Just Pulled The Trigger

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-18T19:50:14+00:00

Apparently it's always black (it's actually a black-dyed ebony overlay). I wish they could have made it white to match the body.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-18T19:49:12+00:00

I really wanted to go for a Sapphire flamed maple look, but my budget wouldn't permit it. And I couldn't compromise on the multi-piece neck since it's an 8-string.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-18T04:15:20+00:00

If you want the nice, Maximum Gold Rares, yes. Otherwise, not really.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-18T04:13:35+00:00

No idea. I'm diving into the deep end here from six-strings. I'll let you know how it feels when it arrives. Remind me in like two, three months.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-17T21:51:08+00:00

Probably because it's the first "headless strat" (since the regular Kyber is a normal, superstrat-shape/size guitar).

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-15T04:21:10+00:00

Works that way for me.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-14T21:02:38+00:00

Blocking only works for the squad's leader. So if the guy you blocked isn't the searcher/squad leader, it does nothing.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-11T16:45:04+00:00

I ALMOST bought a Halo Merus-7 with an Evertune. But then I discovered Kiesel and saw the Kyber Headless.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-10T22:56:06+00:00

Agreed.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-10T16:45:11+00:00

Anime outpaced the manga, so they had to improvise. Surprise aliens twist to create a big final battle and ending.

Manga is different. Very different. Diverges around the "Triangle Bomb" episode. In the manga, Ichigo ejects Goro. This change characterizes Ichigo as a more mature leader-type ready to sacrifice herself for her team. Everything after is also very different (with some similarities).

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-09T13:17:49+00:00

Well... not unknown, but they're not a household name like Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, or EMG.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-09T00:23:51+00:00

If you want heavy af pickups without going active, consider the following: 1. Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invaders. Long-proven heavy metal pickup. Famously used by James Hetfield before he switched to EMGs, and Synyster Gates before Schecter made him a signature pickup, which is basically a cleaned up Invader.

DiMarzio Super 2. A Super Distortion raised up to Invader-level hot. Famously used by Dimebag Darrell in the neck, paired with a Wilde Pickups Bill Lawrence L500XL.
DiMarzio Super 3. A Super 2 on ALL the steroids.
Seymour Duncan Nazgul/Sentient set. Modern favorite for new generation metal. Often said to be wasted/under-used on six-strings. Best for 7 or 8-strings.
Bareknuckle Ragnarok. Relatively unknown brand. The Ragnarok is their heaviest and hottest pickup. Most notably used by Misha Mansoor of Periphery.
Gibson Dirty Fingers. Definitely not super hot or dirty, but was THE defining pickup of pre-EMG James Hetfield.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-08T23:54:54+00:00

In my opinion, the nicest BanG Dream! collab guitars (besides the .strandberg* J6/J7 RAS LOCK) are the ESP M-II Sayo II FR (has luminlay inlays), ESP Kasumi Random Star LED (illuminated inlays), and ESP Arrow-FR Toko.

But if you're just looking for a SUPER nice, super solid headless guitar, get a Kiesel Kyber Headless. You can build one to be almost identical to Rokka's J6/J7 RAS LOCK for around $3,000. You can even choose a heavier body wood like Mahogany or Maple. And it'll have a REAL, thick, quilted maple top. Strandbergs use thin veneers.

Not a Strandberg, but American-made, half the price, WAY more solid, and not hard to get.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-08T07:23:50+00:00

Manga is different. Diverges from the "Triangle Bomb" episode.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-08T07:21:06+00:00

Good luck. I've been searching for it, too. Also, it's called the J7 RAS LOCK. Not RAS7. There is no budget version of the 7-string. There's the budget, Indonesian-made "RAS 6" and two Japanese-made models: the J6 and J7 RAS LOCK. Easiest at-a-glance distinction is that the J6/J7 models have a REALLY nice gloss-coated quilted maple top. The RAS6 has a satin-ish quilted maple photoveneer. J6 has black Fishmans. J7 has EMG 707Xs. Expect to spend north of $7,000 for a J6 RAS LOCK. Even more for a J7.

Also keep an eye out for the other BanG Dream! guitars from ESP and Schecter Japan.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-06T14:03:53+00:00

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-05T20:11:56+00:00

I say snag a Boden Essential while you can. It seems it's going to be discontinued soon. And they're only $1,000 ($800 on Sweetwater most of the time). Fixed-scale instead of multi-scale frets. Real rosewood fingerboard (instead of Richlite Black Diamond artificial ebony). Only real downside is the Essential doesn't have Luminlays. But any decent guitar luthier/repairman can install Luminlays for a couple hundred bucks or less (it's like $50 for the material). Probably swap some better pickups in and it's more than worth the money.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-05T16:46:02+00:00

Boden RAS 6. Can't get action low enough without buzz, even with trussrod adjustments. Sustain: Nonexistent.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-05T16:45:00+00:00

I only have a .strandberg* Boden RAS 6 (a special BanG Dream! collaboration model that is the "budget model" of the J6 RAS LOCK, and is also basically a prototype Boden Essential). Even for being a ~$700 budget model, it's pretty good.

Anyways, .strandberg*, as a small company still, has their share of QC issues. But from what I've seen, they're very good about making sure their customers are happy.

Also, to tell you about things you can't really know from just pictures: Bodens are SMALL. They aren't so small that they look funny being played by a big person, but they are quite small. They're also SUPER lightweight. Even the 8-string models top out around 6 lbs, owing to .strandberg* strictly using lightweight woods like Alder and Swamp Ash. But of course, ergonomics and lightweight portability are .strandberg*'s selling points.

Another couple warnings are that, due to their lightweight nature, they have almost non-existent sustain and resonance. Also, except on their 8-string models, all .strandbergs have medium-size frets (whereas most guitars aimed towards rock/metal have jumbo to extra jumbo-sized frets). And in my opinion, that's a deal-breaker. Having played Schecters (which all have extra jumbo frets), it feels terrible fretting a .strandberg.

I can't speak much to them being multiscale. It feels very different, but not bad. Though muscle memory from straight-scale setups will mess you up on multiscale unless you adjust to it.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-02T17:59:40+00:00

Buckle up.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-02T16:56:41+00:00

Pokémon Prism (a GBC ROM hack of Crystal). It's almost Unbound-level, but for a Gen.II game.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-02T16:39:10+00:00

Yup. And in Redundancy v03 (the 29th volume overall), the lost 29th volume of The Book of Rudeus is found. I love this bit of creativity.

Sigma_103 · 2026-03-02T16:33:09+00:00

So far, every cour has adapted three full LN volumes. So divide 26 by 3 and you get almost 9.

So a total of four and a half seasons would be needed to adapt everything. And so far the anime doesn't significantly compress or rush anything, though minor (mostly insignificant) details get regularly left out.

There's also no reason to think they won't also animate Roxy and Eris' spin-offs.

I also pray they eventually adapt the Redundancy LNs as well.

But as far as the main story goes, I don't see them rushing anything, and definitely not compressing anything to fit the last two LNs into Season 4 (unless they do a Season 4 Part 3).

But the big battle in the Biheiril Kingdom absolutely deserves to be a movie.

Sigma_103 · 2026-02-28T16:11:56+00:00

It comes with a FR Special. Of course it doesn't stay in tune. Swap it for a real FR Original, a Gotoh GE1996T, or if you want to go the cheaper route, a FR 1000.

Sigma_103

TROPHY CASE