A quick run through of this Jet City amp, in this case the 22 watt 1x12 Combo, but shares the same basic design and circuit as the JCA50/100 models. This amp punches well above its weight especially for the price, and the EQ section feels very interactive and can get you a wide range of tones. Additionally, the simple design makes it a great platform for modding so if there is a tone you can’t get stock, you can probably get it through modding, and it’s also a great amp to learn some simple mods and circuit changes on.
New Video: Marshall JCM900 Mk III and SLX Review
An in-depth discussion of these two different amps - that share the same model numbers! I go over the model range briefly and explain some of the circuit differences before getting into some sound samples and riffing.
New Video: Kramer Flip Flop Colors Comparison
I thought it’d be cool to just quickly show the differences between the four Kramer “flip flop” finishes in the same room, with the same lighting. Especially FF Pink and FF Red seem to get confused a lot, and FF White is barely indistinguishable from faded white and cream colored Kramers so I wanted to show how they are different.
New Video: Kramer Nightswan Reissue Review
Here’s my video talking about the current production (2020+) Kramer Nightswans and comparing them both to vintage Swans as well as other models in the current Kramer lineup. I really think this was close to being an excellent offering but just fell short due to small details, like the nut width and lack of a Full Shred pickup in the bridge position. Those changes would’ve brought it in line spec wise to the real ones and I would be much more likely to buy more of them if that were the case.
New Guitar: 83 Kramer Pacer Imperial with bare/oil neck
Finally caved and picked this up on Reverb after seeing the price drop a few times. I definitely splurged on this one a bit, but based on the color and neck, it was just something I had to have.
And I don’t regret it one bit, this is an exceptional instrument. The neck is a bare/oiled finish and in truly incredible shape - not a nick on the back or anything (that always bugs me). The body is a gorgeous color greenish blue, and it kind of changes color a bit in the light which looks really awesome - hard to see in pictures. Overall it’s in great shape and has all of the original parts, bridge, pickups - nothing missing. It’s very rare that I get a guitar and it doesn’t need some kind of setup or restoration but other than a quick adjustment to the neck (due to a bump it took in shipping, not anything with the guitar itself), I was up and playing this guitar as soon as I got it - nothing extra needed.
And wow is that color a looker - and the original case and warranty card too! This is definitely one of my top guitars now, and it more than deserves to be in the top few of anyone’s collection.
This is also the same kind of neck replicated for the 2008 Pacer Imperial reissues made by Gibson in Nashville TN. Originally, they based the neck on those guitars on a sample ‘83 imperial sent to them with a rosewood neck and oil finished back - just like this one. I generally prefer the glossier necks but I have to say, this neck feels very special and it is easy to see why so many guitar players from this era fell in love with this style of neck (whether from Kramer, Charvel, Jackson, or others).
New Video: Kramer Focus 2000 Review + Collector's Guide
In this video I play the only Focus I still own and talk about some of the feature changes over the years and just how great they are in terms of bang-for-buck. Especially the beak models like this one, the neck feels nearly identical to the USA Pacers of the same era, which makes sense because both model’s necks were made by ESP in Japan.
New Guitar: 1987 Ibanez 540P with rare Maple Neck
I saw this pop up for sale on Christmas Eve and even though I’m trying to reduce my spending, I couldn’t help but get myself a little gift. I have really grown to love these early Ibanez 540 series guitars, but I was missing two things - a 540P, or “Power” model, and one with the exceedingly rare maple fretboard. Well, I checked two things off of my list with one purchase with this guitar!
It arrived just before New Year’s and I was thrilled - it’s a great player, sounds good, and in overall pretty good condition. The body shape is very interesting, and it looks much more rounded on the back. It suffers from the same problem as a Tele when playing it seated, it does dig into your chest just a little bit but it does have a cutout so it’s perfectly comfortable when standing. The contouring around the body is truly inspired and unique - this is a model I wish they had continued making.
The maple fretboard is of course, everything I dreamed it would be. The back of the neck is extremely smooth, there is some very pretty quartersawn grain, and the board itself is nice and smooth without being too glossy.
As with any guitar this great though, now I want another one! That will be a tall order though, there can’t be many 540P’s with maple fretboards around!
New Guitar: 1988 Kramer Pacer Custom 2 Holoflash
I know I already have a Holo-Crackle Pacer, but I saw this one and found it particularly enticing. It is an aftermarket holoflash job, as the serial number is slightly too early for this finish, and you can ever so slightly feel the texture of the holoflash film on the top (factory holoflash jobs were under enough clear coat that it feels perfectly smooth). That said, it looks great and is a pro job, so I’m pleased.
Another stand out from this one is the neck - I’ve had 12th fret inlay necks many times, but this one is in really tip top condition and as such the guitar plays beautifully. The factory pickup combination of JB + SSL-5’s also sound great, as expected, which makes this a great guitar to just pick up and rock out while looking really awesome.
New Amp: Marshall JCM900 4100DR Reissue
I’ve heard very little in the way of good reviews of the “dual reverb” series of JCM900 amps, but after picking up an SL-X and then later going through multiple Mk III’s, I really just had to find out for myself. I missed the boat on picking up 900DR’s for $300 or $400 on craigslist, but when this one popped up on Guitar Center’s used section - and even better, a nearly brand spanking new Reissue model - for not much more than a 20 year old one, I couldn’t resist.
That said, I’m not afraid of an old amp, and I understand components and suppliers may have changed since the original run, but this amp will sound 95% the same as an original run. I’m not going to pay the $2900 (!!) these cost new, but for 900 bucks, I really couldn’t turn it down.
Okay, so now it’s in my hands… and how to put it tactfully…. I am not a fan of this amp. It’s bright, lacks punchy bass, and just overall falls flat next to the SL-X, 2203x, and 2210 that share the shelf with it right now. What it does do incredibly well however is that raspy 90s punk powerchord thing - which it does nail perfectly. Of course there are ways to make it sound better, such as an EQ in the loop, or a boost pedal in the front and the gain on the amp turned down. I’ve also read that disconnecting the diodes can improve the sound, but I really think from looking at the circuit that it’s more of an EQ issue than anything specific to the diodes - my 2210 is one of, if not my absolute favorite amp and that has diodes too.
Now I don’t want to sound too harsh, it’s a fine amp for that specific sound that it does, it’s just not a sound I would choose for myself. It’s aggressive and bright, but I can see why these were so lamented, especially since I have a 2ch Mesa Recto here too, it’s direct competition at the time, and that amp is superior even for mid-gain sounds, which neither of these amps were really designed for. Still, I’m holding onto it because it does complete the collection - with this amp I now have every main line Marshall head in recent memory, and it’s very useful for comparison and context on how circuit designs changed over time - this was an extremely innovative amp design wise for its time.
New Guitar: 1982 Kramer Pacer Deluxe
Found this one for a really reasonable price, which is getting harder and harder these days as the value of Kramers seems to be finally realized in the market. I expected a good, quality instrument - as I do any Kramer - but upon arrival, I have to say this one really blew my socks off.
The condition is superb, clearly the previous owner really cared about this guitar. It came in the original case, also in great condition, and with the original electronics, pots, and switches inside. The guitar itself has had the pickups swapped out and the coil tap switch removed, I would’ve left it but I have no complaints as I can restore it any time I like.
A few more signs that this was so well taken care of too - the entire control cavity under the pickups is completely shielded with copper tape, and the lower floyd stud (a notorious break point on these Deluxe models) is in perfect condition, the paint isn’t even cracked. Even the fretboard is nicely oiled and one of the healthier looking Rosewood boards I’ve gotten from any used guitar.
It is also equipped with some tasteful mods, like a Trem-Setter and a very interesting pickup arrangement, with a Duncan TB-15 “Alternative 8” and two Fender American single coils. The Alternative 8 is very unique sounding, bright and scooped - a bit different from my usual preference, but I’ve grown to really like this pickup especially with more “congested” sounding amps.
