Norse Guitar Feeds



For Episode 111, I’m joined by highly respected guitar builder Raymond Kraut.

Ray shares why he’s embraced unconventional sound ports while staying true to his traditional tone, how his porting designs have evolved over time, and what he’s learned through real-world testing.

We also dive into Ray’s Derrio Wood Company, which sources and supplies desert ironwood and other unique tonewoods. Ray talks about what makes desert ironwood so special, its tonal character, and why it’s becoming an exciting alternative for guitar builders.

Links
https://www.derriowoodco.com/

The post Luthier on Luthier: Raymond Kraut first appeared on Fretboard Journal.



Acclaimed vintage guitar repairperson Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) joins the Fretboard Journal Podcast once again.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Register today: https://fretboardsummit.org

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

Mike & Mike’s Substack: https://mmguitarbar.substack.com

The post Podcast 539: Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) Returns first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

The Lamb of God shred king sits down to discuss making LoG's 10th album Into Oblivion, designing his new signature Gibson Les Paul, writing his memoir Desolation, and he offers three hot takes on guitar culture.

Cory Wong has given an insight into his perfectionism when creating his signature Archetype plugin with Neural DSP.

Archetype: Cory Wong X packs the jazz-funk virtuoso and Vulfpeck guitarist’s gear into a plugin, and remains a highlight of Neural’s ever-expanding Archetype lineup.

And as Wong tells MusicTech in a new exclusive interview, he insisted the plugin was perfect – good enough for him to use himself regularly – before being released into the market.

• READ MORE: Neural DSP Quad Cortex Mini review: “This is the most universal Quad Cortex yet”

“I was like, ‘The only way this thing goes out is if I am 100% satisfied, and if you are 100% satisfied,” Wong remembers telling Neural DSP. 

“They sent me version one, and it was pretty good. And we made revisions. By version five, I was still like, not yet. It is great, but I don’t plug into it right now and think, ‘I have to use this for everything’. So we got to, like, version nine!”

Wong also tells MusicTech how his signature Archetype plugin forms an integral part of his signal chain when it comes to recording.

“Most of the time, I use the Archetype: Cory Wong X plugin that I helped create with Neural DSP,” he says. “There’s basically an emulation of an SSL console and a Neve console; there are characteristics of both hidden in there. But then there are also very clean amps in there.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the guitarist – though known for his formidable playing chops – explains how he prefers to focus on the arrangement of a song rather than fretboard fireworks when composing and recording.

“There’s a long history of the guitar being this thing where we’re showboating our technical facility,” Wong says. “Or just constantly shredding guitar. And there’s a time and place for that – I like a lot of that music. But that’s not really what I want to do, and that’s not really what I feel is the most compelling part of my artistry.

“Sure, there are times where it’s like, ‘Let’s give them the fireworks! I’m going to get out there and shred.’ But I like the sound of other instruments. I like the arrangement,” he says.

Check out Archetype: Cory Wong X at Neural DSP. Read the full interview at MusicTech.

The post “The only way this thing goes out is if I’m 100% satisfied”: What Cory Wong told Neural DSP when offered his own signature Archetype plugin appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Bandmates and close musical collaborators for decades, Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee have come to know each other like brothers – and understand what helps when tensions rise.

Rush made headlines towards the end of last year when they announced plans to head out on tour again after years of speculation as to whether they ever would. As expected, the demand for tickets after the initial announcement was so high that Lifeson and Lee – with touring drummer Anika Nilles – added 17 more dates to the trek.

And in a new interview with The Guardian, bassist Lee and guitarist Lifeson reflect on their enduring friendship, and the extent to which they know each other so well.

• READ MORE: Dave Mustaine claims Megadeth would have been less successful if not for the motivating factor of Metallica “trying to hold me back”

They note the difference in how they both handle feelings: “He’s really emotional,” Lee says of Lifeson, to which Lifeson readily agrees: “I am… too emotional.”

Lee continues: “He can go from zero to 100 at a seemingly innocent remark. ‘Al, calm down. That’s not what we’re talking about.’

“He can really explode. A real Serbian. The only thing that calms him down is to go eat a pig somewhere. And I’m probably too controlling for him… and too rational.”

But despite their somewhat opposing approaches to handling emotions, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee have been metaphorically attached at the hip for decades. They note how it often happens that they are only interested in each other at larger gatherings, remembering one time in particular: “They had planned this wonderful dinner party, and we just alienated them,” Lee says. “That happens a lot!” replies Lifeson.

Elsewhere in the interview, Geddy Lee remembers late Rush drummer Neil Peart, who died in 2020.

“He was a mentor to me in many ways,” he says. “He was a very stimulating person to be around.”

Tickets for Rush’s Fifty Something reunion tour are available now via the band’s official website.

The post “The only thing that calms him down is to go eat a pig somewhere”: Rush’s Geddy Lee explains the secret of his enduring relationship with “emotional” Alex Lifeson appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

While peacefully coexisting in 2026, the relationship between Metallica and Dave Mustaine’s Megadeth has been rocky over the years, to say the least.

Dave Mustaine was Metallica’s lead guitarist from 1982 to 1983, writing riffs that would later appear on debut album Kill ‘Em All – and even followup Ride the Lightning – before being ousted from the band for alcoholism, drug misuse and aggressive behaviour towards his band members.

And as he’s asserted over the years, it was the fallout with Metallica which heavily influenced his drive to succeed with Megadeth.

• READ MORE: Is 2026 finally Iron Maiden’s year to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Mustaine has reflected on his relationship with Metallica a lot in the past few months, after it emerged that a cover of Ride the Lightning – the title track from Metallica’s sophomore album – was set to appear on Megadeth’s self-titled final album.

And now, in a new interview with the LA Times, the guitarist and frontman reflects again on the motivating effect of the fallout and subsequent hostility.

“Think of it,” he says. “Where would I be right now if I didn’t have one of the biggest bands in the world spending their time trying to hold me back? They don’t do it anymore, but most of the time when they did, it just made me shake my head.

“And it wasn’t just Metallica, it was everybody. For a long time, it very much was me against the world. It was like, okay, if you’re not with me, you’re against me.”

On Megadeth’s Ride the Lightning cover, Mustaine continues: “There may not be a chance to ever say hello to James [Hetfield, Metallica guitarist] or Lars [Ulrich, Metallica drummer] again. I knew some people would have a hard time with me doing the song, but that’s okay because I wanted to pay tribute and show my respect.

“If they like it, fine. If they don’t like it, fine. If they listen to it, fine. If they don’t, fine.”

Megadeth are currently on tour in support of their landmark swansong record, Megadeth. See the band’s official website for dates and tickets.

The post Dave Mustaine claims Megadeth would have been less successful if not for the motivating factor of Metallica “trying to hold me back” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you ever memorised every riff on Guitar Hero, air-guitared in your bedroom like a rock god, or desperately tried to hit that perfect streak on your plastic axe, Stage Tour is about to teleport you straight back to your glory days.

RedOctane – the studio behind the first Guitar Hero – has returned with a brand-new “rhythm-action” game designed to capture all the chaos, joy, and pure fun of the plastic-instrument era.

• READ MORE: “It had to be shiny and sparkling”: Inside Björn Ulvaeus’s wacky Eurovision 1974 star guitar

Built by the original devs who brought five-fret note highways to life, Stage Tour promises a mix of nostalgia and modern gaming flair: full-band setups, flexible inputs, and live-service features that keep the game evolving.

“Stage Tour is our love letter to rhythm gaming,” says RedOctane boss Simon Ebejer. “We want Stage Tour to feel familiar and authentic, but also fresh… With new instruments and deep charting systems, we’re raising the bar on what we believe a rhythm game can be, while also catering to those wishing to simply enjoy a casual experience and have a good time.”

Stage Tour supports guitar, bass, drums, vocals – as well as keyboard, mouse, and standard controllers. And yes, there’s a brand-new Kramer-inspired guitar controller, alongside a drum kit and wired or wireless mics, for the full plastic-instrument rhythm gaming experience. There will also be Gibson-branded in-game guitars, a nod to the original Guitar Hero series.

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Unlike the old rhythm games that relied on fixed tracklists and DLC, Stage Tour is being designed as a live, evolving platform. The studio plans regular in-game events, seasonal content drops, and track charts that adapt not just to difficulty you pick but to the controller you’re using.

“Real moments. Real themes. Real updates,” says RedOctane. “We want to evolve the game alongside the fans who support it. Improve it. Expand it. Keep it alive.”

The studio also teases that players can “expect some absolute banging tunes” – because let’s be honest, what’s a rhythm game without killer tracks and riffs to shred along to?

Closed alpha testing is scheduled for late spring or early summer 2026, ahead of the planned fall release on PC and consoles.

More information is available at Stagetour.

The post Guitar Hero creators return with Stage Tour, a new rhythm game built for your inner ’90s rock god appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Having spent over five decades on stage, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has seen just about everything a rock ‘n’ roll career can throw at him. But few moments have been as simultaneously horrifying and hilarious as the time one of his favourite guitars went airborne… and came down in pieces.

Speaking to Guitar World, Perry looks back on that chaotic night and the instrument at the centre of it: his black 1956 Gibson Junior double-cutaway with pearl inlays.

• READ MORE: Why Reverb’s big data can help tell interesting stories about the guitar market

“I’m pretty sure it’s a ‘56,” says the guitarist. “It’s one of those Juniors that started off with cherry stain, but it wasn’t a burst – it was just a cherry stain. It’s got one P90. I actually had two of them in the mid-Seventies, like the ones Johnny Thunders and Leslie West played. They’re killer guitars. It’s just volume, tone and a P90, and it screams. I was lucky enough to get two of them.”

That luck would soon be tested.

“We were doing a show at a festival and I threw this thing up in the air at the end of a song,” Perry recalls. “This was before wireless, so it went to the end of the patch cord and came down on the neck – and the headstock snapped off. I remember thinking as it was going up in the air, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it. That looks so cool.’ And then, on the way down, I was thinking, ‘Holy shit, what did I do?’ [Laughs]”

Things got even more chaotic when frontman Steven Tyler tried to toss the broken instrument into the audience.

“After it came down and was broken, Steven grabbed it and wanted to throw it out into the audience, so I had to wrestle him for it,” Perry laughs. “I knew we could fix it, you know? I got it back and gave the pieces to my guy, and the show went on.”

Elsewhere in the chat, Perry highlights some of his other favourites from his legendary collection of over 600 guitars. One standout is a custom Gibson BB King Lucille, designed in honour of his wife, Billie Paulette Montgomery.

“I got that in the ‘90s,” Perry explains. “The main reason for that guitar is that I love history, and I was looking back and fascinated by what they call ‘nose art’. Pilots would have artwork on the nose of their planes in World Wars I and II, and it would be pictures of their favourite movie starlet or their wife, and they’d name the plane after them. I thought, ‘Why not do that with my guitar?’”

The artwork, which features Billie’s face on the lower bout, was painted by Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer’s drum tech John Douglas. Perry remembers her reaction: “She had no idea this was going on! Billie just stood there for a second, and they came out with this guitar case and said, ‘Close your eyes.’ We opened it up, and she turned beet red.”

“Long story short, she wouldn’t come out when I’d put the guitar on; she’d kind of leave the side of the stage because she was so embarrassed about it. She’s not somebody who looks for the spotlight, but she got used to it,” says Perry.

The post The time Joe Perry snapped the headstock of one of his favourite guitars: “Steven wanted to throw it into the audience – I had to wrestle him for it!” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Haim made history in 2021 when they became the first all-female rock band to earn a Grammy nod for Album of the Year. Now, with a nomination in the Best Rock Album category, the trio once again find themselves representing women in a space that hasn’t always made room for them.

In a new interview with Guitar World, Danielle Haim of Haim reflects on what this recognition means for the band – and for women in guitar music altogether.

“We’re so honoured to be nominated in the rock category,” says the guitarist. “Growing up, my favourite artists were women. When I think about Stevie Nicks, the Pretenders, Heart, the Go-Go’s, the Bangles – all these incredible women who were in rock bands – those are the artists I looked up to. All we want is to inspire women to pick up guitars and drums.”

• READ MORE: Is 2026 finally Iron Maiden’s year to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

For Danielle, the nomination is proof that sticking to their instincts has paid off.

“As far as being recognised, we were so honoured to be nominated for Best Rock Album,” she continues. “Part of the reason I love what we do is that people have had a hard time putting us in a box; maybe there was confusion about what box we fit into. But what’s amazing is, over the last few years, we’ve just kind of kept doing what we’ve always done – and to be recognised in this way is really, really special.”

That refusal to be boxed-in has been central to Haim’s appeal – a band equally at home with sun-soaked pop hooks and classic rock crunch. As lead guitarist, Danielle has been a key driver of that sound.

Asked about her “go-to” instrument, she says: “I started on a Gibson Melody Maker that my dad bought me, and when it came time to graduate to my next guitar, I picked the SG because it was so light. It turned into my favorite guitar, so I continued with it for a long time.”

More recently, though, her sound has been shaped by a different six-string.

“And then Rostam [Batmanglij, ex-Vampire Weekend and one of Haim’s collaborators] bought a really nice Strat from the Fifties, and it’s the most fun guitar to play. So we used that a lot on the last two albums [Women in Music Pt. III and I Quit], and I melded into more of a Strat player.”

The post “All we want is to inspire women to pick up guitars”: Haim on their recent Grammys nomination appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

ABBA delivered a performance for the ages when they took the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with Waterloo. The band’s glam styling became instant pop iconography, and central to that image was the outrageous-looking 13-pointed, silver star guitar slung over the shoulder of lead guitarist Björn Ulvaeus.

The instrument quickly became part of ABBA’s visual identity, but its origins have long been misunderstood. For years, many assumed it was a custom build from Hagström, the Swedish brand Ulvaeus frequently played. In reality, the flamboyant guitar was crafted by Stockholm luthier Göran Malmberg.

In a new interview with Guitar World, Malmberg details how the now-legendary guitar was conceived and completed under intense time pressure ahead of the Brighton contest – and why it had to be, in his words, “shiny and sparkling”.

• READ MORE: Gibson Custom Shop recreates Mick Ronson’s David Bowie-era Les Paul with super limited run

According to Malmberg, Ulvaeus approached him with just six weeks to go before Eurovision. The brief was simple: create something visually arresting enough to match ABBA’s glam aesthetic.

“Björn and I met and discussed what it could look like,” Malmberg recalls. “It had to be shiny and sparkling, so a star shape was suggested. We decided I would draw some drafts of the guitar and then show them to him. Björn approved one of them, but there was only six weeks left until Eurovision!”

With the design agreed, construction began immediately. A Stratocaster-style neck was selected, but the radical 13-point body required careful engineering to avoid the pitfalls that often plague extreme shapes.

“The body had to have the correct weight balance so that the guitar would remain in position, even if Björn released his grip on the neck,” Malmberg explains. “Furthermore, the tips of the star shape could not be in the way when he was using it.”

To prevent the sharp points from breaking, the body was built from several layers of plywood glued together. The outermost layers were 1mm birch plywood aka “airplane plywood”, chosen to minimise surface cracking in the finish. Particular care was also taken to ensure the guitar would remain balanced on a strap, even if Ulvaeus released the neck mid-performance.

“The extra-long horn provided the balance for the attachment of the shoulder strap, and there were two horns on each side of the guitar’s body,” says Malmberg. “The placement of the control knobs and the cutaway horns helped to counter the weight, too.”

As for electronics, Malmberg says he “mounted the humbuckers, especially the treble pickup, further from the bridge to get a slightly darker sound, suitable for rhythm guitar playing.”

Finally, the finishing touches delivered the show-stopping effect Ulvaeus had requested. “The guitar was lacquered with metal stain on a silver base, and 20 layers of clear lacquer were used,” Malmberg says – ensuring it would gleam under the Eurovision stage lights.

While the exact inspiration behind the star design remains unclear, some have pointed to the influence of British glam-rockers The Glitter Band, who toured Sweden shortly before Eurovision and were known for their own star-shaped instruments.

“The Glitter Band did a tour of Sweden, and this band came to see us play; they told us they really liked our music and that it was really good,” bassist John Springate previously revealed. “Then, three weeks later, we saw them on Eurovision, dressed like us, with a star guitar, and that was ABBA!”

The post “It had to be shiny and sparkling”: Inside Björn Ulvaeus’s wacky Eurovision 1974 star guitar appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$2,199.99/£2,150, yamaha.com

As a rule, people buy a Yamaha Pacifica because they’re feeling sensible. But there have been a couple of dangerously desirable options on the table since 2024: the Standard Plus and Professional. And now, just to get us in even more of a fluster, that table has been stacked a little higher with the return of Yamaha’s single-cutaway design.

• READ MORE: Sterling By Music Man Rabea Artist Series Sabre – a solid rock and metal workhorse

There were a bunch of single-cut Pacificas floating around in the late 90s, but since then – Mike Stern signature model aside – it’s been Strat-influenced double-cuts all the way. The Pacifica SC Professional marks a revival of the more Tele-like body style, with a fixed bridge and two pickups… but this Japanese-made instrument is far from being just another Fender-alike.

Yamaha Pacifica SC Professional – what is it?

Yamaha is, of course, a Japanese company – so when it decides to build a guitar at home, rather than outsourcing to somewhere with lower production costs, you know you’re dealing with the top of the line. Mind you, that much is obvious from the SC Professional itself: it’s as beautifully crafted in the hands as it is well appointed on the spec sheet.

The starting point is indeed a T-type design, with a very familiar-looking pickup mounted to the bridge plate next to a trio of compensated brass barrel saddles. But then things go wandering off from the template – starting with the neck pickup, which is a humbucker. Both pups are Yamaha’s Reflectone types, co-developed with Rupert Neve Designs.

As well as the standard three-way pickup selector, you get another distinctly non-standard feature borrowed from some of the Revstar models: a focus switch. This is a pull-out tone knob that engages a passive filter on the single-coil, opening up more tonal options.

There are no surprises in the other core specs – poly-finished alder body, bolt-on maple neck with maple or rosewood board, TUSQ nut, Gotoh locking tuners, 25.5-inch scale length, medium jumbo frets – but there are a few more notable features to mention before the artless thrashing begins.

The fretboard has a compound radius, going from 9.5 inches at the strummy end to a flatter 12 inches for easier string bends up top; the body has some chambering inside the lower horn for acoustic reasons; and, as you might expect at this price, it comes in a fancy hard case.

Oh, and one more thing: every guitar is subjected to Yamaha’s proprietary Initial Response Acceleration (IRA) treatment, which involves applying vibrations to simulate the tone-enhancing effect of years of ‘playing in’. In other words, it’s been sonically relic’d.

Yamaha Pacifica SC Professional – playability and build quality

This thing couldn’t be easier to play if it came with built-in hands that did it all for you and then gave you a back massage afterwards. There’s something supernaturally smooth about the frets, and the neck itself – on the rounded side but nothing too scary – is eminently huggable. The balance is good, while the contoured neck heel and upper-body chamfer make it an ergonomic dream.

Even the half-knurled volume and tone knobs feel nice, with a slick but sturdy ‘thunk’ when you pull up the latter for the focus switch. And the factory setup on my review instrument was close to perfect, though the shared saddles mean you might have to compromise a little on intonation.

Yamaha Pacifica SC Professional – sounds

It’s impossible to pick up a guitar that looks like this and not expect it to sound like a Telecaster – and the Yamaha website isn’t exactly helping with its promise of “vintage twang” – but that really is not the deal at all. There’s twanginess on offer for sure, but as with the newer double-cut Pacificas, the Reflectone pickups go big on hi-fi clarity… in this case, bigly big.

What you do get from that three-way switch and pull-out knob is an array of five very distinct sounds covering a broad tonal spectrum. The humbucker on its own is full, smooth and breezy; the middle position brings plenty of sugary twinkle; and the bridge pickup has so much shimmering top end I found myself looking down to check it hadn’t secretly turned into a 12-string. Pulling up the focus switch has a mild softening effect on that middle setting, but it completely transforms the single-coil on its own, shaving off a lot of that over-eager treble and replacing it with a bucketful of midrange spank.

Even so, in all positions, this is that rare phenomenon: a guitar with a tone knob that you’ll actually want to use. And luckily it works well, taming the zing without turning everything muddy even when it’s down to halfway. All of that makes the Pacifica SC Professional a versatile electric guitar… but through a clean amp at least, it’s not especially likeable or characterful.

On goes the overdrive, then – and now those pickups find their natural home. The sustain is piano-like, the smoothness is never compromised, and if you’re a technically tidy player you’ll find the guitar’s solidity and snappiness make it a supremely capable partner for your fiddliest lead runs. Palm-muted chords are not so strong – with high gain all that bright resonance translates to a ringiness that can spill over into the gaps – but you’ve probably worked out by now that this is not a guitar for sweaty punk chuggers.

With distortion in the picture the tonal differences between the pickup settings are reined in to a more sensible range, but all five are balanced and articulate. Couple that with the effortless playability I was raving about earlier, and you have a Professional that absolutely lives up to its name.

Yamaha Pacifica SC Professional – should I buy one?

It isn’t going to destroy any stereotypes about Yamahas not being very rock’n’roll, but there’s no denying this is a monumentally classy piece of work. And while the voicing of those pickups is hardly a recipe for instant mojo, they’ve clearly been designed to do a particular job – one that’s likely to involve an overdrive pedal or two – and they carry it off impeccably.

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Yamaha Pacifica SC Professional – alternatives

The obvious alternative for anyone who can’t stretch to this kind of money is the Yamaha Pacifica SC Standard Plus ($999/£992), which is made in Indonesia and has only minor spec differences. See also the Eastman FullerTone SC’52 ($899/£799) – or, for a more traditional T-type instrument with a neck humbucker, you might prefer the Fender American Vintage II 1977 Telecaster Custom ($2,599/£2,299).

The post Yamaha Pacifica SC Professional review – the ultimate in solidbody sophistication? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The Tone King Royalist Preamp brings the sound and feel of the Royalist MKIII amplifier to a compact, high-voltage pedal format built for today’s stage and studio workflows.

Powered by three 12AX7 tubes running at full amp voltages, the Royalist delivers authentic tube touch sensitivity, harmonic bloom, and dynamic response — without the volume of a cranked amp.

Real Power-Stage Feel — No Speaker Required

At its core is Tone King’s Zero-Watt Power Amp, a genuine tube-driven phase inverter circuit that recreates true power-stage compression and interaction. Players experience the feel of an overdriven British amp — at any volume.

Three Eras of British Tone. Two Fully Independent Channels.

Each channel features:

• Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble
• 1964 / 1967 / 1970 voicing switch
• FAT switch for added body and punch

From warm, vintage-inspired cleans to aggressive classic crunch and tight arena-ready drive, the Royalist delivers the evolution of British rock tone in one pedal.

Direct-Ready for Stage and Studio

The Royalist includes low-latency Impulse Response (IR) cabinet simulation with 20 curated OwnHammer IRs, six onboard IR slots, and stereo balanced XLR outputs for direct connection to FOH or recording interfaces. The IR section can also be bypassed for use with traditional power amps and cabinets.

Modern Control, Maximum Flexibility

• Save up to 128 MIDI presets
• Stereo series effects loop (bypassable)
• Reverb with assignable routing and trails
• USB-C connectivity with Tone King Editor software
• Headphone output for silent practice

Equally at home on silent stages, in the studio, or integrated into traditional rigs, the Royalist Preamp delivers the unmistakable voice of British rock — anywhere, at any volume.

Available February 26, 2026, The Royalist Preamp Carries a Street Price of $599.99 - go to TONE KING AMPS for more information.

Reader: Howard Linton

Hometown: Zürich, Switzerland

Guitar: Hardtail Gold-Foil S-Style

I'm a hardtail Stratocaster guy, so when I discovered that Harley Benton was offering a S-style with a Babicz bridge, I figured it would be the perfect platform for modding. I was lucky to find one in sonic blue for only 300 bucks as it was b-stock. When it arrived, it had high-output humbuckers and a roasted maple neck. I replaced the humbuckers with gold-foils from Victory pickups that I found on Reverb. The new pots, knobs, output jack, and pickguard were sourced locally.

Everything was great—at least for a while. After about six weeks, I realized that the reason this guitar was returned was because the neck was horribly unstable. It seemed that every other week I’d have to play with the truss rod to get it to play properly due to the strings practically laying on the neck. By this time, the mods I’d planned were already in place, so returning the guitar wasn’t possible. So, I bit the bullet and ordered a Mexico-made Fender neck and tuners. I prefer a 43 mm nut width and a 12" radius, which this neck has.

“When I took the guitar to my luthier he informed me that the scale length was off by about 5 mm. Oi!”

Something that I hadn’t anticipated was that the dimensions of the body aren’t exactly to Fender specification. When I took the guitar to my luthier, he informed me that the scale length was off by about 5 mm. Oi! Add another $120 to the overall price to make it play in tune!

Was it worth it? I’d say yes. Gold-foils are special pickups, and Victory makes a great product. I love the combination of sonic blue and tortoise shell pickguard and the neck plays really well. If I had to do it all over again, the only thing I would change would be sourcing the body as a separate item. But it all worked out, so no biggie!

Cort Guitars announces the new Gold-MC6 Ovangkol, an all-solid Modern Concert acoustic guitar designed for players seeking seasoned tone, premium craftsmanship, and stage-ready performance. Available worldwide through local retailers and online, the Gold-MC6 is built to deliver responsive, expressive sound from day one through its torrefied top, carefully selected tonewoods, and professional electronics, all crafted with precision detail.

At the heart of the Gold-MC6 is a torrefied solid Sitka spruce top, heat-treated to bring out the open, responsive character of a well-played instrument, matched with solid ovangkol back and sides to provide warmth, clarity, and dynamic range. The Modern Concert body features a natural gloss finish, black ABS binding, and an abalone rosette with ABS multi-ring design. A walnut-reinforced mahogany neck with a dovetail joint at the 14th fret supports a Comfort C profile and satin finish for effortless playability. The 25.5" scale length is paired with a Macassar ebony fingerboard with a 15.75" radius, 20 frets, and Gold Custom Inlay. The guitar includes a genuine bone nut measuring 1 3/4" (45 mm). Internally, hand-scalloped X-bracing reinforces the instrument’s all-solid construction, ensuring durability and tonal maturity over time.

For amplified performance, the Gold-MC6 is equipped with the Fishman Flex Blend system, combining an internal microphone and under saddle pickup to capture the guitar’s natural acoustic character while providing intuitive onboard control for live performance or recording situations.

Premium hardware completes the build, including Deluxe Vintage Gold tuning machines, a Macassar ebony bridge with ebony bridge pins featuring white dots, and a genuine bone saddle with 54.1 mm bridge string spacing. The guitar ships strung with Elixir Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb Light 12–53 strings and includes a Cort Premium Gig bag.

For more information on the Gold-MC6 Ovangkol and other Cort acoustic instruments, please visit online at www.cortguitars.com.

Street Price: $1399.00 USD

Cort Guitars announces the new Core-MC Ovangkol acoustic guitar, available now worldwide through local retailers and online. Designed for players seeking an all-solid wood instrument that blends contemporary aesthetics with refined acoustic performance, the Core-MC Ovangkol pairs a solid cedar top with solid ovangkol back and sides, modern concert body styling, and onboard Fishman® electronics. With its semi-gloss black top and player-focused construction, the model delivers responsive tone, stage-ready functionality, and detailed craftsmanship built for long-term performance.

The Core-MC Ovangkol features a solid cedar top, known for its inviting, responsive character with smooth highs and rich mids, complemented by solid ovangkol back and sides that contribute low-mid fullness and broad tonal range. The Modern Concert body shape incorporates a slightly smaller waist and sleek cutaway for comfortable playability without sacrificing projection. The guitar is finished with a semi-gloss black top using an ultra-thin, UV-cured process designed to preserve resonance. Construction includes a dovetail neck joint at the 14th fret and hand-scalloped X-bracing. Added body details include aged white ABS binding, a black and aged white ABS rosette, rosewood bridge, and black bridge pins with white dots. The mahogany neck features a comfortable C shape with a semi-gloss finish, a 25.5" (648mm) scale length, and a genuine bone nut measuring 1 11/16" (43mm). The rosewood fingerboard has a 15.75" (R400) radius and 20 frets, with no inlays.

For amplified performance, the Core-MC Ovangkol is equipped with a Fishman® Presys VT preamp system with discreet side-mounted controls. The system provides onboard volume and tone controls for straightforward sound shaping, offering a clean acoustic tone suitable for live and studio applications.

Hardware appointments include vintage open-gear tuning machines and a genuine bone saddle, with 54.1mm bridge string spacing. The guitar ships strung with Elixir® Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb Light 12–53 strings and includes a Cort gig bag. The model is available in Black Top Semi-Gloss (BTSG).

For more information about the Core-MC Ovangkol and additional Cort Guitars models, please visit www.cortguitars.com.

Street Price: $899.99 USD

MIRADOR formed out of the shared passion for good ol’ classic rock ’n’ roll held by Greta Van Fleet’s Jake Kiszka and Ida Mae’s Chris Turpin. The trans-Atlantic band took their blazing, bluesy rock out on the road, and before their show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, Kiszka, Turpin, and tech Johnny Meyer led PG’s John Bohlinger through the vintage axes and amps they’re using to keep rock alive.

Brought to you by D’Addario.

The Underdog

The paint’s been completely stripped from this workhouse 1970 Gibson Les Paul Custom that Turpin scooped from an auction house in Wales, but those sweet, sweet pickups are original. Turpin had to replace both volume pots, and opted to add a Bigsby vibrato. He uses Elixir strings on this and all other electrics.

National With a Novak

Turpin used some electrical tape to secure a Curtis Novak K-Pancake pickup to this 1930s National Triolian. To avoid any unnecessary drilling, the output jack runs via one of the air holes in the top.

6L6 Slammer

Turpin packs a pair of Marshall JTM45 heads, with one serving as a backup. The main one in use on this run has 6L6 power tubes, and runs into a 4x12 cabinet with Celestion Greenbacks.

Chris Turpin’s Pedalboard

Turpin’s pedalboard includes a Dunlop Custom Audio Electronics Cry Baby wah pedal, JAM Pedals Double Dreamer, Analog Man Beano Boost, Analog Man Sun Face, a Boss GE-7, Maxon CS-550, Boss RE-202, and Universal Audio Golden Reverberator, while his acoustic board carries a Fishman Aura, MXR Carbon Copy, and a Line 6 HX Stomp.

Dearly Beloved

This 1961 Gibson SG is Kizska’s forever-and-always—he calls it “the beloved.” It’s been cracked, taped, and repaired over the years, but it’s still number one. Jake uses custom-made Dunlop coated strings on his electrics.

Juiced-Up Junior

This late-’50s double-cutaway Les Paul Junior was rerouted for a pair of PAF pickups, and is primarily used by Kiszka for slide-playing. The added sideways tremolo unit, from the ’60s, is there for looks only.

Dual Destroyers

Jake runs a dual-amp setup for a monster sound. A Park P50M and a Supro 1932R Royale get the job done, pumped out through a Marshall 4x12 cabinet.

Jake Kiszka’s Pedalboard

Kizska’s acoustic and electric boards carry a pair of Boss TU-3Ws, MXR Micro Amp, TC Electronic Flashback, Fishman Aura, Dunlop Cry Baby, Boss GE-7, Strymon El Capistan, Universal Audio Del-Verb, Universal Audio Golden Reverberator, Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, a pair of MXR Deep Phases, Boss BP-1W, and Boss TU-3.

A trio of MXR units—DC Brick, Iso-Brick, and Mini Iso-Brick—power the pedals.

White Falcon

Supro 1932R Royale

Marshall JTM45

4x12 Marshall Cabinet

MXR Phase Pedal

Vox Wah Pedal

Crybaby Wah Pedal

EHX Micro POG

Universal Audio (UA) Delverb

Strymon El Capistan

Space Echo Delay

Universal Audio (UA) Golden Reverberator

Lollar Pickups has introduced the new Monolith humbucker model, a higher-output pickup designed for guitarists who play both modern and extreme styles of music.

Many high-output humbuckers suffer from either a boxy voicing or a harsh and brittle top end. The Monolith is designed to deliver balanced tone in all positions and increased dynamic and frequency ranges, using AlNiCo 8 magnets.

The bridge position offers a midrange forward sound with increased harmonics and fundamental frequency response and the right amount of compression when palm muting for a satisfying attack and grunt. And, like Lollar’s other pickup designs, the neck position is designed to be open, clear, and balanced with the bridge, offering a prominent midrange that offers a more vocal sound for leads and clean passages.

Splitting the coils on these humbuckers provides a full-bodied single-coil sound. When under gain, the split coils provide the percussive and aggressive tone for lower tunings and extended scale length instruments that progressive and djent players seek.

The Monolith humbuckers are available individually, or as two-piece sets for both 6 and 7-string guitars. For 6-string sets, Lollar also offers an F-spaced bridge position pickup (53 mm) to match a wider string spacing required for guitars with tremolos.

Specs for the Monolith humbuckers are:

• 6 string Avg. DC: Neck 12.9K, Bridge 19.3K, F-spaced Bridge 19k
• 7 string Avg. DC: Neck 14.7K, Bridge 19.6K
• Recommended Capacitor: .022uf
• Recommended Potentiometers: 500k

Lollar Monolith humbuckers’ street price varies based on options, starting at $190. For more information visit LollarGuitars.com/Monolith_Humbuckers.

Despite being a staple of British rock and metal, Iron Maiden aren’t in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame – in fact, they’ve been rejected twice already. However, they’ve been put forward to join the Hall yet again, sitting amongst the nominees for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. Well, third time lucky…

As it stands, Iron Maiden have made it through to the final round of nominations. They sit alongside some fierce competition, with the likes of Jeff Buckley, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, and even Oasis also hoping to snag a spot in the Hall Of Fame.

• READ MORE: Paul McCartney reveals he nearly played on a Bob Weir record before his death: “Unfortunately it never came to pass”

To be eligible for nomination, a minimum of 25 years must have passed since an artist’s first commercial release. With Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut dropping in 1980, that means the band have been eligible for over 20 years – it’s fair to say their induction to the Hall has been a long time coming.

1,200 artists, historians, and members of the music industry will decide who makes the cut. There is also a fan vote currently running on the Hall’s website. Once a decision has been reached, the Class of 2026 will be announced in late April.

In the past, Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson hasn’t been very fussed about the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. On his spoken word world tour in 2018, he criticised the institution: “I actually think the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is an utter and complete load of bollocks, to be honest with you,” he said [via Consequence of Sound].

“It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock ‘n’ roll if it hit them in the face,” he continued. “They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking fucking beer.”

He’s also gone on record saying he’d “refuse” to be inducted. “I’m really happy we’re not [in the Rock Hall] and I would never want to be there,” he told The Jerusalem Post in 2018. “If we’re ever inducted, I will refuse – they won’t bloody be having my corpse in there.”

“Rock & roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland. It’s a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it’s dead. It’s worse than horrible, it’s vulgar.”

Regardless, Tom Morello has been working hard to get Iron Maiden in the hallowed Hall. Morello has been a member of the since 2014, making it his mission to get more metal acts into the Hall Of Fame.

“A lot of great bands have gotten into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame more recently, in part because they’ve had stronger advocates in the room,” the guitarist told Guitar World in 2024. “I’m one of those advocates… This year I’m all in on Maiden.”

“I know they don’t care,” he added. “[But] I don’t care that they don’t care, because I think it’s the place where they belong.”

So far, he’s helped get Randy Rhoads posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. He also pushed for the committee to induct Ozzy Osbourne for his solo work in October 2024, alongside his pre-existing nod of respect when Black Sabbath were inducted in 2026. “I have to give credit to the Hall of Fame – they put me in the room because I complained so damn much!” he said.

Surprisingly, nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 also include the likes of Mariah Carey and Lauryn Hill. While the pair are magnificent artists, with Carey’s pop and R&B topping charts and Hill’s 1998 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill transformative effect on hip-hop, they’re not often associated with ‘Rock and Roll’.

Kiss legend Gene Simmons recently went on record saying that the Rock Hall should be reserved for rock acts. “Hip-hop does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame – nor does opera or symphony orchestras,” he told the Legends N Leaders podcast.

However, the critique lead to Public Enemy’s Chuck D telling TMZ that Simmons was ignoring the “roll” half the Hall’s name.  “Everything else other than rock, when rock ‘n’ roll splintered in the ’60s, is the roll… Kiss are rock gods, but they don’t have a lot of roll to them.”

Regardless, Iron Maiden have an exciting year ahead of them. Their 50th anniversary is being properly marked this year with May documentary, Burning Ambition. The same month, they’re embarking on the second European leg of their Run For Your Lives World Tour.

You can cast your vote for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 now.

The post Is 2026 finally Iron Maiden’s year to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Fifty years ago, a bold vision to “make a better bass” gave birth to what would become one of the most influential instruments in modern music history: the Music Man StingRay.

“It’s so much more than an instrument,” reflects Sterling Ball. “I was there when that baby was born. And when you see that 50 years later — it’s still as important, as vibrant, as valid — that’s insane.”

Originally developed under the guidance of legendary instrument pioneer Leo Fender at Music Man, the StingRay wasn’t just another bass guitar. It was the first mass production bass to feature active electronics — a revolutionary move at the time.

“The vision was to make a better bass. The vision was to use active electronics because there hadn’t been any production basses that had active electronics.”

What followed was both innovation and serendipity.

For five decades, the StingRay has set the benchmark for bold, forward-leaning bass tone. The Ernie Ball Music Man 50th Anniversary StingRay Special honors that legacy with two limited-edition finishes. Liquid Gold is hand-numbered and limited to 50 instruments worldwide, featuring a striking golden reflective pickguard for a truly exclusive presentation. Molten Gold, limited to 300 instruments, showcases a metallic gold finish on the body and headstock—each with its own unique character. Both versions are paired with an ebony fretboard with gold face dot inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers for effortless navigation on any stage. A roasted flame maple neck and poplar body deliver a fast, comfortable, and perfectly balanced feel, while gold hardware throughout, including a 50th Anniversary-stamped bridge, completes the look. Finished with a commemorative 50th Anniversary silkscreen on the back of the headstock, each bass ships in a deluxe hardshell case with a certificate of authenticity.

50th Anniversary StingRay 4 Features:

• Roasted figured maple neck
• Gold face dot Inlays with glow-in-the-dark side dots
• 50th Anniversary stamped bridge
• Certificate of authenticity
• Deluxe hardshell case

The 50th Anniversary StingRay 4 Special in Molten Gold will be available at all Ernie Ball Music Man retailers, and the Liquid Gold colorway will be available exclusively in the Ernie Ball Music Man Vault this

The StingRay Special also gets an update with 7 new finishes available in 4 or 5-string in either H or HH pickup configurations. New finishes include Classic Natural, Anomalous Green, Mean Blue Burst, Soda Pink Sparkle, Trans Orange, Violet Sparkle Burst, and Yellow Brick Road.

Metallica. Megadeth. Slayer. Anthrax. These are the four thrash metal bands forever immortalised as the “Big Four”. But debate has raged for years as to whether certain other bands should be part of that cohort.

Such names include Bay Area greats and Kirk Hammett’s former band Exodus, East Coast thrashers Overkill, and, arguably the band most commonly argued as the group’s fifth member, Testament.

• READ MORE: Channel your inner Eddie Van Halen with this new reverb plugin inspired by the sound of the Sunset Strip

Across their vast discography – comprising 14 studio albums released over the course of four decades – Testament have made a strong case for their title as the Big Four’s fifth member.

But in a new interview with The Classic Metal Show [via Blabbermouth], guitarist Alex Skolnick explains why he believes the Big Four has always remained those four bands only. And the reason, he says, comes mostly down to timelines.

“I never give it much thought, because, to me, it’s not just the ‘Big Four’ – it’s the first four,” he says.

“Those bands had albums out when Testament was still called Legacy and was still a local band that I used to hear about when I was in high school. And they supported some of those bands, but all of the ‘Big Four’ bands had records out at the time that Legacy was still getting started. And by the time Legacy became Testament and released its first album, those bands all had several albums out. So you can’t really make the comparison.”

“They were there. They were so much further along by the time we even got started. So I think it makes more sense to look at, okay, the next wave after the so-called ‘Big Four’ bands. And it’s an honour that people think – most of the time we’re one of those names. That’s great. I’ll take it.”

Skolnick makes clear that he and his bandmates don’t mind at all that they aren’t cited as a member of the Big Four.

“I don’t know of anybody that has any issue with that,” he says. “[Nobody] says, ‘No, we should be in the Big Four.’ No, they’re the Big Four. All good. But we’ll proudly take our place in the next wave.”

Testament have a North America tour planned across March and April 2026. Aptly titled Thrash of the Titans, the trek will see the metallers take out support acts Overkill and German thrash metal outfit Destruction.

See Testament’s official website for tickets and a full list of dates.

The post “It’s not the Big Four – it’s the first four”: Alex Skolnick on why Testament aren’t included in the “Big Four” of thrash metal appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.