Guitar Player Ultimate 22 (Holiday Ultimate Gear Guide) Holiday 2023 by Future PLC

ULTIMATE

Exclusive HOT NEW GEAR FOR 2024 LOOK INSIDE!

GEAR GUIDE The

BEST GEAR

Year! of the

OVER 100 PRODUCTS REVIEWED!

ELECTRIC GUITARS ACOUSTIC GUITARS AMPS PEDALS ACCESSORIES KEYBOARDS LIVE & STUDIO

CONTENTS

ULTIMATE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Joel McIver

1 0 W H AT ’ S N E W Get an exclusive first look at some very awesome gear slated for release this holiday season and into 2024!

T H E Y E A R ’ S T O P G E A R R E V I E W S Before you shop for a single piece of music equipment, check out this collection

MANAGING EDITOR Christopher Scapelliti ART EDITOR Mixie von Bormann PRODUCTION MANAGER Nicole Schilling

of the best-reviewed gear of the year, all comprehensively and real-world tested by the editors of Guitar Player, Guitar World, Music Radar and Electronic Musician.

2 8 E L E C T R I C G U I TA R S 4 8 A C O U S T I C G U I TA R S 56

A M P L I F I E R S

66 EFFECTS 84

ACCESSORIES

KEYBOARDS

R E C O R D I N G &

ADVERTISING SALES HEAD OF INDUSTRY: MUSIC Brian Preston brian.preston@futurenet.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Robert Dye robert.dye@futurenet.com (732) 241-7437 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jeff Donnenwerth jeff.donnenwerth@futurenet.com (678) 427-1535

L I V E P E R F O R M A N C E BRAND DIRECTOR, MUSIC: Stuart Williams HEAD OF ART: Rodney Dive CONTENT DIRECTOR, MUSIC: Scott Rowley HEAD OF DESIGN (MUSIC): Brad Merrett GROUP ART DIRECTOR: Graham Dalzell COMMERCIAL FINANCE DIRECTOR: Dan Jotcham

Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA

ON THE COVER: (main image) Eastman Guitars Juliet LA. (top to bottom) Martin SC-10E, Ciari Ascender Standard, B&G Orchestra and Fender Tone Master Pro

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Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com

Chief Executive Officer Jon Steinberg Non-Executive Chairman Richard Huntingford Chief Financial Officer Penny Ladkin-Brand Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

W H AT ’ S N E W

AKG K240 MKII Headphones The AKG K240 MKII professional over-ear, semi-open headphones carry on the success of their predecessor, the AKG K240 Studio, and are a standard in studios, orchestras and on stages around the world. Their advanced 30mm XXL transducers with patented Varimotion diaphragms deliver a wide dynamic range, increased sensitivity and high sound levels, while their semi-open design provides the airiness of open headphones with the powerful bass response of closed designs. With impressive accuracy, musicians, producers and engineers rely on the AKG K240 MKII to clearly hear mixing details,

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which has made these headphones a standard in recording settings. In addition to great sound quality, the headphones are extremely durable and comfortable. Not only built to withstand the demands of countless hours in the studio, their self-adjusting headband provides an ideal fit and their overear pads nicely envelop the ears. The AKG K240 MKII headphones also feature a professional mini XLR connector and come with a 3m (10ft) straight cable, 5m (16ft) coiled cable and convertible jack plug for connecting portable equipment easily. Altogether, from performance and ease of use to comfort and reliability, the AKG K240 MKII is a powerful tool for production

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environments. $185, akg.com

AKG K361-BT Headphones AMPS

K361-BTs are precision-engineered to reproduce natural, balanced audio in exceptional detail, so you can make more confident decisions when you’re mixing and editing. They deliver the deepest bass and highest highs in their class, with a stunning frequency response of 15 Hz to 28 kHz. K361-BTs offer the convenience of switchable Bluetooth wireless and wired connectivity. A built-in microphone allows two-way Bluetooth communications, whether you’re in a studio session or a conference call; use gesture controls located right on the earcups to answer calls, adjust volume, play and pause music, and more with the swipe of a finger. Ergonomic earcups cradle your ears in supreme comfort: once you hear how amazing your K361-BTs sound,

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you won’t ever want to take them off. $155, akg.com

BC Rich Assassin KEYBOARDS

BC Rich has teamed up with Andy James of Five Finger Death Punch fame to produce one of the most eyecatching signature guitars of the year. We say “eye-catching” and we mean it: just get a load of that Pitchfork headstock – one wrong move and those sharp points could easily take an eye out. That gnarly headstock design is one of the standout features of James’ new electric guitar, which takes cues from BC Rich’s Assassin model, but otherwise recruits a low-profile C-shape satin neck and seamless “No Heel Shredzilla Neck cut” construction. All of those additions to the custom spec sheet hope to facilitate faster playing – and muster up an especially aggressive, metal-ready vibe – with the

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original Assassin from 1986 instead offering a bolt-on neck and simple hockey stick-style headstock. Another update to the Assassin template that James and the brand has introduced is the Evertune hardtail bridge – a unit that is becoming more and more common on factory guitars, and that promises to keep your guitar in tune “under any conditions”. At its core, the Assassin (which is available in six-, seven- and eight-string variations) features a mahogany body with singleply binding, as well as a five-piece neck composed from maple and wenge. The Matte White and Matte Black versions are joined by a Trans Green option, which pairs the above specs with a flame maple top. From $2,099, bcrich.com

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W H A T '’ S N E W

Blackstar HT Venue MKIII Blackstar Amplification has unveiled the third generation of its HT

ship with EL34 power tubes but have been designed so you can swap

Venue tube amp series, with MKIII now boasting the CabRig tech of

them out in favor of 6L6s if you prefer. A pair of ECC83s are in the

its siblings in the St. James and Amped lineup. This comprehensive

preamp. Blackstar allows players to run the CabRig outputs – XLR,

MKIII refresh is offered across the full range, which comprises the

Stereo Line Out and USB – in standby mode, so you can send your

50-watt HT Club ($849) and 100-watt HT Stage ($999) heads, the

tube tone straight to the desk or DAW. Each of the channels have two

1x12 ($1,099) and 2x12 60-watt HT Stage ($1,199) combo amps,

footswitchable modes to choose from. On the smaller 40-watt and

and the the 40-watt HT Club combo ($999). These new MKIII guitar

50-watt models, there are two channels apiece, the Clean Channel’s

amps arrive with a range of matching guitar speaker cabinet options,

Voice 1 offering a black panel Fender amp-style sound, and Voice 2

from open-back 1x12 and 2x12 cabs, to slanted and straight-backed

more of a Class A British chime – think diamond grille cloth and mop-

4x12 models, all outfitted with 12” Celestion drivers. MKIII models all

top haircuts. $849-$1,199, blackstaramps.com

Boss NS-1X Boss has just unveiled its first noise gate pedal since 1987, the NS-1X Noise Suppressor – and this might be the pedal to convert a new generation of players to the benefits of noise reduction. Not that there aren’t large cohorts of players who need a little something to cut the hiss and hum from their electric guitar tone: the punishing high-gain conditions that metal guitar players operate in – particularly those cloistered in the staccato rhythmic chug-life of djent – will often call for a noise gate. Still, Boss says that its sequel to the venerable NS-2 is not just a niche pedal. It has a circuit that has been designed for players of many different styles to reap the benefits. The NS-1X has three operating modes: Reduction, Mute and Gate. Casual users who perhaps just want to spruce up their sound, or trim a little hum from running single coils when running an analog chorus pedal in the signal path, might select the Reduction mode. This will come in handy for recording and works well with all pickup styles, maintaining natural note decay. Mute mode comes in handy when performing live – it simply mutes your signal, allowing you to address the crowd, change instruments, or take a beat to consult your guitar tuner. Finally, Gate mode applies “ultra-fast” noise suppression to clean up high-gain tones when sweep picking, playing stunt legato, and of course engaging in the rough and tumble of a contemporary metal riff. $199, boss.info U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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DigiTech SDRUM DigiTech has brought back an old pedalboard favourite, as the SDRUM drum-machine stompbox returns. It has the capability to generate a custom rhythm track that takes its cues from what you are playing on the electric guitar. The concept is simple: strum your strings and create a drum pattern, and use this to play along to. Guitarists are in effect teaching the SDRUM a kick/snare pattern to play just from scratching their instrument’s strings, with the onboard BeatScratch

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technology interpreting the drum pattern from what you have played: it works on bass guitar, too. Once this kick/snare pattern has been established, SDRUM then adds hi-hat, ride, and toms to complement the core beat. A rotary dial allows you to change the pattern of these “right-hand” elements. SDRUM comes programmed with five different drum kits, and has three different embellishment levels, from “simple” to “busy”. It can learn songs, too, with the capacity to hold three sections

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of your arrangement in its memory, with Verse, Chorus, and Bridge LEDs located across the top to let you know where you are at. Each of these parts can have its own time signature, and you can adjust the feel, intensity, time signature and tempo for each. $349, digitech.com

Dunlop Pure Formula 65 Series Dunlop’s line of care products have been used by the world’s most experienced pro guitar techs, repair AMPS

shops, and instrument builders for decades. The Pure Formula 65 Series expands the company’s offering with a care routine that is at once minimalist and comprehensive. The Pure Formula 65 Silicone-Free Intensive Cleaner cleans and revitalizes even the most delicate finishes, while the allnatural Pure Formula 65 Coconut Oil Fretboard Conditioner rejuvenates the rich character, smooth feel, and organic timbre of your instrument’s fretboard. The Pure Formula 65 Nano Gloss Finishing Polish imparts a high-gloss shine that shields your instrument’s finish from superficial scratching,

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smudging, and all that sweat you shed when jamming. $12.99 each, jimdunlop.com

Eastman Juliet LA KEYBOARDS

Eastman recently introduced Juliet LA, the latest addition to a sought-after solidbody series that rides the same wave as the admired Romeo LA. Juliet LA has all the signatures of Eastman’s Juliet series; an original offset design by Eastman’s head designer, Otto D’Ambrosio, and a lightweight solid one-piece okoume body that’s sculpted for maximum comfort and playability. This is complemented by an inlaid pickguard to highlight the guitar’s gracefully carved curves and paired with the

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accoutrements of Romeo LA. The guitar’s Celestine Blue Truetone Gloss finish evokes classic surf tones with a pair of Seymour Duncan Radiator Phat Cat P-90s with gold foil covers. A Göldo Les Trem system pairs with a Göldo three-point Vario “moving” bridge, limiting top contact, and allowing for maximum articulation, sustain, and resonance. With Göldo K-line back-locking tuners, the guitar stays in tune no matter how much a player bends their tone. $1,999, eastmanguitars.com

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Engl E670 Special Edition Founder’s Edition Engl has announced the arrival of the E670 Special Edition Founder’s Edition – an updated take on its flagship build that will see the 100watt tube amp head enter the firm’s standard lineup for the first time. The ‘Founder’s Edition’ tag reflects the fact that its design is based on company founder Edmund Engl’s personal E670 Special Edition build (and also gives it the dubious honor of using the word ‘edition’ in its name twice). The original reportedly spent years in the Engl studios and enjoyed the repeated tinkering of both Engl himself and senior designer Horst Langer, alongside the input of a host of visiting players. Now that unit has directly inspired the production of the E670FE. Central to the spec is a preamp featuring five ECC83 tubes tubes and a choice of four 6L6 or four EL34 tubes in the power amp stage. That puts it on a par with the likes of the Mesa/Boogie Mark VII, which features a similar combination (ECC83 being the European designation of the 12AX7 tube). Also like the Mark VII, the E670 might have traditional tone tech at its core, but is in all other aspects a super-flexible, forward-thinking head. $3,899, englamps.com

Epiphone Power Players SG The Epiphone Power Players SG is a 3/4+ version inspired by the legendary Gibson SG shape. It has a 22.73” scale length and a slightly smaller mahogany body, making it light, easy to play, and an excellent choice for younger players. The Power Players SG is also a great travel guitar choice for more experienced players. It sounds better and stays in tune longer than other “student model” guitars due to its high-quality components and excellent build quality. The bolt-on mahogany neck has a sculpted heel for improved upper fret access, and it is powered by a pair of authentic Epiphone humbuckers for rich, full SG tone. The Power Players SG comes equipped with a gig bag, strap, picks, and a guitar cable. $279, epiphone.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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Eventide Riptide Eventide is the latest brand to hop on the resurging hype surrounding the cult classic Uni-Vibe, with the effects specialist debuting its latest stompbox, the

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Riptide. But there’s a twist: not only does the Riptide take inspiration from the famous vibe pedal favored by Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Robin Trower, it also has a dedicated overdrive section that pays homage to equally influential high gain sides – a Uni-Drive, if you will. Rather than overcomplicating things, Eventide has boiled it down to the bare essentials: one footswitch

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and three knobs per side of the pedal, with a signal chain toggle switch allowing players to choose the order of effects. While the Drive side has Drive, Tone and Level parameters, Vibe is dictated by Vibe, Speed and Intensity. As we say, all fairly straightforward, but there are some notable extras: each side of the pedal has two effects, which are identifiable through different LED colors. Eventide has thought about more than just Vibe sounds, which makes

AMPS

the Riptide an especially intriguing offering. After all, Uni-Vibe clones are rather common – what are decidedly less common, though, are “Uni-Drives”, and since Vibes and drives work particularly well together, it’s quite nice to see them both placed under one metallic blue roof. $299, eventideaudio.com

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Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen and 2i2 4th Gen Scarlett 18i20 is the heart of your setup. With its high channel count, professional quality audio and Pro features, including talkback mic and speaker switching; 18i20 makes any space a studio. Meanwhile, Scarlett 2i2 makes it easy to get better recordings every time with two of Focusrite’s most detailed ultra-low-noise mic pres plus studio-grade converters, with ACCESSORIES

a huge 120dB dynamic range that matches what you’d find in a pro studio. Auto Gain, Clip Safe and a powerful 69dB of analogue gain make setting levels quick and easy, so every take is a keeper. Air mode lets you record with all the character of a big studio console. Get great sound through any headphones from 2i2’s amped-up headphone output with independent volume control. Personalised Easy Start,

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24/7/365 Support and three-year warranty make sure Scarlett 2i2 is ready whenever you are. $TBA, focusrite.com

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WH HA AT T ’’ S S N NE EW W W

Gator Cablebag Gator Cases is thrilled to introduce two new additions to their line of gig bags, each designed for storing and transporting a variety of audio and connector cables. Recently honored with the “Best in Show” award in the ‘Gotta Stock It’ category at this year’s NAMM show, these travel-friendly bags offer an exceptional solution for keeping cables organized and easily identifiable. G-CABLEBAG-SM, the compact choice of the two, includes five removable, padded hook-and-loop dividers for quick and easy identification of cables. G-CABLEBAGLG, the larger counterpart, hosts nine dividers, offering even more room for cables. Each bag also features multiple interior and exterior pockets for storing smaller cables, accessories, and personal items. Crafted with the on-the-go needs of mobile DJs, gigging musicians, pro audio techs, and studio owners in mind, both gig bags are equipped with a luggage trolley passthrough at the back. This unique feature allows easy attachment to rolling luggage, transforming airport travel into a seamless experience. $49.99, G-CABLEBAG-SM, $99.99 G-CABLEBAG-LG, gatorco.com

Gibson 1957 SJ-200 Light Aged This guitar is the king of the flat-tops, with the vintage vibe and feel of the era that gave birth to some of the most prized Gibson acoustic instruments. This new Custom Shop 1957 SJ-200 offers details such as hand-selected maple for the back and sides, a headstock stinger, and a thermally-aged top for the full vintage effect. It also features Light Aging finish treatment by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab which, paired with lightly aged hardware, simulates decades of light play wear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era. $7,799, gibson.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s Figured Top Fuschia The Les Paul Standard 50s Figured Top returns to the classic design that made it relevant, played, and loved – shaping sound across generations and genres of music. It pays tribute to Gibson’s Golden Era of Innovation and brings authenticity back to life. It boasts a solid mahogany body, an AA figured maple top, and a distinctive translucent custom color nitrocellulose lacquer finish that showcases the figured maple top. The mahogany neck has a rounded 50s Vintage profile and a rosewood fingerboard

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with trapezoid inlays. The Les Paul Standard 50s Figured Top is equipped with an ABR-1, the classicstyle Tune-O-Matic bridge, an aluminum Stop Bar tailpiece, Vintage Deluxe tuners with Keystone buttons, and gold Top Hat knobs. The calibrated Burstbucker 1 (neck) and Burstbucker 2 (bridge) pickups are loaded with Alnico 2 magnets and wired to audio taper potentiometers and Orange Drop

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capacitors. A hardshell case is also included. $2,999, gibson.com

Guild D-140 Cherry Burst The new D-140 models from Guild are performance-driven dreadnoughts with all the playability, tone, and vibe that have made Guild a go-to name for discerning players for over 70 years. The D-140 Cherry Burst adds a new color option to the ever-popular D-40 and D-140 lineup, pairing

AMPS

a classic Cherry Burst finish that contrasts beautifully with Ivoroid binding and mother-of-pearl inlays in the rosette and headstock. Premium specs like all solid tonewoods, bone nut/saddle, and Guild’s Premium quilted gig bag with microfleece interior make the D-140 a professional level instrument packed with incredible value. This full-bodied and powerful dreadnought provides guitarists with a classic acoustic sound and balanced voicing from its all-solid tonewoods. Solid Sitka spruce for the top and solid African Mahogany for the back and sides are a prime combination, scalloped bracing and rosewood fingerboard and bridge give this instrument

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a punch and tonality that define the Guild sound. Additional premium features include Guild Vintage 18 open gear tuners with 18:1 gear ratio, Ivoroid binding, and a bone nut/saddle. A mother-of-pearl rosette and Guild’s iconic Chesterfield headstock emblem reminiscent of 1960s

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models complete the package. $799, guildguitars.com

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Guild Kim Thayil Polara USA Artist Edition S-100 As part of Guild’s 70th anniversary and in collaboration with Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Guild Guitars is proud to introduce the all-new Thayil x Guild range of signature S-100 Polara models. These guitars bring Thayil’s preferred specs and design elements to the famous Polara line, his instrument of choice for over three decades. “We’ve been talking about doing this together for many years and are excited to finally bring these guitars to life,” adds Guild President, Jonathan Thomas. The USA Artist Edition is a limited run of 30 master-built guitars coming out of Guild’s California facility that feature an aged old-growth Honduran Mahogany body and neck, Guild’s 70s era enlarged headstock with slim neck shape, bound Indian Rosewood fingerboard with Mother of Pearl block inlays, Grover Original Rotomatics tuners, and custom Guild USA HB-1 Humbuckers handwound by master pickup maker Jason Lollar. Each guitar comes with a custom case and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity hand-signed by Kim Thayil, commemorating a timeless connection between artist and instrument. $6,999 street, guildguitars.com

Guild Kim Thayil Polara The Polara Kim Thayil model brings Kim Thayil’s signature design elements to a model that sits in Guild’s more accessible Newark St. Collection, including a Mahogany body and set neck with Guild’s distinctive 70s large headstock with Chesterfield Inlay. Vintage correct HB-1 humbuckers, complete with Alnico II magnets and phase switch, reproduce Kim’s signature tones. A bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlays, a Tune-o-Matic bridge, Guild compensated stopbar tailpiece, multi-ply pickguard, Soundgarden ‘King Animal’ truss rod cover and ‘Badmotorfinger’ signature back cover, and gold hardware round out each signature instrument. $899 street, guildguitars.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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JBL 104BT Studio Monitors JBL 104-BT compact reference monitors with Bluetooth, the newest models in the 1 Series line, draw from seven decades of JBL Professional engineering to deliver the truest, most accurate sound in their class. They’re perfect for recording musicians, producers, podcasters and vloggers, as well as professional audio engineers seeking an accurate portable reference with Bluetooth streaming. JBL 104-BT Reference Monitors combine a powerful coaxial 4.5-inch (118 mm) low-frequency driver and .75-inch (19 mm) soft-

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dome tweeter, potent integrated 60-watt amplification and an innovative acoustic design to reproduce honest sound with exceptional imaging and crisp detail. Bluetooth streaming lets you check mixes wirelessly to make sure they sound great in every listening scenario. Both the black 104-BT and white 104-BTW versions are sleek, elegant designs and compact form factors, making stunning statements in any studio while conserving valuable work space. Creative professionals, music lovers and anyone who wants the flexibility to stream both wired and wireless sound into high-quality studio monitors can

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count on JBL 104-BT to provide an accurate, reliable sonic reference and a truly enjoyable listening experience. $169, jbl.com

JBL EON700 Series EON700 leverages the latest acoustic science, transducer designs, cabinet materials and advanced DSP and

AMPS

control technologies to deliver extraordinary performance in a fully professional, highly flexible, easy to use, portable system. With four models available, including the 10-inch EON710, the 12-inch EON712 and the 15-inch EON715

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powered PA speakers and the 18inch EON718S subwoofer, EON700 systems cover the needs of today’s working musicians and sound

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providers. $519-$1,239, jbl.com

JBL PRX ONE This all-in-one powered column PA features an acoustically-optimized column array featuring a sevenchannel digital mixer, a full suite of professional DSP, class-leading audio connectivity, Bluetooth functionality and JBL Pro Connect universal app control. Enjoy unmatched power and performance in a sleek, compact package: PRX ONE delivers a stunning 130db max SPL, with consistent front-to-back throw, thanks to its custom-engineered 12-tweeter column array featuring JBL AIM acoustic technology,

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12-inch bass-reflex woofer and built-in 2,000-watt (peak) amplifier. Dial in great sound fast, with fewer pieces of gear, using PRX ONE’s full suite of professional Lexicon and dbx effects including reverb, delay, compression and dbx DriveRack technology featuring AFS Pro Automatic Feedback Suppression. Connect microphones, instruments, mobile devices and wireless rigs using PRX ONE’s versatile I/Os (featuring dedicated phantom power and Hi-Z inputs and pro-grade Neutrik connectors) and sophisticated Bluetooth 5.0 features. Work faster and easier with an intuitive Soundcraft-designed dual-mode digital mixer that RECORDING & LIVE

can be set to general mix functions or channel-strip control, all controllable via app or a built-in color LCD. PRX ONE is ideal for DJs, musicians, entertainment venues, corporate presenters, rental companies and houses of worship. It’s the perfect solution for anyone who demands best-in-class power, acoustic performance, creative control and connectivity in a stylish, full-featured column PA that’s ideal for both installed and portable applications. $1,750, jbl.com

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Kramer Dave Mustaine Vanguard Rust In Peace Kramer is thrilled to welcome Dave Mustaine, the legendary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and founder of the multi-platinum-selling and Grammy Award-winning band, Megadeth, to

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the Kramer Artist lineup. The limited edition Kramer Dave Mustaine Vanguard Rust in Peace delivers the powerful, heavy sounds and exceptional playing performance on the stage and in the studio that Dave demands. It is equipped with a symmetrical mahogany Vanguard body, a 25.5” scale mahogany

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neck with a medium C Dave Mustaine custom profile, an ebony fretboard with 24 jumbo frets, black chrome hardware, and Dave Mustaine’s signature Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor pickup set. It’s finished in Alien Tech Green and a custom Dave Mustaine hardshell case is also included. $1,299,

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kramerguitars.com

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Levy’s MNSP2-003 Strap Levy’s Music Accessories is proud to announce Nita Strauss’s newest signature guitar strap, designed to commemorate her highly anticipated studio solo album titled The Call of the Void. This collaboration marks the third

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licensed artist product developed in partnership with Nita, a testament to her exceptional artistry and the continued success of their creative alliance. The strap boasts a custom die-sublimated print that draws inspiration from the captivating artwork of the album. To

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further connect artist to audience, the strap includes her signature embossed on the front leather end. The strap’s triglide height adjustment feature, ranging from 35 to 60 inches (889 to 1524mm), ensures a perfect fit for guitarists of

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all statures, enhancing comfort to endure throughout long performances. Its durable, polyester construction guarantees reliable support, even during the most energetic stage presences. $29.99, levysleathers.com

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W H AT ’ S N E W

Lifton Hardshell Case ACOUSTICS

These exclusive Lifton Historic Hardshell Cases are inspired by the iconic cases from the 50s and 60s, the height of Gibson’s golden era. They feature classic styling and are designed to provide a lifetime of protection for your prized Gibson guitar. Models exist for the Les Paul, ES-335, SJ-200, J-185, SG, Dreadnought and Les Paul Jr. instruments, with a choice of ‘5-Latch’, brown/pink or black/goldenrod variants. $349, gibson.com

Meris MercuryX Modular Reverb System AMPS

Meris is calling its new MercuryX the most flexible and and powerful reverb in a pedal format, and from some of the brains who were involved in Line 6 and Strymon, that kind of talk carries the weight of reputation. It boasts eight custom reverb alogorithms and combines those with the impressively advanced LVX architecture we saw on Meris’s Modular Delay System. The key to the MercuryX Reverb’s power seems to be how much you can customise each varied

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algorithm’s ‘structure’ through modular effects, including preamps, filters, pitch-shifting and modulation. There’s pre-delay time and feedback editing too, which starts to blur the lines between reverb and delay. It’s an ambient tweaker’s dream machine. As the follow-up to Meris’s acclaimed Mercury 7 there are familiar Ultraplate and Cathedra algorithms, but there’s six others too, including three from the world’s most expensive reverb pedal, the Chase Bliss x Meris collaboration ACCESSORIES

CXM 1978. It certainly sounds like a home recording and bedroom fiddlers’ paradise from these demos, rather than the average gigging player’s workhorse reverb pedal. But we’d wager the market for the former group is far bigger, and this could be some serious competition for the likes of the Strymon BigSky. $599, meris.us

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Mesa/Boogie Mark VII 1x12 Combo The Mark VII combo is the magnum opus of Randall Smith’s 50+ year career in visionary amp design. This model takes that knowledge, history, innovation, and performance and distills it into the simplest, most versatile, and smallest 90-watt Mark Series amplifier ever. The three-channel, nine-mode preamp, coupled with the Simul-Class Power section that offers three distinct characters across its three RECORDING & LIVE

wattage ranges, creates a new Mark icon in terms of adaptability, soulful tube tone, and magic feel that will serve any discerning player well. The long-awaited Simul Seven leapfrogs its predecessor, the Mark Five, and the secret Mark Six prototype, to arrive at the most powerpacked Boogie Mark model ever in terms of tone, flexibility, compact design, and interfacing. $3,799, mesaboogie.com

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Pigtronix Cosmosis Years in the making and the first of its kind, Cosmosis is a stereo, high-fidelity ambient reverb that allows musicians to tailor three original spaces – Theatre, Temple, and Cosmos – as well as manipulate them in real time. In addition to controls for the size of the reverb, wet/dry blend, and filtering, Cosmosis features a unique Morph function that allows musicians to alter their reverb

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settings in real-time by pressing the left footswitch. The three space algorithms found inside of Cosmosis are all-original and truly unique. Theatre puts the player in a variable room that ranges from cozy to highly reflective using multiple parallel short reverberators. Temple occupies a dramatic, large indoor space by implementing numerous long reflections in both parallel and series. And Cosmos creates an enormous spectrum of heavenly

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reverb derived from the harmonic content it’s fed. $219, pigtronix.com

Reverend Pickups Reverend Guitars founder Joe Naylor has been on a decades-long quest for great tone, and these pickups are the latest evolution of that quest. The new range of vintage-inspired pickups are designed to balance for their

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AMPS

specific position, and are available for guitar and bass. $70-80, reverendguitars.com

Riversong River Pacific Acoustic Electric P2P GA With the River Pacific guitar, performance and comfort are perfectly

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integrated. The attention to detail with the arm rest and rib rest bevels makes this guitar comfortable for anyone. Our patented adjustable neck-thru system increases resonance by decreasing bulky bracing while offering a fast and precise adjustment for action and intonation. The precise adjustment of action and intonation make this guitar stand out. Utilizing several top quality woods from Canada, this guitar also

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features dual carbon fiber rods in the neck, side sound port (which acts like a personal monitor), diffuser disc (a tuned feedback buster) and the revolutionary Fishman Flex pickup system, which is a feature of the Custom Shop G2 Series and can be seen today on the biggest stages in the world. First class design, playability, and a unique patented construction make this guitar a must have in your arsenal. $1,359, riversongguitars.com

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Strymon UltraViolet Vintage Vibe This vintage-voiced pedal takes inspiration from the original ‘60s-era Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe, which, of course, was popularized by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, David Gilmour, and countless others. With (almost) the same form factor as the previous two 2023 pedal releases, the UltraViolet has three control knobs, a sole footswitch and two toggle switches for changing

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between Chorus (50% wet), Blend (30% wet) and Vibrato (100% wet) modes, and for altering the Bias. The knobs are self-explanatory Speed, Intensity and Volume parameters, but it’s worth noting all these controls are responsible for sculpting an all-new vibe algorithm, which is said to be a meticulous recreation of “the classic optical vibe circuit”. Practically, the pedal

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offers full MIDI implementation, USB-C connectivity, stereo I/Os, a rear-panel mono/stereo switch, and the opportunity to configure and play 300 presets. Oh, and there’s a JFET input preamp for improved touch-

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sensitivity. $259, strymon.net

Walrus 385 Mk II EFFECTS

An update of one of Walrus Audio’s very best overdrive pedals is news we’re happy to share, especially as the 385 MK II has some genuinely appealing additions to its features. The blueprint of the 2016 original was based on a seemingly unlikely source – the ‘James’-style tone stack of the original Bell & Howell 385 Filmosound projector’s amp that just so happens to sound great when emulated for a responsive overdrive. Now Walrus has added a whole second switch called 385+ to add high-gain saturation to the front of the circuit. Furthering this versatility ACCESSORIES

is the A/B switch with two separate volume and gain settings to move between, and internally increased voltage for more headroom and dynamics. We’d say this a a significant upgrade that could easily make the purchase justifiable for existing owners as well as newcomers. It’s available in two versions; flat black with cream design and black with yellow/red ink design. $249, walrusaudio.com

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Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder Zoar is a highly interactive medium-high gain discrete distortion (using only transistors; no opamps or diodes in here!) that has that highly sought-after touch sensitive amp-like quality. It has been finely tuned to create a highly tweakable hi-fi and modern-sounding distortion, but with the ghosts of old-school circuitry to deliver a grind that is both instantly familiar and delightfully unique. From defined sparkle and tightness of an overdrive to low-medium gain fuzz that’s perfect for drop-tuned guitars and basses, Zoar RECORDING & LIVE

can do it all. Zoar lets you dial in and control every nuance of your tone from jangly onthe-verge of breakup to blowing-the-walls-out heavy saturation. While having its roots in a very familiar past, the passive three-band EQ has been finely tuned for modern tones. While this style of tone shaping seems simple on the surface, it is deceptively complex and highly interactive – yet surprisingly easy to instantly dial in dozens of mind-blowing sounds. $129, earthquakerdevices.com

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B&G Guitars Orchestra Born out of a deep admiration for the iconic OM guitar, B&G Guitars’ Orchestra model pays heartfelt tribute to one of the most esteemed guitar designs of the previous century. The Orchestra model boasts an array of remarkable specifications carefully chosen to enhance its visual appeal and sonic performance. The body features a classic OM shape, while the top is meticulously crafted from Adirondack Spruce, renowned for its exceptional tonal qualities. The back and sides are available in Indian Rosewood, Madagascar Rosewood, Honduran Mahogany, Quilted Mahogany, or Ziricote, allowing players to select the tonewood that best suits their preferences. $5,199-$7,999, bngguitars.com

Brian Boggs Sonus Custom handcrafted by Brian Boggs in Asheville, North Carolina, the Sonus was born in collaboration with musicians and three decades of ergonomic study. This collaboration allowed Sonus to design a chair that benefits the physical health of the artist, with the height of the Sonus customized to the user’s dimensions. $Varies, brianboggschairmakers.com

KLOS Full Carbon Travel KLOS acoustic and acoustic electric travel size guitars are durable, lightweight, and sound great for their size. We combine a full scalelength detachable neck and a small, portable body to give you a small guitar that plays unlike any small guitar you’ve ever held. $1,439-$1,579, klosguitars.com

Martin SC-10E The super-comfortable, easy-to-play

Fender Tone Master Pro

acoustic-electric SC-10E from Martin,

The Tone Master Pro, Fender’s new multi-

system, gives you full access to all

effects system, will allow players to harness

frets so you can comfortably reach

endless tonal possibilities, contained in an

those high notes. It’s also equipped with

intuitive and easy-to-use interface. While Fender

a low-profile velocity neck barrel that

amplifiers have been the industry standard for

ergonomically accommodates

decades, today’s players sometimes

your hand as you move up the

need more than any one amp can

neck, giving you the comfort

provide. Enter the Tone Master

and playability of an

Pro, a one-stop shop multi-effects

electric. The affordably

workstation featuring 100+

priced SC-10E comes in

different effect and amp models,

two variations: a satin

with its patented Sure Align neck

finished spruce top with

staggeringly accurate recreations of the world’s most beloved amps,

koa fine veneer back

well as USB connectivity

and sides, or a sapele

our Mac/PC Desktop apps

for

top with sapele back and

further customization

sides. Each model includes

and recording options.

unique features that further

$1,699.99, fender.com

complement the tonewoods. $1,299, martinguitar.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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Eastman Juliet LA

Epiphone 1958 Korina Flying V

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Abasi Concepts ēmi 7 Master Series By Chris Gill, Guitar World, May 2023 Tosin Abasi’s emi 7 Master Series is the first Abasi Concepts model to reach the market, and it’s been an overwhelming success, with the guitars selling out almost immediately upon release from production. The emi’s design is a hybrid of the sleek, classic curves of a superstrat and the more radical contours of a modern ergonomic ax. The body is made of okoume and features deeply beveled edges along the bass bout as well as a generously deep belly contour on the back, resulting in a light, comfortable overall weight. The roasted figured maple neck is glued to the body, and the joint is seamlessly and smoothly contoured like a neck-thru-body design to provide unrestricted access to the entire fretboard. The emi 7 is unapologetically built for both comfort and speed, staying steadily in perfect playing position whether seated or standing up. It has its own distinctive voice that is very musical and attractive, and it’s highly recommended if you’re looking for a new sound that stands out from the crowd. $3,799 street, abasiconcepts.com

Ciari Guitars Ascender Standard By Paul Riario, Guitar World, Holiday 2023 The Ciari Guitars Ascender Standard is a full-sized professional electric guitar with pioneering foldable tech that neatly folds the guitar in half, allowing it to be easily stowed in an overhead bin or tucked under an airline seat when you travel. The mechanism precisely folds the guitar in half symmetrically to a folded length of 18.5 inches and meets airline qualifications as a personal item. When folded, the guitar’s accurate string management system keeps the strings in place and under light tension, and when unfolded, restores the strings safely to proper tension and is ready to play. The Ascender Standard has many traditional features, such as a nano-satin basswood body in a black matte finish, a three-ply black pickguard, a mahogany neck with a natural-neck finish and an ebony fingerboard (that’s planed and fret-leveled by Plek-machining), 22 medium jumbo nickel frets, a small 3+3 headstock with Ciari locking tuners, Tune-o-Matic roller bridge, the classic combo of two Seymour Duncan ‘59 humbuckers, a master volume and tone and a three-way pickup selector. Best of all, there’s nothing gimmicky about it, because it’s not your run-of-the-mill travel guitar. $1,799, ciariguitars.com

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Cole Clark True Hybrid TL2ECBLBL-HSS By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, August 2023 What an intriguing acoustic/electric premise, promising the best of both worlds. Straight outta Melbourne, Australia, Cole Clark has been in business since the millennium and is probably most associated with Hawaiian superstar Jack Johnson’s acoustics. The True Hybrid range features Cole Clark’s three-way PG3 acoustic system augmented by their three-way electric system, consisting of either three single-coils, a pair of humbuckers or the HSS configuration on this review model. The unamplified tone from this thinline with a single f-hole isn’t going to win any campfire competitions compared to a pure acoustic, but it has a solid, well-balanced sound that’s far fuller than any hollow, semi-hollow or with respect to tone and playability. It’s a singular experience via dual outputs into dual amps, and the flexibility is awesome. For its execution of analog ingenuity, the Cole Clark True Hybrid TL2EC-BLBL-HSS earns an Editors’ Pick award. $3,399 street, coleclarkguitars.com

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chambered body coming from an electric base. Kudos to Cole Clark for manifesting its double vision with clarity on both sides of the paradigm,

GUITAR WORLD

Cort KX700 Evertune By Paul Riario, Guitar World, May 2023

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Cort’s KX700 EverTune features a gracefully carved open-pore ash top with a black matte finish, neatly sandwiched on a mahogany body with a bolt-on five-piece roasted maple and walnut neck that’s all tidily joined and put together. A sweep of the neck exposes a 25.5-inch scale length,

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a super-flat 15.75-inch fretboard radius, 24 stainless steel frets, glow-in-the-dark Luminlay side dots, Cort staggered locking tuners and an accessible spoke nut Hotrod truss rod wheel. The guitar feels responsive and comfortable to play, and the neck’s very slim C-profile is pleasant to grasp. The EverTune bridge is something to behold once you recognize its mechanical purpose and possibilities. It’s a lifesaver for the studio and stage for chordal work, because it maintains tuning stability even if you’re bending out of tune within a chord. Conversely, if bending is your thing, you can adjust for that to maintain proper intonation — in other words, it’s an extremely precise bridge system that can be set up to work with your style of playing. $1,399, cortguitars.com

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GOLD AWARD

D’Angelico Deluxe Brighton Le Sage

By Paul Riario, Guitar World, March 2023

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Since the historic company roared back into the public eye more than a decade ago, D’Angelico has made great strides in reimagining its line of heritage archtops and contemporary semi-hollow and solid body designs, as well as putting their instruments in the hands of established and upand-coming artists. If there ever was a guitar that advances class and elegance, look no further than the striking D’Angelico Deluxe Brighton LE in a fetching Sage finish that’s limited to 50 pieces worldwide. The double cutaway LE consists of a gloss finished, solid alder body with a bounteous belly cut for comfort and a set-thru neck that joins the body at the 22nd fret. The noiseless stacked Seymour Duncan P90s offer a hotter singlecoil bite with the bridge having a mid-heavy, high output that blankets chords and single notes with a honkin’ snarl. Switching over to the middle toggle position smooths out both pickups for a brighter jangle, and flicking over to the neck P90 provides warm and beefier textures for plucky solos. $1,699.99 street, dangelicoguitars.com

D’Angelico Deluxe Eric Krasno Brighton By Chris Gill, Guitar World, December 2023 Whereas many artist signature guitars based on a current model usually only offer slight changes like different pickups or custom finishes, the D’Angelico Deluxe Eric Krasno Brighton differs quite significantly from D’Angelico’s regular Deluxe Brighton model but without sacrificing the general vibe. The most notable feature is the pair of custom Seymour Duncan “Strat in humbucker” single-coil pickups, which are only available on this model. The bridge pickup has Alnico V magnets, while the neck pickup has Alnico II magnets and reverse wind/reverse phase wiring to provide true noise-canceling humbucking performance when both pickups are engaged. Thanks to the very distinctive tonal personality of the Duncan pickups along with the swamp ash body and 24.75-inch scale, the Deluxe Eric Krasno Brighton hits a magical “Goldilocks” spot between a vintage Les Paul Special and a Stratocaster. Considering the very limited production, you’ll want to move fast if these features sound just right for you. $2,299.99, dangelicoguitars.com

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Donner DJP-1000 By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, May 2023 The DJP-1000 represents Donner’s take on one of the most successful electric guitars that Gibson launched in the late 1950s, and stays true to form by featuring a body made from laminated maple with a solid-maple center block and a glued-in neck carved from maple instead of mahogany. It carries two humbucking pickups under nickel-plated covers, along with the standard configuration of two volume and two tone controls, and a three-way toggle switch for pickup selection. The DJP’s sound is bright and fairly loud when strummed acoustically, and it sustains like a solid guitar thanks to the maple center block. It deserves kudos for offering clear neckroute to the versatility, sweet look and great-playing feel of this classic semi-hollow. With its good build quality and attention to detail, the DJP-1000 is a bang-for-buck champ that makes a great go-to gig guitar. $379 street, donnermusic.com

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position sounds that are cool for blues and jazz, and bright bridge-pickup tones, and has a lot to offer those who seek a less-expensive

Eastman Juliet Solidbodies

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By Chris Gill, Guitar World, Holiday 2022 Eastman has made a bold statement about the company’s shift toward developing new, original designs by introducing their stunning thinline semihollow electric Romeo models. It was only natural that Eastman would name its subsequent new model Juliet with the trio of solidbody guitars they introduced recently. We tested the regular RECORDING & LIVE

Juliet and Juliet P-90 models, each priced at $1,799. Most of their features are identical, with the exception of the Juliet’s pair of Bare Knuckle Old Guard humbuckers, Pomona Blonde finish and amber tortoise acrylic pickguard compared to the Juliet P-90’s pair of Bare Knuckle Old Guard P-90 single-coil pickups, Vintage Red finish and black Bakelite pickguard. Out of the box, neither needed any additional tweaks: both models provide peak playing action and optimal pickup output and string-to-string balance. Kudos to Eastman for equipping the Juliet and Juliet P-90 with Bare Knuckle Old Guard Alnico 2 pickups, which provide first class vintage-style tone. The overall craftsmanship and attention to detail is stellar, and both models are a complete joy to play. $1,799 street, eastmanguitars.com

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Epiphone 1958 Korina Explorer By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, October 2023 While a good 95 percent of what’s been said about the Korina Flying V goes for Epiphone’s 1958 Korina Explorer, the aesthetics of the different body shape, the six-a-side headstock and the use of a stop-bar tailpiece, rather than throughbody stringing, account for the significant differences. The reconfiguration of that wood (and the use of a little more of it) also changes the guitar’s resonant characteristics and its fundamental tones. Te Explorer reveals a little more body in the low end and slightly more thickness in the mids, while retaining the chewy, swirly overtones and high-end bite that helped give the Flying V its personality. The Burstbucker pickups did well into an Angry Charlie distortion or a Blackout Effectors Musket fuzz for metal tones, while the Explorer dials back easily into more nuanced blues or power-pop voicings, proving itself surprisingly versatile. It’s reasonably priced for what it delivers, and is deserving of an Editors’ Pick Award. $1,299 street, epiphone.com

Epiphone 1958 Korina Flying V By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, October 2023 It’s hard not to think “heavy rock” when a Flying V comes out, and the style certainly became a badge of honor for many players rocking spandex, full stacks and poodle hair. But there’s also something raw and rustic about a circa-’58 Korina V that reminds you they were applied to great blues and roots stylings by Albert King and Lonnie Mack, as well as classic Brit-rock by Keith Richards, Dave Davies and others. Either way, however, it steers me more toward garage rock than metal, although the design is more versatile than might first be expected. Flying Vs are always challenging to play on the lap, and this one’s no different. The rubber skid-mat inlaid into the thigh-side edge helps a little. Strap it up, though, and it’s game on. It’s a lively, resonant guitar overall, and while a high-gain pedal easily helps it get heavy, this 1958 Korina Flying V is surprisingly expressive, perhaps more so than you’d expect, given the all-in style choice that its shape represents. $1,299 street, epiphone.com

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Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1962 ES-335 By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, January 2023 Despite the Epiphone name on the headstock, the Joe Bonamassa 1962 ES-335 is obviously based closely on the “block-neck” Gibson ES335 of the early ’60s, and not just any ES-335 but a much-loved example acquired early in his career. Purchased in 1996 and used on his first solo album, A New Day Yesterday, this original vintage ’62 ES-335 was sold to finance a move to L.A. for the next phase of his career, and Bonamassa tells us he’s missed it ever since. Given the premise, this guitar sticks closely to the traditional ES-335 shape and specs. Like other guitars in the ES family, the core of the JB 1962 ES-335’s personality lies in its combination of thin maple-ply top, back and It achieves an impressive degree of 335 goodness at a reasonable price for its level of quality, and that earns it an Editors’ Pick Award. $1,299 street, epiphone.com

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sides and solid center block. The build and ingredients lend a certain bite even to ultra-clean tones, which remain raspy, gritty and thick.

GUITAR WORLD

Epiphone Power Players Les Paul By Chris Gill, Guitar World, June 2023

GOLD AWARD P

This smaller-than-usual Les Paul model has a lot to offer both novice and experienced players in terms of sound and quality. It provides the appeal of one of the most popular solidbody models ever made in a format more comfortable for tiny hands, but it’s also a great

RECORDING & LIVE

option for big boys and girls looking for a cool travel guitar or an affordable backup. Guitars in the sub-$500 range seem to keep getting better every few years, but even so I still wasn’t prepared for just how nice the overall construction and vibe is here. The playability is comparable to that of its full-size professional counterpart, with the shorter scale making it easier to perform stretches from the fifth to twelfth fret, but also not feeling too cramped or narrow for players with big hands. The smaller size is perfect for enabling pre-teen kids to play comfortably and with confidence, but I also recommend it as a studio secret weapon for performing solos that can be physically challenging to play on a full-size instrument. $279 street, epiphone.com

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Fender Gold Foil Jazzmaster By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, June 2023 Fender’s creative reimagining of its classic designs has been firing on all cylinders in recent years, and the new Gold Foil Collection further exemplifies that sense of adventure. Many guitar makers have leaned into the gold-foil pickup esthetic in recent years: the units used here by Fender are in fact mini-humbuckers (they are extremely close to vintage Firebird mini-humbuckers in size) with cutaway chromed outer covers and gold-foil tops. Our review Jazzmaster comes in Shoreline Gold with matching headstock, a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, and a rocking Mustang bridge, a piece of hardware many players have used over the years to solidify offsets’ performances. The guitar plays well right out of the included gig bag, and exhibits a full, crisp, clean and balanced tone unplugged. Its voice is clear, rich and full, with just enough edge to maintain some aggressive character throughout. All in all, fit and finish were superb on our test sample, and the guitar makes a fine example of what Fender’s factory in Ensenada, Mexico, can achieve these days. $1,399, fender.com

Fender Gold Foil Telecaster By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, June 2023 This is a solid Tele by any measure, and a real looker, too. The White Blonde body with matching headstock somehow benefits from the classic Telecaster finish, and the entire look speaks of a subtle elegance that really works. This guitar carries two Gold Foil mini-humbuckers: they’re wired to the standard three-way switch with master volume and tone, and the bridge is a chopped trad-Tele affair with through-body stringing and three brass barrel saddles. The Gold Foil Telecaster plays faultlessly from nut to joint, delivering a great blend of something old and something new, ultimately resulting in something inspiringly different. A hefty dose of Telecaster twang is available when you want it, woven within a little more harmonic swirl and a sprinkling of characterful grit, and if you crank the amp or engage an overdrive pedal, the pickups help convert this guitar to an edgy, stinging rock warrior. The result is a surprisingly versatile performer in a deceptively simple package, and a lot of fun by any measure. $1,199, fender.com

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Fender Steve Lacy People Pleaser Stratocaster By Chris Gill, Guitar World, August 2023 The Steve Lacy People Pleaser Stratocaster is built upon the foundation of a vintage Strat, featuring an alder body and a maple 21-fret 25 ½-inch scale neck with a maple slab fretboard (no “skunk” stripe on rear), vintage headstock and truss rod adjustment at the butt of the neck above the 21st fret. The neck conforms to classic specs, including a 9 ½-inch radius, narrow tall frets and deep “C” profile. The hardware follows a similar classic formula. However, modifications abound, including a built-in Steve Lacy Chaos Fuzz circuit, which is activated via an S-1 switch in the second “tone” knob. The Chaos Fuzz circuit’s fuzz voice is more in the Big Muff distortion category than nasal, gritty fuzz, delivering to their name, offering all of the distinctive tones that Strat players love and need, completely free of the noise and hum that they don’t want. $1,399.99, fender.com

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smooth, singing solo tones and retaining excellent note-to-note clarity when playing chords. The Player Plus Noiseless Strat pickups live up

Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro V By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, May 2023 The Gibson USA Les Paul Traditional Pro V has been updated for 2023 with two sumptuous new finishes: Transparent Ebony Burst over a flamemaple top, and a satin Desert Burst on a plain maple top. Construction follows the traditional Les Paul template, featuring a solid mahogany body

RECORDING & LIVE

capped with a carved flame-maple top, a glued-in mahogany neck, and a bound 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, all to a 24.75-inch scale length. The fingerboard sports a compound radius that flattens out as you progress toward the body, and the neck back is carved to an asymmetrical update of the SlimTaper neck profile, resulting in more depth front-to-back at the bass side of the carve and helping it fit the curve of the hand better. There’s a chameleon-like sonic personality couched in a bevy of classic Les Paul tones that easily justify the Traditional part of its name. All in all, it is a solid performer in the dual-humbucker, single-cutaway set-neck tradition and a very flexible tone crafter. $2,399, satin Desert Burst; $3,099 Transparent Ebony Burst, gibson.com

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GUITAR WORLD

Gretsch G5232T Electromatic Double Jet FT with Bigsby By Chris Gill, Guitar World, February 2023

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The new Gretsch G5232T Electromatic oozes style and class. Its beauty is more than skin-deep thanks to features like its Black Top Filter’Tron humbuckers and licensed Bigsby B50 vibrato. Like the original, it has a 1.75-inch deep chambered mahogany body with arched maple top and set mahogany neck. The top is bound with aged white black and white purfling, while the laurel fretboard and headstock are bound with singlelayer aged white binding. The pickups have the proper tonal character, with the bridge pickup delivering bite and twang, the neck pickup offering round, smooth jazzy tones with percussive spank and both together pumping out howling midrange bark that sounds great for everything from retro rockabilly to classic hard rock. The chambered body gives the guitar excellent natural acoustic resonance that translates to even better tone when it’s plugged in. Whether you’re seeking a cool first ax or want to add Gretsch flavor to your collection without breaking the bank, the G5232T Electromatic Double Jet FT is a worthy contender. $699.99 street, gretschguitars.com

Jackson American Series Soloist SL3 By Chris Gill, Guitar World, March 2023 Opening the case for the brand new Jackson American Series Soloist SL3, I was hit with a feeling of déjà vu. Before my eyes was a guitar that looked almost identical to the Jackson I discovered 40 years ago. Made in the USA just like the original, the new American Series Soloist SL3 offers the same standards of quality as the original along with a few subtle upgrades that modern players will welcome. It features a graphite reinforced three-piece maple neck-thru body design with alder body wings. This design yields a sculpted heel-free transition between the neck and body, which, along with the deep treble bout cutaway, provides unrestricted access to all 24 jumbo frets. A Floyd Rose 1500 Series double-locking tremolo is standard (the original usually had a Kahler or occasionally a Floyd); tuners are Gotoh MG-T Locking models; and all of the hardware has a matte black finish. No mere trip down memory lane, the American Series Soloist proves that high performance and quality never goes out of style. $2,499.99/$2,599.99, jacksonguitars.com

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Jackson X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS By Paul Riario, Guitar World, September 2023

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For speedsters, the Jackson X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS is all about streetcred shred in an eye-catching finish. The guitar features a nyatoh body (similar in density to mahogany) and a bolt-on maple neck with graphite reinforcement (for stability against shifting temperatures) as well as a scarf joint for its color-matched six-in-line reverse pointed headstock. The neck’s sculpted heel is fashioned for swift access to the upper echelon of its 24 jumbo frets, along with a satin-finish back for frictionless playability and comfort, a laurel fingerboard with rolled edges and inverted pearloid sharkfin inlays and a 12- to 16-inch compound radius that impedes any fretting-out. The guitar’s dashboard sports a five-position blade system. There are no hidden surprises with the neon-bright Dinky: at a sub- $600 cost, the guitar ticks all the boxes from sensational to superb for guitarists looking to take a speed machine out on the road. $599.99 street, jacksonguitars.com

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switch pickup selector, single volume and tone controls, and a recessed Jackson-branded Floyd Rose-licensed double-locking tremolo bridge

Knaggs Severn Trem SSS By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, December 2023 Joe Knaggs and his team have been building exquisitely crafted guitars for more than 20 years, so it’s always a treat when one shows up for a test

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drive. The Severn’s alder body has an S-style shape, with contours on the front and back and a beveled heel at the 15th position that makes it easy to slide your hand around and reach the high frets. Apart from the finish, the standout item on this build is the proprietary Chesapeake trem bridge, a unique two-piece affair with a plate surrounding the rear pickup, in Tele fashion, that’s attached to a hinged bridge. The Severn delivers deep, dimensional tones that are nicely balanced top to bottom, with ringing highs and a round, meaty low end. The Severn Trem SSS is so well sorted that it’s easy to find an inspiring path when playing it, and with all the available options in woods, hardware, finishes, pickups and custom work, it can be steered in practically any direction you want. $5,600, knaggsguitars.com

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Peavey HP 2 Poplar Burl RM By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, December 2023 One glance at Peavey’s new HP 2 Poplar Burl RM tells you it’s primed to rock, with its double-locking vibrato, dual humbuckers and no-nonsense control layout. Likely the same glance also tells you it’s a direct descendant of Peavey’s best-known and most historic rock axe of all time, the Wolfgang. Now the HP 2 Poplar Burl RM adds to the formula with an exotic top carved from solid burled poplar. The “HP” in the name stands for Hartley Peavey, and the company is quick to point to the founder’s initials as a declaration of quality. The two Peavey-designed humbucking pickups are wound hot, as you might expect: the HP 2 shines for rhythm work or ballad-friendly arpeggios, and with more beef and substance than many humbuckers display while coil-split, thanks to the overwound coils. If you need to rock large, it’s an axe to check out, and one that offers the flexibility to segue into other realms while you’re awaiting your big solo. $2,999 street, peavey.com

PRS Myles Kennedy Signature By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, November 2023 This instrument, created for Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, is a bit different for PRS, as it features a Tele-esque flattop body made of swamp ash, and a bolt-on, scarfed-construction maple neck that’s carved to Kennedy’s own custom shape. The 25 ½ inch-scale maple fretboard has Birds inlays and carries 22 well-groomed medium frets. The strings run across a smooth bone nut on their way to a set of nickel-plated vintage-style tuners, and at the opposite end there’s a top-loading PRS plate bridge with two large brass saddles that carry three strings apiece. The Kennedy signature features all-new Narrowfield MK pickups, and the rear unit is angled toward the bridge on the treble side. As set up by the factory, the playability is great. The neck sits nicely in the hand, the action is low and buzz free, and the tuneful intonation made it enjoyable to play. This sixstring lightning rod is a helluva guitar, and it gets an Editors’ Pick Award. $2,899, prsguitars.com

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PRS SE DGT By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, April 2023 The arrival of the more affordable PRS SE DGT is seen as a big deal in some circles — and should be a big deal for anyone seeking an extremely flexible, capable performer at a sub-$1k price point. Outwardly, the DGT — both this SE and the Core original — might appear to follow the standard PRS formula, and indeed it does in many ways. The basics include a solid mahogany body and carved flame-maple top with natural maple-edge “binding,” glued-in mahogany neck with unbound rosewood fingerboard, 25-inch scale length and archetypal PRS vibrato bridge. However, several subtle alterations in the recipe add up to quite a different playing feel and enhanced versatility for the DGT. today, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Given that, the SE DGT appears to perform even higher above its pay grade, and makes a worthy Editors’ Pick Award winner. $899 street, prsguitars.com

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Sure, it’s missing certain elements of the overall build quality, feel and tone of the Core model — but that’s a $4k-plus guitar bought new

PRS SE McCarty 594 Singlecut By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, June 2023 The late Ted McCarty — ex-president of Gibson — was a mentor and friend to Paul Reed Smith, and in 1994 PRS issued its first McCarty model, leading to a series that includes American-made models as well as three SE McCartys made in Indonesia. The latter includes this

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latest 594 Singlecut, featuring all-mahogany construction, a maple-veneer top, 58/15 LTS pickups and the zinc bridge and stop tailpiece found on the costlier Core and Private Stock guitars. The SE McCarty 594 (the number refers to the 24.594-inch scale length) is a sweet looker, with its bird inlays and cream-white binding on the body and neck. On the electronics side, there’s a pair of low-wind PRS 58/15 LT S humbuckers that feed dual volume and tone controls, the latter with push-pull switches for splitting the coils. The system provides numerous possibilities for blending the pickups in humbucking and single-coil mode (or combinations of both), enabling the SE McCarty to deliver excellent tones for just about anything you point it at. $949 street, prsguitars.com

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PRS SE Zach Myers Signature By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, August 2023 A faithful PRS devotee since acquiring his first Custom 22 at the age of 14, Shinedown lead guitarist Zach Myers was honored with his first SE signature model — a triple-humbucker single-cut — in 2010. The recently released SE Zach Myers is the third PRS model to bear his name, and it does so while adding a new degree of elegance. Like a lot of players, I tend to find the familiar PRS wide-fat neck profile one of those just-right shapes. This one doesn’t disappoint, and it’s arguably all the more comfortable thanks to its satin finish. It’s carved into a glued-in neck of solid mahogany, which is capped by a bound rosewood fretboard with bird inlays. Tonally, it proves to be an able-bodied rocker with plenty of nuanced character of its own. This signature SE is an impressive model that should appeal to many players well beyond the Zach Myers fan base, and a great value at this price, earning it an Editors’ Pick Award. $849 street, prsguitars.com

Reverend Crosscut By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, March 2023 This new Reverend solidbody is one of the most versatile solidbody guitars with two humbuckers that I’ve tested in quite some time. Things start out with a single-cut korina body that has contours on the top and back, and a roasted-maple neck that attaches with six bolts for increased stability. Carved in a medium oval shape, the neck has the feel of a late-’60s Gibson profile and is topped with a 25 ½-inch scale rosewood fingerboard carrying 22 medium-jumbo frets. The Railhammer Cleancut humbuckers are designed to deliver P-90-style punch and presence, but without the hum. The bass contour control is the bomb here because you can turnit clockwise for a heftier tone with a bit more output, or roll it the opposite way for a slimmer, more single-coil sound. The unique vibe and consistent quality that Reverend builds into all of its guitars is on full display here, making the Crosscut an easy mark for an Editors’ Pick Award. $1,099 street, reverendguitars.com

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Reverend Pete Anderson Eastsider Custom By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, July 2023

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Although Reverend’s first Signature model for Pete Anderson was the semi-hollow ES-style PA-1 — a design more central to his latterday adventures in soulful blues and gutsy instrumentals — the original Eastsider T that followed stuck closer to the Esquire the guitarist had often used to inject his Bakersfield-infused twang into several early hits from new-country artist Dwight Yoakam. Although part of the name and at least the basic lines have been retained in the Eastsider Custom, the design has morphed into something very different indeed. In the hand, the Eastsider Custom feels solid and confident. Its medium-C neck profile presents a comfortably rounded shape that volume. Given the dual humbuckers, clean tones often benefit from rolling down the volume control slightly, but they’re still meaty and muscular when you get there. Overall, build quality is great, as are the finish and setup. $1,549 street, reverendguitars.com

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most players should find easy to work with, and when strummed unplugged the guitar delivers a rich, balanced tone, with decent acoustic

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Reverend Rick Vito Soul Agent

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By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, July 2023

Reverend’s association with Rick Vito began with a signature model during the pre-import/semi-hollow/phenolic-laminate era. The new Rick Vito Soul Agent model riffs on that, but uses traditional tonewoods. It also employs Reverend’s longstanding Double Agent as its springboard, changing up several appointments and cosmetic details in a guitar intended to capture both the style and sonic preferences

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of the first-call six-stringer, who has worked with Fleetwood Mac, Jackson Browne, Bob Seger, John Mayall and a host of others. The Soul Agent exhibits quality craftsmanship and a confident setup, and this guitar rings with an airy, acoustic chime when played unplugged that hints strongly at its spruce top and chambered body. The Rick Vito Soul Agent proves fat, warm and rich at its core, but with a lithe, wiry personality all its own, and a boatload of sonic variations thanks to the double push-pull switching. The wood choices, scale length and pickup complement work beautifully together to create voicings that are original, yet capable of tackling just about anything. $1,549 street, reverendguitars.com

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Schecter Guitar Research Machine Gun Kelly PT

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By Paul Riario, Guitar World, July 2023

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The Machine Gun Kelly PT in hot pink line graphics is exactly the same as the other MGK PT (in Downfall Pink) with just a few cosmetic differences. Outside of the black satin finish that covers the whole guitar, flecks of hot pink stand out, starting with the line graphics on the body, hot pink “XX” inlay at the 12th fret, pink logo and pink splash at the headstock’s lower peak, and a hot pink open-coil Schecter Pasadena Plus pickup in its Schecter PT-H bridge. The MGK PT feels solidly constructed with an alder body and a Canadian rock maple neck with a dark ebony fretboard, 22 jumbo frets, a Graph Tech XL TUSQ nut and Schecter locking tuners. Its bolt-on neck is finely makes playing it a breeze. When you’re ready to hit the stage, the MGK PT becomes alive or dead with a sole master volume and kill switch. And while it’s not a guitar I would gravitate to currently, a younger version of myself would be all over it. $999.99, schecterguitars.com

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contoured at the heel for easy access to higher fret registers and a thin “C” profile neck shape along with a flat 14–inch fretboard radius

Slick SL56 By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, February 2023 This guitar has a Jaguar-style, offset semihollow body and a Tele/Gib pickup setup, which could easily describe a pricey boutique affair that borrows from Fullerton and Kalamazoo designs of the ’50s and ’60s to create a cool modern-day hybrid. It also describes to a tee the

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Slick SL56, which, besides being extremely affordable, goes all the way into boutique territory by featuring a P-90 in the neck position and a T-style single-coil sitting next to a custom solid-brass wraparound bridge with six chunky brass adjustable saddles. The SL56 proves to be a good-sounding guitar that delivers the kinds of tones you’d expect from two very different types of single-coil pickups. The bottom end is that the Slick SL56 is a fun guitar that delivers the boutique-on-a-budget experience in spades. You can’t help being blown away by its crazy low price. It’s a lot of guitar for the money, and one that makes you appreciate this company’s dedication to building high-quality instruments that punch well above their price class. $309, guitarfetish.com

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Sterling by Music Man Valentine Chambered Bigsby

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By Paul Riario, Guitar World, December 2023 Although the Valentine Chambered Bigsby is the fourth addition to Sterling by Music Man’s Valentine artist series collection, it stays true to the original specs that made it noteworthy while elevating its features with a custom-chambered body design and an angled Tune-o-matic bridge with a Bigsby B50 vibrato to dig on a completely new set of tones. The guitar features a white ash body in a butterscotch finish along with a classic F-hole and black pickguard. Completing its eye-catching appearance is a roasted maple neck and fingerboard that also maintains resistance to frankly, it’s astonishing how well this guitar feels once it’s in your hands. The beauty of the Valentine is its chameleon-like utility, and factoring in its affordability, there’s very little reason not to have a guitar that looks and sounds like nothing else. $849.99, sterlingbymusicman.com

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temperature and humidity changes while adding stability. Clean and tidy pretty much sums up its overall construction from top to bottom, and

Yamaha Revstar Professional RSP02T By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, December 2023 The Revstar Professional RSP02T is a guitar that shows Yamaha returning to unbounded standards for quality and design in the U.S. market. Built at the company’s headquarters in Japan, and primed with top-notch construction and components, it’s a guitar whose achievements are

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well matched to its namesake aspirations. The overall design could be said to take cues from a handful of classics, although without nodding too heavily toward any existing model. Amid all the signature visuals, one significant factor of the Revstar design involves something we don’t see: The otherwise solid body is made from two pieces of mahogany carved out with strategic chambers, with two narrow carbon-fiber reinforcement strips inlaid across the lower bout and the whole thing capped with a solid maple top. Make no mistake: It will crank out gnarly garage rock and gritty blues with aplomb, but it’s also more versatile than many guitars of similar specs, easily stepping up for a range of styles you might not expect it to handle. $2,199 street, yamaha.com

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Donner Rising-G Pro By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, February 2023 The Rising-G Pro is a compact instrument made almost entirely of carbon fiber. Measuring 38 inches long and weighing a little over four pounds, it qualifies as a travel guitar, and is certainly well suited to extreme conditions thanks to a one-piece body that is said to remain stable and nondeforming at temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Centigrade (-4 °F) and as high as 80 degrees Centigrade (176 °F) while being immune to humidity. The construction also features an integrated neck that melds seamlessly into the cutaway body and does not have a heel like a traditional acoustic. It’s more fun to play than most dedicated travel guitars, and it looks sleek and modern with the woven pattern top, curvy seek a guitar with a stylish appearance that sounds bigger than its small size suggests, the Rising-G Pro is certainly worth checking out. $399, donnermusic.com

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bridge and tapering of the fingerboard at the 17th fret. It’s a good choice for acoustic pickers and songwriters who don’t need amplification. If you

Furch Blue Deluxe Gc-CM By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, June 2023 The new Furch Blue Deluxe Gc-CM is a grand auditorium cutaway with mahogany back and sides and a cedar top. It’s highlighted by dual

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beveled edges on the front and back, and like all Furch models it features the company’s proprietary CNR System, in which the mahogany neck is reinforced with modern materials and has dual-action adjustment. The body feels light and comfortable, and God bless beveled edges! Having them on the front of the lower bout and on the inside of the middle back makes the Blue Deluxe a joy to hold, sitting or standing. It is fantastic for strumming chords with any sort of attack, making it a terrific troubadour companion. As for the tone, it’s particularly impressive, practically in dreadnought territory, and not at all overbearing. Maintaining top-shelf feel and tone is a challenge, and Furch rises to the occasion with superior sound and feel. For doing so the Blue Deluxe Gc-CM earns our Editors’ Pick Award. $1,874, furchguitars.com

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Gibson J-45 ’50s Faded By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, April 2023 Gibson’s budget Generation Collection, with its unique player port, opened the brand’s acoustic doors to more guitarists, and the latest launch is the Original Collection Faded Series, the models from which come at a slightly nicer price than Standard. This workhorse is designed to look, feel and sound like a solid-wood American guitar from the Eisenhower era, but with modern craftsmanship and quality onboard electronics, all at a price that wouldn’t make Ike roll over in his proverbial resting place. The J-45 body is a full-sized dreadnought, but those rounded shoulders make it less broad and bulky compared to say, a Hummingbird. The tone is a bit less booming than some dreadnoughts, but it has a strong, smooth low end to complement a punchy middle range focus and a pleasant top presence. For being a cool new take on a timeless classic that sounds great, plays well and is within the reach of lots of players, the Gibson J-45 Faded ’50s earns an Editors’ Pick Award. $2,499 street, gibson.com

Martin OM Biosphere By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, December 2023 The Martin OM Biosphere is totally free of plastic and fully FSC-certified. Even its groovy gig bag is made of hemp, and the OM Biosphere features an aquatic-themed top with an oceanic image by Robert Goetzl. Bring this guitar to the beach and everyone wants to know more about it, especially folks that already appreciate Martin guitars. The Biosphere is built in the style of Martin’s workmanlike 16-17 series, American-crafted out of utilitarian woods and with minimal appointments, for maximum affordability. With a full 25.4-inch scale length, the Biosphere feels snappy and strong. It’s particularly well suited for fingerstyle, a hearty percussive approach and an aggressive approach from a thick pick. The Biosphere’s tone matches its organic design concept: there are no electronics, and its acoustic quality sounds very natural, open and resonant, with strong sustain. For raising awareness about coral reef preservation in such an artistic way with musical merit, the OM Biosphere earns an Editors’ Pick Award. $2,299 street, martin.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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Martin D-28 Rich Robinson By Paul Riario, Guitar World, December 2022

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The D-28 Rich Robinson is Martin’s first replica of an artist’s personal instrument, both visually and sonically, rather than building a custom-made one. It’s a top-of-the-line instrument: feeling the guitar’s ultra-thin vintage gloss finish along with its aged satin-finished East Indian rosewood back and sides and aged Sitka spruce top, you have to scratch your head at how Martin’s aging process appears so uncannily authentic — you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish this guitar from a vintage D-28. It already feels played-in and casts a broken-in and captivatingly mature sound. The beefier neck shape of this signature may take some getting used to, but its palm-filling profile contributes to its booming dreadnought tone: that bass response that sounds big and present without being muddy. There’s much to be said over deliberately “aged” guitars, but the D-28 Rich Robinson deserves a place at the dreadnought table. $6,999 street, martinguitar.com

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powerful and complex voice can equally be attributed to its non-scalloped bracing. The guitar also rings out a mellower shimmer with a defined

PRS SE P20e Tonare By Richard Blenkinsop, Music Radar Thought that Paul Reed Smith was all about flash, fancy electric guitars? Think again! This parlor-sized offering from one of the biggest names

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in the guitar world showcases that they can do acoustics just as well. The PRS SE P20e is an electro-acoustic parlor guitar featuring a solid mahogany top, layered mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard, 24.72” scale and a PRS-voiced Fishman Sonitone pickup and preamp system. It also comes shipped in a quality padded gig bag. While it’s by no means an expensive guitar (it comes in at under $500), it’s built to a very good standard, and it sounds like a parlor guitar. The physical shape of it — the slightly smaller body shape and shorter scale length — makes it so much more comfortable to play while on the sofa or working at a desk. It really isn’t a ‘one or the other’ kind of thing. Tonally it does something very different, and is a lot of fun to play. $499, prsguitars.com

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Taylor 514ce Urban Ironbark Grand Auditorium By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, Holiday 2022 Taylor’s new, sustainably sourced tonewood is dubbed “Urban Ironbark,” which it’s offering on two re-imagined incarnations of its venerable 500 Series: the 512ce Grand Concert and, on review here, the 514ce Grand Auditorium. The company sources red ironbark via its lauded urban wood initiative around Southern California, hence the “urban” designation. The back and sides appear very similar to the rich golden brown hue of mahogany, the primary difference being Ironbark’s lack of darker grain lines. Appointments such as Aerial fretboard inlays made of Italian acrylic, a single ring abalone rosette, plus faux tortoise binding and pickguard round out a fine fresh take on the classic 514 aesthetic. The Urban Ironbark balance that’s right in line with the traditional hallmark of the 500 Series. The 514 is extremely versatile, both tonally and in terms of playability. Kudos to Taylor for re-imagining a modern classic. $3,299 street, taylorguitars.com

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sounds firm and full in the context of Taylor’s modern, more high-fidelity tone. It possesses a combination of sweetness, strength, detail and

Taylor American Dream Grand Theater AD11E-SB By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, May 2023 Taylor’s AD11e-SB is one of three eye-catching Sunburst additions to the American Dream Series, designated by “SB” in the model title. All three feature a Tobacco Sunburst finish on a solid Sitka spruce top, with solid walnut back and sides. The aesthetic is modern vintage, and the

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hand-painted Tobacco Sunburst top finish is the star attraction. All Grand Theaters feature Taylor’s new C-Class bracing system, a modified version of the V-Class, designed to deliver substantial tones from small bodies, although the AD11e-SB is more of a jangler than a boomer. The low end is respectable for its size, if not in the same league as its far fancier cousins: volume is on the soft side, yet the tone is vivacious, clear, straightforward and fundamental. Light fingerpicking or plucking is rewarded with nuanced response and sweet sustain. Attack too aggressively with the action set as low as this one is, and those qualities become lost in fret splat, so play softly and let it sing. $1,799 street, taylorguitars.com

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Taylor Builder’s Edition 814ce By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, September 2023 The standard 814ce with solid Indian rosewood back and sides coupled with a Sitka spruce top has long been Taylor’s flagship, and now here’s a fresh take on the classic design, sporting top-shelf ergonomics and appointments, and with an upgrade to an Adirondack spruce top. The top is made of four pieces, marking the first time Taylor has done so using spruce. The overall aesthetic of the BE 814ce is sleek and sophisticated. It boasts a beveled armrest and cutaway, a subtle alteration in the body taper and a refined gloss finish that helps highlight supple body contours. That’s a first for a Builder’s Edition. Playability is mere perfection in any position, sitting or standing, or anywhere on the neck. Strumming or fingerpicking notes and chords, or playing anything from rock to jazz, feels fine. Intonation is spot-on, and the factory action is ultra easy. For its an Editors’ Pick Award. $4,499, taylorguitars.com

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environmental ingenuity, ergonomic playability, refined tone, stageworthiness and overall sophistication, the Taylor Builder’s Edition 814ce earns

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Yamaha FG9 M By Chris Gill, Guitar World, October 2023

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The Yamaha FG9 M’s overall specs follow the relatively standard, classic formula for a square-shoulder, non-cutaway dreadnought. The top is solid Adirondack spruce with scalloped X-bracing and tapered edges; the back and sides are solid African mahogany; and the bolt-on one-

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piece mahogany neck offers an ebony fingerboard. While the Yamaha FG9 M’s overall appearance is unstated and elegant, its tone is bold and attention-getting. Bass notes vibrate the top and body with vigor that you can really feel, yet low notes remain tight and focused and don’t overwhelm the midrange and treble. The mids are subtly scooped, maintaining sufficient body when chords are strummed while carving just enough frequencies to allow vocals to dominate. Yamaha notes that the FG9 M is ideal for singer-songwriters, and that certainly shows. However, the mids hold their own nicely and maintain balance with bass and treble notes when playing the guitar fingerstyle, so this model is also ideal for solo instrumental performers. $3,999.99, yamaha.com

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Blackstar Debut 50R By Chris Gill, Guitar World, December 2023 Whereas most competitors’ amps in the Blackstar Debut 50R’s price range are loaded with features, the Debut 50R itself is focused on providing stellar tone and essential, useful features for recording, performing and practice applications. The 50-watt amp provides volume output that is loud enough for most club gigs (or bigger venues when miked or fed directly to a mixing console). An external speaker jack is missing but not entirely necessary as the amp is more than loud enough on its own. The volume, gain and EQ sections are straightforward, making it easy for even novices to quickly dial in desired tones. The hall and plate reverbs provide lush depth and ambience without decreasing the overall clarity and price range. With a price lower than most boutique pedals, the Debut 50R delivers possibly the best bang-for-the-buck of any combo amp on today’s market. $249.99, blackstaramps.com

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definition of the basic tones. Clean tones with a touch of reverb are particularly stunning, with a crystalline sparkle uncommon on amps in this

Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 2

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By Paul Riario, Guitar World, August 2023 The Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 2 combines essential effects, traditional tube responses and established amp tones — along with multiple connectivity options — in a ruggedly designed and stage-ready floorboard amplifier. Jam-packed into a surprisingly lightweight steel enclosure that’s compact enough to tuck inside your gig bag, the feature-rich Amped 2 boasts familiar EQ controls, Gain and Master controls in RECORDING & LIVE

its Amplifier (preamp) section with three selectable amp voices (USA, UK and Classic) that cover Fullerton-style cleans, Class A-bite and cascaded crunch tones, respectively. All four of the built-in effects are neatly organized into separate sections with dedicated footswitches, earmarked control knobs and mini-toggles to select an effect type. The onboard effects are uncomplicated to use — so as long as you’re not the Edge, the delay, reverb and modulation sound downright impressive for simply adding color. Make no mistake: Amped 2 won’t replace your prized tube amp. But for its ease and bang-up tones, it could be the guitar rig you’ll be using a whole lot more. $649.99, blackstaramps.com

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Boss Dual Cube LX By Christopher Scapelliti, Guitar Player, January 2023 The Dual Cube LX is a stereo amp, one that features a pair of custom-designed four-inch speakers, stereo line outputs for connecting to PA systems and DAWs, and a stereo input mode for use with stereo pedals and modelers. Boasting an output of 10 watts (five watts per channel) from its stereo power amp, it’s plenty loud. Starting from left on the top-mounted panel, there is a selector for seven amp types and Mic preamp and Stereo In modes, as well as a memory button for storing and recalling three presets per amp type, for a total of 27. Right out of the box, the Dual Cube LX is an impressive piece of equipment, making the playing experience very much plug-and-play: its range of amp models meant there was something for everything I threw at it. The amp’s soundstage is wide enough that I didn’t have to worry about being too exact with my positioning, and the stereo experience was impressive. $299 street, boss.info

Boss Katana-50 MkII EX By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, July 2023 The Boss Katana-50 Mk II EX features a compact open-back cabinet with corner protectors that carries a 12-inch ceramicmagnet speaker. The top mounted controls are clearly labeled and make for easy viewing when standing above the amp. A big reason for the Katana’s playerfriendliness is the Tube Logic amp concept, which takes into account the preamp and power tubes, transformers and other components. Connected to a solid-state Class-A/B power section and speaker to inject an analog component into the mix, it provides realistic emulations of tube amps. The amp selections all have good feel, and whether going for clean, medium grind or highly overdriven tones, they respond to picking and guitar volume changes in very satisfying ways. Obviously it’s helpful to set up a few presets for amp/effects pairings, and it’s pretty much essential to have a foot controller to manage things onstage – a worthy investment for an amplifier that has so much to offer in a small, powerful and affordable package. $269 street, boss.info U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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Fender ’48 Dual Professional By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, November 2023 Fender’s recent release of the reissue Dual Professional guitar amplifier — a late-’40s combo

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designed for use in larger venues — began with a request by Joe Bonamassa to re-create his original ’48 model, a prized piece in his vast collection. The Dual Pro is a beauty, with its solid-pine, split-baffle V-front cabinet, chromed divider strip, nailed-on logo plate and neatly applied white tweed covering. The chrome-plated top panel is the epitome of

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simplicity, featuring three knobs (instrument volume, mic volume and tone), a quartet of input jacks (two instrument, mic and low gain), and an on/ off toggle switch and jeweled pilot light. It’s a fierce little beast that has no problem hanging with loud bass and drums. Playing this amp is an amazing experience because of the way it dynamically goes from being almost impossibly clean to being really round and super distorted. It feels more like playing of many things that make the Dual Pro so lovable. $3,500, shop.jbonamassa.com

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an instrument than just an amplifier, and it’s one

Marshall Studio ST20h By Daryl Robertson, Music Radar This new 20-watt Marshall JTM Studio head and matching ST212 cabinet is the most recent edition to the celebrated Studio line, and the British amp giant’s latest venture into modernised vintage

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reissues. Hand-built in Bletchley, England, the Studio JTM features a finger-jointed cabinet, hand-welded chassis, as well as hand-soldered potentiometers and valve bases. The tonal heart of this compact head is a pair of ECC83 preamp valves, two 5881 power amp valves and a single ECC83 phase splitter, which deliver the period-correct tone most of us are chasing. This amp oozes vintage mojo, with a tone that RECORDING & LIVE

perfectly harkens back to a bygone age. Now, the heritage tone of the JTM Studio can’t compete with the high-gain flavours of the JCMinspired Studio Classic, but it’s not trying to — if anything, it’s trying to do the opposite. This plucky little valve head has a surprising amount of headroom, with a clear, warm and full-bodied tone that stays relatively clean even when pushed to its limits. $1,750, marshall.com

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Mesa/Boogie Mark VII Head By Chris Gill, Guitar World, July 2023 Mesa Boogie’s new Mark VII may be the last Mark Series amp designed by the company’s founder, Randall Smith. If so, it’s a crowning achievement for a man who played a significant role in many of the most beloved guitar tones and modern amp features of the last five decades. In the spirit of the very first Mesa Boogie amp, which delivered a revolutionary new high-gain preamp that signified the dawn of the modern guitar amp, the Mark VII’s compact 19-inch, 40-pound chassis is loaded with an unfathomable variety of features and first-class tones. The Mark VII’s most notable new feature is its CabClone IR DI Direct Interface, which provides IR simulations of eight Boogie and Rectifier speaker cabinets in various open- and closed-back and passive and graphic EQ and IR cabinets makes it easy to dial a universe of classic amp tones, as well as a few new ones that will turn heads. $3,499, mesaboogie.com

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4x12, 2x12 and 1x12 configurations. The combination of preamp voices, Simul-Class responsiveness and character, powerful

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ORANGE OR30 KEYBOARDS

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, October 2023 With an output section driven by a quartet of EL84 tubes, the Orange OR30 is conservatively rated at 30 watts, although its impressive output levels suggests it’s pumping out more than that. Three 12AX7 tubes handle preamp and phase inverter tasks, while a 12AU7 is employed to buffer the effects loop. The amp also features a good old 5AR4/GZ34 tube rectifier that provides tantalizing, expressive sag and smooth attack without sacrificing low-end punch and tightness. Front panel controls include a few new features: a cross-line RECORDING & LIVE

Presence control that is audible at any volume settings (unlike typical negative feedback presence that is more apparent at higher volume levels), a footswitch-controlled second volume control and a three-way Bright switch, the first Bright switch ever featured on an Orange amp. Other controls consist of Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass and Gain, and all of the controls are designated in Orange’s signature pictogram fashion. In addition to ¼-inch send and return jacks for the tube-buffered effects loop, the rear panel includes one 16-ohm and two 8-ohm speaker output jacks, a jack for an optional footswitch to engage the second volume control and the perfect-named “headroom/ bedroom” switch that provides either the full 30 watts or only two watts of output. $1,799, orangeamps.com

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Peavey 6505 1992 Original By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, October 2023 It’s been 30 years since the introduction of the Peavey 6505, a high-gain tube head that was a fixture of the 1990s metal scene and beyond. Now it’s back in the guise of this 120-watt head, a two-channel (dual-mode) affair with Rhythm and Lead channels, and it carries five 12AX7s in the preamp section and four 6L6GCs in the output stage. Its Tolex-covered birch-ply cabinet has perforated steel grilles front and back, and metal corner protectors. The amp’s gain range is huge. I started by plugging into the normal gain input with the Crunch switch off and adjusted the Rhythm pre-gain for a glassy clean tone that sounded awesome with delay and reverb. clean sound to the nth degree. It’s simply a great amp that’s as raw and straightforward as the style it helped to define. $1,499 street, peavey.com

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The distortion starts coming on as soon as the Rhythm pre-gain is raised past noon, and from this point on you can dirty-up your

Positive Grid Spark GO By Christopher Scapelliti, Guitar Player, June 2023 Positive Grid’s Spark smart amp impressed me when I reviewed it in 2020, with its 40 watts of power, Bluetooth audio streaming, and many other features. The gear maker downsized Spark’s hardware in 2022 when it introduced Spark MINI, and now comes Spark GO, a

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pleasingly loud and toneful pint-sized version. Like everything in Spark world, Spark GO is stylish and covetable. In addition to a volume knob, the top-mounted control set includes a preset selection button with four red LEDs to indicate which preset (Rhythm, Lead, Solo and Custom) is active, a pair of -/+ volume controls to adjust the level of music streamed from the Spark App or Bluetooth devices, and a 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack. While Spark GO has 33 amp models and 43 effects onboard, thousands more are available for download. Throw GO in your backpack or jacket pocket, or let it hang from your wrist or guitar strap, and you’ll have all the inspiring tones, jamming features and more that you desire or require. $129 street, positivegrid.com

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PRS HDRX 20 By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, Holiday 2022 PRS’s new HDRX 20 is a smaller and lighter version of the behemoth 100-watt head that PRS based on a particular Marshall Super Lead amplifier used by Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock and which now resides in Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture. It uses a pair of American Tung-Sol 5881 tubes for headroom, resistance to compression and a more muscular presentation. The controls are presence, bass, middle, treble, high-mid gain switch, master volume, treble volume (with bright switch), bass volume and single input jack. I took the head to an outdoor gig where I could turn it up

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reasonably loud and spend some quality time with it. The HDRX 20 proved a formidable little beast that delivered plenty of volume and had enough clean headroom to keep everything sounding clear, tight and dynamic. The HDRX 20 is a great choice for anyone who loves classic Marshall tone and wants it in the purest form possible, and that’s why it gets an Editors’ Pick Award. $799, prsguitars.com

PRS Sonzera 20 Combo By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, May 2023 An American-voiced amp with a Portuguese name, the Sonzera 20 is a 20-watt, black-panel, 1x12 reverb combo with a foot-switchable gain

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(lead) channel, effects loop, and external bias adjustment facilities. The sub-$1,000 price tag appears extremely reasonable when you learn that PRS has not only refined the amp’s voicing but has also redesigned the printed circuit board (PCB) for lower noise and improved durability, upgraded component specifications, and made the cabinet build more rugged. The Clean KEYBOARDS

channel offers impressive headroom throughout its range, delivering classic snappy, tight and articulate tones in a broad, balanced voice. The Gain channel can be dialed down for edge-ofbreakup, clean-ish tones too, but then you would miss out on the delightfully thick, rich, singing RECORDING & LIVE

lead voicings available here, some of the most fun tone zones in the entire amp. All in all, this is a versatile and great-sounding amp, and it’s all the more impressive at this price. Given all of the above, the Sonzera 20 earns an Editors’ Pick Award. $999 street, prsguitars.com

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Boss DS-1W Waza Craft Distortion

Boss SDE-3000EVH Dual Digital Delay

By Alex Lynham, Guitar Player, February 2023

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, September 2023

Introduced in 1978, the Boss DS-1 Distortion was the first such pedal

Eddie van Halen never stopped using his pair of Roland SDE-3000

released by Boss, and for this reason, it was many players’ first

digital delays ever since he first installed them in his stage rack in

distortion pedal. Boss has now given the DS-1 the boutique treatment

1985. Anyone who has attempted to configure a rig like Ed’s knows

with the new DS-1W Waza Craft unit shown here. As you would expect,

it can be an expensive proposition: fortunately, about eight years

the DS-1W has controls for tone, level and distortion, but there is also

ago Ed and his expert team at EVH joined forces with Boss to start

a switch to select between Standard

development on the SDE-3000EVH Dual Digital Delay pedal, which

and Custom modes. The great irony

combines a pair of SDE-3000 delays with an ingenious set of features.

is that the pedal’s Standard setting

The top panel will look very familiar to users of original SDE-3000

is a faithful replication of the post-

units as it has the same Time, Feedback, Out, Rate and Depth up/

1994 DS-1 rather than the DS-1 with

down buttons and “Back To The Future”-style alpha-numeric LED

the Toshiba TA7136AP. The Custom

display that glows brilliant blue. After carefully selecting the correct

setting, on the other hand, feels like an

modulation waveforms and filter characteristics and making other

attempt to fix all the inherent artifacts

adjustments to ensure all of the finer settings were identical, I truly

that come with the post-1994 design.

could not tell the

Happily, it succeeds. There’s better

difference — the

filtering, no fizz and a more stable

EVH pedal perfectly

high-gain distortion tone. The pedal is

matched the world-

more mids-forward, punching through

class delays that

a busy mix far better than in Standard

made the 3000 a

mode. Finally, it’s 6dB louder, meaning

perennial favorite

that turning on the pedal no longer

of guitarists and

results in a volume drop. $149 street,

studio pros. $599.99,

boss.info

Donner Arena2000 Amp and Effects Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices Aurelius Tri-Voice Chorus

By Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, April 2023

By Paul Riario, Guitar World, October 2023

Donner Music’s Arena2000 is a floor pedal delivering effects, amp and

For players who demand their chorus to be multifaceted as well as

cab sims, and a massive bundle of functionality and connectivity, all

plush sounding, EarthQuaker Devices has introduced the Aurelius

for about the price of a mid-level single-effect boutique stompbox,

Tri-Voice Chorus. The Aurelius offers three modes of sweeping

making it a prime contender for guitarists shopping in the booming

digital effect modulations in the form of Vibrato, Chorus and

entry-level end of this market. We’re getting used to jaw-dropping

Rotary; best of all, this divine trinity of chorused goodness can

feature complements in these things by now, but even so, the

be saved and recalled via six user presets from the pedal and so

Arena2000’s list of bells and whistles is rather astounding. The unit

much more. Rather than jam a bunch of controls on its face, EQD

packs 80 amp models, 50 cab IR models (with 50 slots for loading

keeps it economically spacious

third-party IRs) and 278 effects, all easily editable right from the unit

with a mini-toggle Mode selector

itself. There’s also a built-in drum machine with 40 patterns and 60

for its Vibrato, Chorus and Rotary

loops, as well as a tuner, and it can all be configured into 50 banks of

voices, a six-position Preset rotary

three presets each — 150 presets in all, but others can be stored and

knob, Save/Recall LED button

easily swapped in and out via Donner’s Control app. Arena2000 is a

(to access and save presets) and

ton of fun and an impressively versatile entry-level amp and effects

Width, Rate and Balance knobs to

pedal. $269, donnerdeal.com

finely tailor any and all warble and wobble. You can also assign the Width, Rate or Balance control to an expression pedal via the pedal’s side-mounted TRS jack. This pedal

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is a warm blanket of chorused modulations that sound sweetly familiar, and having the option to store six of them is more chorusing than I will ever need. $199, earthquakerdevices.com

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Earthquaker Devices Ledges Tri-Dimensional Reverberation Machine By Christopher Scapelliti, Guitar Player, October 2023

Earthquaker Devices Special Cranker By Christopher Scapelliti, Guitar Player, January 2023 The Special Cranker is a medium-gain overdrive that delivers more saturation without altering your amp’s organic nuances or character.

Considering how many reverb pedals today feature no fewer than

The pedal lets my guitar’s tone come through, adding saturation and

five or six varieties of the effect, it’s refreshing whenever someone

sustain and enriching harmonics to make everything I played sound

comes out with a stompbox that keeps the number down to just

livelier, thicker and crunchier. Obviously, what you get from the Special

a few essentials. Consider EarthQuaker Devices’ new Ledges Tri-

Cranker has a lot to do with your

Dimensional Reverberation Machine, which offers Room, Hall and

pickups, but the bottom line here is

Plate reverbs. Room’s longest setting is Hall’s shortest, while Hall’s

that the pedal behaves like it’s part of

longest setting is Plate’s shortest. Within each mode’s range are

your amp, helping you home in on the

infinite options, from boxy at Room’s shortest setting, to endlessly

frequencies you want while delivering

reverberating at Plate’s longest setting. A handful

warm, tube-like crunch that increases in

of controls make dialing in your preferred sound

complexity as you turn the More knob

easy. Mix controls the dry-to-wet balance, length

clockwise. The pedal can be operated

controls the size of the reverb, and damping

from nine to 18 volts for increased

dials down the high-frequency content of the

headroom, one more feature on a

reverb to tame reflections. As EarthQuaker users

pedal that has enough to begin with.

would expect, Ledges features Flexi-Switch

If you’re not a player who wants

Technology, the company’s silent true-bypass

or needs tons of overdrive, or if

relay-based foot switch. Ledges should make a

you just want a versatile medium

great addition for guitarists who want a versatile

overdrive that sounds like an

reverb that doesn’t hog pedalboard real estate

extension of your amp, the Special

or come packed with algorithms they don’t

Cranker deserves a look. $99 street,

need. $199, earthquakerdevices.com

earthquakerdevices.com

EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3

Fishman AFX AcoustiVerb

By Paul Riario, Guitar World, April 2023

By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, October 2023

EarthQuaker Devices

The AFX Acoustiverb has three reverb types on offer: spring, hall and

is at a creative peak

plate. There’s a mini-switch to toggle between them, as well as level

in the dark arts of

and tone knobs (positioned left and

crushing saturated

right, respectively) and a larger knob

ecstasy. Their latest

to control decay time. The controls

offering is the third

only manipulate the affected sound,

iteration (V3) of

not the direct audio. Turn it up and the

their collaboration

selected reverb glistens. Dial it back

with drone metal

and the effect tucks in to become a

doomsayers

bit less noticeable. The spring setting

Sunn O))) for the

offers the familiar sound of a classic

EarthQuaker Devices

tube amp. Switching to the hall reverb

Sunn O))) Life Pedal

is a significant step, as the effect really

V3 — a triple threat of a stompbox that combines massive distortion,

resonates. Switching to plate reverb

octave fuzz, clean boost and much more. The previous limited-run

is less dramatic, the main difference

versions have all sold out, but the good news is the Life Pedal has

being a more bellowing bottom-end

cultivated such demand and online mythos that it will now live on

resonance that becomes evident

as a permanent production model. Humbuckers or single coils be

when you mute a chord. The reverbs

damned, because it doesn’t matter what you use — the Life Pedal is

are all very high quality, and the pedal

a thunderously loud octave fuzz pedal tailor-made for avant-garde

is extremely easy to use: I mostly left

noise architects. It can coax foreboding darkness for doom metal or

the level and tone knobs at noon and

be rolled back for gloriously sharp harmonic overtones that sound

toggled between the three reverb

like the Brite channel of a cranked Sunn Model T amplifier: activating

types. The AFX AcoustiVerb puts a lot

all three footswitches will nudge your amp into a “Three Mile Island”

of ’verby goodness at your fingertips.

meltdown. $299, earthquakerdevices.com

$119, fishman.com/afx U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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Fishman AFX Broken Record

Fishman AFX Pocket Blender

By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, October 2023

Here’s a keep-it-simple looper/sampler that can hold up to six minutes

This pedal for AFX chains is an AB/Y + D.I. with a two-channel mixer.

of 24-bit audio, which can also be transferred to a computer. In sampler

It lets users of dual-element pickup systems balance the signals

mode, the main foot switch can trigger audio to play once and then

individually and facilitates sending them to separate amps with their

stop. The pedal will remember what you’ve recorded even when

own effects assignments — which I did, using a Taylor 816ce with a

powered down, and the same is true for the last recorded loop when

Fishman PowerTap Rare Earth. The

in looper mode. When a looper has

dual system is a ton of fun once you

one button, that button must do

figure it out. I sent the Rare Earth’s

everything, so you’re going to have

magnetic signal to a Hughes & Kettner

to use it in various ways, such as

TubeMeister 18 for a slightly overdriven

multi-tapping and holding. That’s

tone to complement the very lively and

true here, and it works as you would

ambient body sensor signal feeding

expect to record, start or stop play,

into a brand-new Taylor Circa ’74 amp.

overdub, undo or erase. While I prefer

Blending the signals from two amps into

a looper with at least two buttons,

one dual-tone monolith was absolutely

the AFX Broken Record functions

awesome! Fishman’s AFX Minis offer a

and sounds as well as any one-

lot of options for the acoustic-electric

button looper I’ve come across. To

enthusiast. You can be up and running

find that kind of flexibility and sonic

with a basic mono signal in moments,

superiority from a such a miniature

and while most will take that path,

and affordable pedal is hugely

others will enjoy going down the dual-

impressive, and earns the AFX

audiopath rabbit hole to discover whole

Minis an Editors’ Pick Award. $119,

new worlds via an infinite number of

fishman.com/afx

tonal blends. $89, fishman.com/afx

Fishman AFX Pro EQ Mini

Kernom Ridge Overdrive

By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, October 2023

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, April 2023

Based on Fishman’s Platinum preamp, the Pro EQ Mini provides up

The Kernom

to 20dB of gain and impedance matching for a variety of pickup

Ridge Overdrive

types. The Pro EQ Mini has a level control, an input trim to dial in the

may possibly be

best sound with the lowest noise, and five EQ faders — bass, middle

the last overdrive

and treble, plus low cut and

pedal a guitarist

brilliance — to aid in sculpting

may ever need,

your acoustic guitar’s voice In

thanks to its

use, the EQ helps home in on

incredible

the bass, treble and middle

flexibility and

ranges of whatever instrument

ability to dial

I tried. The brilliance control

in the distinct

was subtle but handy, while

character of a

the low cut was a godsend.

multitude of the most coveted and beloved overdrive boxes. Much

One could argue that’s the

more than an overdrive chameleon, the Kernom Ridge even offers the

most important EQ control for

potential to create your own ultimate overdrive that’s unlike any pedal

an acoustic tone hound, as it

currently available. In addition to the true bypass on/off footswitch,

sets the stage for where the

a Preset footswitch enables the box to operate like two separate

signal sits in a mix. The Pro

overdrives, switching between a saved preset and the pedal’s “live”

EQ Mini has a phase switch to

control configuration. The Mood control is where the magic happens,

help curtail feedback, and the

and one can get lost for hours exploring the subtle and not-so-subtle

pedal can be configured as an

shifts in overdrive character it summons. I particularly liked how the

audio mute, which is especially

Kernom Ridge encouraged me to focus on listening carefully when

handy if you have no other

dialing in tones. After getting used to controls, it was easy to go from

mutes in your signal chain.

vintage Marshall crunch to dynamic, punchy “clean” boost and pretty

$119, fishman.com/afx

much everywhere in between. $299, kernom.com

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Maestro Agena Envelope Filter By Chris Gill, Guitar World, November 2023 P

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By Chris Gill, Guitar World, November 2023 P

Recently, Maestro came out with a set of five pedals that offer a few surprises and twists

pedals released were familiar (overdrive, distortion, fuzz, delay and

without deviating too

chorus) but perhaps a bit too predictable — kind of like The Force

far from the familiar

Awakens. The Agena Envelope Filter is sort of a descendent of the

recipe. Among them is

funky Maestro FSH-1 Filter/Sample Hold pedal from the Seventies

the Arcas Compressor

(without the Sample Hold feature, of course), but with a narrower

Sustainer, which provides

filter sweep range that won’t blow out your speakers with excessive

excellent transparent

bass or your eardrums with piercing treble. This pedal has Sense,

compression and sustain

Attack, Decay and a Hi/Lo switch to

effects without too much

provide funky dynamic filter sweeps

squish or breathing —

and wah-like effects with rising

sometimes it’s hard

or descending frequencies that

to tell it’s there until

respond to picking intensity. The

you hold a note that

Arcas Compressor Sustainer comes

seems to go on forever.

with Sustain, Attack, Level knobs

The Mariner Tremolo

and a Lo/Hi switch that provides

really benefits from

a selection of light or heavy

its two-in-one design,

compression effects. It really hits

provided by the very

the funky sweet spot without too

distinct personalities

much tweaking, unlike many highly

of the Harmonic and

temperamental envelope filters.

Classic modes. $149,

$159, maestroelectronics.com

maestroelectronics.com

Maestro Orbit Phaser

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industry equivalent to the most recent Star Wars trilogy. The first five

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, November 2023

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GOLD AWARD

Last year’s revival of the Maestro pedal line by Gibson was the music

Maestro Mariner Tremolo

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Maestro Arcas Compressor Sustainer

GUITAR WORLD

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The latest Maestro lineup has retained the same populist approach

The new Maestro pedals retain the same medium-size, wedge-shaped

of its predecessors by delivering some very sensible designs that

housings as their predecessors, with different color shades and

get the job done without ever getting too arty or weird. The Mariner

graphic patterns to help identify one from another. The Orbit Phaser

Tremolo reviewed here features Depth and Speed controls, a Shape

is a versatile phase shifter that offers a selection of six-stage phasing

knob that varies the

(similar to the Maestro

modulation waveform

PS-1A, one of the very

from triangle to

first phase shifter effects)

square wave and a

or four-stage phasing

Harmonic/Classic

(à la MXR Phase 90 or

switch that offers

Electro-Harmonix Small

either Classic tremolo

Stone) via its mini toggle

that can easily be

switch, plus the standard

dialed from a very

Width, Feedback and

subtle shimmer to

Rate knobs. Although

some super-dramatic

the Orbit Phaser’s six-

and choppy on/off

stage mode doesn’t

effects, or Harmonic

match the psychedelic

tremolo, which

swirling textures of the

sounds generally

original PS-1A, it’s a great

warmer and

deep phasing effect, and

much more organic

the four-stage mode

all round.

delivers timeless classic

$159,

phase effects at the

maestroelectronics.

flip of a switch. $149,

com

maestroelectronics.com

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By Chris Gill, Guitar World, November 2023 E

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Maestro Titan Boost By Chris Gill, Guitar World, November 2023 P

While I don’t have the space to get into the alluring popularity of the “King of Tone” overdrive made by Analog Man proprietor and famed

at the center, true bypass footswitch and tri-color “bugle” LEDs at

pedal builder Mike Piera, rest assured,

the lower left corner. Each pedal can be powered by a 9-volt battery

many savvy guitarists will be pleased

or 9VDC power supply. The Titan Boost joins the ever-growing ranks

to see MXR’S mini-chassis incarnation

of transparent boost effects, with its Level knob providing up to

of the purple box wonder based on

25dB of clean boost, while its HPF (hi-pass filter) knob rolls off bass

the Prince of Tone (a single-channel

frequencies when the Hi-Pass/Flat switch is at the Hi-Pass setting. Its

version of the legendary KoT pedal)

Tone control is a low-pass filter

come to fruition. The DoT is lightweight

that shaves off treble frequencies

and ruggedly built with nary a flimsy

and it’s available in both Hi-Pass

component visible inside or out. It shares

and Flat modes. The Titan Boost

the same control layout as the PoT on its

offers rock-solid transparent

face with Volume, Drive and Tone knobs

boost capabilities, but it stands

along with a mini-toggle switch to select

out from the pack thanks to its

three clipping modes of OD, Boost and

sensible low- and hi-pass filters.

Distortion. The DoT functions only with

Excess bass frequencies can

a 9-volt power supply but is also able to

obliterate a guitar’s clarity on

run on 18V. While it may not have the airy

stage, so it’s ideal to be able to

openness of the original KoT, the DoT

cleanly roll off frequencies below

comes so close it’s nearly imperceptible.

200 to 150Hz without affecting

It may be a Duke, but as far as I’m

the frequencies above that range.

concerned, it’s a King. $149.99 street,

$159, maestroelectronics.com

jimdunlop.com

PRS Horsemeat Transparent Overdrive

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Paul Riario, Guitar World, February 2023 E

control knobs in an upside-down triangle with a mini toggle switch

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, January 2023

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All five of Maestro’s new pedals retain the same configuration of three

Orange Phaser

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MXR Duke of Tone Overdrive

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By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, January 2023 E

Back in 1977 through 1979, Orange offered a trio of stomp boxes — the

The Horsemeat Transparent Overdrive stands out by having a large

Distortion, Phazer and Sustain — that slipped off the radar almost

gain knob located at the top center, where it’s easy to grab. Below

instantly after they were released. During the early days of the Covid

it are the on/off LED and the level, voice, treble and bass controls.

pandemic in 2020, Mick Dines, whose tenure with Orange dated back

It lives up to the transparent overdrive part by sounding true to the

to the early Seventies, stumbled across the original schematics for

guitar driving it. Its core tone is clear and balanced, without excess

these pedals and two years later the Orange Distortion, Phaser and

midrange coloration, while its distortion range is broad and can cover

Sustain pedals were released. These new Orange pedals are part-

everything from dirty rhythm playing to lead work where a medium-

reissue/part-tribute to the originals, offering vintage late-Seventies

gain OD such as a Tube Screamer or a Zendrive might be called on.

sounds and chunky, platform heel-friendly oversized housing

The Horsemeat’s treble and

combined with modern attributes like 9V DC power and LED on/off

voice controls also bring

indicators. The Phaser (now spelled with an “s”) sounds close to a

to mind the old Hermida-

well-known smaller one-knob phase shift pedal that’s also bright

designed pedal in the way

orange, but the flavor here is just a touch deeper. The solitary speed

they interact for enhanced

knob also provides a wider range, going from a slow-as-molasses

sculpting of the distortion

crawl to a warbling hummingbird tremolo. The texture is nice and

tones. It’s very easy to dial

chewy, but the effect doesn’t overshadow the guitar’s natural tonal

in different guitars to steer

personality and is more of an added spice than the main course. $249

toward darker or brighter

street, orangeamps.com

textures while maintaining excellent clarity, without

RECORDING & LIVE

drifting into harshness. In all, it’s a flexible machine with the EQ power to deliver happening tones with different guitars and amps. $249 street, prsguitars.com

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PRS Mary Cries Optical Compressor

PRS Wind Through the Trees Dual Analog Flanger

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, January 2023

The Mary Cries Optical Compressor is based on the famed Teletronix

The Wind Through the Trees Dual Analog Flanger has two

LA-2A rack-mount studio compressor. Designed to level out signal

independent flangers. Each has controls for manual (controls delay

peaks, increase sustain and clarify your sound, the Mary Cries can also

time), depth (adjusts sweep depth and sounds more swirly as it’s

be used to boost your signal, and this makes it great for guitar use,

turned up) and rate, and the latter includes an LED that pulses in

where compression always seems to require an increase in level. Using

sync with the speed. There’s also a mix control for blending the two

it is simple: Find the sweet spot where compression enhances sustain,

flangers (a.k.a. LFO-1 and LFO-2), a global regeneration control that

helps smooth out a rhythm part and/or makes something sit better in

feeds the affected signal back into the front of the signal path to

a track, and adjust the output

increase the intensity, an Added Highs control to restore lost high

gain to restore or increase

frequencies at the output stage, and a global dry/wet control. It’s an

level as needed. Even if you’ve

adventurous pedal to say the least. The WTTT delivers such a broad

decided that compression

palette of effects that setting all the controls to noon is a good way

isn’t your thing because it

to start exploring the

kills the guitar attack, the

myriad ways that a pair

Mary Cries could change your

of flangers can be dialed.

mind because of how it can

Create everything from

deliver the volume lift of a

classic swooshing effects

booster. Compression isn’t a

to dramatic pitch-bent

particularly exciting effect (if

sounds, eerie whistling

you can even call it that), but

tonalities and things that

this LA-2A in a box could turn

sound like alien chatter

out to be one of the hippest

and ’50s-style sci-fi sound

pedals on your board. $219

effects. $349 street,

street, prsguitars.com

prsguitars.com

Source Audio Zio Pedals

Strymon V2 blueSky Reverberator

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, July 2023

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, March 2023

Source Audio’s ZIO Analog Front End + Boost features a bare-bones

Strymon’s new V2 pedals sound the same as their predecessors,

control configuration, consisting of an output knob that provides up

but they also offer a significantly expanded range of performance

to +20dB of boost, a four-position Circuit switch with JFET, Low-Cut,

and ergonomic features that make the upgrade totally worth it. The

Studio (which is based on a vintage Pultec Equalizer) and E-Plex

blueSky Reverberator adds MIDI, USB C, a discrete JFET input circuit

preamp settings, a bright/medium/dark tone switch that emulates

and rear-panel Mono/Stereo switch, with the first of these features

the capacitance of different length guitar cables, a bypass/mute

accessed via the ¼-inch TRS Expression jack to support functions like

switch, a true bypass footswitch, mono ¼-inch input and output

MIDI Control Change commands, MIDI clock sync and access to 300

jacks and a ¼-inch tuner/line out

preset locations. The knobs on the top panel can now send MIDI CC

jack. The ZIO makes a good rig

data. A USB-C jack allows users to control the pedal from a computer

sound great and a great rig sound

and download future firmware upgrades. The discrete analog JFET

incredible whether placed at the

input circuit enhances dynamic responsiveness and provides pristine

front or back of a signal chain or

low-noise performance,

inserted in an effects loop. ZIO’s

and a new ARM DSP chip

overall effect on tone is more as a

significantly increases

sweetener than shaper. A discrete

the processing power

MOSFET input closely mimics

of the pedal while also

the behavior of an old Echoplex

enabling the addition of

preamp with a hint of added grit in

new algorithms. A Shimmer

the E-Plex setting. The differences

knob has been added to

between circuit and tone (cable-

blueSky for the upgraded

length capacitance) settings can

Shimmer parameter, while

be subtle, but discriminating tone

the pedal’s reverbs remain

connoisseurs will appreciate the

as pristine and three-

attention to these finer details.

dimensional as ever. $379,

$199, sourceaudio.net

strymon.net

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Strymon V2 El Capistan Tape Echo

TWA SH9 Scott Henderson Signature Distortion

By Chris Gill, Guitar World, March 2023

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, May 2023

When Strymon announced new V2 versions of six of the company’s

As the first signature model effect from TWA (Totally Wycked Audio),

most popular small-format pedals, the response from the guitar

the SH9 Scott Henderson Signature Distortion is also the company’s

community was a mix of excitement and confusion. Many dedicated

first ground-up design collaboration with Tube Screamer inventor

Strymon users who had happily owned the original versions for years

Susumu Tamura. For the SH9, Tamura took the basic SD-9 Sonic

were puzzled why they’d want an upgrade as the pedals sounded

Distortion circuit that he developed in 1981 and reworked it to meet

fine as is, but eagle-eyed observers will notice the addition of a sixth

Henderson’s performance standards. Improvements include increased

control knob to the top panel of the El Capistan – a Spring knob for

output level and the ability to operate on nine- or 18-volt power, the

the spring reverb algorithm. El Capistan’s secondary functions now

latter providing more headroom, less

include Low End Contour, Tape Crinkle, Tape Bias, Boost/Cut, MIDI

compression and a slightly different

Clock Sync and Respond/Ignore MIDI Expression live edit functions

distortion character. The swanky

and Input Level, Bypass Mode,

purple paint job signals to fans of

Spillover Mode and EXP/MIDI

the Ibanez and Maxon SD-9s that

jack configuration power up

there’s a new sheriff in town, and the

modes. It still delivers some of

SH9 is further differentiated by using

the best and most realistic tape

a mechanical foot switch and true-

echo effects available, with

bypass circuitry. The SH9 makes its

delicious warmth and chewy

case with its thickness, how much

texture. Although a V2 upgrade

distortion it delivers and the amount

isn’t 100 percent essential for

of output on tap. The thick, muscular

previous owners, all of the

drive that the SH9 dishes out makes

new power and expanded

it a sweet deal for anyone who’s ever

functionality is very hard to

wished for a “more” knob on the

resist. $379, strymon.net

Ibanez SD-9. $300, godlyke.com

Universal Audio 1176 Studio Compressor

Universal Audio Del-Verb Ambience Companion

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, December 2023

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, September 2023

As the name implies, the 1176 focuses on a classic UA studio

Based, like all UAFX pedals, around dual-engine processing for enhanced

compressor: the first to use solid-state circuitry and ultra-fast FET

sonic authenticity, the DelVerb delivers emulations of classic delay and

gain reduction, which has been a mainstay of the studio scene for

reverb effects lifted from the Starlight and Golden Reverberator, which

decades. The UAFX 1176 features a standard set of comp controls —

are selected via two minitoggle switches. The lefthand switch offers

input, output, attack, release and ratio — but things get interesting

Tape EPIII, Analog DMM and Precision (respectively a ’70s Maestro

with the Type switch, which has three settings. Single is classic UA

EPIII, EHX Memory Man and UA’s own pristine delay with studiograde

1176 Rev E compression, Dual is two 1176s in series “L. Zep” style, and

chorusing and flanging). The righthand switch offers Spring 65, Plate

Sustain is two 1176s in series

140 and Hall 224 reverbs that model the tank and circuitry of, in order,

“L. Feat” style. The 1176 has

a 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb, an

that unique quality of making

EMT plate reverb (from the Record

instruments sound juicier and

Plant in Sausalito) and an ’80s

smoother, and the Type switch is

Lexicon 224 digital processor.

all-powerful, as you can simply

Depending on the delay selected,

set it to Single and crank up the

Color alters the Tape EPIII record

input until you get the amount of

level, the Analog DMM input gain

squeeze needed (the LED glows

or the Precision delay tone. Mod

green, orange or red depending

sets modulation amount and is

on how much compression is

off at 12 o’clock. The delay and

being used), and then tailor

reverb emulations are stellar,

the output, attack, release and

and the DelVerb delivers this

ratio to suit the playing feel

same level of performance in

you want. It all points to the

a package that gives players

1176 Studio Compressor’s great

quick and easy access to those

versatility. $199, universalaudio.

sounds. $349, universalaudio.

com

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Universal Audio Dream ’65 Reverb Amp

Universal Audio Evermore Studio Reverb

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, April 2023

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, December 2023

The Dream ’65 Reverb Amp has volume, reverb, output, bass, treble

Designed to deliver the spacious ambience, grainy trails and

and boost controls, the latter two doubling as speed and intensity

mesmerizing modulation of an iconic, late-’70s digital reverb, the

when tremolo is active. The three toggle switches perform several

Evermore zeros in on the Lexicon 224 algorithm from the Del-Verb

functions: The speaker switch selects the mic’s speaker cabinets

Ambience Companion. Evermore’s streamlined interface has a mod

— GB25, Oxford and EV12 — and pressing the switch down cycles

knob that adjusts reverb tail modulation, a mix knob for setting reverb

though all six cabinets, plus bypass, which may be preferable when

level, and bass, mid and treble controls that respectively adjust low-,

running into your own amp/speaker rig. The middle switch has Alt,

mid and high-frequency decay time. A marvel of miniaturization, the

Amp and Store functions. When Alt is selected, the tremolo speed

Evermore basically gives you the

and intensity controls (a.k.a. treble

large, 34-pound 224 digital ’verb in a

and boost) are active. In Amp mode,

pedal, which is impressive when you

the standard amp controls are

consider that the Lexicon unit was

available. To store a preset, hold the

behind some great sounds of ’80s-era

switch in the down position until

albums such as Talking Heads’

the green LED blinks rapidly. The

Remain in Light and many others.

righthand mod switch selects Lead

Evermore’s sounds are beautifully

(OD Special mod), Stock (standard

spacious and so inspiring, I could just

Fender circuit) and Dtex (SRV mod).

set up a lush spring-sounding reverb

With pedal set clean in the Stock

pad and play over it, basking in that

position, it was easy to get very

space and time continuum. Being able

realistic Deluxe Reverb tones that

to create dreamy sounds that were

sounded excellent, with lush reverb

once only attainable in a world-class

adding a beautiful wash of airiness.

recording studio is a luxury I’ll take

$399, universalaudio.com

any day. $219, universalaudio.com

Universal Audio Galaxy ’74 Tape Echo & Reverb

Universal Audio Heavenly Plate Reverb

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, September 2023

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, December 2023

UAFX’s alternative option in the delay/reverb category is Galaxy ’74 Tape

The Heavenly Plate Reverb reaches back to the technology that

Echo & Reverb, which is based on a mid-1970s Roland Space Echo. The

German company EMT introduced in 1957 with its model 140 plate

pedal features echo rate, feedback and echo volume controls; a Head

reverb unit, focusing on those emulations as presented in the UAFX

Select switch (cycles through three tapehead combinations) and a

Golden Reverberator. Here we find decay (reverb time) and mix

two-position switch for Main and Alt, the latter of which activates tape

controls across the top, a three-position plate select switch with

age, bass and treble as alternate functions for the bottom row of knobs.

settings for Vintage Bright, Vintage Dark and Modern Full; and knobs

This is a lot of fun to play with, as the ability to swell notes at different

across the bottom for predelay (adjusts time before reverb onset), EQ

tempos can make even

(reverb tone cut/boost; flat at noon) and mod (modulation amount;

simple lines sound amazing,

interacts with the front-mounted

and when you release the

mod rate slow/fast switch). An

footswitch the trails slowly

adjacent switch on the front selects

fade out as you keep playing.

trails or true-bypass. The Heavenly

The bypass routing can be set

is great for adding vintage-sounding

for trails off by using the UAFX

ambience to instrument and vocal

Control app, which also lets

tracks, where its smooth, lively

you change the footswitch

reflections make you realize why

order so the left switch is

real plate ’verbs and their digital

delay on/off and the right

modeling equivalents (including

switch is reverb on/off. It’s

UAD’s own EMT 140 plug-in)

awesome that Galaxy puts

remain popular. It sounded cool

its own spin on this classic to

running clean, and it delivered a

become yet another great-

nice studio quality to slowertunes,

sounding offering in the UAFX

where the reflections created by

line. $349, universalaudio.

the Vintage Bright setting were

com

perfect. $219, universalaudio.com

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Universal Audio Max Preamp/Dual Compressor

Universal Audio Orion Tape Echo

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, September 2023

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, December 2023

Two is always better than one, right? That’s the premise of the Max

Using algorithms from the Starlight Echo Station, the Orion Tape Echo

Preamp/Dual Compressor which features two identical and stackable

offers authentic emulations of the vintage Maestro Echoplex EP-III

sets of classic compressors: the MXR Dyna Comp, Teletronix Opto LA2A

tape delay. The delay knob sets the echo rate, mix adjusts echo level

and Universal Audio UA 1176 (labeled here as FET 1176), along with

(100 percent wet at maximum), and the three-position Tape switch

an emulation of UA’s 610 tube preamp/EQ. When you start stacking

offers Mint, Worn and Old settings. There is also a feedback knob for

different comps with various amounts of compression and preamp

echo repeats, a wonk knob to adjust wow and flutter (interacts with

drive, Max really comes into its own. Explore the different tonal and

the tape-age setting), and a record

dynamic textures that can be created by running, say, Dyna into FET

level control that varies tape “color”

1176 with its controls set for heavy

(i.e. distortion), which increases

squash, quick attack and a long

when turned clockwise. The Orion

release; or Opto LA2A with the

is a colorful and expressive delay

compression turned up, ratio around

that provides a lot of control, but

20 and release at noon into FET

you can set the knobs pretty much

1176 set for moderate compression

anywhere, short of full oscillation,

and a fast release. Turn up the 610

and it just sounds good. The EP-

preamp to inject a little graininess,

III’s coveted preamp stage is a tone

add distortion and delay, and it

enhancer, so I kept it on the dry

doesn’t get much cooler, because

signal full-time, with bypass in trails

with Max you can set the knobs

mode. Orion sounds so tactile and

wherever you like and just bliss out

organic, and having the preamp on

on playing this superinteractive tone

even when not using delay definitely

machine. $399, universalaudio.

adds tone. It’s one of a kind, and a

com

keeper. $219, universalaudio.com

Universal Audio Ruby ’63 Top Boost

Universal Audio Woodrow ’55

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, April 2023

Based on a Vox AC30 platform, the Ruby ’63 Top Boost has a control

Designed to deliver American tweed amp tones, the Woodrow ’55

layout consisting of volume, cut, output, bass, treble and boost. The

Instrument Amplifier features a control set that includes instrument

lefthand speaker switch has Silver, Blue and Green settings, and here

volume, mic volume, output, room (ambience), tone and boost.

you can cycle though all six mic’d cabinets (or bypass) by holding

Starting on the left side is the speaker switch which has settings for

down the switch. The middle switch’s Alt position selects room

Blu15, JP12 and GB25, and you can cycle though all six mic’d cabinets

amount (ambience), vibrato intensity and speed, which are available,

by holding the switch down. The Woodrow takes you straight to the

respectively, on the bass, treble and boost knobs. The Amp position

’50s zone by virtue of its two channels, which are internally jumpered

activates the standard control

to facilitate blending the brighter

complement for an AC30,

more aggressive instrument

while the Preset position is

channel with the cleaner, bassier-

used to store custom sounds.

sounding mic channel. The three

The Ruby’s Brilliant channel

selections on the righthand Boost

is a blast to play through, as

switch play a big role in shaping

it models the original “top

tones. At the top is KP3k, which

boost” circuit’s extra tube to

models a preamp boost from the

deliver more gain and treble.

Korg SDD3000 digital delay as

The cut, bass and treble

famously deployed by The Edge.

knobs work in the usual

It uses the lower gain mic input

fashion and provide plenty

to provide a clear, bright sound

of range to dial in tactile,

that’s cool for rhythm playing

“blizzard of nails” tones from

with the boost knob set low (turn

humbuckers and singlecoils

it up for more grit), or to push

alike. You can summon

an overdrive pedal into meaty

more dirt via the boost knob.

sustain. $399, universalaudio.

$399, universalaudio.com

com

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Warm Audio Centavo

Warm Audio Odd Box V1

By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, Holiday 2022

By Paul Riario, Guitar World, November 2023

Warm Audio’s Centavo has a large custom-cast “champagne” enclosure

Right now, Warm Audio is smoking hot with its “inspired by” pedals

and black pointer knobs for gain, treble and output. The input, output

that accurately replicate the specs of tried and true originals that

and nine-volt adapter jacks are on the back, along with a mod slider

have attained legendary status. To duplicate the hard-clipping and

switch that provides extended low-frequency response in the up

op-amp-based circuit of a Fulltone OCD pedal, Warm Audio goes

position. As per the original circuit specs, Centavo features TL072 op-

above and beyond under the hood for the ODD with through-hole

amps, vintage-style diodes and a charge-pump voltage regulator: the

construction using premium components, including a TLO82CP Op-

pedal also has a buffered bypass. The Centavo is a smooth-sounding

Amp, 2N7000 transistors and hand-selected capacitors and resistors.

overdrive with a nice, tube-like tone and feel. It sounds excellent when

With the same controls for Drive, Volume and Tone, the clear tonal

used like a booster by keeping the gain low and cranking up the volume

shift comes courtesy of the UK/US mini-toggle switch — with the UK

control. This worked great to coax more grind from a Deluxe Reverb with

setting having bumped upper-mids, warmer saturation and detailed

its volume about halfway up. Even when dimed, however, the Centavo’s

harmonic chime. Flipping down to the US

distortion is responsive to your picking and not overly compressed.

setting ushers in more clean headroom

Pairing it with

with scooped mids, a brighter boost and

another pedal to get

crumbly breakup tones. The ODD features

more sustain is a

true bypass switching and runs on a

good option, as the

9-volt battery or an external 9- to 18-volt

buffered output helps

regulated DC adapter. Running the ODD

maintain the warmth,

at 18 volts offers even more headroom

transparency and

and expressive dynamics. It’s staggering

juiciness that makes

to hear how well the ODD is able to match

the Centavo so cool in

the OCD’s distinct overdriven character

the first place. $149,

in the same sweetly saturated way. $119,

warmaudio.com

Warm Audio Mutation Phasor II

Warm Audio Warmdrive

By Paul Riario, Guitar World, November 2023

By Paul Riario, Guitar World, December 2022

Warm Audio’s Mutation Phasor II is a true-to-spec circuit recreation

Warm Audio is well known for making faithful recreations of tried-and-

of the vintage original built with premium components that include

true microphones as well as recording gear, and whether you know it

classic RC4558P op-amps, vintage-style diodes, carbon resistors

or not, rare guitar pedals. The company prides itself on matching the

and film caps. Of course, it features the exact control set of Depth,

authentic circuit, which involves pairing high-end chips like 2N7000

Rate, and Feedback, which govern the MP II’s width and speed of

MOSFETs, 1N34a Germanium/Schottky BAT41 diodes, a NE5532 Op-

modulation and frequency range of phase-shifting swirl. The MPII

Amp and carbon resistors to approach the enviable “Dumble-style”

is buffered bypass and operates with a 9-volt battery or an external

character of the original pedal made popular by guitarists such as

9-volt regulated DC adapter. Lucky

Larry Carlton and Robben Ford. The four controls for Volume, Gain,

for me, I actually own a prized

Tone and Voice respond as expected,

Seventies-era Musitronics Mu-Tron

but the interplay between the Voice

Phasor II to compare Warm Audio’s

and Tone allows the Warmdrive to

MPII with. There is no mistaking

precisely administer the amount of

the MPII deftly imitates the chewy

resonant body and treble response

phasing of the Mu-Tron at modest

before (Voice) and after (Tone) you

settings using the Depth and

add gain-clipping. The Warmdrive

Feedback controls. The phasing is

features buffered bypass operation

more polite than rude, yet still retains

and is powered by a 9V battery

a defined swirling complexity of

or 9V DC adapter. Not to sound

the original but without any of the

too redundant, but this pedal is

hiss. Regardless, having the MPII

all about warmth and another

with a more practical pedalboard

heaping spoonful of warmth, with

footprint and that distinctly warm

a creamy overdrive that’s burnished

and richly textured swirl is enough

to perfection but also makes its

for me to retire my vintage unit. $149,

stinging presence known. $149,

warmaudio.com

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Bare Knuckle Pickups Peacemaker Humbuckers By Paul Riario, Guitar World, August 2023

ELECTRICS

Bare Knuckle’s latest offering, the Peacemaker humbucker, is the result of a partnership with rocker Chris Robertson, lead guitarist and vocalist of Black Stone Cherry. The muscular Peacemaker pickups are anything but peaceful, but rather, a cutting pair of PAF-voiced humbuckers that serve up heated slices of modern classic tones. For a solid tonal read on how the pickups are EQ’d, Bare Knuckle’s online chart reveals

ACOUSTICS

clearly bumped-up mids with the bass and treble as equal. The Peacemaker is available as a 6-, 7- and 8-string pickup with four- or two-conductor wiring, short or long mounting legs and 50mm or 53mm pole spacing. I’m captivated by how thoroughly gutsy they sound with every pick stroke. These humbuckers attack with discernibly bright mids that jut out as you’re chugging rhythms, yet miraculously cut deeply in a band mix so that you are heard. Solos jump out notes, the Peacemakers have the uncanny ability to deliver them with sharpened precision. From $193 (from $374 for sets), bareknucklepickups.co.uk

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with dense clarity, and if you’re one to unleash a flurry of

CIOKS DC7 Power Supply By Paul Riario, Guitar World, November 2023 What makes the CIOKS DC7 so exceptional? Put aside its diminutive form factor, and what you have are seven isolated DC outlets with four selectable voltages on each outlet that can feed juice to just about any pedal. Using the recessed dipswitches at the top of the unit, you can switch an outlet to run 660mA at 9V, 500mA at

RECORDING & LIVE

12V, 400mA at 15V or 330mA at 18V. The DC7 also includes a 5-volt USB outlet for charging your smartphone or tablet, and if you need more juice for extra pedals, an onboard 24-volt auxiliary outlet can be used for expansion with CIOKS 4 or CIOKS 8 units. If there’s an overload or a short circuit, the LED will shut off, letting you know you might have a short in a cable or that the pedal’s current consumption is over the outlet’s limit. For its feature-rich compatibility and reliable performance, you’d be hard-pressed to find a compact power supply better than the CIOKS DC7. $249, cioks.com

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Fishman Fluence Scott LePage Custom Series By Chris Gill, Guitar World, September 2023 Fishman’s new Scott LePage Custom pickup Series provides vintage and hot-rodded humbucker and single-coil tones as well as voices optimized for clean tones. The pickups feature Alnico V bar magnets and are available with either black or white bobbins: the LePages have six slug and six screw polepieces. LePage’s set provides a versatile selection of electric tones. The bridge pickup offers a vintage PAF voice with a 2.4kHz midrange peak, a classic hot-rodded voice with a darker 1.7kHz peak that still maintains outstanding clarity and definition, and slightly overwound single-coil voice with a 4kHz peak. The neck humbucker’s voices consist of a vintage PAF with 3kHz peak, an exclusive custom humbucker voice with 4.7kHz and 360Hz peaks, and a vintage single-coil with 5kHz peak. Fishman Fluence pickups in general are great for guitarists who prefer to employ a wide variety of tones without changing instruments, but here the differences between voices can be so dramatic that it truly sounds like an entirely different guitar is being played. $289.95, fishman.com

Fishman Fluence Tim Henson Custom Series By Chris Gill, Guitar World, September 2023 Fishman’s new Fluence Signature pickup sets, developed with Polyphia guitarist Tim Henson, will appeal to fans of his band’s innovative multitextural tones. The Henson set is designed to provide acoustic-style clean tones in addition to a wide range of full humbucking and single-coil tones for heavier electric textures. The set offers a diverse range of tones and textures, including semi-acoustic. The bridge pickup’s voices consist of hot-rodded Classic with a 1.65Hz midrange peak, Henson’s enhanced humbucker with 2.3kHz and 480Hz peaks, and a 6kHz peak single-coil that Henson usually combines with a neck pickup single-coil voice. The neck humbucker’s voices include a thick, smooth humbucker, a 9.5kHz and 450Hz peak setting designed to replicate his electric-acoustic solidbody nylon string guitar’s tone when used with a clean amp setting, and a single-coil with a 4.2kHz peak that he prefers in the aforementioned neck/ bridge setting. Guitarists ranging from conservative traditionalists to adventurous progressives will be enticed by the impressive sonic character and versatility that these pickups offer. $289.95, fishman.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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Gator Cases GTR Minivault E2 By Jude Gold, Guitar Player, August 2023

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Accommodating everything from Les Pauls to Strats to Jazzmasters to long-scale baritones, the Minivault gives two solidbody (or solidbody-sized) guitars a snug, foamlined ride to the gig in one convenient, quiet-rolling vessel. When you’re at the gig, simply wheel the Minivault to your side of the stage, open the lid and voilà! — your guitars are ready for you, sitting comfortably in a two-guitar rack that eliminates the need for guitar stands or a place to stash dead cases, and making it easy to switch instruments mid-set. With the Minivault, all you have to stash during the gig is the lid — which is why it has been cleverly endowed with two magnets. Another plus is that a whopping five twist

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latches hold the lid on during transport, ensuring that even if TSA agents miss one when reattaching the lid, the Minivault remains plenty secure. Ensure your two favorite guitars always get a first-class trip to and from the gig — even when you’re up above, flying in coach. $549, gatorco.com

L.R. Baggs HiFi High-Fidelity Acoustic Bridge Plate Pickup System

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By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player, November 2023 L. R. Baggs’ new HiFi active acoustic bridge plate pickup system is different from traditional systems which use an undersaddle piezo pickup. In the HiFi system, a pair of transducers adhere

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noninvasively under the bridge plate, while a high-fidelity preamp sculpts the output signal. The design delivers a balance of string and body energy for a holistic tone that fully represents the qualities of a particular acoustic. HiFi’s installation is not particularly complicated and, significantly, requires no glue or epoxy. The system includes the endpin preamp, a nine-volt battery pack, and a pair of sound hole– RECORDING & LIVE

mounted volume and tone flywheels. Using a variety of plucking approaches, from fingerpicking to aggressive percussive playing, I found the system kept feedback at bay and remained securely in place. Are we at the beginning of the end of the piezo age? I’d bet Baggs believes so. For ushering in a new chapter at one of the most innovative companies in the acoustic-electric arena, HiFi earns an Editors’ Pick Award. $199 street, lrbaggs.com

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Casio Celviano AP-270 Digital Piano By Dave Clews, Music Radar Like a wardrobe or bookcase from a certain famous Swedish furniture company, the AP270 comes flat-packed in a large box and

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requires some self-assembly. Unless you’re part of the niche subset of pianists who are also bodybuilders, you’ll probably need two people to unpack and assemble the piano. The AP-270 employs Casio’s Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer II keyboard action, as found across many more expensive models in both the

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Privia and Celviano ranges. While it’s not our favourite action — while playing at low volume or with headphones, you can hear and feel the thump of the keys — the weighting is nicely balanced. Trills and repeated notes are easy to pull off thanks to the three sensors fitted to each key, and the top surface of both black and white keys is lightly textured with a comfortable sort of faux-ivory, wood grain effect. You’d have action in a Casio, making this model very good value indeed. $899 approx, casio.com

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to spend quite a bit more money to get a better

IK Multimedia UNO Synth By Andy Jones, Music Radar The IK Multimedia UNO Synth range has given us pretty much

matrix and button combo that made the Pro and original synths so

everything we need from an analogue synth in 2023: fat sounds,

easy to use. Instead, the UNO Synth Pro X’s front panel is packed

ease of use, compatibility with modular, different models to

with some 23 dials, including a set of multi-function buttons

choose from and, most importantly, keen price points. This latest

alongside each section to access more sets of parameters. This

UNO Synth Pro X model is top of the tree in terms of specs, but its

is the first UNO Synth to feel like a proper analogue synth and the

lack of a proper keyboard keeps its retail price at $500. The dual-

sound is as big and bold as ever. It’s great for sounds used in every

filter, three-oscillator paraphonic engine is still in place, as are the

electronic music genre and for designing your own.

number of presets (264) and 64-step sequencer, but gone is the

$499, ikmultimedia.com

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Adam Audio A8H By Jon Musgrave, Music Radar Adam Audio’s A8H is a powerful, three-way monitor, ideal for larger

closer to Adam’s AX series. The A8H is a big, loud monitor, and when

rooms, but also highly flexible, making it perfect for a variety of modern

you turn them up those front ports really shift air. Nevertheless, the

production environments. In terms of onboard EQ (room adaptation)

all-important mid-range is ably handled by the three-way design,

you have four choices — bass, desk, presence and treble — each

and as ever the ribbon tweeters deliver a silky smooth top end that’s

offering various cut or boost settings at their specific fixed frequencies.

not fatiguing. They’re also great at lower volumes, so if you can

In addition to room adaptation, the A8H includes three ‘voicings’

accommodate their size, the forward-ported design and excellent

which influence the overall sound. The default (Pure) is the most

tweakability make them a great choice for any space. All told, these

neutral or flat setting, whereas UNR (Uniform Natural Response) is

monitors are really impressive. $1,399, adam-audio.com

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AIR Music Tech AIR Delay Pro By Computer Music reviewer, Music Radar With three innovative additions at its heart, AIR Delay Pro is a

chord sequences or slinky melodies. The third flagship selling point

transformative delay. The first of its three abilities is Diffusion, an

of AIR Delay Pro is a process called Envelope Follow. Essentially

effect that allows you to smear the rougher edges of your delay and

a way of manipulating the time, feedback and delay amounts based

place it almost akin to a reverb. The reflections feel very realistic,

on the ceiling you’ve set in an envelope window, three corresponding

and those more animated delays sound as if they’re running around

sliders adjust the elements you want to evolve over time. While

actual spaces. Next, there’s Autoclear, which instantly cuts the delay

individually well worth interrogating, these elements work to build

when another note is hit. It’s a godsend for those of us who struggle

out AIR Delay Pro as a substantial delay-crafting toolkit.

with wrangling massive delays which then bleed out over quick-fire

$50, airmusictech.com

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Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen By Jon Musgrave, Music Radar Focusrite’s long-established Scarlett USB audio interfaces are available in

(two mic XLR and two line/instrument), four outputs and MIDI in/out.

many shapes and sizes, offering everything from simple two-in/two-out

All three models have a single headphone output with dedicated level

to the full-on multi-channel 18i20. The process of moving to the fourth

control (this is an upgrade for the Solo) and all offer up to 24-bit/192kHz

generation devices is now underway with the new Solo, 2i2 and 4i4.

operation. USB connection is via USB-C but is compatible with regular

These are direct replacements for their respective Third Gen devices. The

USB 2.0. The latest versions of this very popular range show there’s always

Solo includes two inputs (one mic XLR and one line/instrument jack)

room for development, and the new features — particularly in the 2i2 and

and two outputs, and the 2i2 is also two I/O but with two mic preamps

4i4 — will help improve your productivity and recordings.

(two XLR and two line/instrument connectors). The 4i4 has four inputs

$139.99-$289.99, focusrite.com

IK Multimedia ToneX By Alex Lynham, Music Radar For some years now, digital amp-modeling has been virtually

throw humbuckers, single coils or even a seven-string at it, the Tonex

indistinguishable from the real thing. Accurate IRs and physical modeling

keeps up. Where it stumbles with extended-range playing, as many amps

reverbs have thrown enough smoke in the eyes of the listener that even

do, the highly tweakable EQ is more than sufficient to tighten things up. If

a studio veteran can’t tell the difference. IK Multimedia’s ToneX amp

amps all day is the goal, then the ToneX may well be the best-sounding

models are excellent at this task, as you’d expect from a company that

unit in this price bracket. Whether the audience will notice the difference

has been at the forefront of amp-modeling for a decade. From Fender

between this and a competitor, let alone this and the real deal, is another

cleans to metal chug, all the tones you’d expect are here. Whether you

story. $399, ikmultimedia.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

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JBL Eon One MK2 By Daryl Robertson, Music Radar If you’re a working musician looking to be heard, you aren’t exactly short of options when it comes to sound reinforcement. JBL has a system that looks to take the fuss out of setting up a PA, while also being super-lightweight and powerful: the Eon One MK2. Building on the previous

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generation, the new Eon system is a feature-rich, all-in-one rechargeable column PA which benefits from an onboard mixer and DSP effects. Boasting five channels, effects, Bluetooth streaming and a mobile control app, this transportable PA has a lot of functionality. Standing at six and a half feet tall, the Eon One houses an array of eight two-inch tweeters which disperse sound at 140° horizontally and 30° vertically, while the 10-inch woofer at the foot of the system

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delivers the punchy low end down to 37Hz. Couple that with the 1500-watt (peak) amplifier and 123dB output, and you have a system that can handle a legion of scenarios — from bar gigs to houses of worship, conferences to busking and much more. $1,249, jblpro.com

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By Art Thompson, Guitar Player, November 2023 This system comprises a pair of small rear-ported speakers, each featuring a bi-amped power section that pumps 22 watts into a threeinch woofer and eight watts into a one-inch soft- dome tweeter. The back of the left-hand unit has a power switch, a pair of RCA inputs, an 1/8-inch aux ACCESSORIES

in, a Bluetooth pairing button and a pair of LF/HF EQ buttons. There’s also an AC power-in jack and a proprietary jack for connecting the right-hand speaker via the included eight-foot cable. Everything packs into a padded carry bag with shoulder

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strap, including the cables and adjustable tilt-back iso stands, which are secured to the speakers. With a frequency range of 60Hz to 22kHz, the speakers sound clear and detailed and offer good bass response and a nice stereo presentation when placed the RECORDING & LIVE

recommended three to five feet apart. I’m impressed by the performance and value of the GoAux 3” speakers. They’re certainly a great low-cost choice when you want quality sound in any environment where space is limited. $379 (pair), krkmusic.com

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Lewitt LCT 440 Pure By Chris Corfield, Music Radar The Lewitt LCT 440 Pure mic features a hefty 1” condenser capsule — which is a thing of beauty, if you're into that kind of thing — and a fixed cardioid pickup pattern, which may or may not be a benefit, depending on how you plan on using it. Inside the box you’ll get the mic and a heftylooking shock mount, along with a pop filter, windshield and a handy carry case. As a large condenser mic, in name and form, the 440 Pure requires phantom power, but then benefits from the higher voltage produced when picking up a signal, creating a superior signal-to-noise ratio than you’d find with a typical small diaphragm condenser. In use, this translates to improved loudness from recorded signals, which means you don’t need to drive a preamp as hard to get decent results. The Lewitt LCT 440 Pure is an excellently designed, premium mic with the ability to take sounds from a variety of sources and reproduce them to a high standard. $289, lewitt-audio.com

Positive Grid Bias FX 2 By Matt McCracken, Music Radar The world of guitar amp software is a rapidly growing one, with guitarists

new Cloud system. There are more amp models than we can name here,

having plenty of options to get great tones for recording and practice at

with Fender cleans to 5150-inspired high-gain monsters and everything

home on their computer. Positive Grid’s Bias FX 2 has been around since

in between. You can even create a hybrid of your two favourite amps,

2019 and when PG announced they were doing a huge update, free for

extracting certain characteristics of their EQ to create something totally

existing users, we were super-excited to get our hands on it. The update

unique to you. The sheer choice Positive Grid gives you here makes it well

sees a massive overhaul to the DSP sound engine, an improved Guitar

worth the cost, and using it is an absolute breeze, even with the most

Match feature, an all-new IR Cab 3.0 for those impulse responses, and a

complex, effects-laden two-amp rigs. $59-$179, positivegrid.com U LT I M AT E G E A R G U I D E

PreSonus Studio 24c By Chris Corfield, Music Radar In a world where any laptop, computer or tablet can be repurposed

your software. You get two main outputs for studio monitors,

into a fully-fledged music or audio recording studio, the

for mixing and mastering your tracks, along with a dedicated

humble audio interface has become one of the most important

headphone output. You can unlock some pretty interesting internal

tools in a producer’s arsenal. Enter the PreSonus Studio 24c. For

routing options via a feature called Loopback, which allows you

a shade under $100, PreSonus is offering a highly usable, well-

to route audio between different applications. With the addition

appointed budget interface with claims of high-definition audio

of Loopback, MIDI connectivity and other small quality-of-life

and some neat tools for streamers under the hood. You get two

features, the PreSonus Studio 24c elevates itself above the

inputs, which can handle XLR, instrument or line-level inputs and

competition and manages to do so at a very sensible price point.

feature independent gain controls to ensure a clean signal reaches

$99, presonus.com

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Radial Engineering Reamp HP By Christopher Scapelliti, Guitar Player, March 2023 If you already own a DI box or just need a simplified reamping

quality from both units was outstanding, while making tangible

solution, the Reamp HP has you covered. It uses the line-level signal

improvements to both your workflow and your creativity. If you’re

from your recording device’s headphone output, and to that end, the

a hobbyist in this area of recording activity and you want to try

left side of the unit has 1/4-inch TRS stereo and 3.5mm input jacks,

reamping on a budget, you’ll definitely get loads of pleasure and

with a mono switch to sum the left and right channels when engaged.

creativity with the Reamp HP unit, but be prepared: It’s certain to be

Over several reamping sessions, I sent signals to Radial Engineering’s

your gateway to the more deluxe Reamp Station.

Reamp Station, also reviewed in these pages, to the Reamp HP. The

$99 street, radialeng.com

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Radial Engineering Reamp Station By Christopher Scapelliti, Guitar Player, March 2023 The Reamp Station is an all-in-one solution that combines a DI for

half, and JCR, on the right. A reamped signal starts with a high quality

recording your guitar signal and a Reamp for processing the track

direct recording, so it’s great to see these two features combined in

after it’s recorded. Like many of Radial’s products (including a few

one box. The JCR’s front-panel features include a 3.5mm input that

of their DI boxes), the Reamp Station is made from powder-coated

lets you reamp signals from mobile devices and handhelds; a level

14-gauge steel. The unique construction features a C-shaped outer

control; a three-position filter with settings for high-cut, low-cut and

shell sandwiching the steel chassis that contains the electronics, with

flat frequency response. All in all, the Reamp Station is a compact but

the outer edges of the shell forming a narrow protective lip over the

feature-packed device that leaves no reamping problem unsolved.

various controls. This is where you’ll find controls for the DI, on the left

$479, radialeng.com

Shure GLXD16+ Dual Band Digital Wireless Guitar Pedal System By Paul Riario, Guitar World, July 2023 Outside of their renowned microphones, Shure’s touring-grade wireless systems have always

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been priced slightly out of reach for most non-professional guitarists and bassists. But now, Shure aims to change all that with the rollout of their new GLXD16+ Dual Band Digital Wireless System, which is available in rack-mount, tabletop and guitar pedal receiver versions. Housed in indestructible metal enclosures, the GLXD16+ guitar pedal receiver and transmitter (with a locking 4-pin mini connector Neutrik cable) are designed to work seamlessly for players who favor a wireless system integrated within their pedalboards. What makes Shure’s GLXD+ range unique is that it capitalizes on doubling

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available bandwidth with its Dual Band system that operates in the license-free 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz bandwidths. From setup to play, what makes the GLXD16+ so damn appealing is that it’s done within seconds. With the receiver active and the transmitter fully charged, simply turn on the transmitter till the green LED flashes, and presto! — you’re up and running with a clean signal, which to my ears, sounds clearly enhanced. RECORDING & LIVE

$499, shure.com/glxdplus

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Universal Audio Apollo Twin X By Matt McCracken, Music Radar In this digital age of DSP and modeling, musicians are always

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utilizing these modern technological achievements to hark back to the age of analogue recording. Whether it’s a plugin that models a vintage compressor or a floor modeler that recreates the warmth and sag of a tube amp, many of the old ways still reign supreme over modern music. The Universal Audio Apollo Twin X does the whole amp modeling and classic outboard gear recreation very well, but so does pretty much every other audio interface. Where the Apollo Twin X stands out from the crowd is its ability to imitate the workflow of an analogue studio, which could be just the thing to liven up the modern engineer’s mix. It’s time and financial investment. The experience has absolutely left our previous workflow in the dust, with just the urge to purchase yet another expensive bit of studio gear remaining. $1,499, uaudio.com

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a while before you’ll get things set up exactly how you want them, but in our opinion, it’s totally worth the

Universal Audio Sphere LX By Charlotte Sterland, Music Radar Released in early 2023, the LX and DLX are highly innovative mic

of two individual mic sounds, which can then be mixed together

releases from Universal Audio, which offer recordings replicating

using UA’s software. Within the software, three filter options exist

the qualities of some of the most iconic mics ever made. Described

and the mic proximity can also be set. Pattern settings can also be

by UA as a ‘microphone-modeling’ system, rather than simply a

changed in the software after recording, so that the ideal setting

mic, the Sphere LX makes use of software that allows it to imitate

for recording can either be decided on as the setup is done, or

20 mic models, as well as adjust the polar pattern and other key

changed later. Looking for a Swiss army mic that’s adaptable for all

microphone characteristics. The package includes a XLR-to-duo

instruments and locations? This cutting-edge ‘system’ might be for

output cable, at 10” length. These dual outputs allow the recording

you. $945, uaudio.com

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9000