A bid to keep to my 2010 new year's resolutions...

After briefing at Bishan Stadium for the Aviva Ironman Triathlon, i met up with Mila for lunch and study. While she studied, i borrowed guitar player's magazine from the library.

Arrrghhh!! It's been bothering me these days and i can stop it till i've shortlisted a few electric guitars so i can aim and start saving for it realistically!! Shitt... my head's playin' with me.

So first up, things i like for in music? Not rock that is too heavy.. i like bon jovi. I like beautiful solos like the ones churned out by santana. I like to blues down and jazz at times... listening to BB King strut his stuffs is so soothing. Basically, a guitar with good sustain and deep sounding cleans. (Haha..after so much research, i have this terms in my vocab now!) I also would like one that allows me to do fingerworks solo better. I just like strong tones.. not much of the 'chimey' bell sounds. (Anyway..i found out how to make my Black sounds like and electric guitar chime! COOL!!)

Specs wise, after research on materials and components.. i'd like those solid bodied mahogany with neck through joints or set necks (for better sustain it seems). Fretboard wise? Anything la.. rosewood or maple, got ebony better! Pickups (or 'pups' as they term it in forums..) I prefer humbuckers to single coils.. a mix of both could be fun! Bridge wise, a simple tune-o-matic with stopbar enuf. I dun really fancy trems. Scale length..25" or ard this wld do. Number of frets? Anything la! Hahaha... i just wanna play!

Basically, I've shortlisted these few electric guitars to aim for by the end of this year.... How i'm gonna get the money is what i will have to think of later!




1st on my list is this Paul Reed Smith SE Soapbar II! SOAPBAR eh?! Hahaha... it refers to the pickups that were designed to look like soapbars.. On ebay... it costs $1K. Haiz...great reviews and i really like the simplicity of the purpose and design.

This is of course my first choice that i will aim for. However, actually i am slightly indifferent about this guitar with the next in line. Its just that maybe, resale wise, Paul Reed Smith seems to be a 'better brand'..






Second on my list is this beautiful Schecter C-1 Lady Luck! Smooth curves and simple design too! Very much cheaper than the PRS at ebay costing $0.5K plus. I checked out the reviews.. like the PRS SE Soapbar, it was picked as one of the editor's choice. Not bad at all..

Of course if i had a thousand i'd go for the C-1 classic! It has the same shape but different components and a beautiful vine artwork on the fretboard the way i love it...

Maybe one day, i will go into inlay artwork since i like design and art..






Then i have the Epiphone Les Paul... my original aim! (Until of course i started to research more!!) Darn... all these research causing me great headaches...

The les pauls are priced quite ok and there are many variants to it... if i could get the elitist, then i should be rich! But think i'd just get the standard..

Bottomline is... i need to get started somewhere!







There is the stratocaster. Nuff said. Super popular yet quite ex. Price past $1K unless i get a second hand. Still, i need to be damn lucky to get one.





Lastly.. there is this Ibanez AX320.. Picked as one of the Editor's choice too for its great sustain and tone. No price for it stated online...

I think it will be ard the same price range as my first 2 choices as it falls in the mid-range guitar section.




But for everything it's worth... all this aim is nothing without skills and the love to stroke the black. I still love acoustics best! (The Art Fazils and Jack Johnson plus all the other cool acoustic songs. Even classicals and Bossa.) Stroking the black till i sleep.. But if i get a guitar, i'll name her 'Camille' like Kamilah in english... Hahaha... Its just a habit of naming stuffs. R1 is my laptop. Hitam is my sis's car. Junior is Kamie's teddy. Ari was my old bicycle's name. Donky was my srambler's name. My bicycle changes name everyday depends on mood though! The best thing is.. i talk to them a times! It's kind of weird but i've been doin it since young.. maybe its the very few things you can confide in that goes one way kot?

Confiding in you still tops it all...YOU! You knowwho..

So back to the guitar topic.. Being a musician i think embodies bringing the best out of the instrument you are using and not forcing it to do things it can't. Every instrument has its boundaries of performance.

A few days ago, i blogged about the voice and how i felt that one should sing using one's true voice. Now, the voice is also and instrument.. like the guitar. I read forums about how people cant seem to play well on one type of guitar but feels he plays well on another. Then, the criticise the guitar saying that the designs are bad and all...

It is an established fact that it is virtually impossible to make consistently performing guitars. Every guitar is unique as it is made of different wood. (Duhh! If i use wood A on guitar A..i cant use the same piece of wood one another guitar ryt? Unless i destroy guitar A of course!) So, i feel one should take sometime to spend understanding his guitar and unleashing the best qualities it can provide. That would make one a darn good musician. They say BB King can put fantastic mood into a single note he plays... That guy really loves his music and instrument man! (He ever ran into a burning building just to save his guitar.)

Right now.. with Black.. i am understanding more and more about him. A cheap TGM plywood guitar you might say.. cost me 70 for a package. If i had the knowledge i have now, i probably wouldn't take a second look at it but back then, when all i wanted was to get started on a guitar and i put aside a hundred for my budget.. that black 3/4 sized steel string acoustic attracted me. Even though i discovered that it is not very resonant and that the action was very high (I get blisters EVERY time i play.. even now!) it doesn't stop me from playing and learning more about it and on it.. the enjoyment of making music simply masks off the pain.

Respect everything given to you..

At least now, armed with more knowledge, i can make better choices and hence more expensive too... haiz. More knowledge can be unnecessary and also burdenful... Proof? Im having a headache choosing from so many choices!! It bogs me down...

After this... still must think of amplifier! Mak dikau.. Kamie!! CAMNER?!