Guitarsite News
Effectrode Helios Vaccum Tube Fuzz Pedal
Effectrode is now selling the new Helios Fuzz pedal, featuring tube gain stages followed by a crystal diode circuit. Related Feature:Effectrode Tube-Vibe Pedal Described as “Sunshine in a box”, this stompbox is designed to provide versatile fuzz tones that retain tube driven clarity. Helios Fuzz is built around hand-selected space-grade pencil tubes, which are then paired to N.O.S. point-contact crystal diodes. This allows the pedal to combine tube gain stages with a crystal diode asymmetric clipping circuit. The resulting is described as “incredibly warm and rich fuzzed guitar tone whilst preserving clarity and string-to-string definition.” The Pencil tubes, also called Subminiature tubes, were designed to control missiles during World War II. They had to be extra-ordinarily tough and manufactured to meet stringent inspections for reliability and safety. Since the tubes were built to survive severe shock, vibration, high altitude and high temperature – Effectrode knew that it could endure the typical punishment received by pedals. Effectrode further elaborates: “The Subminiature tubes represent the pinnacle of tube technology and offer more consistent musical performance than the early NOS germanium transistors. Effectrode is now utilizing these little tubes for peaceful purposes – to create extremely compact and tough little effects pedals!” To
Keeley Sojourner Fuzz Verb
Keeley Electronics releases the Sojourner Fuzz Verb, a fuzz and multi-reverb effect pedal in one stompbox package. Related Feature:Keeley Aurora Reverb Described as having a fat fuzz tone complemented by reverb soundscapes, this special combination is designed to provide players with a way to conjure unique dreamy tones and sonic textures. Fuzz and reverb is an interesting combination that goes beyond the usual partner for reverb, which is overdrive. To make it more interesting, the company also opted for a more complex and versatile type of reverb and instead of the usual basic reverb found on overdrive/reverb combo pedals and on amplifiers. According to the press release, Chief Engineer Robert Keeley and his team created a “first-in-class fuzz/reverb pedal that would allow players to create dreamy soundscapes of texture, color, and emotion with unique and innovative reverb sounds not heard before.” The new Keeley Sojourner’s two effect sections are based on one of their other pedals, albeit with some changes to better complement the mixing of fuzz and reverb for guitar. The fuzz circuit of the Sojourner Fuzz Verb is based on the company’s “Psi Fuzz” pedal, carrying with it Keeley’s highly modified take on the Op Amp Pi. The
JHS Muffuletta Distortion/Fuzz
JHS Pedals pay tribute to classic dirt pedal circuits with the new Muffuletta, a six-in-one distortion/fuzz effect unit. Related Feature:The Best Fuzz Pedals This pedal lets you conveniently switch between five modes that are based on classic Big Muff circuits, a sixth mode is also available featuring an original JHS fuzz voicing which further expands the tonal capabilities of this pedal. The Big Muff has definitely etched its mark in guitar history, and as such even competing manufacturers can’t help but to try to clone its sound. The latest of which is the Muffuletta, although this one brings with it an interesting twist where it packs multiple classic Big Muff tones. Instead of merely providing digital representations of the original tones that it is emulating, the Muffuletta utilizes all-analog circuitry that does not undergo any digital signal processing or emulation. This means that choosing a mode actually re-routes your signal to real components with actual settings and parameters based on the original units. According to the company, this non-digital approach results to more authentic sounding representations of the five classic Muff pedals that are simulated in this pedal. JHS chose five of the most sought after Big Muff circuits, featuring
Greer Super Hornet Octave Fuzz
Greer Amps announces that it is now shipping their new NOS-based circuit octave fuzz pedal called Super Hornet. Related Feature:Best Fuzz Pedals This pedal is based on a vintage “Foxx Tone Machine”, an old pedal that provides a distinct fuzz tone with octave effect, only this one is tweaked to the taste of the Greer Amps team. It is said that for a long time, the company has been looking to build a workhorse-worthy modded version of the original. And now that they have actually finished the design and production, they are happy and proud of the result. While it is indeed inspired by a vintage Foxx Tone Machine, Greer amps started from the ground up by taking the building blocks of the vintage circuit and tweaking it to their liking. This means that this pedal is not a mere replica, rather a modern reproduction with Greer’s own distinct twist to the design. Speaking of twists, the new Greer Super Hornet pedal features NOS BC-107B transistors, specifically added into the design to give this pedal a distinct voicing that’ll make it viable for today’s players, while still retaining the fuzz tone of the original. The company describes the resulting sound
BAE Audio Hot Fuzz
BAE Audio releases the Hot Fuzz pedal, a two channel pedal with ’70 style fuzz tone and a top boost circuit. Related Feature:Best Fuzz Pedals This release marks the company’s first ever production line guitar stompbox, an interesting break from their current line of DI boxes, equalizers, compressors and preamplifiers, all of which are built to old school specifications. The story goes that this pedal is the result of the personal quest of the company’s CEO, who himself is a guitarist who loves great guitar tones. Since he loved the sound of vintage treble boosters and ’70s era fuzz, he designed a way to combine the two effects in a compact stompbox that’s easy to use and operate. At first, Mark focused on getting the fuzz sound similar to the tones heard on songs from the ’70s. To do this he studied ’70s era fuzz circuits and developed a way to replicate their sound with a bit of polishing. The press release mentioned that they were able to pin point the actual components that give these old fuzz pedals their distinct voice, and this includes specialized transistors of which Loughman and his team have now found a way to replicate.
PRS 30th Anniversary SE Floyd Custom 24
PRS continues their 30th anniversary celebrations with the release of the new Commemorative SE Floyd Custom 24, equipped with Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo. Related Feature:PRS McCarty 2015 This expands the company’s popular and ever growing SE line, adding more shred and progressive style options to their already extensive line up of instruments. PRS has been coming up with more guitar lines, expanding their guitars to cover more affordable price points. In the midst of this expansion, the company does not neglect adding to the very popular SE line, especially since it helped the brand reach more guitarists and gain worldwide recognition, enabling them to compete with older and bigger guitar manufacturers. The 30th Anniversary SE Floyd Custom24, adds a commonly requested feature to their popular SE Custom 24 model, the Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo. This continues the company’s challenge to other affordable Floyd Rose equipped guitars that are available from metal and shred style friendly brands. They do so without going beyond their specialty, which is maintaining the aesthetic and sonic appeal of the PRS Custom 24 model. PRS SE Line Business Manager Doug Shive said, “The SE line continues to provide players worldwide with an affordable guitar
PRS SE Custom 22
PRS Guitars expand their popular SE guitar line with the SE Custom 22, providing vintage tone and feel at a more accessible price point. Related Feature:PRS SE Floyd Custom 24 This is part of the two latest SE guitars to come out of their production line, both of which follow after their popular 22 fret Custom 22 model, with the other one being a semi-hollow body version. The PRS SE line of instruments helped the company better propagate their brand by making their products accessible for players who are limited by their budgets. This gave the average guitarists a chance to own many of the company’s more popular guitar designs at a more modest price point. This time around, PRS has released the SE Custom 22, a more streamlined and cost-effective version of the popular Custom 22 model. According to the company, this guitar continues their legacy of ensuring each instrument meets their quality standards, while also fulfilling their current drive to provide more accessible alternatives for their main US-made guitar line. Like the original Custom 22, the SE version sports the same double cutaway shape that the company has made its own. The body is crafted from mahogany and
PRS SE 277 Semi-Hollow Soapbar
PRS Guitars introduces a new baritone electric guitar, the new SE 277 Semi Hollow Soapbar. Related Feature:PRS SE Standard Santana This chambered guitar is tuned B to B, which is two and a half steps below standard, giving it access to notes that sit between a bass guitar and a standard tuning guitar. The common use for electric baritone guitar in this age is to satisfy the down tuning needs of modern rock and metal players. Instead of having to tune down a few strings of a standard guitar, the SE 277 Semi-Hollow comes with low tuning by default and a thicker string gauge to compensate, giving you access to lower notes without the need to move away from familiar fingering. Since Baritone guitars are designed for low tuning, they have a different playing feel and easily stand out in a mix. PRS demonstrator Bryan Ewald expounds, “Guitarists can play them to add a different sound to the mix and to fatten up rhythm tracks. Bass players can use them to create texture and tonal tenacity.” And it’s not just limited to Baritone tuning because the guitar can work with various alternate tunings, specifically ones that require lower notes which
PRS CE 24
PRS continues to expand their electric guitar line with the new CE 24, featuring traditional bolt-on neck joint. Related Feature:PRS McCarty 2015 This guitar is part of Paul Reed Smith’s attempt at attracting guitarists who prefer the feel and response of bolt-on neck guitars, while still retaining the distinctive appeal and build quality that has made the brand popular. It’s interesting how the bolt-on neck design, which is found on so many electric guitars, is not a familiar sight on the PRS lineup. Looking at their current catalog, the CE 24 is just one of two bolt-on neck models, the other one being the Brent Mason signature. The original PRS CE was introduced back in 1988, and is only now making a come back after nearly a decade of being out of production. PRS Founder Paul Reed Smith said, “After 30 years of guitar making, we’ve learned a lot, and we have used all that knowledge to update our original CE bolt-on model. Most notably we updated its sound by adding our new 85/15 pickups which have more musical high end than the original ‘HFS’ pickups, and we also made it slimmer so it is very comfortable to play.” The
Vox SoundBox Mini
Vox introduces the SoundBox Mini, a portable multimedia player and instrument amplifier in one retro style package. Related Feature:Best Practice Amps This compact multi-purpose amplifier packs in a lot of features including built-in effects, multimedia and multi-instrument compatibility, and the ability to run on battery power. Although it looks more like an old school boom box than an amplifier, SoundBox Mini is a true portable guitar amp with a wealth of features. The amplifier section gives you up to 11 amplifier models that cover a variety of input sources. It covers essentials from clean tone to distorted sound for electric guitars and it includes modeled amps for acoustic guitar and bass. Flat response amplifier models are also available for plugging in keyboards and other audio devices. You can pick from a wide range of settings for whatever you want to plug-in. Aside from amp models, the new SoundBox Mini comes with a host of practical effects including compressor, flanger, chorus and tremolo. There are also four types of delay/reverb effects available and they come with a tap tempo switch. It even comes with a basic “E” note tuner for added convenience. Adding to the instrument input is an Aux in
Orange Dual Dark Amplifier Series – NAMM 2014
The new Dual Dark Amplifier is Orange Amps’ latest high-end offering, available in 50 Watt and 100 Watt versions. Related Feature:Orange Amps Blog As Orange puts it, these new amps showcase their innovative side, with features that include a built-in attenuator and a channel with a brand new voice. They were part of Orange’s big announcements at the 2014 NAMM Show. As expected, the dual channel amps carry the brand’s reputation for creating British tones, however Orange decided to shake things up by introducing a channel that has a completely new voicing never before heard on their lineup. Channel A reproduces this new sound, while Channel B takes with it the “Dark Terror” tone. The two channels can go from clean to crunch at lower gain settings, and can go higher with four stages of gain. The new Dual Dark series is said to provide the highest levels of gain that this brand has ever offered! Aside from the new voicing and extended gain, Dual Dark comes with footswitchable attenuators for playing at lower volumes while still driving the tubes. Dual Dark 50 can be switched to 25 or 50 Watts, while Dual Dark 100 offers more options – 100,
Blackstar Fly 3
Blackstar Amplification unveils the compact amplifier “Fly 3”, a 2-channel battery powered portable combo amp. Related Feature:Blackstar ID:Core Amplifiers This 3 Watt mini guitar amp is meant to compete with existing practice amps, carrying the company’s patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) tone shaping technology. Blackstar wanted this compact amp to be as close as possible to its bigger counterparts, so they have equipped it with all the essential features found on their bigger amps, only tweaked for smaller volume and with simplified controls. Blackstar Amplification’s Joel Richardson said, “We are really excited about the launch of Fly 3. Our initial concept was that just because it’s a mini amp, it doesn’t mean it has to be toy. We were able to achieve revolutionary sonic performance, so it sounds like a genuine amplifier.” Like its bigger brothers, the ISF knob will let you change the sound of Fly 3, allowing for a wide variety of overdriven tones. Just think of it as a specialized EQ that dramatically changes your tone from UK to USA gain, and up to modern rock and high-gain metal. As expected ISF is tweaked to give this small amp the sound of driven amps at smaller volumes.
Line 6 AMPLIFi – NAMM 2014
Line 6 unveils the new AMPLIFi amp series, featuring Bluetooth connectivity and multiple speaker configuration. Related Feature:Line 6 Now Under Yamaha This multi-purpose amp is packed with features, remotely controllable via iPad/iPhone and can double as a wireless bluetooth speaker. Its unique 5-speaker stereo design allows it to work both as a guitar amp and a hi-fi sound system. The slogan “The guitar amp, reinvented” may be a bit of an exaggeration, but AMPLIFi is true modern utility amp that many guitar players will appreciate. Paul Foeckler, CEO of Line 6, said “Eighteen years ago, Line 6 revolutionized the guitar amp market by releasing the world’s first modeling amplifier. And now we’re doing it again. AMPLIFi completely redefines the guitar amplifier, bringing together our customers’ musical and personal lives like no other device.” The new 5-Speaker stereo design used by Line 6 is unique in the amp market, it features two tweeters, two mid-bass drivers and a custom guitar speaker. This allows the amp to cover a wider frequency spectrum, essentially giving it the capabilities of a stereo powered speaker. This makes AMPLIFi ideal for guitar players that utilize digital amp modeling effects, while traditional players with analog gear can
Line 6 AMPLIFi TT
AMPLIFi is now available in a compact amp head format, Line 6 names this new release as the AMPLIFi TT desktop guitar processor. Related Feature:AMPLIFi Now Android Compatible This compact amp is meant to be a convenient portable alternative to the combo amp version, you can carry it around and easily connect it to existing home sound systems or guitar cabinets. This new release follows up on the success of Line 6’s AMPLIFi line of products. It all started with the release of a combo amp that has Bluetooth connectivity, the technology then jumped into a floor-based multi-effect pedal. Now the company is expanding the possibilities further by having the AMPLIFi features packed inside a compact tabletop unit. AMPLIFi TT is surprisingly very small for a full-featured amp, based on available images we can deduce that it is around the same size as compact audio interfaces. Its small size, versatility and bluetooth connectivity makes it ideal for on-the go musicians, allowing you to carry around a powerful amp and effects modeler and play your guitar through a wide variety of speakers, including hi-fi sound systems used at home. The same features found on the original AMPLIFi combo amp is packed
Free The Tone Ambi Space AS-1R Reverb Pedal
Japan based pedal manufacturer Free The Tone introduces the Ambi Space AS-1R, a 32-bit DSP based reverb pedal. Related Feature:Best Guitar Effect Pedals Going beyond your average reverb pedal, the powerful DSP and reverb options available make the Ambi Space AS-1R fully capable of being used as an outboard reverb unit for your music production needs. According to Free The Tone, this new pedal took a long time to develop, and required them to combine their experience and expertise with both analog and digital sound processing. Finally, the pedal is now almost ready for public consumption, and the company hopes that not only guitarists, but other musicians who are into recording will find it useful. To achieve studio quality reverb sound that you can precisely control, the company equipped this this reverb pedal with a 32-bit dual core main CPU and a 32-bit co-processor, all of which work together to perform high speed calculations to generate realistic reverb sounds comparable to more expensive rackmount effects. This increased processing power, allows the 32-bit DSP to produce natural sounding reverb, with the harmonic structure intact. The press release mentions that to achieve this, complex reverberation patterns are being added to the sound
Fender Limited Edition Rosewood Neck Telecaster
Fender unveils another limited edition American Standard Telecaster, this time featuring a solid rosewood neck. Related Feature:Fender American Standard Offset Telecaster This presents guitarists with a truly unique Telecaster, inspired by the sought after Rosewood Telecaster, albeit limiting the rosewood to just the neck to keep the price tag accessible. Much like the Les Paul for Gibson, Fender is not one to shy away from designing variations of the popular Telecaster design. The latest to come from this line is a limited run version with a 1-piece rosewood neck, and only 100 of this version will be produced. The main selling point for this limited run version is its rosewood modern “C” shape neck, which according to the press release subtly changes the tone of the Tele when compared to a regular maple neck version. Ofcourse this tone change is subject to debate and interpretation, but the feel and look of the neck will definitely different. The headstock also has the rosewood appearance, but it’s not clear if it’s just a veneer, or it’s also crafted from rosewood like the neck. The rosewood fingerboard has a standard scale length of 25.5″, a fingerboard radius of 9.5″ and a nut width
Fender Deluxe Nashville Tele
Fender introduces the Deluxe Nashville Tele, a versatile take on the classic Telecaster design featuring three pickups. Related Feature:Fender Deluxe Strat This guitar is part of Fender’s new Deluxe line of instruments, all of which meld modern enhancements with their timeless guitar designs, with the goal of spicing up your guitar playing and tone. Nashville is known for great music played by top notch musicians that can play various styles of music. And just as Nashville musicians are renowned for their pro skills, Fender attaches the Nashville label to this Telecaster to indicate its upgraded specs and performance. What sets this apart from the many Telecaster variations is its triple single coil pickup (SSS) configuration, featuring two Vintage Noiseless Tele pickups (Bridge and Neck position) and an extra Vintage Noiseless Tele pickup for the middle position. In essence, you are getting Stratocaster-like versatility with its 5-way pickup switching, while retaining the twang and growl expected from a Telecaster. Two knurled flat-top knobs let you control master volume and master tone. Fender expounds: “These pickups crank out rich, articulate tone, with the balanced string response, definition and twang you’ve come to expect from a genuine Fender instrument. Flexible five-way Strat-o-Tone pickup
Michael Kelly Mod Shop 55
Michael Kelly Guitars introduces the new Mod Shop 55, a modern recreation of Tele style guitar from the mid ’50s. Related Feature:Tyyster Pelti Sheet Metal Body Guitar This guitar is a custom version of the company’s top selling 1955 model, featuring Lindy Fralin pickups and other electronic modifications. It is now available on a built-to-order basis. While the original Michael Kelly 1955 model is already tricked out as it is, that didn’t stop the company from finding more ways to hot rod the guitar even further. And so they came up with the Mod Shop 55, the first model to come from their new Mod Shop line. The most notable difference that this custom order guitar has over the original version is the use of Lindy Fralin PAF style pickups. These pickups take the Tele style design beyond the expected single-coil twangy sound, covering vintage style rock and even modern metal friendly tones. On the neck position is a hand wound Mini humbucker, although it looks smaller, it features true dual coil hum-canceling design, giving it a warm tone that’s not expected from guitars of the same shape. The bridge pickup is a full size handwound humbucker, featuring PAF style
Michael Kelly Patriot Striped Ebony Guitar
Michael Kelly Guitars introduces the Patriot Striped Ebony, a limited run guitar with a distinct looking top. Related Feature:Best Electric Guitars Under $500 This guitar is part of the company’s Custom Collection, which is a special line of short-run instruments that feature special woods, inlays and hard-to-create specialty colors. The most notable feature of this guitar is the striped ebony top, which gives the instrument a distinct appearance. The availability of this guitar will depend on the accessibility of the special top, and as such it is only slated for limited release. And since this is not a production line instrument, each release will be slightly different, including the stripe patterns on the ebony top. This makes each Patriot Striped Ebony guitar a true one-of-a-kind instrument that can be used as is, or personalized even further.. Underneath the special striped ebony top is the stereotypical mahogany body carved into a modern single cutaway shape. A five-ply white-black binding is implemented on the top while the top is finished in elegant gloss to let the ebony stripes shine through. The guitar has a mahogany set neck following modern builds, and is topped by a rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets.
Michael Kelly CC50DLX Custom Collection 50 Deluxe
Michael Kelly introduces the Custom Collection 50 Deluxe guitar, featuring two single-coil sized humbuckers with 12 switchable voices. Related Feature:Best Electric Guitars Under $500 This guitar was brought about by an extended collaboration with Seymour Duncan, combining their Hot Rails pickup design with Michael Kelly’s 12-tone mod that allows a dual pickup guitar to have more tones available to it. This Tele style guitar is not your typical 3-voice instrument, because as mentioned above, the Custom Collection 50 Deluxe features push/pull knobs and a 4-way switch that lets you choose between a total of 12 distinct tones. This interesting combination of modern technology and vintage appeal results in a guitar that looks familiar, but can do some very interesting things. It starts off with a maple-bound alder body that’s finished in striped ebony, giving it an old school look that contrasts the modern circuit switching within. It follows the company’s 1950’s series single cutaway shape, complete with a black pickguard and traditional two knobs and one pickup switch design. However inside this seemingly conventional body design are mods that make this guitar do more. It houses two Seymour Duncan Hot Rail pickups that have the ability to switch between humbucking