NGD - Ibanez MSM1

Riccardo Ros

Riccardo Ros

Experienced
I didn't need a new guitar... but come on.. we always need a new guitar!
This was the first signature for Marco Sfogli and when it came out (even if I don't like usually signature guitars) I thought it was a JPM smart clone!

At that time I decided to pass on it... but later on I found myself looking for one.
The only downside (and the way I was justifying myself) was the lack of stainless steel frets... when this popped out... I was done!

The guitar was given to this shop (coming from a collector) and sent to Fago-Cablepro & GuitarMigi (Italian guitar modders) to mod the guitar to the exact specifications of Marco Sfogli, including stainless steel frets.

It's a premium line (made in Indonesia) but it's on pair with my other prestiges. It's really resonant and inspiring!
Of course I'm just a bedroom-rock-star but she makes me really happy ♥️

EDIT: some pictures taken in my man's cave
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MSM1_01.JPG
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Andy Eagle said:
A new cap but the pots and switch are the originals.
SS frets is a nice addition.
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yep, the switch was already a good DiMarzio, volume, tone and input jack are new DiMarzio pro parts.
The cap acts more like a gain reducer.

That was my first experience with the SynchroniZR.. I'm really impressed!
 
Those are Alpha pots same as stock. The pro parts ones are CTS . The switch is C&K, DiMarzio don't actually make pots and switches they just rebrand others. Most companies do this.
 
It's quite common for people to get whole wiring looms from so called up market brands that contain the same and in some cases worse quality parts than they are replacing . Obsidian wiring kits ( for instance )for Les Pauls have a very nasty switch and solder less wiring is generally a bad idea.
 
Andy Eagle said:
It's quite common for people to get whole wiring looms from so called up market brands that contain the same and in some cases worse quality parts than they are replacing . Obsidian wiring kits ( for instance )for Les Pauls have a very nasty switch and solder less wiring is generally a bad idea.
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I see your point and I totally respect your experience and knowledge!
In this case the electric mods were made by a total fanatic, you can check his works on top player's guitars on his website (Fago)
(He also always remove solderless wiring! just to give kudos to your point..)

By the way, I'no expert and I rely only on the feeling under my fingers.. and in this case I'm really impressed
 
I just looked at his wiring???
The black goop is a major PITA . Also CF but not around the sides? The quality is good but I don't understand the reasoning .
Nice guitar though ,Enjoy.
 
Andy Eagle said:
I just looked at his wiring???
The black goop is a major PITA . Also CF but not around the sides? The quality is good but I don't understand the reasoning .
Nice guitar though ,Enjoy.
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I really don't know ;)
CF is also around the sides, but they are covered by a metal sheet
 
I bought one a few years ago, fantastic guitar! I replaced the Tone Zone in bridge with a Dreamcatcher as I'm not a fan of the TZ.
The trem is really , really good.

DDyF88m.jpg
 
Blix said:
I bought one a few years ago, fantastic guitar! I replaced the Tone Zone in bridge with a Dreamcatcher as I'm not a fan of the TZ.
The trem is really , really good.

DDyF88m.jpg
Click to expand...
Great picture btw!
Do you have the 2017 or 2018 version? (they have different neck woods)
 
Andy Eagle said:
I just looked at his wiring???
The black goop is a major PITA . Also CF but not around the sides? The quality is good but I don't understand the reasoning .
Nice guitar though ,Enjoy.
Click to expand...
I asked the tech guy if he could remember the mods made:
  • replace alpha pots with CTS or Bourns
  • Treble Bleed custom on volume
  • replace cap with Orange Drop
  • high conduction shielded cables
  • CF shield
  • Fago-Filter in the split central position
Fago-Filter is a passive filter that acts only on one coil of each humbucker making it work at ¾; this creates really interesting acoustic sounds on the clean ones: a kind of partial split that leaves one coil natural, thus without any frequency cut, filtering the second one. You get a very "V" shaped final frequency cut with highs and lows highlighted but less midrange.

Regarding the "black goop" he says:
The resin you see is both to protect the potentiometers from dust and to protect the welds from oxidation, but mainly it is an aesthetic factor that has distinguished my work for more than 25 years.
Click to expand...
 
Riccardo Ros said:
I asked the tech guy if he could remember the mods made:
  • replace alpha pots with CTS or Bourns
  • Treble Bleed custom on volume
  • replace cap with Orange Drop
  • high conduction shielded cables
  • CF shield
  • Fago-Filter in the split central position
Fago-Filter is a passive filter that acts only on one coil of each humbucker making it work at ¾; this creates really interesting acoustic sounds on the clean ones: a kind of partial split that leaves one coil natural, thus without any frequency cut, filtering the second one. You get a very "V" shaped final frequency cut with highs and lows highlighted but less midrange.

Regarding the "black goop" he says:
Click to expand...
They are Alpha pots, the curve on the PCB edge with the contacts prove this. The only other pots still made in this shape are Alpha copies.
They are not bad ,but they are the stock pots.
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My favorite pots where some anonymous parts that only had "Made in Japan" stampled on them that I found in a local shop many years ago. Really smooth.
 
I still have the original volume pot, but I disconnected the treble bleed day1. I will eventually put in a CTS I guess, the stock Alpha is too linear for me.
 
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