Guitarsite News

Hendrix’s 1963 Strat up for auction

Jimi Hendrix's personally owned and played white 1963 Fender Stratocaster (serial L14985) is expected to pull over 120 thousand US dollars at auction. According to lot info for the Strat, this was one of Jimi's earliest owned Stratocasters. Guitar Info: “In 1965 Jimi Hendrix was then known as Jimi James, he recorded frequently with Henry “Juggy” Murray. Jnr at Juggy's studios in New York City. On July 27th 1965 Jimi signed his first exclusive recording artists contract with Sue Records at the Sue offices on 265 West 54th Street, New York City, with Juggy Murray. Skip Juried was the chief engineer at Juggy Sound studios. He was a very good friend of Jimi Hendrix and Skip kept this special guitar for Jimi at the studio on his request. After Jimi's success with the Experience he returned to Juggy Sound to complete the Band of Gypsys album that was to be given to Ed Chalpin.” “Upon completing the Band of Gypsys album at Juggy Sound February/March 1970 this guitar was given to Skip Juried for his help and friendship throughout the years. Jimi also recorded with Noel Redding on the Nervous Breakdown sessions on which Skip engineered, Jimi used the guitar

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Jimi Hendrix Conspiracy Theory?

We have received the following article from Barry Levene of Global Village Music, who brings up the idea that Jimi Hendrix may have been murdered. This isn't a new idea – I recall seeing a documentary several years ago that made similar claims. I tried looking into the background of the author, and the producer of the DVD mentioned below, but I couldn't find a great deal of information other than some old forum posts and a UK film database listing with no information provided. I have emailed Barry for more information, and I'll let you know if he replies, but in the meantime please read the review below bearing in mind that I've not been able to verify any of this information. Barry writes: The name Jimi Hendrix conjures up some of the most colourful and wildest moments that the sixties produced. Hendrix arrived, he conquered and took the music world by storm, got inside your head and went onto the great gig in the sky – all by the age of 27. The Jimi Hendrix Experience , left you in no doubt that it was exactly that – an experience. A trio of musicians who came together from

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Framus Pro Series Mayfield Legacy

German guitar builder Framus unveils the newly improved Mayfield Legacy semi-hollow body guitar, part of the overhauled Pro Series line of instruments. Related Feature:Framus Legacy Acoustic Guitar Series The company describes the motto behind re-designing and building this guitar as “Teambuilt & Made in Germany”, featuring improved quality, build while still remaining competitively priced. Framus Custom Shop has been building guitars in Markneukirchen Germany for over 20 years, and now they draw from their experience to produce the new Pro Series, of which the Mayfield Legacy guitar is part of. The press release says, “These instruments are produced in Germany from the finest ingredients and with the best possible production methods, and they are offered at a very attractive price. Only the very best machines in the world are used to carve these extraordinaire guitars.“ Like other guitars from the German Pro Series, the wood used on the Mayfield Legacy are hand picked and naturally air dried to give it the appearance and feel of old wood. The tone woods are then glued at the company’s Markneukirchen facility. Fingerboard and fret work are also completed in the same facility, after which they are finished and assembled at a partner site

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Johnson introduces the Trailblazer Deluxe Travel Guitar

Just in time for one last road trip to finish your summer, Johnson proudly brings you the solid spruce top Trailblazer Deluxe travel guitar. The Trailblazer Deluxe makes it easy to sound great anywhere. With the classic, natural sound you can only get from solid spruce in a portable package, this guitar is ready to go wherever the muse takes you. With a full-size 24-3/4″ scale length, the Trailblazer Deluxe gives players the same comfort and playability as a full-size dreadnought, but in a travel-friendly package. With 22 frets and a rosewood fretboard, the Trailblazer Deluxe has a familiar feel, like that of a standard sized guitar neck. Many players may have avoided choosing a travel guitar because of their concern that travel guitars, with smaller body shapes often sound thin with very little bass. Thanks to the Trailblazer's carefully designed body, solid spruce top, mahogany sides and arched mahogany back, the Trailblazer Deluxe gives players on-the-go the same robust, warm sound as a traditional dreadnought. The Johnson Trailblazer Deluxe comes complete with its own carrying bag, so players will be ready to travel with it anywhere easily and comfortably. For more information, please visit www.johnsongtr.com This is a Press

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Traveler Guitar Escape Mark III

The Traveler Guitar Escape Mark III is a portable full-scale acoustic-electric with built-in headphone amp and tuner. Related Feature:Vox Apache Travel Guitars It is the latest and most advanced from Traveler Guitar, featuring all-new electronics inside a solid-body and having a standard 25.5″ scale length. Compared to its predecessor, Escape Mark III brings more convenient electronic features, while still retaining the same look and shape. Like the previous iteration, this new guitar solves the size issue by stripping off some parts while retaining instruments essential functions. The neck scale length is retained along with the bridge position so it does feel like a real guitar, while the tuners and tailpiece are moved to a different position to reduce the size and weight of the instrument. This guitar starts out with an alder single cutaway body that looks like a smaller version of an LP. This miniaturized body houses both the electronics and Traveler Guitar’s unique In-body Tuning System. This tuning system places the tuners at the center of the body so that the headstock can be removed. The guitar’s electronics include an onboard headphone amp with aux-in and a built-in tuner. This lets you travel with your instrument even lighter

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Paul Brett Signature Vintage Electro-Acoustic Guitars

Paul Brett, a known 12-string acoustic guitar expert, has worked with Vintage to create his very own 12 string and 6 string signature models. [VE8000PB-12Click to Enlarge] Paul Brett’s twin signature models, the VE8000PB 6-string and the VE8000PB-12 12-string acoustic guitar, were influenced by Paul’s own collection of parlour guitars from the 1930s. Both the vintage acoustic electric guitars are a sight to behold, with both featuring solid spruce tops with rosewood backs and sides. The 6-string guitar’s neck joins the body at the 14th fret as it has been traditionally done, while the 12-string guitar model joins at the 14th fret. The neck is made of mahogany and the fingerboard is made of rosewood. Paul also had Graphtec TUSQ installed on the guitars for the Top Nut and Saddle. Its classic parlour size and shape makes it comfortable to handle and transport. Finally the guitars feature electronics provided by Fishman – Matrix Infinity with volume and tone controls. Paul was originally known as a 6-string electric lead player before switching to acoustic guitar in the early 70s. He is however known for his 12-string guitar wizardry which started in the mid 70s. He has developed his own distinctive fingerpicking

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KHDK Ghoul Screamer

Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and his recently launched company KHDK introduces the Ghoul Screamer Overdrive Pedal. Related Feature:Top 10 Guitar Pedals Being Hammett’s signature overdrive, this pedal is designed to meet his requirements and cope up with the various tones that he employs for Metallica and his other musical endeavors. KHDK, as the name implies is a new pedal manufacturer that Kirk Hammett co-founded with music gear industry veteran David Karon. The website says, “We are two friends who got together and decided to do things a little better – no shortcuts, no cheap components, no flavor enhancers.” For a few years now, KHDK has been refining and polishing their craft, carefully developing every process from conception to prototype. Each of these prototypes are then hand-tested by a family-run manufacturer in Paducah, Kentucky. As of now the company has three pedals under their name, including the new Ghoul Screamer. The new Ghoul Screamer pedal comes just in time for 2015 Halloween, designed by KHDK laboratories to meet the demands of Kirk Hammett. They analyzed the various tones that Kirk has used throughout his career and developed a multipurpose pedal that can give Kirk the tones that he currently needs.

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EVH Stripe Series Circles Guitar

EVH Gear expands their Stripe Series with the new “Circles”, based on the guitar that Van Halen used in their 1981 “Unchained” video. Related Feature:EVH Striped Series This guitar stays true to the original Unchained guitar, mimicking important details that include the crop circles design on the front and “Bye See Ya Later” graphic on the back. According to the company, the Circles graphic was inspired by otherwordly “crop circles”. These circles were mixed into Van Halen’s familiar black and white stripes along with a graphic of what looks like a humanoid or alien that is lying down diagonally. Although it sports a unique look, it retains the straightforward hot-rod setup of other guitars in the series. Carrying a single bridge humbucker, one volume knob and a floating tremolo bridge. At the core of the guitar is the Strat shaped basswood body, it is covered by the “Circles” graphic gloss finish that sets it apart from the other guitars in the Stripe Series. The neck of the guitar is carved from quartersawn maple, and features a comfortable compound radius 22-fret maple fretboard. The neck is oiled finish and features rolled fretboard edges to appease modern player’s need for speed. The

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EVH Wolfgang WG Standard

EVH Gear announce the launch of their most affordable Wolfgang model, the Wolfgang WG Standard. Related Feature:EVH Wolfgang Custom Deluxe Aside from being affordable, this new guitar also headlines the release of the company’s new Wolfgang Standard line of guitars. Crafted in their Mexico facility, this new guitar is set to challenge other mid-priced shred friendly guitars. With its nice specs and guitar hero brand name, this new guitar could very well be a serious threat in its market. For something that is supposed to be affordable, the EVH Wolfgang WG Standard has some nice features, and it comes in two transparent finishes – black or red. The body of the guitar is carved from Basswood, with the transparent red finish version having a quilt maple top. The body shape follows Van Halen’s distinct “Wolfgang” shape, with its double cutaway and special comfort cut forearm contour. The guitar sports a one-piece bolt-on maple neck with satin finish and graphite reinforcement. The shred friendly compound radius fretboard is also made from maple. It has 22 jumbo frets, rolled edges and a nut width of 1.625″. In keeping with the familiar super Strat feel, the Wolfgang WG Standard has a 25.5″ scale

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EVH Striped Series

EVH Gear introduces the EVH Striped Series, affordable production models of Van Halen’s famous striped Frankenstrat. The Mexico made EVH Striped Series made waves at the 2013 NAMM Show, making EVH’s stamp of approval more accessible to his legions of fans. Some call it an answered prayer, fans call it a granted wish and some even call it a dream come true, EVH guitars finally gave in to the Striped guitar request. In addition to finally seeing the stripes back, the production models come at a relatively affordable price – finally staying true to what made the Frankenstrat popular in the first place – a cheap personalized instrument that made great music. The Stripe Series come with a Stratocaster-style basswood body that features Eddie Van Halen’s Striped Graphics in three variations. The three color schemes include a neat looking black with yellow stripes, a white with black stripes and black pickguard model, and the more popular red with black and white stripes finish. Black with Yellow Stripes The body is connected to a reinforced maple neck that features a compound-radius maple fingerboard (12″-16″) built to Eddie’s preference. It has 22 jumbo frets, black dot inlays and a Thumbwheel truss rod

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Carvin GH24 Greg Howe Signature

Greg Howe gets a new signature guitar from Carvin Guitars called the GH24, built to the virtuoso’s specifications. Related Feature:Carvin NZ624 Neil Zaza Signature Described by Greg as the coolest guitar he has ever owned, the GH24 is built by the company’s USA based Custom Shop following exacting details as he requested – from the chambered body, to the pickups, and down to the special metal alloy fret wires. Unlike other signature guitars where the artist only provide some input if not only giving their approval, the GH24 is built as a true personalized guitar for the Greg. He mentioned that this is the first time that he worked extensively with a custom guitar company that is willing to address all his detailed requests. The guitar starts off with a super strat inspired design, featuring a double cutaway alder body with a bolt-on maple neck. But as expected, the design is not as straightforward as conventional builds, having unique features that will set it apart from other similar shred friendly axes. First off its unique features is the chambered body design, something that’s not usually done on alder body guitars. According to the company, this chambering is added to help

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Peter Frampton “Phenix” 1954 Les Paul Custom

Gibson introduces the Peter Frampton “Phenix” 1954 Les Paul Custom, only available in very limited numbers. Related Feature:Gibson Brian Ray SG Standard This guitar is a limited run reproduction of the Grammy winning guitarist’s 1954 Les Paul Custom, considered by many as among the most recognized in rock guitar history, having been the guitar he used in the popular “Frampton Comes Alive!” album, along with the many other albums of which Peter was the session player. Interestingly, this signature guitar would have never been possible because Frampton’s original and heavily modified 1954 Les Paul Custom was presumed lost when the cargo plane that it was traveling on crashed in Venezuela in 1980. Thankfully, Peter got the guitar back after 22 years, and was restored. Gibson Custom then got the permission to precisely measure every detail of the guitar, and proceeded to painstakingly re-create it along with the appearance of age. They came up with 35 collectible guitars, that according to the company are, “the closest you can possibly come to owning one of the world’s most iconic Les Pauls.” The guitar’s body is crafted from mahogany, finished in black, following traditional Les Paul Custom designs. To faithfully reproduce the burns,

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Limited Edition Gil Parris Signature from Reverend Guitars

Reverend Guitars decided to coat their versatile Gil Parris Signature Guitar in transparent red for a limited release.   There will be sixteen of these red axes produced, with all of them numbered and available to from their dealers worldwide. The Gil Parris Signature from Reverend Guitars were created to match Gil’s versatility. Since his style fuses jazz, rock, funk and country – he wanted a guitar that can handle all of this styles – this resulted in a very versatile instrument.   Gil wanted an affordable, unique looking signature guitar that will meet his needs – it has to have a standout look, it has to be versatile and gig ready out of the box – and it should sell for less than $1000. And the genie behind Reverend guitars gave him what he wished for. To create a versatile guitar, Reverend went with two humbuckers and a Lace Sensor single-coil middle pickup. The Lace Sensor pickup works well with the humbuckers and gives you a wide variety of tone options – like having a Les Paul and Strat hybrid. The guitar also features a 5-way pickup selector and a bass contour knob that widens your sound even further.

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Behringer release BVT4500H Bass Amplifier head

New from Behringer is the BVT4500H Bass Amplifier head — 450 watts of what they say offers ultra-flexible tone control and beefy solid state power. “Preamp tone controls include three-band EQ for basic tone shaping and a 9-band graphic EQ for really fine control. Exclusive VTC Virtual Tube Circuitry adds the warm sound of vintage tubes” the Press Release states. “A -15dB pad switch accommodates passive basses as well as hotter output active models. A wealth of handy features includes a defeatable limiter, graphic EQ bypass switch, switchable pre/post effects loop, ¼” preamp & power amp patch points, a handy tuner-out jack and balanced XLR line output. Both ¼” and professional Neutrik Speakon compatible speaker jacks are standard.” Features: • Three-band tone controls • 9-band graphic EQ • Built-in switchable limiter • VTC Virtual Tube Circuitry • Pre/Post effects loop & preamp/amp patch points • Balanced XLR line level out • Neutrik Speakon compatible speaker jack US MSRP is $519.99

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BEHRINGER Stompbox Trio released

Five unique stompbox trios from BEHRINGER eliminate the guesswork, creating optimized toolkits for metal, jazz and blues-rock guitar, bass and keyboards. Each dedicated trio packs three must-have effects pedals, two patch cables and a high-quality 10' instrument cable into one convenient package for an exceptional value. – The TPK985 METAL TRIO features the SM400 Super Metal pedal, for brutal, in-your-face distortion and mind-blowing sustain, the FX600 Digital Multi-Effects and the DD400 Digital Delay. – The TPK984 JAZZ TRIO features the CL9 Compressor/Limiter, for powerful, percussive sound and sustain, the CO600 Chorus Orchestra with a warm vintage chorus and the DR600 Digital Reverb with 24-bit high-resolution reverb modes. – The TPK987 BLUES ROCK TRIO features the TM300 Tube Amp Modeler, with its classic tube amp tone, the UV300 Ultra Vibrato and the DD400 Digital Delay. – The TPK988 BASS TRIO features the BOD400 Bass Overdrive, for tube-like distortion and super-fat tone, the BLE100 Bass Limiter Enhancer and the BCH100 Bass Chorus. – The TPK989 KEYBOARD TRIO features the UT100 Ultra Tremolo, the UC200 Ultra Chorus and the FX600 Digital Multi-Effects pedals. For more information, please visit www.behringer.com This is a Press Release

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Yellow Jackets NOS Tube Converter

Modify your amp with the Yellow Jackets NOS Tube Converter, for use with EL34, 6L6, 7027 or 6V6 output tubes. Related Feature: Guitar Amp Attenuators These limited edition converters work with most amplifiers that are rated under 100 watts. It is designed to lower the overall power of your amplifier so you can squeeze out what the company describes as a unique vintage tone. This NOS (New Old Stock) Tube converter will turn your amp into an entirely different amplifier, by letting you use 6AQ5 vaccum tubes in amps that don’t have them. Since 6AQ5 tubes are smaller, this converter reduces the power of your amps. This new model is smaller compared to the other Yellow Jackets converters with EL84s, thus it will decrease the power even more. The Yellow Jackets YJNOS features a NOS 6AQ5 seven-pin miniature beam power tube. This particular power tube is said to be widely used in many vintage practice guitar amps of the ’50s era. It is also used within film projectors of the past. The designer of Yellow Jackets chose this because it is popularly used by DIY amp builders who convert vintage film projectors into guitar amps. Although it is electronically equivalent

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New Tube Converter from Yellow Jackets

Yellow Jackets have been manufacturing tube converters for over a decade and now they bring us their first new product introduction in years: the YJR which converts your 5U4, 5AR4 or 5Y3 tube to a solid state rectifier. It's easy to install and requires no adjustments to your amp. Yellow Jackets say the YJR improves your amplifier by giving you a tighter sound because it reduces the voltage sag in the amp's power supply. Hand made in the USA, the YJR is made in a gold plated tube socket and uses premium components for optimal quality and sound. Yellow Jackets are known for their high quality and ability to change the tone of your amplifier without the need of a technician. For more information visit yellowjacketstc.com Related Items: Yellow Jackets Tube Converters Website Update Come and see our roundup of affordable Tube Amps.  

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Design And Build Your Own Tube Guitar Amp

Why Tubes? If you’re not an electric guitar player or if you’re just starting out, you might ask why anyone would build anything with tubes. Aren’t vacuum tubes an obsolete technology? Well, yes and no. While tubes are no longer the technology of choice in the computer industry, they are very much alive and well when it comes to modern high-end guitar amplification. It is because of the electric guitar amp that vacuum tubes are still being manufactured today. Visit your local guitar store and take a peek at the rear side of the amps, you’ll most likely see a variety of glass tubes projecting from the amp chassis. Guitar amps with tubes are currently front and center in the high-end market because many guitar players find their sound characteristics to be superior to solid-state amps (i.e. amps with transistors as the main active electronic devices). Modern mass produced tube amps use printed circuit boards to connect components, but at the extreme high-end there are “boutique” amp builders who hand wire connections from point-to-point and select high quality components. Point-to-point wiring is how vintage guitar amps from the 1950’s and 60’s were wired and it’s a technique that allows for

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Blackbird Guitars releases the Ferrari Rider Carbon Fiber Travel Guitar

Inspired by the technology, style, and spirit of the famed Italian “supercar” manufacturer, Blackbird Guitars' brings you the limited-edition Ferrari-branded “Rider”. The ultra-rare Ferrari Blackbird guitars were sold at Ferrari Stores worldwide and signed by F1 drivers Philipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. Based on Blackbird Guitars' high-performance Rider travel guitar, it is the first instrument fit for the Ferrari namesake. Like Ferrari, it is a study in superlatives—among the most resonant, durable and lightest guitars in the world. The Rider travel guitar is compact enough to fit in the trunk of a sports car, but it plays and sounds like a much bigger instrument. It looks like nothing else on the market: sleek, black carbon fiber speaks to the high-tech materials and construction while the exclusive Maranello Red interior, accented red A string, and Ferrari Scuderia emblem highlights the passion of world-class Italian motoring. Blackbird Guitars blends traditional guitar-making with design and construction inspired by Formula 1 race cars. The guitar features a one-piece, hollow neck, carbon fiber construction—and a unique sound port at the head directly influenced by F1 race car design. The high-performance Ferrari pedigree is more than just show—designer and Blackbird founder Joe Luttwak worked for the

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Guitar Toilet Seats – Accessories Gone Mad?

Apparently Roy Rogers, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings all have these common. Thomas Crapper is the plumber who popularized the flush toilet in the west – however it took a mind much more inventive to conceive of the idea that a toilet should be guitar themed. Jammin’ Johns is the company responsible for these creations, and like the product itself, it took a strange path to get there… Marvin Maxwell, the ‘inventor’, first made a guitar from a toilet lid when he was young and wild. But then he matured and realized that he’d got the whole thing the wrong way round – what the world really needed were toilet seats made from guitars! Having had this epiphany, he did the only thing that would have occurred to anyone in his fortunate position – he asked his drummer, David Boone, to build a prototype. Needless to say, the prototype was a success, and to this day you can still buy them from their website, or one of the many dealers that stock them throughout the USA. They make their thrones look like guitar brands you are familiar with, but perhaps due to legal reasons, they don’t give them recognizable brand

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