the comfort of the player.

Inlays - These are the dots that signify the fret positions, usually marked at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st frets of the guitar. Like headstocks, many guitar manufacturers have signature inlays. Gibsons have their standard bar shaped, whereas PRS have eagles for inlays. They are usually made from mother-of-pearl or plastic.

Truss Rod - a steel/graphite rod located within the guitar neck; for maintenance of the neck. Novices should not attempt to adjust the truss rod(that includes me) as it can damage the guitar beyond repair.

Body - Where most of the magic happens unseen. List goes endless on the different kinds of wood used to construct the bodies. The usual ones are alder, maple, basswood, ash, mahogany. Most cheap guitars have basswood as the bodies, whereby higher end ones like PRS or Gibsons have mahogany bodies, Fender mostly use alder for their bodies. A very important consideration when buying a guitar as this will determine the tone you desire.

solid body - Commonest electric guitar body. pretty self explanatory. Heaviest. Best sustain due to wood density. More wood = more sustain.

hollow body(electric) - Considerably larger than an electric guitar, (slightly fatter body) but the cavity of the body is empty as it mimicks an acoustic guitar, giving out similar acoustickey warm tone. They are noted to have visible f-holes on the surface of the guitar for easy recognition. Weapon of choice for Jazz/Blues/Country guitarists. Lightest of the three.

semi-hollow body - Similar to hollow body, but has a block of wood in the centre of the cavity. It is said to cut down feedback for a smoother sound. Considerably lighter than an electric guitar.

hollows and semi hollows are definitely not for metal/hard rockers. They sound horrible in high gain overdrive. It's just like how plump people should not wear skinny jeans. Or when an ang moh tries to speak chinese. These guitars are best for jazz, blues and milder genres; they sound beautiful when played clean or slight overdrive.

Pickguard - Protects body from aggressive/angsty strummers, 'nuff said.

Pickups - Again, extremely important in the electric guitar. Only a physicist can explain this properly; i can't. Basically these are electronics that pick up signals from the vibration of the guitar strings and sends to the amplifier.

single coil - as the name suggests, a single pickup. The picture above shows the Fender Strat, with 3 single coils. They are the trademark of Fender guitars. They are usually synonymous with brighter tones. The downside is that there is notable constant hum or buzzing sound while playing. This is because they pick up random radio waves as well. i believe Jeff Beck designed a "silent" single coil and have been using it since.

The Fender Strat Single Coils. Note the 3 skinny blokes.

humbucker - evil twin of the single coil. nah, just kidding. It is just two single coils put together, polarity reversed, coiling reversed, in order to cancel the hum. It is synonymous with warmer tones, and a signature of Gibson and preferred choice of rockers. They are associated with more aggressive tone as this pick up, as compared to the single coil, can handle more distortion/overdrive without flooring out.

The Gibson Humbucker pickups - notice those fat boys!

Pickup Selector - a toggle switch. Determines desired playing style. Fender has 5-way selector, while Gibson has only 3. It allows more variety of tone control when switching from rhytmn to lead or vice versa.

Tone/volume Knobs - They actually play important roles in shaping tone. Roll the tone knob and hear as the tone changes significantly, and adjust it to your liking.

Bridge - The fella that anchors the strings to the guitar. They are either hardtail or tremolo.

tremolo bridge - more like movable bridge, with the whammy bar (or tremolo arm) one can change the pitch of the guitar with a single wrench - or with light tugging - a tame vibrato. Dimebag Darrell popularised the tremolo bridge with his divebomb technique, a production of squealing/screaming sound to accomodate aggressive playing - as my friend David would say - hardcore aggression. Popular trem bridge brands like Floyd Rose enables extreme dives and dips; as compared to the normal Fender ones.

Hardtail - comes across as a useless brother of the trem bridge. not really. Actual fact: the hardtail provides better and longer sustain, and keeps the guitar in tune better.

Trem bridges under often usage will cause the guitar to go out of tune easily, that is why it is important to get locking tuners - like Schaller or Gotoh to ensure the guitar stays in tune after an aggressive bout of tremming.

Jack - Duh. plug your cable in. Just ensure that it is well maintained and not loose.

Finally! I hope i have provided useful information. Do let me know if i have gotten anything wrong, cheers!

17 days till X'mas

2008-12-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

17 days people! Don't we all wish we have some spare cash to get some guitars? With the end year sales going on, I took a trip down to bras basah yesterday to fulfill my weekly dose of guitar porn. A very unhealthy lifestyle, but still beats clubbing.

Guitar Workshop

Playability - fantabulous! I felt like Harry Potter who had found his right wand. Only that I didn't have a pick scar on my forehead and large glasses. It had a very Fender-y V-shape neck, only slightly slimmer, but it made alot of difference on small hands like mine! Vibratos came smooth and barre chords were effortless. The strings were still fresh too!

Tone - On clean, it sounded eerily similar to Fender Japan models, on the bridge you have that distinct twang, and on the neck, the very bluesy warm tones. Difference? Fender has a very very dinstinguish-able scooped tone. It was absent in this Tokai.

Overdrive. This thing can scream! I guess its because it was the humbucker at the bridge. A shredder's dream definitely! Pinches come very easily, and the bending is as easy as sneezing (don't ask me why). Even thought it has medium frets, I felt as if i was playing on jumbo ones!

Specials - the Wilkinson Tremolo. I never expected Tokai models to be fitted with Wilkinson bridges. It is a two-point tremolo so I believe you can execute your dive bombs and other whammy tricks on this? fabulous, really.

List price - a little less than $950 SGD

Honestly, I'd rather get this than the Fender Aerodyne Strat I was GAS-ing for. No complains about the Aerodyne, but this unit here has a Wilkinson, definitely beats the Aerodyne pre-existing bridge.

4/5 owls!

OH MAN!!!

2008-12-14T18:12:00.000-08:00

I'VE FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It might not be the EXACT ESP Hiro model, BUT IT LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME!!! OH MAN OH MAN!!

BUT!

Dammit, it has only two knobs, and I can't seem to find it on their main site! DAMN WHY'S THIS SO ELUSIVE!?!?!

As 2009 approaches..

2008-12-31T05:38:00.000-08:00

As 2009 approaches, we realise how time passes; as we do every year end..

As the clock ticks and the present year goes into labour, let us reminisce before 2009 raises its newborn head.

Goodbye to

J & D Les Paul (which was utter crap by the way)

Zoom G2.1U Multi Effects pedal (which was underutilised, underappreciated and undervalued)

Hello and Welcome...

Ibanez Roadstar II - purchased in April specially for a song on a certain someone's birthday *wink

Vox V847a Wah Wah Pedal - purchased in December in the spirit to christmas!

My musical resolutions for 2009 -

To sharpen my technique with resolve. This may be the only time I have for it..

To noodle less and create more.

To sound different without sounding that I'm trying to be different which is by the way very pretentious.

To keep an open mind to other music. (I stress on music, not songs, because songs can equate to rubbish, whereas music is sound untainted with the smear of humanity muah hahahaha)

That's all people.. adieu 2008..