1990 Fender 59 Bassman Reissue

I finally decided to trade off my old lady for a 1990 Fender 59 Bassman.
Here it is!
It's been modded to a tube rectifier instead of the stock solid state rectifier.
When i first got it, It was horrendous...
Years of dirt and grease was covered on the tweed but it was all cleared up with some Carpet Cleaner and Fabreeze.

No regrets on the trade. Love this amp!

Metallica Live in Singapore 2013

This is a day that i will never forget...
I do not have many great days in my life but this one takes the cake.
It will probably be the best concert of my life.
Considered checked on my bucket list.

Thank you Metallica!
20 years of wait boiled down to this.

A week after the concert and i am still buzzing from the adrenalin from August 24th 2013. The memory remains ...

Metallica Live In Singapore 2013 : The Pilgrimage Is About To Begin....

Metallica's stage is erected and what looks like a massive stage! 30 hours to go before my childhood regret is redeemed  for not attending their concert 20 years ago.
I have managed to score a rare media pass to the press conference before the show but sadly, I will have to make a pass and offer the slot to a buddy of mine....

Ironically, the slot is given to the same dude who made the decision together with me 20 years ago to give the concert a miss...

2006 Fender American Deluxe Telecaster

It's been a while since i got myself a new guitar. Not literally new but a pre owned 2006 Fender American Deluxe Telecaster. I got this off a trade for my Gretsch G5122TDGC. It was a reluctant trade off but it had to be done as the Gretsch was not getting enough love and playtime.

I love how the guitar plays. It's very comfortable with the belly contour and the recessed neck heel. The general build of the guitar is good. I love the size and shape of the Modern C shaped neck. It just feels right.

Being a 2006 model, It still spots the Bill Lawrence SCN Pickups. It's a hit or miss with the SCN pickups though. The neck pickup sounds good. A lot of smoothness in it but the bridge pickup on the other hand was lacking in soul. it sounded lifeless... 

With the S1 switch, There is extra tonal capabilities. Very usable and fattens up the tone when activated.

None the less, it's still a pretty fine guitar. Well conditioned guitar as the previous owned took good care of her. The American Deluxe Telecaster feels like a modern twist to a vintage tele on steroids with versatility. 

I'm always going back to tele's someway or another....

More detailed pictures of the guitar at " Guitar Porn Gallery "

The YJM Strat Upgrade #2 of #2 ( Dimarzio Injectors / Area 67 )

I ordered a Dimarzio Injector / Area 67 loaded pickuguard to have the stock pickups replaced. Having heard the sound clips on youtube, The original HS / YJM pickups on the guitar sound good but i wanted a little more output. I needed a little more meat into my tone without having to compromise on the single coil look.

I ordered my set via eBay at 920D Custom Shop. I was very impressed with the packaging when it arrived. They came packed with custom cut foam to a fit.

The wiring was done clean and professionally. No hassle on the installation on my part. It was an easy 3 wire solder ( 1x Live & 2 x Ground ).  This loaded pickguard spots Dimarzio Injectors in the bridge / neck and a Area 67 in the middle. Hooked up with 250k pots.

These pickups sound great! Just what i was looking for!

Kudos to the people at 920D Custom Shop!

The YJM Strat Upgrade #1 of #2 ( Callaham Vintage Narrow Bridge )

Ever since the first YJM strat that i have picked up, It was always a love hate relationship with the guitar. I had tried mods on the first one but somehow could not bond with how it played. The narrow string spacing and neck attributed to the dreaded string slippage on these 70's strats. These stock bridges are a pain in the ass.

I loved the deep scallops on the YJM's. For that reason alone, I had to make the inevitable decision to dive into a bridge replacement that i was contemplating since my first YJM strat.

So here it is...

I dived into a Callaham Vintage Narrow Bridge.

Here is my verdict on the Callaham V/N Bridge.

Play-ability wise, It had certainly improved in the string slippage department. The stability of the bridge is also another plus point. Whammy usage has improved significantly. No clicks and clacks when using the tremolo. The tremolo arm fits snugly and does not wobble around like the stock tremolo. It also stays in tune nicely for a vintage spec bridge and is very quiet. Very impressive!

In the tone department, I need not say more. All the rumors and articles that you have been reading are indeed true. She now sings after the bridge transplant!

Overall, It's money well spent and i would highly recommend this "upgrade" to players who are struggling with string slippages and tuning instabilities on their beloved strat. It is easy work to do the installation if you know the in's and out's of setting up your own guitar. You just need to pick out the correct bridge for your guitar as Callaham has a few different models in their catalog. Check the specs when in doubt.

The only downside here will be it's price point. How deep are your pockets for your beloved strat? If you can afford it, i would highly recommend it. 

( Left : Callaham Vintage Narrow Bridge     Right: Stock Fender Bridge )

With steep prices of Artist Models, Fender should stop putting mediocre parts into their guitars. 

The Callaham V/N bridge can be bought at SV Guitars.

Price: SGD$255

Metallica Live In Singapore 2013

20 Years....
I have waited for 20 fricking years!!
Missed them last time round in 1993 cause i was too young to afford tickets while serving the nation.
Well.. Not this time!

Here they come!

The ones that got the fire started in me.
Super stoked!
Counting down the days!
YEAH!

Fender 2007 Yngwie J Malmsteen Stratocaster

Got this off a trade
After selling my previous YJM model which was made in 2006, I started to miss the feeling of scallops running under my fingers. When the opportunity came about to pick one up in my favorite finish "Sonic Blue" , I could not let it slip!

There are some differences in build in comparison between the 2006 and 2007 model. Although most traits are similar, The differences could be felt when i played her. String slippage does not happen as easily with this 2007 model and the shape of the brass nut is better cut in my opinion.

I do feel that this 2007 is much easier to play. It feels more stable and comfortable. This model still spots the trademark Dimarzio's instead of Seymour Duncan Furies.

I thought i would give the reader some myths about scallop necks. There's so much said on the web about scallop necks and here is my take on it since this is my 2nd YJM Strat to date.

True Myths:

• Improves and enhances vibrato techniques
• Better string grippage
• Easier bends / holding bends

False Myths:

• Makes you play faster
• Makes you play and sound like the man himself
• You need a light touch to play

What i feel is key to the scallop fretboard is the ability to control riffs better but do note that the scallops do need some getting used to and it isn't all that of a big leap.

More detailed pictures can be found in "Guitar Porn Gallery" 

Line 6 POD HD Desktop

Line 6 has been making guitar recording devices for many years now and i have been somewhat of a fan of their products. The draw that kept me going back to their products was the ease of use for home recording.

Recently,  I managed to pick up a pre owned POD HD Desktop or better know as the the "Black Bean". Many folks were claiming how it's a step up from their existing series but i sincerely did not feel the same.

While the new black bean is spots a slick black housing, it hosts the same modelers and amp simulators as the HD500, I sincerely felt that the HD series is a big let down. Here's a quick review of the POD HD Desktop played through a Kurzweil KS40A on my iMac.

Friendly?:
I would not say it's a walk in the park to tweak the knobs and dialing in a kickass tone on the HD. Reading and understanding the manual is mandatory or you will be a lost soul.

Tone:
Although the cleans are rather nice, There was just so much fizz and highs to the high gain models. It was almost impossible to tame and dial in a nice tone without post EQ processing. Even after post EQ on logic, the tones generated was still not up to par with it's predecessor the POD X3. Although dynamics are captured rather nicely on the HD, I still feel that a big integral part of the HD was lost with it's inability to capture a warm organic tone. Of course nothing beats the real deal of a tube amp but forking out SGD$595 for a brand new HD Desktop that does not come close isn't by any means value for money.

Software:
In case you didn't know already. The HD series has it's own software called HD Edit. You will not be able to use Gearbox, Pod Farm, Pod Farm 2 with the HD series. versions of the software varies for the HD300/400/500/Desktop models.

So if you have forked out some cash on buying add on's on your previous devices like me, rest assured these would not come in handy on the HD devices.

HD Edit was much easier to tweak in comparison to the on-board controls and i do give credit for that. Drivers and firmware has recently been updated to Ver 2x and there was a couple of additional amps that were begin added on to their list of too little amp simulators.

Recording:
When someone dives into buying a Line 6 product, They will probably be looking at recording through their DAW at some time or another. The HD series does not include the possibility of recording and playing it as a VST plugin. Yes you heard me right... NO VST!

You will not be able to record raw dry tracks and tweak them later. How on earth did the people at Line 6 leave that out?! How is recording made easy applicable for the HD series in this manner?

Conclusion:
I bought the POD HD Desktop and tweaked it for 2 weeks and sold it without any regrets. In fact, i was rather relived that someone else wanted a taste of it. I had NEVER sold any piece of my gear in such a short possession period!

I jumped back onto my Studio UX1 with Pod Farm 2 and i could hear the significance between both. I'm not saying that the older products sound better than the HD series as tone is very subjective but to my ears, i could definitely live with the tones from my Studio UX1 and POD Farm 2. They aren't bad after hearing what the HD had to offer.

With amazing competitors like Axe Fx and Kemper currently leading the race in Amp sims, Line 6 has gotta think out of the box and keep the pace if they want a piece of the pie in the amp simulator market.

Rating: 3/10 Stars

1995 Ibanez RG550LTDPN #2 "Completion"

After almost a month of overhauling & refurbishing work on the RG550. It's finally complete!
It was not an easy job. I managed to get rid of most of the rust, dirt and grime that was accumulated from the previous owner from god knows when....  1995?!

Rewiring the electronics with new pots and switches were done successfully but i made a mess of leveling the frets and had to get Mike from SV Guitars to rescue and finish the leveling for me. As usual, He did a great job!

The missing parts were ordered from Ebay and bought from some local stores.

Everything is full circle now.

Great playing and sounding guitar! Even with it's stock pickups.

Here it is!

Some part of me feels that she's a keeper.

But.....

I have said that too many times with my other guitars....

It's almost never true.....

Hence, I'm The Guitar Junkie!

More detailed pictures can be found in the "Guitar Porn Gallery"