Ibanez: S570B

Got this Ibanez S570B from the Swee Lee sale (BB branch) which happened yesterday. It wasn't my initial target but it's a lovely compromise. It needs a little set up, though. This will be done soon, I see some spare time come National Day.

My other S-series:

• S540LTD
• S1620
• S420

Sale: Swee Lee (BB Branch)

Pre-National Day SALE. I told myself not to get anything this time round but after seeing what's on offer, I will grab something since it's still available... OK, won't say too much :-) If you want any opinions on any instruments there, I'll be glad to share some insights but price-wise, you have to get back to the store for exact quotations.

Eillek 500

I was at Eillekoet today to get the above Gibson pickup. The 500T is one furious Gibson pickup & I like it for its clarity; it actually made me like a Gibson guitar (at least for the tone...)! . I've heard it in use many times in Gibson's Les Paul Classic so I know what to expect.

COOL is in

This is another Barber pedal on the discount list at TYmusic (which is attractive to me). It's fundamentally a very mild drive unit, milder than the average overdrive pedals out there (eg: Modtone MINI Drive) but offers some of the smoothest drive voicings I've come across. The TONE & DYNAMICS controls has a push-pull function to activate the raunchy sides in terms of EQ & gain. Cool indeed.

Ibanez: SZ520FM

Remember the Ibanez ISG35 bag I mentioned a few days ago? Well, that was bought for this guitar; the discontinued Ibanez SZ520FM.

When the SZ520 was released, it was a 'first' in the SZ range to feature a flame maple top & a new fretboard inlay, the 'cardiac heartbeat' indicator. But I didn't buy this guitar for those reasons, I have always admired how the S-series fundamentals were manifested to become this set-neck model. The feel of the instrument was a departure from the typical RG/S shredder affair. It was a bold move by Ibanez back then, I had my reservations but after trying one at Swee Lee (I tried & bought the SZ320 first) I knew this guitar was a success.

The body's flip-side...

... but more importantly, the pickups. The SZ series will be remembered by Ibanez fans as the Seymour Duncan-Ibanez collaboration. However, these pickups were not a made-in-USA affair (the ones in the Prestige SZ models, were), they were Korean & differentiated from the Duncan Designed models featured in many budget guitars like some Squiers. 

Instead of the 6-in-line Ibanez headstock designs of the S-series, the SZ featured a 3-by-3 design instead. I can't stand looking at this headstock for long because it reminds me (all the time) of the S-Classic models which I really wanted but not available here. *SIGH*

The headstock's flip-side view with the Korean i/d numbers. By virtue of this identification, we know it originated from the same factory which currently handles PRS' SE models.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obiter dictum: I was watching late night news while doing this entry; it seems that the MRT's North-Eastern Woodleigh station will be officially opened later today. According to the authorities, the station remained close for years because the neighbouring population was insufficient to supplement the station's operational costs. But many of us would see this as a poor excuse to deprive the opposition ward of good service amenities. Now that the Potong Pasir constituency had been recaptured by the ruling party, we would expect such things to happen. But if the authorities choose to say that the population is now in good numbers to trigger the stations operations, are there any statistics to back this up?

Now blue

This is my support for something that works (for me). I already own the Ibanez ISG35 bag, it was a grey version. This bag was purchased during the 2nd day of the Swee Lee SALE (5th June- the day rain wrecked havoc @ Tanglin Shopping Center, how could I forget this?).

The up-side of this bag is definitely its gloss surface which is waterproof & it makes cleaning easy as well.

The down-side of it is that it's easily scratched but I don't think any owner would be giving it a reckless handling, would they?

Barber: Super Sport

Another great clearance from TYmusic; Barber's Super Sport. I am perpetually in search of great overdrives to push my amp's inherent drive voicing. The Super Sport here is a great pedal to do just that & it's also a wonderful stand-alone unit. Barber has these internal trim pots to further the user's experimentation. The Super Sport can be set to sound smooth as well as being a little raunchy so that's how dynamic it is but do not expect heavy metal, of course

I've asked the good people at TY when the sale will end- as long as the item is in stock.

Dealing with stupidity

I've been eying the Stupid Box for a while. So it became a really stupid attraction when TY Music put it up for clearance. The SB has a unique voicing- it has more drive than the average box but doesn't extend into metal territory. It's also one of the best drive unit to be paired up with an amp, so in short, it's my kinda pedal- one which pushes the amp to stun. Thumbs up to this.

Swee Lee (Katong) sale...

Swee Lee SALE (Katong) happening again.

$10 entry fee still effective.

After shopping, you can settle for some Katong laksa since you are in the neighbourhood.

Kramer: Striker S-424

OK, it's one of those sleepless nights, I've just returned home from a quick jog despite being past midnight with the high probability of bumping into supernatural beings in the midst of it all. 

The Kramer Striker S-424 you see above was an acquisition from the Swee Lee sale which happened 2 days ago. Will share with you chaps the imperfections of this guitar at another time, really need a shower now. G'night to all...

But the sign says...

I was at the Swee Lee (Sims Drive) sale yesterday. That's right, despite how the foul weather consumed parts of Orchard Rd yesterday, I was there with 4 other people- yes, that's right. Only 5 of us were there for a few hours, no intense grab-&-pay experience we knew of when it comes to a Swee Lee sale. Death of the guitar shopping anxiety? You tell me...

Anyway, at about lunch time, a Caucasian couple walked in & immediately attached themselves to the Fender focus. They were not interested in anything else, just Fender. A sale transaction was imminent when the salesperson disclosed that Fenders (a good a mjority of them) were not on 50% discount. The lady fumed saying the sign downstairs clearly stated it was a 50% deal & that's what they were there for. They came all the way, braved the downpour, just to discover what they wanted wasn't part of the offer. It festered further when they were told there was no trying of instruments on sale day. 

I'm not trying to put Swee Lee down, I've been buying stuff from them since 1991. I've enjoyed the friendship with many of the Swee Lee stuff over the years; we are beyond the typical buyer-seller relationship. I believe, on sale day, there should be a total focus on the sale per se, no other issues like discount misunderstandings, should take place. Discovering this disparity after paying the entry fee isn't good enough. There is a clear case of misrepresentation under the law if any of the individuals concerned wish to further the consequences of the occurrences.

GSS @ Swee Lee

Great Singapore SALE happening at Swee Lee Sims Drive showroom, details as above. What if we pay $10 to enter & found nothing attractive on offer?

Good deal

Swee Lee Katong branch is currently offering 3 guitar/ bass packages at clear-out prices. I've snipped the guitar package away from the other 2 offerings because, in my opinion, it's a good deal if you are hunting for a guitar-amp bargain.

Nevermind the amp but the guitar per se is an above-average player despite being an entry level member in the Cort range. Of course, the Gibson Les Paul symmetry there should NOT be the reason why you will decide to purchase these goodies- it's just a simple bolt-on guitar which sounds above average.

SWEE LEE (Katong) SALE 2 (May 2011)

That's right- another Swee Lee Katong SALE if you still have the cash...

SWEE LEE (Katong) SALE (May 2011)

If you have the cash to spare, do take note of the above-stated event...

Jackson: DK2T

I tried to ignore this guitar at yesterday's Swee Lee (Katong) sale but maybe the orange (Jackson calls it October Pearl)  has some voodoo to it so I brought (bought, more like it) it home. It's a DK2T discontinued in 1999, the fact that it's still in good condition & available in the store gave rise to many implications but they were not important. What's important is that it's a good guitar & I got it for a good price.

It's a Japanese production but it doesn't matter anyway...

... because the Duncans in there (they are the guitar's default pickups) made it favourable tone-wise. Well, at least for me. The pickups:

• Neck: Jazz
• Bridge: JB

The generous rear bevel means it's a joy to play both sitting down & strapped on; it just molds itself to the body. The post neck-plate bevel on the other hand, did very little to promote upper fret reaches but it's not as repulsive as the Les Paul's bulk at the same spot.

Since I was in the neighbourhood, it's off to BEEZ's to have the Orange Drop cap installed...

... as well as the push-pull coil split switch.

When I reached home, I had a set of SITs .009 set of pure nickel strings in there to quell the inherent brightness- an alder body coupled with a Duncan JB in the bridge manifested lots of rich top end when I heard it in action at BEEZ's. Thusfar, it's all thumbs up with the DK2T especially after I revised the action to my playing comfort. Maybe one of the reasons why it remained unappealing while it was still resident in the store might be down to its colour; to many of us, it's too 'loud' a finish.

Some recommendations (Swee Lee SALE 19th March)

Just returned home from Swee Lee (Katong) to take a look at what's for grab come SALE day. I was the only customer there for 1 hour so I had the luxury of making some rounds & squeezing brother Fahmie for some products info (thanks bro!). There'll be no price mention here, I've indicated only the post-discount price bracket- PDPB (I don't get commissioned for this task so I'll make things simple for myself).

Starting off with amps, the (Epi) Valve Special is great for some above-average cleans, it has effects on board as well. Sounds splendid for twang or that warm humbucking tone. PDPB: $500

 Peavey's Bandit is the one to get if you don't do pedals, just plug in & play. It has one of the best on-board distortion I've come across, from great cream to heavy metal menace. PDPB: $500

The Epiphone Boneyard is still one of my recommended LPs out there namely due to its great tones & playability. It's good to see it available for sale. PDPB: $650

Ibanez's RG320FM is also available, there are 2 in store; the finish you see above & a green version. PDPB: $650.

The racing stripe Fender Kenny Wayne Sheppard's Strat is a good tonal investment if you are a single coil fan. PDPB: $800

Squier's Stagemaster 7- recommended for those looking for a budget 7 string, the Whammy version is also available. I can't really recall if it's offered in this blue finish but there are about 3 guitars on the stands. PDPB: $450

The most criminally overlooked instrument in the showroom has to be this Ibanez RD900. I took my time to give this one a thorough look & it seems to be a relatively fresh piece in store; it's virtually spotless. I also deem this to be a value-for-money purchase in terms of features, playability & tone. PDPB: $900

PS: Expect up to 50% tomorrow.

Saturday...

The above-stated event is happening this Saturday. How much discount is on offer? Please call store to know more. Thank you.

Track it

Was at Swee Lee SALE (Katong) last Friday, this pickup was all that was purchased for one of my Ibanez guitars- still thinking which one it should go into.

EARLY sale...

This is an interesting sale by SWEE LEE- guys go in for free, he he. Hey, you have any $$$ left over from last year's bonus?