Just some personal feelings to write here.
From the first day i hold the guitar, i have changed no less than 10 before settling on the current axe. I should say i am big fat stupid in wasting so much money, and you can repeat that again and again.
What made me write this post was I’ve been using Fender strat for the pass week and it hurts so much, with a reason off course. I have been a Fender fan for many many years but some how I couldnt play it to the fullest, or execute it without torturing my finger. This has to go back to some where back in 1996, when a book cabinate came crashing down on my left hand index finger. It was badly fractured and i could not play guitar for months. The aftermath was abysmal to the extent that i could not play my Fender well again. The fractured (you divide your index finger to 3 parts as u can see) occured in the middle and lower part of the finger which we need it so much to hold decent barred chord or funk style chopping licks.
Fender has larger necks, normally C shape or V shape (vintage or reissue), compared to eastern guitars such as Ibanez and Yamaha. I guess this has a little to do with the size of fingers of ang mo kao and us asian (not sure about how true is it). So, after the tragedy (well, i know its only fracturing a finger … but its a tragedy to me really) I started to use smaller neck guitars. I tried out Fender with compound raidus necks, all to no avail.
In 2001, I bought a Ibanez S520EX (wizard II custom neck) which suited my fingers so well, but some how, i lost the feeling on the axe and sold it cheapy (STUPIDLY!) the price went up few days later (all japan-made ibanez price went up at that time). Until 2003 when i finally settled for washburn N4. N= Nuno Bettencourt. A lot of friends thought i idolize Nuno until i want to use the same guitar as his. Actually this isnt the whole picture. The N4 i am currently using is custom-built. Not the same as Nuno. Mainly using different pickups (SD59 / Dimebucker), direct mounting, two coil spliters, and additional tone control, D shape neck.
and then… problem arose again. Uglymen went 3-piece in 2006, and the humbuckling N4 does not suit the band anymore. It used to be good with Suan covering with a strat, balancing the band sound between a thick fat strat and a ear-piercing N4. Now, playing only N4 in Uglymen sounds so empty and sometimes like sound coming out from mud or in a milo tin. it simply does not suit 3-piece band and Uglymen’s style of music.
So, i decided to do some research with the help of God (just in case you misunderstood God, God’s sur name is Ong, not Bu, Je, or Al) and build another single-coil guitar. Custom-building a neck, Fender custom-shop body, Kinman’s Woodstock pickups, Earvana Nut, Callaham’s block, switches and machine heads… Everything is in place now, just missing the Callaham’s block still on its way from US.
So, since Uglymen is having many gigs lining up. I have to play a Fender making the band soud cleaner, and i used Suan’s guitar for a full week to practise (Fender mexico neck and body, everything else is modified including frets) For the first two days, i did not feel anything, but from day 3 onwards, my left hand index finger hurt so much making me some times feeling not to play anymore. In fact, yesterday jamming’s session was cut short, part of the reason was my finger hurt so much that i did not use it to play anymore, and the guitar playing sounded like shit after that….
So, for this coming Thursday Uglymen and Hai Lang band performance, I will probably fall back on N4. Will see how my fingers feel…
History of Stupidity:
1993 - My first ever electric guitar, Vantage RM410 I think, I glued some white reflective stickers around the body to make it looked like Paul Wong’s Steinberger’s body at that time.
1994 - My second guitar, traded in the Vantage and got a japanese Strat (RM1,000+ ?). This guitar lasted for only a year before I fell victim to the sexy Samick and at the same time, started to lose interest in single coil clean sound
1995 - The sexy and curvy Samick (approx RM900), two humbuckers, and the first time i lay my hands on flyod rose bridge, and cant stop dive-bombing. I even changed the pickups to Dimarzio PAF Pro. This guitar followed me quite a few years before again, sold it off.
1995 - At the same time, I bought a cheap Korean Fender acoustic (approx RM650), did not put to good use at all except in the JFJ competition. Sold it off to a student two years later. Til now cant understand why i bought it.
1996 - Got my hands on a Les Paul copy (Axtech I think) gigged with it a few times only, before sold it off to yet another student
1996 - Finally bought a US standard strat, i loved dogs so much that I pasted more than 50 dalmations stickers on the whole guitar, including fretboard!! This was one of the coolest time in our band (Peace), since all of us use Fender. Two strats and one precision bass. I love this guitar until late late 1996 when tragedy struck. The photo below taken in 1999, it was the last time i used it. Sold it off in 2000 after my playing deterioriated at red alert level, couldnt bare the pain.
1999 - Epiphone SG, did not really like it, just using it while i continue to search a replacement for the Strat.
2001 - Ibanez S520EX, did not really fall in love with this beauty, but the neck suited me well and it has my favourite flyod rose which i could not live without, and the body is so so thin… day by day went by, and i started to talk to it more often. Sold it off in 2004 so cheap that after few days, the price of Japanese Ibanez went up! #$%^&*
2004 - Washburn N4 custom. If you ask me which guitarist influenced me most, i would say too many, i dont really have a certain guitarist that i idolize a lot. Some how, many friends thought i bought the N4 because of Nuno. I like Extreme a lot, and to date, I still feel Nuno is one of the most creative musicians around. Haha… so sad to a band in Asian Beat, caught them red-handed copied Extreme’s song for 2 straight years! The reason for this N4 is simple, everything is customed nicely to what i needed. In fact, this is the best I’ve used for the passed 14 years!
2005 - Fender Strat, second stint. I just couldnt resist the lure of a Fender, and so gataily bought the 50th Anni Strat, and it was off in less than a year! I felt so hard playing on the huge neck. Thought of changing to a smaller neck but it will lost much of it’s tone at the same time… so bye bye again Fender. Playing it hurts me a lot, by knowing that price of US Fender actually shot up after one month i sold it off really nailed me down in the coffin. Photo showing gigging with it in 2005 New Com Pub gig.
2005 - Bought a Steinberger / Hohner from lelong.com. Very good guitar and i loved it very much, just one thing. I am so fat, it is so small, and can you imagine the whole picture, its very very weird if i hold it on stage. This beauty sold to ah Beh after just two months buying it. And he immeditely fell in love with it :-), i still in love with him you know beh, dont eat cuka la…
2005 - Fender Stratocoustic, acousitc version of a Fender strat, same size, i used this guitar in recording demos, teaching, doing some light practise when i am lazy to plug in the eletric. Still using it to date
2007 - M1, haha… i still havent name it, its total custom build this time, M1 (michael one?) nice name i thought. Waiting for the bridge to arrive here… and got the stupid tax again!!%^&*(). Photo showing craftman Ah Yan, filing the head stock, and painting it.
phew… that was very long stupid history.
Warning: Musicians are advised not to follow the above stupidity in wasting money
30 responses so far ↓
Rossie // Feb 14, 2007 at 8:58 am
Your coil tapping function couldn’t satisfy you? How about changing pickups? D’marzio’s PAF Pro are the best sounding splitting humbuckers around.
I’ve just ordered a guitar too
It will take 7 months to complete… 7 MONTHS!!! Can’t believe it, but I guess good things are worth waiting for. Hope it will be here in time for this year’s Asian Beat.
fleaman // Feb 14, 2007 at 9:40 am
Mikey.. use kapok la… it has beautiful small frets! just ask ah suan!
taisuan // Feb 14, 2007 at 10:08 am
good write up. if it happens that when the new M1 guitar doesn’t suit your fingers, there’s still a solution. trust me, GOD will help you. once and for all, we custom make the neck. so much investment already… just make a last investment on a really good neck. probably get a neck that is like your ibanez S520EX.
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Rossie: duh? i do not have problems in pickups, used PAF Pro b4, but now i only play on single coil. My problem is the stupid fat neck. Good, can hear your new guitar then, if i am lucky enuf to be in Johor AB again.
flea: good idea, i think i wil play Enter Sandman with kapok the next time
suan: stupid post so slow one… when is it going to arrive Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Rossie // Feb 14, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Mike: I mean the PAF Pro has great single coil tone when splitted.
You really like Fenders eh…
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 12:18 pm
kekek… ya got what u mean… for the time now, its back to Fender… eh.. i mean M1… haha so funny… your new guitar is dual hum i guess? u custom made from? warmoth? Fender Custom SHop ?
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 12:20 pm
forgot tell u Rossie… about the tickets..
u can pick them up from me at the venue la on 10th March, bcos i am going to get them on that day as well…
Rossie // Feb 14, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Yup, let you guess which make la… It has dual humbuckers, a piezo pickup, 24 frets, something like a floyd rose bridge, a figure maple top…
I saw the advertisment about the tickets, you get some special discount on that day’s Sunway Lagoon entry ticket? Or was it free entry with the AB ticket?
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 1:04 pm
i dunt know entry to sunway lagoon, all yamaha told me was RM28 for ABGF @ sunway lagoon b4 15th Feb, duno if u get to play at the waterpark or not…
ric // Feb 14, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Mike….see….you from Form 4, until today, now just guitar change alot…but your looking style and body shape also change alot :D….but, lol….still sexy enough, i like, keke.
woah, u let ah yan change your guitar body neck ar…woah, ah yan can bo, kekeke, next, ah yan can like other master liao, can do this and that for your guys and girls guitar :D, hehe
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 1:10 pm
good observation ric, i think we both changed our body size kekeke… but i still feel you are sexier…
Rossie // Feb 14, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Oh ya, forgot to ask, who’s your luthier?
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 2:41 pm
he is my guitar student who build furnitures and renovate houses, but i have total trust in him… hahaha…. sounds crazy..
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 2:44 pm
oh ya… and before building my guitar, he has zero experience on making one.. hahaha… that is even crazier then…
Rossie // Feb 14, 2007 at 2:56 pm
What the…
Here’s a site if you have any problems:
http://www.projectguitar.com/
michael // Feb 14, 2007 at 11:03 pm
thanks rossie, but i blif the guitar will work well as i expect…
beh // Feb 15, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Mike,
you change guitars/effects like changing your clothes….hahahahakekekeke..maybe you are damn rich!!! or very playful non of the guitar can satisfy you…
Once you had found the guitars that suit your hand never let it go, I means sell it….You sold so many great guitars that came into your hand, you juz like them pass by you. The Ibanez and Steinberger / Hohner …YES I love your Steinberger / Hohner; I will taking care of it for you..it’s very nice guitar…and equits with EMGs passive pickups..I juz discovered it…
You see rite now’s current position I am facing, I was thinking to let go my Gibson, but after have a long thought I think if I let it go I will never get it back..so no matter how I won’t see my guitars…
I hope you can keep the guitars that you play alone with (all of them)….Guitars are like partners for live for any guitar player….
You are too playful mike, try to stick to some guitars and use them…i means make them sound the sound you want for you!!! Ask GOD, he will tell you what to do…kekekeke…..
Actually, I think you need a GOOD guitar AMP more then a guitar man…
…take you more when we go on the trip…
Happy Chinese New YEar to uglymen, and all of the friends HERE!!!
regards,
beh
rambo // Feb 15, 2007 at 6:26 pm
why not try gibson?
gnap // Feb 15, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Wah.. Mike.. when i kiddingly post that Fender guitar “present” yesterday i did not read this post of urs yet. What a coincidence u actually a Fender loyal.
Eh.. the 2nd pic of u really look like the HK actor Wan Siew Lun. kekeke
michael // Feb 16, 2007 at 2:10 am
hohoho… i have one Gibson too… but not suitable Uglymen music. i dont use humbuckers now.
michael // Feb 16, 2007 at 2:14 am
wan siew lun… ya, many people misstaken me as him in Langkawi, i had to fake signatures for bunch of girls bcos they kept following me… sigh…
taisuan // Feb 16, 2007 at 11:19 am
eh uncle beh… u calling me? hehehe
Eric // Mar 7, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Mike,
Where did you get the N4 from? It looks like without Stephen Cutaway that N4’s famous of..i used to own a N4 before.
Eric
michael // Mar 8, 2007 at 12:30 am
yo Eric,
the N4 was custom made from US. There is SEC (Steven’s Extended Cutaway) using 5-screw-bolt-on, an extra tone control was put in and the pickups are changed to SD59 and Dimebucker, compared to the original N4’s Lawrence.
what happened to your N4 Eric?
mike
Eric // Mar 12, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Mike,
Sold my N4..now owning RG7620, RG565, Fender HM strat and Japan Strat. Wow..it must be very pricey of your N4 being a custom made from US. Anyway i’m looking forward to meet you. I’m not very far from your place i think, i’m from Kulim man.. now working in Butterworth. I’m actually quite impressed and touched by the passions that you guys carrying. As an working adult it’s not easy to devote yourself into music industry. Salute to you!
Eric
Dyerbreed // Dec 29, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Have to be very careful when buying guitars. Mine’s a cheap version of an Ibanez GRG 270. The body is screwed, piece together with three seperate pieces of wood glued together, then shaved down and craved out for a guitar body. Paint work is screwed.
The worst part is the neck. My guitar neck is not carved out from a single piece of wood, but joint together near the head. As a result, the glue has given way because the glue ued is not suitable for the humidity and weather in Msia. Damn it. I’ve spoken to this guy called Henry here is Swak and he’ll make a replacement guitar neck for me becos my guitar neck is bent. On the 12th to 14 th fret, my guitar note is FLAT. Terrible for soloing.
I love the Ibanez S series, like the one that u had. Dragonforce guitarist Herman Lee uses the Ibanez S470. However, the shitty thg is that the model has only got 22 frets. That’s just stupid, bcos 12 frets in E to e key, rite (for standard tuning)? Therefore, 24 frets would make its one COMPLETE octave. But 22 frets bcomes 2 fret short of a complete octave. !@#$%^&*()
I really like the S series becos the guitar is light (can jump around like monkey on stage), the body is thin and the neck is good for shredding. If only it has 24 frets. Know any place where I can find a 24 Fret S series Ibanez?
Norman (Dyerbreed)
michael // Dec 29, 2007 at 4:43 pm
ya lo… i regret selling the S series… it is a beauty lai de….
but now i love M1…. wahahahahahahaha!
Cornel // Jan 25, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Wah,… Bro,.. When I read your story aaa,… I was totally knocked senseless….
You’re like a ‘playboy who has had at least a bite of each hotties’ body…. 
Fender, Ibanez, Sammick,… Anyway, I agree with you about the Fender’s wide fretboard,… I guess they are really meant for those ang moh sized hands back there in the states. But magically, some people in Malaysia that I have met found extremely cosy comfort with those wideness…. So, it really depends on one feel I guess. Well, bro,…. Keep on rockin!
michael // Jan 26, 2008 at 9:38 am
ya ya ha ha…. i love Fender one…. but my stupid fingers just dont fit them…. !@#$%^&*(
beh // Jan 28, 2008 at 8:22 am
michael is PLAYBOY!!! hahahaha….ya HE IS!!!!
S-series being made up 22 frets becoz’ they want to get rich tone with its superb thin body.
regards,
beh
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