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DiMarzio Introduces Chopper T Neck and Cruiser T Neck Pickups
DiMarzio has launched a pair of Tele-style neck pickups: the Chopper T Neck and Cruiser T Neck.
They retain a familiar metal cover that has adorned Telecaster neck pickups for 75 years, but that's where the similarities end.
The new DiMarzio pickups combine neodymium magnets and twin-blade hum-canceling coils. They’re designed to optimize the magnetic field and deliver better string-to-string balance, even when notes are bent. The result? Higher output, faster transients, and a lower noise floor than traditional T-style neck pickups.
The Chopper T Neck has clear highs, and the midrange and lows are punchy without muddiness. It’s an overall balanced tone, and the pickup has an output resistance of 6.52k.
The Cruiser T Neck's harmonic overtones are right where you'd expect them to be from a "true" single coil. The midrange is open and its top end chime offers clarity without harshness. The Cruise T Neck delivers a brighter tone and its output resistance is 3.58k.
Both pickups feature 4-conductor wiring and DiMarzio’s PCB quick-connect baseplates for easy installation with no modifications required.
Both pickups are available in four color options – chrome, unplated nickel, gold and black. For black and chrome finishes you can also choose between a metal cover with the DiMarzio logo or a classic, logo-free look.
Street price for chrome and unplated nickel is $119; street price for black and gold is $126. For more information visit DiMarzio.com.
Chopper T Neck and Cruiser T Neck
DiMarzio has launched a pair of Tele-style neck pickups: the Chopper T Neck and Cruiser T Neck.
Wintergrass Sessions: The Jordan Tice Trio
The Jordan Tice Trio – Jordan Tice, Patrick McGonigle, and Alan Mackie – perform three songs at Wintergrass 2026: “Don’t Know Why I’m Going Into Town,” “Matter of Time,” and “Find A Way from Here.”
We also asked the trio about the instruments used on this session.
Register now for Wintergrass 2027. The lineup in 2027 will include Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas Band, East Nash Grass and other bluegrass favorites.
Video by Brad Wagner, audio by Juan M Soria.
We’ll be sharing more highlights from Wintergrass 2026 on a weekly basis here and on our YouTube channel.
The post Wintergrass Sessions: The Jordan Tice Trio first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
Revisiting ‘World’s Fair’ with Julian Lage
“One can hear so many of the sounds and feel so many of the feelings that, moving forward so steadily and so eloquently (and successfully), I identify as Julian. His ability to uplift as well as astonish are fully in evidence on World’s Fair; unvarnished and direct, stunningly beautiful while eschewing sheen or artifice of any sort.” –Nels Cline
Reflecting on World’s Fair, his remarkable solo acoustic record from 2015, Julian Lage remarks, “I’ve had the great luxury and privilege to see it change over the last decade, and see certain things revealed.” It’s an album that has acquired beloved status for those of us who worship at the altar of acoustic guitar. Matt Munisteri, who co-produced World’s Fair, was presciently on-mark when he wrote in the original sleeve notes that “this music will cast a long shadow across an ever-widening terrain.”
World’s Fair was an important staging post in Lage’s career. Known for his collaborations with Chris Eldridge, Nels Cline, and Fred Hirsch, it was his first studio foray into solo acoustic. As Julian intimates in his foreword to the World’s Fair Songbook (link), the experience fundamentally changed his relationship with the acoustic guitar. “[It] taught me how rare and beautiful it is to hear a single guitar in all its spaciousness, delicacy, and elegance–and how I could begin to navigate space and time in ways that wouldn’t be as obvious in a group setting.”
The plan was to meet up in Melbourne during the Australian leg of the World’s Fair 10th anniversary tour for a retrospectively-slanted conversation centered on the record. In the end, Julian’s promo commitments and a crazy-tight travel schedule torpedoed an in-person interview and we reconvened on Zoom a few weeks later.
At home in New York, his circadian rhythm restored to Eastern Standard Time, straight off the bat Julian is his customary super-engaged, friendly, relaxed self. A few seconds into our call, he breaks off apologetically to attend to their new puppy who on hearing Julian’s voice has woken up and soft-paw scrabbled to his feet. With pup safely secured in his pen, we settle down to talk. Over the next half-hour we alight on vulnerabilities, narrative arcs, Segovia, noise floor, and how one instrument can carry a complete musical statement… and a new favorite acoustic guitar with vintage vibes.
FJ: In Melbourne, you prefaced the performance by describing it as a Book of Music. The expression would seem to encapsulate World’s Fair perfectly–a musical narrative of pages, sentences and phrases told through rhythm, silence and touch.
JL: Well, I grew up hearing that term. [John] Zorn uses that term because it quite literally amounts to a book of pages if you take all the charts and everything. I have a tendency for a sense of cohesion when it comes to songs for a recording. World’s Fair is very specific, you know? It’s about the specific agenda in a specific world of drama, if you will. In playing it over the years, I realized like, oh yeah, this was music that was meant to be together. So, it’s definitely with a sense of intention that I’d announce and think of it that way.
FJ: The running order on the record unfolds perfectly, nothing is out of place.
JL: You know, we’re all students of music, and there are as many ways to put a record of music together as there are people. Yet there seems to be these through-lines that I keep coming back to about arc and withholding certain things, especially with solo guitar. Maybe being conscientious not to do everything you’re capable of right away, you know? Or letting things have their moment or at least serve a function dramatically. Compared to having one song and the next song is basically the same song and so on. But that can be cool too. It doesn’t really matter. World’s Fair has become its own entity, which is nice, at least from a narrative point of view.
FJ: The foreword to the World’s Fair Songbook hints at some vulnerabilities in approaching solo guitar?
JL: Yeah, that’s true. At the time, it was so novel. It’s still novel to me. I think having not really done concerts and making a record presented some cool challenges. It was absolutely terrifying, you know. But I liked that part about it. I really did. I don’t know if I view it as terrifying in the same way now, but it’s rather illuminating. Wherever you are in your guitar playing. And that trip to Australia was no different. I thought, oh, this is where this music is now, cool, and then it’s somewhere else a week later. So, there’s something that might be a little more… I don’t want to say exposed because we’re always pretty equally exposed whether we’re alone or with a band… but it’s a nice snapshot of a lot of elements coming through one guitar. Where someone is personally, musically, “guitaristically,” physically, emotionally on display.
FJ: I understand Segovia and Barros were big influences?
JL: Yeah, well, those influences they’re huge in my life, not only for solo guitar, but for performance and composition. But absolutely, through the lens of solo guitar, the question remains the same: What’s so compelling about a single instrument and a single voice? In making World’s Fair, I had it backwards. I really did believe I had maybe a poor mentality, thinking that I needed to do more to make up for this lack of people around me playing. And when I did that, it garnered a very particular sound and results. I was able to reflect and go, no, this is one of the few times where you can actually be quite vulnerable and leave space. But not to conflate that individual nature with weakness or any sense of lacking.
In a way it’s a mindset shift, isn’t it? Under the scrutiny of a microphone, your things that might otherwise feel rather transient become a big deal. In relation to Segovia, those early recordings of his had a lot of noise in the recording, unrelated to his playing. In the electricity and the noise floor, so to speak. So, we have some of that on the record deliberately to contextualize the guitar. Rather than saying, “Well, get a perfect guitar sound, pure and beautiful, and that’s all that matters.” That maybe left us feeling a little bit cold. Things like reverbs, the sounds I involuntary make while I’m playing, the noise floor of the microphone… they all add up to something.
FJ: Can you talk about the role of Matt Munisteri and Armand Hirsch in achieving the intimate sonic footprint on World’s Fair?
JL: Absolutely. Armand Hirsch is one of the most brilliant musicians and, at that point, we were around each other all the time. It was a real privilege because that record could unfold over time, and he had that superpower of translating the evolution of the process into a sonic medium. He was no stranger to what the songs were, how far they had come, what we thought was possible… it was deeply integral. And Matt Munisteri too. He was looking at it from a more globalized conceptual point of view… knowing my playing, what would stand out, what would be cool to feature, what hasn’t been documented? So, you’re absolutely right. The conversation was consistent.
FJ: What are two lessons you took away from the making of World’s Fair in the context of what you’ve gone on to do over the last decade?
JL: It’s a great question. Well, I’d say one of the lessons would be that having heard myself recording and playing that music, it’s such a humbling reminder that the sound of a guitar is enough. You know that’s quite miraculous, a machine that makes sound and resonates. And like everything in life, you keep getting reminded it’s not about us. It’s not about I had a great idea and I did this. It’s not that. Making World’s Fair taught me that there’s a high degree of humility needed. You serve the music, serve the instrument, serve the resonance of the room you’re in to the best of your ability.
The second part of that lesson is that over the years, having played it live, that music was very much at its beginning stage by the time we recorded it. It’s only gone on to grow and I’ve learned a lot from it. It’s almost cliché, but that common notion that a recording is really a snapshot, and then it’s different the next time. I still love the original, but I like that it wasn’t limited to that recording. It was that music got me into playing, taking that role seriously and I’m grateful for that. I don’t know if I’d have taken it seriously unless I started with a higher stakes project like that.
FJ: The compositions on World’s Fair are infused with such humanity. In “40’s”, there’s an ascending chordal move–Gmaj13, Em11, Am11. Beautifully expressive, uplifting, transcendent, curious, slightly melancholic… I tried it out yesterday and it left me in a great headspace!
JL: That’s great you did that. That’s what it’s there for, you know. Suddenly you go, ‘oh, that’s a thing!’ and then you do what you want with it.
FJ: Reminds me of free-jazz drummer Cecil Taylor’s comment about great artists… rather than getting involved with discipline, they get to understand love and allow the love to take shape!
JL: Jeez, man, it’s amazing. It’s so fun. The fact it’s solo guitar really doesn’t matter. Of course, it’s part of the message and it’s the medium, but it’s not the point. When I listen to the masters, whether it be Julian Bream, Segovia, or Leo Kottke, I’m struck with that too. I grew up thinking it was one thing about the guitar, but then I have even more respect and humility when I listen to those players because I go, wow, they are really transcending the guitar. The thing that’s moving it is their sense of storytelling, and that’s a fabulous thing to shoot for.
FJ: You’re known for your kinesthetic approach to playing… shifting hands and feet, small vocalizations, facial expressions, and whole-body movement. It’s compelling to watch.
JL: You go in thinking this is one person playing music, but one person is full of so much stuff, you know. There’s really no such thing as seeing just one element at play, and I felt that on that tour. Melbourne happened to be in a beautiful hall, and that was a character. Look at this big room, sounds great, and then there’s this one person playing guitar. We went on to other shows that were far more challenging because they weren’t proper concert venues. You don’t have the scale and it’s a different kind of intensity. It’s one of the beautiful things playing solo. I’ve had the joy of seeing the juxtaposition, and typically a concert hall is a really nice place for it.
FJ: I’m intrigued by your choice of song titles on the record. It reads like a travel log–“Peru,” “Japan,” “Missouri,” “Ryland”…! Were those songs written in the lead-up to the record or had they been in your back pocket?
JL: No. Those were very much written for that record and it’s true, there’s something about those titles that are interpretive. It’s what you feel about it and you bring those feelings to the table. But there’s a neutrality about some of those names, for whatever reason, they seemed appropriate. “Japan” seemed appropriate, but it didn’t have to be called “Japan.” Then you have “Missouri.” They’re setting a certain geographical stance. Again, that may be neither here nor there, but it’s interesting. I remember talking to my father about this years ago. Names take on meaning when they fuse with compositions and sometimes they have to strike a balance of being compelling and neutral at the same time. My favorite titles are the musicians who understand that poetry. Those are the ones that stand out to me. You go, wow, they really got me into a place. But it’s very personal. I have to play, name things, give them titles that you can get away with that match your disposition. I appreciate you picking up on that because it does matter to me.
FJ: A personal favorite is “747.” At first you think, “Oh, that’s the airliner!” But turns out you named the song after a Swingline stapler. Super-playful.
JL: Well, numbers are words, you know.
FJ: Can we talk about your signature Collings OM1-JL, which is based on the 1939 000-18 you play on World’s Fair? Nully from Collings recalls working on the neck spec back in the day when Bill was still around. They’d line up the neck options, each with a different half-inch strip infill (maple, carbon fiber, spring steel, and ebony) for you to try out? You’d play the guitar, make notes and their set-up guy would swap out the neck for the next one?
JL: That project was complicated! The whole time I was keenly aware that they didn’t have to do this. I was essentially coming to Bill excited to be working with Bill, and Nully, Mark, Bruce, Clint, and Aaron. I came with a deep reverence for what they already did. By the same token, I was challenging them. What if we don’t have a guitar that’s high gloss? What if you have thinner top woods? What if the necks aren’t reinforced in this certain way?
I proceeded with caution because I knew everything I asked for was contradicting what they had built their company on. Fortunately, Bill was eager to see something from a different perspective, and the premise of that conversation was that the Waterloos were sounding so great. Whatever you’re doing here is working.
There’s a parallel in the world of Martin-style guitars, even though they’re not built the same way. They certainly benefit from some of the same features in terms of finish, weight, density of wood, the thickness and thinness of wood. They went through a lot of guitars and quite frankly, we got to a point where it didn’t seem like it was going to happen. Then somebody came in and basically said, ‘This is the combination of body neck you’re looking at,” and it was really wonderful. Guitar builders aren’t just guitar builders. They’re interacting with where they get their wood, who’s cutting their wood, what materials they have at their disposal. You have to fit into their ecosystem. They were at a point where they had the bandwidth to consider something different.
FJ: After all the experimentation, it turned out the neck you all liked best was the one Collings still use today: No internals other than the rod. Nully says it’s exactly this sort of mess-around project where you learn so much by confirming what you know and stuff you don’t.
How’s the 000-18 faring these days?
JL: I still have it. It’s been in disrepair for many years. The top was sinking at a certain point, so I put it away with the tension off and I’ve left it with a friend to fix. But I did have it up and running briefly, maybe a year and a half ago, and I tried and liked it. It made sense as a recording guitar but live it didn’t quite make sense.
These days I’ve been playing a Michael Walker guitar that I really love. Bar-fretted, OM-18 style…it’s fabulous. What I’ve always been moving towards is something that replicates the sound of an early ‘30s OM-18. Growing up, our local guitar shop was Eric Schoenberg’s. Mr. O.M. himself. I forgot about that sound then; over the years, I thought, that’s the timbre I’ve been looking for. The 000 has some of that, but it’s shorter scale. The Collings has some, too, because of its longer scale, but it doesn’t have other things. The Walker has all those features. Michael is a fabulous builder. I wanted to bring it to Australia, but it’s got banjo tuners, and they didn’t fit in my Hoffee case.
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Coda
I sought out Bill Frisell to garner his thoughts on Julian’s creative trajectory. His reply was informed by an Instagram post he’d seen earlier that day of Julian playing at the Crossroads Festival alongside Jorge Roeder and Nasheet Waits. “He’s evolving so fast, and it keeps getting deeper and clearer. His curiosity for everything around him. He’s not stopping!”
When I relay this to Julian, his reaction is typically warm and generous: “That’s sweet of Bill. I’m grateful to be doing this.”
Evolution–Curiosity–Humility. Hallmarks of Lage’s philosophy and sensibilities that hark back to the making of World’s Fair.
The post Revisiting ‘World’s Fair’ with Julian Lage first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
The Digital Amp That Won Over Bonamassa
Fender has unveiled the Tone Master ’59 Twin-Amp JB Edition, the first signature amplifier in Fender’s Tone Master series, created in close collaboration with blues-rock guitarist and longtime Fender artist Joe Bonamassa. Inspired by Bonamassa’s prized late-’50s high-powered tweed Twin amps — a mainstay of his touring and studio rig — the new model brings the sound and response of his vintage originals together with the versatility and functionality of Fender’s modern Tone Master platform.
“I wanted to hate it,” said Joe Bonamassa. “We’re all in agreement that this amp was tighter, punchier, and better. I never thought I’d see in my lifetime the fact that I’d be sitting next to a digital amp. Sound makes you play. Sound inspires you to play. You just need to know how to unlock the sound you hear in your head and get it out.”
Powered by Fender’s Tone Master modeling technology, this signature amplifier combines the character of Bonamassa’s beloved vintage tube amps with the convenience and versatility of modern engineering. The 2x12” ‘59 Twin delivers crystalline cleans that transform into aggressive, distinctive overdrive when pushed into its sweet spot. A six-way power attenuator makes those tones accessible at bedroom-friendly volumes, while the amp can reach up to 85W for the stage. Celestion JB Neodymium Speakers deliver an expansive frequency range, and onboard controls including a vintage/tight switch, line output with level control, ground lift and three-way cabinet simulator let players further shape their tone.
Key Features Include:
• Joe Bonamassa Signature Tone: Based on the legendary Fender 5F8-A "high-powered" tweed Twin circuit and voiced after Joe Bonamassa's own prized late-'50s amps, delivering bold cleans and rich, dynamic overdrive.
• Dual Celestion JB Neodymium Speakers: Custom-designed lightweight 12" speakers capture the punch, warmth and articulation of Joe's touring rig while reducing overall weight.
• Stage-to-Home Power Control: A rear-panel output selector provides full power plus five attenuated settings, making the iconic high-power tweed Twin tone accessible at any volume.
• Premium Modern Performance: Features top-panel convolution spring reverb, an effects loop for time-based effects and a rear-panel "Vintage-Tight" switch for enhanced low-end response.
•Studio-Ready Connectivity: Balanced XLR line out with three onboard cabinet impulse responses, plus fully customizable speaker IRs via the Tone Master IR Manager app for seamless recording and live performance.
Joe Bonamassa Tone Master '59 Twin 85-watt 2 x 12-inch Combo Amplifier
Extensively road- and studio-tested by the man himself, the Fender Joe Bonamassa Tone Master ‘59 Twin Amp authentically replicates the legendary “high-powered” Tweed Twin circuit in a lightweight, digitally driven form. Every sonic nuance of the original has been precisely emulated, granting you the raging overdrive, the brilliant cleans, and touch-sensitive dynamism of a historic 5F8-A twin at roughly half the weight. And while a ’50s-era Twin rises to window-shaking volumes before achieving overdrive, onboard power scaling allows for glassy edge-of-breakup tones and pushed power amp sag at far more manageable levels. You can even record or play through a PA via the XLR line-out and onboard IRs. Topside, the Joe Bonamassa Tone Master ‘59 Twin-Amp preserves the 3-band EQ, Presence control, and channel-jumpering capabilities of an old-school Tweed Twin, only with the benefit of a vintage-style convolution spring reverb. Additional modern enhancements include an effects loop to accommodate your time-based/modulation stompboxes, a versatile Vintage/Tight switch to firm up your low-end response, and two ultra-lightweight Celestion JB neodymium speakers fine-tuned to Joe’s taste. Whether you’re a die-hard JB fan or a tube purist looking to dive into the world of digital modeling, the Fender Tone Master ‘59 Twin-Amp modernizes one of the most sought-after amps in history without giving an inch when it comes to pure vintage tone.
Last Call: The Coolest Guy in the Room
One of the best things about being a musician is the people you get to play and work with. Our group is made up of the most interesting outliers in the world. Of all those I’ve been lucky enough to know, undoubtedly the coolest guy in every room was my employer, mentor, and friend Jon Small.
Jon spent his entire life at the center of the zeitgeist. When Jon was a teen working one Sunday in the drum department at Manny’s Music on West 48th Street in Manhattan, his boss told him to assemble an oyster black pearl Ludwig Downbeat drum kit and walk it over, piece by piece, to the Ed Sullivan Theater. That night, Ringo used that kit to change the world.
When Jon’s band the Hassles parted ways with their keyboardist, the drummer went looking for a replacement and recruited a fellow Long Islander, Billy Joel, to see if he was interested in the gig. Billy turned it down until Jon, using his persuasion superpowers—as well as his Manny’s employee discount—promised Billy a Hammond B3 organ with a Leslie cabinet, and closed the deal.
As the Hassles began to disintegrate, Jon and Billy formed a new band, Attila, in 1969, perhaps the only organ/drum metal duo in history. They quickly landed a deal on Epic. Joel's 2005 box set, My Lives, featured one offering from that band: "Amplifier Fire, Part 1 (Godzilla)," a nasty metal jam co-written by Jon and Billy.
The recent documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes perfectly illustrates what an amazing person Jon was. In the early days, Joel was adrift and battling depression. Jon invited him to live at his place with his wife and son, and while living there, Joel began a relationship with (and later married) Jon’s wife, Elizabeth Weber Small. Jon said it was like losing his “two best friends,” leading to a period of estrangement. Despite the betrayal, Jon forgave Billy, and the two went on to share a successful working partnership and lifelong friendship.
During the split, Jon worked as a session and live drummer for a ton of acts around New York. He was the go-to rock drummer whose energy lifted the spirits of everyone on the stage and in the crowd.
After a motorcycle accident ended his drumming career, Jon moved behind the camera. He founded Picture Vision Pictures and went on to direct or produce hundreds of music videos and concert films.
Working during the MTV boom of the early 1980s, he’s credited with shaping the format through innovative concepts, including the 1986 video for Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” where he came up with the wall-breaking visual that came to symbolize the rap-rock crossover.
“Jon spent his entire life at the center of the zeitgeist.”
His other work includes a long run of Billy Joel videos, among them “Uptown Girl,” “Tell Her About It,” “Baby Grand,” and “The Night Is Still Young.” He also worked as a director, producer, or executive producer on Joel concert films including Live at Yankee Stadium (1990) and Live at Shea Stadium (2011). He had a similarly long relationship with Garth Brooks, directing the videos for “The Red Strokes” and “Standing Outside the Fire.” With Brooks he also made Live from Central Park (1997), Yankee Stadium Live (2016), and Live at Notre Dame (2018). Other videos he worked on include Reba McEntire’s “Whoever’s in New England” and “Does He Love You,” Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All,” and his final major directing credit, co-helming Luke Combs and Eric Church’s “Does to Me” with Trey Fanjoy. He also made concert films for the Highwaymen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and James Taylor.
In 2003, Jon took a chance on me and hired me to lead the band on Nashville Star, a country talent show that debuted on USA (and later moved to NBC) the year after American Idol launched. That job changed my life. Over six seasons, the show produced Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, and Chris Young, and all three are still major country stars today.
Jon taught me lessons that have guided me ever since. The first is to be kind to everybody. The second is to hire good people and then trust them. Give them direction and step back, and if something goes off the rails, give them some perspective instead of micromanaging. He also told me not to worry about work: Do good work and work will find you. The gig isn’t your security; you are your own security. He believed in keeping the work fun, especially when it got stressful and difficult. And he taught me that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Those lessons carried me through 20 years of leading bands on television.
Although Jon left this realm on September 4 of this year, his influence is evident throughout our industry. I’m certain that, in the next life, he will remain the coolest guy in the room.
Reader Guitar of the Month: A Deep Blues-Rock Tone Machine
Reader: Matt Swanton
Hometown: Shirley, MA
Guitar: Wanita
For a while now, I’ve been chasing the perfect guitar to use in my writing as a blues artist. I’ve grown fond of guitars with neck-through construction, though I’ve struggled to find the right one since many neck-through guitars on the market are 24-fret shred machines better suited for metal or heavier genres. Because I work primarily in the blues and classic rock, neck-pickup tone is really important to me, and moving the neck pickup closer to the bridge to make room for two extra frets can change the sound significantly. But aside from the Gibson Firebird, options for 22-fret neck-through guitars are pretty slim.
A little less than a decade ago, I met a luthier by the name of Michael McCarten while playing a gig in Gardner, MA. After striking up a conversation, I started going to see him for the occasional repair job. Every time I went to his shop, I’d see some really cool double-cutaway guitars he built called the DC-13. Each one of them is completely unique, with different custom details related to a theme or the guitarist it was meant for. After a few years of wondering what I’d come up with if I had the money to afford one, I decided it was time. Michael graciously agreed to make my guitar with a 25.5" scale instead of his usual 24 3/4", as well as indulge my request for neck-through construction rather than a standard set neck.
I’ve decided to name this guitar “Wanita,” for no other reason than it just sounded right. The body consists of a figured claro walnut top, a chambered walnut back, and a layer of maple in between to give it a stylish contrast line—especially when it’s exposed at the German carve along the edge. The neck is quarter-sawn maple with layers of walnut, and the fretboard is ebony. The fretboard inlays are blocks of flamed maple inserted into a rectangular section of copper that used to be waveguide piping. The whole guitar has been finished with tung oil for a smooth finish that doesn't stick like gloss.
For pickups, I went with a Gretsch-inspired HSS type of approach, with a TV Jones Power’Tron in the bridge and T-Armonds in the neck and middle position. It’s wired like Peter Frampton’s Les Paul, where the selector switch sees just the bridge and neck pickup, which are connected to a single set of volume and tone pots, while the middle pickup is hitched to the second set of volume and tone controls. This enables unique pickup combinations—I can use the bridge and neck pickups alone or together, and blend in the middle pickup at various volume and tone settings. It adds up to a lot of voices. A Schaller roller bridge, a U.S.-made Bigsby B5, and Grover imperial tuners help make it feel tight, smooth, and together, too. But the whole guitar plays like a dream.
Reverb’s End of Summer Sales Event might be the perfect time to give your rig a makeover
As the leaves shift from shades of green to warm, orange-y browns, it’s a nice reminder of how much can change with every season. And that goes for your guitar rig, too – because why should the trees be the only ones enjoying a fresh, seasonal makeover? Luckily, Reverb’s End of Summer Sales Event has got you covered.
While the sun may be going away, Reverb’s solid slew of discounts across top brands is here to stay. Fender in particular has a wide selection of discounted goodies across the site, including a slew of Custom Shop axes. For example, some unique relic’d pieces are available at a fraction of their usual price; a Fender Custom Shop ’57 Reissue Stratocaster Heavy Relic guitar in Fiesta Red is currently sitting at 35% off, dropping down to £2,685.10 from its usual price of £4,130.93.
If you’re particularly fond of Fender’s throwback designs paired with a worn-in, reliced feel, you may also be interested in a Fender Custom Shop ‘65 Stratocaster Super Heavy Relic. This brand new Strat is 15% off, dropping from £4,708.53 down to £4,002.26. In terms of colour, it’s a Faded Ages Sherwood Metallic Green, worn to expose some Three-Colour Sunburst – and it looks absolutely battered (in the best way, of course).
If you’re not into the new-yet-worn-in look, there are also some other Fender axes that look truly fresh-out-the-box. In particular, there’s an Olympic White Limited Edition American Vintage II 1973 Strat that’s sitting at 15% off, now costing just £1,615.19. Elsewhere, there’s also an American Professional Classic Telecaster, available in Butterscotch Blonde for just £1,063.89, which is a 20% drop from its usual price.
There are also some fabulous price drops on PRS axes – and, again, some are truly unique. One of the most unique guitars on sale is one from PRS’ Sprayers Choice line, which allowed painters to let their creativity run wild and use custom colours and non-standard finishes. A Limited Edition 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 is currently available for £3,260.72 rather than £4,347.62, knocking over £1,000 off its usual price. So you’ll be able to enjoy the guitar’s weight-relief design, pair of PRS McCarty III pickups, and warm tone along with a striking colourway.
PRS’ John Mayer signature is also included in Reverb’s sale – specifically his left-handed Lefty edition of his SE Silver Sky. Brand new Lefty models are sitting at 25% off, dropping to just £580.44, and there are two colour options available: a bright Dandy Lion yellow, and the earthy Lauren Green.
Some new axes from this year are also part of the sale. A brand new 2026 Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘50s in particular has had a price drop; we were impressed when the guitar was first released back in 2019, so we’re sure this ‘26 edition will be a great addition to your collection. A Heritage Cherry Sunburst edition is sitting at £1,855.67, a 15% discount from its usual price of £2,183.14.
Of course, there are also a few nifty pedals involved in the sale. There are a few Electro-Harmonix products that have dropped by 20%, too. Highlights include the Electro-Harmonix 15 Watt Howitzer Guitar Amp / Preamp Pedal, which we awarded an 8/10 in 2022 and is currently £81.60. Elsewhere, the brand’s Pitch Fork polyphonic pitch shifter (which we also awarded an 8/10) has dropped to £174.40, down from its usual £218.
For more End of Summer deals, head to Reverb.
The post Reverb’s End of Summer Sales Event might be the perfect time to give your rig a makeover appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Here are all the modellers with NAM A2 support
You might have heard quite a bit of buzz about the new Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) architecture – NAM A2. It’s been touted as a revolutionarily upgrade to amp capture technology, with marked improvements in efficiency and sound, letting you squeeze tones on par with fully-fledged Neural DSP out of far more affordable hardware, with a much more open approach to compatibility. While those all sound like big claims, earlier this year I took a look at the HeadRush Flex Prime’s NAM A2 update. And it very much lived up to the hype! So, to help you get in on the A2 game, let’s explore a little more about how it works, and explore what hardware modellers currently support the standard.
What is NAM?
Created by Steve Atkinson, Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) is an open-source deep-learning framework that profiles amplifiers and pedals with remarkable accuracy. It is, in essence, doing a similar thing to Neural DSP’s native models – teaching a machine-learning algorithm to behave like a tube amplifier, capturing all of the responsive, dynamic idiosyncrasies of the real deal. While NAM quickly became an industry standard in the software VST space, its original A1 architecture could be a little heavy on its processing power requirements. This made it difficult to run natively on embedded hardware like multi-effects pedals without using external conversion tools.
What’s different with NAM A2?
To solve this hardware limitation, Atkinson and TONE3000 officially unveiled the NAM A2 architecture in June 2026. The new A2 dramatically lowers CPU cost while improving sonic accuracy. The new format comes in two primary tiers: A2-Full, which will give you the best depth and realism, and A2-Lite, a highly optimized version designed specifically to run natively on units with more limited CPU power.
Currently available NAM A2 modellers and multi-effects
HeadRush Prime, Core, and Flex Prime
- Price: ~$499 USD (Flex Prime) to ~$1,200 USD (Prime)
- NAM Support: A2-Full & A1
Thanks to the Firmware 5.1 update released in August 2026, the modern HeadRush ecosystem now runs NAM A2 captures natively. Users can easily drag and drop .nam files via USB or browse the TONE3000 library directly on the hardware’s touchscreen via Wi-Fi. The flagship Prime, the mid-tier Core, and the compact Flex Prime all support this feature, making HeadRush one of the most accessible ecosystems for high-accuracy A2 models.
Darkglass Anagram
- Price: $1,199.99 USD
- NAM Support: A2-Full & A2-Lite
The Darkglass Anagram is a powerhouse bass workstation powered by a hexacore DSP architecture. Following a recent firmware update (KosmOS 1.17), the Anagram became the first bass multi-FX to natively support the TONE3000 A2 API. Its massive processing power allows users to run up to 5 A2-Full models or 9 A2-Lite models simultaneously, making an excellent tool for complex, parallel bass signal chains.
Blackstar Beam Mini
- Price: ~$200 USD
- NAM Support: A2-Lite
The Blackstar Beam Mini is a smart desktop combo amplifier and one of the first consumer amps to feature native NAM A2 integration out of the box. By utilizing the highly efficient A2-Lite architecture, it allows players to load NAM captures directly onto the amp without needing to run conversion software, making it a seamless desktop practice and recording tool.
Dimehead NAM Player
- Price: ~$500 USD
- NAM Support: A2-Full
A boutique pedal solution aimed at gigging professionals, the Dimehead NAM Player provides enough dedicated processing power to run two NAM models simultaneously. It natively supports the high-accuracy A2-Full architecture while maintaining backward compatibility with older A1 captures. The pedal also includes a convolution reverb, a high-resolution IR loader, and comprehensive MIDI control.
Hotone Ampero Series
- Price: ~$400 – $550 USD (Ampero II Stomp & Ampero II Stage)
- NAM Support: A2-Lite
Hotone’s Ampero II ecosystem has long been a favorite for players seeking a compact, touchscreen-driven floorboard. Following their late-2026 firmware overhaul, the Ampero II Stomp and Ampero II Stage now natively support the highly optimized A2-Lite format. This integration allows users to run pristine NAM amp profiles alongside Hotone’s expansive library of native delay, reverb, and modulation effects, making it a formidable fly-rig solution.
Mooer GE Series
- Price: ~$130 – $160 USD (GE100 Pro / GE100 Pro Li) to ~$300 – $650 USD (GE300 / GE1000)
- NAM Support: A2-Lite
Mooer has successfully updated its flagship multi-effects ecosystem to handle A2-Lite captures natively, creating one of the most comprehensive neural-capture lineups on the market. For touring and studio professionals, the flagship GE1000 and the older GE300 processors provide an intuitive touchscreen UI, extensive I/O routing options, and enough DSP overhead to run complex NAM models alongside the unit’s built-in synth engines and polyphonic pitch shifting.
More recently, Mooer expanded their neural capabilities to the ultra-budget market with the highly compact GE100 Pro and GE100 Pro Li. These highly affordable units not only load NAM A2 captures seamlessly, but also introduce Mooer’s “AI StemLab” for track separation and AI-generated presets. The GE100 Pro Li stands out particularly for mobile players, featuring a built-in rechargeable lithium battery that delivers up to nine hours of playing time, making it an ultimate portable gigging and practice rig that doesn’t compromise on studio-grade A2 amp tones.
Nux MG and Trident Series
- Price: ~$150 – $350 USD (MG-30, MG-50Li & Trident)
- NAM Support: A2-Lite
Nux provides some of the most highly affordable entry points for guitarists wanting authentic NAM captures in a traditional floorboard format. By adopting the A2-Lite standard, budget-friendly units like the MG-50Li and the gig-ready Nux Trident can now load third-party A2 captures natively. This brings top-tier, neural-captured amp tones to the ultra-budget market, proving that players no longer need thousand-dollar rigs to access studio-grade amp modeling.
Announced Plans for NAM A2 Support
Because A2 is a completely new architecture, hardware manufacturers must explicitly rewrite their firmware integrations to support it. Several brands are actively working on bringing A2 to their platforms:
- Valeton: Valeton is expected to follow suit soon, bringing native A2 compatibility to their highly popular GP series of multi-effects processors.
- Lava Music: Lava Music has announced plans to integrate A2 models directly into their smart guitars’ onboard digital operating systems.
- Boutique & Indie Builders: Brands like Sonulab (StompStation) and Chaos Audio are actively updating their hardware to support the TONE3000 API and native A2 captures.
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Fender just launched a new Mark Hoppus signature bass, but you’ll have to be quick – it’s only available for 182 hours
Fender has announced a new limited-edition signature bass for Blink-182 bassist and co-lead vocalist Mark Hoppus, celebrating his 25-year relationship with the brand.
And when we say limited-edition, we mean really limited-edition… So limited, in fact, that the Mark Hoppus Stone Fruit Jaguar Bass is only available to order for 182 hours, after which time it’ll cease to be available. So you’ll have to be quick if you’re interested…
The bass is inspired by Hoppus’s original “Stoned Fruit” Guava Green Jaguar bass, which he first played onstage during Blink’s 2023 world tour. The bassist personally commissioned Ohio-based artist Phil Guy – known professionally as “Burrito Breath” – to create the psychedelic-style fruit illustrations that were then placed individually across the instrument.
Credit: Fender
The new Mark Hoppus Stone Fruit Jaguar Bass also comes with a selection of Burrito Breath-designed fruit decals, but they’re on the side, so players can decorate their instrument how they see fit and make it their own.
“To now have my own signature model done exactly the way that I like is super awesome,” says Hoppus on the new collaboration.
Credit: Fender
“This is the culmination of my nearly quarter century relationship with Fender. Coming out of skateboarding and punk rock, stickers are such a huge part of everything that we do. You can take this bass, you can sticker it up, you can pretend you’re a little kid in the back of your parent’s car putting stickers on the window as they drive down the freeway. This bass plays incredibly well and you’ll look cool as shit.”
In terms of specs, the Stone Fruit Jaguar Bass sports reverse-mounted Seymour Duncan SPB-3 Quarter Pound split-coil P bass pickups, along with a Custom “C” maple neck, HiMass Vintage bridge and lightweight vintage-style tuners, with a nice visual touch coming with a custom neck plate featuring Hoppus’s “Hi, My Name is Mark” octopus logo.
Credit: Fender
“Mark has always had a very clear point of view about what he wants from an instrument – both in how it performs and how it looks,” says Justin Norvell, Chief Product Officer at Fender.
“The Stoned Fruit Bass captures that perfectly. It’s unmistakably Mark: simple, powerful, personal and a little unexpected. We wanted to recreate the instrument he actually plays while giving fans the opportunity to put their own stamp on it.”
The Mark Hoppus Stoned Fruit Jaguar Bass is available now – for only 182 hours and counting… – priced at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / €1,749.
Learn more at Fender.
Credit: Fender
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Amels Audio Launches With Osetra All-Tube Instrument DI
The newly launched Amels Audio has released Osetra, a direct-coupled all-tube instrument DI, as its debut product.
Audio designer Dave Amels’ new venture is an independent company making original hardware for musicians and recording studios. The Osetra DI is designed for use with electric guitar, bass, and pickup-equipped acoustic guitars, and comes first in an eye-grabbing, numbered 20-unit Founder's Tin Edition.
Osetra uses an original Class-A, transformerless circuit with no loop feedback. Its low-capacitance instrument input presents a 1 MΩ load, which helps preserve transients and contributes to a responsive playing feel. Measured response runs from 4 Hz into the megahertz range, with the observed upper limit set by the receiving microphone preamp. The tube B+ supply comes from 48 V phantom power, and the included universal-input 12 VDC adapter powers the filament.
Each Founder's Tin Edition unit is assembled at the bench and housed in a laser-cut caviar tin with sturgeon artwork. The Osetra product page (amelsaudio.com/osetra) hosts comparison videos and audio demos. These include level-matched bass and acoustic-guitar comparisons against familiar tube and FET DIs, plus standalone electric- and acoustic-guitar demos.
Amels Audio draws on founder Dave Amels' career in electronic musical instruments, mathematically modeled audio software, and analog recording equipment. Since the late 1980s, he has designed hardware and software for musicians and recording engineers, including at three companies he co-founded.
"Amels Audio gives me a place to invent and build the kinds of tools I want to use," said Amels. "They have to be technically serious, musically responsive, and useful in a working studio. Osetra is the first."
Osetra Founder's Tin Edition units 01–20 are available directly from Amels Audio for $425. Each comes with a universal-input 12 VDC filament adapter and a one-year parts-and-labor warranty. Initial sales are limited to the United States. For more information visit amelsaudio.com.
Osetra
The newly launched Amels Audio has released Osetra, a direct-coupled all-tube instrument DI, as its debut product.
The Johnny Marr x Maharishi Strat is a work of art. But don’t get too excited – you can’t buy one
Though mostly known for his pivotal guitar work in The Smiths and throughout his solo career, Johnny Marr has made no secret his opinion that the clothes you wear are pretty much as important as the instrument you play.
After recently parting with a number of his most iconic Smiths-era guitars – in an auction which netted £3.6 million – the guitarist went on record saying he’s, in fact, more sentimental about his clothes than he is his guitars. “I’d actually find it harder to get rid of some of my jackets,” he said.
So perhaps his latest collaboration with clothing brand Maharishi isn’t all that surprising…
The new partnership is headlined by a limited-edition Advisors Shirt – which takes its name and silhouette from the utility shirts worn by US military advisors during the Vietnam War – and features a hand-machine embroidered Dragon on the back, a detachable “Marrharishi” nametape, and unique collaboration patches on the sleeve.
Perhaps more interestingly for you guitar folk, the partnership has also yielded a new Johnny Marr x Maharishi Stratocaster, but don’t get your hopes up too high, as it’s not for sale. Only four have been made in total, with one going to Johnny – to help replenish his collection after the recent Marr’s Guitars auction at Christie’s gutted it – one going to Maharishi founder Hardy Blechman, and the other two on display at Maharishi’s flagship stores in London and New York.
Credit: Maharishi
So you won’t be able to get your hands on it, but you can admire it from afar: it has a Custom HH 73 body and heirloomed hardware and the classic Maharishi Original Dragon artwork.
But that’s not all; Fender has also created a new Tone Master Deluxe Reverb amplifier, wrapped in Maharishi’s signature military-inspired Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM).
Credit: Maharishi
“I’ve been going into Maharishi for many years, and I wanted to pay tribute to the ethos of the company and its designs,” Marr says. “So what better way to do that than by designing a guitar inspired by the same philosophy? I knew it had to be a customised Fender Stratocaster with the Maharishi aesthetic.”
“The design process for this project flowed easily as Johnny has a deep, long-standing understanding of Maharishi and its inspirations,” adds Maharishi Creative Director Hardy Blechman. “It was satisfying to witness him develop a guitar that reflected the Maha Tailor Shop ethos and spirit so well.”
“The collaboration reflects a shared design language across all three parties: Maharishi’s commitment to functional, story-driven military reproduction; Marr’s status as one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists of his generation and a longtime Fender artist and signature collaborator, and Fender’s own legacy of iconic instrument design,” says Fender.
The Marrharishi Advisors Shirt is available from the Maharishi website, and from its stores in London and New York, priced at £320.
The post The Johnny Marr x Maharishi Strat is a work of art. But don’t get too excited – you can’t buy one appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“It costs too much to care:” Stand Atlantic’s Bonnie Fraser on her trusted gear and breathing life back into music
Bonnie Fraser was bored with the music she was hearing. “I just feel like so many things have the same samples and the same everything, like everything is perfect into the grid,” the Stand Atlantic vocalist and guitarist says.
“I just felt like I personally was missing that natural and more organic feel in at least genres like ours because it’s rock music at the end of the day, and it’s supposed to be about how the fuck you’re feeling.”
It’s an unexpected place to start a new record, but that’s how she began thinking about what would become Stand Atlantic’s fifth album, Godbreath, out on October 23. Following the pop-punk roots of 2018 debut album Skinny Dipping, Stand Atlantic’s next three albums – 2020’s Pink Elephant, 2022’s F.e.a.r. and 2024’s Was Here – were extremely experimental, drawing from pop, electronic and hip-hop influences. But the experimentation took a different form this time around: tracking live.
Instead of the typical method of recording one instrument and one portion of a song at a time, all four members of Stand Atlantic – including bassist Miki Rich, guitarist David Potter and drummer Jonno Panichi – recorded in the room together, playing each song the whole way through, with Fraser recording vocals separately. “At first, we were like, ‘This might sound horrible, guys!’” Fraser recalls. “’We might do the wrong thing here.’ But I feel like it was a great challenge, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.”
Tracking live does make it harder to get a take where everyone is playing everything perfectly. But that was kind of the point. And it fits with the mentality of a band who has always rolled with whatever life has thrown at them. “It costs too much to care,” Fraser says.
Professionals
Fraser tends to write on guitar – if she has one on hand when she’s working on an idea. “I’ll find a couple chords that I like, start humming some melodies, and then I’ll try and see what words are coming out,” she explains. “I think sometimes that helps me build what I’m trying to say without me even knowing.”
Fraser is known for her concise, vulnerable and visceral lyrics. “I feel like I’m always just trying to make it not cheesy,” she laughs. “Every single thing I’m doing, I’m like, ‘What’s not cheeseball, please?’ I feel like that’s my guide a lot of the time.”
When it was time to record the album, Fraser mostly turned to the guitar she plays onstage. “We wanted to be able to recreate the sound properly in a live setting,” she says. She and Potter play Fender American Professionals. “I have a Seymour Duncan in the bridge now, and no other pickups,” Fraser says. “And then, literally, just [an] on-off switch. It’s so sick. Super simple, Tom DeLonge-style vibes, and it’s my sewer green Strat.”
They also stuck with an equally tried-and-tested amp: Fraser’s father’s Marshall Mark II, which has made an appearance on every Stand Atlantic album to date. “I’m so lucky,” Fraser says. “My dad was a musician back in the day, and he has kept all his gear since then. I don’t really fuck with the guitars in there because I’m like, ‘I know I’ll break this. I don’t want to be responsible for doing anything wrong to this guitar,’ because he has so many little babies in there.”
When Fraser speaks, Stand Atlantic have just wrapped up a string of dates in Europe and are about to play a few shows in the UK. They’ll start an Australian headlining run when Godbreath comes out, before opening for Silverstein and Story of the Year on their North American tour in November and December. For a band from Sydney, Australia, it’s impressive – but it limits their touring rig.
“It needs to be flyable so we can’t unfortunately bring like ten million guitars for different things,” she explains. “We need to keep it as simple as possible, so me and [Potter] both have our own regular guitars that we all use, and then we have one spare guitar, which is also an American Professional Strat.”
For the set’s softer moments, the rig includes a Fender Acoustasonic. “That’s super light and super easy to travel with instead of a big bulky acoustic,” Fraser adds. “But one day I would love to be able to tour with a proper big acoustic guitar and seven other guitars that we can change out when we want.”
Image: Press
Breath Of The Wild
Godbreath stands out from Stand Atlantic’s last two darker and more aggressive albums. The new record’s sun-soaked vibe was down to changes in Fraser’s headspace and personal life, namely being in a healthy relationship. But she had to overcome her initial hesitation about writing from a more positive place. “I wanted to accept the fact that it’s okay for an album to be like that, even though the world is fucked right now, and we all know it, and we all know who and why,” she says.
With Godbreath, Fraser wanted to capture, “the feeling you get when it’s a beautiful day and you’re driving down the highway with your best friend, your dog, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your mum, your dad, whatever, and blasting your favourite songs.”
Godbreath, with its decidedly warmer feel, will be out in time for spring in Australia, which happens to be autumn for Northern-hemisphere listeners. “I was like, ‘Fuck, most of our fans are going to get this in spooky season,’” Fraser laughs. “It’s the most non-spooky fucking album ever! Should have called it Halloween Breath.”
Fraser had come up with the title Godbreath before she had written a single song – which has been the case for most Stand Atlantic albums. There was a title track at one point, but it didn’t make it onto Godbreath, although the name stuck.
“I thought, conceptually, it was interesting because you could take it two ways,” she reflects. “Is Godbreath when you’re full of ego and talking out your ass, and you think you’re fucking God’s gift to the world, or is it something that you also feel when you’re actually feeling really secure and self-assured, and you feel on top of the world in a more positive way?”
But she does have second thoughts about the title. “I did and still do wish that I called it Dogbreath, to be honest,” she admits. “It’s so funny. I should have done it. Should have fucking done it!”
Godbreath is out 23 October on Virgin Music
The post “It costs too much to care:” Stand Atlantic’s Bonnie Fraser on her trusted gear and breathing life back into music appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Rig Rundown: Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden brought their Run for Your Lives World Tour to Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, for two nights on September 5 and 6, and PG’s Perry Bean got backstage with techs Brent Diamond, Alan Sosa, and Colin Price to go through the rigs behind Steve Harris, Janick Gers, and Dave Murray. Have a look at some quick highlights below, and tune into the new Rig Rundown for all the details.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
The Only One
Harris has had this roughly 1971 Precision since the mid ’70s, right when Maiden was starting, and has played it at more or less every show the band has ever done. It’s had numerous paint jobs, the headstock logo is long gone, and the truss rod stopped being adjustable years ago—fortunately it’s sitting right where he wants it. Body and neck are otherwise stock apart from a Badass II bridge, his signature Seymour Duncans, and his signature Rotosound flatwounds (.050–.110), which he uses because he doesn’t like the noise rounds make when he slides. The tone knob is pulled out of the circuit entirely so it can’t get turned by accident.
Just in Case
A 1978 Precision is the designated backup, with a Harris signature model also out on the road, though both are there for emergencies rather part of the than rotation. Harris checks his tuning before the show, walks out, and the bass doesn’t come back to Diamond until the night’s over—even when there’s an acoustic in the set.
Built in ’81
A Shure Axient wireless runs four channels—three basses at the moment, plus the acoustic when it’s in the set—into a custom Cornish selector, which picks the active instrument, lets Diamond balance gain between them, and has meters for spotting where the signal is and isn’t. The Cornish is Harris’ second; the first was built in the ‘80s and this one dates to 2000.
Back to the Hiwatt
Harris settled on a Hiwatt NCA108 around 1981, but racking it didn’t take—it fell apart on the road—so he had Alectron build copies and ran those for 40-odd years. Then the originals turned up in a warehouse. Mark Dunn rebuilt them, rack-mountable this time, and Diamond says they edge out the Alectrons, though barely.
Heavyweights
Cambridge Audio SR707 amplifiers have been driving the rig since day one. Diamond says you don’t want to lift one, but they’re bulletproof. They push two stacks of Marshall 800-series 4x12s, beefed up beyond stock and loaded with EVM 12Ls—a guitar cab for bass, which Diamond admits is a little bizarre, and which Harris has run for as long as anyone there can remember.
Break Glass
A Tech 21 SH1 Steve Harris Signature SansAmp pedal handles the direct line to front of house. It exists because Michael Kenney, Harris’ tech at the time, worked with Tech 21 to get his rack tone into a stompbox for small British Lion club shows.
Tuner Loyalty
Harris tunes his own bass, and he does it on a Korg WT-12 that came out in 1980. It’s old enough to be unreliable—sometimes great, sometimes not—so there’s a second WT-12 onstage and another Korg beside it.
Gillan’s Gift
Gers’ number one is a Fender replica of a black Strat that Ian Gillan gave him. He played the original into the ‘90s, retired it, and had this one built; it was mint when it arrived and isn’t anymore. There’s a Duncan JB Jr. in the neck and bridge and a Hot Rails in the middle. Strings are .010–.046, and he likes swapping one for a lighter gauge— Sosa isn’t sure whether that’s about tension or superstition.
“Whitey”
Gers’ other main Strat, also from the ‘90s, has the same JB Jr. and Hot Rails setup. The tape on the back is there because he wears a bullet belt— Sosa figures it buys the finish a little time, though it’s going regardless.
A Real Trooper
Sandberg has built Gers a few guitars over the years. This one has three JB Jr. pickups, and it comes out for “The Trooper.” The body’s close to a classic Strat, but the bridge, the headstock, and the sculpted heel are all Sandberg’s own.
First Strat
Gers has had this Strat since roughly his first band, and Sosa says he doesn’t give it a break—most of the checking is real cracks in the wood rather than cosmetic crazing. The neck is new because the old one was past working on, and the guitar’s been apart and back together more times than anyone can say.
Janick Gers’ Rack
A Shure Axient True Wireless covers the three songs Gers wants to run around for; the rest of the night he’s on a cable. Both feed a Radial JX-44. A custom box that used to be the brain of the rig still earns its keep for its Tube Screamer, EQ, and a treble booster Sosa kicks in when Gers wants feedback at the end of a song.
Marshall Law
A Marshall JMP-1 is the main tone, a Marshall JFX-1 adds room reverb on rhythms plus delays, harmonies, and chorus, and a Marshall 9200 does the power. A Synergy setup with its own power amp covers the rest: a Bogner Ecstasy module for cleans, gain almost all the way down, and a Friedman for an alternate lead tone on “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” though both are placeholders until two more units arrive. Sosa does all the switching from a Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro.
Number One, Literally
Murray’s main guitar is a Stratocaster from Fender masterbuilder Andy Hicks in Olympic white with a walnut neck that Price says doesn’t move. It’s DM0001, the first of a 70-piece run Hicks has just completed, and Price’s had FU-Tone and titanium parts fitted throughout. Three Hicks builds are out on this tour. The pickups are the Dave Murray Seymour Duncan set—Hot Rails at neck and bridge, and a JB Jr. in the middle for the cleans on “Seventh Son,” “Hallowed,” and the middle section of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” The big headstock and the Olympic white finish are both nods to Hendrix.
Kossoff Copy
A guitar from Fender masterbuilder Jason Smith based on Paul Kossoff’s Strat, which Murray has had since about 2010 and kept at home for years before it came back out last year for the older material. It started with a JB and a ‘59; Price has since experimented his way to two JBs and a JB Jr. in the middle. The bird’s-eye top and the zebra coils are the reason everyone stops to look at it.
Dave Murray’s Rig
Murray runs a Fractal Axe-Fx, which Price came to after subbing on Devin Townsend gigs. It started as a JMP model—Murray’s sound—and has grown to four or five amps for different songs. A stereo out feeds Murray’s in-ears, which Price describes as “Steely Dan” clean; another goes to front of house and out to two Marshall cabs onstage, dialed cleaner to keep things from getting swampy. There are also cabs because Harris and Bruce Dickinson still work off stage sound.
New Fender Film Features J Mascis, Thurston Moore, and More Celebrating NYC Roots
Fender has released an original feature-length film capturing behind-the-scenes moments and performances with Dinosaur Jr. and friends across New York City, celebrating the community that has spawned some of indie rock’s defining artists.
The full-length film, The One. For New York., is now available on YouTube and features performances by Dinosaur Jr., Thurston Moore, Snail Mail, and more.
Punctuated by audacious music, gritty footage, and acidic humor, The One. For New York. attests to the city’s towering role in modern culture—as seen from a street-level vantage point.
Featured artists include:
- Dinosaur Jr.
- Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog
- Steve Gunn
- Thurston Moore Group (Thurston Moore, Steve Shelley, Deb Googe)
- They Are Gutting a Body of Water
- American Football
- Snail Mail
The artists themselves acknowledge the crucial role NYC has played in their creative growth.
“New York was the first place we came where we had any fans or acceptance. We just kind of gravitated towards New York,” said J Mascis. “Starting a band I decided I wanted a Fender… I went to buy a Strat, but they had a Jaguar for $200 and Jazzmaster for $300. The neck felt better on the Jazzmaster; it was worn in like a baseball bat, so I just went for the Jazzmaster.”
“As far as Dinosaur Jr. getting welcomed in New York, I think a lot of it was predicated upon us welcoming them,” said Thurston Moore. “I mean, we really liked them. We brought them out on tour when we did a van tour across the USA with us. We were always championing them. They were always sort of like this little brother band to us.”
“I discovered Sonic Youth in high school, and it was sort of like my introduction to stuff that kind of fit outside of a mold that I understood at that point. And they just opened the door for me for my own guitar playing,” said Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail). “I feel like there was life before Sonic Youth for me and then life after.”
“I think there's something like 70 languages currently spoken in New York. [A] byproduct of that is that there were a lot of different sounds,” said Marc Ribot. “I came down to New York, I realized this is where the work is. I didn't really know if I wanted to write songs or be a rock star. I didn't know what kind of guitarist even, but I knew I wanted to play guitar, and I knew this is where I could do it.”
“I fell in love with New York,” said Steve Gunn. “Even early on, I was always interested in expanding my palette of the guitar. From people like J and Thurston and other players who were using different tunings and capos and different frets, I feel like it really expanded your ear and limits of what a guitar can do.”
For more information visit Fender.com.
“What are you talking about, Baldini? Now you have more room”: Anthrax’s Scott Ian on how touring with Dimebag Darrell taught him “how to drink”
![[L-R] Scott Ian and Dimebag Darrell](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Scott-Ian-Dimebag-Darrell-hero@2000x1500.jpg)
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian says touring with Pantera in the late 1990s was where he truly learned to drink and that Dimebag Darrell was his teacher in the trade…
Ian, 62, recalls the tour in a new interview with Metal Hammer, describing the 1997-98 run as “fucking chaos”. His clearest memory is of being sick after a night of heavy drinking, opening the bathroom door to find Dimebag waiting with another shot. When Ian pointed out that he had just thrown up, the Pantera guitarist brushed it off with a nickname and a piece of logic: “What are you talking about Baldini? Now you just have more room.”
Ian also remembers the tour buses. He would sometimes hop on the one shared by Dimebag and his drummer brother Vinnie Paul, which seemed a great idea at 3am. By 7am, he said, the party was still going and the pair had spent hours watching the same live Kiss videos on loop.
Dimebag’s reputation as a drinker was well established. He had his own signature drink, the Black Tooth Grin, named after a Megadeth lyric. In 2022, Machine Head’s Robb Flynn recounted a night when a very drunk Dimebag smashed one of his guitars into the floor, then went onstage and played a flawless show.
Dimebag was shot dead on stage in 2004, aged 38, while performing with Damageplan, the band he formed with Vinnie Paul after Pantera split.
The friendship between the two bands produced music as well as stories. Dimebag contributed guest solos to six Anthrax songs across three albums: Fueled and King Size on 1995’s Stomp 442, Inside Out and Born Again Idiot on 1998’s Vol. 8: The Threat Is Real and Strap It On and Cadillac Rock Box on 2003’s We’ve Come For You All.
Anthrax released their new album, Cursum Perficio, through Nuclear Blast last month. Parts were recorded at Studio 606, the California studio owned by Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl. The band have no tour dates announced, having recently played a run of shows supporting Iron Maiden.
The post “What are you talking about, Baldini? Now you have more room”: Anthrax’s Scott Ian on how touring with Dimebag Darrell taught him “how to drink” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Gibson launches limited-edition Tom Petty Flying V guitars to mark the Heartbreakers’ 50th anniversary
Gibson has released a limited run of 250 Flying V guitars honouring the 50th anniversary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, alongside a lifestyle collection of apparel, accessories and collectibles developed with the Tom Petty Estate.
The guitars, dubbed the “Flying Five,” come in five gloss nitrocellulose finishes: Gainesville Gold, Graphite Metallic, Heartbreaker Red, Pearl White Metallic and Pelham Blue with only 50 made in each colour.
The design is inspired by the Heartbreakers logo from the band’s self-titled 1976 debut album. Adria Petty, the late musician’s daughter, said the logo has been a part of the brand’s identity since that first record and that the V was an essential part of the stage imagery for her father as the band rose to fame in the 1970s.
“The collection honours Tom and the Heartbreakers’ history while giving musicians and fans a new way to carry that spirit forward,” she said.
Specs
Each instrument has a mahogany body and neck, a SlimTaper neck profile and a rosewood fretboard with a 12-inch radius and 22 medium jumbo frets. Two 70s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired by hand with individual volume controls, a master tone control and a three-way selector. Hardwire is gold-plated and includes Grover Rotomatic tuners and a Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge.
Commemorative touches include a Heartbreaker 50th truss rod cover and a reproduction of Petty’s signature on the back of the headstock. Every guitar ships in a Gibson hardshell case.
Apparel and collectibles
Credit: Gibson
Made with Nashville-based apparel brand imogene + willie at the request of the Petty Estate, the line includes four American-made, screen-printed T-shirts, a patch-covered green military shirt jacket and a black “Backstage” work jacket. The most exclusive item is a black steerhide leather jacket, made with Schott N.Y.C., that reimagines the jacket Petty wore on the cover of the 1976 debut album. Only 75 will be made worldwide. Its striped satin lining nods to the black-and-white blazer Petty wore on the cover of the 1978 UK single Listen to Her Heart.
Other items include a Zippo lighter, a bandana, a snapback cap, a guitar strap, a pick tin, a sticker set and a Flying V mini guitar.
To develop the collection, Gibson sent a team to the Tom Petty Clubhouse in Van Nuys, California, to go through archived artifacts from the band’s history.
Learn more at Gibson.
Credit: Gibson
The post Gibson launches limited-edition Tom Petty Flying V guitars to mark the Heartbreakers’ 50th anniversary appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Triplet Patterns to Improve Your Time Feel and Inspire New Lines | Weekly Workout
Meet Yuben Grey: the folk artist using cosy guitars and spacey sounds to tackle anxiety
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Enjoy getting lost in the dreamy lullabies of Lord Huron? Get a thrill out of Gregory Alan Isakov’s guitar work? Then look no further than Yuben Grey, the chilled out folk artist from Rhode Island who makes music to soothe the mind.
Amid our ever quickening culture of information overload and shortening attention spans, his craft prioritises slowness and the value of space. We chat to Grey ahead of his next musical project to learn more about how he found his way to being the artist he is today, and how music has become an anchoring lifeline among some challenging personal experiences.
Hi Yuben! Tell us about your story with music. How did you find your way to guitar?
“Music is still my side gig. It was never really supposed to be the main thing, it was just a hobby. It started getting more serious about a year ago. My dad showed me [how to play when] I was seven or eight. I completely abandoned it for years and started making beats. I was making money being a producer but I [wanted] to be an artist, so I picked up my guitar again and was just messing around for a few years.
“I was married but I got a divorce, and that is actually how things started, really. It was the first time I was adjusting to having my son half the time so I didn’t really know what to do. I borrowed a guitar from my neighbour because she went out of town; it was broken so I stitched it up, and that’s when I recorded an album called The Moon Room. I guess it just hit the right people!”
Image: Press
What artists or guitarists in particular are you inspired by?
“I absolutely love Gregory Alan Isakov and Lord Huron. [Their] songs are so inspiring. I would play Red Dead Redemption, [have a] chill ride around with the horse, and I would have their music on in the background. They definitely inspire the music that I make big time; it’s very spacey, atmospheric, ethereal. It’s very relaxing.”
Your track Roman’s Song is a great example of that. Take us inside the track – what’s it about?
“When I was going through [my divorce], I had to fly home to go see some family because I had some problems. I was getting ready to go to the airport, and I remember feeling like I wasn’t really escaping my own home. It just surrounded me, the thoughts and the feelings I had about everything around me. I wrote [the song] within an hour. I kept imagining a ballroom, a dance that never ends; no matter what, you can’t leave. Originally it was called Crooked Hands. My son picked up that I was playing it and absolutely loved it. He wanted to hear it again and again. Eventually I was like, you know what? If I release this, I’m going to call it //Roman’s Song//, which is his name. It seemed like it would calm him down whenever he was crying.”
It seems like music’s been quite a lifeline for you. What guitars do you like to use to tell your story? What gear do you gravitate towards the most?
“Right now I use an Epiphone Hummingbird. It’s my go-to because it just sounds beautiful. I feel like I’m still learning, but I love a warm, soft sound. I signed my guitar’s body so I can remind myself of what I am doing, and why I first started doing it.”
Looking back on your music journey so far, what makes you feel the most proud of yourself and your craft?
“For years, I pressured myself into making what was ‘current’ all the time. The best thing for me was becoming authentic, making exactly whatever I imagined. That was the most freeing thought: I can just make whatever comes to mind.”
Have your early experiences as a producer informed how you make art? What skills have you carried across to how you build a song?
“Absolutely. I think being a producer first helped me so much because I make everything myself. I’ll sit for a few hours and I can build a whole track, but also make sure it sounds professional too. It helps me to be self-sufficient.”
Image: Press
You’re probably used to working collaboratively from your production work too. What artist do you dream of working with now?
“Oh my gosh, Gregory Alan Isakov. I think I’d cry… I would definitely cry.”
What has being a musician taught you about yourself as a person?
“When I create a song, I tend to build a world with it in my own head. I’ve realised how much I build stories, how much of a storyteller I am… I love storytelling, but I also love space [in a song]. When I was a kid, my dad used to play Beethoven and say, ‘Close your eyes and see what you can imagine. What can you understand from this? What can you picture?’ I love doing that with music now.”
Where do you recommend people start with your music? What song would you tell them to listen to first?
“It definitely has to be within The Moon Room, I would say The Night You Came Undone.”
What else do you have lined up right now? Are you playing any shows or working on some new music?
“I currently don’t play any shows, I’m trying to build more before I start doing that. As for new music, I have been writing another EP, it’s gonna be named Paper Bones. It’s very folk-y and has fall, autumn vibes. Fall is my favourite time of year, so I’m in the time of my life right now!”
What do you hope people take from your music as a listener?
“I feel like my music [provides] a chill vibe for when you’re alone and you’re reflecting, but relaxing. I struggle with really bad anxiety, so to be a safe space for somebody to reflect and think about their stuff without feeling anxious, I feel like that’s the biggest thing.”
Discover more from Yuben Grey on Spotify and BandLab.
Image: Press
The post Meet Yuben Grey: the folk artist using cosy guitars and spacey sounds to tackle anxiety appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
The 10 best boost pedals for guitarists 2026, from budget to boutique
Ever felt like you need a boost? And not the slightly obscure Cadbury’s chocolate bar? Yes, these perhaps underrated pedals can really bring a pedalboard together, and despite their often simple operation, can offer surprisingly versatile shake-ups to your sound. Not all boosts are created equal, though, so let’s explore ten different excellent stompboxes that’ll give your tone a lift.
Why do I need a boost pedal?
So, before we dive in – what makes a boost a boost and not an overdrive? Essentially, a boost’s main purpose is to increase the level of your signal, without adding a significant amount of distortion. Overdrives will also include a stage (or stages!) that adds distortion in the process, which will limit the output level.
You’ll see a lot of boosts designated as “clean” boosts – these have the goal of linearly lifting the level of your signal across the board, with mostly a flat response across the bass, midrange and treble. If you have a the headroom for it, this can lead to a simple increase in volume (great for something like a solo boost). However if you use a clean boost in front of something that’s already limiting the signal, like an overdrive or a low-headroom amplifier, engaging it won’t lead to as much of a volume uplift – but it will increase the level of saturation. Using a clean boost right at the start of the chain isn’t always about getting more distortion, though – if you’re using two guitars over a set with vastly different output levels, a clean boost can help a quieter guitar play better with the rest of a rig.
Some boosts are more characterful than “clean” boosts, and will focus on certain frequencies. The Dallas Rangemaster is an early example of this approach, and it’s often cited as tonal inspiration for more modern pedals. It’s designated as a “treble booster”, but in reality a circuit like this often focuses on boosting the upper mids while cutting a little bit of bass. A boost like this can add clarity to a more distorted tone thanks to that bass cut, while also adding saturation to those pleasing midrange frequencies. (For tonal reference, Brian May and Tony Iommi’s early sounds both revolved around the use of one).
So, why not an overdrive? There are lots of reasons – overdrives themselves can work as great character boosts (TubeScreamers and Klons both do a commendable job here), but dedicated boost pedals are compelling in their simple operation (sometimes paired with a smaller footprint), and not every overdrive will put out the volume increase you need. So let’s dive into 10 fantastic pedals that’ll suit any budget or use-case!
At a glance:
- Best mini boost: TC Electronic Spark Mini
- Best budget boost: Electro-Harmonix LPB-1
- Best op-amp boost: MXR Micro-Amp
- Best Echoplex-style boost: Xotic EP Booster
- Best modern treble boost: CatalinBread Naga Viper MkII
- Best premium mini boost: Keeley Electronics Katana Mini
- Most aggressive boost: ZVEX Super Hard-On
- Best vintage-style treble boost: Vox VTB-1
- Best vintage-style preamp boost: Boss BP-1W
- Best multi-mode boost: Crazy Tube Circuits Super Conductor
- Why you can trust Guitar.com
Best mini boost: TC Electronic Spark Mini
If you need a flawless, transparent volume lift without coloring your tone, this $50 micro-pedal from TC Electronic is a steal. Built around a high-headroom op-amp architecture, it’s ideal for matching guitar outputs or kicking in a pure solo boost. Its momentary switching lets you accent certain phrases or short solos with ease, too.
Best budget boost: Electro-Harmonix LPB-1
This simple transistor-based boost is a reissue of EHX’s 1968 design – it’s great for fattening up single-coils and pushing vintage tube amps into thick saturation, with a little bit of a warmer, low-mid focused sound when compared with the more truly transparent Spark boost.
Best op-amp boost: MXR Micro-Amp
The MXR Micro Amp is one of those ‘industry standard’ pedals, with an op-amp-based design that incredibly reliable, flat-EQ volume. It works just as well as an always-on buffer and signal strengthener as it does as a massive solo boost. With just a single knob on the standard version (the Micro Amp+ offers bass and treble controls as well) and MXR’s solid-as-hell build quality, it’ll be a reliable and easy-to-use pedalboard companion for years to come.
Best Echoplex-style boost: Xotic EP Booster
Rather than offering a flat frequency response, this discrete JFET circuit from Xotic intentionally colors your signal with the magical, EQ-sweetening shimmer of a vintage Echoplex EP-3 tape echo. Lots of players favour it as an always-on sweetener, or a tool to add three-dimensional depth to sterile solid-state amps – but its preamp-esque character can do a great job of making a solo stand out too!
Best modern treble boost: CatalinBread Naga Viper MkII
Vintage Dallas Rangemasters are hard to come by, but CatalinBread’s modernised four-knob take on the format offers all of the upper-mid bite without having to shell out hundreds (or more!) for a finicky vintage original. It swaps the germanium for a silicon transistor tuned to emulate classic a Dallas Rangemaster’s character, and adds in an attenuator to bring out the pedal’s character without overloading it with hot modern pickups or gain pedals placed before it.
Best premium mini boost: Keeley Electronics Katana Mini
Achieving tube-like dynamics from a tiny enclosure is no small feat, but this $120 pedal from Keeley Electronics pulls it off using dual cascaded JFET transistors. It delivers an exceptionally transparent boost that preserves your core EQ while adding just a hint of harmonic richness, like a single. With internal micro-switches for added overdrive, it’s ideal for pristine soloing or pushing a clean amp into sweet saturation.
Most aggressive boost: ZVEX Super Hard-On
Don’t let the name fool you – this is more than just a juvenile allusion to increased power! With high impedance, high brightness and a staggering amount of volume, the ZVEX SHO is a discrete MOSFET circuit that can breathe brilliant life into dark or dull signals. Its explosive headroom and top-end sparkle make it an aggressive tool for pushing amps into natural overdrive or reviving complex pedalboards. The bias-based output may crackle when you adjust it, sure, but that musical quirk hasn’t stopped stadium-rocking guitarists like Matt Bellamy and J Mascis exploiting its massive, cutting clarity.
Best vintage-style treble boost: Vox VTB-1
Designed to capture the sound of Rangemaster-style treble boosters, this re-voices a silicon BC109 transistor to echo some of that germanium character. It is tailor-made for driving a Vox AC30 or AC15 into screaming, touch-sensitive British rock overdrive. While it is a modern release, it meticulously recreates the edge-of-breakup dynamics and volume-knob cleanup that saw the original used by legends like Rory Gallagher and Brian May.
Best vintage-style preamp boost: Boss BP-1W
Priced around $169, this Waza Craft pedal is a highly versatile preamp boost. It authentically recreates the legendary, tone-sweetening analogue preamp circuits found in the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble and RE-201 Space Echo. With a level and a gain control, you can adjust how much light saturation and tonal colouration you want to add, and there’s also a third mode that offers a more natural flavour if the vintage preamps are a little too characterful. Thanks to being built in the ever-reliable Boss format, too, the pedal offers reliable silent switching and pretty bulletproof build quality.
Best multi-mode boost: Crazy Tube Circuits Super Conductor
Why settle for one circuit topology when you can have four? At roughly $180, this premium pedal from Crazy Tube Circuits packs a silicon Rangemaster, a JFET Echoplex, an op-amp Micro Amp-style circuit, and a discrete MOSFET boost into a single box. Offering adaptable EQ profiles and varying input impedances, it is perfect for players switching between vastly different guitars and amps. That doesn’t come cheap, as it’s quite a boutique offering, but the flipside is a broad set of voices that could mean it’s the last boost pedal you buy!
Why You Can Trust Us
Every year, Guitar.com reviews a huge variety of new products – from the biggest launches to cool boutique effects – and our expert guitar reviewers have decades of collective experience, having played everything from Gibson ’59 Les Pauls to the cheapest Squiers.
That means that when you click on a Guitar.com buyer’s guide, you’re getting the benefit of all that experience to help you make the best buying decision for you. What’s more, every guide written on Guitar.com was put together by a guitar obsessive just like you. You can trust that every product recommended in those guides is something that we’d be happy to have in our own rigs.
The post The 10 best boost pedals for guitarists 2026, from budget to boutique appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
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