Guitarsite News
Randall’s MTS tube amps with interchangeable preamps reach stores
Randall Amplifiers announced last week the general availability of its MTS Series modular guitar preamp system, which combines the tone of time-tested tube amplifiers with the convenience of flexible modular technology. Randall amplifiers are utilized by influential rockers such as Linkin Park, Anthrax, Mudvayne, Metallica, Def Leppard, Arch Enemy and Fear Factory to create the signature sound and tone they demand. The MTS Series makes it quick and simple for musicians to alter their sound – without buying a new amp – by allowing them to easily pop in different MTS Series preamp modules into their amp. MTS modules are based on tone circuits from Fender, Marshall, Vox and Randall amplifiers. Randall MTS Series amps can house up to four slot-loading MTS preamps allowing guitarists to easily create versatile and custom- built rigs for styles ranging from extreme metal to jazz. The MTS Series makes it easy to achieve an almost endless combination of all-tube tones for guitarist of any music genre. Each MTS Series module utilizes similar panel layouts: gain, bass, mid, treble and master controls which further enhance the flexibility of each distinct tone while catering to the vastly differing needs of guitar players. “The Randall MTS system
Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes
This month we had an Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes pedal come in the shop and go right out again, pity as I freakin loved it. It had that great 1970’s look and man oh man did it have the sonic goods to back it up. The Hot Tubes Pedal runs off a main power cable not batteries and I was going to take it apart and study it’s innards but alas it did not stay around long enough, bummer. The Hot Tubes has three knobs, one for distortion, one for tone and one for volume. There are two outputs, one effected and one straight through and a Tone Bypass switch. It can be used as a great volume booster and you get sustain but not much distortion, similar in many ways to a Z-Vex Super Hard On. Turn up that volume control and you get a HUGE boost in level that absolutely clobbered the inputs of the test Laney and Marshall amps bringing out their natural distortion character, cool!! Cranking the distortion knob rather than the volume gets things really chugging along, it sounds like a really hotrodded Marshall, to my ears much much better than it’s stablemate, the Big
What’s Hot With Jazz Guitar: Mark Kleinhaut
by Doc Dosco This week we feature the very talented New England jazz guitarist Mark Kleinhaut. I have to hand it to Mark… he has managed to keep the flame of music alive and release numerous CDs while juggling another career. This should be an inspiration to all guitarists working a 9 to 5 job that you can play and record jazz, and feed a family too! Online Bio Mark Kleinhaut has been playing jazz guitar for nearly thirty years during which time he has developed a highly personal sound and recognizable voice on his instrument. His preference for clean guitar tones first recalls the great tradition of mainstream jazz guitarists like a Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino, but listeners soon detect something else in Kleinhaut’s highly evolved vocabulary. His playing avoids the clichés and trappings of the too-familiar jazz jargon in favor of melodic phrases that twist and leap passionately with the immediacy of the moment, yet follow his relentless pursuit of logic, balance and beauty. Mark Kleinhaut is also a prolific jazz composer and has released four CDs of all original jazz compositions, including “Chasing Tales” with trumpeter Tiger Okoshi and “A Balance of Light”, with Bobby Watson.
What’s Hot With Jazz Guitar: Sebastien Lanson
This week we feature the very fine French born jazz guitarist Sebastien Lanson. Online Bio Sebastien Lanson arrived in the United States in 1998 from his hometown of Paris, France, and within a short half decade has become a highly active guitarist on the Bay Area jazz scene, playing regularly with the jazz legend Louie Bellson, and other well established artists. He is a versatile performer with a guitar style that adapts readily to both ends of the jazz spectrum – from traditional to contemporary. Taking up the guitar at age 14, he began formal training one year later with his aunt, Marie-Nonne Lanson, a professional classical performer and teacher. His musical education continued at the American School of Modern Music in Paris, an affiliate of The Berklee College of Music in Boston, spending four years studying composition, improvisation, and arranging. He attended master classes with such jazz greats as Gary Burton, Randy Brecker, and Steve Swallow, and studied for several years with jazz guitar master Philippe Petit. In France, he played in some of the most famous Parisian jazz clubs, including Le Ducs des Lombards, Alliance Jazz Club and Le Petit Journal. Sebastien’s arrival in America in 1998 was
US Jazz Guitarist Royce Campbell
This week we feature the fine US jazz guitarist Royce Campbell. There is a lot of good stuff on his website. Check him out… Online Bio It was apparent at an early age that Indiana native Royce Campbell was destined to be a world traveler. When he was four years old Royce’s mother remarried a career navy man and Royce spent his childhood residing in such diverse locales as Japan, Barbados, Spain, Philadelphia and South Carolina. Although Royce had played guitar since age nine, he didn’t become serious about music until age 15 when he became interested in blues and blues rock guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. By the time Royce finished high school, he was certain he wanted to pursue a career in music, but he didn’t have the means to go to music school. Fortunately, his uncle Carroll DeCamp, a renowned arranger/pianist/guitarist, invited Royce to live with him and study. Soon Royce’s reputation as a quality musician spread, and in 1973 he was asked to tour with vocalist Marvin Gaye. Two years later, Royce was hired by a local music contractor to do three concerts with Henry Mancini in Indianapolis. Mancini was so impressed by
Gretsch G6120SH Brian Setzer Hot Rod
The Gretsch G6120SH Brian Setzer Hot Rod is now available in a new assortment of colors including standouts like blond and green sparkle finish. Related Feature:Gretsch Brian Setzer Nashville It would seem that Gretsch and Brian are expanding their color preference outside of the usual orange that that brand is known for, but they are still retaining the stripped down control set of the Hot Rod series along with its old school appeal. As the name implies, this guitar is based of the original G6120 that was first released in the mid ’50s, the instrument that Chet Atkins endorsed and became popular with. Gretsch then stripped down some of the features and implemented Setzer’s particular “rockabilly” style preferences into the design. Brian Setzer Hot Rod has the familiar single-cutaway full hollow body that features arched top and back, all crafted from flame maple. The arched top is supported by 1959-style trestle bracing and come with a pair of traditional oversized f-holes. The body depth of the guitar is 2.75″ and the guitar is wrapped with white binding to contrast the quirky colors that are available. The neck and fretboard are also crafted from maple, with a 9.5″ fingerboard radius and
Gretsch G6136T Falcon Creme de Marine Blue
Gretsch Guitars unveil their latest limited edition instrument, a classic G6136T Falcon that comes in a soft blue finish. Related Feature:Gretsch G6112TCB-JR CB LTD 2-Tone No more than 80 Blue Falcons will ever be produced, and since only a few Pro series Falcons came with alternative finishes, this new guitar is a rare collectible. It looks like someone accidentally spilled a small amount of blue paint on white, resulting in a white finish that has light blue interspersed. The resulting finish is similar to Fender’s Sonic Blue, only with more white than blue. Since this is part of Gretsch’s premium guitar line, the guitar’s elegant looks is going to be matched by the build quality and tone. The press release says, “This is a truly distinctive Falcon–a classic G6136T model dressed in a soft blue finish that we call Crème de Marine. Together with the gold appointments and classic style, it’s an elegant look as calm as quiet seas.” The Blue Falcon’s single cutaway hollow body is built from laminated maple, with the top portion arched. The 3-piece maple neck is topped by a 12″ radius ebony fretboard. It has a total of 22 frets, a scale length of 25.5″
Gretsch Brian Setzer Nashville with TV Jones Pickups
Gretsch introduces the newly updated G6120SSL Brian Setzer Nashville, now with Brian’s TV Jones signature pickups. Related Feature:Gretsch G6136T Falcon Creme de Marine Blue This guitar is inspired by Brian’s special vintage Gretsch collections, and it is part of the company’s release of newly upgraded Professional Collection Hollow Body guitars. According to the company, the most notable feature of this new release is the addition of two TV Jones Brian Setzer Signature pickups, TV Jones’ first artist signature pickup. This Filtertron style humbucker is described as having a vintage voice with punchy low end and clarity. The guitar has multiple options for the body, a five-ply flame maple body in Orange Urethane or Orange Lacquer, or you can go for the 3-ply maple body model that comes in either gloss black urethane or vintage orange lacquer finish. The body shape follows the traditional curves of old Gretsch single-cutaway hollow body guitars, which works in tandem with the different finishes to give the instrument an overall classic appeal. The threstle bracing of the Brian Setzer Nashville is based on Setzer’s favorite vintage ’59 Gretsch, a design that helps improves the reliability and sustain of the instrument. Other features of the body
Gretsch G2622T Streamliner Center-Block
Gretsch recently brought back their affordable Streamliner line, and the G2622T Center Block is part of this new release. Related Feature:Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod This double cutaway, semi-hollow body guitar follows after old Streamliner models from the ’60s, the main difference being the use of modern and more cost effective production methods. As the name of the series implies, the Streamliner line are stripped down and straightforward versions of Gretsch’ premium guitar models. They are guitars designed to provide sound and feel that are as close to the premium models as possible, while retaining a lower price point – which means blings and frills are limited. The original Streamliners where introduced back in the ’50s and are now back to cater to the same entry-level to mid-tier market. The company calls their semi-hollow guitars as “Center Block”, which spells out that the guitar is hollow on the inside but has a block of wood on the center. And it’s no secret that this double cutaway shape is inspired by the iconic ES-335, albeit with some minor tweaks that make it unmistakably a Gretsch instrument. The G2622T is one of the latest to come out from this line, and it
Gretsch G6136T Players Edition White Falcon
Gretsch Guitars introduce the G6136T Players Edition White Falcon, with modern player-friendly features that improve reliability, tone and playing feel. Related Feature:Best Hollow Body Guitars With its elegant museum ready cosmetics, the Gretsch White Falcon continues to be one of the most desired guitars in production today, and this new version introduces a modern twist to this popular design, by adding modern elements that ensure a more comfortable action, along with tuning and structural consistency. Coming from Gretsch’ Player’s Edition line, this version of the White Falcon has some interesting modern features that make it more “playable” and workhorse worthy. The most notable difference is its thinner 2.25″ body which makes the guitar easier to play and lighter. To help retain the big body sound with it’s thinner design, Gretsch implemented their ML bracing pattern which according to them allows for more air and wood movement. The Player’s Edition White Falcon also addresses tuning issues that plague vintage models, with its “Pinned rocking bar bridge”, “String-thru Bigsby”, GraphTech Tusq XL nut and locking tuners. And in addition to improving tuning stability, these features also allow for better sustain and easier string changes. The company expounded, “Player’s Edition feature sets are
Bedell Wildfire Orchestra
Bedell Guitars expand their Homegrown Collection with the new Wildfire Orchestra, handcrafted using all American-grown tonewoods. Related Feature:Best Acoustic-Electric for under $1000 This guitar is part of the company’s new Wildfire Series, which also include a Dreadnought and Parlor model. Staying true to its name, the guitars in this series are wrapped in a fireburst gloss finish. The most noteworthy feature of the Bedell Wildfire Orchestra is its use of native US grown tonewoods. It features a solid Adirondack spruce top supported by figured bigleaf maple for the back and sides, both of which are sourced locally much and hand built in their facility. While using native wood were normal in past, it is now a rare practice especially in light of resource scarcity and the race to production cost reduction. In light of this, the effort of going the local and natural route must have been a rough ride for the company, yet they continue to find ways to get their premium raw materials from within the US – hopefully from renewable sources because they mentioned that Bedell instruments never use clear-cut trees as source materials.. As expected, these homegrown and handcrafted guitars come with a premium price tag.
TC Electronic PolyTune Clip
TC Electronic took their PolyTune technology and packed it inside a clip-on tuner, resulting in the PolyTune Clip. Related Feature:TC Group For Sale? This is the smallest gear to carry the company’s polyphonic tuning technology, and they claim that it is the first polyphonic clip-on tuner to hit the market. This clip-on tuner carries over many of the features found on the popular tuner pedal, including accurate monophonic tuning and more notably the automatic polyphonic tuning function. TC Electronic said that they found ways to improve on the original design while miniaturizing, they added that this is the best PolyTune that they’ve ever made, suggesting that it is better than the previous pedal versions. The new PolyTune Clip comes with three modes – Polyphonic, Chromatic and Strobe. Chromatic is what conventional tuners come with, allowing you to tune your strings the traditional way, one at a time, ideal for quick tuning in between performances. The Strobe tuner mode offers improved precision of up to +/- 0.02 cents, this is great when you are setting up your guitar and especially useful when doing repairs or adjustments to the neck, string height and anything else related to the strings. While this mode
Yamaha Guitars celebrates 40 years in the United States
In 2009, Yamaha Guitars will celebrate its 40th year selling acoustic, electric and bass guitars in the United States. Yamaha has a distinguished history in the evolution of guitar technology and quality, and in 2008, became the top-selling acoustic and acoustic-electric guitar brand in the country, determined by sales volume and number of units sold. Yamaha first started manufacturing and marketing guitars in Japan during the 1940s and began selling in the United States in 1969. Established in 1990, The Custom Shop at Yamaha Guitar Development in North Hollywood—the site where many artists have crafted their dream instruments—recently underwent a renovation and is now known as Yamaha Artist Services Hollywood. Many new models have been devised and designed at the site, including signature models by bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarists Wes Borland and Troy Van Leeuwen. “There are more Yamaha guitars on this planet than there are from any other manufacturer,” says Dennis Webster, marketing manager, Yamaha Guitars. “This is a testament to the build quality across all lines—from student guitars to professional models for performance and recording. Over the next 40 years, we're confident that our market share will only increase.” Yamaha was one of the first companies to
Yamaha RevStar Series
Yamaha unveils the new RevStar Series, featuring seven solidbody electric guitars inspired by ’60s era racing motorbikes. RevStar RS720B Related Feature:Yamaha Acquires Line 6 It’s been decades since the company last made a major electric guitar release, and as such the firm wants this new line to make an impact, especially since this new line is released in conjunction with Yamaha’s 50th year in guitar manufacturing. The story goes that Yamaha collaborated with London-based consultancy firm Forpeople to come up with a fresh new design. They ended up drawing inspiration from London and Tokyo’s vintage street-racing motorcycles, resulting in a retro looking instrument that’s different from the firm’s current catalog. While the design indeed looks new, at least when compared to Yamaha’s line of Fender and Gibson clones, there was something familiar about it. And after some thinking I realized that there is an eerie similarity between the retro style design of the new RevStar and the design used by Reverend Guitars, another guitar builder which coincidentally have a similar sounding first syllable! Regardless, the RevStar’s design do stand out and looks pleasing to the eye. Following the vintage Café Racer theme, Revstar guitars come with custom hardware. An example
Yamaha Expands Pacifica Electric Guitar Line in the US – NAMM 2015
Yamaha’s entire Pacifica line of guitars is now available in the US with three additional models: the 611, 510 and 311. Yamaha Pacifica 611HFM Related Feature:Line 6 Now Under Yamaha The Yamaha Pacifica line have Strat-like features at very affordable price points, and like most of Yamaha’s instruments, the Pacifica is ideal for students, beginners and budget conscious players. This expansion of the Pacifica line is said to be based on custom requests, and according to the company, this is the first time that they will be marketing the entire Pacifica lineup in the US. The new models, 311, 510 and 611, will be joining three other models that are already being sold in the US, the 012, 112 and 212. As expected, the additional Pacifica guitars come with nice features at lower price points, thanks to Yamaha’s years of guitar building and marketing experience. The company is undeniably a force to reckon with when it comes to budget friendly and student friendly guitars that come with teacher-approved quality. The three new Pacifica models are all crafted using solid tonewood construction, featuring the traditional combination of alder bodies, maple necks and rosewood fingerboards. Having been based on the Strat, flexibility
New Crush Amps from Orange
Orange Amplification expands their Crush amps range with the CR60C 60 Watt 1 x 12 Combo, CR120C 120 Watt 2 x 12 Combo and CR120H 120 Watt Head. These new Crush amplifiers are the first solid-state professional amps to be launched by Orange since the late ’70s. Orange designed these bigger Crush amps with a “simple is better” philosophy, featuring a pre-amplifier section that is based on the Rockerverb series. This gives the amp a warm tonal characteristic while using solid-state technology – making the amp affordable and easier to maintain. Like the Rockerverb series, these new amplifiers have two foot switchable channels, clean and dirty. The clean channel utilizes two stages of gain that gives it a warmer tonality that brins to break when cranked. The dirty channel on the other hand has four stages of gain that approximates the sound of Orange drive in a solid-state amp. Orange also installed built-in digital reverbs into the new amps, with a choice of spring, plate or hall. They also come with FX loop, built using the same design as the more expensive tube amps. Both the CR60C 60 Watt 1 x 12 Combo and the CR120C 120 Watt 2 x
Orange Limited Edition White Amps & Cabs
Orange Amplification announces limited edition white finish versions for their popular amp heads, combos and cabinets. Related Feature:Orange Dual Dark Amplifier Series The amps that will get the white treatment include the Rockerverb series, Thunderverb 200 and 50 heads, along with the PPC412 and PPC212 guitar speaker cabinets. These limited edition Orange amp heads, combos and speaker enclosures will feature a white Levant covering that has never before been used – and they will only be available for a set time duration. Complementing the elegant white exterior are gold piping and gold capped handles, resulting in an eye catching overall look. Although these Orange amps don’t come in orange, they still look familiar because the design layout was not changed. If you’ve wanted to try Orange amps but you’re put off with the bright orange color – then these might be a good excuse for you to try one. The Orange Rockerverb series is the the brand’s most popular product line. These amps are known for their classic Brit tones and roadworthiness, which together help the series continually receive critical acclaim. Now this British guitar amp masterpiece is available with a luxurious white finish. The Thunderverb line of amplifiers, though
Orange Micro Dark
Orange Amplification expands their “Dark” series with a miniature hybrid tube/solid-state version, the Micro Dark. Related Feature: Orange LTD Edition White This new pint-sized amp head joins the Dark Terror and Dual Dark amplifiers, featuring the same dark finish theme, high-gain friendly circuitry, simple layout, and versatile “shape” control. Micro Dark is the smallest high-gain “dark” flavored amp to come from the company, carrying over the same sonic quality but packed inside a smaller form factor. It is said to be born out of the many customers who were requesting for an even smaller version of their popular compact “Dark” amps. The new Orange Micro Dark amplifier follows the company’s smallest amp profile, following the same black finish metal chassis and chrome handle. Inside its minuscule case is a newly designed 12AX7 driven high gain preamp and a solid-state power section that drive up to 20W of output to any 8-16 Ohm speaker cabinet. This combination allows for genuine tube tones at surprisingly loud levels for its size. Due to space limitations, controls are limited to just three knobs that include volume gain and shape. Volume and gain allow for conventional control over the output and the built-in overdrive effect.
PRS SE Standard Santana
Here is the most affordable Carlos Santana signature guitar to date, the PRS SE Standard Santana. Related Feature:PRS 30th Anniversary “Then & Now” Based on the original PRS Santana signature, this is a stripped down version in terms of aesthetics, built using more efficient materials and cost effective methods. This new guitar is one of the four newly released SE Standard models, which is a step below the price of the SE models. This allows the company to expand their reach further, and marks their entry into a more affordable market price range that is below the $500 mark. The official description says, “The Carlos Santana played a significant role in the development of the SE Series when the line was introduced in 2001 with the Santana SE as its first model. Since then, the SE Series has grown to offer players of all levels affordable, quality electric guitars, acoustics, and basses. The introduction of the SE Standard models represents a significant extension of the SE Series into the < $500 price point. The goal of the SE Series has always been to provide a quality instrument to players – one that would not fight the player, but encourage him
Recording King RP1-16C Torrefied Top
Recording King introduces the RP1-16C Torrefied Top acoustic guitar, featuring heat-aged Adirondack spruce top. Related Feature:Best Acoustic Guitars For Under $1000 This guitar is part of Recording King’s new Torrefied Top series, which features a special heating and curing process called “Torrefaction”, and designed in collaboration with historian/luthier Eric Schoenberg. The goal of Torrefaction is to artificially “age” the spruce top, in order to replicate the characteristic and behavior of vintage acoustic guitars. The company does this by heating the Adirondack spruce top at a low temperature in an oxygen-free environment. According to their press release, “The curing process reduces impurities in the wood and results in weight reduction and increased stiffness, producing a similar chemical transformation as wood that has been dried for decades. The end result is a lightweight, extra resonant top that produces similar tone to a vintage instrument that’s been loved and played for years”. The RP1-16C is the first model to get the torrefied treatment, and the artificially aged top is an ideal match for the guitar’s vintage looking 12-fret single 0 cutaway body. The torrefied solid Adirondack spruce top is supported by scalloped X-bracing, while the back and sides are crafted from mahogany. The