Hello everyone! Eizaz here, and this is the end result of all our hard work over the past couple of months. Everything is finally complete; all teaching rooms, offices, stage, jamming studio and recording studio all under one roof. I'll allow the pictures to do the talking!
By Eizaz Azhar
Hi guys! Most of you may know me as a teacher in the music store Mama Treble Clef Studio and in-house musician (technician/admin guy/IT department/repairman/brute strength lifting dude/the guy you turn to when everything goes wrong and want things fixed in the shortest time possible without prior notice) among other things. I've been given the task of chronicling events that will be going on for the next good month or two. So here I am, writing this on my (infamous red-flamed decorated Toshiba Qosmio that weighs 7kg) notebook in a new, empty lot that we will be moving in shortly. Thing is, we've been talking about moving and all for quite some time now as some of my students might be able to attest to, and it's finally coming around. This, however exciting and fun it may seem - and actually is, I assure you - poses a bit of an issue to some members of the team (okay only two), particularly Ray Lee (right) and myself.
And now we're moving for a third and possibly final time to this monster of a venue, enough to house all divisions of the shop, inclusive of a recording studio, performance stage, showroom, cafe and music classes (natural disaster relief spot, emergency gathering area - who knows what else, really).
Our in-house teacher Siang Xi, member of the fusion group JUNK plays his own composition in our studio, as a demonstration of pop piano playing. Enjoy!
Multi-instrumentalist Eizaz Azhar runs through the fundamentals of a flute in this video. If you're just starting out, this makes a great introduction to the instrument and what it's all about. Enjoy!
INTRODUCTION
Guitars come in all different shapes and sizes, forms and colors - and is arguably the most personalized musical instrument of all time. They also come in all sorts of price ranges as well, depending on the player, experience and budget. Today's review will take a look at the new range of guitars from the brand Jaxville; Demon, Hades, and Zeus. Basically a guitar catered to the entry-level market, each guitar is adorned with high-quality airbrushed images which make for a stunning display on stage or in the studio.
OVERVIEW
The Jaxville Custom Series II guitars are distinctive designer guitars with a penchant for the stage. There are 3 "themes" to choose from: "Demon" showcases a red-and-black theme of flames, "Hades", named after the Greek god of the underworld depicts a shadowy figure in the moonlight, and "Zeus", the King of Gods, has lightning bolts splitting the guitar apart. Each guitar is finished in hi-quality gloss finish, with matching headstock and neck. All guitars are based on a Fender design, with three single-coil pickups and a rosewood neck, 22 frets each. The review unit was packaged with a 10-watt amplifier, a soft case and an instructional DVD.
FEATURES
Construction: Bolt-on
Body: Basswood
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Hardware: Chrome, covered
Controls: 1 Volume, 2 Tone, 5 way pickup selector switch
Frets: 22
Pickups: S-S-S
Bridge: Synchronized Tremolo
Pickguard: Black
Finish: Hi-gloss
Each guitar features a 5-way selector switch, two tone controls and one volume control to shape your sound. Every inch of the guitar is coated in shiny, gloss black with no wood to be seen, augmenting the guitar's stage appearance. The pickups emit a glassy, clear tone as expected from a single coil; rhythm playing and accompaniment work very well on the guitar. When put through an overdrive pedal, the guitar responds like a Fender Stratocaster, making it suitable for rock and even country playing. The neck is in the shape of a soft "C" neck reminiscent of a Telecaster; this guitar would be suitable for players who are comfortable with their thumb on the back or side of the neck. The guitar is slightly on the heavy side, perhaps due to the full gloss finish but in no way does the it affect the guitar's playability and balance. As for the supplied amplifier, it does a good job of a first practice amplifier to learn the basics on, but will surely need to be upgraded once the player reaches a certain skill level. The included DVD is informative and runs through many beginner issues, and is of a great help to those just starting out.
CONCLUSION
After spending some time with these guitars, it can be said that the Jaxville Custom Series II guitars are truly catered for the entry-level player who is looking for a different axe to try out. The eye-catching design will surely attract the attention of those who want to stand out, and considering the market pricing of the guitar, it looks like a great bargain. The Jaxville guitar comes in a package as well, alongside an amplifier, soft case and instructional DVD. The guitar plays well, stays in tune and sounds decent. If you're looking for something unique and different for a first guitar, by all means go for it!
Orkestra Simfoni Remaja's Principal Clarinettist, Eizaz Azhar, plays his own rendition of the Christmas carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" arranged for soprano, alto, tenor saxophone, piano and bass guitar. The carol is based on a melody by the great composer Felix Mendelssohn, originally created to celebrate the anniversary of the printing press by Johann Gutenberg (also known as the Gutenberg Cantata). Eizaz's setup is as follows:
William Soprano, Alto and Tenor saxophones
JodyJazz HR5 mouthpieces on soprano and tenor + Rico H Ligature
JodyJazz DV7 mouthpiece on alto + JodyJazz Ring Ligature
Rico Reserve 2.5 reeds on all horns
Merry Christmas 2010 and a Happy New Year! The Orkestra Simfoni Remaja can be found on Facebook!
All instruments played by Eizaz Azhar
Arrangement by Eizaz Azhar
Venue, facilities and instruments sponsored by
Mama Treble Clef Studio and ER Studios
Recorded in ER Studios. Camera & lighting by Eizhan Azhar. Mixed, mastered and edited by Eizaz Azhar. Engineered by Eizaz Azhar. Arranged and performed by Eizaz Azhar. For best listening results play video on large external speakers or a good pair of headphones as laptop speakers are unable to reproduce many of the frequencies.
Mama Treble Clef Studio & ER Studios are located at:
Lot 3015, 3rd Floor, Endah Parade, Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA
Tel : +603-95432201
mamatrebleclef@gmail.com
erstudios.my@gmail.com
http://www.mamatreble.com.my
http://erstudios-malaysia.blogspot.com