Music is the universal language
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14
Norse Guitar Feeds
PRS Guitars Introduces Silver Sky Defender Color Collection Limited Editions
PRS Guitars today announced the Silver Sky Defender Color Collection, a series of eight limited-edition guitars designed in collaboration between PRS Signature Artist John Mayer and the British 4x4 brand. The lineup includes four classic Land Rover Defender colorways on the US-made Silver Sky and four contemporary Defender colorways on the SE Silver Sky. The US-made guitars will be limited to 500 of each color. The SE guitars will only be available during a limited order window, ending midyear 2027. These guitars can be preordered now through Authorized PRS Dealers.
“Teaming up with Defender to offer the Silver Sky guitar in their legendary 4x4 colors is a dream come true. I’ve always chosen colorways based on objects and materials that inspire me in the world, and as a collector and lover of Defenders, this collaboration is the perfect crossover between two great passions of mine,” said John Mayer.
The idea began with Mayer’s own Defender in the heritage color Arles Blue, which he has owned for nearly two decades. His appreciation for the distinctive colors offered by the brand has grown over the years. That inspiration has now found its way onto the Silver Sky in some unexpected details. The guitars’ plastics were chosen to complement two Defender configurations, with contrasting black or white roofs. The result is a collection of Silver Skys with a distinctly Defender-inspired point of view, bringing together two designs in a way that feels natural to both.
The PRS Silver Sky and the Defender are made to inspire exploration, whether through music or through terrain. They are also meant to demonstrate that design and color can combine to be a powerful expression of identity, individuality and personal taste.
“Defender’s iconic color palette, spanning both heritage and contemporary finishes, translates beautifully to the PRS Silver Sky Defender Limited Edition guitars. I have no doubt that collectors, musicians and Defender fans alike will be eager to get their hands on one of these highly desirable instruments,” said Paula Gharizi, Brand Director for JLR North America.
The Silver Sky Defender Limited Edition is offered in Defender’s heritage colors (with white pickguards and control knobs), celebrating the brand's rich heritage and the optimism, individuality, and character that has defined generations of classic vehicles. This set comprises four classic Defender finishes, starting with Mayer’s own Arles Blue Land Rover Defender. These guitars will have exclusive hard cases boasting the Defender wordmark, neckplates with the brand logo and that instrument’s color name called out, and matching painted headstocks. Only 500 of each color will be available worldwide.
- Arles Blue is inspired by open skies, coastal roads, and the freedom to take the long way home. A color to match the horizon, it harkens back to when adventure in a Defender became a destination in its own right
- Willow Green is a nod to Defender's rural beginnings, where muddy lanes and stone walls were part of the daily landscape, reflecting the fields, hedgerows, and muddy lanes where Defender earned its reputation.
- Portofino Red is warm, confident, and full of character; a reminder that utility and personality have never been mutually exclusive. It is a statement color reflecting a generation of owners who chose Defender as much for its bold character as its capability
- Sandglow Yellow is the color of adventure, desert dust and distant horizons. It is inspired by iconic Trophy and Challenge events of the past and the spirit of expedition travel that helped define Defender for a generation.
The SE Silver Sky Defender Limited Edition is offered in four Defender contemporary colors (with black pickguards and control knobs – a first for any Silver Sky model) inspired by landscapes and destinations that embody the spirit of exploration. Like the US-made versions, this set of colorways will have neckplates with the Defender logo and the color called out on them. These guitars will also have an exclusive PRS/Defender gig bag. Although the number of the SE instruments made will not be capped, they will only be available for order until midyear of 2027.
- Petra Copper takes its name from the ancient Jordanian city carved into rose-colored rock, translating natural stone hues into a refined metallic finish.
- Sedona Red draws inspiration from Arizona's dramatic sandstone formations, combining rich earthy reds with warm copper undertones.
- Carpathian Grey references the Carpathian Mountains, conveying ruggedness, scale and sophistication through a deep, sparkling grey.
- Woolstone Green connects modern Defender to both place and heritage, named after the Oxfordshire village while reinterpreting Defender's iconic green color space through a contemporary metallic finish.
Introducing the guitars in the automotive world ahead of the official launch, Defender hosted a preview of the guitars for select owners of the 4x4 during their September 11- 13, 2026 Destination Defender event in Temecula, Calif., a weekend of curated outdoor activities, drive experiences, live music, and a vehicle museum.
In addition to these runs, PRS will produce a small run of Silver Sky Defender Limited Editions in classic British Racing Green. Not available for purchase, these will be used as part of fundraising efforts for both the Defender Service Awards and John Mayer’s charity focused on veterans’ health, The Heart and Armor Foundation.
For all of the latest news, visit www.prsguitars.com and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
BOSS XS-100 Poly Shifter Review
For over a decade, the DigiTech Whammy has, more or less, owned foot-controlled pitch-shifting outright. There have been challengers. There have been contenders for the crown. But when the dust settles, in the imaginations of most, what one hears are Tom Morello’s dive-bombs, Dimebag’s squeals, and Jack White reminding everyone that a guitar pedal can also be a weapon. Boss, a company that can similarly dominate a category, is now dancing at the Whammy’s party. And it’s not messing around.
The XS-100 splits its personality in two. There’s a treadle-operated pitch bender that handles the Floyd-Rose-style dives and impossible upward screams, and a footswitch-operated transposer for down-tuning and virtual-capo duty. That’s a smart division of labor. You get expressive, real-time pitch-mangling under your toe, and instant, glitch-free re-tuning in an immediately adjacent position, without needing to choose which personality and functionality make the grade on your board.
When you add up the possible tones the XS-100 can span, the numbers are impressive. You can shift up to four octaves up or down via the rocker treadle. That’s eight octaves of total range, which I’d venture is more pitch-shifting range than most players will ever need. But if you’re inclined to experiment with the outer limits of your guitar, you’ll love having it. There are so many unusual, unexpected sounds here, in addition to scads of very musical, practical harmonizing and re-tuning capabilities too.
The sounds you can keep in memory are a huge asset too. Thirty slots are available, and can be scanned via the compact but practical LCD screen. MIDI and USB-C capabilities, meanwhile, extend the pedal’s possibilities for studio rats and committed pitch-shifting nerds to take the XS-100 to its furthest reaches.
Pitch in Practice
Here’s the thing about pitch shifters—the spec sheet is basically theater until you ask the real question: Does it track cleanly on chords? Polyphonic pitch-shifting has almost always demanded some kind of tone sacrifice in the shape of digital artifacts, and sustained leads and complex voicings tend to expose every weakness in an algorithm. Boss does its bit to solve the problem with what it calls Adaptive Focus—a fast processing method that uses high-resolution 24-bit conversion. In practice the payoff is pretty clear. The XS-100 preserves attack and tonal characteristics, even on full chords, without the warbly, seasick artifacts that plague lesser shifters. Whether you’re layering a full-step-up harmony under a lead line or dropping an entire chord progression down an octave for that “did the room just get bigger?” effect, the tracking stays glassy-smooth.
“The XS-100 preserves attack and tonal characteristics, even on full chords, without the warbly, seasick artifacts that plague lesser shifters.”
Does it top the Whammy? That depends what you’re after. The XS-100’s shifting often sounds cleaner and its range is wider. But it trades away some of the Whammy’s beloved knack for chaos and unpredictability. After all, the Whammy’s slight wildness is for many players a feature, not a bug. The XS-100’s detailed menu system also demands a bit more patience than the Whammy’s dead-simple stomp-and-go approach. The Boss is definitely a deeper tool, but that depth can come at the cost of intuitiveness. How you relate to those tradeoffs probably makes a trial run at your local shop a good idea. But with 30 presets, a genuinely sculptable balance control for blending dry and shifted signals, and that eight-octave range, the XS-100 gives serious players a lot more to work with once they’ve climbed the learning curve. With so much to explore, diving in blind could be a lot of fun for a lot of folks.
The Verdict
At $349, the XS-100 isn’t inexpensive. But it’s certainly not a novelty. It’s a legitimate, well-engineered challenger in a category where the Whammy stubbornly remains the standard. If you long for expressive dive-bombs, on-the-fly drop tuning, or harmonized leads that need to survive contact with a full chord voicing, the XS-100 can earn its keep. The Whammy cult is nothing if not loyal; the throne hasn’t necessarily changed hands. But for the first time in a long while, there’s a pitch pedal that can put up a real fight for it.
XS-100
Polyphonic Pitch-shift Guitar Pedal with LCD Screen, 30 Memory Slots, MIDI I/O, Dry-through, Expression Pedal, and Effect and Tune Down Controls
Mad Professor Launches Milestone Germanium Fuzz
Mad Professor Amplification has released the Milestone, a new germanium fuzz pedal inspired by vintage mixing consoles, reimagining the earliest fuzz sounds for the modern player.
The Milestone pedal is designed to stack well with other effects, with a dynamic and touch sensitive fuzz circuit and two band EQ for fine tuning your guitar tone. With its versatile EQ, the Milestone is also designed to sound great on bass guitar.
Milestone features a transformer circuit allowing the pedal to be placed after buffers or other pedals without changing the character of the fuzz or losing the touch sensitivity of the effect. This makes the Milestone the perfect fuzz for stacking with other pedals and opens the door for experimentation with unconventional pedal order.
- Germanium transistor fuzz pedal
- Dynamic and touch sensitive effect
- Two band EQ with Bass and Treble controls
- Transformer circuit to allow use after buffers or other pedals
- True-bypass switching
- 9-volt operation by external power supply (no battery compartment)
- Handmade in Finland
Milestone is part of Mad Professor’s handwired series handmade in Finland. The Milestone carries a street price of $370. For more information visit www.mpamp.com.
Why Queens of the Stone Age Still Matter
The longtime QOTSA multi-instrumentalist details and demos his new signature Squier Paranormal Troy Telecaster XII that's modeled after a Paul Waller Masterbuilt 12 he's had for a decade. In addition to recounting how a prototype survived a delivery truck rollover and riffing some of the quintessential 12-string Queens' songs, TVL explores the band's evolution resulting in their 9th album, Perfecth, releasing 10/30. Troy even dishes on the quintet's mission to age gracefully like Iggy Pop and share his surpringsly pragmatic reason for dressing dapper.
Why Queens of the Stone Age Still Matter
The longtime QOTSA multi-instrumentalist details and demos his new signature Squier Paranormal Troy Telecaster XII that's modeled after a Paul Waller Masterbuilt 12 he's had for a decade. In addition to recounting how a prototype survived a delivery truck rollover and riffing some of the quintessential 12-string Queens' songs, TVL explores the band's evolution resulting in their 9th album, Perfecth, releasing 10/30. Troy even dishes on the quintet's mission to age gracefully like Iggy Pop and share his surpringsly pragmatic reason for dressing dapper.
Cort Guitars Announces the Retro 304 Short-Scale Bass
Cort Guitars has officially unveiled the Retro 304, a new short-scale bass guitar scheduled for June 2026 production. Developed for players seeking the specific feel and tonal character of a 30-inch scale instrument, the Retro 304 combines traditional material choices with streamlined controls. By focusing on reduced string tension and a deliberate vintage-voiced output, Cort aims to provide a serious tool for both long recording sessions and live performances where ease of playability is paramount.
The Retro 304 is built with a solid alder body, a choice intended to bring warmth and resonance to the instrument's fundamental character. The body is finished in a high-gloss coating available in two classic color options: Seafoam Green (SFG) and Candy Apple Red (CAR). This construction serves as the foundation for a bass designed to deliver a warm low-end and defined attack, ensuring the instrument holds up across a variety of playing situations.
The bolt-on neck is constructed from hard maple, featuring a comfortable "U" shape and a matte finish for a smooth feel. With a 30-inch (762mm) scale length, the instrument provides less string tension, helping reduce player fatigue during long practices or performances. The rosewood fingerboard has a 9.5-inch radius and houses 20 nickel silver frets, which are selected for their durability and wear resistance. Other neck specifications include a PPS nut with a width of 1 5/8” (41mm) and white dot position inlays.
At the heart of the Retro 304’s electronics is the Cort Voiced Tone VTB-TB pickup. This passive humbucker pickup is specifically voiced to avoid a generic sound, instead offering a deliberate vintage character that emphasizes a defined attack. To keep the player’s focus on performance rather than complex signal management, the control layout is intentionally minimal, featuring a single volume knob and a single tone knob.
Rounding out the specifications is a suite of chrome hardware, including the Cort Retro Bridge, which anchors the instruments sustain while keeping a consistent vintage aesthetic. Keeping with the retro vibe, the bass is equipped with open-gear tuners and features a 2-way adjustable truss rod with a spoke nut for easy maintenance. The Retro 304 comes factory-strung with D'Addario EXL170S strings.
For more information on the Retro 304 and to view more images, please visit www.CortGuitars.com
Letter from the Editor | Acoustic Guitar, Fall 2026 Issue 359
“There should be a star in front of three clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu over the set list!”: David Lee Roth jokes about his tumultuous relationship with Alex Van Halen
![[L-R] David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/David-Lee-Roth-Alex-Van-Halen@2000x1500.jpg)
Though one of the most influential rock bands of all time, the Van Halen camp hasn’t been without its conflict through the years. Following the death of guitarist Eddie Van Halen in 2020, much talk was made about a potential Van Halen tribute tour. But in 2024, drummer Alex Van Halen claimed plans fell apart after David Lee Roth objected to an overt acknowledgement of Eddie during the shows. “The moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave fuckin’ popped a fuse…” he said.
But tensions seem to have settled as of late, with both Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth putting aside their differences to sit down for a conversation thanks to TEDxFargo. The conversation itself actually took place on 30 July this year in Fargo, North Dakota, but has just been uploaded to YouTube.
As David Lee Roth explains, during the Van Halen years, what seemed like a harmonious performance onstage would often mean chaos backstage.
“We never showed behind the kitchen,” Roth says. “These are the first times Al and I are discussing Hell’s Kitchen in the back…”
He continues, elaborating on the times he and Alex have come to blows behind the scenes: “There should be a star in front of three different clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over the setlist!”
Elsewhere, Sammy Hagar, who took over from David Lee Roth as Van Halen frontman in 1985, recently spoke of his desire to stop “being the Van Halen guy”, after years of touring his Best of All Worlds tour alongside Joe Satriani and Michael Anthony.
“I’m kinda done with being the Van Halen guy,” he said. While he vowed to “always keep some [Van Halen tracks]” in his show, he reflected on how the Best of All Worlds trek evolved into a bigger thing than he had originally planned.
“Originally, the Best of All Worlds tour with Joe Satriani was supposed to only be once in 2024,” he said.
Watch the full TEDxFargo conversation between Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth below:
The post “There should be a star in front of three clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu over the set list!”: David Lee Roth jokes about his tumultuous relationship with Alex Van Halen appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Two Notes Introduces Captor X Pro
T-Rex RoomMate D’Luxe review – a trusty all-round reverb pedal is reborn for the modern era
$299/£249/€299/, t-rex-effects.com
Nobody really needs a reverb pedal – for authentic ambience, simply do all your guitar playing in an empty swimming pool or disused cathedral. There is, however, an obvious advantage to harnessing the power of digital processing to make reverb more practical, and one of the first pedals to do that successfully was the T-Rex Room-Mate.
This tube-driven unit first came out around 20 years ago, but it’s been out of production for a while. Is that because it was struggling to keep up with rivals that came along later offering more modes, more controls and more dreamy epicness? Quite possibly… and so here, on a mission to fix those shortcomings (and remove a hyphen), comes the RoomMate D’Luxe.
What is it?
The hyphen has gone and the enclosure has changed from white to blue, but in some ways the D’Luxe model picks up right where the second version of the original Room-Mate left off. It’s still a fairly compact reverb pedal with stereo output and a full-size preamp valve at its heart. But the main difference is a significant one: a doubling of effect modes, from four to eight.
So you’re getting long and short springs, a plate, two rooms, two halls and – replacing the old ‘reverb plus chorus’ sound – a hall with octave-up shimmer. You’re also getting a new knob, marked ‘optional’, that does different things in different modes: it controls low-end damping for the two spring effects, adds a pre-delay in the next five, and sets the level of the octave in shimmer mode – something that can also be controlled using an expression pedal.
The other knobs are standard fare – decay time, reverb level, master volume and tone – plus input gain, for making sure you don’t overload the unit when it’s plugged in at the end of a mile-long chain of overdrives, fuzzes and boosters. Mind you, since when was overloading a tube something to be avoided?
Oh, one more point to note before we enter the virtual cathedral: while most T-Rex pedals these days are manufactured in China, this one – like newcomer the TwinBlaze that I’ve already reviewed and the FuzzTopia – is made in the company’s home country of Denmark. That doesn’t necessarily make it a better product, but it’s good news for the purists and anyone who’s not keen on outsourcing in principle.
Image: Adam Gasson
Usability and build quality
When a pedal has eight modes and six control knobs, the first thing you might be looking for is some sort of preset switch. With the RoomMate D’Luxe, you might as well look for a bottle opener, because this thing is strictly manual. Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, as it’s a simple device at heart – and how many different reverb sounds does the average guitarist need to have at hand?
The control markers glow yellow when the unit is engaged, which will be easy to spot even on the darkest of stages, and the one above input gain turns orange when it’s overloaded. There’s also a warm glow from the JJ ECC83S valve, even in bypass, but this is actually coming from an LED at its base. Now, that might make you think it’s only there for show – not least as T-Rex doesn’t quote an operating voltage – but the pedal runs on a 12v power supply (included) and draws over 600mA of current according to the manual, so my guess is it’s cooking at the same 250v as the original.
Image: Adam Gasson
Sounds
Here’s a sizzlingly hot take for you: lots of people like to play guitar in stereo, but nobody likes to listen to guitar in stereo. I don’t know if there’s a solution to that paradox, but I am glad the RoomMate D’Luxe is stereo if only for the self-indulgent joy of plugging into two amps and basking in the gigantic space between them. And besides, it also has stereo inputs so it’s not limited to us guitarists and our silly little monophonic plink-sticks.
So let’s just get this out of the way: it sounds great in stereo, but I’ll be doing most of my testing in a one-amp setup because that’s how most people are likely to end up using the pedal. And luckily, it also sounds great in mono.
The spring algorithms are up first, and they’re both totally convincing. At matched settings there’s actually no obvious difference in decay time between the two, but the ‘long’ version is a little smoother and mellower. The plate is smoother still, as you’d expect, and this might be your first port of call if you’re not actively seeking the wobbliness of a spring: it’s just a really nice reverb, nuff said.
I’ve never really seen the appeal of room reverbs – who wants to emulate bad acoustics? – but the two here are certainly realistic. It’s in the three hall modes, though, that the fun really begins – and where you might well want to wheel out that second amp for stereo immersion. There’s no audible modulation on offer, so it never goes as richly celestial as something like the OBNE Dark Star Stereo or Strymon NightSky, but for pure hugeness this is all the reverb you’ll ever need.
The shimmer effect is on the assertive side, and can get shrill at times, but that’s easily fixed by dialling down the mix and/or the tone… and that brings us to the real strength of this pedal: its tweakability. T-Rex has put that high knob count to smart use, bringing total control over every aspect of the effect so you can get it sitting exactly where you want it in every mode.
That’s most strikingly true of the input gain. Keep this down around 11 o’clock for textbook clean effects, but if you slam it towards maximum the reverbs take on a pushy intensity that makes everything feel that much more exciting. And no, I never did get it to distort – but you can use the output volume for a nice boost on the way out.
Image: Adam Gasson
Should I buy one?
T-Rex has done what it needed to do to bring the RoomMate up to date with the 2026 reverb market. The result is a strong contender that covers all the key varieties while offering excellent audio quality and, above all, supreme tonal versatility.
This is not a dedicated ambient soundscaping tool – its heart lies somewhere more traditional than that – but it is a fine all-rounder, at a good price for something that’s been made in Europe by a company with real pedigree. If T-Rex really is going back to boutique, this is a very encouraging sign of what’s to come.
Alternatives
At the top of this review I mentioned rival reverb pedals with “more modes, more controls and more ethereal epicness” than the old Room-Mate. Well, let’s run through some of them. Among your most obvious options are the Boss RV-6 ($153.99/£169), Neunaber Immerse ($269/£269) and Strymon BlueSky V2 ($379/£359), while a relatively newer contender offering pristine audio quality is the UAFX Golden Reverberator ($399/£379).
The post T-Rex RoomMate D’Luxe review – a trusty all-round reverb pedal is reborn for the modern era appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
BOSS Announces The EX-4 Effects Expander
Vox Amplification Introduces the AC Mini Amplifier
Vox Amplification announces the release of the AC MINI, a compact and affordable 10-watt guitar amplifier designed to bring the feel, look, and tone of the iconic AC Series into smaller playing environments. Developed by the same engineering team behind the acclaimed Vox AC Hand-Wired Series, the AC MINI addresses the needs of home players, practicing musicians, and songwriters who require authentic amp response at manageable volumes without navigating complex digital menus.
At the heart of the AC MINI is an all-analog, 10-watt solid-state architecture powered by the newly developed Vox Dynamic Response Circuit. Pushing sound through a single 3-inch Vox original 8-ohm speaker, the amplifier is engineered to replicate the dynamic response, natural compression, and rich harmonic characteristics typically associated with classic tube amps. The all-analog design ensures that the amplifier delivers sound with real body and presence.
The tone-shaping section centers on an intuitive, two-channel control panel modeled after traditional Vox AC layouts. The analog circuit is designed to preserve the natural character of different pickups, from single coils to humbuckers, and responds dynamically to pick attack and guitar volume adjustments. For additional gain and sustain, an onboard BOOST switch pushes the preamp into expressive overdrive, introducing harmonic overtones while maintaining musicality across the full sweep of the controls.
For spatial effects, the AC MINI features an onboard digital reverb specifically developed and voiced by the Vox engineering team. Designed after extensive analysis and critical listening, the reverb emulates the warmth, subtle movement, and character of a classic spring reverb tank, adding natural depth and sustain to the signal.
The top control panel provides a direct 6.35 mm (1/4 Inch) instrument input jack alongside a 3.5 mm stereo mini-phone AUX input and a 3.5 mm stereo mini-phone headphone output. The AUX input allows players to connect to a smartphone, tablet, or external audio device to play along with backing tracks, while the dedicated headphone output enables quiet practice sessions. The unit operates via an included DC 12V AC adapter (1A current consumption, 12 Watts power consumption).
Housed in a wood cabinet with a bass-reflex porting design, the enclosure leverages the material’s balanced mass and natural resonance to optimize low-end response and overall frequency balance. Measuring 221 × 125 × 180 mm (8.70˝ × 4.92˝ × 7.09˝) and weighing 1.8 kg (3.97 lbs.), the amplifier sports classic Vox aesthetic hallmarks, including a traditional split-front cabinet design, diamond grille cloth, and a gold Vox logo.
Street Price: $99.99 USD
For more information, please visit www.voxamps.com
Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 171
Skip is back from a long-overdue road trip and has tales to tell and amps to fix. We also hear about the Fretboard Summit’s vintage amp room (watch that baby Leslie video), Christopher Guest in the new Fretboard Journal and so much more.
New Truth About Vintage Amps discount from Amplified Parts on all Apex matched-tube products: TAVAAPEX10 gets you a one-time discount of 10% off Apex products now through October 31, 2026. Stock up! https://www.apexmatching.com
Thank you to our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
2:21 Skip hits the road to Pendleton, Oregon and Spokane, Washington: White’s Boots (link); the Pendleton Roundup (link); Kirishian rug cleaning (Instagram)
17:22 Why do DC-powered amps need a vibrator, explained!
21:37 Summit recap from Brian McAllister (follow him on Instagram); more Skip road trip highlights
27:01 Figuring out the taper on NOS pots, how does the hum control work on my Bell Pacemaker PM10?, and jalapeno salsa
34:00 I want a tweed 5F1 Champ: Should I build one or buy one?
37:59 What should I do with this Peavey Classic? Ludwig, the TV series
44:54 A wild K&F pickup restoration story (find it on our Patreon)
45:33 Putting a harmonica mic into a guitar?
48:53 Amp tech knowledge gaps; Uncle Doug and cheap solder (YouTube video), Solder Smoke Remover (Amazon link)
56:02 Vintage Sound 50; a potential guest Peter Miller?
1:02:23 Help for my Harmony H306A; 7408 power tubes
1:07:40 Paul Simon guitarist Mark Stewart (Wikipedia); more roadtrip talk (Hwy 395); Christopher Guest in the Fretboard Journal 60 (order it here)
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Above: Listener Bernie’s Bogen Pacemaker PM10.
The post Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 171 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
Sole Power Pedal Reviews
Electro-Harmonix EHX Percolator Review
The InterFax Harmonic Percolator HP-1 circuit revealed its magic to me over a long period of time. Like just about everyone, I’ve never played an original. And when I finally encountered a reproduction at a recording session, it was the wrong pedal at the wrong time. I walked away from it vaguely disappointed and moved onto other things. Luckily for me, though, I came to be a colleague of Premier Guitar editor Joe Gore. Joe’s simple guidance for navigating the Harmonic Percolator lit the way to loving the circuit.
Daredevil Double Cocked Review
A lot of players spin magic and craft signature tones from a cocked wah. (For those that don’t know, the cocked wah sound is that honking, mid-rangey, filtered tone that you get when you park a wah pedal at a specific angle and leave it there to do its dirty work.) Frank Zappa did it. Mick Ronson did it. So did Michael Schenker. And for the last decade, Matt Pike of High on Fire and Sleep—a man whose entire tone philosophy seems to be “louder, and also weirder”—used various versions of Daredevil’s Atomic Cocked circuit to do that job.
Beetronics Seabee Lite Review
If you’ve never played a Beetronics pedal, the company’s extroverted design ethos might seem like a style-before-substance exercise. Nothing could be further from the truth. For starters, Beetronics’ wares are genuinely substantial in terms of quality. The brand is also inventive—and more than a little irreverent at times—when it comes to sonics.
Old Blood Noise Setback Review
I have to resist reverse delay like most have to resist ice cream. A totally uninhibited version of myself would probably record multiple box sets’ worth of reverse-delay-based music given the chance. Old Blood's Setback reverse delay makes a project of that scope seem totally possible, too.
Keeley Tube Drive Review
When I see an overdrive powered by a real tube, I’m predisposed to think about all those things that you associate with glowing tubes and overdrive—low-to-medium gain, warm, toasty, maybe even mellow tones. Keeley’s Tube Drive (which was originally issued in a limited edition of 100 fitted with 76-year-old Sylvania 12AT7s) dishes drive tones that are all those things, and sounds beautiful doing it. But the Tube Drive is made up of two sections. One is powered by a 12AX7 (alas, no ultra-rare antique tubes in this version.) The other is Keeley’s Phat Mod, a riff on the JFET Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, another circuit regarded as warm and responsive. Together, though, the two drive circuits expand each other’s range exponentially—right up to wicked saturated sounds that make a low-wattage combo more akin to a big British stack.
Mile End Effects Sofort, Si Fort Review
Mile End Effects does not do “subtle.” From art to enclosure to audio, Montreal builder Justin Cober’s pedals make big, bold statements. Even against a lineup of effect units that look and sound like Cold War-era machines of destruction, his latest creation, the Sofort, Si Fort, might just be the most devastating yet: a two-in-one design that combines a Sovtek Big Muff and Ampeg Scrambler elements.
Strymon Canoga Review
The Strymon name is commonly associated with fully featured, and sometimes complex, digital pedals. But if the company’s new analog endeavors are something of a surprise, they are already yielding promising results. The new Canoga fuzz emanates from some down-time/chill-out projects built by CEO and chief analog engineer Gregg Stock about a decade ago. But now it’s very real, and one of the first offerings from Strymon’s new all-analog, U.S.-built, Series A lineup.
Walrus Audio Highpoint Review
For some players, compression, and compression pedals, are exciting at a level just above a tuner or volume pedal—essential in some cases, but not the kind of thing that gets the blood pumping. For others, compression is an essential facet of their sound, perhaps even the core of it. For these players, the differences between compressors are meaningful and consequential, and separate a true creative device from a joyless, utilitarian tool. Walrus Audio’s Highpoint is more likely to appeal to players who see the painterly possibilities in a compressor. As an optical comp, it offers the smooth, fuzzy, non-linear glow that makes a good opto sound less sterile and bossy than a voltage controlled or FET compressor. It also has a control set that can get surgical. The $349 price reflects the pedal’s power and flexibility, and signals that this isn’t one for compression casuals. But while committed comp nuts might find the most to love here, less experienced users might be very surprised and impressed by what an asset the Highpoint can be.
Dominion Electric Filmotone Review
Aaron Sabourin runs Dominion Electric Effects Co., out of Ottawa, Ontario, as a one-man show, building effects using pricey, vintage parts when his day job permits him to. His Faceless Fuzz and Soul Power—inspired by the Fuzz Face and Hendrix’s screaming tone at Fillmore East circa 1970, respectively—are top-shelf recreations of common circuits that have been around for a long time. But it’s Sabourin’s commitment to using premium components in bomb-proof builds that make his pedals so coveted. His latest design, the Filmotone, strays a little further from the guitar-tone canon: It’s an effect pedal designed to approximate the sound and dynamic feel of a single-transistor preamp wrenched from the guts of a Bell & Howell Filmosound film projector.
Vox VFZ-1 Fuzz Review
In design and engineering terms, a vintage fuzz is a comparatively basic thing. And most of the earliest vintage fuzzes evolved from common ancestry. But as we’ve discovered in the intervening years, even small differences in a simple design can mean profound shifts in performance and personality.
Tsakalis AC Master Review
Amp-in-a-box pedals are a world unto themselves these days, spanning everything from digital simulations to discrete analog versions of amp topologies. Tsakalis AudioWorks of Piraeus, Greece takes the latter approach with their new AC Master. But here they couple a vintage AC30-based channel with a circuit inspired by the Dallas Rangemaster treble booster. As any fan of Brian May or Rory Gallagher will tell you, that’s a recipe that approaches perfection. But the AC Master’s tone-shaping power doesn’t stop with the addition of the treble booster. The pedal’s amp section also features approximations of an AC30’s top boost and normal channels, which can be blended with each other to create more complex drive textures. It all adds up to an impressive and varied array of Vox-style sounds in a single pedal.
Supercool Pedals Spritz! Saturator Review
Supercool Pedals, based in Peterborough, Ontario, released the original Spritz compressor, a simple 2-knob pedal, back in 2022. Earlier this year, builder Jamie Muir overhauled that design and released the Spritz! Saturator, adding a “tube simulation” overdrive circuit with its own discrete controls in addition to the familiar dual-knob setup. Like its titular drink on a hot summer afternoon, the Spritz! Saturator is a refreshing, invigorating treat.
EarthQuaker Scrolls Bass Odyssey Review
I thought I had everything a gigging bassist could possibly need. I usually get a pretty solid bass tone, the players and clients I engage with generally like it, and I tend to feel pretty good about my EQ choices. Some instruments I like to run direct, without much tonal color. Others I run through an amp, where I can get plenty of it. Between the two, I figured I had any session covered.
Jackson And Phil Collen Collaborate With New Pro Series Signature PC1-E
Jackson introduces the Pro Series Signature Phil Collen PC1™-E, the latest chapter in a nearly four-decade collaboration with Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen. Since debuting his first Jackson signature model in 1989, Collen has developed four distinct signature instruments with Jackson, each evolving alongside his playing and creative needs. The new PC1-E marks the next evolution of Collen’s longtime PC1 and brings the model to the Pro Series for the first time.
“Being relic’d, my signature PC1-E is worn in, but it is definitely not worn out,” said Phil Collen, Jackson signature artist. “It has many of the qualities of my vintage PC1s, like the pickup, compound radius fingerboard and Floyd Rose, wrapped in a beautiful aesthetic that delivers. I’m loving it, and I can’t put it down.”
As one of Jackson’s longest-standing signature artists, Collen’s relationship with the brand has evolved alongside his career, spanning instruments including the Phil Collen PC Archtop, PC1, Custom Shop PC Supreme and PC1 Ninja. Each has reflected Collen’s evolving needs as a player, with the new Pro Series PC1-E marking the latest chapter in that collaboration. This model brings key elements of his longtime signature instrument to the Pro Series for the first time and reflects Jackson’s ongoing commitment to making premium, artist-driven instruments accessible to guitarists at every level. The launch follows another milestone for Collen and Def Leppard, who were recently honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Phil is one of Jackson’s longest-standing artists and has played an important role in our history,” said Jon Romanowski, VP of Product, Jackson. “Our relationship has always been truly collaborative. Phil regularly visits the factory to work with our team as his instruments continue to evolve, and he’s become part of the DNA of Jackson over nearly four decades. The PC1-E is a meaningful next chapter in that relationship, bringing his signature instrument to a new generation of players.”
The Pro Series Signature Phil Collen PC1-E is engineered for players looking to channel Collen’s rock legacy. Featuring a road-worn finish, this is Collen’s first signature available outside the Custom Shop, bringing his sound to a wider range of players.
Key features include:
- Floyd Rose® 1000 Series Tremolo – For Phil’s dive bombs and string bends, the Floyd Rose delivers unwavering tuning stability.
- PC1 Sustainer Driver Neck Pickup with 18V Battery System – Available at the flip of a switch, this feature powers Phil’s live performances, letting him sustain notes indefinitely for expressive depth in every solo.
- Genuine Mahogany Body – Infuses Phil Collen’s signature guitar with a warm, resonant tonal foundation, providing the durability he needs to deliver consistent tone night after night on tour.
- Black Distressed Finish with Gold Hardware – This road-worn aesthetic with gold hardware adds a striking contrast on stage.
Pro Series Signature Phil Collen PC1™-E (MSRP: $2,199.99 USD, £1,699 GBP, €1,999 EUR, $3,499 AUD, ¥330,000 JPY) Phil Collen has wielded Jackson since 1986, and the Pro Series PC1™-E carries on the legacy of his landmark PC1 Dinky® — one of Jackson's first artist collaborations. Features a mahogany body, caramelized maple neck with graphite reinforcement and ebony fingerboard with compound radius and 24 jumbo frets. Loaded with a DiMarzio® X2N® bridge humbucker, DiMarzio Sugar Chakra™ middle and the PC1 Sustainer Driver (18V) for infinite sustain. Push-pull coil splitting, Floyd Rose® 1000 Series tremolo with locking tuners, black distressed finish with gold hardware and foam core case included.
BOSS Releases EX-4 Effects Expander
BOSS announces the EX-4 Effects Expander, a powerful compact effects processor that infuses any pedalboard setup with a massive boost in sonic versatility. Modern players carefully curate their pedalboard builds, and every slot must earn its place. Offering a large selection of classic BOSS effects in a space-saving design, there’s no better utility pedal than the EX-4. It’s ideal for musicians who love to experiment with effects, and an essential toolbox for anyone who needs to cover many songs/styles or build professional sounds on the fly.
The EX-4 delivers up to four simultaneous effects from a vast onboard library. Every major category is available among the 120 effect selections, including overdrive and distortion, modulation, delay, and reverb, as well as bass-tuned effects and unique BOSS favorites like Slow Gear and Slicer. Dedicated utility blocks can be placed anywhere within an effect chain—including foot volume, two noise suppressors, send/return, and divider/mixer—and there’s also a global EQ for overall sound shaping.
The EX-4’s Gear Suite feature makes it quick and easy to call up ready-to-go sounds. Each effect type comes with multiple pre-made Gear Suite settings with professionally tuned parameters, all available with the turn of a knob. It’s also possible to edit effect parameters and save favorites in user locations for instant access to personalized setups.
A full color 2.4-inch display provides clear viewing of the full effect signal chain, individual effect blocks, editing options, menus, and more. Four dedicated FX buttons allow users to turn effect blocks on/off with a single press and access editing parameters with a long press. In addition, the FX button colors match each effect's display colors for easy identification.
The EX-4 features rugged dual-function footswitches that can be custom-configured system-wide or per memory, with assignments that include effect block on/off, memory up/down, master bypass, tap tempo, and more. A newly designed color LED system surrounds the footswitches, allowing users to clearly identify current footswitch functions while performing.
Four audio jacks provide mono or stereo connectivity, with the option to use two jacks as an effect loop to place external pedals anywhere within the EX-4's effect chain. Two footswitches or an expression pedal can be connected for more real-time control, while low-profile TRS MIDI I/O unlocks deep integration with other MIDI pedals, switching systems, and external clocking devices.
To learn more about the EX-4, visit www.boss.info.
Availability & Pricing The BOSS EX-4 will be available in October for $299.99.
Boys Noize Announces New Album 7LLUSION Release Nov. 6, 2026 Via Ones & VIA ONES and ZEP
Press Release
Source: Gold Atlas
Many have said, Boys Noize is on a “generational run,” but this is inaccurate. Yes, there was a world tour with Nine Inch Nails last year, Boys Noize’s co-production of the TRON: Ares soundtrack, and the top-billed, critically exalted Coachella debut of the artists’ collaborative project Nine Inch Noize before the drop of their self-titled LP. That was in April. Then came a summer of non-stop Boys Noize performances in clubs and festival main stages on multiple continents.
What’s next, however, complicates things.
Boys Noize will release 7LLVSION – his first solo album in five years – this fall, with the ZEP-fronted single “1+1+1” announcing its arrival. Expect the full 7LLVSION album track listing to come shortly, but besides ZEP, other artist features include Brutalismus 3000, Taichu, Maya Alkhatari, Abra etc..The track “1+1+1” drives an intimidating, key-shifting EBM bassline over a hyperactive new wave backbeat, a sound both positively fresh and decidedly analogue, occupying an uncanny valley between raw and processed, past and future. Rather than being the default metronome, four-on-the-floor kicks arrive to signal the transition from mosh pit to dancefloor with electrifying results.
After exploding out of Rotterdam’s underground scene, Dutch artist and multi-instrumentalist ZEP has built a rapidly expanding world of precision-tuned chaos. Here, ZEP is the industrial ringmaster, the tone of his voice shifting with unpredictable urgency as he snarls, wails, and shouts. The lyrics allude to a guest list gone wild, but “1+1+1” also suggests the duo is greater than the sum of their parts. Add it up, and you get a track that sounds like no one – and nothing – else.
With “1+1+1” offering a taste of what the 7LLVSION LP will bring, it’s clear that Boys Noize is on a multi-generational run. Then again, hasn’t he always?
ABOUT BOYS NOIZE:
Boys Noize (Alex Ridha) is a singular figure in 21st-century electronic music culture. The German-Iraqi artist, DJ, producer, and composer embraces and transcends contradictions—a cross-genre bridge-builder respected by techno purists, and a global headliner who never left the underground. Ridha is masterful on the decks and inimitable in the studio, crafting songs for strikingly diverse talents including A$AP Rocky, Bon Iver, Frank Ocean, Arca, Virgil Abloh, Lady Gaga, and Brutalismus 3000. He has been featured alongside Keinemusik, Shygirl, Kelsey Lu, Rico Nasty, and VTSS; remixed Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Miley Cyrus, Tame Impala, The Chemical Brothers, and A.G. Cook; and scored the hit German hacker film Who Am I (2014), Oliver Stone’s Snowden (2016), and the forthcoming Replacer, starring Halsey. He co-founded the duo Octave Minds with Chilly Gonzales, and actively produces and performs with Skrillex as Dog Blood.
ZEP & Boys Noize
For Ridha, this long, accomplished career was merely the foundation for something bigger. In 2025 and 2026, Boys Noize performed alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross throughout Nine Inch Nails’ Peel It Back tour, and co-produced the near-entirety of the TRON:Ares soundtrack, including the GRAMMY® Award-winning single “As Alive As You Need Me To Be.” The trio’s collaboration was formalized with the announcement of Nine Inch Noize, debuting with a top-billed, viral Coachella set that SF Gate called “one of the festival’s greatest performances of all time.” The Nine Inch Noize LP was released the same week to critical acclaim. Perhaps Pitchfork’s review said it best: “Every song on the album slaps.”
As a solo artist, Boys Noize continues to be an active presence in the culture, with his eighth solo album 7LLVSION arriving in the fall of 2026. Throughout his rise from clubs to festivals to stadiums, Ridha has ceaselessly supported the underground through his labels Boysnoize Records and the recently launched ONES and ZEROS, focusing on a new generation of global talent from the Global North and South alike. His punk ethos has kept him fully independent, raw talent keeps him in-demand, and obsession keeps him future-proof. No other artist traverses musical worlds like Boys Noize, and while his sound cannot be replicated, his formula is simple: embrace everything, compromise nothing.
ABOUT ZEP:
ZEP is a Dutch artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his raw energy, boundary-pushing sound, and uncompromising DIY ethos. Emerging from Rotterdam’s underground rave scene, where he built a devoted following through his independently organized “FUGAZZI” parties, the drummer, DJ, and producer turned singer-songwriter has developed a singular style that fuses rap, punk, hardcore, techno, and R&B into something entirely his own. Fully hands-on across both his music and visuals, ZEP writes, produces, co-directs, and edits much of his creative output, pairing high-impact sonics with a distinctly self-made visual identity. On his latest project, NO ENEMIES, released via PULSE Records, ZEP balances fierce individuality with a broader message of connection, self-awareness, and togetherness.
BOYS NOIZE ON TOUR
September 26 – San Francisco, USA @ PORTOLA – DOG BLOOD (= BN + Skrillex)
September 26 – San Francisco, USA @ PORTOLA AFTER PARTY
September 27 – San Diego, USA @ CRSSD FEST
September 27 – San Diego, USA @ CRSSD AFTER DARK
October 02 – Porto, PT @ SWITCH CLUB
October 03 – London, UK @ THE CAUSE – OAZ TAKEOVER
October 09 – Bologna, IT @ ROBOT FESTIVAL
October 10 – Malaga, ES @ BRUNCH ELECTRONIK
October 16 – Paris, FR @ MIA MAO – OAZ TAKEOVER
October 23 – Barcelona, ES @ NITSA – OAZ TAKEOVER
October 24 – Amsterdam, NL @ MELKWEG – OAZ TAKEOVER
October 30 – Alameda, USA @ GOLD BAR HANGAR
November 06 – Phoenix, USA @ OBSIDIAN
November 07 – Mexico City, MX @ ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
November 08 – Orlando, USA @ EDC ORLANDO
November 14 – Miami, USA @ FACTORY TOWN
November 28 – Zhuhai, CN @ VAC FESTIVAL
December 28 – Perth, AU @ RADAR FESTIVAL
December 30 – Hesse, AU @ BEYOND THE VALLEY
December 31 – Sydney, AU @ ABERCROMBIE (TBC UNDER EMBARGO – till?)
January 01 – Sydney, AU @ FIELD DAY
January 01 – Melbourne, AU @ LET THEM EAT CAKE
January 02 – Brisbane, AU @ RADAR FESTIVAL
LINKS:
https://instagram.com/boysnoize
https://www.instagram.com/whatszep
https://www.tiktok.com/@whatszep
https://www.youtube.com/@whatszep
“Now I’m the guy who wants to do more gigs!”: How Rush’s Alex Lifeson has “fallen totally in love” with touring again
![[L-R] Alex Lifeson, Anika Nilles and Geddy Lee of Rush](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Rush-new-hero@2000x1500.jpg)
Alex Lifeson is now fully in the swing of Rush’s Fifty Something reunion tour, having played a string of shows across the US and Canada since June alongside his longtime bandmate, bassist Geddy Lee, with drummer Anika Nilles in tow.
But that’s not to say he didn’t have his reservations about reviving Rush and heading back out on tour at first.
The trek – which is scheduled to continue through April 2027 – marks the first time Rush have toured since the tragic passing of longtime drummer Neil Peart in 2020. Lifeson and Lee voiced concerns over performing without Peart before the tour was finalised, with Lee saying last year: “It took time for us to even contemplate.”
“This is a relatively recent decision, and I would say it was kind of out of the question for the longest time because of those circumstances – and how do you replace someone who’s irreplaceable?” he continued.
But further trepidation came in the form of concerns over their physical ability to perform.
“I think all the fears that I had starting out, whether physically I would be up to it, whether my hands would work as well as I expected,” Lifeson says in a new interview with Q’s Tom Power [via Blabbermouth].
“Once we started playing and I felt confident and good about my physical condition, I really fell in love with it. I love the songs, I love playing with Anika. Anika’s a brilliant musician, and she’s a wonderful person. She has a great sense of humour. We’ve become really quite close in the two years that we’ve been working with her, ‘cause it’s been a while. So I’m really, really excited.
“I have to admit that maybe I wasn’t quite so excited when it was just a concept. I had reservations about it, mostly health-related reservations. But I got my health in order, relatively. And the key was to be able to play the way I felt I needed to play. So, I’ve just fallen totally in love with it. And now I’m the guy who wants to do more gigs.”
Geddy Lee adds: “It was a very unlikely thing that we would be back to play together, and of course, at the age that we are which I will not say out loud [73, sorry Geddy], there’s a lot of fear.”
“It’s the fear that you’re not going to be as good as you were, the fear that you’re gonna let people down. And that is not how you honour your fallen comrade by letting people down. So there was a lot of pressure on our shoulders to be as good as, if not better than, we have ever been, and put a show together that would do his tribute justice.”
He continues: “Neil’s presence is always there… We pay tribute to him during the show, of course, and I try to tell stories about him and try to give people a look behind the songs as to how they came together and what we feel about each other and him.”
Rush’s Fifty Something reunion tour continues. Head to the band’s official website for tickets.
The post “Now I’m the guy who wants to do more gigs!”: How Rush’s Alex Lifeson has “fallen totally in love” with touring again appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“There’s no better utility pedal”: BOSS reveals the EX-4 Effects Expander, a powerful multi-effects unit that might just make you radically rearrange your pedalboard
“There’s no better utility pedal.” That’s how effects giant BOSS is describing its latest multi-effects pedal, the EX-4 Effects Expander.
Offering a massive library of 120 effects in a compact design – spanning everything you’ll need from overdrive and distortion to delay, reverb and modulation, as well as bass-tuned effects and other BOSS classics like the Slow Gear and Slicer – the EX-4 is described as an “essential toolbox” for guitarists looking to “build professional sounds on the fly”.
And players can choose to deploy up to four of the 120 onboard effects simultaneously, with dedicated utility blocks also available including foot volume, two noise suppressors, a send/return, a divider/mixer and even a global EQ for overall tone shaping.
A huge part of the fun of guitar pedals is dialling in your own tones from scratch. But sometimes you just want to plug in and play. The EX-4 caters to this desire, too, with a Gear Suite offering multiple “professionally tuned” presets for each effect. Players can also edit parameters and save their own presets.
In terms of user interface, the EX-4 sports a full-colour 2.4-inch display, where guitarists will see their full effects chain, individual effect blocks, editing options, menus and more. Meanwhile, four dedicated FX buttons allow users to switch off effect blocks with a single press, while accessing editing parameters with a long press. In a new UX touch, the FX button colours match each effect’s display colours for easy identification.
Credit: BOSS
Elsewhere, the unit features dual-function footswitches that are as rugged as BOSS users have come to expect. These can be custom configured system-wide or per memory, with assignments that include block on/off, memory up/down, master bypass, tap tempo and more.
Regarding I/O, you’ve also got four audio jacks offering both mono and stereo connectivity, with the added option of using two jacks as an effects loop to position external pedals anywhere within the EX-4’s effects chain. Meanwhile, two footswitches or an expression pedal can be hooked up for additional real-time control, while there’s also TRS MIDI I/O, too, for integration with external MIDI pedals and switching systems.
Credit: BOSS
Price-wise the EX-4 will be available from October 2026 for $299.99.
Learn more at BOSS.
Credit: BOSS
The post “There’s no better utility pedal”: BOSS reveals the EX-4 Effects Expander, a powerful multi-effects unit that might just make you radically rearrange your pedalboard appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Polyend Introduces Polyend Loop
Pages
