Gear News 2004
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the current Squier series & the '80s counterpart are world's apart. i wouldn't even place them on common ground for comparisons...
that's right, the Indonesian batch of Squiers feature alder & agathis (depends on finish) bodies which make them sound different.
that's right, the Indonesian batch of Squiers feature alder & agathis (depends on finish) bodies which make them sound different.
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MXR pedals are now available @ Swee Lee. thusfar, i've only tried the ZW-44: Zakk Wylde Overdrive...
contrary to the heavyweight reputation of the endorser, this pedal is a subtle overdrive unit used as a stand-alone source. it sounds very similar to BOSS' Blues Driver but more polished in the midrange. why is this the case? because Zakk Wylde uses this one as a booster for his Marshall, more precisely, a solo boost. so if you don't already own an amp with an on-board overdrive you fancy, this pedal would make a very bland primary drive source.
used in conjunction with a drive channel, the ZW-44 is a credible booster. it fattens up your bottom end + midrange adequately for thick, chugging bass notes. if you are after this kinda tone, you'll be impressed by this nifty pedal whether you are a Zakk fan or otherwise. i did crank the output & gain to max & feedback frenzy kicked in. this pedal is also a harmonics inducer & it excels at that.
the ZW-44 is another drive pedal in the fx market whose function was adequately covered by other existing units such as the BOSS DS-1/ Blues Driver/ Ibanez Tube Screamer etc. fans of the endorser would gravitate to this one in search of parallel tones to their Wylde idol (forgive the pun). however, that signature tone requires a certain amp as well, do take note. official list price isn't released as yet but be prepared to pay >$160 for one...
contrary to the heavyweight reputation of the endorser, this pedal is a subtle overdrive unit used as a stand-alone source. it sounds very similar to BOSS' Blues Driver but more polished in the midrange. why is this the case? because Zakk Wylde uses this one as a booster for his Marshall, more precisely, a solo boost. so if you don't already own an amp with an on-board overdrive you fancy, this pedal would make a very bland primary drive source.
used in conjunction with a drive channel, the ZW-44 is a credible booster. it fattens up your bottom end + midrange adequately for thick, chugging bass notes. if you are after this kinda tone, you'll be impressed by this nifty pedal whether you are a Zakk fan or otherwise. i did crank the output & gain to max & feedback frenzy kicked in. this pedal is also a harmonics inducer & it excels at that.
the ZW-44 is another drive pedal in the fx market whose function was adequately covered by other existing units such as the BOSS DS-1/ Blues Driver/ Ibanez Tube Screamer etc. fans of the endorser would gravitate to this one in search of parallel tones to their Wylde idol (forgive the pun). however, that signature tone requires a certain amp as well, do take note. official list price isn't released as yet but be prepared to pay >$160 for one...
marshall_law
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Is this better for boost or just a overdrive unit?
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booster, like how the endorser uses it... 8)
metallibeast
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but however I've heard rumors taht Zakk Wylde does not use this pedal live but rather he still uses his DS -1 (hope I did not remember wrongly) same thing with the Van Halen Phaser too....maybe someone can update on this?
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MXR did a custom pedal for him, it's black unlike the biege unit you see above, with a BLS logo on it. this one's strictly production geared... which begs the question of authenticity.
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Epiphone Bob Marley
List: $600
Epiphone fans rejoice! no, not because Bob Marley's pic is finally on your fav guitar brand, but celebrate because the Epi Bob Marley is a good sounding, good playing guitar per se...
i tried this guitar today & had difficulties putting it away simply because it's a well set up unit, rich in feel & tones. the lacquerless finish is the ultimate feature IMO of this model, i have always believed that a thin body finish lets the inherent wood tone breathes through the pickups better & this guitar proved just that. i had good experiences with the Fender Highway1 series so this guitar isn't a major surprise. it also means that the neck doesn't get sticky after prolonged hours of playing, you just wanna keep going- well done Epi!
another departure from the average LP is the flat top surface- it's not arched & it really doesn't matter. in fact, i'm beginning to understand why Les Paul himself advocated for a flat top design which Gibson ignored. that's another story, but the feel of this one's very impressive. another plus there...
the humbuckers, my friends, account for much of the good tones i hear from this guitar- clean/ driven, they deliver. raggae/ rasta fans would love the bright tones eminating from the bridge unit although the neck counterpart could use a little less 'wooliness'. in OD mode, both humbuckers are impressive, lots of single notes clarity & a healthy low-end to appease palm-chugging fans. the zebra color configuration is simply sweet.
if there are any demerits here then i'd wager that the neck profile is a little wider than an average LP. in fact, i intentionally played another LP just to make sure & it was just that. of course it's not too darn wide to such an extent it impedes comfort but players who are accustomed to a typical LP would feel the diff. another minus for this one is the Bob Marley pic itself- no offence to fans of course. in my honest opinion, it just doesn't do good to the overall image of the guitar, it surely doesn't add to tone...
all in all, the Bob Marley Epi is a wonderful player for the lot who don't mind the absence of familiar LP attributes- it didn't even say 'Les Paul' on the headstock. i must say that the list price is a fair one, worth every cent.
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LTD Viper-50
List: $480
this one isn't exactly a new offering in the market, the series 50 LTDs have been in Davis for quite a while but they were all black, the grey finish you see here is new...
a gripe with the entry-level incarnations of an established brand name (eg: Squier/ Epi/ etc...) is that they don't quite reflect the quality of the latter. however, i've noticed that with the Squier revision in 2002, it seems that other brand names followed suit, everyone went one-up & it's kinda difficult to find a bad entry level these days, the Samick Greg Benett series is a fine example.
enough rant, what does this LTD have in store then? well first up is that lacquerless finish (again)- makes this Viper sing & i really mean it. however, the default humbuckers were more attuned to drive settings rather than clean tones, but they weren't lousy, definitely not. the neck humbucker impressed me because it had less mud in there, the bridge unit on the other hand had enough attack to please metal fans- no problems!
the overall fit & finish was superb, no paint blobs detected anywhere, nut cut nicely to supplement stable tuning & no fret burrs all along the neck. this guitar was a joy to play, especially this particular one, as it was well set up out of the box. the action will make shred fans smile. the neck profile was also very comfy, if you aren't aware, this one sports a gibson scale length- 24.75" & the neck's rear is a finished unit. the lacquerless finish will ensure that you won't get sticky after sweating it out.
in addition to avoiding a lawsuit, the offset body design aided balance tremendously, especially when one sits down to play. i've nothing bad to say about this guitar except that it's a little pricey. i'm not an LTD fan before i tried the series 50 guitars (the Viper impressed me the most), simply because the LTDs failed to capture the ESP's elite essence & they feel very synthetic to the touch. it seems that good things won't cost you a bomb, this experience certainly made me believe just that.
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Ibanez AT300 Andy Timmons Signature model
List: To Be Announced
The Ibanez AT300 exudes a certain elitist vibe from its sheer looks simply because it’s a signature model whose specs were carefully scrutinized by the endorser prior to its incarnation. In fact, Andy Timmons tried & tested this one for about 2yrs before giving his nod of approval. Yes it’s an SA series spin-off but its individual feel is enough to differ it from its SA siblings, & that’s before you hear it in action…
Let me start with the neck: Fantastic! Thanks to the Prestige treatment, regardless of its radius & profile, you can feel the difference upon touching. The overall feel is not too different from the JS model (rounded), nor is it a departure from the discontinued RX series of guitars (keep in mind that Andy’s superseded signature model, the AT100 is an RX hybrid). All in all, it’s a unique profile both shred-friendly & grabable. It’s a departure from the skinny, flat, Wizard profile, be warned. Also retaining the superseded headstock design, the AT300 features an untilted profile & exposed trus rod access. Frets are well dressed across the neck making this guitar a choke-free player. The Sperzel locking tuners are also smooth to the touch & responsive. Praise goes to the Wilkinson vibrato which has no protruding hadware to impede the picking hand’s performance. A good feel is half the battle won, now on to the other half- tone…
Andy has a Dimarzio preference & the pickups here are a trio of them- Cruiser (N/ M) & a custom Andy Timmons spec humbucker (B), the AT1. This also translates to mean that there are smooth, polished midrange onboard & my expectations were confirmed upon plugging the AT300 into the Laney @ Swee Lee’s Bras Basah showroom. This amplified tone is a departure from the arguably bright accoustic tones that I heard pre-plugged in. the toneful mahagony body & the Dimarzios formed a perfect partnership to make this guitar sing both on tube & SS amps (yes I did plug into an SS Peavey much later). However the electronics is a little quirky, it features a 5-way lever & a combo of 2 Vol & a single tone knob. The vol knob nearest the humbucker has a master function while the further counterpart controls the neck Cruiser only- quirky/ interesting? It’s your take, really… What I like about the AT1 humbucker is its polished midrange making it a very smooth pickup with lots of gain dialled in. I hear a healthy dose of bass too, besides the inherent magnetic qualities (which are kept secret till today), I suspect it’s attributable to the direct mounting feature as well. Although the Cruisers are humbucking, they cleaned up very well when rolled off, emulating single coil tones easily. These aren’t high output units to begin with, at high gain settings they remain sweet.
Another signature offering from Ibanez you might say, but the AT300 is an above-average performer which should appeal to fans & others in general. The cynics out there would dismiss this one as a shred exclusive but having tried it excessively, I must say that it’s capable of just that & then some. I totally like this guitar, really… & I’m not quite a Dimarzio fan either… 8)
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the LTD 50 series include the following: Horizon/ EX/ EC/ Viper/ M all are sub-$500 except for the floating vibrato equipped models...
the Epi Classic/ Custom are supposed to mimic the Gibson version but they are only accurate in looks. the neck dimensions differ from the original version.
the Classic is supposed to feature a slim-tapered neck & exposed humbuckers, while the Custom has a fat neck profile & binding on body/ neck/ headstock
the Epi Classic/ Custom are supposed to mimic the Gibson version but they are only accurate in looks. the neck dimensions differ from the original version.
the Classic is supposed to feature a slim-tapered neck & exposed humbuckers, while the Custom has a fat neck profile & binding on body/ neck/ headstock
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Epiphone Joe Perry Boneyard LP
List: $1,600
Joe Perry joins Slash, Iommi, Wylde & Frehley in commissioning a more affordable Epi version of their Gibson signature models. the Boneyard Les Paul is a visually strunning instrument with other merits to boot, maybe i can convince you...
like a typical Epi replica of popular Gibson models, this Boneyard attempted to be as close to the original as possible, but like we already know, it's always not as close as we wanted it to be... there're no complains on the visuals, the Boneyard is a head-turner thanks to the excessively flamed top. however, be warned that it's a meer veneer & not a real 1/4" cap. so you are paying for looks in general, tonal contributions of the veneer is marginal. other attibutes of this guitar are typical LP affair but the Boneyard differs from the rest because its rear (black) finish is a glossless, matte finish, the neck included- yeah!!
the neck is another plus factor, i find it to be a shallow 'D' profile, very player friendly but still grabable & snug at the same time. this Epi also features chrome hardware as oppossed to the real Gibby Boneyard which sports nickel plated appointments. you'd be taken aback by the overall mass of this guitar, it's much less massive than a typical Epi LP, it's less fatigue inducing for sure & it gets my thumbs up for that. so how does it sound like?
impressive. thanks to Perry himself who insisted that the Epi Boneyard should not be compromised too much tone-wise, hence the inclusion of a pair of genuine, Gibson USA Burtsbuckers which is the highlight of this guitar. this lethal pair makes this Epi sound differentiated from its peers. the burstbuckers did justice to the guitar because they help underscore the treble bits of the overall tone which is lacking in even a typical Gibson LP Std, hence making it all too wooly & muddy. Gary Moore had good results with his Burstbuckers, it's a no-brainer inclusion here, really. to sum up the Boneyard's overall tone: deep, warm low end with a healthy dose of brightness. even the neck humbucker isn't too mushy so the Boneyard is a proponent of clarity i must say. the good tones are also complemented by well-dressed frets to make this guitar a good playing experience, choke-free to say the least...
upon reflection, the Epi Boneyard is a handsome piece of craftsmanship with good tones to boot but it cost $1K more than the Bob Marley tribute Epi featured a couple of postings back. this begs the question of justification- assuming that you are content wit the Bob Marley, is the extra $1K for the Boneyard justified? but my bet is, you'll acquire the latter by virtue of its good tones, not because you need to be justified by the extra asking price. well, another good Epi is out there for your scrutiny, happy year end bargain hunting everyone... 8)
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nope... i'm an over-indulgent hobbyist 8)
i aim to give a very fair (sometimes i get flamed for being lob-sided, especially with Gibson fans) outlook of the gear in the market because i'm aware that not everyone gets a chance to try them out...
also, i've been adding more reviews to the fold lately as many of us here are out bargain hunting, it happens every year end, yes? i have a few more reviews to submit:
*PRS Singlecut SE
*Ibanez Prestige SZ 1220
*MXR Micro Amp
...among others, he he.
i aim to give a very fair (sometimes i get flamed for being lob-sided, especially with Gibson fans) outlook of the gear in the market because i'm aware that not everyone gets a chance to try them out...
also, i've been adding more reviews to the fold lately as many of us here are out bargain hunting, it happens every year end, yes? i have a few more reviews to submit:
*PRS Singlecut SE
*Ibanez Prestige SZ 1220
*MXR Micro Amp
...among others, he he.
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local reviews- not that i know of...
metallibeast
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Is the Epi Joe Perry an Elitlist (sp???) model?
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