(Source: Musik-Schmidt)

The title of this post should probably have contained the word “reviews” rather than “review” because we’re actually going to be looking at two Ultimate-Guitar.com user-contributed reviews of the ESP LTD M-200 FM electric guitar.

Both reviews were pretty favourable for this ESP axe, with one awarding it an 8.8 out of 10, while the other an 8.6 out of 10. Both reviewers loved the finish on the guitar, but they found a few minor glitches with several of the factory presets, e.g. action too high or too low, etc.

Overall, the bottom line was that, “I am a metal head by nature, and this guitar appealed to me with it’s EMG pickups, reverse headstock, and tremolo. If the guitar got broken, stolen, or anything of the sort, I wouldn’t necessarily buy the exact same model, but definately another ESP. ESPs give great hardware and features even for low end modeled guitars, so I recomend ESP to anyone that wants a good guitar for a low price.”

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Few things inspire me more than reading about talented child musicians being discovered, and given the opportunity and means to develop their talent. A recent case of this was featured in the (British) press, where a seven-year-old was offered a place at the Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester – where musically-gifted children aged 8 to 18 are given not only general academic tuition, but also highly valuable specialist music tuition.

Knowing that talent is not going to waste in this undeniably materialistic world, where studies towards the highest paying careers are prioritized above all else, somehow makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Okay, not that way, but you know what I mean.

Of course, it is pitiful that not every talented musician gets such a chance, but when you think about it, this occurs in almost every field, whether in art, athletics or even academics. So, the only thing we can do is to ensure that enough opportunities are provided, whether in the form of scholarships to renowned music schools or competitions to showcase budding musicans.

Admittedly, this is easier said than done, but someone has to say it, right?

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(Source: Ultimate-Guitar.com)

Another awesome guitar by Ibanez gets reviewed, and this time, it’s the JS1200. Shape-wise, you’ll probably need some time to get used to it, but other than that, you are looking at a solid basswood-body guitar that could probably “…withstand a hammer throw….” (don’t try it though).

While its construction, reliability and durability are pretty much unquestionable, it seems that the Ibanex JS1200 is one of those guitars that just sparks the love in you because it scores a 9.8 out of 10 overall rating, and some highly effusive praise: “Well, I love the versatility in playing this guitar. Its thin neck allows for fast action, its medium-small but solid body for comfort. Well, I wish it had a beverage holder other than that it has everything!”

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(Source: Gear Live)

While guitar gear has been improving steadily over the years, with a few cool innovations stepping in from time to time, guitars themselves have barely changed since a decade ago. Indeed, in most cases, you wouldn’t want anything to change. Heck, there’s really nothing to improve on an acoustic.

And you could argue that manufacturers have at least been trying to improve electric guitars – improving tone, comfort, style, and more. But electrics still have a lot of room for improvement, and we’ve seen nothing really groundbreaking, until recently that is – when the Gibson Digital Guitar was unveiled.

It is the very first electric guitar to feature an on-board Ethernet port – allowing digital output to be sent to digital applications, e.g. digital recording apps or even internet streaming. And that’s not all. Gibson has attempted to go even further with its MaGIC (Media-accelerated Global Information Carrier) protocol, which will allow bi-directional transfer of data over a conventional Ethernet cable.

While there’s no ETA on the commercial release of this guitar, it is surely an indicator of the future of electric guitars. No longer will guitarists be limited by analog signals. Ten years from now, techy guitarists won’t be able to live without their digital guitars the same way techy pianists are inseparable from their digital keyboards now.

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(Source: Ezekiel’s Virtual Wheel Club)

Given the super fast pace the guitar gear world moves at, I rarely bother, or rather, rarely have the time to post about the old stuff, i.e. anything older than a year. But my personal experience of having recently listened to the sound being churned out from this super-ancient Peavey Mark IV bass head has tempered my view against oldies. As such, here’s a review of the Peavey for your reading pleasure.

For those of you who can’t be bothered to read the whole review, let me jump straight to the conclusion for you. The bass head scored a 5 out of 5 overall rating, with clearly effusive praise from the reviewer (if the rating didn’t say it all for you), “I was originally going to purchase an Ashdown ABM series. (i was willing to spend REAL cash) and a friend reccommended i go down to the store and try this out. It had BETTER tone, More Power and it felt way more solid. The best part is i saved like $1500. I’ll recommend this head to anyone looking for something serious.”

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(Source: Yamaha)

Replacing Yamaha’s older DGX line of portable keyboards is its new YPG line. In particular, three new keyboards from this new line have been announced – the YPG-225, YPG-525, and YPG-625.

Those who are familiar with Yamaha digital keyboards will know most of the features these new offerings have, but one particular feature Yamaha has been keen to highlight is its push-button “ultra-realistic” Portable Grand function. Presumably, this function will allow you to switch into a particular grand piano sound set with just a push of a button (yes, even I want to know what’s so special about this).

Anyway, let’s get to some of the specifics. The YPG-225 is the lowest-end of the three models, with only 76 keys, and is the updated version of the Yamaha DGX-203. It also contains far less features compared to its older brothers, such as the 88-key YPG-525 which comes with hgh resolution Live! Grand Piano stereo samples and a (relatively) large LCD display for lyrics and scores.

On the highest end of the scale is the YPG-625 – Yamaha’s first 88-key Graded Hammer System weighted action portable keyboard. Previously, Yamaha’s Graded Hammer System could only be found on its acoustic pianos.

Overall, besides the YPG-625, I do not see much improvement being brought to the table with this new line. If you already own a solid portable keyboard, there’s really no reason to rush to your nearest vendor for a Yamaha YPG.

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(Source: Yamaha)

Yamaha has finally introduced a replacement for its aging PSR-293 digital keyboard in the form of the PSR-E403. For those who are out of the loop, the PSR-E403 is primarily a learner’s portable keyboard.

Equipped with an updated version of the Yamaha Education Suite (YES) and Yamaha’s Performance Assistant system (where notes you play are automatically corrected if played wrongly), the PSR-E403 is filled with features almost useless to the professional, though useful if you’re a beginner.

Besides its learner-type features, Yamaha’s latest addition comes with a 6-track and 5-song capacity on-board sequencer, an Easy Song Arranger which provides push-button style changing, USB connectivity, plus a set of built-in two-way speakers.

It is set for a June 2006 release date, with a retail price of $349.95.

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