Gear News 2004

Status
Not open for further replies.
subversion said:
516676.jpg


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.
Click to expand...



subversion,hmmm mind telling me....if i buy this baby which i tink looks like a baritone guitar......should i change the pickup....thus the pickup have that x-factor of a metal sound?plz kindly reply
 
bro 'beast, the Joe Perry Boneyard isn't an Elitist offering... :wink:

headwan: the Viper-50 is metal off the shelf, as mentioned before, the default humbuckers are superb for lots of drive but sounds lacking clean. IMO it's not worth installing a pair of active humbuckers in there as the cost would amount to almost the price of the guitar itself.

in general, baritone models are actually an extended scaled version of any normal offering by ESP/ LTD or any other brand name for that matter. there's a George Lynch Baritone LTD currently in store @ Davis which look like the F-series...

everyone: thanks for appreciating my inputs here! the fact remains that if you acquire prior knowledge here before actually going to the stores to shop, the chances of being duped into buying certain guitars are slim...

do PM me if you any specific queries... 8)
 
SZ1220TKF-00-05.jpg


Ibanez SZ 1220 Prestige
List: $2,000

Ibanez- the mere mention of this brand name conjures images of fleet fingered maestros brandishing skinny necked, floating vibrato guitars. The SZ series is a departure from this mindset, it’s in fact closer to a certain single cutaway, set-neck, dual humbucking guitar we all aspire to own- no prizes for guessing please, I’d rather you read on…

The Prestige 1220 exudes class from the start. The flame top (AAA grade- wohoo!) you see here is the genuine article, not a meer laminate for visual attraction. The neck is a typical Prestige affair, a good worn-in feel but not too much to make it repulsive. The neck profile is a rounded ‘D’ sporting medium frets & a more curved radius as oppossed to the flat RG profile. Ibanez has opted for a matte finish for this guitar & it’s an undisputable, thoughtful implementation once you handle this baby- it makes the guitar feel as a whole unit rather than separate units put together. Bravo! Tuners are smooth Ibanez units & I simply have to applaud the Gibraltar III bridge- no sharp edges to puncture your picking hand. Time to plug in…

As expected, the SZ 1220 has a very transparent tone, thanks largely to the matte finish. The overall tone on offer here stands between an average LP & my PRS McCarty, that’s about as close as I can offer you. The neck humbucker appeals to me as it rivals the tone of my Duncan Alnico II Pro (which resides in my SZ320)- a very functional unit both clean & driven, nothing excessive. The bridge counterpart is a little gritty in the midrange, typical Ibanez affair this one. However, it cleans up pretty well when I rolled off the volume. This guitar excels under lots of gain, so the metal guitar proponents out there can join in the fray- Dark Throne? No problem… Shred? You bet! Despite the chunky neck feel, acceleration here is as manageable as a typical Wizard (RG) neck. In fact, the shorter scale length (25.1”) might make you go faster…

I deem the demerits of this guitar a little trivial but worth mentioning. The 3-way toggle switch is cushioned by a fabric bushing which totally destroyed the guitar’s overall asthetics. Yucks! The fretboard is devoid of markings, all visual references are on the bass side of the neck so all you fumblers out there (myself especially), you are sitting ducks… Despite the ergonomics offered by the Gibraltar bridge, if you palm mute/ chug, you have to place your picking hand before the bridge itself, as the strings run through the saddles, not over them- this needs a little getting used to especially if you are accustomed to a tune-o-matic assembly.

So what do we have here? Another dual humbucking, set neck guitar in the market denting a $2K hole in your pocket if you are swayed by its offerings. I personally love it to bits but I’m not about to part with my souped up SZ320 (320-Korean, 1220- Jap) which arguably is the more affordable (much more mind you…) version of the 1220. Considering that the 1220 would only debut in the USA this coming Winter NAMM, I think Ibanez fans here are a lucky lot. It’s a very good guitar per se but it won’t make you give up your LP/ PRS. The SZ series of guitars is on the verge of getting an official ambassador- Marty Friedman, who has embraced the SZ320 ardently. Maybe the 1220 is a hint as to what’s in store in time to come.
 
Subversion, ever tried the YAMAHA RGX 820Z?
I just test drive it today, power man! fantastic feel, great sounding, with piezo somemore.
 
i tried the SZ 1120 prestige at swee lee a couple of weeks ago... personally i wont pay 2k for that ...

the weight distribution isnt very good... the body is thick and chunky..which is nice... but when i hit my first few notes the warm lespaulish tone i expected was nt there... i was greeted by a thin weak tone...
after some tweaking on the amp's settings i managed a decent santanaish tone...and the next dissapointment was the toggle switch. Its not only TINY...its also alittle hard to switch. meaning no flicking it with your pinky .... you'd need your thumb...

with a good "ibanez" action ... a change of pickups... no doubt this baby will sing.
 
the general public compares any set neck guitar too much to the proverbial Les Paul, no doubt this Gibson is the industry's benchmark but others are good in their own stead, we tend to forget this at times...

hey Grain: are those default humbuckers in your SZ320?

NOTE: in my previous post, the Boneyard Epiphone was listed for $1,600, the correct price should read: $1,800...

Stillwater: nope i've not tried that Yamaha, perhaps you'd like to share some insights here? 8) the last Yamaha i tried was the SG700 which was a very good player IMO...
 
Hi Subversion,

im not really good at reviewing products. but as for the Yamaha RGX820Z, all i can say is.. i haven't played anything this good for a long time. I love everything from its unique modern outlook, finishings,its thin and narrow neck, overall feel, to its versatility.

It juz feels perfect to me, except for a few minor "complains", namely neck is made of 2piece maple glued together, no coil-tap, and its 3-way pick-up switch(i wish its the blade style, for fast switching). Well, lastly, and for its listed price of 1.4k. 8O

Well, juz hope to share this info with you. And if u have the time, go try it... and give us ur comments. Cheers bro :D
 
i see... the >1 piece neck isn't a bad thing, really. i value tone & feel more than construction philosophy, but if it contributes to tone, then it matters. cool bro, thanks!
 
mxr.jpg


MXR M-133 Micro Amp
List: POA

how many of us here are in for a signal booster? oh you are already driving your pre-amp signal with a Boss DS-1/ Ibanez Tube Screamer? of course, these are tried & tested models, however, they are drive-type gadgets (they distort your signals). how does the MXR M-133 Micro Amp differ from those?

the Micro Amp isn't a drive pedal, it boosts your signals clean. this means that you get to hear more of your true tone off the amp (assuming that you don't have other drive pedals in your line-up). this is especially useful if you are the 'plug & play' type (like yours truly 8) ) who thinks that the guitar/ amp needs a little kick in the you-know-where but you already love the tone as it is, there need not be any more drive, just some X-factor injection...

In series...
the Micro Amp was first tested in series, meaning it's hooked up before the source signal reaches the amp: guitar->Micro Amp->amp. the booster function increased the pre-amp signal enough to be deffierentiated from the non-boosted tone. it fatten things up so you get a thicker overall tone, not more bass, mind you. so effectively, the Micro Amp isn't frequency biased, very transparent.

In parallel...
the pedal was then hooked up in parallel, so it's now: guitar->amp<-Micro Amp (ie, it's hooked up via the FX loop of the amp). why bother to hook up this way you ask? well, for us plug & play bandits, it helps supplement our on-board drive. similarly, things got 'fatter' & more amplified. the Micro Amp virtually became another 'master volume' control & it helps boost the overall drive of the amp- yeah!! this isn't apparent at low volumes, turn your amp up & you'll hear the extra distortion ringing, increasing harmonics sensitivity along the way.

any dislikes?
*well, in series, the Micro Amp is a noise inducer, you can hear the background hissing rather markedly & it's annoying. in parallel, it's a silent menace...
*also, there's no flip-cover access to the battery, you need to remove the bass plate, if you are not screwdriver savy, be warned...

i love this pedal to bits, in fact, i already bought one & it's an active member of my lineup. for those of you who have drive pedals in your set up, the Micro Amp does it's job well as a parallel agent, if you insist on using it in series, things might get too noisy to your liking. it's a simple & effective device which would make you smile more than anything...
 
hi subversion, thanks for the mxr micro amp review, sorry for my ignorance but i dun understand when u say

"the Micro Amp does it's job well as a parallel agent, if you insist on using it in series, things might get too noisy to your liking."

wat is parallel and wat is usin in series? lol need education here! help!
8O :oops: :?
 
brother Bruce:

in series- this is how things are connected as stated in my previous post: you have your guitar, pedal & amp. it's like how many of us conventionally plug in out FXs... guitar->pedal->amp

the parrallel connection is only possible if your amp has an 'FX Loop' feature. this is usually located at the rear of your amp's structure. instead of plugging the pedal to your guitar, it is plugged to your amp.

the diff here is that, through series connection, the guitar's signal is processed before they reach the amp. in parallel, the signals are processed at the amp itself.

the micro amp is noisy plugged in series, once activated, you'd hear background hissing quite markedly. in parallel connection, the pedal is very quiet, it's not suppose to make any noise in the first place, it's not a drive type pedal... 8)
 
SE-Soapbar-sm.jpg


PRS SE Soapbar (Singlecut)
List: $995

there are 2 current PRS SE models which do not sport an endorser's name to their credit (thank goodness!), the Soapbar model is one but unfortunately, the production of this guitar is currently suspended due to a lawsuit. the ones available everywhere are remainders & should be snapped up by everyone who reveres the PRS brand name.

the model i auditioned had a black finish unlike the one depicted here. construction is top notch despite being a Korean unit, thanks to the stringent supervision of the SE project team headed by PRS' Doug Shive- no complains in this department, everything is immaculately incarnated but do not expect it to be a perfect singlecut replica. differences are strictly budget underlined but it's no compromise to quality, that i can assure you as this guitar exudes class from the start.

the SE Soapbar is an all mahagony unit, sporting no maple cap & absent too are the renowned 'birds' fretboard markers. the substitutes are worthy 'moon' replicas which IMO adds a touch of class to this simple design. the ach-top is less pronounced than a non-SE singlecut but it's a very comfortable contour, your picking hand/ arm would appreciate it. unplugged, the guitar sounded very bright & felt absolutely resonant. the default action here is what i refer to as a neutral setting- not too low to induce fret buzz, not too high to impede acceleration. time to plug in...

as expected with singlecoils, either pickup in isolated use induced lots of hum. fortunately, the dual activation was hum cancelling. what you hear from this guitar is a typical hot single coil tone which gets very raunchy with lots of drive. with the volume rolled off, the tone cleaned up well & the SE Soapbar became a lethal blues-rock machine. the neck P-90 was an absolute jazzer played clean. so all you sceptics who thought this one's a one-trick pony, you can find other guitars to appease your perception. do not acquire this guitar if you wish to generate a fat, bottom heavy tone- it's all about the pickups- they were not conceived to do just that. keep this firmly in mind: the SE Soapbar is strictly a singlecoil equipped guitar. there are only a single volume & tone control to work with so tonal manipulation is rather limited here.

shred fans would not find this guitar too appealing; it's shredable no doubt but it's not as note-sensitive as a typical humbucking unit. also, the finished neck has that sticky mojo going over prolonged play. i suspect the finish formula for this SE is different because no such encounters could be said with the non-SE singlecuts. the singlecut design effectively means that upper fret access is compromised but it's feasible with a little effort.

so is the SE Soapbar a worthy Les Paul replacement? well that's the first mistake to make if you ever planned to purchase this guitar. the resemblance only ends in looks, it's an entirely different feel & tone so to speak. i deem this guitar to be a very fine unit, with unique tones & appeal. no, it's not a ready replacement for a typical PRS Singlecut. if you wish that it were, then you'd be better off with the Tremonti SE.
 
this one looks really promising... hope the dual cutaway version enhances more playability than the singlecut counterpart 8)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

RudimentalDrummer
The 8th SBCS Meetup Gig - " WICKED " - 24th Sept 2011 Saturday - 7pm to 11 pm !
Replies
2
Views
3K
RudimentalDrummer
RudimentalDrummer
Composer of Requiems
Looking for keyboardist for long term commitment w/ Japanese rock cover band
Replies
0
Views
940
Composer of Requiems
Composer of Requiems
Composer of Requiems
Looking for keyboardist for long term commitment w/ Japanese rock cover band
Replies
0
Views
577
Composer of Requiems
Composer of Requiems
fgl
US Presidential Elections
8 9 10
Replies
184
Views
20K
rylche
rylche
embryo
Randolf Arriola (embryo) Guitar Gear 101
39 40 41
Replies
811
Views
141K
elkj
E

Latest posts

Share this page

Back
Top