Pest Control LP Don't Test The Pest kicked ass, so did Torrential Torment by Skourge (both crossover thrash)
Maps by Billy Woods (hip-hop) was my "oh damn an artist I love dropped something this year and its good" -of-the-year
Most of the big acts I like are either RIP or suck now so my...
Huge fan of Syu but I think the Crying Star looks so weird and wonky compared to the Anchang Star, which is easily my favourite Star ever. Such a shame Anchang doesn't play 7s 😭 still putting one of these on my GAS lookout list for when I'm in Japan this summer, Fisher-Price curves be damned...
Hipshots are a straight fit and provided you buy an 8-string set, should be bored out on 7th + 8th machine heads to accept thicc strings - only thing to watch out for is that the Hipshots have a small Phillips screw attachment which'll necessitate drilling if you want them to stay fully in...
FWIW I liked the Red Bishop arm functionally but the adhesive/mechanism is way too fragile IMO. I had a tech destroy one, then bought a replacement which broke on me very quickly. Their intonation tool is great though
HNGD! Feline do amazing work, I think they are criminally underrated. Nice guys as well although dangerous to visit - once went to drop off a kit guitar for assembly and walked out with Jon's RR24!
I'd take a HSS Fishman set over a passive HH set tbh, especially for an 8 string where a single coil response works better by default, and given the AAL guys' pickups tending more articulate and percussive. I preferred Tosin's Ionizer set (and passives in general), but the Tosin Fishmans...
Kick. ASS. I got an Arrow-7 recently; fretwork, bridge setup, body ergonomics, weight distribution, neck profile are all a clear and stark improvement vs my MIJ RR24 which, other than the compound radius, feels kinda obsolete now next to this precision-engineered weapon. Was always a...
I've groused more than enough times in this thread about how much I love the S/T then have been increasingly disappointed by everything since in terms of both musical output and real-world buffoonery. So here's me doing 2 solos from the S/T on a 7WA wireless amp during a blizzard the other week
Given as you've actually specified Explorer my easy recom would be any of the Schecter E-1 models or the Jackson Jeff Loomis sig, plus cost of a setup. Hardware and pickups will be great out of box on any of the above.
24 fret HSH Explorer is the king of specs, but no such production thing...
Oh fuck yeah, that is dope. You can see on the rear I think they've approximated the "invisible" fret access cutaway from his CS as well.
I'm the exact target demo for this... if I hadn't just bought an E-II Arrow 7 hahahahaha. Definitely would have bought one of these if I hadn't.
The S/T is melodeath taken to its logical conclusion in terms of bombast/pomposity, with some of the best metal solos of the 21st century, easily. The lesson since then is that there was no further that that sound could be taken, as evinced by Jari's subsequent output either sucking ass or being...
WOW an incredible instrument, not a single thing about it I'd change. This really does the ML shape justice. Sorry to hear about your health troubles; whatever happens you will always have bragging rights for this absolutely fucking bulletproof spec mate