General Interest

“I’ll be back” said the Terminator once, before embarking on a dervish of violence. Mclusky made no such promise when they broke up in their pomp two decades ago, but the lacerating evisceration of Mclusky’s return still comfortably lays waste to 20 years of distance between their third and fourth albums.

• READ MORE: The five guitar albums that could save the world, as chosen by Propagandhi

Since the Cardiff-borne band called it a day back in 2005, their legend as one of THE great lost bands of the first wave of post-hardcore has only grown, even as frontman and guitarist Andrew Falkous took his gleeful menace and knack for obliterating dickheads with coal-black humour into other projects.

For a decade now, Falco has also performed various benefit and festival gigs as ‘Mclusky’ or Mclusky* in the UK – with the added punctuation a reference to the fact that original bassist John Chapple was not involved, as he’d emigrated to Australia. Beyond that, it seemed that Falco was minded to leave things be. That was, until 2020 when he officially announced that himself, drummer Jack Egglestone (a member since 2003) and bassist Damien Sayell would be making a new album as Mclusky – no punctuation required.

Short Sharp Shock

Now, five years later we finally have the fruits of that promise: the typically pithily titled The World Is Still Here And So Are We. It’s very fitting that a band who made their name with ferocious, intelligent skewerings of the ridiculousness of early 2000s society on their Steve Albini-produced masterpiece Mclusky Do Dallas to return at the exact moment that it feels like the world is once again circling the drain.

The World Is Still Here… injects an acerbic dose of grim laughs and cathartic squalls of distorted electric guitar into your veins and doesn’t hang around doing so. The album’s 13 tracks are blitzed through in just 33 minutes – a record even for a band that has never once made an album longer than 45 minutes.

“In terms of the kind of basic rock music that we play, there was an ideal length that comes between 28 and 36 minutes,” Falco explains of the brevity of their songs. “That gives you enough time to kind of exist in this very real, visceral thing, but it also leaves you wanting more. There’s this finality to it but your first instinct should be to play it again immediately.”

In this era of bloated albums calibrated to maximise streaming success, then, who better to choose the antidote to that – the best punk albums that get in, get out, and don’t hang around for you to ask questions. To hear Falco tell it, pretty much anyone but him.

“I find it really tough to choose albums because I’ve spent so long in my own musical mania,” Falkous admits. “I’m not good with lists generally. I feel as if it’s all about making a statement of personality, rather than of intent, then getting the fuck out of there before everybody realises you’ve done the same three things over and over again.”

Politely, we disagree that he’s not good with lists, and we’re here now so we’re going to make him do it anyway…

The Jesus Lizard – Goat (30 mins, 24 seconds)

“Goat is the ultimate example of four ridiculous men in a room for a bit. I love Mouth Breather, but that album is all about Nub. That song has the confidence to do one of the best bits of music in the history of rock music, the first slide guitar bit with the bass pounding away… it even has the fucking cheek to do that once. In terms of songwriting, that’s just rude. It’s like showing you the greatest shoes you’ve ever seen on a first date, then you never see them again. It’s beyond cheeky, it’s war. The war is going on around you, humanity is happening, I think. When I really like an album, it washes over me in one go, so I don’t really pay attention to song titles. That album is so complete in around 30 minutes.”

Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (34 minutes, 24 seconds)

“I only really got into Devo only five years ago. It’s one of those bands where I didn’t get into it because people tell you how much you should like them, and there’s nothing more tedious than people telling you that you should like something. I’ll decide for myself, thank you very much! If you’re lucky enough to get into Devo later in life, you can draw a line through every band you’ve ever liked all the way back to them. That’s true of Jesus Lizard, XTC and Gang of Four. You can hear Gang of Four in Big Black and Shellac, the clank and the slide of the guitars.”

“The best way to describe Devo is like a club for very odd people, but they’re not ashamed of being odd. By odd, I don’t mean peculiar. You don’t need to get a criminal record check to work with young children, just a bit odd. This gang of people making this crazy pop music, but it’s music you can run off singing into the night, and all the instruments are doing mad things but it’s still pop music.”

Gang of Four – Entertainment (39 minutes, 53 seconds)

“That’s singularly the greatest album ever made by people. Mostly because it is incredibly singular. It doesn’t sound like anything else. If you broke it down, it would sound like the rhythm section are playing a completely different set of songs from what the guitarist is playing or the singer is singing, but… there’s this moment where everything seems to happen, and everything goes in the same direction. Everything hitting in the same moment. The rhythm, the drums, and the guitar playing is like nothing that ever came before.”

“I don’t know anybody’s name. I’m not a historian of rock music, but I know who Andy Gill was. The guitar playing on that album is so nasty, but it’s got so much soul as well. It’s quite an incredible achievement, so many great songs on that album, and it’s way, way ahead of its time. This is a record that shows you can approach an instrument as an extension of personality.”

USA Nails – Life Cinema (12 minutes)

“They’re definitely one of the best British bands. They’ve been playing with us for years, and supported Future of the Left [Falco’s post-Mclusky band] at Heaven nightclub in 2012… They’ve done a few records, and every one of them is great, but my favourite is Life Cinema.”

“If we ever have the option, and sales, they’re a band we always look to take on tour with us. USA Nails are incredibly talented guys, a little bit contrary – they’d hate to be seen as ambitious in any way – but they’re great.”

Editor’s note: As we end our call Falco also says that he wants to shout out Leeds rockers and fellow touring mates, Thank – whose 2024 album I Have A Physical Body That Can Be Harmed comfortably fits under the 45-minute limit.

Mission of Burma – Vs (41 mins, 30 seconds)

“In 2001, we were completing the mixing of Mclusky Do Dallas. Bob Weston, bassist of Shellac [along with Steve Albini], came in and played us some of what he’d just recorded with Mission of Burma.

“You can tell that it’s made by a band in a silo. Mclusky was like that in the beginning. DIY scenes can be supportive in your day-to-day life, but in my experience, I’m yet to see a situation where it happens in music. The best music is made in a vacuum, happening out of nowhere.

“As I’m a bit of a pop song guy, myself, That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate is the perfect pop song with a rawness to it that, so that when it finishes, you go, ‘What the fuck was that’? On the whole, ‘vs’ is a bit more off-beat, post-punk I suppose. I don’t like busy music, and this is a bit busy at times, but it’s more primal.”

The post Mclusky’s Andrew Falkous picks the best sub-45-minute punk albums of all time appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Gretsch is launching the Broadkaster LX Center Block with String-Thru Bigsby and gold hardware and Broadkaster Jr. LX Center Block with String-Thru Bigsby and gold hardware providing modern tone with exceptional performance.

With features including Pro Twin Six humbucking pickups, String-thru Bigsby B7GP vibrato tailpiece, and Adjusto-Matic bridge. The Broadkaster LX Center Block with String-Thru Bigsby and Gold Hardware (24.6” scale length) is available in Cadillac Green and Black. Additionally, the Broadkaster Jr. LX Center Block with String-Thru Bigsby and Gold Hardware (25.5” scale length) is available in midnight sapphire and blackberry.

Professional Collection Broadkaster® LX Center Block guitars provide modern Gretsch tone with exceptional performance. Featuring the powerful Pro Twin Six™ humbucking pickups, a redesigned Channel Core™ center block, and deeper cutaways for improved upper fret access, the Broadkaster® LX guitars are designed for full-spectrum sound at high volume, providing the flexibility and control you need to explore new sonic territories.FEATURES:

• Refined body design with deeper cutaways for improved access to the upper frets
• Redesigned Channel Core™ center block features a combination of maple and spruce for faster attack and enhanced midrange punch
• Standard "U"-shaped maple neck with 24.6" scale length
• 12"-radius ebony fingerboard with rolled edges, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearloid Neo-Classic™ thumbnail inlays and Luminlay® side dots
• Pro Twin Six™ humbucking pickups
• Three-position pickup toggle switch, individual volume controls for neck and bridge pickups, master volume control with treble bleed circuit and master no-load tone control with "Squeezebox" capacitor
• String-thru Bigsby® B7GP vibrato tailpiece
• Adjusto-Matic™ bridge
• Graph Tech® TUSQ® XL nut
• Gotoh® locking tuners
• Grover® strap locks
• Gold hardware
• G6267 Gretsch® deluxe hardshell case included
• Available in Cadillac Green and Black

Redesigned Channel Core™ Center Block

Combining a maple top layer and spruce bottom layer with a more focused chambering design, the redesigned Channel Core™ center block provides faster note attack and enhanced midrange punch that takes the Broadkaster LX guitars to a whole new level.

Refined Body Design with Deeper Cutaways

The Broadkaster LX features a refined body design with deeper cutaways that greatly improves access to the upper frets resulting in better playability and a more effortless experience.

Pro Twin Six™ Pickups

The Pro Twin Six™ pickups are some of our most modern and powerful pickups to date. The Neck pickup features an Alnico 5 magnet with a DCR rating around 5.5k and provides a tone that is warm, clear, and throaty without being muddy or overly compressed. The Bridge pickup features an Alnico 4 magnet with a DCR rating around 12k and provides a tone that is bright and clear, with enhanced midrange punch, tight focused lows, and sparkling highs that never get spiky or shrill.

Together these pickups provide exceptional power, fidelity, and versatility that allows you to explore new sonic territories.

Maple Neck with Rolled Fingerboard

A 12"-radius ebony fingerboard with rolled edges and 22 medium jumbo frets tops a 24.6"-scale maple neck with a comfortably familiar standard "U"-shaped profile for smooth playability, while the glow in the dark Luminlay® side dots offer precision fretting in low-light settings.

Gretsch Guitars Broadkaster LX Center Block With String-Thru Bigsby and Gold Hardware Electric Guitar Black

Jackson is launching the X Series Surfcaster SC HT6 and SC HT7, and the JS Series Surfcaster JS22 HT: blending vintage appeal with thoroughly modern appointments for the ultimate modern metal machines. Featuring an Offset poplar body, High-output Jackson humbucker, and Jackson’s robust hardtail bridge to keep tuning stable and setup perfect.

X Series Surfcaster SC HT6

JS Series Surfcaster JS22 HT is available in Gloss Black and Snow White.

X Series Surfcaster SC HT7 is a 7-string model available in Metallic Black while the SC HT6 is a 6 string model available in Satin Black.



Support our sponsors: Amplified Parts; Grez Guitars; Better Help, and Emerald City Guitars!

Acclaimed guitarist Jim Campilongo joins Skip and Jason to talk about his music and gear journey, vinyl treasures, George Barnes playing “Little Rock Getaway” (link), Vance Terry & Jimmy Rivers, Silverface Princeton Reverb love; Celestion G-10 speakers; Laika and the Cosmonauts; and so much more. Plus frozen meatballs!

Follow Jim Campilongo: https://www.jimcampilongo.com/

Jim’s Lessons: https://www.jimcampilongo.com/lessons.html

Above photo: Manish Gosalia

Want amp tech Skip Simmons’ advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

Don’t forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.

The post The Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 149 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Billed as a practice amp, this 40-watt, solid-state combo with reverb and tremolo is clean, pedal- and stage-friendly, and affordable.

Orange O 40

I enjoy that back-of-the-throat, big cat growl that starts happening when you turn up the preamp of an Orange amplifier. But the company’s new O Tone 40 is a different breed of feline. With no gain control and a 1x12 made-in-Poland Voice of the World speaker that doesn’t break up until you start cranking it past noon, the O Tone 40 is designed to purr rather than snarl—unless lashed to an overdrive or fuzz pedal. It adds a different, more American-vintage flavor to the company’s lineup of versatile, low-priced new-generation amps and a voice shaped, in many respects,by the number and character of the stomps on your pedalboard.

Practice Schmactis

The solid-state O Tone 40 is billed as a practice amp, but I’d feel comfortable taking it onstage anywhere I’d use, say, a Deluxe Reverb or Blues Junior. It’s a 40-watt, class-AB build with 3-band EQ, digital reverb, and footswitchable JFET-driven tremolo. There’s an effects loop, too, and the combo clocks in at a light 26 pounds. In the modern practice-amp spirit, the O Tone has a 1/4'' headphone out and an unbalanced line-out to run into a DAW. There’s also an auxiliary input for, say, pumping in rhythm tracks or plugging in a metronome. The cabinet is medium-density fiberboard, versus the birch plywood of the 35-watt, 1x10 Orange Crush, which has no reverb or tremolo. And it’s tagged at a very reasonable $399, given its overall functionality.

With its classic control set—reverb, depth, speed, bass, midrange, treble, and volume, from left to right—the O Tone 40 is easy to use, and dialing up a host of good sounds with single-coil and humbucking pickups was a snap. The closed-back design and overall sonic profile tends to make the amp a bit bass heavy, especially with humbuckers, so it’s important to watch the EQ settings. I found a set-it-and-forget-it location with the bass at 9 o’clock, the mids floored, and the treble at 11 o’clock. This is a matter of taste, of course, and mine runs toward the mid-heavy with tempered treble. After all, Orange amps’ strength has always been the harmonic richness of their mids, and the O Tone 40 hits that mark. Plus, adding a little more treble pulled things toward Marshall territory, too.

Another aspect I loved was the breakup I started to hear working the volume up past noon. It’s more subtle than snarling, and reminded me of the organic dirty sounds that can be achieved by cranking up old Valco and Gibson amps from the ’50s and ’60s. So vintage tone hunters may find the O Tone 40 a great lower-priced alternative to an actual period piece. But the quiet effects loop also makes the amp ready for sonic futurism, if that’s one’s goal.

Finally, the reverb is deliciously spring-like, and the dial will travel from dry to surf to the supernatural. The tremolo has plenty of vintage character, too, although I would like to see a little more response in the lower range of the depth control, like that I’ve experienced with old Supros and Gibsons, which can get pretty radical right out of the box.

The Verdict

The super-affordable Orange O Tone 40 is versatile and pedal-friendly, with vibe-y reverb and tremolo as well as an effects loop, so stomp OD fans likely won’t miss the amp-maker’s usual appealing gain profile. There’s enough headroom for clean stage and rehearsal sounds at substantial volume, and pushing the volume past noon yields a very vintage-amp-like breakup profile, which make the O Tone a dependable work-pony with much more than a single trick.

Orange O Tone 40 Practice Amplifier - Orange

A group of musicians who were allegedly plagiarised by Giacomo Turra have teamed up on a new collaborative track.

The new song, called Slapocalypse Reborn, is led by bassist Charles Berthoud, who collaborated with Turra on an earlier, original version Slapocalypse. His collaboration with the guitarist was deleted from his channel following the scandal, which unfolded earlier this year.

• READ MORE: Rick Beato speaks on Giacomo Turra’s plagiarism controversy: “He couldn’t play well enough to be on my channel”

Turra, known for his popular Instagram guitar videos, was accused by multiple musicians of plagiarising their musical compositions and passing them off as his own. In a video put together by YouTuber Danny Sapko, he claimed that Turra would only occasionally claim to be ‘inspired’ by a particular artist within his content, rather than simply saying that he was covering their composition note for note.

Brands such as Andertons, Ernie Ball, and Fender also removed any videos featuring Turra from their YouTube channels following the backlash, and his presence was removed from the D’Angelico Guitars website, including his signature guitar and artist page.

Turra did respond to the allegations, and said he could have swore that the artists who came forward were credited in his videos, though he did note that his credits “must not have been evident enough”: “I really want to apologise to the guitar community for this behaviour,” he said.

Now, on Slapocalypse Reborn, Berthoud teams up with the musicians affected: Jack Gardiner, Alex Hutchings, Danny Sapko, Kahil Ferraris, Marco Baldi, Ben Romano, Tom Quayle, and Peter Luha. In another video, he has also summarised his own experience with Turra, sharing how their original collaboration did not quite go as planned. You can watch both videos below:

Slapocalypse Reborn is now available to stream via Spotify. Giacomo Turra has returned to Instagram but has kept comments turned off.

The post Slapocalypse Reborn: The musicians who had their compositions copied by Giacomo Turra have teamed up on a track appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Johnny Marr has announced both his support for Irish rappers Kneecap and Palestine, amid calls for the Irish rap group to be axed from this year’s Glastonbury lineup. They are currently set to play on 28 June.

The Irish trio are facing calls for their performance at this year’s Glastonbury festival to be axed, with the Board of Deputies of British Jews pointing to the group’s history of inflammatory comments, including the time, in 2023, they urged fans to “Kill your local MP” at a gig. They also point to the trio’s historical comments seemingly supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, two groups labelled terrorist organisations by the UK government.

• READ MORE: “F**k ICE” guitar pedal launched by Resistor Head to raise funds for immigrant legal aid
  

Meanwhile, others, including the band’s producer Toddla T say calls to remove them from the bill are about their open and staunch support of the citizens of Palestine, who are facing ongoing bombardment in Gaza by the Israeli military.

According to Toddla T, a “private and confidential” letter was sent to those in charge of booking for Glastonbury festival, asking them to remove Kneecap over their support for Palestine.

He says, “It was headed by a very systemically powerful music agent and signed by 30 individuals from within the music industry.” He goes on: “What we’re seeing is a coordinated attempt by 30 members of the musical elite, people with systemic influence, to silence the voices of three working-class artists from Belfast…

“…At the heart of this is not just a dispute over a festival slot… It’s about Palestine, and the ongoing genocide we are witnessing.”

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A post shared by TODDLA T (@toddlat)

Now, Johnny Marr says that removing Kneecap from the lineup for their support of Palestine goes against the ethos of the festival.

“Glastonbury has always had a political aspect. It was founded as a place of free expression and political activism,” he explains in an Instagram post. He also confirms that “it’s a fact that I agreed to play there with The Smiths in 1984 purely because to do so at the time was a political act.”

The former Smiths guitarist also says his political stance has not changed: “We are living through very troubling times, but for anyone who’s been interested in me or my music over the last 40 years, I feel like my political stance has been very clear.”

“Oppression fears artistic expression,” he goes on. “I respect all musicians who use their platform to speak out against injustice, who promote compassion and equality and give a voice to the voiceless.”

Marr stands by “fellow musicians who call for an immediate end to the atrocities and a free Palestine.”

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A post shared by Johnny Marr (@johnnymarrgram)

Kneecap member Mo Chara was recently granted unconditional bail after being charged with a terror offence following his display of the Hezbollah flag at a gig.

As it currently stands, Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance on 28 June will go ahead. You can also see the full Glastonbury lineup at glastonburyfestivals.co.uk.

Johnny Marr is no stranger to commenting on political issues. He previously slammed Donald Trump for using The Smiths’ Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want during his political rallies. “Consider this shit shut down right now”, he said.

The post “Oppression fears artistic expression”: Johnny Marr speaks out against calls to remove Kneecap from Glastonbury lineup appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.



For our long-awaited 7th episode, we speak with Andy Pitcher, a Brooklyn-based guitarist steeped in the world of improvisation and composition.

We discuss his early introductions to music and how the guitar found its way to him; growing up in the shadow of New York City; the guitar as an emotional support system; and much more.

To learn more about Andy and his music: https://www.andypitcher.com/

The Fretboard Journal did an earlier podcast with Andy here that is also worth checking out: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/podcast-498-andy-pitcher/

Guitar for Introverts is hosted by Jamie Stillway for the Fretboard Journal network of guitar podcasts.

The post Guitar for Introverts: Andy Pitcher first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

The Icelandic rockers roll with semi-hollows for their hard-hitting blues.

Iceland-born, Nashville-based blues rockers Kaleo released their fourth full-length LP, Mixed Emotions, on May 9 via Elektra. To celebrate the album in their adopted hometown, they threw a party at American Legion Post 82 in East Nashville.

Some of the band’s gear had already been shipped to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where the official release show took place on May 10, but “Kentucky Fried Scandinavian” lead guitarist Rubin Pollock gave PG’s Chris Kies a look at the must-haves loaded in for the legion gig.

Best Buddy

Pollock bought this 1967 Gibson ES-345 at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, and since then, it has been his closest friend, used on all tours and recordings. He favors its out-of-phase sounds brought on by using both pickups, and though it's equipped with a Varitone knob system, Pollock almost never uses it. He hasn’t changed the strings in years.

The Kustomer is Always Right

It was almost closing time when Pollock saw this Kustom K-200 hanging on a wall in a New York City guitar shop. The shop clerk said there was no time to try it, so Pollock bought it on the spot. It has a darker tone than his 345, which he brightens with a wah pedal. Its strings haven’t been changed since he bought it.

A Fender Mustang, bought in 2016, was treated to new strings recently by Pollock’s tech. He didn’t seem stoked.

Projector Project

With his black-panel Fender Deluxe already making its way to Red Rocks, Pollock opted for this Austen Hooks-built projector amp. Hooks built him one after Pollock fell in love with another of his builds at a Los Angeles studio.

Rubin Pollock’s Pedalboard

Pollock packs light, configuring his board to fit in a shoulder bag that he can carry himself wherever he needs to go. His pedals include a Strymon El Capistan and Flint, JHS Colour Box, DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, Boss TU-3, Fulltone Octafuzz, Chase Bliss Preamp Mark II, and an Isle of Tone “Cookie Monster” fuzz.

Jökull Júlíusson’s Guitars

Jökull “J.J.” Júlíusson couldn’t make it for the Rundown, but Pollock gave us a look at his Gibson ES-330 and his signature resonator, built by English luthier Pete Turner. Behind them sits J.J.’s long-time go-to amp, his Orange AD30, which ran through an Orange 1x12 cab.

Jökull Júlíusson’s Board

Júlíusson’s board includes a Strymon Flint and El Capistan, Boss TU-3, a custom Sounds of Shelby drive pedal, Vemuram Shanks ODS-1, MXR Ten Band EQ, and Radial StageBug DI box, plus a channel switcher for the AD30.

Strymon El Capistan

Strymon Flint

JHS Colour Box

DigiTech Whammy Ricochet

Boss TU-3

Fulltone Octafuzz

Gibson ES-335

Radial Stage Bug

MXR Ten Band EQ

Orange AD30

Orange 1x12

Fender Mustang

As pedal makers told us last week, the tariffs that have been implemented by the current US administration are posing a real existential threat to the US boutique pedal industry. These choices seem to ignore the reality of the global supply chain many industries rely on, and as a result many of your favourite pedal brands are considering layoffs and closure thanks to spiralling costs and tanking sales.

• READ MORE: We have delayed new product launches, or scrapped them entirely”: why boutique pedal makers fear tariffs will destroy the entire US pedal industry

Since the potential fallout of the tariffs became clear, EarthQuaker Devices CEO Julie Robbins has been raising awareness about how destructive they could be, and has also rallied a support group of concerned builders, in the absence of any official guidance.

With her help we’ve surveyed major figures from over 30 pedal, amp, guitar and pickup brands. Last week we explored how all of these figures reported negative impacts of the tariffs, from tanking sales to spiralling costs, and logistical nightmares thanks to the rapidly-fluctuating rates. This week I want to dive further into some figures to put their anxiety into a firmer context.

The cost of the tariffs

We’ve already given one direct example of a price that’s increased – JHS’ Footswitches went from around $1.10 each to around $3 per switch at their peak. Given that JHS uses around 100,000 footswitches a year, that’s potentially an extra $200,000 annually for just that single part.

Let’s put some more numbers on things. Mission Engineering’s James Lebihan gives us the example of a PCB order, which went from $199.06 PCB in March of this year to a $314.91 order in May. That’s a pretty sizable increase by itself – however, it’s pennies compared to sourcing the same part domestically: Lebihan says Mission was quoted $9,000 for an equivalent part from a US supplier.

A few more examples: Jon Cusack of Cusack Music gives an example of a parts order that cost $5,400. The tariff charge for it was an almost 200% addition of $10,500 for a total of $15,900. Similarly, Robert Keeley reports a circuit board order for $2,000 that received a 180% tariff of $3,600. Summer School Electronics’ Mark Turley gives us an example of a parts order that went from $2,577 to $3,877. Mr Black Pedals’ Jack Deville told us of a standard footswitch that went up by $3, from $2.35 to $5.35 – and that’s a per-pedal cost increase for just a single part.

At time of writing, the tariff rate has come down since these more extreme examples were given, and are roughly 30%. This is about how much more expensive Robbins has told us EarthQuaker’s PCBs have become since March, and similar to Mission’s issues, sourcing PCBs domestically just isn’t viable.

“The quality [of US-made PCBs] is not as high, and the cost is nearly 15 to 25 times what we are currently paying,” Robbins says. “That would raise the retail price on all of our products well above a competitive range anyone would be willing to pay.”

A rock and a hard place

Even avoiding the drastic price increases that come from domestic sourcing, an increase of 30% per PCB thanks to tariffs is a significant cut into a product’s profit margin. Smaller companies with slimmer margins cannot really afford to just eat these extra costs – nor are prices of pedals flexible enough to bear price increases without seeing sales drops. There’s already an idea of what a US-made ‘boutique’ pedal in a given niche should cost, and below the likes of the $500+ workstation reverbs, these price brackets are pretty firmly-defined.

EarthQuaker’s Julie Robbins gives us the example of the FlexiLoops pedal. Launched 2024 at $129, its price includes a 15% net profit for EarthQuaker. “With the tariffs, we would need to raise the price to $159 in order to maintain a profit margin. This would overprice this product for its function.” Julie’s point is that $129 is pretty affordable compared to the rest of the EQD lineup – but the FlexiLoops is ultimately a loop-switcher. The tariffs could push this utility pedal up to the kind of price people are used to paying for fully-featured effects pedals.

These makers are also acutely aware of the wider economy at the moment – people are being squeezed on the cost of everyday items across the board, leaving everyone with less disposable income. If boutique pedal makers were to increase their prices significantly to cover the tariff costs, many of them feared that this would lead to a drastic sales drop – which could lead to layoffs or outright closure.

And this is on top of the fact that many have already seen sales collapse since the tariffs came in. Export sales in particular have fallen the worst for many companies – one maker even lost a European dealer who didn’t want to risk products getting caught up in an escalating trade war.

EveAnna Manley of Manley Laboratories described the impact of the tariffs being coupled with an “anti-American poisoning of the customer sentiment in other countries,” thanks to the measures themselves and the confrontational tone with which they’ve been implemented. “The destruction of our heretofore healthy export business is much more of a problem than increased tariffs on incoming parts for my particular company,” she says, adding that “there is no magical 100% increase in domestic sales relief coming from patriotic Americans willing to rescue us boutique, made-in-USA companies, either.”

The future

We asked brands what the impact of the tariffs might be in the next six to 12 months if things don’t change. The outlooks they set out here are universally negative, with many emphasising the inevitable outcome of falling sales from increased prices – leading to anything from fully outsourcing manufacturing, mass layoffs and closure – a number of companies’ answers here are simply ‘failure’ or ‘closure’.

JHS’s Josh Scott tells us that “prices will rise, sales will drop due to that – and we may be facing mass layoffs by 2026 in a worst case scenario.” Robert Keeley similarly states that “the current tariff level will zero out my chance for a profitable year. A 55% tariff on half of my cost going into producing a product is not sustainable.”

Mission Engineering’s James Lebihan states: “We have frozen hiring and expansion plans. We are looking into outsourcing our product assembly. If the situation does not improve we will begin laying off US staff and look to relocate to a small factory or shut down our manufacturing completely and outsource everything. It’s possible we may not be able to continue and the business may close completely.”

Jon Cusack writes of the unique challenges that his company faces thanks to Cusack Music’s business model. “Since I manufacture for many other brands in the industry, I fear that this may force some of them into outsourcing their entire builds to China… we could lose between five and perhaps all 30 of my employees if it gets bad enough.”

One other potential impact that Death By Audio’s Oliver Ackermann raises is a shift away from the experimental pedals to focus on the mass-appeal stuff with guaranteed sales. This is one of those more intangible things that still ultimately undermines the industry, given that up until now, the US boutique pedal market has been one that allowed fiercely creative and experimental products to find a niche.

Phone home

Electronics are, of course, one of the central issues of the tariff debate – so amp and pedal companies are going to be locked into this fight no matter what. Trump’s attention is focused on threatening the larger smartphone makers and trying to prove that a USA-made phone is totally possible, and so even if guitar-makers avoid the full force of the tariffs on wood imports, the electronic components that are 90% of a pedal’s bill of materials are going to remain in the crossfire.

Last week we explored how the tariffs are ostensibly trying to bolster a domestic electronics industry that does not exist. The furore about the Trump Phone has become the most high-profile facet of this – with experts casting huge doubts on the claim that an entirely US-made phone is going to be launched in August for $499.

The global supply chain has been an essential cog of American manufacturing and commerce for decades now. Even the President himself leverages it for his own business interests – be that red hats, Trump Guitars or indeed a phone.

As we’ve discussed, there simply aren’t viable sources of US-made resistors or capacitors in 2025. Even the biggest companies in the world cannot just create a US electronics industry out of whole cloth. Apple cannot instantly magic a component factory out of the ground in Ohio – and the tariffs are in force and strangling small businesses in America right now. Without some sort of exemption, what hope is there for this industry in the short to medium term, even if every resource is moved in the next few years to make all-American electronics possible someday?

Until this nebulous and entirely speculative future comes to pass, sales are down, costs are up, the future is uncertain. What viable paths out from this situation are there? Makers are trapped between these ever-increasing costs, decreasing margins and the impossibility of domestic sourcing.

Tooling up to make the parts needed, according to multiple makers that we surveyed, comes with an estimated cost ranging from hundreds of millions of dollars to several billion and a time scale of, at the very least, five years, but most likely more.

Will the American pedal industry exist by then? We all hope so, but the situation is looking increasingly dire.

The post “There is no magical increase in sales from patriotic Americans willing to rescue us” – how Trump’s tariffs are stretching US amp and pedal companies to breaking point appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Gibson may well be teaming up with artists in the future to release their vintage guitars through its Certified Vintage programme.

This is according to Gibson’s Certified Vintage Manager, Mitch Conrad, who thinks doing so could be a great opportunity to release rare, vintage gems back out into the world to be played and enjoyed. Plus, artists who have amassed a rather large collection and may want to let a few things go can be assured their instruments are being handled with care.

• READ MORE: Marcus King and Gibson reunite on a stripped-back ES-345 in Sixties Cherry

Speaking to the Gibson Gazette regarding an incredibly rare 1959 Flying V, which is one of just 17, Conrad says the programme helps to provide “peace of mind and clarity” among the world of vintage guitars, “which can be a murky place”.

He says, “This is a situation where we’re able to provide an opportunity for someone to purchase one of the rarest and most collectable instruments – one of 17 made in 1959 – with complete confidence that it is exactly what we’re saying it is.

“This also gives people a chance to be close to something, see something, and be inspired by something that most people won’t get the opportunity to see. Maybe there’s an eight-year-old kid who walks through the Gibson Garage and sees this Flying V behind the glass case, and their eyes just light up. Maybe that kid goes home with an Epiphone Flying V. That might be the person in 40 years who has worked hard, made great money, and now they are the preservationist with the opportunity to buy this guitar and be its next custodian.”

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Asked if Certified Vintage artist collabs could become a thing in the future, Conrad states, “I would love to be able to work with artists who have already built up beautiful collections of instruments and are ready to let a few things go, and be able to have those collaborative releases through Certified Vintage.

“I think that would be a really, really great opportunity… I think there’s space for Gibson Certified Vintage to be something that, as a company, allows us to learn more about ourselves and our history, implementing the information we learn from these guitars in the pursuit of even greater historical accuracy and expanding that to Gibson USA and Epiphone. But then also being able to push that out further into working with artists collaboratively, and giving these guitars back out into the world to be played and enjoyed forever.”

You can find out more about the Certified Vintage programme via the official Gibson website.

The post Gibson wants to start selling artist-owned vintage guitars to get them “back out into the world to be played and enjoyed forever” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.