maharizm wrote:A few years back, Kitty did sell the limited edition Fender monogrammed straps (with the Scandal logo) on their own. This is a long shot - but perhaps scanning Yahoo! Auctions for these babies. I cannot remember if the colours were the same as the ones you get with these guitars.

Yes, they all were the same colors that were given with the instruments ordered from Kitty. I myself I have HARU's that I bought at the Queens are trumps hall tour in fall 2012, and it's the same one HARU has on her Squier + same as the ones that were given out with the HARU Squier orders from Kitty.

HarunaGuy wrote:Can any Americans tell me where they had to order theirs? And how much extra in dollars the shipping/postage was...?

If you want TIMO's bass without going through an auction, there is ONE left on Amazon JP. It is not sold by Amazon itself but an online shop via Amazon which means you need to use a proxy (eg Tenso) for this.

It is going for 77000円 which is 20-odd thousand yen more than a non-Kitty one. And it's the last one. So be quick - if you want one.

Link to Bluetus on Amazon JP

Just picked up my SKULLSILVER from the luthier. It actually plays great after a full set-up, so I think the temperature/humidity changes from Japan to Australia must've thrown everything off a bit. The shop assistants were in awe when I opened the case to check it over, as well. The store is big on Fender guitars, but they'd never seen anything like it before, so they were very curious to know who designed such an awesome looking guitar!

maharizm wrote:As I thought - I didn't get the SCANDAL-labelled gig bag by virtue of not buying BLUETUS at Kitty

Yeah I was afraid of that after seeing the way my Stratomaster came packaged from Kitty. It seemed obvious that they had added the gig bag and strap themselves to a second outer box. I'm glad I got at least the one full set. I'll be storing the bag and strap for safekeeping, I guess! I would have bought all three from Kitty if I'd known that.

So the package you got from Ishibashi was just in the regular Squier box, and only had the bass, correct? I guess on the plus side, I don't feel too bad about making my in-laws store the two other guitars for 4 months now, since that inner Squier box holding my Stratomaster was pretty small.

I'm thinking of having a fret polishing done on my Stratomaster... I can do my own setups (and this guitar could use one) but my Stratomaster frets are all kind of gritty feeling on bends. I don't notice any sharp fret ends, at least; my US Jazzmaster was actually worse in that area before I had its frets sanded and polished.

I know we all have our own tastes but the more I play it, the more I don't like the Hot Rails. Not sure if it's just the Squier version or the Hot Rails in general, but I find it wimpy and harsh sounding. I've tried using it mixed with the middle single coil, but I still just find myself using the two single coils by themselves (either together or individually) pretty much all the time, even for leads.

@BrokenbyDefault. Ah really jealous of you, haha. I would've reacted the same way as those shop assistants too if I saw that guitar. It's really stunning. Personally, I would've gotten Haruna's signature tele too, but it was too much of a hassle to ship it here to Australia. Out of curiosity, what part of Aus are you from?

spacecadet wrote:I know we all have our own tastes but the more I play it, the more I don't like the Hot Rails. Not sure if it's just the Squier version or the Hot Rails in general, but I find it wimpy and harsh sounding. I've tried using it mixed with the middle single coil, but I still just find myself using the two single coils by themselves (either together or individually) pretty much all the time, even for leads.

I watched a demo of the Stratomaster on YouTube the other day, it went through all the pick ups, and I have to agree, the hot rails was my least favourite of the positions, too. I really liked the neck pickup tone, though, which was strange for me, because I usually prefer the tone of bridge pickups.

ichiruki! wrote:@BrokenbyDefault. Ah really jealous of you, haha. I would've reacted the same way as those shop assistants too if I saw that guitar. It's really stunning. Personally, I would've gotten Haruna's signature tele too, but it was too much of a hassle to ship it here to Australia. Out of curiosity, what part of Aus are you from?

I totally understand, I was hesitant to order one myself, and the shipping was around $150 on top of the $650 for the actual guitar after currency conversion, since I bought mine from kitty to get the bonus case and strap. Very expensive stuff for a $400-$500 guitar that you can't see or play before you buy.

I'm down in South Australia. I see you're from Australia, too!  .clap.

BrokenByDefault wrote:

spacecadet wrote:I know we all have our own tastes but the more I play it, the more I don't like the Hot Rails. Not sure if it's just the Squier version or the Hot Rails in general, but I find it wimpy and harsh sounding. I've tried using it mixed with the middle single coil, but I still just find myself using the two single coils by themselves (either together or individually) pretty much all the time, even for leads.

I watched a demo of the Stratomaster on YouTube the other day, it went through all the pick ups, and I have to agree, the hot rails was my least favourite of the positions, too. I really liked the neck pickup tone, though, which was strange for me, because I usually prefer the tone of bridge pickups.

ichiruki! wrote:@BrokenbyDefault. Ah really jealous of you, haha. I would've reacted the same way as those shop assistants too if I saw that guitar. It's really stunning. Personally, I would've gotten Haruna's signature tele too, but it was too much of a hassle to ship it here to Australia. Out of curiosity, what part of Aus are you from?

I totally understand, I was hesitant to order one myself, and the shipping was around $150 on top of the $650 for the actual guitar after currency conversion, since I bought mine from kitty to get the bonus case and strap. Very expensive stuff for a $400-$500 guitar that you can't see or play before you buy.

I'm down in South Australia. I see you're from Australia, too!  .clap.

Oh I saw that video of the Stratomaster demo too. Looks-wise, it looks great. But I'm not too huge on the overall sound tbh. I'm pretty sure it's the recording interface or the amp or the player's guitar settings, but I'm not too fond of the single coils or the DD humbucker in that video. :/ 



Yeah, totally, but I think that the price is actually pretty reasonable, especially with the strap and gig bag. For example, a Gibson LP that could be $1500-$2000 in the U.S can be sold here about $2000-$2500 and that's sometimes without the cases too. But as much as I really do want these Signature Guitars, I have a try before you buy policy so I couldn't really take the chance on it, no matter how badly I wanted it. Oh and you're from SA! I'm from Vic~

I'll plug in my Skullsilver tonight if Amplitube decides to work (still amp shopping, I can't decide) and post a quick demo, I'm curious as to how these pick ups sounds, but I'm not expecting them to be much better.

Not happy with the state the luthier left the strap in, I'm actually furious. He's just forced the strap locks through the hole without cutting off the excess and creased the leather, including the Scandal logo. To make things worse, he's shoved it in the case so the back of a strap lock has marked the back of the leather too. Luckily I was able to remove them before the material stretched, and the washer that comes with the strap locks anyway should hide most of the creasing. Still, not ideal for a limited edition strap.  .rage.

OMG !!!!!!!! I wanna buy Tomomi Bass  .wow.  .wow.  .wow.

spacecadet wrote:So the package you got from Ishibashi was just in the regular Squier box, and only had the bass, correct?

Ikebe 'double-bagged' it - the thinner Squier box was within a box. The Ikebe guys must've felt the Squier box on its own was too flimsy for shipping overseas.



My MAMI was shipped by Buyee.com and prior to shipping they advised additional packing (which was 500円). As for the Skullsilver - I have a feeling it's being shipped using the Squier box on its own as I'm sure Ishibashi sent it on its own (as it was only a Takkyubin job) - come to think of it it shouldn't be a problem as those guitars were shipped out of Indonesia in the original Squier boxes. I hope they are all right (at the mo, Haru's in a depot and just had British Customs slapped tax on it and Mami's still in an EMS depot awaiting her flight)   

BrokenByDefault wrote:Not happy with the state the luthier left the strap in, I'm actually furious. He's just forced the strap locks through the hole without cutting off the excess and creased the leather, including the Scandal logo. To make things worse, he's shoved it in the case so the back of a strap lock has marked the back of the leather too. Luckily I was able to remove them before the material stretched, and the washer that comes with the strap

Dang. I feel cheesed off reading that too, and it's not even my guitar. Hope the damage wasn't too bad.

_______________

I am looking forward to hear what the other two guitars sound like. Like ichiruki!, perhaps the tinny tone on that YouTube vid has lots to do with what the video guy has on his setting on his effects/amp/amp sim/whatever. I do feel that regardless what the guitar sounds like naturally, you can mould a tone that is more favourable to some extent even without modification. I wonder if a better tone can be had on the Stratomaster by having heavier strings as one does on many Fender offset bodied guitars, eg like the Jaguar, especially with the fiddly bridge and the way the strings do not go through the body.

PS: After seeing MAMI's actual Stratomaster up close in the Rock Study Go! mag (and the Yoake no Ryuuseigun PV) - I am so tempted to check out if a bridge change is feasible. What are your thoughts on the that black rubber/foam strip (is this a rubber mute?) between the AOM and the trem, spacecadet? (Personally I have NO idea why she has it - could it be to get rid of the rattly feel when you strum the guitar?)

The foam strip just prevents unwanted ringing noises from the bridge if that's what it is.

maharizm wrote:I am looking forward to hear what the other two guitars sound like. Like ichiruki!, perhaps the tinny tone on that YouTube vid has lots to do with what the video guy has on his setting on his effects/amp/amp sim/whatever.

He seems to be recording through a Yamaha THR10, which I have as well for that purpose, and generally it's a great recording amp/interface, but you do need to be careful with the settings. The THR10 is a modeling amp that's ridiculously customizable and also has a straight "DI" recording mode.

To me his tone sounds like a DI recording. If you use the DI mode, then you need to make sure you add your own modeling in software. He might have recorded in DI mode thinking that was the "purest" tone, which technically it is, but no guitar ever sounds like that when played through an amp (which is how electric guitars are always played). You're literally just hearing the raw electrical performance of the pickups alone. Even my American Jazzmaster sounds similar to this using DI with nothing added.

My other amp is a Fender Twin Reverb, which is pretty much the Fender reference amp (and Haruna's preferred amp before doing her Shinos promotional deal) and that's what I'm basing my tone judgments on. There's an obvious difference between the single coils and the Hot Rails. The Hot Rails is probably the "least good" sounding pickup I've heard on that amp (I'm trying to be nice), and I've played about 10 or 12 guitars through this same amp. The single coils sound pretty good, though.

What are your thoughts on the that black rubber/foam strip (is this a rubber mute?) between the AOM and the trem, spacecadet? (Personally I have NO idea why she has it - could it be to get rid of the rattly feel when you strum the guitar?)

Personally I hate those, but with any signature model I think the goal should be for it to be as close to the real thing as possible, and this is nondestructive so you may as well do it. The purpose of it is to stop the harmonics that happen behind the bridge. The reason most Jazzmaster/Jaguar players hate seeing people do that is that that's part of what makes the JM and Jag sound distinctive; no other Fender solid body guitars have those extra harmonics.

But I guess her goal with this guitar was not really to get a Jazzmaster, but a Strat with a Jazzmaster body shape. So the foam would help with making it sound more like a Strat.

Most people just use regular weatherstripping foam and hers looks like that too. You can buy it at home improvement stores.

Just used a 10mm hole punch on the strap holes and the strap locks fit perfectly now. But if anyone wants to keep theirs in mint condition, I recommended just keeping it in the plastic, as it still managed to crease the leather a little bit even with a larger hole and my careful hands.
Resale value = 0.

BrokenByDefault wrote:Just used a 10mm hole punch on the strap holes and the strap locks fit perfectly now. But if anyone wants to keep theirs in mint condition, I recommended just keeping it in the plastic, as it still managed to crease the leather a little bit even with a larger hole and my careful hands.
Resale value = 0.

Did you change the stock ones on your Skullsilver to Schaller strap locks?

I'm gonna use the one that's coming with my Kitty MAMI Stratomaster - don't really mind creases, I like them looking used. Hehehe.

Yep, just the traditional Schallers, they fit Fender guitars perfectly without having to drill, but they don't seem to fit many straps without needing a hole punch.

My SKULLSILVER is in the house.

Just a quick rundown on the guitar - the neck has smooth fret edges, which means no need to have them filed. The tuning keeps going out but I am sure that's due to the temperature of the room the shipment was stored in at the depot. Give it a couple of hours. Most importantly - playability: at first it felt a tad tinny (not expecting a resonating tone sans amp as you do a Fender) but thus far, I am happy with the tone. Click on the OCD, that was it. For what this guitar is worth, I am super satisfied.

Two down, one to go.

Skullsilver looks sweet!

Just got back my Stratomaster.  Had my tech set it up with a new nut and smooth at the fret ends.  It plays great now!  Also just installed the Rails set and loving the different sounds I'm getting especially from the Cool Rails.  I didn't play with the stock pickups too much, but the real Hot Rails is definitely better sounding.

You went for the whole hog, didntcha bouvip. Nice!

My STRATOMASTER arrived yesterday.  Firstly, I have to thank kenzo for that advice regarding the import duty - saved a few pennies there! Unlike SKULLSILVER the SM's frets are a tad rough at the edges but will deal with that later. This is the only Kitty guitar of the lot and I have to say the soft case is waaaay better than the Squier ones. And of course, the strap. Not putting it in a museum - I am so using it.

I see what people have been going on about the tone of the guitar. I don't wanna compare the SM with an actual Fender but I kinda expected a 'janglier' tone (this is before even plugging the guitar in), just like my Fender Jaguar. I shall try out the foam mute I snagged on eBay when it arrives in the post. i also agree that the clean tones from the stock pups were decent sounding. The DD HR pup at the bridge? I'm ambivalent - on its own it was kinda OK clean but I thought they sang kinda well distorted. I just didn't like position 2 (bridge/middle). Never had any problems with position 2 on my hotrodded MAMIcaster, so have to kinda think if I should go the whole like bouvip - although I would still have 2 single coil pups on her. And one more thing - with the JM bridge, I cannot play hard as the strings do move a tad. Will try out a heavier gauge or prolly ask my usual guitar tech guy the pros and cons of using an AoM!

This is a quick soundbite of her distorted tone with the DDHR bridge pup, thru an EHX Big Muff Pi. I know, I should've mic-ed it but will do that another time:

So jealous of everyone that has one D: I just got a new guitar so I didn't even bother asking my dad T_T 

I wanted really wanted Bluetus to be my first bass but I just I'm out of luck :\

I just learned the Scandal Signature Squier is now available in local music store in my city.
Gotta check it out tomorrow!

SophieLam wrote:I just learned the Scandal Signature Squier is now available in local music store in my city.
Gotta check it out tomorrow!

:O Where do you live (if you don't mind telling me)?

https://www.facebook.com/TomLeeMusic.hk?hc_location=timeline

This music shop in Hong Kong officially sells the signature instruments now! Looking at some currency conversions, the price they're asking for (HK $2600) is a quite a fair bit cheaper than the (JPY 60,000) though. 

Ah SophieLam is really lucky then!

I learned all MamiMaster available there were bought by Scandal's Sushi ( Hong Kong Forum) members, and it is out of stock now. 
I tried the Haruna Tele, the price-performance ratio is quite high. The silver sparkle finish is stunning. With the signature on the back of head stock + finish worth the bucks!
Too bad all instrument come with NO bags, NO strap, NOTHING!

^^@SophieLam. Ah only a few days and it's already out of stock?! I knew they'd sell out eventually, but damn that was really quick! I wonder how much stock they actually had. It is a shame that the bonuses don't come with the guitars, but the price without all the hassles of shipping and whatnot really is amazing. I really want to be in HK now atm lol.

Are you planning on getting any of the guitars? If so, best of luck!

I read there were only 200 of each model made, but I haven't been able to find an official confirmation. I'm very surprised to see that an international store was able to get a few. I initially got excited because I thought they might have done another run of these and I was considering picking up either the Stratomaster or Bluetus, but it doesn't seem to be the case as all other stores are still out of stock.

Also, don't let the no strap and bag stop you from purchasing one if you get the chance, while they are nice to have, that $2600HKD price tag for just the guitar is too amazing to pass up. The craftsmanship on these models is above anything I could have expected and they play and look great as well, definitely worth the price!