Review: Sterling SUB Silo3 & Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rock

As Christmas is just around the corner, we at Kitarablogi felt it was a good idea to review one of the starter packs offered by a local music dealer:

DLX Music’s own affordable starter pack (299 €) combines a Sterling S.U.B. Silo3 guitar with a Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rock headphone amplifier. The only things you need to add are a plectrum and a set of headphones – and off you go. And what’s best: Thanks to the headphone amp you won’t be disturbing any neighbours with your playing!

DLX Joulu 2015 – teaser

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Sterling by MM Silo3 – full front

The Sterling (by Music Man) S.U.B Silo3 is an affordable licensed copy of the legendary Music Man Silhouette HSS-model. To my knowledge, the S.U.B. Silo3 is currently offered in Finland only as part of three DLX Music guitar packs. In other countries of the EU this guitar model is sold for around 300 €.

This Made-in-Indonesia Sterling uses different local hardwoods (all of which are said to resemble alder in terms of their sound) for the body.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – full back

The Silo3’s neck has been crafted from maple, same goes for the separate fretboard.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – fingerboard

The whole neck comes with a thin satin finish, while the body is finished gloss black.

The fingerboard sports 22 medium-sized frets.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – neck plate

The Sterling’s very comfortable neck joint is a straight copy of the bolt-on joint used in Music Man’s US-manufactured guitars.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – headstock

Thanks to the four-plus-two machine head arrangement on this guitar’s headstock, the Sterling Silo3 offers a straight string path from the nut to the tuner posts, without the need for any string retainers, which might impede on the vibrato’s return to pitch.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – tuners

The tuners themselves are of decent quality.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – bridge

The vibrato bridge on the S.U.B. Silo3 is a modern take on the venerable vintage vibrato, featuring a knife-edge bearing with two height-adjustable posts.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – pickups

Between the neck pickup and the end of the fingerboard you can see the truss rod adjustment wheel, typical of Music Man-instruments. Thanks to the wheel you can use an object that’s sturdy enough for the job – like a small screwdriver or a metal rod – to adjust the truss rod, without having to detach the neck or loosen the strings.

The Silo3 comes equipped with a set of ceramic pickups, which features slightly hotter singlecoils in the neck and middle positions for an overall balanced output level.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – body front

The controls comprise a master volume, a master tone, and a five-way blade switch.

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Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – full front

The new, second-generation Vox AmPlug 2 headphone amps come with an updated set of features, both in terms of their sound and their practicality.

The AmPlug 2 Classic Rock (39 €) is the ”Marshall-type” model in the line-up.

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – full back

The new AmPlug 2 models now come with a rotating jack plug, which makes it easier to use the device with any electric guitar shape known to mankind.

The AmPlugs runs on two AAA-sized batteries.

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – controls

The AmPlug 2 Classic Rock sports three controls:

Gain adjusts the preamp levels from clean all the way to distorted. Tone lets you control the amount of treble in your output signal, while Volume is your master volume control, which adjusts the volume level in your headphones.

The Classic Rock’s effects department (labelled FX) lets you choose between three different guitar effects (chorus, delay, reverb), with each effect type offering you three different variations. You can only use one effect at any given time.

The Vox also comes with an Aux-input for connecting an mp3-player (or your mobile phone) for play-along sessions.

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – red boost

This Vox headphone amp also comes with a built-in mid-range booster. The current boost setting is indicated by the colour of the on/off-LED (green: boost off; orange: mild boost; red: full boost).

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Sterling by MM Silo3 – body beauty 2

Sterling’s S.U.B. Silo3 offers you a lot of guitar for very little money.

The neck’s oval, slightly flattish C-profile will feel comfortable to most players, while the nice fretwork on the Silo3, as well as its 12-inch fretboard radius, makes string bending easy. Our review sample came well-adjusted and with a player friendly action (low E: 2.2 mm; high e: 2.0 mm @ 12th fret). Sterling uses a quality set of Ernie Ball Super Slinkies (a 009 set) as factory strings.

Used moderately, the Silo3’s vibrato bridge returns well to pitch, but if you want to dive bomb, you’ll probably need a locking nut.

I must admit to have been positively surprised by the quality of the Sterling Silo3-model’s pickups. Don’t forget, we’re talking about a 300 € guitar!

The clean sounds are nicely rounded and fresh, and even the singlecoil pickups retain a healthy dose of bottom-end warmth. Because of their overwound nature, the singlecoil pickups also manage to hold their own – output-wise – against the bridge humbucker.

This sound clip (recorded straight off the AmPlug) starts with the neck pickup:

The Sterling S.U.B. Silo3 is such a versatile instrument that it manages to cover the whole range of overdriven and distorted guitar tones –  from slightly crunchy old-school Blues to full-frontal Metal. For my part, I wouldn’t have any qualms about dragging this guitar on stage with me right now…

Sterling by MM Silo3 – body beauty 1

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Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – angle 2 with status light

As you could already witness from the two above Silo3-clips, Vox has managed to improve further on the already great sound of its range of headphone amplifiers. There are, for example, definite improvements in the hiss levels of the AmPlug 2 Classic Rock.

The range of sounds on offer will cater for all you Marshall-spirited needs from the 1960s all the way to the 80s – Classic Rock, indeed. If you’re after contemporary High Gain-sounds, I’d steer your attention towards the AmPlug 2 Metal instead.

The Classic Rock’s effects section does its bit to spruce up your guitar tone, and the quality on offer is amazing (especially, when considering the tiny price tag). The audio clip starts with a completely dry guitar sound:

The AmPlug’s mid-boost function makes even fatter and more aggressive sounds possible, whenever you need them. This audio clip starts with the boost off, and continues with the mild boost, before giving you an idea of what the full mid-range boost will do for you:

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Sterling by MM Silo3 – beauty shot 2

In my opinion, this is a great starter pack, making learning to play the guitar, as well as practising, a lot of fun.

Sterling’s S.U.B. Silo3 isn’t the cheapest electric guitar that you can lay your hands on in Finland, but it most certainly is one of the best (and most versatile) instruments in its class. The Silo3 is a real electric guitar, and not a cheese grater with strings. This Sterling both plays and sounds great!

Vox’ updated AmPlug 2 Series wins you over with even more features and an even better sound. This inexpensive little device makes it possible for you to rock out in most places, and almost at any hour – whenever and wherever inspiration might strike.

You can really make music with this quality pack from DLX Music Helsinki, as you can hear from the demo track. All guitar tracks have been recorded straight off the Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rock, without any additional effects (save for a tiny bit of compression added during mixdown):

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – angle 1

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Sterling by Music Man Silo3 and Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rock (DLX Music starter pack)

299 €

Contact: DLX Music

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Pros:

+ quality started pack

+ great even for use in an apartment block

+ good enough for more advanced players, too

+ playability (guitar)

+ sound (guitar and headphone amp)

Testipenkissä: Sterling SUB Silo3 & Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rock

Joulu lähestyy jälleen vauhdilla, joten Kitarablogi tarttui tilaisuuteen testata yhtä joululahjaehdokasta:

DLX Musiikin oma edullinen sähkökitarapaketti (299 €) yhdistää Sterling S.U.B. Silo3 -kitaran ja Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rock -kuulokevahvistimen. Rokkaamiseen tarvitaan paketin lisäksi vain plektra ja kuulokkeet. Ja mikä parasta – kuulokevahvistimen ansiosta ei tule edes kerrostalossa ongelmia naapureiden kanssa!

DLX Joulu 2015 – teaser

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Sterling by MM Silo3 – full front

Sterling (by Music Man) S.U.B Silo3 on edullinen lisenssikopio Music Manin legendaarisesta Silhouette HSS -mallista. Tietääkseni S.U.B. Silo3 on tällä hetkellä saatavissa Suomessa ainoastaan osana kolmessa DLX Musiikin kitarapaketeissa. Kitaran hinta on muualla Euroopassa noin 300:n euron paikkeilla.

Indonesiassa valmistetussa Sterling-mallissa käytetään rungon valmistukseen erilaisia paikallisia, soundiltaan leppää muistuttavia puulajeja.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – full back

Silo3:n kaula on veistetty vaahterasta, samoin kuin kitaran otelauta.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – fingerboard

Koko kaula on viimeistelty ohuella satiinilakalla, kun taas runko on saanut ylleen tyylikkään pianomustan viimeistelyn.

Otelautaan on asennettu siististi 22 medium-kokoista nauhaa.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – neck plate

Sterlingin erittäin sulava ruuviliitos on otettu suoraan Music Manin USA:ssa valmistetuista kitaroista.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – headstock

Viritinlavan neljä-plus-kaksi koneistoasetelman ansiosta kitkaa aiheuttavia kielten alasvetimiä ei tarvita Sterling Silo3:ssa lainkaan, mikä parantaa vibrakäytössä soittimen vireen vakautta.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – tuners

Sterlingin käyttämät virittimet toimivat ainakin testikitarassa sulavasti ja moitteettomasti.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – bridge

S.U.B. Silo3:n vibratalla on vanhan Strato-vibraton toimiva päivitys nykyaikaisella laakeroinnilla.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – pickups

Kaulan ja kaulamikrofonin välillä näkyy Music Man -soittimille tyypillinen – ja erittäin kätevä – kaularaudan säätöruuvi. Säätöruuvia voi kääntää ilman kielten (tai kaulan) irrottamista suoraan soittimen edestä sopivalla metalliesineellä (esimerkiksi pikkuruuvarilla).

Silo3:ssa käytetään lähtöteholtaan keskenään sovitettu keraaminen mikrofonisetti, vintagea selvästi tuhdimmilla yksikelaisilla kaula- ja keskimikrofonin asemissa.

Sterling by MM Silo3 – body front

Säädinosastolta löytyy viisiasentoinen mikrofonikytkin, sekä master volume- ja master tone -säätimet.

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Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – full front

Uusien, toisen sukupolven Vox AmPlug -kuulokevahvistimien ominaisuudet on päivitetty, sekä käytettävyyden että soundin kannalta.

AmPlug 2 Classic Rock (39 €) on sarjan ”Marshall-henkinen” malli.

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – full back

Uusissa AmPlug 2 -mallissa on nyt käännettävä plugi, mikä helpottaa laitteen käyttöä riippumatta jakin sijainnista.

AmPlugit toimivat kahdella AAA-kokoisella paristolla.

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – controls

AmPlug 2 Classic Rockissa on kolme säädintä:

Gain-säätimellä muutetaan vahvistimen etuvahvistin puhtaasta soundista säröön. Tonella säädetään soinnin kirkkautta, kun taas Volume-säätimellä muutetaan kuulokkeille lähtevää volyymiä.

Classic Rockin efektiosasto (FX) tarjoaa kolme eri kitaraefektiä – jokainen kolmella variaatiolla – joista voi käyttää yhtä kerrallaan. Soittaja voi valita joko yhden kolmesta chorus-efektistä, delay-viiveestä tai kaikutilasta.

Voxin Aux-tuloon voi yhdistää esimerkiksi mp3-soittimen miniplugijohdolla.

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – red boost

Tästä Vox-kuulokevahvistimesta löytyy myös keskialueen lisäboosteri. Mid-boosterin tila näkyy päälle/pois-ledin väristä (vihreä: ei lisävahvistusta; oranssi: mieto boostaus; punainen: reilu boostaus).

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Sterling by MM Silo3 – body beauty 2

Sterling S.U.B. Silo3 -malli tarjoaa roimasti vastinetta pieneen hintaansa nähden.

Kaulan hieman litteä, ovaali C-profiili istuu varmasti mukavasti monessa kädessä, ja Silo3:n pätevä nauhatyö ja loiva otelautaradius (12 tuumaa) tekevät kielten venytyksistä helppoa. Myös kielten korkeus on säädetty todella mukavalle tasolle – basso-E:n eteisyys 12. nauhalle on 2,2 mm, ja diskanttipuolen e-kielen kohdalla luku on 2,0 mm. Tehdaskielinä käytetään laadukkaita Ernie Ball Super Slinky -kieliä (009-satsi).

Maltillisesti käytettynä Silo3:n vibratalla pitää hyvin virettä, mutta se ei ole tarkoitettu todella rankkaa käyttöä varten.

Sterling Silo3 -mallin mikrofonit kuulostavat mielestäni todella hyviltä, vaikka kyseessä onkin ”vain” 300:n euron kitara.

Tämän kitaran puhtaat soundit ovat mukavalla tavalla kuulaita ja raikkaita, ja myös yksikelaisissa löytyy mukavasti substanssia ja tukevuutta. Yksikelaisissa on myös riittävästi tehoa, minä ansiosta ne eivät jää tallahumbuckerin jalkoihin.

Tämä (suoraan AmPlugista äänitetty) klippi alkaa kaulamikrofonista:

Sterling S.U.B. Silo3 -kitara on niin monipuolinen, että sillä pystyy kattamaan käytännössä koko särösoundien kirjon – miedosta perinne-Bluesista nykypäivän Metalliin. Ainakin itse olisin valmis nousemaan tällä kitaralla suoraan keikkalavalle…

Sterling by MM Silo3 – body beauty 1

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Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – angle 2 with status light

Kuten Silo3-ääniesimerkeistä jo kuuluu, Vox on selvästi parantanut kuulokevahvistimensa perussoundia entisestään. AmPlug 2 Classic Rockin kohina on myös saatu mukavasti vähennettyä.

Soundien skaala ulottuu Marshall-henkisesti 1960-luvulta noin 80-luvulle – Classic Rock, siis. Nykypäivän High Gain -soundeja löytyy sen sijaan AmPlug 2 Metal -mallista (DLX-pakettiin saa vaihdettua myös toisen AmPlug-mallin).

Classic Rock -kuulokevahvistimen efektit ovat oiva lisä, ja niiden laatu on yllättävän hyvä, kun katsoo Vox AmPlug 2:n pientä hintalappua (klippi alkaa ilman efektiä):

AmPlugin keskialue-boosterilta saa lisää tukevuutta ja säröä, silloin kun sitä tarvitaan. Klippi alkaa ilman boostausta, sitten tulee mieto lisäys, ja viimeisenä täysi mid-boosteri:

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Sterling by MM Silo3 – beauty shot 2

Omasta mielestäni tämä paketti on loistava kokonaisuus. Se tarjoaa sähkökitaran soittoa aloittaville (ja miksei myös meille muille) erittäin mukavat puitteet harjoitteluun ja hauskanpitoon.

Sterling S.U.B. Silo3 ei ehkä ole halvin sähkökitaramalli Suomen markkinoilla, mutta se on yksi parhaimmista tässä hintaluokassa. Silo3 on oikea soitin, eikä turhauttava juuresraastin. Sterlingissä soundi ja soitettavuus ovat todella kohdillaan!

Vox AmPlug 2 -sarja tarjoaa entistäkin enemmän ominaisuuksia ja parempaa soundia. Pikkurahalla saa mahdollisuuden soittaa sähkökitaraa silloin, kun inspiraatio iskee, ja sellaisilla soundeilla, jotka innostavat soittamaan.

DLX Musiikin laadukkaalla paketilla voi todellakin tehdä musiikkia, kuten demobiisistä kuulee. Biisin kaikki kitararaidat on äänitetty suoraan Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rockin kautta ilman lisäefektejä (paitsi hieman kompressori sekvensseristä):

Vox AmPlug2 Classic Rock – angle 1

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Sterling by Music Man Silo3 ja Vox AmPlug 2 Classic Rock -kitarapaketti

299 €

Lisätiedot: DLX Musiikki

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Plussat:

+ laadukas paketti

+ sopii myös kerrostaloasuntoon

+ ei vain aloittelijoille

+ soitettavuus (kitara)

+ soundi (sekä kitara että kuulokevaihvistin)

”Just one more!” – Living with G.A.S.

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Just one more…pleeeeeeze!

einstein_guitar1

We’ve all seen the memes on social media, haven’t we? And let’s be honest – there’s plenty of truth in them!

Many – if not most – of us guitarists seem to have an annoying tendency to want to amass a wide selection of instruments and/or effect pedals and/or guitar amps for personal use. This gear lust, which often leads to crammed living conditions, empty pockets, and considerable trouble with our significant other, is generally known as Gear Acquisition Syndrome, colloquially shortened to G.A.S. (or GAS).

It seems that GAS has become ever more prevalent over the last couple of (or three) decades, but the roots of this problem reach as far back as popular music and the advent of mass media.

MM2015 – Schecter USA Sunset Custom

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G.A.S. through the decades

The early days

Gibson Nick Lucas Signature

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly the onset of GAS, but many people would agree that Gibson’s Nick Lucas Special signature model (first released in 1927) played a crucial part.

Nick Lucas (1897-1982) was an accomplished guitarist and popular crooner, whose biggest hits (in the late Twenties and early Thirties) coincided with the popularity of the radio and the wider availability of phonograph records.

The Nick Lucas Special was Gibson’s first signature guitar, laying the groundwork for the endorsement deals we’re familiar with these days. Apart from riding on an artist’s popularity, a signature guitar also tends to suggest to the guitarist that, were he (or she) to play this particular instrument, some of the magic (as well as the technical prowess) of the endorsing artist might rub off. In short, the message is ”buy this guitar, and you will become a better and more popular player!”

As most male guitarists not only care for their playing technique, but also for the opposite sex, becoming more popular always sounded (and still sounds) like a good idea.

The Fifties and Sixties – the guitar boom

Squier Cabronita Telecaster – body beauty

During the first half of the 20th Century the guitar grew from a not-very-common, specialist instrument into a popular mainstream choice – not least thanks to Country music and the ”singing cowboys” featured on radio and records, as well as in the movie theatres.

But it was Rock ’n’ Roll that put the guitar in all its shapes on the top of the desirability list for masses of youngsters in the so-called Western World.

Yet, GAS wasn’t such a serious issue at that time, because musical instruments were outrageously expensive then, and some of the top US-brands almost impossible to get hold of in Europe.

Andy Babiuk’s fantastic book ”Beatles Gear” gives the reader a very good idea of how difficult it was for the guitarists of the late Fifties and early Sixties to even scrape together enough money to buy a single guitar (or amp). Owning multiple guitars was the privilege of the biggest stars only. Back in 1965 a new, baby blue Fender Stratocaster would have set you back around 3,000 euros in today’s money! This makes a current American Standard Stratocaster seem dead cheap at approximately 1,500 euros. And remember, back then there was no such thing as a quality (licensed) copy, and even substandard instruments from Eastern Europe weren’t really cheap (Harrison’s Czech-made Futurama cost him the better part of 1,200 euros in today’s money).

Still, young players were brand-conscious, at least to some degree, and lusting for the exact guitar they knew their idol was playing. Even if they couldn’t afford it…

They don’t make ’em like they used to

Les Paul Burst

The transition of the plain old ”used guitar” to the ”vintage guitar” we all know today got to a start in the late Sixties, mostly fuelled by the two best-known brands – Gibson and Fender:

When flagging sales of the Gibson Les Paul prompted the company to scuttle the model in favour of the instrument we now know as the Gibson SG, nobody could have foreseen that the move would lead to the first run on a discontinued electric guitar model ever. Caused by the exposure given to the ”out of print” Les Paul Standard by the new wave of Blues players, spearheaded by Mike Bloomfield and Eric Clapton, many serious guitarists started actively searching for used Les Pauls. The fact that Gibson chose to reissue the Les Paul in the late Sixties, but failed to sense that the crowd lusted for the double-humbucker Burst (instead of the Goldtop and the Custom), quickly turned the original Standards produced between 1958 and 1960 into the stuff of legend.

Both Fender and Gibson became parts of large business conglomerates before the Sixties were over, and a feeling started to seep into the guitar community that the earlier instruments were of a higher quality than those produced under the new managements.

Big in Japan

Tokai ES-162 – body beauty

The proliferation of reasonably well-made guitars from Japan – often dead-on copies of US classics – at reasonable prices was what truly kicked off the phenomenon we now call GAS.

For the first time amateur and semi-professional guitarists could afford to own more than a couple of guitars. Effect pedals, too, would start to benefit from Far Eastern efficiency and mass-production.

Many of the 1970s Tokai-, Ibanez- and Yamaha-guitars – as well as the earliest Roland/Boss-effects – are now considered vintage classics in their own right.

Tokai ATE-33N Thinline – body beauty 1

Licensed copies

Epiphone Casino – April 2012 – close-up

The Eighties finally ”sealed our fate”, when it comes to GAS.

Many large brands started to release official (=licensed) copies of their own instruments in the 1980s, with the rest following suit in the following decades. Brands like Squier, Epiphone, or Sterling make it affordable to hoard instruments that offer at least some of the clout of their famous, upmarket brethren.

Sterling SUB Ray4 – body beauty

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The Five Types of GAS-sufferers

J Leachim Jazzcaster – body beauty

We are all different – we don’t all lust after the same guitars, and we don’t all accumulate gear for the same reasons or in the same way.

I think one could divide us Gassers up into five basic categories, according to how and why we ”simply have to have that guitar”.

1. The Fan

The Fan is a hardcore follower of one (or two) Rock bands (or guitar gods), and he (or she) focusses on acquiring as much of the gear used by their idol as humanly possible. The Fan hopes to come as close as possible to their idol’s famous guitar tone, and he/she wants to feel (and look) the way his (or her) idol does when playing those classic riffs and songs.

2. The Nostalgist

The Nostalgist comes from a similar place as the Fan, having a clear vision of what it is he’s looking for. But, instead of trying to relive a certain band’s or player’s tone, as the Fan does, the Nostalgist wants to reclaim the (his/her own?) past. The Nostalgist longs for the classic looks and tones gleaned off vintage equipment, the sounds of a cooler, more vibrant place than the current here-and-now. Some Nostalgists also buy all the stuff they wanted, but couldn’t afford to get, when they were young.

3. The Hunter and Gatherer

The Hunter and Gatherer simply loves to get new toys, especially when he can claim to have ”snapped up a real bargain”. These are the guys that constantly trail the Internet, on the lookout for something, anything really, that might whet their considerable appetite. Very often it doesn’t even matter if it is an instrument (or other piece of gear) the Hunter and Gatherer really ”needs”; as long as it’s cool and ”a bargain” it’s a viable acquisition.

4. The Specialist

The Specialist has a strong focus on one, two or three specific pieces of equipment, that he (or she) simply cannot get enough of. These are the guys who seem to have a perfectly good reason for buying several dozen Telecasters, or a whole flock of Fender Tweed-era amps – or maybe they zone in solely on gear manufactured during one specific year…

5. The Pragmatist

The Pragmatist comes over as very reasonable, even though he’s an addict like the rest of us. The Pragmatist tells his wife that he doesn’t yet own an archtop guitar with DeArmond pickups, but that he needs just such a guitar to complete his ”colour palette” or ”toolbox”. Some Pragmatists – like professional guitarists, studio owners, or guitar reviewers – can make a real art form of their Gassing, meaning it takes the unsuspecting wife years (if not decades) to see through this charade.

Fuzz 2015 – Nice, old Tellies!

Naturally, things aren’t always as clear cut in real life as they might seem on paper. Most of us GAS-sufferers tend to display a mixture of two of three of the above GAS-categories.

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”You can’t play more than one guitar at a time!”

GJ2 Guitars – Concorde 4-Star + 5-Star

Does owning more than one or two guitars have real advantages? If you ask me, my answer would be a resounding ”yes and no”!

The ”yes” part of my answer has to do with the fact that playing guitar (or bass guitar) is always a tactile experience. Different instruments have different neck profiles, they have different overall dimensions, different actions, different fret sizes, different fingerboard radii, and they simply smell and feel differently.

This is probably the main reason why we don’t all play Line 6 Variax guitars. They might be decent instruments with an astonishingly realistic array of different tones, but they completely lack the important tactile element that is so crucial in inspiring you to come up with different licks and different ways of approaching the guitar as an instrument.

A big, fat Jazz box will make you play noticeably differently to a sleek Strat or SG, and the same holds true for the differences between, say, an ES-335 and a Floyd Rose-equipped Metal axe.

On the ”no” side of the equation, buying a new piece of equipment will surely inspire you, but it won’t automatically turn you into a ”better” guitarist. Even though it’s hard to admit, only regular practice will move you forward on the long and winding road to improvement.

Tokai SG-75 – body angle

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Damned If You Do…

In a way, we’re extremely lucky these days. There has never been a better time to be a guitarist than now. There’s an abundance of cool gear available, and much of it at rather reasonable prices.

The downside to this is, of course, that it’s so much easier to become a gear addict, because the price tag doesn’t necessarily act as much of a threshold, anymore.

Still, I tend to see the positive side of things, because the affordability of decent equipment makes it much easier for guitarists these days to try out different stuff on their way to finding the gear that’s most suitable for the music they make.

The Valve Bimbo – with SG

Kaksi uutta Sterling by Music Man -kitaraa – Silo 3 ja AX 3

Uusi Sterling (by Music Man) S.U.B. -sarja tuo Music Manin klassikkomalleja kaikkien ulottuville, kitaroiden alhaisten hintojen ansiosta.

Silo 3 on edullinen versio Music Man Silhouette -kitarasta. Silo-mallissa on kaksi tuhtia yksikelaista mikrofonia, sekä humbuckeri vibratallan vieressä.

Ax 3 taas on Axis-mallin edullinen versio, ja se tarjoaa kaksi humbuckeria, viisiasentoisen kytkimen ja vibratallan.

Molemmissa kitaroissa on viidellä ruuvilla kiinnitetty vaahterakaula, Silo 3:ssa voi valita jopa vaahtera- ja palisanteriotelaudan välillä.

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Lisätiedot: EM Nordic

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