Hey there mate, hope all is going well.
Super Oscars for the win
After @RokSolid very generously donated his old Ibanez to the cause, (much appreciated, Rok thank you 
) spent the past couple of days bringing it back to life. Fret and fingerboard work, clean up of the Floyd Rose, etc…
Still to sort wiring on the EMG actives and a slight microphonics issue but the bare bones play like a champion.
No doubt it will be a balltearer when it’s finished. 
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Looking good @Friendly_Fire !
I knew you’d make it what it deserves to be.
Quick note, pretty sure the EMGs are fakes, they worked without a battery plugged in, which my tele with legit EMGs would never do.
I nice set of alnicos would be my choice, but then I already have an ace with EMGs and another with Fishman fluences, my plan was to return it to passives, but never got around to it.
Great to see you giving it the love I never had time for, love your work mate.
And as a formality, a very heartfelt thank you for the blasters, I’ll have another surprise for you in time, but that one I am waiting on someone else for and it is nearly a year overdue.
Works with the battery out?? Dead giveaway right there. 
Yep, a set of Dimarzio’s for the win… would have come out with ceramics, but I like the bite of Alnicos.
Those fakies are sooooo microphonic… scratch your nutsack when it’s plugged in and you hear it through the amp.
It’s definitely worth upgrading though… I might rip out the battery and wax pot those fake EMGs to see what they sound like, just for shits’n’gigs. 
Love your work mate!
Sure I’m now sidetracked with the RC Hobby, but my roots always lay within the music industry since childhood, and my Daughter carrying on the tradition still piques my interest till this day.
So the plan for the GSA today is complex…
Rip out the 'buckers from my “too heavy to play” Les Paul.
Take the rather punchy Entwhistle Neodynium humbuckers out of my SG and replace them with the Alnico V pick ups from my LP.
Fit the neodynium pick ups in the Ibanez with new CTS pots and wiring. Should be a screamer with those high output puppies in.
Down the track replace the LP 'buckers with PAF pickups for a more vintage tone.
Should be able to do it all while still retaining existing strings on two of them ( every buck saved helps ), the benefit of a Tune-O-Matic bridge. 
Means I’m juggling three guitars at once, but hey… I can multi- task… no guts, no glory.
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Surprisingly, some of the heaviest modern metal is through PAF style buckers… they leave the pedals and amps to crank the gain. Joe Duplantier’s (Gojira) pickups are basically a slightly tweaked PAF, but add a boost and the EVH amp, its a wild tone.
Sorry to give you one guitar job that turned into three!
Not at all, @RokSolid .
I’ve been meaning to swap out the SG Entwhistle HDN pups for ages, so having the Ibanez to put them in is very much appreciated.
The LP’s been slated for a PAF pup upgrade for yonks too, so it’s the kick in the arse I needed to get them all sorted.
HDNs are a bit hot, so clean tones on the SG were never really acheivable… and I prefer SGs with chrome covered pups anyway.
But those Entwhistles will sound absolutely killer in the Ibanez. Best part of S series Ibanez guitars is the 22 fret neck, so it feels very Fenderesque… which I really vibe with.
Next time we catch up I’ll bring it around… I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 
BTW, freakin’ love Gojira… “The Link Alive” DVD gets plenty of airtime here. Even the missus likes them (good lookin’ Frenchmen… natch!)
Hard to go past their machine gun palm muted chuggin’!
The have some really cool riffs, the use of finger tapping, with thumping muted goodness, and effects is somehow a refreshing difference to a lot of other metal. Very unique once you get into them.
As someone who spent much of his life as a drummer, Mario’s talents are the highlight for me, but the band just crushes it from all members. Seen them live twice and if you like some metal, I highly recommend! Very talented lads.
Looking forward to seeing your creation!
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I always thought Mario looked about 14 years old!
Skip to 3:23 in “Rememerance”… the precision and timing between skins and strings is jaw dropping.
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Mate, if these are cheap knockoff EMGs they’re getting pretty damn good at copying shit. Everything about them including the EMG PCB looks legit.
No matter though… neodyniums are in now. Not hooked up yet but in.
Just have to get my head around Ibanez’s five way switching. 
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I had them out at one point and they are definitely fakes when sat next to my legit 81/60 set. But yeah they are damn close!
Looks the business with the open core pups in it!
Happy to provide some fiddling for you I guess! Should sound a treat with new buckets pots and wiring.
Oh yeah, I’ve done some internet digging… definitely fakes!
But they might be okay to drop into a dunger for the purposes of flogging off to Cashies… someghing tells me those boyos won’t be on it enough to tell the difference.
So…
Had a “at home” meeting, at mums, with her new case manager, from her aged care provider.
Trying to get her funding level upgraded, as she declines and gradually loses her mobility. Furniture crawling / falls risk.
She told me , that the govt now uses A.I. to go through funding upgrade requests, to determine eligibility…
You are kidding me, right.?! 
Sack people, to save money, to Auto deny requests.?!!
Myagedcare bot, stating no funding upgrades…
" Dead or Alive, the bucks staying with me…!!"
I wish it was all just a joke…
unfortunately, its real…
Been on the news, a current affair etc…
Algorithmic and automated decision-making tools are actively used to assess support needs in Australia’s aged care sector, though they have sparked severe public backlash, political controversy, and legislative intervention. [1, 2, 3]
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The Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT): Introduced to streamline home support, the system relies on an underlying computer algorithm to process assessor-entered data and determine Support at Home funding classifications and priority categories. [1, 2]
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The “Robo Aged Care” Backlash: Critics and clinicians raised alarms because the system initially prevented assessors from overriding algorithmic funding decisions, drawing comparisons to the Robodebt scandal. [1]
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Rising Review Requests: By mid-2026, more than 800 older Australians had formally requested reviews of their assessments due to concerns of under-assessed care needs. [1]
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Legislative Intervention: In July 2026, the Australian Senate passed a cross-party bill aiming to legally mandate human override capabilities for all aged care assessments. [1]
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Broader Operational AI: Outside of funding assessments, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission uses internal AI frameworks, while providers utilize AI for digital scribes, fall detection, and companion robotics. [1, 2]
So… use RoboDrop to sack people, and “save money…”
system doesn’t work properly. Under-assigns care.
Everyone complains, and requests assesment intervention.
Re-jig the system, to allow human intervention.
Employ people to asses (most) cases, to make up for A.I. shortcomings…
Wouldn’t it be better, just to leave the system as it was.?
With actual human oversight, and decisions based on varying individual circumstances.?.?
what a waste…
Of course it will under assign care. Bit like me, get nothing as don’t qualify.
The gov are guiding it and just shirt coat it and palm off to Ai decision not them, they smarter more efficient.
Missing the big elephant in the room, the gov is in debt more than they have ever been in Australian history bacause of the current govs actions. Everything they have tried to do, big projects has failed, every damn one. They can kiss my ass as they are not doing the job I employ them to do.
I’m guessing this is AI just popped up on my Youtube feed. WTF is this shit for crying out loud. Actually, I can’t show it here as minors might see it.
No wonder albo’s calling super a ‘national asset’ …
1 trillion in debt, and there;s a 4.5 trillion dollar pile.of cash…
" how can we make that ours.?.?"
“Sorry, you’re not allowed to access it , use it spend it, actually have it.”
“Whats best, is if its used for govt purposes.” Free money, no interest.
remember when they introduced it, and said they weren’t even going to tax it.??
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