Guitarsite News
Seymour Duncan Retribution 7/8 Humbuckers
Seymour Duncan unveils the new Retribution active pickup, co-designed by Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares available for 7 and 8-string electric guitars. Related Feature:Seymour Duncan Dimebag Set This new signature pickups are designed to satisfy the attack, clarity and increased headroom demands of 7 and 8-string rock and metal players like Dino. Cazares is a long time collaborator of Seymour Duncan, he co-designed the EMG 707 back in 1996 and the Blackout pickups in 2007, both of which continue to be popular replacement pickups for metal and heavy rock style guitar players. With the ever increasing popularity of 7 and 8 string guitars, Dino is once again commissioned to co-create a new pickup model for these extended range guitar, the result is the new Retribution pickup. To achieve the sound that Dino Cazares was looking for, Seymour Duncan developed a specially tuned preamp that according to the company has “just the right amount of gain, enhanced attack definition and maximum string clarity”. This new active humbucker follows the standard set by the Blackouts series, described as having a powerful tone that retains its organic open sound. Seymour Duncan also noted that noise level is also set lower while dynamic response compared
Seymour Duncan Dimebag Set
Seymour Duncan releases the new Dimebag pickup set, consisting of the Dimebucker for the bridge and SH-1 ’59 bridge for the neck. Related Feature:Black Winter Pickups This new dual humbucker set features a high-output blade humbucker bridge pickup for aggressive playing styles, and a warm sounding neck humbucking pickup for fluid solos. The brand describes the set as recommended for rock, metal, hard-hitting solos and other heavy rock styles. The set is created to help guitar players find the perfect match for the hard-hitting Dimebucker bridge pickup, pairing it with what Dimebag actually preferred for the neck position – the slightly hotter SH-1 ’59 bridge. Dimebag Darrell of Pantera collaborated with Seymour Duncan to create the Dimebucker pickup, which has been available for quite a while now. It has reduced metal mass and utilizes a ceramic magnet with stainless steel blades resulting in a hard-hitting pickup that resembles Dimebag’s aggressive playing style. The Dimebucker has high D.C. resistance of 16.25K ohms and high resonant peak of 5.1kHz, allowing for improved low and high frequencies and improved squeal harmonics. Dimebag Darrell was quoted saying this about the pickup: “It’s very saturated–not to the point where it’s overly fuzzy — but it
Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbucker
Following its successful limited run in Britain, Seymour Duncan’s Whole Lotta Humbucker is now available worldwide. This pickup is a replica of Seymour’s special re-wound PAFs, the ones that went into Jimmy Page’s Les Paul. Seymour Duncan set out to recreate the pickups that he modified for artists such as Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, when he was still working at the Fender Soundhouse. The Whole Lotta Humbucker is part of that effort, providing modern players with authentic vintage sounding pickup options. When put into guitars with mahogany body and rosewood fingerboards, i.e. Les Paul, the pickup is meant to reproduce tones that are closest to the original pickups that Seymour modified. The pickup’s core components are simple Alnico V magnets and plain enamel wire, what makes them special however is Seymour’s unique winding pattern that improves string to string balance. The resulting pickups offer improved note-to-note clarity with increased output capacity. The bridge pickup output is measured at 8.78K DC resistance, while the neck pickup is at 8.20K – these outputs will let you push your amp to get aggressive tones that would otherwise be not possible. These pickups also improves the sustain by adding subtle compression.
Cordoba Leona Series Parlor Guitars – NAMM 2016
Cordoba unveils new Leona Series steel string parlor guitars, with unique Spanish-inspired design. Related Feature:Nylon String Parlor Guitar Roundup These affordable parlor guitars feature solid tonewood body construction, carved into a 00 body that combines traditional Spanish guitar designs with classic steel string parlor construction. To start the new Leona Series, Cordoba is releasing two new models, the Leona L9-E and L10-E, both of which aim to provide nylon string guitar players with a steel string instrument that plays and feels familiar. Interestingly, they opted to add the ease and comfort of a slightly smaller body size into the design equation. As such they serve as ideal transition instruments for nylon string players to who want venture into steel string territory. The two models have different tonewood configurations that follow the same design and specs, as such both the look and tone would be different while playing feel would be similar. The more premium model is the L10-E, it features conventional steel string tonewoods that include a solid Sitka spruce top and solid Indian rosewood for the back and sides. This will give the guitar a more familiar look and tone, with a balanced sound and improved sustain, while the
Taylor readies new Nylon-String Model
Building upon the success of the company’s Nylon Series guitars, Taylor Guitars is set to release a new nylon-string model which embodies all that classical and steel string players alike have come to love about Taylor’s NS line. From exceptional classical tone, to Taylor’s slim and fast ultra-playable neck, the new NS24 offers players the familiar feel and sound of a Taylor NS, all at an affordable price. The NS24e The NS24 features a Grand Auditorium (GA) body shape crafted from satin-finished Indian rosewood laminate back and sides, a solid Sitka spruce top, and a mahogany neck. The slotted peghead is overlaid with Indian rosewood, with a soundhole rosette that features a hand-inlaid geometrical pattern of Mexican cyprus and Myrtle wood. The new nylon-string delivers signature Taylor playability with the company’s patented NT neck and is appointed with stylish yet understated classical chrome tuners with cream buttons. On the inside, Taylor’s classical-style fan bracing produces a clear, bright sound, with strong treble notes and impressive sustain. The model is offered in two styles: as a non-cutaway/electric in the NS24e, a first for the company, or as a cutaway/electric in the NS24ce. Both the NS24e and NS24ce feature Taylor’s proprietary ES-T
BlackBird releases Carbon Fiber Nylon string guitar
The Blackbird Rider Nylon is a humidity-proof and tough carbon fiber bodied instrument that challenges the notion of the guitar form with every aspect of its design serving to maximize resonance in a highly compact form. Until the Blackbird Rider Nylon's debut, players were left with the option of risking their fragile classical guitar while on the road or substituting it with an inferior travel instrument. Blackbird's patent-pending, one-piece, hollow body, neck, and head construction mark a major departure from traditional guitar design- it transforms the entire guitar into a sound box – enhancing loudness, frequency-range and sustain. To further increase the air volume of the sound box, the guitar's right shoulder extends up to the tenth fret, dubbed the Soundscoop. The Soundscoop also serves as the ideal location for the sound hole, while creating more surface area on the ultra-thin carbon-fiber sound board which further increases tonal response. A secondary sound port projects sound that travels from the soundbox through the hollow neck to the head. These innovations work in harmony to create a seemingly physics-defying voice. “We have a holistic approach to achieve maximum resonance from curve-less shape to the 1/32 thick sound board. Its a big sound,
Guild Doyle Dykes Signature Nylon Cutaway
Guild expands their artist line with the new Doyle Dykes Signature Nylon Cutaway Electric, featuring a 1-piece chambered mahogany body. Related Feature:Guild Doyle Dykes Signature Guitar Dykes move to join Guild’s stable is proving to be fruitful as he continues to work together with Guild master luthier Ren Ferguson and the team at Guild’s New Hartford factory. This unique nylon string electric instrument is just one of the two new guitar models to carry his name and approval. Like his first signature, Dykes’ exacting specifications were followed, resulting what Guild describes as “a rich, full and balanced sound that will please the most discerning guitarist”. What makes this guitar special is its solid one-piece “chambered” mahogany body, mixing traditional nylon string design with modern thinline body. This results in a traditional sounding instrument that is more playable and comfortable to play and carry. It has a solid Sitka spruce top to give ensure that it does not lose its acoustic resonance and look. The one-piece mahogany neck follows the premium theme of the guitar, carved into Dyke’s preferred “C” shape. It is topped by an ebony fretboard with 24 frets, having a scale length of 25.25″ (which is interestingly close
Lucero LC235SCE Acoustic-Electric Classical Guitar
Lucero introduces the LC235SCE, an affordable classical guitar with exotic-zebra wood back and sides, and built-in Fishman electronics. Related Feature:Best Classical Guitars This new acoustic-electric classical guitar adds to the company’s expanding line of nylon string instruments, many of which carry mid-tier specs at entry-level price points, including the new LC235SCE. What’s interesting about this guitar is the use of exotic zebra wood on the back and sides, which gives the instrument a premium look that’s normally only available from more expensive models. This guitar is said to be the upgraded version of the LC230S, which does not come with built-in electronics and features bubinga for the back and sides. The guitar’s eye catching back and sides are contrasted by the familiar looking top, which is crafted from solid red cedar. This ensures that the sound of this classical guitar does not stray too far from what we’re all used to hearing, and adds to the overall earthy appeal of the instrument. For the price of just under $400, the guitar’s solid-top and the use of exotic zebra wood for the back and sides make this guitar quite a steal. Note that much like other acoustic-electric models, this guitar has
Caparison CL15 Custom Line 2015
Caparison Guitars bring back their double-cutaway Angelus guitar as the Ltd. Ed. hand-crafted Custom Line 2015 (CL15). Related Feature:Best Electric Guitars Under $1000 This guitar comes with premium wood and is equipped with special electronics that allow for a myriad of tones that go beyond conventional HH configuration guitars. Caparison is a Japan-based company that builds “boutique” style guitars, established in 1995 by people that were once part of Jackson/Charvel Japan’s design division. I would describe the aesthetics of their instruments as a hybrid between PRS and Jackson, and it is said that their instruments have Ibanez like shred-friendly playability. The new CL15 follows the “boutique” design and build quality that the company has been known for, and it’s main feature being the great looking, hand-selected Flamed Maple carved top that are wrapped in either of the two available finishes, Violin or Lemon Drop. The arched flamed maple top is joined with the mahogany back, both of which form the double cutaway body with increased cutaway at the lower cutaway for better upper fret access. The set-in neck is carved from mahogany and topped by an ebony fretboard. While the body follows the super strat shape, the guitar’s short scale
Suhr Limited Edition Korina Flame
Suhr unveils the Limited Edition Korina Flame, these are fine looking HSS configuration Strat clones that highlight the elegance of Korina tonewood. The Suhr Korina Flame is set for a limited run of 70, and comes in what Suhr calls “Standard” shape, which means that it looks like a Strat. Suhr guitars is now a well known brand, thanks to its impressive looks and the amazing virtuosos that wield Suhr guitars – most notably Guthrie Govan. Although there isn’t much to see in terms of originality, users have been raving about Suhr guitars’ workmanship and tone, which have satisfied many professional musicians. The Korina Flame is their latest offering, their aim is to tie together classic American strat style with modern HSS pickup configuration versatility. It features the familiar double cutaway body, modified slightly for improved comfort. The body is slightly downsized and feature nice looking edges, as well as a side input jack. According to Suhr: “The Korina neck and body have a balanced tone with a strong midrange growl that allow it to “cut through” the mix. The Maple top extends the frequency response, adding brilliance and punch. The Indian Rosewood fingerboard produces a warm and articulate tone
Esoterik DR3 Hand Crafted Electric Guitar
Esoterik Guitars expands on the Dave Refett signature series with a third and lightweight model, the Esoterik DR3. The DR3 model follows the same super strat construction as other Esoterik guitars, they are handmade in San Luis Obispo California following exacting specs. According to Esoterik Guitars, “every step was taken and improved upon to generate the highest quality guitar that clearly out performs while featuring curves and contours that are undeniably sexy.” One unique feature of the DR3 guitar is its lightweight alder body, shaped into the same double cutaway DR signature body contour. Since DR1 and DR2 utilized mahogany wood for the body, it was surprising to find that Esoterik opted for alder. Having an alder body, the DR3 is closer to the specifications of a traditional Fender Stratocaster. It maintains the same contour as the other guitars in this series. having a carved top and a concave back. For its playability, the DR3 model comes with a 5 piece walnut and figured maple neck that is connected to the body via “neck through” design. Other features come standard with the Dave Refett Signature series: 25.5″ Scale Length and Dual Spoke Wheel Truss Rods. This guitar comes with a
Esoterik DR1
Esoterik Guitars introduce their most affordable guitar yet, the Korea-made dual-humbucker DR1 model. Related Feature:Esoterik DR3 Hand Crafted This new model carries over the same distinct features of US made Esoterik models, including the neck-through and string-through design, only more competitively priced. Having the guitar manufactured in Korea, the company was able to cut down the price to as low as a quarter of their US made instruments. They assured that the same design and level of quality inspection were applied in building the instruments. You are basically getting the same Esoterik quality at a more affordable price. The company says, “For those of you who always wanted an Esoterik but could never afford one, now you can! The first release of the new series is the DR1.” Next to Japan, Korea has become a popular choice for big name guitar manufacturers when it comes to outsourcing guitar production. And in their attempt to make Esoterik guitars more accessible, the company is now testing the waters so to speak, and is releasing their first line of Korean made guitars, which is the DR1. The core component of this guitar is its five-piece walnut/figured maple neck that runs straight through the
Esoterik LK27 Baritone Electric Guitar
Esoterik Guitars unveil the LK27, their first 27″ long scale length baritone electric guitar which comes equipped with Seymour Duncan pickups. Related Feature:Best Electric Guitars Under $1000 This long scale guitar is described as having improved sustain, better response and control, with specs designed around its baritone tuning. This instrument is meant to complement standard tuning guitars in a two guitar band format that play modern rock and metal songs. It starts off with a swamp ash body that follows a sharp double cutaway shape. The top is carved to give the instrument a premium look, while the concave back makes the body more comfortable to playing. The five-piece maple and walnut neck goes through the body via modern neck-thru joint system, allowing for improved neck stability and reliability. The guitar has a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with jumbo stainless steel frets, glow-in-the-dark side dots, 3mm centered pearl dots, and it has a 16″ board radius. The truss rod is positioned at the spoke for easier access. As mentioned, this guitar has a 27″ scale length, which is longer than the average 25.5″ scale length of super strats. This longer scale length requires more tension on the strings to get to
Ovation Guitars Contest
Ovation are running a competition where you can win an Ovation Celebrity guitar every week for 12 weeks. At the end of the competition there will be a grand prize winner who will take home a custom American-made Ovation Adamas. The way it works is that you pick a topic such as a technique or song, record a video lesson about it, and submit it to the competition. For all the details on how to enter go to the Ovation Guitars Video Lesson Contest Related News: Ovation Applause Elite AE44 Fender Ends Ovation USA Production Ovation Proto Limited LT-60
Ovation’s iDea guitar has built-in MP3 player and recorder
Ovation's new iDea acoustic electric guitar (marketing guys, time to stop with the lower case i) comes with a built in MP3 player that not only lets you jam along to backing tracks, but also record directly to the guitar. The recorder lets you record from the preamp and a built-in microphone — so you can capture vocals as well. It can store around 100 minutes of audio. For playback you can play through headphones or amp, and tempo can be changed with out changing the pitch. When will it be released? That I don't know. Here's a video of it in action: http://www.blinkx.com/video/ovation-idea-guitar/eCJO84NkNbQilvgW3mfOjQ Website: http://www.ovationidea.com/ Related News: Ovation Applause Elite AE44 Ovation Proto Limited LT-60
Fender Ends Ovation USA Production
Fender is set to end the production of US-made Ovation guitars in their New Hartford Connecticut facility. Ovation USA Melissa Etheridge Related Feature:Fender Closes Hamer Guitars According to Fender officials, the decision is based on current market conditions and insufficient market demand. The closure is expected to take effect in June. This business move is expected to affect 46 employees, all of which were already notified by their parent company. Fender says that they will be providing job assistance to the said workers. Ovation guitar’s innovative synthetic guitar body design had an undeniably huge impact on the acoustic guitar market. First introduced in the mid-60’s, the comfortable rounded back shape and feedback resistant design appealed to many, and soon found its way into the hands of big name acoustic guitar players world over. Aerospace engineer and guitar player Charles Kaman is the man behind the successful design. His guitar company continued to grow and became world renowned, thanks to artists like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eddie Van Halen, Richie Sambora, Robert Fripp, Bob Marley, Melissa Etheridge and many more. An employee even noted that in the 70’s and 80’s, “just about every big touring band was playing Ovation”. Although I’m
Ovation Proto Limited LT-60 Acoustic Guitar
Ovation introduces the Proto Limited LT-60, an acoustic guitar that features their latest designs and futuristic build. Tim Reede Librada:An acoustic with a magnetic pickup This limited run US-made instrument unveils the new direction that Ovation is taking in terms of sound and style, featuring a new redesigned Ovation “O” logo. Ovation guitars are already unique as they are, but looks like Ovation is not done yet, and they are now ready to move on to new designs, as exemplified by the new Proto Limited LT-60. A lot of things are new in this guitar, starting with the headstock shape and its new contours. The new stylized “O” headstock inlay is also very different from what we’re used to seeing, but it still gives the guitar its Ovation identity. The body of the guitar remains true to classic Ovation design, featuring an Adirondack spruce top supported by a Lyrachord “bowl”. Underneath the spruce top however is another modern implement – a special artist modified X bracing pattern. The contoured Lyrachord back and sides are designed to provide maximum acoustic response with the feel of a small-body instrument. The contours are shaped for improved comfort when playing and Ovation claims that
Black Acoustic Guitar Roundup
If you are looking for the baddest black acoustic guitar, we’ve got the best of them right here. Black has been essential to guitar music, usually associated with elegance and formality. Rock and metal music however gave black a new meaning by pairing darkly colored instruments with equally dark sounding riffs and melodies. There are only a limited number of acoustic guitars that come in a black finish, so whatever your reasons are for choosing this color, we have grouped together what we consider as the best right here. Ovation Elite 2778TAX Ovation is arguably the most daring acoustic guitar manufacturer, not afraid to go beyond traditional construction to achieve practical and stage friendly features. Their efforts resulted in important innovations like improved feedback resistance, composite tops and backs, multiple offset sound holes, and ergonomic shapes. These innovations led to their guitars becoming popular, specifically their dark colored acoustic guitars, which have become mainstay instruments in live situations. There’s a high probability that if you think about black acoustics, you see a picture of a an Ovation. The Elite 2778TAX continues Ovation’s innovative legacy, mixing modern composite bowl design with a traditional solid-spruce top, wrapped in a beautiful black finish.
Fender American Standard Dimension Bass IV HH
Fender adds the new American Standard Dimension Bass IV HH to their popular US-made American Standard line. Related Feature:Fender Dimension Bass Previously released as part of the Modern Player series, this dual humbucker bass now joins the American Standard Precision Bass and Jazz Bass models. It looks like more and more new models are making it into the American Standard series, beyond the four archetypal models that carried the Fender brand. The Dimension bass is an interesting choice because it looks more Musicman than Fender, the company is probably attempting to break away from their traditional image. Distinct features of the American Standard Dimension Bass IV HH include the unique double cutaway with more upper-fret access and the non-traditional pickguard shape. The body is carved from alder, wrapped in gloss polyurethane, available in Olympic White, Ocean Blue Metallic, Three-color Sunburst or Black finish. The neck is made of maple, carved into an asymmetrical “C” shape with a scale length of 34″. The fingerboard for the sunburst and black finish models come with rosewood, while the ocean blue metallic and olympic white models have maple fingerboard. The synthetic bone nut is 1.625″ wide while the fingerboard radius is 9.5″ to 14″.
Fender Adam Clayton Jazz Bass
Fender introduces the Adam Clayton Jazz Bass, based on the U2 bassist’s vintage instrument. Related Feature:The Edge and Bono of U2 Join Fender Board The signature guitar was supposed to be an accurate replica of Clayton’s beat-up workhorse instrument, however he preferred the brand new look. Fender then gave in and built the bass to meet the Adam’s specifications. Since his bandmates, Bono and The Edge, are now part of Fender’s board of directors, it is really not much of a surprise to see Clayton’s signature on a Fender bass. With his band’s popularity and following, it is not far fetched to expect more U2 related releases from the company. Fender rightfully puts it when they say, “Throughout the entire phenomenal history of the band, the groundbreaking music of U2 has been underpinned by the gracefully muscular bass work of Adam Clayton. His impeccable groove and expansive tone form the sonic foundation of one of the biggest bands in the history of rock music, never more powerfully than today.” The new Adam Clayton Jazz Bass brings with it the artist’s expertise and experience, providing the same playability and tone that Adam himself has used on the new U2 album. Adam