Temporary: Gear Review database...

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Friends, this is strictly a temporary review database, kindly permitted by the owner himself (applause please). i've been getting lots of requests for certain reviews in view of the upcoming festive sesaon acquisition/ year-end bonus. hope this would be made a sticky for the time being 8)

** thanks James!!

Planet Waves- Fret Polishing System
List: $8.00

Are you fanatical about keeping your guitar/ bass frets shiny? Always wondering which sand paper/ steel wool isn’t too harsh for your fret polish? The good people at Planet Waves are making it easy for you, introducing the Fret Polishing System…

This ‘system’ consists of 5 pieces of polish cloth, the size of which is about a string envelope’s & the packaging box’s inner flap doubles as a fret slot template. The slots accommodate vintage/ jumbo-sized frets, all you have to do is place this template over the fret which you intend to scrub & polish away. The excess template material conveniently covers your fingerboard area to ensure that you do not accidentally employ scratches on them, more damaging for a maple fingerboard than rosewood, I must say.

The plus point here is that the polish cloth does not leave a residue unlike industrial grade sandpaper & they are easy on the hand. The fret slot template is a useful inclusion, so the avid polishers among us need not tape up our fingerboards while polishing.

However, consider paying $8 for 5 pieces of cloth & a cardboard…

Nevertheless, the Fret Polishing System is a ‘guitar care’ product that works effectively.

Rating: 7/ 10

 

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LTD EX-50
List: $485

If your visual presence is rather diminished on stage, LTD’s EX-50 will help you propel your attendance, no doubt about that. However, if the manufacturer’s sole intent is all about visual attraction, then investing in this musical instrument is a big mistake. Surely, there must be more to it than meets the eye…

Construction/ fit/ finish
The EX-50 joins LTD’s series 50 offering as one of the most affordable guitars in the LTD hierarchy while successfully not neglecting playability & tone. Bargain hunters would do well to include this guitar in their acquisition list & not dismiss it for its outrageous looks. There are no faults & blemishes to report here, a mere visual reference is sufficient to convince inspecting buyers that LTD has taken care of matters pertaining to rigidity & tidiness over at the plant’s QC section; applause all round. The manufacturer even include abalone (albeit budget grade ones) fret board markers, as oppossed to pearls- thank you Mr. LTD, sir!

Playability/ tone
The guitar’s neck is arguably the immediate love/ hate factor here- it’s a finished unit. For those of us who are accustomed to neck of such nature (Gibson/ Epiphone), the EX standard is comparable. While the feel isn’t too synthetic to the touch, it’s not exactly too organic either. More importantly, it forms a potent formula for playability, in combination with the well dressed frets on board. Should upper fret access be crucial to you, the EX’s Explorer-like design has sufficient cutaways on both the bass & treble sides, albeit featuring a blocky heel. Despite its thorny nature, the body’s plus point is its promotion of sitting down stability. However, the EX suffers from neck heaviness at certain postures, which, surprisingly, did not manifest itself when the guitar is strapped on.

Coming back to the neck, it’s a typical series 50 profile- rounded & substantially chunky but nothing excessive. Riff-mongers & shred proponents will equally feel at home with this guitar. So, how playable can a quasi-shuriken guitar outline be? Rather impressive, I must say…

Sensational looks aside, if it doesn’t sing, then it’s not a guitar. The default electronics here, if these are generic components fitted in all series 50 models, differentiate themselves by featuring a rather boomy set of humbuckers. We can attribute the excessive wood material behind the bridge’s tail end to account for that extra bottom end. You will not invest in this guitar for its clean tones because there are no sweet chimes to be heard, in fact, the EX’s pickups excel in very outgoing driven tones- the more drive you inject, the better.

Last say
Credit goes to LTD for their successful inclusion of another sensible model in its series 50 range. Critics will hold the protrusive design accountable for making this guitar less playable but if you handle this guitar in person, you’ll know that it’s a snobbish dissent. LTD can do better by including some elbow relief & rib-cage chamfer for extra playing comfort. Also, the fretboard inlay size is a little minute, they 'disappear' from a certain playing angle. If you are an aggressive player on stage, do handle this guitar very carefully, you wouldn’t want to end up stabbing your band-mates with it…

Likes:
• A simple guitar, plays well
• Good drive tones
• Smooth tuners
• Choke-free nut

Dislikes:
• Neck-heavy at certain handling positions
• No elbow relief/ rib-cage rear body contour

Worthy competitor:
• Epiphone Explorer
• Jackson Kelly

Rating: 8/ 10

 

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Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul
List: $1,350

There is a sizeable pool of Gibson devotees everywhere (regardless if they own one) who look up to the Epiphone copies simply because the latter brand name was commissioned to propel Gibson’s distinction. Through personal experiences, we often note that many Epiphone solid body makes contain blatant inadequacies (intended or otherwise) which often demerit the manufacturer’s goodwill. This write-up isn’t about rallying Epiphone dissent, instead it attempts to address matters pertaining to a guitar’s forte/ deficiencies which constitute an appreciation process. Ready?

Construction/ fit/ finish
Gibson’s meticulous finish often leaves an auditioning shopper awe-struck due to its organic nature & sheer class. The Zakk Wylde LP in question suffers from a lackluster finish but in due fairness, it wasn’t meant to impress in this department considering the economic philosophy of the brand name. On a similar note, it is clear that the finishing process employ a masking method of sorts as there is a clear demarcation of finished & unfinished areas- if you don’t already know, this LP is one of the very few models to feature a bare neck rear. The issue here is the lack of meticulous completion; there are marks of sloppy slip-offs & smudges in the areas of the headstock & body-neck joint.

Nevertheless, the fittings, be it the woodwork or the hardware are superb, less the input jack which is a little loose.

Playability/ tone
As stated above, the immediate difference between this LP & others in its family is the bare neck rear. This is definitely a bold departure from the Gibson tradition & a worthy playability enhancement, not being a cosmetic make over per se. It’s an open invitation for non-Epiphone fans to try out this guitar. As this model is an adaptation of a Gibson Custom, the neck profile remains substantially chunky in all registers (typical LP Custom profile). Fortunately, the jumbo frets here makes playing effective despite the early onset of lethargy (for most of us, not all).

Ardent Wylde fans will be upset to know that the twin humbuckers featured here are EMG’s passive models, the HZ (H4). The overall voicing predictably departs from the super raunchy tones of a typical active unit. Surprisingly, these are the very darlings of this guitar as they keep excessive top end responses in check while not sounding too generic. The HZ pickups deliver outgoing driven tones very well while manifesting more than adequate bottom end to appease bass-note peddlers out there. The guitar is then detuned intentionally to assess its darker, deeper voicings- it passes with merit.

The overall mass of this guitar is acceptable both sitting down & strapped on but inclines towards the hefty side. Despite the manufacturer’s specification of a mahogany body, it isn’t as massive as its Gibson counterpart, which leaves us wondering whether there is actually a mahagony material beneath that ‘bull’s eye’ finish. There are countless Epiphone LPs which feature alternative body wood types despite the catalogue’s claim of being preferably mahogany, but let’s give this guitar the benefit of the doubt.

Last say
Should you buy a Zakk Wylde guitar? No, you shouldn’t. If you do, you are satiating your personal adoration for the player, whose product association very much dictates the (excessive) price of this guitar. Considering that this guitar is a wholesome player, the correct proposal should be: Should you invest in this guitar?

This reviewer is of the opinion that it is a worthy investment & should be deemed a reputable guitar per se & not because it’s a good product by virtue of the endorser’s backing. Let’s hope that there will be subsequent Epiphone models that feature a maple neck like the one fitted to this LP. It’s contribution to tonal clarity is rather influential.

Buyers who wish for a faithful Epiphone recreation of a Gibson make should not despair with the compromises manifested by the former brand name; it’s primarily about cost cutting.

Likes:
• Full-sounding guitar
• Manageable overall mass
• Unfinished neck rear enhances playability
• Well-dressed frets

Dislikes:
• Finishing could have been better
• Not the smoothest knobs on offer

Rating: 8/ 10

 

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Seymour Duncan SH12/ TB12: Screamin’ Demon
List: $125

The Screamin’ Demon joins Ibanez’s Tubescreamer in the line of products with a rather deceitful name tag. I’m sorry to invalidate all hopes of this pickup being a super high output & menacing…

The SH12 was initially a Custom Shop exclusive for guitarist George Lynch who wanted a pickup of similar warmth & subtlety of an SH1 (’59) but with a touch more output for responsive harmonics & added lower midrange for a deserving growl. In use, the SH12 is a great accessory for high gain/ drive settings. As promised, the harmonics response was more pronounced & unlike the vintage voicing of the ’59, one can hear an added lower midrange. Unlike Duncan’s midrange menace, the SH4 (JB), the Demon’s midrange sounds coarse, very suitable for players who intend to make their low end thumping audible & not mush-out with increased volume.

Another killjoy- if you really think that the ’59 individuality is in tact here; not really. This is particularly evident when the humbucker is played clean. As the pickup holds added lower midrange, one will hear a lack of acoustic crisp from it. This pickup is also a bridge unit, primarily (no neck counterpart offered by the manufacturer to date). We read in countless forums/ discussion boards of how successful the Demon can be in the neck. It does well there, I must say, but it lacks the transparency of a typical neck unit.

Last say
The ‘Demon’ name is a very misleading tag indeed. Players who invested in this pickup often expressed regret upon discovering a less demonic nature, inherently. However, if you intend to own a humbucker with a healthy dose of lower midrange, a slightly raunchy voicing in the works & above-average harmonics response, the Demon is an apt pickup to consider. Do keep in mind that the SH12 isn’t high output at all.

Rating:
* 8/ 10 (driven)
* 6.5/ 10 (clean)

 

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friends, SOFT's review database is now up & operational, the above product reviews have been included, do visit the 'MReviews' link provided in the left navigational bar. thanks for your patience, this thread will be closed. 8)