GEAR news 2005

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Ibanez_IC400.jpg


Ibanez Iceman IC400
List: $1,250


Perhaps, Daron Malakian (System of a Down) is today’s prolific Iceman player but he certainly wasn’t the first to embrace this psychedelic but commanding guitar. Others before him included Steve Miller, KISS’ Paul Stanley & White Zombie’s J. Yuenger, among others. This guitar is a direct competitor to a certain dual humbucking, set necked, single cutaway model by Gibson in the ‘70s but the manufacturer had given it a radical outline to appeal to others who would like to move away from the boring silhouette of the aforementioned Gibson.

The Iceman of 2005 is still the bound mahogany guitar which took centre stage more than three decades ago, which is good news, really. If this is your first bout with it, be informed that it’s a departure from the skinny necked, hyper shred profile of its over-popularized cousin, the RG.

Construction/ fit/ finish
This is another testimony of a great Korean build, a well put together set neck unit no dissent whatsoever in this department. However, the body binding is the criminal here, uneven application was evident all round, only the neck/ headstock binding had a certain level of reputation enough to preserve the integrity of the cosmetics. There were also unsightly, black stains on the binding at the nut area of this guitar, a tell-tale sign of a post-production carelessness.

Playability/ tone
Lapped, this guitar made its protrusion felt, especially the bass side bout which houses the 3-way pickup selector. The bulk there is excessive; it poked into my chest throughout the audition. Despite its stretched-out body design, the guitar balanced well, sitting down. The treble side's elongated cutaway was especially useful in maintaining a grip on your lap. Intended or otherwise, this design gets my thumbs up. I can’t help but strum mahogany guitars unplugged to hear the inherent crisp before plugging in, the resonance of this Iceman is simply impressive, I can feel it resonante from one tip to the other. The amplifier beckons…

Clean, the IC400 sounded bland & a quick reference to the default pickups reminded me why this was so- the incorrigible Axis units. Driven, the Axis didn’t produce the thick bass chug we would expect from the guitar of this nature, but the low end was enough to indicate a presence. The midrange from this guitar was superb & harmonics were easily triggered from both humbuckers.

The neck isn’t a shred affair but fast phrasings were attainable here. It has a wide D profile, enough depth to give any Epiphone units a run for the money. Post 12th fret neck width is expansive but the IC400 features a smooth heel to ensure enough clearance for upper fret access.

Last say
I would forgive the unbecoming body binding of this guitar, in light of its splendid overall performance. The Axis humbuckers in there were no different in any other Ibanez guitars; midrange excessive. If you’d like to invest in a visually challenging instrument, the Iceman offers that & plenty of useful tones on board, so it’s not all about looks at the end of the day. The manageable body depth is a reminder to us all that good tones are achievable without excessive weight. Of course, at this price, we’d expect at least a bag in the package but none is offered. If you still doubt the Iceman’s capacity to fulfill rock/ blues/ extreme music requirements, you’d do well to plug one in & hear what it has to offer.
 
Hi sub, stars'friend here, maybe you could post a review of the samick strat that you tested out in davis? Btw, thanks for helping me choose a good cable. :D
 
GG1KMINI.jpg


SX GG1K
List: $235


The SX GG1K is a Chinese guitar starter pack which includes the above depicted items. For those of us who are more brand name wary, the SX tag would only conjure images of a horrific guitar experience & would rather opt for a more dependable offering in the guise of Ibanez/ Yamaha/ Squier. What would make you invest in this SX package especially when it costs much lesser than the latter brand name offerings?

Construction/ fit/ finish
Despite its entry-level status & a virtually estranged brand name, the GG1 is a well-constructed guitar. In fact, it’s as good as any Ibanez/ Yamaha/ Squier starter unit out there. I would have expected a bland offering in terms of physiques but the GG1 was difficult to fault, even the neck/ body bolt-on was well done, no gaping slots visible there. My only concern here was the 3-way pickup selector switch which was a little loose but still very functional.

Playability/ tone
Unplugged, the GG1 sounded neutral; no particular brightness or inclinations toward the low frequency but that’s expected from a basswood unit, more so when it’s finished from one tip to the other. The frets feel very comfortable despite not being jumbo. The action is a little high by default, my 2.0 Dunlop Stubby pick slipped through easily from the bass side but it’s nothing you can’t tinker with to suit your needs.

Amplified, the drive tones from both the default humbuckers were distinct. The neck unit has a sweet Duncan ’59 vibe to it which is likeable, however, harmonics were difficult to conjure here, unlike the bridge counterpart which screams with every pinch executed. Also, the bridge pickup has a healthy dose of low-end for days when you play metal. Clean, the neck unit displayed nice comping tones for you jazz cats out there. The bridge humbucker sounded rather lacklustre driveless, I only appreciated its distorted tones.

A little on the neck; an impressive feel, very similar to Epiphone’s D-profile but a little thicker. The model I auditioned has a slight relief to it but it’s nothing severe or indicative of a dysfunctional unit, if you’re adventurous enough, a little truss rod twist would make it straight, if that’s the profile you desire. Do not expect immaculate upper fret access with this design, especially when the GG1 features a blocky heel, but with a little effort, you’d reach the 22nd fret quite easily.

Last say
A serious proposition- If you are looking for a starter pack which wouldn’t cost you an arm/ leg while offering serious playability & tone, I’d say you should check the SX GG1K out & evaluate your needs. The sub-$250 price tag is a no-brainer value for money, especially when there’s an amp & other desirable accessories thrown in. Personally, I wouldn’t mind paying for the guitar only at this price since the GG1 has proven its worth, beyond my expectations actually. Bear in mind that other brand name starter packs, especially the ones mentioned in the initial part of this review, retail for more than $350 on average. It’s now beyond me to convince you that the GG1 would make a splendid starter if you are a sensible buyer who prioritizes good tone & playability over established brand names. Swallow some pride, plug it in & check it out...

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PS: Note that the GG1 has a 3-way switching instead of the 5-way indicated in the pic.
PPS: Thank you brothers stars & cloudsky for coming along to check the SX GG1K out, I think we’re convinced that the guitar is a good player per se 8)
 
STNGRY4NTbig.jpg


Sting Ray fans- heads up!! Davis has the above depicted model in their up-coming shipment, however, it's only in this natural finish. also in the shipment is the 5-string version. will update availability here... 8)
 
thank you thank you thank you subversion for the brian moore review!!! i've been salivating over one for the longest time but i didnt dare to go test it out at davis due to the horror stories i've heard about their customer service.

Would you know how the other BM models fare apart from the i81? would be tremendous if it had neck and body binding but thats just me being greedy heh
 
Dvais :D

@ brother sub :D - isit coming with the sub series brother sub ? same shipment as tt one ? one NAT finish SR4 and a NAT finish SR5 ? woweee :D
 
Slowish said:
Would you know how the other BM models fare apart from the i81? would be tremendous if it had neck and body binding but thats just me being greedy heh

i've yet to try the other BM guitar there, one with the HSH pickup config, which i believe is the i9. when i tried the i8 @ Davis, the store became crowded & i had to make way for the shoppers who wish to audition some prospective models & need an amp to plug it into. rest assured, it'll be up, but you have to bear with me, it won't be immediate. cheers! 8)
 
stars said:
Dvais :D

@ brother sub :D - isit coming with the sub series brother sub ? same shipment as tt one ? one NAT finish SR4 and a NAT finish SR5 ? woweee :D

yes sir! the Sting Ray 4/ 5 string models would be arriving with the SUB series shipment but in limited quantities, i was informed- 2 each...
 
Laney LC15R- the little menace...

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LANEY LC 15R
List: $TBA


Are you still looking for that elusive, all valve practice amp & simply wish that your Fender Blues/ Pro Jr came with a drive option? Quit whining because the LC series by Laney are here. I’m not an eager fan of any EL84 equipped amp, more so if it’s a puny single-channeled offering in the guise of this LC15R- humbug!! However, I have repented…

Intro
The LC series by Laney are actually descendents to the VC offerings which look too vintage to some of us. In the LC, the player can look forward to a value-for-money all valve tone as all the models on offer are kept affordable, if you are looking for a boutique offering, you have to cross over to the VH/ TT series.

The recent revision in this series, which absolutely gets my thumbs up, are the Celestion speakers as default drivers which superseded Laney’s own Invader/ Premier models.

Features/ built
The LC15R is actually a reverb equipped sibling of the LC15. The latter is a reverbless unit & has no FX loop facility which I think is a waste- think of the tonal variation you can acquire if you hook up your FXs in parallel to your amp. The latter also has no footswitching option & that’s all the differences between them.

The LC15R is a single channeled amp, no manual references necessary to get it going. There is a bright switch to enhance your clean tones, the only switch on board to keep things really simple. The control knobs are the ‘chicken head’ version so grip-wise, it’s well facilitated. The amp is built like a tank with metal corner protectors because Laney knows that you are going to lug this amp around frequently, especially after trying it out & falling in love with it. On to tone then…

Tone
Clean, the LC15R is NOT a Fender Blues/ Pro Jr by any means, I don’t hear any chimey tones from this one- zilch. What Laney offers here is an above-average clean tone that would make you glad it doesn’t sound like a cheap starter unit, a clear & present standard indeed.

To activate the drive, you have to turn the gain up as no channel switching option is offered; I maxed it out for this audition & was taken aback by the clarity of it- superb!! You’d expect a very fuzzy response from the EL84 valves with the volume tuned up but it’s all too clear that amp engineering played a big part here.

Metal maniacs would doubt the LC15R’s drive in the first instance as the maximum gain on offer sounded a little lacking. Of course, with all tube amps, drive enhancement is via increased volume; true enough the LC15R turned into a menace instantly, no booster pedals required. All the intense distortion with clarity in tact, this little amp won my endless praise, drive-wise.

Last say
With the LC15R in the market, your hunt for an impressive, all valve practice amp is effectively over. Of course, the Fender Blues/ Pro Jr would easily beat the LC15R in terms of clean tone but the Laney has on-board drive on offer, which makes it a winner in my books. Personally, it’s a lesson learnt- never dismiss an amp by virtue of its default valves when engineering capacity is the overriding factor which delivers tone. The LC15R would have done better with channel switching so that we would not fumble when toggling between clean & driven tones but that’s where the LC30 comes in. Nevertheless, the LC15R is a British amp I’d welcome into my tone arsenal.
 
subversion said:
yes sir! the Sting Ray 4/ 5 string models would be arriving with the SUB series shipment but in limited quantities, i was informed- 2 each...

yes sir , bro sub !

i went down today to davis. got the price quotations :P

stringray IV about 2300 SGD

stingray V about 2500 SGD
 
I own an older version of the LC15R. With it on higher gain settings, it's incredibly buzzy and fuzzy, I'm thinking that it may be the doing of the HH speaker and worn tubes, would it help to change out the speaker and tubes? Where can I get new celestions or eminences? Luther or Davis? Do they bring them in upon custom order? The shipping cost equals or tops the original price of the speaker.
 
part of my hostility with EL84 valves was because of the former LC15R which i tried- mud city!! subsequently, i tried Marshalls with these valves on board- more mud!! that's the reason i find EL84 valves detestable, but not with the current generation of Celestion equipped LC15R, it's ear candy :smt020

you can get tubes quite easily here, Davis has some Marshall brand EL84/ 34/ ECC83. otherwise, visit AUDIOLAB @ Burlington Sq. as for speakers, that's the more arduous part...
 
sst62red1.jpg
sst62red5a.jpg


SX SST62
List: $195 (Starter pack)


If you are deciding on your first electric which should be a decent copy of a Strat, the SX SST62 would be a natural selection. It’s a copy in fine form & more importantly, it doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. Is the SST62 just a copy cat or does it sing as well?

Construction/ fit/ finish
When I first handled this guitar, I was expecting a light-weight cheapo but it turned out to be otherwise. A quick reference to the SX literature revealed an alder body which triggered a certain level of expectation, naturally. Like its LP copy sibling (the GG-1), the construction & finish of this guitar is virtually faultless. I was expecting a sizeable gap between the neck/ body bolt area but I couldn’t find any. Upon sighting, the neck proved to be straight with very little relief. Rightfully, my physical scrutiny of this guitar ended here, as there were no anomalies to report.

Playability/ tone
The SST62’s default action was rather high & not shred-worthy but very playable nevertheless. I was impressed with the well fitted/ crowned/ cut frets as it made my initial unplugged strumming a breeze. Tuners were also smooth & operational, unlike some stiff default units in other starter guitars, namely Ibanez & Yamaha (but those were unique cases, that, I can assure you). Moving on to the vintage type bridge, there were some protruding bridge saddle screws which affected the comfort of my picking hand but I had the same experience with a Fender Eric Clapton Strat so this is a forgivable eccentricity. The 5-way pickup selector isn’t as smooth as I would have expected, then again this isn’t a $1K Fender guitar.

Clean, the SST62 would rival any Squier strat out there as it’s an alder bodied unit which gave off a very convincing Fender-like chime, especially in the treble range. Moving on to a drive setting, the single coils in this guitar proved to be low-output units which sounded very under-distorted with the gain maxed out, no harmonics galore here. If you are expecting a Malmsteen like drive from these units, please invest in Dimarzio pickups, which these defaults are not. They would give you Clapton tones, no problems. Activated individually, the single coils here gave off some very alnico-like resonance, especially in the neck. My utmost disappointment with them was when they were activated in combo, especially the neck/ mid selection, which proved to be very muddy. The neck of the SST62 is a very Fender-like C-profile, which gets my praise.

Last say
The SST62 isn’t an easy guitar to play compared to its GG-1 sibling, namely due to its low output single coils. However, it had that certain fight-back feel to it that many blues proponents would be at home with. The individual single coils are impressive per se but once activated in combo, they lost marked definition, quite sad really because I believe this guitar would make a fantastic starter. All in all, the SS62T isn’t a shred/ metal affair but it’ll cover other territories quite easily. For $195, the SST62 is bundled with everything that is offered in the GG1-K package which is a real bargain.

PS: The SST62 offered in the starter pack is the 22-fretted version (SST62K), unlike the one depicted here 8)
 
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