Guitarsite News

Taylor 312ce 12-Fret

Taylor introduces the 312ce 12-Fret, featuring a grand concert body with traditional 12 fret neck joint. Related Feature:Taylor 612ce 12-Fret This guitar is part of Taylor’s recent release of multiple 12-fret guitar models across their acoustic guitar line, as they take advantage of the public’s renewed interest in classic guitar designs. According to Taylor, the 312ce 12-Fret combines old school design with modern playability and reliability. Rather than going for period-correct reproductions, they refined the 12-fret design and imbued it with their brand of quality and playability, giving today’s players a chance to enjoy the voicing and playing feel of 12-fret guitars in a modern day instrument. The main difference of modern 14-fret design and 12-fret neck joint is how it adjusts the bridge position closer to the more flexible center of the lower bout. This subtle adjustment results in more midrange and warmth that works really well with small body guitars like the Grand Concert, which is Taylor’s smallest full-size acoustic shape. The story goes that most guitar neck joints are set at the 12th fret before the 1930s. This was changed to 14 fret partially due to the popularity of the banjo, which featured longer necks and more

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Taylor 612ce 12-Fret

Taylor Guitars expand their maple 600 Series with the new 612ce 12-Fret acoustic guitar, featuring traditional neck and slotted headstock design. Related Feature:Taylor Guitar 2015 Road Show This new instrument is one of the two new Grand Concert guitars to join their 600 series, featuring the same building techniques and modern aging process as seen on the other guitars in this line. The Grand Concert body style is a bit smaller when compared to dreadnought and other regular sized guitars. This smaller size makes the 612ce 12-fret easier to handle and more comfortable to play, and at the same time it alters the voicing of the instrument. Taylor Master Builder Andy Powers said, “It has a delicate, articulate voice, but it’s not a quiet or weak-sounding guitar. It’s actually really loud and powerful. But because the shape is a smaller outline, it will emphasize a certain clarity in its articulation and a certain high-end chime that a larger guitar won’t.” Pairing it with a traditional 12 fret design alters the overall tone of the instrument even more significantly, plus it gives the guitar a vintage style appearance which blends well with the parlor style slotted headstock. Because the neck meets

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Martin D-35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary – NAMM 2015

C.F. Martin & Co. celebrates the 50th anniversary of the D-35 model with a limited run edition, the Martin D-35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary guitar. Related Feature:Martin SS-OM42-14 Limited Edition This limited edition model will feature rare tonewoods and 50th anniversary memorabilia. It will be unveiled by the company at the upcoming 2015 NAMM Show. First introduced in 1965, the D-35 dreadnought model went on to become one of the most reproduced guitar design. And it’s not just by Martin, even other competitors have based their designs on this long running model. So it is only fitting for the company to honor its legacy and by celebrating this important milestone with a special limited edition release. As the name implies, the D-35 Brazilian 50th Anniversary features a Brazilian rosewood back center wedge and headplate. These serve as the centerpiece of the instrument, separating them from regular D-35s. The top is crafted from an FSC certified European spruce top, and is supported by a 1/4″ high non-scalloped X-bracing. The special back center wedge is glued to solid Madagascar rosewood wings, while the sides are also crafted from solid Madagascar rosewood. Ivoroid bindings are applied on the edges of the top and back.

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Martin 000-15M Burst

The Martin 000-15M Burst is the company’s latest all-solid mahogany acoustic, wrapped in subtle sunburst finish. Related Feature:Martin Dreadnought Junior This instrument provides an alternative look for one of Martin’s popular acoustic models the 000-15M, giving fans of mahogany topped acoustics more aesthetic options to choose from – instead of the usual natural finish. This new acoustic is expected to sound and play much like the original satin finish version, and as the name implies, carries with it the company’s style “15” configuration. The only real difference being the finish, which is a welcome change given the many natural finish mahogany acoustic guitars in the market. Martin’s naming convention gives us an idea of what to expect from this acoustic, first of which, “000” refers to the “auditorium” shape that is slightly smaller than the regular dreadnought but bigger than the 00 size. This model in particular features a 000-14 design, meaning the neck and body meets at the 14th fret. The number “15” denotes Martin’s Style 15, which is basically describing an all-solid wood guitar with stripped down aesthetics. The letter “M” stands for the wood used on the guitar which in this case is Mahogany, and finally, “Burst”

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Martin D12-35 50th Anniversary LTD – Summer NAMM 2015

C. F. Martin & Co. celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the D-35 model with the limited edition D12-35 50th Anniversary 12-string acoustic. Related Feature:Acoustic Guitar Cases Being a commemorative limited run release, this new 12-string acoustic guitar from Martin is sure to interest collectors, fans of the brand and guitar players alike. In honor of the first D-35 models that were released, the new D12-35 50th Anniversary will be limited to a quantity of 183, the same number of D-35 guitars that were released back in its first production run in 1965. It carries over the best features of the original release, while introducing modern improvements to make the design more relevant to the needs of today’s players. As the name implies, this celebratory 12-string guitar features a dreadnought shape body, the shape that Martin themselves developed to become the standard and most popular guitar shape. The guitar’s top is crafted from solid Eurpean spruce and it passes through the company’s artificial aging process called Vintage Tone System (VTS) to mimic the properties of 1965 D-35 acoustics. Here is what the company says about VTS: “The new Martin Vintage Tone System (VTS) uses a unique recipe that is based on

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Reverend Six Gun 2.5

Reverend Guitars introduces the Six Gun 2.5, a limited run electric guitar model that mixes Strat and Tele elements. There are only 16 available Six Gun 2.5 guitars, 8 in Party Red finish, 4 in Chronic Blue and 4 in Cream finish. Reverend is redesigning their Six Gun model, and these guitars are the actual prototypes, a sort of transition model between the current model and the new one. In keeping with Reverend’s choice of body wood, the Six Gun 2.5 comes with a Korina body that is cut into a a double cutaway shape that retains traditional and familiar aesthetics while staying unique. Some of the guitars available in this series come with maple fretboards, those that have cream finish are equipped with rosewood fretboards to aesthetically match the finish. Just like other Reverend instruments, this guitar comes with Pin-lock tuners, as well as the exclusive Reverend Bass Contour, which lets you fine tune the low frequencies, complementing the way that the tone control adjusts the highs. This limited run series feature three single coil pickups that are mounted on the pickguard, with the Reverend Greasy T at the bridge and the Reverend Fat S pickups at the middle

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Washburn P4

Washburn Guitars is bringing back one of their popular models from the ’90s, the unique looking Washburn P4.   Washburn P4 Tiffany Blue   The new P4 guitars expands Washburn’s Nuno Bettencourt signature guitar series, providing a nice contrast to the superstrat shred machines it is lined with. At the core of the guitar is a solid mahogany body cut into a retro looking double cutaway shape. A carved and bound maple top adds to the appeal of the guitar and unique look of the guitar.   Attached to the body is 25.5″ scale length mahogany neck, topped by a bound 22 fret ebony fretboard. When you play it, elegant pearl teardrop inlays guide your left hand position.   Keeping the strings in-tune and stable are TonePros tune-o-matic style bridge, Schaller fine tuning tailpiece and Grover 18:1 tuners. Aside from these hardware, the P4 also features the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, which helps ensure accurate intonation across the fretboard.   Capturing the sound of the guitar are two Seymour Duncan ’59 pickups. These humbuckers were designed by Seymour to reproduce the tones of ’59 era PAF pickups, resulting in a retro-ish sound that matches the guitar’s over look. The pickups

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Ernie Ball James Valentine Signature Guitar

Ernie Ball Music Man in conjunction with Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine unveils the new Valentine signature guitar. Related Feature:Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent Signature This new guitar is part of the company’s ever expanding line of Artist Series instruments, all of which are made to match the exacting specs of their name sake artists, which this time is Maroon 5’s guitarist. From ballad to funk to rock and many more, Maroon 5 easily shifts their music style depending on the song their playing. As such, James Valentine requires a versatile instrument that can provide him with the tones he need. This need is now addressed by the Ernie Ball Music Man with James Valentine’s first ever signature guitar, featuring custom designed pickups and artist approved features. The body of the Valentine guitar is crafted from slab ash, which is carved into a distinct double cutaway shape that allows for better access to the higher frets. To my eyes, the body shape looks like a modified version of a popular semi-hollow, with a hint of Tele. It is finished in high gloss polyester finish that showcases the grains of the body wood. Available finish colors include Trans Maroon, Trans

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Fender Machete Amps and Cabinets

Fender enters into the high gain amplifier arena with their high-end twin channel Machete Amplifiers and matching Speaker Cabinets. The Machete Series include the Machete 50 Head, the Machete 112 and Machete 412 Enclosure cabinets and the Machete Combo. First thing you’ll notice is the series’ unique look, with the head and combo being covered by a distinctive black vinyl that is inlaid white piping and gray vinyl accents. This gives the Machete Amps a striped muscle car vibe, and just like turbo charged cars, these amps have features that are beefed up. The Machete 50 Head is a high-gain 50-watt tube head with two channels. It has 5 12AX7A and 1 x 12AT7 Preamp tubes, while the poweramp section has 2 x 6l6C tubes. Both channels have the typical amp controls for gain, volume, and basic EQ. Channel Two gives you a great place to start with providing traditional touch sensitive low-gain overdrive. Check out how Channel Two sounds in this video demo: Turbo charging the Machete amp’s design, Fender added some unique tone shaping elements into the Machete 50 Head’s high-gain Channel One. By pulling the gain knob, it transforms into a control knob that lets you adjust

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Fender Super Champ X2

Fender will roll out a lot of new amps at NAMM 2012, this will include the versatile hybrid tube amp Fender Super Champ X2. The new Fender Super Champ X2 is available as a combo amp or as an amp head (X2 HD) with its own matching Speaker Enclosure SC112. This is a true vintage modified amp, combining the best of traditional features with digital technology. The Super Champ X2 Series has 15 watts of dual-channel tube amp sound and adds in modern extras which include versatile amp voicing and a number of digital effects. It is equipped with a 15 Watt tube power amp with two 6V6 tubes and a 12AX7 preamp tube. The traditional tube tone that results is then complimented by a Voicing knob which gives you 16 different amp sounds (Tweed, Blackface, Hot Rod,British, Metal, etc.). This gives you a multitude of authentic tube sounds which you can use for a variety of song applications. To make it even simpler, the Super Champ X2 has 15 built in effects to help you get the different tones that you need. In addition to all that, this wonder tube amp can easily connect to your computer via USB

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iRig Acoustic

IK Multimedia unveils the iRig Acoustic, a portable usb microphone interface that’s especially tuned for acoustic guitars. Related Feature:The Best Studio Monitors This interesting clip-on version of iRig is said to be inspired by a documentary on flamenco virtuoso Paco de Lucia, featuring the company’s latest miniature microphone technology. The iRig acoustic is basically a clip-on microphone that is especially designed to attach to the soundhole of an acoustic guitar and capture all the nuances of the instrument for digital recording. It features a patent-pending easy to use clip design that can be attached and detached in seconds for convenient and quick recording. As expected, this new acoustic guitar mic connects to both iOS and Android devices, which lets you easily connect it to your iPhone, iPad, iPad Touch Mac and your recording ready Android phone or tablet. What’s interesting though is the claim that the iRig Acoustic will make your instrument sound better than when using conventional magnetic or piezo pickups. This is a big claim but IK Multimedia is standing by the advanced miniature microphone technology that they used on this clip-on mic. According to the press release, the iRig Acoustic mimics a high-end microphone that’s placed in

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100th Birthday of Les Paul Celebration

The Les Paul Foundation announces the kick-off event to the year-long celebration Les Paul’s 100th Birthday. Related Feature:The Most Expensive Diamond Guitar To mark the official start of the celebration, the foundation is hosting a star-studded celebration in the famous Time Square, New York on June 9, 2015 – a century after Lester William Polsfuss was born into this world. According to an official of the Les Paul Foundation, this upcoming kick-off event will feature a number of popular artists, including Neal Schon of Journey, Joan Jett, Steve Miller and many others. Even Ibanez endorser Joe Satriani will be present in this event, along with other artists and guitarists who are going to be paying their tribute to Les Paul. More musical acts that will be taking part in the celebration will be announced in the coming weeks. Aside from the star-studded musical launch event in New York, the Les Paul 100th Anniversary plan includes a tribute concert in New York city, a new interactive website, new merchandise, media promotions, a national tour called “Les Paul’s Big Sound Experience” and several re-releases of Les Paul’s music. The foundation also plans some interesting activities like the “Pledge to Invent” PSA campaign

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Reverend Guitars To Debut 6 New Models at NAMM 2014

Reverend Guitars will be unveiling four new signature models and two other new models at the upcoming 2014 NAMM Show. Related Feature:Reverend Tricky Gomez LE The new batch of guitars and basses include the Bob Balch Signature, Meshell Ndegeocello Signature Fellowship Bass, Reeves Gabrels Signature Spacehawk, Pete Anderson PA-1 HB Custom, Warhawk RT and the 4-string Mercalli Bass. The new Reverend Bob Balch Signature is based on the Sensei model, it has a familiar double cutaway shape with modifications that make it look distinctly Reverend. Bob and Reverend decided to make some external and internal adjustments, including body bevels to emphasize shape and improve playing comfort, and a routed tone chamber under the pickguard. The guitar features the new Bob Balch Signature Railhammer pickup on the bridge position, described as having a brass cover and ceramic magnet. A Railhammer Chisel pickup on the neck rounds up the features. It is currently available in Satin Transparent Brown finish and features a rosewood neck. Reverend Bob Balch Signature The reverse headstock Reverend Meshell Ndegeocello Fellowship Bass is based on the popular Reverend Thundergun. It has the same set-neck and raised center ridge which is said to improve sustain. Meshell decided on a

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Reverend Guitars Donated to Notes for Notes

Reverend donated instruments to “Notes for Notes”, a program that operates after-school free recording studios. Related Feature:Guide to a Basic Home Recording Setup The donated guitars will help Notes for Notes staff as they provide kids with free access to musical instruments and gear that they can use to create and record music. Notes for Notes is a music oriented program that builds, staffs and operates recording studios in community centers across the US. They offer kids and students more productive ways of spending their after-school time, with activities that focus on harnessing their musical creativity. Reverend Guitars have taken notice of “Notes for Notes” noble undertaking and as a show of support, they have donated a Jetstream 390 Guitar and a Meshell Ndegeocello Fellowship Bass. Both instruments were chosen for their versatility and reliability. Reverend Guitars’ CEO Ken Haas expounds, “I chose the Jetstream 390 for the kids because it’s an all-around great guitar — from clean tones to distorted ones. And the Fellowship is all minimalist-versatility. The kids can play warm and smooth, popping and slapping, or really dig into it.” Haas is giving these instruments to make sure that the kids had a reliable guitar and bass,

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New Life for Charred Reverend Guitar

Here is the story behind the restoration of a charred Reverend guitar, which was salvaged from a burned down house. The tragic event happened last spring when Doran Connell lost nearly everything, including most of his guitar collection, when his house caught fire. When he checked to look for things that can be salvaged, Doran found the remains of two charred Reverend guitars. He promptly took them out of the rubble and out of curiosity plugged them in. Surprisingly, even with their bad condition the guitars still worked, albeit with the pickup housings, knobs and other plastic parts melted and locked into place. Reverend Guitars had Doran send the guitars back to their Livonia, MI office. They inspected both guitars and found that the 15th Anniversary Flatroc is beyond repair. However, the other guitar, a Reverend Charger was in a better shape, even having its strings intact! So it was nominated for restoration. Zack Green, Head Guitar Tech at Reverend, was tasked to breathe new life into the burnt instrument. His first course of action was to inspect the guitar and its parts, he found that the body and metal hardware were still intact and redeemable, however the neck was

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Fender launches new Billy Corgan Stratocaster Guitar

Fender has unveild a smashing new addition to the artist signature line of electric guitars this month with the release of the Billy Corgan Stratocaster guitar, an extraordinarily versatile tone-machine, produced to Corgan's exacting specifications. The new Billy Corgan Stratocaster is an especially modern take on the iconic Fender Strat model, built especially for a high-gain sound and designed to create Corgan's signature mid-'90s buzz saw tone. When the alternative rock exploded in the 1990s, one of the movement's driving characteristics was a lack of real guitar solos. One of the first and most successful bands to break away from that trend, the Smashing Pumpkins, also boasted one of Gen X's first bona fide guitar heroes, Billy Corgan. More than 30 million albums later and fresh off the success of 2007's critically-acclaimed and gold-certified Zeitgeist album and massive world tour, Corgan teamed with Fender to create the guitar he's always dreamed of. The guitar features three DiMarzio pickups (two of which are custom-wound for the instrument), a string-through hard-tail bridge, jumbo frets, a satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish and a vintage tweed case. It is offered in an Olympic White finish, with a black pickguard or Black finish with a white

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Washburn Releases Five New Rover Travel Guitars

Washburn Guitars announces the immediate availability of five new Rover travel guitar models, three of which feature exotic wood. Rover RO10KK Related Feature:Washburn Parlor Guitars These five new models revitalizes the company’s travel guitar line with new tonewood choices along with one that has built-in electronics. All five are part of their extensive 2015 acoustic lineup that cover various shapes and sizes. Of particular interest are the three new Washburn Rover models that are built using exotic tonewoods. One of which is the RO10KK (around $330 RRP), featuring top, back and sides that were crafted from Koa. The result is a travel guitar with an elegant earthy appeal and a distinct voice that you can only expect on guitars with koa wood. The all-spalted maple RO10SS (around $300 RRP) model follows the same design as the first one, albeit with an important distinction. The guitar is crafted from spalted maple, giving the guitar a nice vintage look that will not look out of place in an expensive guitar collection. It will also have its own brighter voicing because of the stiffness of maple. The third exotic wood to be utilized in the Rover Series is zebrawood. The RO10ZZ (around $260

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3 New Washburn Parlor Guitars – NAMM 2014

Washburn to debut three new parlor guitars at the 2014 NAMM Show – the WP26SNS, WP21SNS and WP11SNS. Washburn WP26SNS Related Feature:Washburn Warren Haynes Signature The three parlor sized guitars feature designs that Washburn used on actual parlor guitars from 100 years ago. The new instruments add to their already expansive selection of acoustic guitars. All 3 parlor guitars come with solid cedar tops supported by quarter sawn scalloped sitka spruce bracing. The wood used on the back and sides differ depending on the model, but the overall specs and measurements remain the same. The neck is carved from mahogany and is topped by a rosewood fingerboard with 4mm nut. Traditional 24.75″ scale length is followed to ensure that the guitar’s look and playability closely matches vintage parlor guitars. Other common features found on the three new guitars include abalone rosette, standard Washburn rosewood bridge, and gold open gear tuners. The new Washburn WP26SNS is the flagship model, featuring beautiful rosewood back and sides that complement the solid cedar top nicely. Being the premium model, it comes with highly stylized pearl fingerboard inlays, which visually distinguishes it from the other two. The WP26SNS parlor guitar is retailing for $712.90. Next

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Washburn WCG187CE 7 String Acoustic NAMM 2015

Washburn Guitars introduce the WCG187CE, a seven-string acoustic-electric guitar with beveled top at the lower bout and a belly cut on the back. Related Feature:Washburn Parlor Guitars This new 7-string acoustic is part of the company’s popular Comfort Series, featuring strategic bevels on the body to improve ergonomics and improve overall playing experience. The bevels also give the guitars a distinct look that in my opinion adds aesthetic points, making it easier for the instrument to stand out from the crowd. Thanks to the popularity of seven string electric guitars, more and more acoustic guitar manufacturers are adopting these extended range design into their fold. Joining this trend is Washburn, a company that is known for not being shy to push the boundaries. Since the Comfort Series is far from being another run-off-the-mill acoustic line, it is the perfect series to have guitars with an extra low B string. And so the WCD187CE is born, a modern instrument that goes beyond the traditional shape and note range of conventional acoustics. Being based on the 6-string WCG18CE, this guitar has a Grand Auditorium style body with spruce top and mahogany for the back and sides. Quarter Sawn Scalloped Sitka Spruce bracing

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Washburn WSD5249 Warren Haynes Signature Acoustic

Washburn welcomes Allman Brother’s guitarist Warren Haynes into their family with the new WSD5249 Signature Acoustic. The instrument is handmade in the US, designed to meet the exacting demands of high caliber artists such as Haynes. Warren will now be playing and endorsing the new Washburn WSD5249 Warren Haynes Signature Model acoustic guitar, which according to Washburn represents the pinnacle of their acoustic guitar artistry. Known for his tasteful, soulful and toneful playing, hordes of rock guitar players look to Warren Haynes as their guitar hero. His work with the Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule and his own Warren Haynes Band continue to inspire players everywhere. And as a testament to his influence, he was recently ranked #23 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 100 guitarists of all time. In order to match Hayne’s prestige, Washburn came up with a design based on the old Washburn Solo Deluxe from 1937. The result is a guitar with a modern OM body shape, premium tone woods and vintage details. The top is made of Adirondack spruce, with period-correct vintage sunburst finish. Supporting the top is a hand-shaped scalloped bracing made of Adirondack spruce. The sides are made of solid rosewood, which supported by a

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