spunky-naz

My Room

2009-08-27T18:05:00.017+02:00

When I once registered for my degree here in Bonn, I was immediately informed to go to the Student Housing Centre to get myself a room. I was quite nervous because I was in a transitional phase. However, I went through the process quite smoothly. I guess it was because of August. In Germany, the summer break starts in mid-July. Therefore, I would assume that students in the final year would have left their respective rooms in July.

Anyway, enough assumptions. Here is how my room looked like sometime in August 2006:
Now after entering my final month in Bonn, here is how my room looks like in August 2009,
(please note that some stuff have been shipped away to Berlin, therefore it looks "cleaner" than it normally is):
It's quite a hassle and I have no idea what is going to happen in the coming weeks, but I would like to be grateful of the fact that I was given the opportunity to live in isolation from other Bruneians. It's really an eye-opener. You have to try it yourself.

Writing Again

2009-08-25T19:08:00.002+02:00

Hello fellow readers,

It's been exactly 5 months. Not really that big a deal since I am quite the procastinator in terms of blogging. Anyway, I've decided to re-organise my thoughts as well as use the remaining time to write in order to remove any hunger pangs that I should be sustaining a few hours before break.

If you are well-informed, I shall be ending my studies in Germany soon. Although it's too early to say, but I do hope all goes well for these last 2 papers. I can't afford to repeat a semester. In the future posts, I shall be sharing to you readers some pictures of my time as a student in Germany. Some of my visual memories are quite interesting and I should say I was fond of them. Some.. shouldn't be remembered for emotional reasons.

Alright then, I do hope I write meaningful posts.

Beakman's World

2009-03-24T12:22:00.002+01:00

Hello fellow readers,

I was thinking about my past. I wonder why I was so interested in Science even though I think I excel better in Commerce or Accounting. Olevel I got both Biology and Accounting A1 but that is due to studying. Not because of interest.

Then it hit me. During the mid-90s we had a show during Friday afternoons (around 4 or 5pm) that is hosted by a wacky scientist. I miss those wacky shows. Fortunately YouTube caters everyone's needs.

Python!!!

2009-03-06T22:51:00.004+01:00

Hello fellow readers,

Today's post is a videopost. It's a video that has been in my laptop for probably 2 years. I came across it today.

sooo... my house is situated strategically in the inner city. Well I used to jog to school and back then get ready to get DRIVEN to school after that. Anyway, the post is about a snake that ate a cat and was found sleeping in the cat's cage. I think this video was in 2006 or 2007 I don't remember. What I do remember is that the cat that got eaten was still alive BEFORE I flew to Germany. It's a pity really. I don't wanna die eaten by any reptile.

My uncle is the one taking the video. My dad is the uncouth, spitting, typical over-50-year-old man (you can sense from his voice), my mum is there telling the kids that snakes come over if you don't take a bath, my grandma talking about hocus-pocus (There ISN'T anything else to talk about), my aunt is there, her daughter is also there and of course being led to believe the snake is there because she didn't take a bath. Well I would believe my mum as well, the cat wasn't given a typical once-a-day bath. Basically, everyone living in the house is there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoy a rare night of snake-hunting in GADONG! LoL!!

Bloc Party in Cologne (aka Köln)

2009-03-02T11:06:00.003+01:00

Hello fellow readers,

On the 17th of February, I went to a concert with a couple of friends from Uni. This is the first concert I went to where I didn't know half of the songs. But the concert was cool. But this time I went to the 1st floor standing area because I didn't want to join the mosh pit.

Here's some videos I took:

Super Fun!!

....
Next up is The Killers (^^)

Books that I have read

2009-02-22T12:43:00.004+01:00

hello fellow readers,

Another 3/4 till I write on a regular 1-week-basis. Or maybe 2-weeks-basis.

Anyway, here are some of the books I have read throughout my 4 years overseas. That's probably 90% of them. Another 10% came from libraries. Not that much for 4 years.. I know..

Snow in Bonn

2009-02-21T17:58:00.013+01:00

Hello fellow readers,

I would like to share some pictures of settled snow during the early hours of the 5th of January 2009. It is (for this town) the deepest ever for the past 10-11 years.

I asked a couple of geography students about it, however they explained in German so I can't recall everything they told me. Just that it's rare to have ankle deep snow in Bonn. The most I experienced was south of Germany (Heidelberg - my first town where I lived in) which was about 10cm-below-the-knees deep.

The thing about settled snow is that it's virgin territory. Very pretty and enchanting. After a few hours it'll be dirty due to boots walking on them and the melting phase which makes the area muddy.

Not a pretty sight anymore..

Trip to Italy

2009-02-18T21:33:00.026+01:00

Hello fellow readers,

I would like to apologise for not publishing posts as regular as I would like. Anyway, this would mean I need to cover a lot. I would have to estimate that I need a further 6/7 posts to publish to get you all updated. Hopefully I can fulfill that by the end of February.

Okay, no time wasting.

I went to Italy on the 23rd of December and came back on the 4th of January. I stayed at my Badminton Doubles-Partner's home in Rome (He's a mainland Chinese guy fyi).

I found a Butcher Shop to satiate my carnivorous needs.

That's the Colosseum

If you guys know where that is, hats off to you
(we were lost btw)

That's Napoli from Pompeii. Napoli is where Pizza orginate. The pizza there was quite unique. Not only is the taste different, how you eat it is different as well. On a tourist note, don't go to Napoli with a naive "everybody's friendly" tourist mindset. I nearly got robbed. If 2 guys (my friend and I) were on the brink of losing our backpacks during lunch, then I would think it'll be much worse during the evening.

That italian pastry is called CANNOLO.
I am quite tolerant with high sugar junks (like Donuts), however this pastry gave me a headache halfway through. It's quite cheap as well. That length was about 1.50euros. That's like 2 tins of Soda in Brunei.

The horizon is Rome. I was at Tivoli on the hill. Way different than Rome.

This is one of many shots from a site called Hadrian's Villa. The Villa is at the bottom of the Tivoli hill.

That's Da Vinci's bust in Rome. I think it had a lot of abuse throughout the years. As you can detect, the facial texture is different than the other features.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well that's about it. I got more pictures. I'll do another Italy post should I am requested to do so.

St. Nicholas Day / Der Nikolaustag

2008-12-07T13:34:00.003+01:00

Yesterday the 6th of December was St. Nicholas Day. What does he do? Legend says he (aka Bishop of Myra) fills boots (Nikolaus-Stiefel = which are placed outside the front door) with sweets or gifts, and checks up on the kids whether they were naughty or nice... Hmm he reminds me of someone this Nikolaus dude..

But I'm too ignorant. Anyway.

no 5 non JM/EC/DM songs this time..

Till then

Peterpan

2008-11-23T13:16:00.004+01:00

Hello fellow readers,

While browsing through indo music I came across Peterpan and I found out there's a new album out since August. It's also allegedly the last album. So I'm gonna make my post "Peterpan Post" (lame try but it'll work for this purpose..)

Let's name all the albums!!
2003 = Taman Langit. The song that everyone knew was "Mimpi Yang Sempurna".
2004 = Bintang di Surga. There's a lot of songs that I like. My personal fave from this album is "Ku Katakan Dengan Indah".
2005 = Menunggu Pagi/Alexandria. I am not sure which is the real name. However this Album was the official soundtrack for the movie "Alexandria". Quite similar to 30 hari mencari cinta by SheilaOn7 (a new album for a movie). My personal fave is "Jauh Mimpiku".
2007 = Hari Yang Cerah. I haven't heard all of the songs. So my favourite would be "Menghapus Jejakmu".
2008 = Sebuah Nama Sebuah Cerita. Not really familiar with the songs. Maybe next time. Have a listen to "Walau Habis Terang". That's the only music video I can find in YouTube.

Yea well.. About the music I am listening to.. It's quite safe to say, I'm listening to Peterpan..

And 1 more picture to let you readers know how much I think of BadmintonPASSION!!!

Till next time!!

Special Olympics August 2008

2008-11-09T13:40:00.004+01:00

Hello fellow readers,
During my summer hols, I did volunteer work for MoH. My role was more or less labour. But the cool thing was we ate a lot! LoL! Anyway. I was "cleaning" my laptop and came across 2 videos I made during the closing ceremony.

Sometimes you can't refer to these athletes as "special" but you can't help but point out the difference between normalcy and their condition. When you think you live a complicated life, you should actually wonder how complicated the parents of these children's lives are. That's what I'm doing..

5 non JM/EC/DM songs:
Marcell - Firasat = Blame YouTube. Anyway, this song is very poetic. Take away the music and you'll think Marcell is a poet.
Unwritten Law - Rest of My Life = Memories during 2003. Sweet song.
Usher - Moving Mountains = This music video is the 2nd part from Love in This Club. Although the songs have nothing in common.
Tom Petty - Free Fallin' = Ok, so maybe I'm not listening to him singing. JM made a cover and I like listening to that.
Inoue Joe - Closer = From Naruto Opening Theme. There's something about this song. I can't really put my finger on it.

Anyway.. Till next time.

John Mayer Stratocaster®

2008-10-25T13:47:00.016+02:00

It's about 2 weeks. So I am planning to write regularly. Every 2 weeks. Or less. Depends on what I'll be doing on a Saturday. Anyway. As most of you know, I am planning to buy another guitar. I've been telling people that. So when I came back to Germany, the guitar I was searching for was not available. It was available before I left Germany. Now it isn't.. :(

Anyway, from 4 out of 5 guitar shops in Germany, 1 has replied positively. Although I might have to wait for a long time. But then again, I'm happy with my acoustic at the moment. So the new addition is gonna be an added bonus!

Anyway, the guitars that are available from the John Mayer S eries are:

Guitar specs for both are similar and are as stated:
Colours: 3-Colour Sunburst and Olympic White (You guess which one I am referring to)
Body: Select Alder
Neck: Maple, Thick "C" shape
Frets: 21 Dunlop® 6105 Narrow Jumbo Frets
Pick-Ups: 3 Big Dipper Single-Coil Strat® Pickups with Special "Scooped" Mid-Range voicing to meet JM's Specs.
Pickguard: 4-Ply Tortoise Shell and 3-Ply Parchment
Factory Strings: Fender Standard Tension ST250R, Nickel Plated Steel

And a couple more accessories given.

However, the guitar I am searching for is~~~~~This is the Limited Edition John Mayer Stratocaster® (in Cypress Mica)
....

Actually all the specs for the 3 guitars are similar.. But I still want this one. Tunggu saja lah dulu~~

Anyway.. 5 non JM/DM/EC songs I am currently listening to:
Rihanna - Unfaithful = This song is interesting. Not to forget that haunting piano tune. I seem to choose this song first if someone has the CD in the car. Oh yeah, the music video is also cool. I like Rihanna then where she doesn't have any tattoos.
Michelle Branch - All You Wanted = This song has 2 versions that I know of. I like the 2nd version. Sounds more stripped down. You can listen to that here.
Five for Fighting - 100 years = I don know why I listen to this song. It came up in my mind randomly. I think it was due to Smallville.
Ben Folds feat. Regina Spector - You don't Know Me = This song is fun. I was intrigued actually. I had a listen of this song initially from Conan O' Brien some time in Early October. Regina Spector's voice is really unique.
Motion City Soundtrack - My favourite Accident = Came up in my iPod randomly. Self explanatory. Have a listen. I recommend the acoustic version. The studio track is too "thick" for easy listening.

Till next time.

Martins & Co. Backpacker

2008-10-15T14:31:00.004+02:00

Hallo Zusammen

I came back to Germany 4 days ago and picked up my new guitar the day after. Here's a photo of it's size.Specs:
Construction & Body Size = Unique
Top = Solid Spruce
Back & Side Materials = Solid Tonewood
Neck Material = Solid Hardwood
Fingerboard & Bridge Material = Solid East Indian Rosewood
Scale Length = 24"
Frets = 15

Personally, playability is very twangy. I prefer the dreadnought though. Maybe because only extra light strings are recommended. Don't want to ruin its action now, do we? Durability is very good. It does require some getting used to. Due to the fact that I am not used to playing a uniquely shaped guitar. But it's all good.

5 non JM songs I am currently listening and why:
1. The Fray "How to Save a Life". because of Grey's Anatomy season 2 I forgot which episode.
2. Snow Patrol "Chasing Cars". Again Grey's Anatomy. Izzie lying on a bed beside Denny who died of a bloodclot. Prom Night Episode. Excellent Acting by Katherine Heigl.
3. Aqua Timez "Alone". From the Anime "Bleach". I really like it. Nice melody and tune.
4. Goo Goo Dolls "Iris". Interesting song to be listening at this phase of my life.
5. Usher "Love in This Club". I liked the dance routine Usher did nearing the end of the music video.

Now I own 2. Peace out A-Town.

John Mayer in The Hague

2008-06-24T12:07:00.003+02:00

Hello everybody.
As you all know (or don't) I went to see JM live. It was amazing!! In terms of time, he didn't really played that long. 1 hour and 30mins. In terms of performance, it was on off the hook! I can't really compare and contrast with the other concerts I went to because DM played acoustic set, Incubus is a different genre and JM played a full band set.

What is interesting to know is that, I went there with new found friends on a website. So I wasn't alone. Which is actually a very laid-back feeling!! LoL. Anyway, I was expecting his montogemery Strat. But it didn't appear. Oh well.. Next week is the international release for his new DVD!! YAY!!

Ok, here's a video of his encore performance. No photos. I'll keep them to myself!! LoL!!

Clarity

2008-04-22T23:04:00.002+02:00

Since it's the only day of the year worth writing (I've been writing a lot today via technological devices~~) I shall also post my newly learnt song. Not really newly learnt. I learnt it some time in March. It was either "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" or "Clarity". Trust me, the former is sooo hard to maintain composure.

This song means a lot to me. First off when I first listened to this song from the CD (which was in 2004) the piano tune reminded me of a cool wind. Or wind chimes. Then I came across the Music Video (in 2004) as well, which was a car ride at the beach during sunset (could also be sunrise, because the colour fits both situation).

2004 was more or less a bad year for me. The early months. yearning for a Yellow IC. But my interpretation of this song helped a lot. Not having a yellow IC still meant I need to study and get those Alevels. Go to UBD. And I shall always prevail like I have during my SOAS years and PGGMB years. But from the situation now (I have a yellow IC as of April 2004), we'll never know what the outcome from this particular path is~~~

Bigger Than My Body

2008-03-28T17:34:00.005+01:00

This song is the first song I have chosen to learn on my new guitar (Martins & Co.). Probably because owning a guitar from the same brand like JM or EC or DM makes me think that I am "bigger than my body". SUPER LOL!! So that means I started learning this song early November. Believe me this song is not easy as it looks. I thought it was. First off, I needed to learn the whole guitar script. That took me about 10 days (or more). Then I needed to learn to sing (maybe a week or so). The hard part is the synchronising (singing and playing)! That took me another week. And getting a good (personally) video to post is also not easy for this song. Well it's up to the public then whether I did a good job or not. Feel free to hate~~~

Third Job

2008-03-13T09:12:00.003+01:00

As everyone knows the first job I am in is studying, then comes the guitar playing. But what is my third job? Hmm. Before I mention my third job, I shall make a prologue first.

When I was a small boy, the 3 aunts taught me literature, social skills, etiquette and lot of useless things which I did not understand the meaning. Being females, they also taught me patience. What did those useless information help me now? I am now a Lobbyist. LoL!! Not really for anyone, but for my personal benefits at the moment.

An acquaintance of mine. Female, volatile and most of the time pissed off told me it's b*llsh*t talking to officials and repeating the same answers to the same questions all the time. She mentioned that the questions are apparently too superficial to sustain a conversation. And as usual, I got the receiving end of her rants. I just tell her to play her guitar to make herself better.

Anyway, during this semester I had 2 visitors from Brunei coming to Bonn on 2 separate occasions. Both of them are high ranked officers in the Government. One of them is a director and the other is the Secretary that reports directly to Pehin Rahman (MoE if you don't know).

Without me knowing it, all my useless skills were put to use. Answering politely, helping translate and a lot of other useless things. What do I get from this? My acquaintance would probably not give a care in the world, but I missed class just so I can cater to the person for this one day. Believe me I DID NOT asskiss. I just helped the officials. What I do get here is personal direct connections. The youngest aunt taught me this while driving her blue car. Personal connections which may benefit your future. Personal connections that you earned and gained respect from.

"Melentur Buluh Biarlah dari Rebung". I have to say this is true. With all the girly boy crying, punishments, beatings and all other physical and mental endurance, I would believe the 3 aunts made me the person of which my family can be proud, regardless of what I end up being. Not only that, even the Embassy respects me for being bold enough to remain in Germany by myself. Of course, that's not a problem for me. Social skills help me get new friends and hey, I did take a friend of mine to Brunei. Ask any Bruneian studying in the UK if they managed to convince an english friend to visit Brunei during their FIRST YEAR in university. But then again that's a different country, so I do not know if the English are as friendly as the Germans.

I believe I am the last boy they moulded. Nevertheless, they did a hell of a good job. Thank you!!

OK back to the regular blogging system. No more personal stories. Just guitar videos~~~

Picnic in the Park

2008-03-13T08:55:00.004+01:00

What is Picnic in the Park? Hmm before you continue reading, please click here and here.

Ok. Now I shall show you what I mean.
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~~~~YES!!! I do have a ticket to go there~~~ (Can you hear me squeal?). Ok maybe that's too gay to squeal, but if you people know how much I look up to JM, then you wouldn't mind. Even Twinkling Aunt went mental when she lent me her car and found out I put JM CD's and listened to him everyday up to the day I had to return the car.

However I still am in the process of getting transport there. I am planning to go there with other fans, so the travelling expenses would be a whole lot reduced than going alone. But enough of that because all I have is just a ticket.

And the other thing is the invitation card. It's quite cool to get a personal card (even though my name isn't complete, but who cares, it's still my name). For the last 3 years, all I got was an email with the name "Students in Germany". Now I get an invitation. Excellent Status I have at the Embassy. Not forgetting that everyone seems to want to give me food on the day that I leave, which I politely decline due to airport restrictions. Yet I am still young to mention I still have a lot to learn. Speaking about politeness, I shall write another post about my third job. Just something that I realised that have made me the person who I am today.

Falling Slowly

2008-03-05T00:08:00.004+01:00

Hallochen Zusammen. As you all know, I went to Berlin. I mentioned about my paper report. That was sent on time. And that means I have exams at the end of this month. My Module and Chinese. On a lighter note, I have a new video.

I watched the movie "Once" and immediately wanted to learn this song. Probably because I could see the chords! LoL! Anyway, after a week of practising, I shall dedicate this song to a good friend of mine. Ali A. He has been blogging about finding the perfect girl for himself and after lots of trials and errors he realises the fact that he seems to be the one repelling the attraction. I feel that the lyrics of this song reflect his dilemma.

Apart from the dedication, the movie is about an Irish troubadour and a Czech girl. You should watch the movie. Especially music lovers. Like myself. LOL!!! Oh yeah, this song won an Oscar for Best Original Song. I hope I didn't mess it up!

10 Random Musical Facts

2008-01-01T15:56:00.000+01:00

1. My first musical instrument was the organ (age 8).
2. Held the guitar for the first time in Indonesia (age 10).
3. Received the guitar as a gift for passing PMB from my uncle.
4. The Calling - Wherever you will go = my first FULL song singing and playing (age 16).
5. First John Mayer Album = Any Given Thursday.
6. Began to be a JM Fan = Grammy Performance of "Your Body is a Wonderland" 2001.
7. I actually was torn apart between the violin or guitar.
8. Guitar learning was sponsored by Twinkling Aunt (PMB gift = Book and Birthday gift = CD package).
9. First JM FULL song = Comfortable.
10. Own a Martins & Co. (ownage!!)

Menunggumu

2007-12-16T13:00:00.000+01:00

I learnt this song because I was bored in Heidelberg.

Semua Tentang Kita

2007-12-10T13:16:00.000+01:00

In Brunei, everyone was crazy about the hit song by Peterpan "Mimpi Yang Sempurna". However, I actually liked this song better. And if you watch the Music Video, it protrays a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. However, I shall interpret it as a memory for my late brother. Read the lyrics and actually it can be applied to any situation whereby you remember the times you had with your late loved ones.

You and Me

2007-12-10T13:13:00.001+01:00

When I was in Germany for the first 2 months, I downloaded the new album of Lifehouse. After that I found out that Lifehouse sang it on one episode of Smallville. And therefore, I decided to learn this song. I actually wanted to play this live for a family wedding. Unfortunately, I wasn't give the time slot. It's cool. I got youtube.

Jauh Mimpiku

2007-12-02T20:42:00.001+01:00

This song.. Nothing related to me. I was teaching my friend how to play this song. Then I kinda liked it myself, so I had it done for my singing collection.

Not Myself

2007-12-02T20:36:00.000+01:00

Each song I sing have something to do with my situation during the first training session. So this song is probably due to me having to re-think life and how I treat people in different situations. For example, I don't treat my sister the same as I treat Big Boss, etc etc.

Changes~~

2007-12-02T09:01:00.000+01:00

Hallo zusammen,

I have decided to change my blog structure. I shall not only talk about guitars, but I shall begin my own singing HOBBY (not Career). I shall blog about the songs I sing. But as always, I shall remain true to my cryptic style~~ hehe. This turn of events was encouraged to me by a malaysian friend to whom I "test-sing" my newly learnt songs.

Well anyway, the first blogged song will be up on Monday (hopefully). But if it's not, then just wait.

Ownage!!

2007-11-10T18:56:00.000+01:00

Laa Laa Laaa~~~~~

(^^)

ESP ltd KH-202

2007-10-06T11:42:00.000+02:00

I'll now describe a guitar which belongs to an acquaintance of mine. He's into heavy metal eg Metallica, Guns & Roses, Steve Vai, Velvet Revolvers, blah-blah.

Specs:
Body = Basswood
Neck/Fingerboard = Maple/Rosewood
In-lays = Skulls & Bones
Frets = 24 XJ
Hardware = Black Nickel
Tuners = ESP-ltd
Pick-Ups = EMG-ESP LH-300 Humbuckers

This guitar is the cheapest among all of Kirk Hammett's signature series. Nevertheless, this guitar is worth more than the actual price which is about €500. For those looking for power sounds and/or loves shredding techniques, this is the guitar. Metallica tones are clearly evident from the humbuckers. Which is why Kirk Hammett has this in his series.

.....

Okay Okay, you got me, he's not using KH-202. How sharp your eyes are!! He's seen here using a KH-2. I'll try not to cheat you guys ever again.

And here's my acquaintance showing me the close-up of the body.

Oh btw, it's quite durable as well!! Drop it (unintentionally) for less than 20x and the paint won't chip!! Isn't that cool? LoL!!!

You Can't Find This Anywhere Else!!!!

2007-10-02T18:16:00.000+02:00

The Guitar I came across coincidentally seems 100% hand-made. I can't really say what the humbucker is from, but my guess is Fender Strat because of the sound. But then again the amp is Fender so maybe that's why! LoL

The neck and fretboard seems legit. But I have to say the crafter must have bought the neck from another guitar. The wood seems the same as the body though.

However, the guitar has major flaws which makes it priceless. Or directly speaking, no price. The wire connecting the humbucker can be seen (green wire). That is not really good workmanship. The end of the fretboard can't be used due to the lower cutaway obstructing it's clear path. But nevertheless, if you know how to double-tap, you won't worry about that now.

So where to find it? Go to Asian City in KK. You'll see it only on Wednesdays. So that means you'll have 52 chances in a year. LoL!!!

The Lone Gibson in KK

2007-09-05T05:27:00.000+02:00

I was in Kota Kinabalu a few days back having a good holiday and scuba diving. But then again my secondary objective was looking for guitar shops. And of course I found one. There is only 1. So don't try to search high and low. You'll find one studio to jam and one that sells musical instruments.

Needless to say, look for it in KK Plaza. 2nd Floor. It's called Hollywood Music Store (I think). Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera along to show the guitars being sold. But I'll try to name a few according to memory.

Fender Stratocaster. I saw 4 electrics and 2 basses. 3 of the electrics are Mexico. Both of the basses are USA.

Ibanez. Not a really big fan of it, but I saw the standard rg. Black as usual.

Epiphones were 3. All were Les Paul series.

Then there was the Gibson. The Gibson was a ugly pink in colour. SG-X. I would assume it was around 1997 to 1999.

Specs:

Pickup = a 500T exposed polepiece ceramic magnet Humbucker.
Body = Mahogany
Fretboard = 24 frets rosewood w pearl dot in-lay

Tune-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece
1 Tone control
1 Volume control

It actually is a pretty guitar... if it's not pink! Just because they made it a limited edition, it's hard to believe Gibson thinks collectors would buy a pink one. It's a good thing there are other colours available. Bad choice of colour in KK then.

Live Concerts 101

2007-06-23T09:39:00.000+02:00

For all out there who have never been to a concert, I shall teach you now what I have learnt from personal experience. It's basically a "what I've done" than a "101 manual" but experience helps I believe.

Ok. As of 4 days ago, I've been to 3 different types of concerts. Acoustic Evening, Emo (aka MCR) and Alternative (Incubus). So what have I learnt?

1. The "No cameras" sign is just a bluff.
Yep, the first concert I went to discouraged bringing your camera along. And me being a new-bie, followed the rules to the book. But once I entered, I saw people taking pictures of the stage instantly. So I guess taking pictures with "flashes" is a no-no. Because let's face it, you wouldn't wanna perform and get blinded suddenly! The photographer might get sued here!!

2. Concerts reflect the spectators.
Yep, I was quite happy for seeing Incubus and Dave Matthews. BUT MCR was a major DRAG!!! Why you ask? Because of the little girls in black and thick white make-up who think suicide is the next best thing!! I can't imagine me being in this crowd (even though I have friends who are EMO). But really, white deathly make-up? Black attire? It was a relief none of them are neo-Nazi's which can also be described by the typical Black attire. I was afraid Incubus would attract guys with eye-liners or colourful hairs. Thankfully, Incubus fans are normal (like me, LoL!!)

3. Wear comfortable clothes
Dave Matthews was in the Winter. So obviously I wore my jacket. That was okay because it wasn't really tightly packed and I could just hold it for the whole 3-hour long show. However, these acoustic evenings do NOT have Mosh Pits!! MCR and Incubus is where attire really counts. Make sure the pants or shorts are of button-up types (no zips, just buttons). The T-shirts or shirts are durable. Why do I say button-ups? because I lost the button of my shorts!!! Embarrassing as it seems, no one will notice unless your pants fall off. Which didn't happen to me!! LoL
Then the T-Shirt part. During Mosh Pits, the crazy fans aren't there just to enjoy the music. But also have dangerous fun. And yes when you stand in the middle, that happens basically throughout the whole show. My T-shirt was ok, but I saw some of the fans having torn sleeves.

3.Wear multi-purpose BOOTS!!
These boots are not constructor boots or designer boots. These boots can be used anytime. They have rubber soles and thick covers (Think Timberland). Boots are the best shoes to wear because of the Mosh Pit. The stomping and pushing makes you dis-oriented and be thankful that the area is full with fans because you might fall down any time and the guy standing next to you is gonna help you up. That's probably an unwritten rule. So what did I wear? The worst kind you would choose to wear at a concert! Sandals!!! Here's a photo of post-concert feet. I think the picture explains itself.

4.Eat and Drink and go pee-pee an hour before you actually line-up
Yep I did that. It is because when you're alone, no one is gonna keep your place up front. During Incubus I was standing 3 lines behind the stage. In visual terms, I could read the name of the Acoustic guitar used (which is Guild). And nutrition is important because to get to such a great standing position, standing in line must be an hour and half beforehand. Then you have to wait another hour and half till the place is full. So you might feel thirsty and hungry. Buying food and/or drinks is blood-sucking at a concert. $3.60 for a 200ml Cola!! You must be kidding me!! Even a Pretzel costs $2.00 (at a Bakery it would cost 50cents). Keep sensible. A concert ticket is not cheap in the first place. Even though this one is, it's better to eat something satiable beforehand than eating a Pretzel.

5. The first song is the most dangerous.
When you stand in the first 3 lines that would mean the fans there are basically hardcore. So when the opening act leaves and the main act enters. Just be really ready because now is when the Mosh Pit begins!! I've never been in one before that was a constant threat to me and my feet. The first song is normally an adrenaline-surging song, so when a particular verse was sang, keep your head up, centre of gravity low and follow the mosh pit.

6. Sing along to ALL the songs you know!!
That's the most essential part of going to a concert. You don't just stand there and look at them. You are there to have fun as well. The band wouldn't even know you were there. So have fun!! I was a bit worried though because the Ticket said "Live Grenades" which was the new album. Frankly, I only know one song from the new album. So it would be a bummer when I can't sing along. BUT they played mostly the old songs from their previous albums!! Excellent!!

7. Always be of constant watch of the fan being carried to the front.
I got kicked in the head a number of times and nearly got crushed for not helping to lift the girl over to the front. And no it doesn't happen 3 or 4 times. It happens throughout the whole show!! And it's usually the same girl (because you'll notice her top after seeing her 4 or 5 times).

Alrightie then, I think I've described a lot of things to be weary of. Overall for me, the best was Dave Matthews of course because I don't really look the crazy hardcore fan. I might scream my head off but I am no mosh pit participant!! LoL. MCR was the worst. I am not going to any EMO concerts any more. Incubus is also very memorable because they performed here in BONN!!
Look at that guitar~~~ Hint Hint

a VERY good reason to study in Germany

2007-06-12T12:37:00.000+02:00

IT'S CHEAP!!!!
not forgetting it's in my town~~

Martins D-35

2007-03-24T10:22:00.000+01:00

The ticket means I went to see a concert at 8pm on the 13th March (LoL!!). Figure out the rest.

It was fun. And furthermore, I didn't expect to see Dave Matthews live in person. And even though I was alone, I doubt any of my friends (Germans & Bruneians) would enjoy spectating.

And I realised even though the ticket stated "No Cameras Or Videos", people would still take them in. I'll do that in future.

Taken with my camera phone (lousy but it's ok) I was standing 5 rows behind the barricade. Let's just say I could even see the wordings of "Martins & Co." on the guitar. That close! Or maybe it's just my super eye-sight~~

Dave Matthews had 5 guitars during the show which kept changing back and forth and his friend had his Martin's D-35 throughout the 3 hour long show. And I have to say, even though I know who the friend is, he sure is understated. He improvised a lot of his riffs that made the show itself unique. It's like listening to the same song on your mp3 player repetitively but of different versions!! Except for the singing part, the solos for most of the songs performed are never the same as the ones I have heard before.

Specs:
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Back & Side : Solid East Indian Rosewood
Bracing: Standard X
Pickguard: Black
Finish: Polished Gloss
Finish Neck: Satin

And yes it's the same guitar he uses during the show. It's a wonder though why the guitarist doesn't have a signature model to his name. He's quite famous (don't know if you people know who he is). Probably because he's an independent artist, not bound by any big recording label. But as long as DM has a huge respect for him, I guess the guitarist wouldn't mind.

DY-84c (no3 in my Wish-list)

2007-02-20T21:46:00.000+01:00

I got bored one day, so I was searching for new video clips to download. And I downloaded "Staind - So Far Away" .

At first watch = "hmm, weird way of strumming~~"
Second watch = "no Pickguard!!"
Third watch = "Must be a Yamaha"

Then it struck me... Yamaha have Pickguards!!! So I was very intrigued in getting to know this guitar... So here it is now..

The Problem is.. the model that Aaron Lewis used is no longer in production. Meaning to say, the non-cutaway is available but it's specification are not released~~ But it's cool.

This is an Alvarez-Yairi. Japanese. Electric-Acoustic. Very Pretty.

Specifications:
Body = Dreadnought Cutaway
Back/Side = Indian Rosewood
Top = Solid Spruce
Fingerboard = Ebony
Electronics = System 600T MKII
In-lays = Cat's eyes / Snowflake

In the picture, Aaron has played her for 3 years. Apart from "So Far Away", it's also seen in the video clip "Outside" and like any pro guitarist, he uses his guitar on live appearances as well. I am not particularly sure when he began using DY-84 but it is safe to assume it would be before "Break The Cycle".

The guitar has been auctioned off in eBay to raise funds for his old high school. An eBayer bought it at US$4850.

Replacing a Pick-Up

2007-02-20T20:44:00.000+01:00

I received a comment about replacing Pick-Ups. It's a good thing I read about replacing and everything that is related to Pick-ups during my first post. And I won't be available for the next 2 weeks because I have somewhere to go~~

So I'll write about it now~~~

So why do we need to replace Pick-Ups? There are lots of answers for this.

The first answer is that you need a new sound. Believe it or not, different Pick-Ups give different tones. It's like the difference between Acoustics as well. In Acoustics, the Woods used are detrimental to it's tone. It's hard to explain, you have to experience the tone personally. And that is the same for Pick-Ups. If Acoustics depend on the Wood, then Pick-Ups depend on the Magnet. You know~~ Physics, Resonance, Wavelength, D.C Resistance, blah-blah

The second common answer is Friction. Pick-Ups are magnets. That indirectly means RUST!!! Which means bad tone output.

Other common answers are "I've got the money" , "I need to look inside my Electric.. Ooops I pulled the connecting Wire!!" , blah-blah~~~

A Pick-Up Specialist, Seymour Duncan (HE is a very well-known brand, a simple single-coil costs min 300euros) has made a video on how to replace a Pick-Up, HERE it is~~~

Unfortunately he didn't post a video on how to replace Pick-Ups on Ibanez's.. So good luck there~~

Ok.. So let's talk about the placing now~~
After watching some of the videos (for you Enthusiasts), there are a few minor details not being mentioned,

- Polepiece centers SHOULD and MUST be perfectly aligned with strings, or else sound or tone would be not optimal.

-Uneven string spacings. It begins with minimal spacing at the 1st fret and widens further down. So the bridge, middle and neck Pick-Ups should have different polepiece spacings on the same guitar.

-The Distance between the Polepiece and the strings is not really a big issue. That is why Tremolo's were invented. Tremolo's are a device to either increase or decrease the distance between the strings and polepiece.

Hmmm~~ I can't think of anything else now~~ So I'll stop here and write another blog about a Guitar~~

PICK-UPS

2007-02-18T17:46:00.000+01:00

I actually wanted to do this tomorrow~~~ But I can't play my Guitar!! Any of those 3!! Because of so intense playing since after the exams.. Really~~

So I'll write an explanation about Pick-ups...
This is a model Guitar.

So the HUGE difference betweeen Acoustic and Electrics are ..... PICK-UPS!!
Pick-ups can be compared to the Soundholes as found on ALL Acoustic Guitars. (There are different variations of Soundholes but the most common is a round one in the center).

So yea, on the Far LEFT is a HUMBUCKER Pickup and the Middle and Far RIGHT are SINGLE COILS.

Pick-ups acts as a transducer that capture vibrations (from steel strings for example) and converts them to electronic signals which can be amplified and recorded.

Point 1 = Amplifiers (Loudspeakers) comes hand-in-hand with Pick-ups~~

A magnetic Pick-up consists of a permanent magnet wrapped with a coil of a couple thousand turns of copper wire. You know, like those tiny little engine Tamiya's that I used to play~~
How a Pick-up works is entirely physics, you know, magnetic flux and A.C through the coil of the wire, blah-blah

Point 2 = Pick-ups are magnets~~

Single Coil Pick-ups..
Have a look at SRV's and Eric Clapton's guitar. The 3 Pick-ups in place are Single Coils. Mine as well.. Why? Because that's a standard model of a Fender Stratocaster!! 3 Single Coils in this context would mean S-S-S~~

The Placing of Pick-ups are as follows:
From Left to Right
Bridge -> Middle -> Neck

Point 3 = S-S-S is very commonly associated to Fender

Humbucker..
This Pick-up uses 2 coils, both generating string signals. Both the coils are in series and the magnetic circuit is low loss (physics again). Since the 2 coils are of reverse polarity and reverse-wound and connected in series, noise and interference are essentially cancelled out through a differential Amplifier. Hence the name Humbucker (they "buck the hum")

Present in Gibson's or PRS Guitars
Or else there are called "2-single-coil-pickups-wired-together-with-identical-coils-of-reverse-polarity" Pick-up

An example of a guitar configuration would be H-H (present in Gibson Les Paul)

Point 4 = Humbucker is a cool name

Pick-up Selection..
Can you spot that particular lever? Just above those 3 knobs~~ That's a device required to choose the Pick-ups you want to activate.

The Pick-up selection switch has 5 positions. Position 1, 3 and 5 activate only 1 Pick-up (Bridge, Middle & Neck respectively)

*For easy understanding, the position in the picture is Pos.1*

Pos.2 is the activation of Bridge & Middle
Pos.4 is the activation of Middle & Neck

This is apparently standard. IF your Fender can choose only 3, and is made somewhere between the years of 60's and 70's then it's normal. But if it's a recent production, I have to say, you got CONNED!!!

Point 5 = Know your Pick-ups. Don't get conned.

Ok, I hope I have cleared your doubts about Electric Guitars. Questions are welcome. (^^)

Guitars in my possession~~

2007-02-18T15:51:00.000+01:00

Hallo All, I am sorry for not posting anything, I just finished my exams but I have 3 guitars in mind to post.. But before that I'll show you readers the guitar section of my room..

2 Acoustics and an Electric... and they look like...
The Guitars are:
Crafter Guitar (lent by my friend because he wanted someone to take care of it)
my first Electric = Fender Stratocaster
my first Acoustic = Yamada (I have a feeling it's not really a good brand~~)

~~~~ LA la la LA La ~~~~
Makes me look like a Professional doesn't it? LOL!! Well anyway, next post would be about Picks.. hehe..

Another Stratocaster~~ and Lenny

2007-01-19T21:21:00.000+01:00

SRV. The initials are for Stevie, Ray and Vaughan. You non-loving blues people wouldn't know em. He is the blues guitarist who inspired John Mayer to begin a musical career. His story is very very long. But I rather explain the guitar.

Specs:
Colour: 3-colour Sunburst
Pick-ups: 3 Texas Special Single Coil Strat Pickups
Hardware: Gold-plated
Pickguard: 3-ply Black with engraved SRV

And blah-blah-blah. But a signature model is nothing without the basis of the original guitar. A 1965 Strat that was used during most of his entire career.

The guitar called Lenny

SRV found the guitar at a pawnshop between the years 1975-76. He wanted it but didn't buy it. BUT he received Lenny as a birthday gift in 1976.

The guitar can be first heard on the album "Texas Flood" (1983) where SRV dedicated a song called Lenny for his wife, Lenora.

From the picture, you can see that the neck is maple. Originally it was a thin rosewood. But SRV replaced it with a thicker neck. However, he didn't used a Fender neck.

The guitar was eventually donated to EC (guess who) for the Crossroads Antigua Auction by SRV's brother, Jimmy. It was said that the guitar fetched a price of more than $600,000.

Taylor 614ce

2007-01-04T12:18:00.000+01:00

I was looking at female guitarists on youtube.com. Finally it struck to me the guitarist who made it big at such a young age. Michelle Branch! A friend of mine idolises her, so I might as well talk about her guitar. Maybe she'll be inspired to get a Taylor as well!! LoL!

It's a electric-acoustic guitar. The bold sounds and overtones are largely enhanced by the body itself, Taylor's Grand Auditorium design.

Specs:
Woods = Sitka Spruce (Top)
Big leaf Maple (Sides & Back)
Neck = Hard Rock Maple
Tuning Machines = Gold-plated Taylor Tunes
Electronics = Taylor Expression System
Bracing = Scalloped, X-Braced

The Grand Auditorium is particularly superb for fingerpicking and/or medium strumming.

As you can see, this is the same model of guitar she uses during her early years. TaylorGuitars don't really make any signature models for any artists. I came across only 2 names in the website. However, a lot of artists and celebrities uses Taylor.

If you take a look at her video clip "Everywhere", you'll see her Taylor 614ce. Her very first guitar is blue. I think that's her birthday gift from her uncle when she turned 14.

Now~~ she's gone country. So, like Sheryl Crow, Gibson is the best for country sounds and overtones. Gibson Hummingbird so to speak. Check her new band called "The Wreckers" out.

2nd one~~

2006-12-18T18:02:00.000+01:00

The second one is a good choice for students striving to be pros. Yamaha's LL16 is an acoustic with a genuine powerful resonance and sound. But so are most of the acoustics in the LL series.

Specs:
Top: Solid Spruce
Neck: Solid Rosewood
Bridge: Ebony
Tuning Machines: Die-cast Gold

It's a pretty guitar. Costs around 680euros. Not that bad.
LL36 costs around 2250euros, so I'll stick with this one as a choice!!

Okay now the artist~~ Dave Navarro (Guitarist for Jane' Addiction)!! He normally plays electrics, namely PRS or Les Pauls, but he now owns a signature acoustic.

"I grew up playing a Yamaha acoustic, the first guitar my mother bought me... Now Yamaha is making me my signature model!!"

Rightie-oOo

Based on the original LLX6, this signature model is handcrafted and emblazoned with distinctive custom designs (duh!). This acoustic features a pure white finish - even inside the guitar body itself. Dave's personal unicorn logo just adds more "I've got a signature model and you don't!" vibe~~

Nevertheless, he's right. When a company wants to make you a guitar, you have the right to be cocky!! yea~~~

First out of 5 possibilities for a new Acoustic

2006-12-16T14:44:00.001+01:00

The first out of my list is a Martins D16GT Dreadnought. Why is it the first? Because of the price range!! The other Martins are too expensive for my budget and this Martins & Co. guitar has the most affordable price. It'll make me look like a Pro!!

So yea, Specifications:
Featuring Solid Wood throughout -as all Martins & Co.'s are- (which means the resonance of the guitar is top-notch, because cheap guitars have bad resonance, I seem to realise that a bit too late~~)

Body: 14-Fret Dreadnought (Dreadnought means normal size)
Top Wood: Solid Spruce
Rossette: Bold Herringbone with Single D-18 rings
Side & Back Wood : Solid Mahogany
Fingerboard & Neck: Black Micarta
Body Finish: Gloss Top, Satin Back & Sides
Pickguard: Tortoise Colour

Sooo~~~~ Who uses a D-16 Martins & Co. ?? Hmm Good Question!! JM doesn't use D-16, but Beck does! Who's Beck? I am sure everyone has heard the song "Lost Cause". Well the singer is Beck Hansen or better known as Beck.

This Guitar is a D-16BH (BH is his initials) and is the same series but because it's a signature model, it is obviously a custom one-of-a-kind guitar. This guitar shows a 000-depth dreadnought body (me thinks a Standard dreadnought is not to his liking because of the tone depth). Or maybe he like to be different! LoL!

So yea, GuitarWish no1 is a "Martins & Co. D16GT" which costs at an estimated list price of 999euros. I hope they reduce the price for Christmas sale~~~ LoL

Electro- and Acoustico Heaven!! (In Germany anyway)

2006-12-09T21:22:00.000+01:00

I went to the biggest music-instrument shop in Europe! It's called Music Store. It's located in Köln (or Cologne in english). Total time from my house to the store takes 1 hour (tram, train and by foot).

I went to the Guitar section of course.......

Electric Section .............................................Acoustic Section.....................

It was cool, I get to play any guitar on display as long as it's 3000euros and below. So I did. I tried out Steve Vai's JEM7V (pic as my previous post) and Martins & Co. guitars (OMJM was not in stock~~~)

AND!!!!

BLACKIE!!!!!!
THE LEGENDARY BLUES GUITAR!!!!
SWEET!!!!!
(Not for Sale of course)

On Display without me knowing it!!!

Oh yea, Blackie is the main partner of EC after Brownie (Brownie's story as stated in my previous post).

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. I bet you don't know the feeling of natural ecstasy!!

My Guitar

2006-12-07T18:34:00.000+01:00

As stated in my previous post, I have gone to Mannheim and picked up my guitar. It's a Fender Stratocaster Standard. The picture on the far left is actually my ideal colour for my first guitar. I believe it's a Chrome Red which is rare.

However..... My Guitar is one of it's kind as well. My dealer estimated the manufacturing year is 2004. So that's fine by me. That is because guitars made after the year 2005 (especially cheap electrics) are mass-produced and the flaws are obvious after a month or 2 of usage.

The colour is very vague. My dealer told me it's Metallic Blue. But I can't find such colours on the fender website except Electron Blue which is a different blend. So I guess the colour is a mixture of Daphne Blue and Teal Green. Nevertheless, it is still a limited edition colour.

Now the Specifications!!! YES!!!
Pickguard = 3-Ply White
Pick-ups = 3 Standard Single-Coil Strat® Pick-ups (Ceramic Magnets)
Body = Alder
Neck & Fret = Maple

YES!! Now I own one. She may not be a vintage guitar because of her young age and I haven't even given her a name yet. But she'll surely would help me learn new riffs now.

It's a good thing I am not into heavy rock or some head-banging genres. My family would disapprove!! But I am a bluesman, thanks to my sister and late brother who both introduced me to Eric Clapton. I still do hold his copy of Eric Clapton "Chronicles". Funnily enough, a vision of my sister watching an old tape of Eric Clapton's "Unplugged" video tape still lingers in my mind to this very day.

And not forgetting John Mayer of course. The current bluesman of the music industry.

Eric Clapton in the 70's

2006-11-25T16:13:00.000+01:00

I bet everyone has heard of the song "Layla" in all versions; acoustic, live and studio. And I hope everyone knows that in the 70's, Eric has changed from using Gibson Les Paul to Fender Stratocaster.

The Strat that he used during the early 70's was called "Brownie" and had a sunburst finish, maple neck (the picture on the left is rosewood), skunk-stripe routing and dot inlays. Clapton bought his in 1967 and was used for his album "Eric Clapton". His debut album had a loose, funky feel that was far removed from his previous work, in part because Clapton traded in his muscular Gibson for the leaner sounds of a Stratocaster.

And this very guitar was used for "Layla". But it's a bummer really because after that he used another Strat called "Blackie" as his main partner. Oh well. But Fender's a Fender.

Then on 24.06.1999, Eric auctioned the guitar off at Christie's, NY for $450,000. And people he wasn't broke, he was raising funds for his alcohol and drug treatment center, The Crossroads Center.

This Guitar is nice~~~ partly because JM uses it (Red custom-made, his current hug) and I have one (Made in Mexico, Metallic Blue Limited Edition) which is at my friend's house. I am gonna take it next week (2.12.06) and that is the turning point to where I will begin my true journey to Delta Blues (EC) or Pop Blues (aka JM).

Steve Vai's Guitar aka Evolution

2006-11-08T22:26:00.000+01:00

Now, I shall be talking about Steve Vai Signature Electric Guitar. The Ibanez JEM7V. This Guitar is still in production and costs roughly around US$2800.

Steve Vai wanted to design a custom-made JEM for himself. After a lot of pondering, he decided that the colour would be white with gold hardware. Ibanez then sent 4 of the JEM7V for his pleasure. He then designed a special pick-up with DiMarzio. He named all 4 pick-ups (each for his JEM7V) after a Harley Davidson Engine Style.

Finally the Pick-up that should be placed in each of his JEM7V is the EVOLUTION Pick-up.

Steve began using Evo before the Sex and Religion recordings (1993) and has been his "partner" ever since.

Steve has stated that "Evo" has been the voice of his heart. Steve have cried, screamed and bled through Evo. Evo has helped Steve express his deepest emotional expressions and secrets.

I only came to know this Guitar during one of Steve's performance. His handling and overtones really shows how much he cares his guitar. Unfortunately, like everything else, Evo has been a victim of Age. Its constant usage and playtime has more or less wrecked the guitar. But nevertheless, Evo is still in Business.

.

The First Guitar

2006-10-21T22:05:00.000+02:00

The First Guitar I shall point out is the OM-28 John Mayer Signature Limited Edition.

This Guitar was made by Martin & Co. and was exclusively designed by John Mayer himself. It was released on 13.07.2003, 2 months before the album "Heavier Things" was released (09.09).

What makes this Martin & Co. Guitar so special is that John Mayer himself is a loyal fan of Martin guitars. For much of his career, Mayer has depended on Martin guitars both on stage and in the studio. His personal arsenal includes an OM-42, a 000-28EC, an HD-35 and an OM-28V.

Based on Martin’s classic OM design, with the long 25.4-inch scale, 000 body size and 1/4" scalloped bracing for powerful, balanced tone, the OM-28 John Mayer Signature Model showcases a mix of unusual elements.

The African black ebony fingerboard is embellished with the "Triangle and Dots" international pilots’ symbol for 1200 hours (high noon), replicated from Mayer’s wristwatch, in colorful abalone pearl and mother-of-pearl at the 12th fret and at the 20th fret by his signature in mother-of-pearl.

Why do I want to make this the first of my collection? Simply because I am a fan of John Mayer. The guitar itself is of enchanting quality because the guitars (despite the expensive price) have been sold out completely!!

About Vintage Guitars

2006-10-21T21:30:00.000+02:00

I like Guitars. Apparently after taking a look at Steve Vai's Ibanez in one of his video clips.