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
Premier Guitar
Rig Rundown: Geese
PG’s Chris Kies dropped in on Geese’s pre-tour rehearsals at Rock Nashville, where the band was building out its largest stage production to date ahead of a run that opens at the Ryman. Guitarist Emily Green and bassist Dominic DiGesu walked through rigs that have gotten smaller as the band has gotten bigger. Have a look at some quick highlights below, and tune into the new Rig Rundown for all the details.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Love at First Reverend
Emily went into Rudy’s Music in Soho to buy a Fender and left with this instead, after someone working there put it in her hands. Eight years on, she calls it her favorite guitar and expects it always will be. The stock humbucker wasn’t hot enough, so she swapped in a Railhammer—in her words, it yells. The floating bridge is part of the appeal; she pushes and pulls it constantly.
Four Hundred More Dollars
She bought this one by accident, too. Emily walked into Retrofret in New York for a ’70s Guyatone, played this Silvertone, and got genuinely upset, because she liked it more… and it cost $400 more. She’s used it at every show since.
Emily’s Pedalboard
Emily’s on the vertical version of the ZVEX Fuzz Factory now; the painted horizontal one started squealing in a way she didn’t like. There’s also a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, a Crowther Audio Prunes & Custard, a Boss DD-5 Digital Delay, a Source Audio True Spring reverb, a Walrus Audio Fundamental Series Delay, and a Strymon Fairfax. Her board has shrunk over the years; she says if she could just plug into the amp she probably would.
Color Over Canvas
Emily found this Music Man 112 RD in Asheville after playing a friend’s larger version of the same amp. She’s been through a lot of Fender Deluxes, which she calls good blank canvases for pedals, but wanted something with more color of its own. A second Music Man sits behind it as a backup that’s never been needed—she keeps it around because the corduroy covering looks cool.
Custom Shop Lefty
Dominic’s Jazz bass is the first instrument he bought with his own money, ordered from the Fender Custom Shop in 2022 because the left-handed selection everywhere else was thin. He spec’ed the natural finish himself, and it’s fitted with a rosewood neck and Ernie Ball cobalt flatwounds.
Loud and Proud
The second Jazz bass was a gift. Dominic keeps roundwounds on this one and reaches for it on the louder material, like “100 Horses,” “Bow Down,” and “Long Island City Here I Come.” He plays mostly with his fingers and says the pick is for tone rather than dynamics.
Dom’s Pedalboard
Dominic keeps things deliberately minimal, after years of a Boss multi-effects unit that eventually broke. After a TC Electronic Polytune 3 tuner, a Tech 21 SansAmp sits first in the chain and splits off the DI so front-of-house gets a clean signal while the mic picks up everything else; the crew taped the knobs down so the settings can’t move. A Boss SY-1 handles the rising synth part in “2122.” A Highwind Amplification Direwolf Overdrive is there for when a song needs an extra kick.
Tube Upgrade
Dominic moved up from a Fender Rumble to this Super Bassman within the last few months. The distortion in it is clear enough that he’s been using it in place of the fuzz, and like Emily he values having a sound that’s easy to build on.
Josh Scott to Sell Hundreds of Pedals from His Personal and JHS Collections on Reverb
Reverb, the largest online marketplace for buying and selling music gear, today announced that Josh Scott will sell a portion of his personal and company music gear collections on Reverb. The first-ever “Josh Scott Collection” Official Reverb Shop will launch on Wednesday, October 21, featuring JHS prototype pedals, one-of-one builds, vintage JHS swag, and the amps, pedals, guitars, and vintage keys that Scott has collected and used over the years.
First-of-its-kind Reverb shop will feature JHS prototypes, one-of-a-kind builds, rare pedals, vintage merch, and “one of the craziest items in JHS history”
“I’m about to sell a crap ton of really cool stuff that I need to sell because it’s all just crashing down on me and ruining my life. It’s a truckload of things, literally. A freight truck arrived and took pallets of gear for this Reverb shop,” said Scott, who founded JHS Pedals and hosts the popular JHS Show. “I’ve played and tested every single piece of gear in this shop, and it’s all ready to be passed on to the next player. That’s why it's all going on Reverb.”
While Scott was an early adopter of Reverb, selling JHS B-Stock and limited-edition items on the marketplace as early as 2013, this is the first single sale of his personal gear of this size. A pedal lover’s paradise, his Reverb shop will feature nearly 400 pedals, including first-run and prototype JHS pedals, as well as guitars, amps, and a huge range of vintage JHS merchandise. “This is an opportunity to get your hands on some extremely rare pedals and other gear,” said Scott.
Among the items that will be available in Scott’s Reverb shop is the “ever-elusive, non-existent” gray JHS Colour Box enclosure. “This is one of the ones from that NAMM Show where everyone first saw them and then for 10 years they told me they hated the white enclosure because I had already shown them the possibility of a gray enclosure,” said Scott. “This is one of the craziest items in JHS history and somebody’s going to own it.”
The “Josh Scott Collection” Official Reverb Shop will also include:
- A Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve amp that was the model for the JHS Pedals Twin Twelve and several Boss JB-2s signed by Scott.
- A Klon Centaur Silver Horsie, a pre-lawsuit Behringer Centaur, and a Behringer Vintage Distortion pedal.
- Several highly collectible, one-of-one custom-wrapped and hand-painted JHS pedals. “They’re rare. They’re so rare, they’ve never existed,” said Scott.
- A rare 1990s Sovtek MIG amp head, Barcus-Berry preamps, and dozens of guitar amps, including a Satellite amp and several that come with ATA road cases stenciled with JHS. “They are memorabilia and great amps,” said Scott.
- The Tube Screamer, Phase 90, Metal Zone, Klon Centaur, and other pedal costumes featured in Pedals: The Musical and Pedals on Ice.
- Ten guitars and several keys, including a Wurlitzer, a Rhodes, and a Yamaha organ.
- A huge range of vintage JHS shirts, jackets, and other pedal brand collectibles, as well as props from the JHS Show.
While many of the items available in The “Josh Scott Collection” Official Reverb Shop are rare and collectible, players won’t need a collector’s budget to snag an item from the shop. Most pedals in the shop will range from $60 to $600, with more than half of the items listed for $500 or less.
Scott joins a long list of artists who’ve partnered with Reverb to get their gear into the hands of musicians, and he says that’s part of his motivation for the sale. “My one goal with this Reverb shop, beyond selling the gear, is to one-up every band that has ever sold on Reverb. Spoon, I’m looking at you. Modest Mouse, Seal, you, too. Green Day, I’m going to annihilate your shop,” Scott joked.
To sign up to be notified when Scott’s Reverb shop is live, visit www.reverb.com/JoshScott. At that link, you’ll also have the opportunity to enter to win one of two bundles from Scott’s collection. To enter, list an item on Reverb before November 23.
“Josh Scott Collection” Official Reverb Shop
Reverb, the largest online marketplace for buying and selling music gear, today announced that Josh Scott will sell a portion of his personal and company music gear collections on Reverb. The first-ever “Josh Scott Collection” Official Reverb Shop will launch on Wednesday, October 21, featuring JHS prototype pedals, one-of-one builds, vintage JHS swag, and the amps, pedals, guitars, and vintage keys that Scott has collected and used over the years.
Jackson Honors Metal Icons with Legends Signature Series
Jackson is paying tribute to Randy Rhoads, Scott Ian, David Ellefson and Marty Friedman with a limited-edition collection of guitar models.
The Legends Signature series honors four players who helped define heavy metal, with new models faithfully recreated from the iconic guitars originally built for each artist:
- Limited Edition Legend Series Randy Rhoads CD1
- Limited Edition Legend Series Signature David Ellefson CB V Concert Bass
- Limited Edition Legend Series Signature Marty Friedman Kelly KE-1
- Legend Series Limited Edition Signature Scott Ian Rhoads RR22
Limited Edition Legend Series Signature David Ellefson CB V Concert Bass:
- Alder body and Three-Piece Through-Body Quartersawn Maple Neck with Graphite Reinforcement Rods – The stable, reinforced maple neck lets David dig in hard without losing tuning, while the alder body keeps his bass lines clear through a heavy mix.
- EMG 40DC and CS Pickups with 3-Band EQ – The pickups provide a noise-free signal that cuts through distorted guitars while 3-band EQ lets David shape his riffs on the fly without losing volume.
- Jackson HiMass 5-String Bridge – For David’s fast and percussive bass drive, this bridge adds extra mass which boosts sustain and tightens low end.
- Open-Gear Hipshot Tuners – The precise tuning adjustments and strong stability let David’s five string stay locked in through aggressive playing and touring.
Street Price: $2,499.99
“My Jackson Concert basses have always been the sleek, high-octane version of what I consider to be a great bass,” said David Ellefson. “Their slightly smaller body and fast action made them perfect for my aggressive playing style. My original 1987 Concert bass gave me the freedom to fully develop my playing without limitations from the instrument. Jackson basses have become an integral part of who I am and the music I’m known for.”
Limited Edition Legend Series Signature Marty Friedman Kelly KE-1:
- Alder Body with Three-Piece Maple Neck-Through Construction – For Marty’s fast and technical leads, the body and construction provide balanced tone, stability and excellent sustain.
- Seymour Duncan JB Pickup – Ideal for Marty’s precise, melodic shred style, this pickup delivers a tight, articulate punch with enough output to drive lead tones clearly.
- Kahler 7330 Fixed Bridge – Marty’s aggressive picking and bends stay locked due to this bridge’s rock-solid tuning stability.
MSRP: $2,299.99
“The KE-1 represents living the dream to me,” said Marty Friedman. “When I had the opportunity to create my own signature guitar, I went all out with Jackson to build the ultimate heavy metal guitar. No expense was spared, from the pickup and bridge to every detail and dimension. After thousands of concerts and countless recordings, the KE-1 remains a huge part of my journey and an iconic instrument that people associate with me.”
Limited Edition Legend Series Randy Rhoads CD1:
- Alder Body bound Ebony Fingerboard with 22 Jumbo Frets and 12"-16" Compound Radius – Suited to Rhoad’s expressive bends and effortless soloing, the body and ebony fingerboard provide balanced tone while the compound radius keeps chords comfortable near the nut while flattening out.
- Seymour Duncan® JB/'59 Humbuckers – For clean arpeggios to aggressive high-gain riffing, a hallmark of Randy’s playing, the JB (bridge) delivers punchy high output drive for leads, while the '59 (neck) offers warmer, vintage-voiced cleans.
- A Vintage-Accurate Six Saddle Tremolo – Classic to Rhoad’s dive-bombs, this tremolo allows expressive pitch bends and vibrato while maintaining reliable tuning.
Street Price: $2,499.99
“The Rhoads family is so pleased to see this new Randy Rhoads CD1 model from Jackson,” said Kathy Rhoads D’Argenzio, Randy Rhoads’ sister. “Randy’s historic legacy has remained in the spotlight for over 40 years. There is no doubt Randy would be so honored to know the impact he has had on Jackson Guitars and on the world of rock and metal guitar.”
Legend Series Limited Edition Signature Scott Ian Rhoads RR22:
- The Bold "Not" Body Graphics – This design was central to the band’s 1980s recording and touring era image.
- Neck-Through Construction – For Scott Ian’s aggressive, fast rhythm playing, this construction maximizes sustain and resonance transfer since the neck and body are one continuous piece, giving heavy riffs and power chords a tight, sustained punch. Plus, the graphite reinforcement keeps the neck rock-stable.
- Top-Mount Floyd Rose 1000 Tremolo – Critical for Anthrax’s high-intensity live sets, this tremolo locks the strings at both the nut and bridge, so even with hard strumming, dive bombs or pitch dips, the guitar snaps right back in tune.
Street price: $2,199.99
“My Not Rhoads was such an important part of my journey,” said Scott Ian. “I discovered my tone with it. It’s been used on every Anthrax record — it was the main guitar on those first five albums in the ’80s. It’s the guitar that kind of made my life. I love that people connect with it.”
For over 45 years, Jackson has crafted instruments that have helped shaped the sound of heavy metal. The Legend Series connects that history to what’s happening now, putting defining instruments from Jackson’s past into the hands of musicians shaping what comes next.
“Randy, Scott, David and Marty didn’t just play Jackson instruments — they helped define what Jackson became and pushed heavy music forward in the process,” said Jon Romanowski, VP of Product, Jackson. “You can hear and see their influence in heavy music today, across generations of artists and increasingly across genres. Making these instruments available to players isn’t simply about recreating the past; it’s about putting them into the hands of the players who will take that influence somewhere new.”
For more information visit www.jacksonguitars.com.
Jackson is paying tribute to Randy Rhoads, Scott Ian, David Ellefson and Marty Friedman with a limited-edition collection of guitar models.
Recording Dojo: Old Racks, New Tricks
There’s been a subtle yet welcome return to one of my favorite corners of recording technology: the rack effects of the late ‘70s through the late ‘90s. Units made by Yamaha, T.C. Electronic, Lexicon, and Eventide, which were all once everywhere, spent far too many years relegated to the spandex audio detention hall and largely forgotten about. Now these vintage boxes are finding their way back into studios (they certainly are in mine). And for good reason.
They’re dripping with personality, charm, and built-in limitations. They are gloriously grainy. Wobbly and unpredictable. Some have tiny displays and menus that feel like programming your grandmother’s VCR in 1991—you have to read the manual. But those limitations are often insignificant to the character, charm, timbre, and bang for your buck!
Add to this the fact that most modern guitarists, without thinking of it this way, already own an entire external-effects system: the pedalboard. Half a dozen pedals can easily cover compression, fuzz, and overdrive, as well as modulation effects (chorus, phaser, etc.) and time effects like delays and reverbs. So there’s never been a better time to learn how to use your gear as a hardware insert inside your DAW. Tighten up your belts, the Dojo is now open.
The Basic Signal Path
For conventional rack gear—compressors, EQs, reverbs, multi-effects processors, or devices with external audio inputs—the routing is straightforward:
DAW track → interface line output → rack gear → interface line input → DAW
Mono hardware requires one output and one input. Stereo hardware requires a pair. And many are mono in, stereo out (especially true for multi-effects processors designed to be used by guitar players back in the day).
Planning on using your pedalboard as a hardware insert? You’ll need to add a step in between that will take your signal from line level down to instrument level before hitting your pedalboard, and then bring it back up to line level before you come back into your DAW (See my Dojo article about this, “What You Should Know About Using Guitar Pedals With Other Instruments,” from September, 2022). Use a simple re-amp box to accomplish this. A typical pedal loop becomes:
DAW → interface line output → re-amp box input → pedalboard → re-amp box output → interface input → DAW
Some modern pedals can accept line level directly, but check the manufacturer’s specifications rather than making assumptions.
“Most modern guitarists, without thinking of it this way, already own an entire external-effects system: the pedalboard.”
Setting Up a Hardware Insert
So how do we do this? For starters, you have to physically connect inputs and outputs of the hardware to your interface.
1. Choose unused interface I/O
Pick a line level mono channel or stereo pair that isn’t feeding your monitors, headphones, or another device.
2. Connect the send
Run the selected interface output to the rack unit’s input. For pedals, go from the interface output into the re-amp box first, then to the pedalboard.
3. Connect the return
Connect the hardware output to an available interface input. With pedals, take the output and return through the re-amp box, and finally back into your interface.
4. Establish levels
Rack equipment expects line level. Pedals generally don’t. Start conservatively and make sure neither the hardware input nor your interface return is clipping.
5. Create the hardware insert in the DAW
Tell the software which physical output is the send and which physical input is the return. This varies by DAW, so be sure to read the manual to find the easiest way to do this.
6. Follow the signal
Press play and verify signal at the interface output, the external device, and, finally, the interface input. If the hardware meters are moving but you hear no return, stop troubleshooting the send—the problem is downstream.
7. Compensate for latency
The trip out of the interface and back takes time. All three DAWs below provide a way to compensate for it.
Pro Tools, Logic, and LUNA
In Pro Tools, open Setup > I/O > Insert. Name the hardware insert path. Pro Tools organizes hardware inserts around defined physical I/O mappings, so the Insert page needs to agree with your actual interface connections. Once configured, that path appears in the track’s insert menu. Setup > I/O > H/W Insert Delay handles additional round-trip compensation. The input and output channel numbers must match!
In Logic Pro, choose Utility > I/O on the channel. Logic lets you select the hardware Output and Input directly inside the I/O utility, so send and return can be different channel numbers. Its Latency Detection/Ping function measures the round trip and applies compensation.
In LUNA Pro, choose an insert slot, open Hardware Inserts, and select New Hardware Insert. Like Logic, LUNA lets you select the outgoing Output and returning Input independently. Press Calc to measure the round-trip latency and save the completed configuration as a preset if you use that hardware regularly.
Once that routing is established, the rack in the corner—and the pedalboard at your feet—becomes a much bigger part of the studio. Until next time, namaste.
Jade Electric Introduces the Blackboard Overdrive
Jade Electric Pedals has launched the Blackboard Overdrive, a hand-built guitar pedal with an original soft-clipping circuit that’s designed to be highly responsive to playing dynamics and volume knob adjustments.
The Blackboard combines overdrive with a clean blend and separate bass and treble controls, allowing players to add grit while retaining clean-signal definition and shaping the sound for their guitar and amplifier.
Developed by guitarist and Jade Electric founder Danny Ousley, the Blackboard is especially suited to country music playing styles—reflecting the company’s Bakersfield roots and practical approach to gear for the stage and studio.
The pedal takes its name from the iconic Bakersfield honky tonk The Blackboard Café. Although the club closed its doors years ago, the Blackboard is still revered as the stomping ground of legends such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Red Simpson.
See the demo video below:
Key Blackboard features include:
- Clean blend—adds clean signal alongside the overdrive for added clarity and note definition
- Two-band EQ—separate bass and treble controls for shaping low and high frequencies
- Top-mounted jacks—pedalboard-friendly positioning
- True bypass switching
- 9-volt DC via external power supply only—no battery compartment
- Hand-built in Bakersfield, California
Jade Electric’s Blackboard Overdrive is priced at $175 USD and is available directly from jadeelectricpedals.com.
Blackboard Overdrive
Jade Electric Pedals has launched the Blackboard Overdrive, a hand-built guitar pedal with an original soft-clipping circuit that’s designed to be highly responsive to playing dynamics and volume knob adjustments.
Giffin Outlaw Guitar Collection Heads to Auction
The “Giffin Outlaw Guitar Collection”, a fascinating array of unauthorized Gibson Custom Shop guitars, built in secret by Roger Giffin and Brett Allen from 1988 to 1990, will be sold in a seven-day auction on ANALOGr.com starting October 20, 2026. An invite-only private viewing event will be held in Los Angeles on October 24.
The collection has been the subject of rumors for years. These are not factory-authorized models, and the Gibson marks on the headstock were not company-approved.
Yet these are true Custom Shop instruments defined by their uniqueness and experimental construction. The most notable pieces include four hollow-body Les Paul's, purpose-built to capture a Gretsch-like resonance, which feature full internal carving and specialized, remote-mounted bridges to eliminate feedback from the highly resonant tops. The collection also includes two Les Paul baritones, one of which featured 1954 P90 pickups. Other rarities include a Goldtop 12-string Les Paul, requiring a custom 12-way intonated bridge for studio precision, and a flashy custom Les Paul with three P90s, finished in an eye-popping Gretsch gold sparkle.
The story behind the Outlaw guitars:
In 1988, master luthier Roger Giffin became head of Gibson’s West Coast Custom Shop in Los Angeles. He was already renowned for a client list that included Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, David Gilmour, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, and Keith Richards. In LA Giffin met Brett Allen, a guitar tech for AC/DC and Paul Simon and owner of Brett Allen Studio Rentals.
The two shared a singular, subversive vision: to create one-off Gibsons that deliberately shattered Gibson's established design constraints. Operating in secret after hours and on weekends, Giffin tapped into Gibson's Nashville wood stash and parts supply to clandestinely build the "Outlaw Collection."
“All of the guitars were made by me,” says Giffin. “They were done kind of outside of regular work hours. They would give me anything I asked for basically.”
These instruments were a direct rebellion against the company line, incorporating forbidden elements like Gretsch sparkle finishes and experimental hollow-body constructions. Their unauthorized work could have cost them their careers, a danger so real that Allen stashed the entire collection hidden under his bed for decades before finally unveiling these guitars.
The auction includes these featured lots and estimates:
- 1989 Gibson Les Paul Baritone, Giffin-built #1: $75,000–$150,000
- 1990 Gibson Les Paul 12-String Standard Goldtop, Giffin-built: $25,000–$50,000
- 1989 Gibson Les Paul Full Hollowbody with f-holes, Cherry Red: $25,000–$50,000
- 1990 Gibson Firebird V, Pelham Blue (1963 replica), Giffin-built: $25,000–$50,000
- 1989 Gibson Flying V, all gold (1976 replica), Giffin-built: $25,000–$50,000
- 1989 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (1956 replica), Giffin-built: $25,000–$50,000
- 1989 Gibson Les Paul Jr. (1958 replica), Giffin-built: $25,000–$50,000
- 1989 Gibson Les Paul Baritone, Giffin-built, second ever built: $25,000–$50,000
- 1989 Gibson Les Paul Gold Sparkle Triple P-90: $25,000–$50,000
- 1999 Giffin Baritone Acoustic, #1 of 4 built: $10,000–$20,000
- 1989 Gibson Chet Atkins SST Bass, Goldtop, Giffin-built: $10,000–$20,000
- 1989 Gibson Chet Atkins SST, Goldtop, Giffin-built: $10,000–$20,000
The Giffin Outlaw Guitar Collection goes to auction beginning October 20, 2026. Space at the private viewing on October 24 is limited. Text 323-600-5715 to reserve a spot and get location details. To bid on the collection visit The Outlaw Custom Shop Guitar Collection.
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Giffin Outlaw Guitar Collection
The “Giffin Outlaw Guitar Collection”, a fascinating array of unauthorized Gibson Custom Shop guitars, built in secret by Roger Giffin and Brett Allen from 1988 to 1990, will be sold in a seven-day auction on ANALOGr.com starting October 20, 2026. An invite-only private viewing event will be held in Los Angeles on October 24.
Charvel American Neo-Classic San Dimas Style 1 Review
Every superstrat alive today owes back rent to a guy who never set out to start a movement. Wayne Charvel opened a guitar repair shop in Azusa, California in 1974—fixing amps, routing pickup cavities, selling parts to whoever wandered in—and one of those people who wandered in was a young Eddie Van Halen, shopping for a spare neck and body to bolt together into something the world hadn’t invented a name for yet.
Charvel gave him the parts. Eddie provided the paint, the tape, and a place in rock history. And by the time the shop relocated to San Dimas and Charvel passed ownership on to Grover Jackson, a template that inspired countless shredders was set. San Dimas became ground zero for a whole musical genre. Warren DeMartini, George Lynch, and Jake E. Lee all eventually became part of that story. And the new American Neo-Classic Style 1 feels like a refined version of an instrument that might have passed through their hands back then.
The Neo-Classic name used for this model is apt. Though it uses some of the most appealing fundamental parts of the San Dimas formula, including an alder body and a 1-piece quartersawn maple neck reproduced from an actual 1980 blueprint, there’s a lot of ground-up rethink at work here too.
Wring That Neck
You could make the case that that groovy neck on this guitar makes the whole package worth the high-end $2,799 price. It’s quartersawn maple and cut to 1980 specs, but it’s also reinforced with graphite so it holds pitch better than an original ever could. Stainless jumbo frets sit atop a 12"-16" compound-radius board that is tight and curvaceous near the nut for easier chording and opens up dramatically past the 12th fret for unhindered, whammy-assisted bending. The neck does a great job of splitting the difference between true vintage character and modern manufacturing sensibilities. You feel the classic San Dimas shape that so many players fell for, but neck-dive and tuning headaches are not really an issue here.
Charvel went with a custom Seymour Duncan JB/‘59 pickup pairing, which gives this distinctly modern instrument both vintage and modern accents. The ‘59 in the neck position is creamy and responds to dirty-to-clean dynamics beautifully. The JB at the bridge is the workhorse half of the duo. Most notably, it’s hot enough to push a cranked amp to distortion without collapsing into mud, which is precisely why it’s been the go-to bridge pickup for three generations of players seeking high output without sacrificing definition. (I mean, is there a better heavy rock pickup than a JB?)
You feel the classic San Dimas shape that so many players fell for, but neck-dive and tuning headaches are not really an issue here.
The five-position blade switch can move between full humbucking bridge, full humbucking neck, two humbuckers together, and two split-coil voicings that deliver genuinely useful out-of-phase, single-coil-like quack. You obviously don’t get a perfect Stratocaster impersonation, but the two split-coil settings are a welcome bit of extra color all the same. And between the very different voices in the two humbuckers, the split-coil tones, and clever use of the guitar’s master volume (there is no tone control), you can cover a wide range of articulate clean sounds and full-throttle lead tones. The Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo is another critical part of this guitar’s identity and function. It’s stable, dive-bombs without drama, and returns to pitch reliably enough that it just might disappear from your consciousness between uses.
Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3
I ran the San Dimas through familiar Marshall JCM800 and Fender Deluxe Reverb models on my Helix to see how sweet the ‘59 neck pickup sounds with nothing to hide behind. Through the cranked-up Marshall model, the JB barks, compresses just enough to sustain a bend into next week, and stays articulate even under fast tapping runs into pinch harmonics. With the Deluxe Reverb model set up clean and the guitar volume rolled back, the ‘59 blooms with woody midrange complexity that had me transfixed with chord-melody voicings. That was proof enough for me that this isn’t a one-trick shredder.
The design refinement also showed in how seamlessly the neck and vibrato facilitated legato and whammy-driven phrasing. The compound radius means that full step-and-a-half bends don’t fret out, which is a big deal when you start stacking big bends against Floyd dives. That’s one technique this guitar seems built for: pull the bar down, catch it coming back up with a pre-bent note already under your fingers, and let the flattened upper-register radius help you land the bend cleanly instead of choking against the fret crown. Pair that capability with the Floyd’s rock-solid return-to-pitch performance and an aggressive dive-and-bend vocabulary becomes practical in performance. This guitar doesn’t merely tolerate that style; it welcomes it.
The Verdict
At $2,799, this guitar is a real investment. But you’re paying for a quartersawn neck cut to 45-year-old specs, a Floyd that behaves reliably, and fabulous-sounding pickups chosen thoughtfully and with intent. For a player who wants a real San Dimas experience rather than a modernized suggestion of it, this beautiful fusion of new manufacturing and 1980 feel is like an extra-reliable time machine that won’t go out of tune!
American Neo-Classic San Dimas Style 1
Solidbody Electric Guitar with Alder Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, 2 Humbucking Pickups, and Floyd Rose Tremolo
Acoustic Soundboard: Five Things Your Tech May Be Getting Wrong
As we approach our centennial, people often assume our shop only services Latin instruments. But since the 1940s, we’ve built more than 50 types of string instruments for artists across many genres. Apprenticing under my father and grandfather, I learned the delicate balance of tension, action, scale length, bracing, and intonation. Yet every week in Nashville, I see fine instruments misdiagnosed by techs applying electric-guitar logic to acoustic builds.While techniques vary, our history and client list demonstrate that our approach works. Let’s look at a few common errors—call it five things your tech may be getting wrong about acoustic tone and setup, and how a master luthier fixes them.
1. Treating Acoustic Action Like Electric Action
The Mistake: Players often seek a “shredder-low” action, leading techs to sand the saddle until strings barely clear the frets.
The Physics & Fix:
● Break Angle: Acoustic tops are driven by downward pressure. To drive a spruce or cedar top, you need a saddle break angle of at least 30 to 35 degrees; 45 is ideal.
● Energy Loss: A flattened saddle kills the leverage, and you end up keeping the vibrational energy in the string rather than transferring it through the bridge to the soundboard.
● The Delgado Fix: If action is high at the 12th fret but the saddle is low, the neck angle may have shifted, requiring a reset. Sometimes, shaving the bridge or micro-ramping pin slots helps, provided you maintain proper saddle height.
2. Using the Truss Rod to Fix Action Height
The Mistake: Techs often tighten the truss rod as an action adjustment, but only do this if correcting excessive neck bow.
The Physics & Fix:
● Relief vs. Geometry: The truss rod exists for one specific job: controlling neck relief (bow) to accommodate string vibration. It should not be used as an action adjustment screw.
● The Delgado Fix: Check neck relief first with a straight-edge. While setup preferences vary by playing style, here is a helpful baseline guide for action height:
For Acoustic Guitars:
● Low E string (0.090”/2.30mm) | High E string (0.075”/1.90mm)
For Classical Guitars
● Low E string (0.120”/3.00mm) | High E String (0.100”/2.30mm)
3. Misunderstanding Saddle & Nut Material vs. Slot Fit
The Mistake: I often say there are little things that can make a bad guitar good or a good guitar great, and the same is true in reverse. Using materials that absorb vibration vs. transferring vibration can make a huge difference in tone and volume.
The Physics & Fix:
● Fit Over Material: A hand-carved bone saddle that sits loosely in the bridge slot or has an uneven bottom performs far worse than a properly fitted synthetic saddle (though bone remains preferred when fitted correctly).
● Pickup Balance: For undersaddle piezos, the saddle bottom must be perfectly flat. Hand-sanding often creates a crown, leading to uneven string-to-string volume.
● The Delgado Fix: Every nut and saddle must fit with zero tilt or play—snug enough but not so much you need pliers to remove it. The slot bottom must be squared to ensure direct contact with the bridge wood or pickup element.
4. Misdiagnosing Dryness vs. Over-Humidification
The Mistake: Shops frequently assume buzzing or top deformation always indicates dryness, recommending aggressive humidification.
The Physics & Fix:
● The Over-Humidification Problem: A guitar stored above 60 percent relative humidity (RH) absorbs excess water weight. The top swells and rises, raising action and making the tone sound muddy, compressed, and lacking high-end air.
● The Dryness Trap: Conversely, a dry guitar (under 35 percent RH) shrinks, dropping the top, lowering action, causing fret ends to sprout and cracks in the wood.
● The Delgado Fix: Stabilize the guitar at 40–50 percent RH for 72 hours before any diagnosis. Adjusting a “wet” or “dry” guitar results in a setup that fails once normal humidity returns.
5. The Bridge Pin Tone Myth vs. Mass
The Mistake: Selling heavy brass or dense exotic-wood bridge pins on the claim that they “increase sustain and low end.” I won’t argue that plastic pins are the best choice, but I’d go with wood pins that match—or come close to—the material the bridge is made of.
The Physics & Fix:
● Top Mass: In lutherie, mass is the enemy of responsiveness. Heavy brass pins add dead weight to the soundboard, slowing acceleration and killing projection.
● The Role of Pins: Bridge pins are simply mechanical wedges meant to anchor the string ball-end against the bridge plate underneath the top—not to hold the string down from above.
● The Delgado Fix: Ensure the string ball-end seats directly against the hardwood bridge plate, not wedged under the tip of the pin. Traditional unslotted pins with ramped/slotted bridge bridges provide superior coupling, lighter weight, and longer bridge plate life.
While technique and preference exist across different players, following these fundamental principles will improve your guitar’s tone and playability.
Fender Introduces Next Generation of Flagship American Professional Series
Fender has announced the next evolution of American Professional, its flagship series of electric guitars and basses. Built around some of the most recognizable shapes in music, the refreshed series brings new player-focused design and performance upgrades to Fender’s iconic instruments.
The expansive collection represents a major launch for Fender. Built in Corona, California, the new American Professional series lineup includes the Stratocaster, Stratocaster HSS, Telecaster, Hotshot Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Precision Bass, Precision Bass V, Jazz Bass and Jazz Bass V and introduces updates across the range designed to refine how these guitars and basses feel, respond and hold up night after night, while preserving the character and identity that define each instrument.
See the demo video below:
Highlights of the new American Professional series include:
- New V-Mod III pickups: Custom-voiced for balanced output, string to string note clarity, and a unique touch sensitivity. New V-Mod III single-coils in the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar and Jazzmaster, a redesigned V-Mod III Humbucking bridge pickup in the Stratocaster HSS for more push out of the bridge position, new Jazz Bass V-Mod III pickups and a new V-Mod III split-coil in the Precision Bass.
- Redesigned bridges: Built for improved resonance and sustain, enhanced comfort, and solid stability. ClassicGear Radial bent steel saddles sit comfortably under the palm on the Stratocaster, the Telecaster runs a top-load or string-through bridge with ClassicGear compensated brass bullet saddles, the Jaguar and Jazzmaster pair a ClassicGear J-Bridge with a Panorama tremolo for the full range of expressive vibrato, and both basses get a redesigned HiMass Modern Bridge for added resonance and sustain.
- Advanced electronics: ClassicGear Precision Potentiometers offer improved taper and ideal tension while Push-Push tone controls on every guitar put extra voices one click away.
- Necks that feel played in: A Deep “C” on the guitars, a Medium “C” on the Precision Bass and a Slim “C” on the Jazz Bass, every one with rolled edges that let the fretting hand move freely across the fingerboard.
- Left-handed models coming Spring 2027: Fender will expand the American Professional Series with left-handed versions of the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass.
Product highlights, color options and pricing information for each of the models is as follows:
American Professional Stratocaster -- Street Price: $1,799.99–$1,949.99 / £1,849–£1,899 / €2,199–€2,249 / A$3,049–A$3,249 / ¥302,500–¥319,000
- Upgraded 2-point tremolo for more sustain and clarity. Radial bent-steel saddles.
- Maple neck: Aged Cherry Burst, Oxblood, Black, 3-Color Sunburst, Natural, Dark Night, Olympic White. Rosewood fretboard: Olympic White, Oxblood, Dark Night, 3-Color Sunburst, Black.
American Professional Stratocaster HSS -- Street Price: $1,849.99–$1,999.99 / £1,899–£1,949 / €2,249–€2,299 / A$3,149–A$3,349 / ¥308,000–¥324,500
- Adds a V-Mod III bridge humbucker with calibrated single-coil tones. Upgraded 2-point tremolo for more sustain and clarity. Radial bent-steel saddles.
- Maple: Olympic White, Black, 3-Color Sunburst. Rosewood: Dark Night, Aged Cherry Burst, 3-Color Sunburst, Oxblood, Olympic White.
American Professional HotShot Telecaster -- Street Price: $1,849.99–$1,999.99 / £1,899–£1,949 / €2,249–€2,299 / A$3,149–A$3,349 / ¥308,000–¥324,500
- Adds a middle Strat pickup and 5-way switching.
- Rosewood: 3-Color Sunburst, Oxblood, Dark Night. Maple: Aged Cherry Burst, Butterscotch Blonde.
American Professional Telecaster -- Street Price: $1,799.99–$1,949.99 / £1,849–£1,899 / €2,199–€2,249 / A$3,049–A$3,249 / ¥302,500–¥319,000
- New top-load/string-through bridge.
- Maple: Natural, Butterscotch Blonde, Oxblood, 3-Color Sunburst, Aged Cherry Burst, Black. Rosewood: 3-Color Sunburst, Black, Oxblood, Natural, Dark Night.
American Professional Jaguar -- Street Price: $1,949.99 / £1,949 / €2,299 / A$3,299 / ¥319,000
- 24" scale, bridge-pickup tap, Rhythm Circuit and Panorama tremolo.
- Rosewood: Oxblood, Dark Night, Black, 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White.
American Professional Jazzmaster -- Street Price: $1,899.99 / £1,949 / €2,299 / A$3,249 / ¥313,500
- Bridge-pickup tap, Rhythm Circuit and Panorama tremolo.
- Rosewood: Black, Olympic White, Oxblood, 3-Color Sunburst, Dark Night.
American Professional Jazz Bass -- Street Price: $1,899.99–$2,049.99 / £1,949–£1,999 / €2,299–€2,349 / A$3,249–A$3,449 / ¥313,500–¥330,000
- Slim “C” neck.
- Maple: Aged Cherry Burst, 3-Color Sunburst, Natural, Olympic White. Rosewood: 3-Color Sunburst, Dark Night, Oxblood, Olympic White.
American Professional Jazz Bass V -- Street Price: $1,999.99 / £2,049 / €2,399 / A$3,449 / ¥324,500
- Five-string version of the Jazz Bass, with a Slim “C” neck.
- Maple: Oxblood. Rosewood: Olympic White, 3-Color Sunburst.
American Professional Precision Bass -- Street Price: $1,999.99 / £1,949 / €2,299 / A$3,149–A$3,399 / ¥308,000–¥324,500
- Medium “C” neck.
- Maple: Aged Cherry Burst, Olympic White, Natural, 3-Color Sunburst. Rosewood: 3-Color Sunburst, Dark Night, Oxblood, Olympic White.
American Professional Precision Bass V -- Street Price: $1,949.99 / £2,049 / €2,399 / A$3,349 / ¥319,000
- Five-string version of the P Bass, with a Medium “C” neck.
- Maple: 3-Color Sunburst. Rosewood: Dark Night, Olympic White.
The refreshed American Professional series honors that identity while continuing to evolve for the way musicians play today. Every update is rooted in the people who build the instruments, the experimentation behind their development and the player insight that helps Fender determine what to preserve, what to refine and what to rethink.
“You don’t evolve an instrument like the Strat or Tele by changing things just to make them new,” said Justin Norvell, Fender Chief Product Officer, Guitars and Basses. "We balance modern, useful improvements with the familiarity of what has made them iconic. In the same spirit as Leo Fender, we create tools for musicians by listening to what they need. We start with the players—how they’re playing today, what they’re asking for and where there’s an opportunity to make the experience better. We put that insight in the hands of the designers, engineers and builders who know these instruments inside and out. American Professional is the result of that process: continuing to invest in original design, experimentation and craftsmanship while being thoughtful about what makes these instruments iconic in the first place.”
“There are incredibly talented designers, engineers and builders behind every one of these instruments,” said Edward “Bud” Cole, CEO of Fender. “They listen to players, test ideas and work through the details to make meaningful improvements for players. The American Professional series reflects that combination of player insight, experimentation and craftsmanship as we continue to push ourselves to make great instruments even better.”
The One. For All.
American Professional serves as a centerpiece of The One. For All., Fender's broader campaign celebrating the artists, music and communities that continue to shape what Fender's iconic instruments become. Featuring Dinosaur Jr., Mike Kinsella of American Football, They Are Gutting a Body of Water, Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail, Steve Gunn, Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, and Thurston Moore Group, the campaign brings together artists across generations and genres whose distinct sounds and creative approaches reflect the many possibilities within Fender's most recognizable designs.
Last month, Fender and Dinosaur Jr. brought that idea to life with The One. For New York., a series of intimate performances across New York City celebrating the artists, neighborhoods and communities that continue to shape music today. Go behind the scenes and watch the full film of The One. For New York. on Wednesday October 14th exclusively on Fender.com.
“New York was the first place we came where we had any fans or acceptance. We just kind of gravitated towards New York,” said J Mascis. “Starting a band I decided I wanted a Fender…I went to buy a Strat but they had a Jaguar for $200 and Jazzmaster for $300. The neck felt better on the Jazzmaster, it was worn in like a baseball bat so I just went for the Jazzmaster.”
The One. For New York. is the first of several city-focused chapters of The One. For All., with The One. For London., The One. For Tokyo., The One. For Shanghai., and The One. For Sydney. planned for later this year and 2027. Each will celebrate the artists, venues and communities that make a city’s music culture its own — and the people who continue to shape what comes next.
The new American Professional series Fender's continued investment in evolving its original designs while preserving the character, feel and identity that have made them enduring favorites. For more information visit Fender.com.
American Professional series
Fender has announced the next evolution of American Professional, its flagship series of electric guitars and basses. Built around some of the most recognizable shapes in music, the refreshed series brings new player-focused design and performance upgrades to Fender’s iconic instruments.
Walrus Audio Announces Lore Stereo Reverse Soundscape Generator & Fable Stereo Granular Soundscape Generator
Walrus Audio is excited to announce the return of their "Storybook Series" with all-new expanded stereo versions of the Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator and Fable Stereo Granular Soundscape Generator.
Built for players who want to move beyond traditional delay and reverb, the Lore centers around five different modes of reverse reverb, delay, and pitch shifting, while the Fable pairs delay with granular processing through its five modes. Both pedals feature complex feedback paths that loop through the Feedback and Regen controls to build and create evolving stereo soundscapes that feel less like effects and more like instruments. While Lore and Fable share a common architecture, each takes a distinctly different path of sound creation.
The updated Lore and Fable also share an expanded control system designed to put deep DSP functionality directly beneath the player’s fingertips. A multifunction Tweak control provides access to Width, Mod Rate, Mod Shape, Shift, and Ramp, while the Dive / Rise momentary function allows players to manipulate the clock rate in real time. In addition to stereo functionality, both pedals have been given MIDI control, expression/external tap functionality, three onboard presets plus Live mode, or up to 127 presets via MIDI.
At the heart of both pedals is Walrus Audio’s proprietary MDSP platform, developed entirely in-house by the company’s engineering team. MDSP provides the processing power necessary to combine multiple algorithms, feedback paths, time manipulation, and modulation for an immersive soundscaping experience.
The Lore and Fable are available in two color variants with illustrated art by Niall Grant and minimal versions with a simplified icon and black enclosures.
Walrus Audio is offering the Lore and Fable MKII each at a retail price of $349.99. For a firsthand experience of the updated Storybook Series, visit walrusaudio.com or your nearest authorized Walrus Audio dealer.
Lore Stereo Reverse Soundscape Generator & Fable Stereo Granular Soundscape Generator
Walrus Audio is excited to announce the return of their ‘Storybook Series’ with all-new expanded stereo versions of the Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator and Fable Stereo Granular Soundscape Generator.
Get’m Get’m Introduces Bitch What! Strap Collection
Adding to the company’s line of eye-grabbing straps, Get’m Get’m has unveiled the new Bitch What! collection.
The new straps combine bold, fun colors with textured serpentine faux leather, premium materials, and Get’m Get’m’s signature multi-layer construction. Bitch What! straps are designed to deliver the comfort, support, and craftsmanship musicians expect from a high-end strap while giving them something visually unexpected.
Key features include:
- Available in nine colors: Aqua, Black, Gold, Neon Green, Neon Pink, Neon Yellow, Red, Silver, and White.
- Textured Serpentine Faux Leather—A distinctive, snakeskin-inspired texture with a bold, tactile finish. Get’m Get’m calls this look “serpentine” to distinguish the collection from its existing snakeskin strap designs.
- Premium Materials & Reinforced Stitching—Built for long sets, loud nights, and plenty of rock ’n’ roll.
- High-Quality Multi-Layer Construction—Lining is made of soft, high-quality nylon for comfort, stability, and better weight distribution while playing.
- Fully Adjustable Up to 65 Inches—2 inches wide and comfortably adjustable for guitarists and bassists of different sizes.
- Real 7 oz. Leather Tips—Strong, secure leather ends designed to keep the instrument where it belongs.
- Pewter Hardware—Durable pewter-tone hardware adds the final badass touch.
Each of the new straps is available for a $129 street price and can be purchased on the Get’m Get’m website: getmgetm.com/products/getm-getm-bitch-what-guitar-ba….
Bitch What! Strap Collection
Adding to the company’s line of eye-grabbing straps, Get’m Get’m has unveiled the new Bitch What! collection.
On the Bench: A 1957 Gibson Skylark
In 1957, the world was experiencing profound change. The Civil Rights Act was signed in September. Then, the space race ignited in October, when the Soviet Union launched their Sputnik satellite. The push to put a man on the moon had officially commenced.
Music was also rapidly evolving in 1957. Buddy Holly recorded “That’ll Be the Day” with the Crickets, and it became a defining song of the rock ’n’ roll era. Paul McCartney and John Lennon met in Liverpool, leading to the formation of the Beatles. Teenagers across America were watching American Bandstand on television after school, spreading music across the nation.
On the bench today, I have a 1957 Gibson Skylark. This model is the GA-5 without tremolo, with the designation GA-5T sporting an added tremolo circuit. It is a 5-watt amp, with a standard set of tubes: a 5Y3 rectifier, 6V6 output, and 12AX7 preamp. If this tube configuration sounds familiar, it is because the Fender Champ uses the same setup! There are many similarities between these two amplifiers. They both put out about 5 watts, have a single-ended output section, and house an 8-inch speaker. While they’re in the same family of amps, there are a few key differences.
“With the volume cranked, the Skylark delivers. The overdrive tone is raw, smooth, and well-balanced.”
Overall, I find the Skylark to have more grit than the Champ, with warm and mid-heavy cleans, whereas the Champ sounds more chime-y and bright. Since these are 5 watt amps, the user can max the volume for that natural tube breakup without rattling the walls. With the volume cranked, the Skylark delivers. The overdrive tone is raw, smooth, and well-balanced. It sounds naturally pleasing to the ear without getting too harsh. This is great for blues, rock, or any guitar player who wants that authentic edge.
The Skylark came in a few different versions over the years, with some using different tubes. This amp has only a volume control, and that’s it! There’s no tone stack either, which is one of the reasons why it has that perfect overdrive sound. The Champ, for example, has the typical TMB tone stack. This stands for “treble, middle, bass”, and is a combination of high-pass and low-pass filters. It is a network of capacitors, resistors, and potentiometers that bleed off specific frequencies. This type of circuit will result in a cleaner, more controlled amplification of the guitar. In the Skylark, the signal goes from the first gain stage through a coupling capacitor, to the volume control. There is not much there in terms of tone shaping, but that also means there is barely any signal loss. The signal then travels into the next gain stage—full frequency response and all.
This amp came to me mostly original. The speaker had been replaced, and a 1/4" jack was installed on the back panel. This modification was performed so the user could plug the amplifier into an external speaker cabinet, which provides a lot more versatility. I knew that this amp would need the original filter capacitors replaced, and a grounded power cord installed. The circuit is totally point-to-point, meaning there are no circuit boards or terminal strips. All of the components are soldered directly to the tube sockets, potentiometers, and so on. I like to hard-wire the new capacitors in, and solder their grounds directly to the chassis using my large 1940s soldering iron. This is how I typically ground the power cord as well.
After a quick service, it’s time to fully test the amp. I’m mainly listening for crackling and popping, and testing for coupling capacitor leakage. This amp sports the beloved bumble bee coupling capacitors, which I love to leave installed whenever possible. As a reminder, coupling capacitors pass the audio signal from one gain stage to the other, while blocking the DC voltage from the previous section. As time goes on, these coupling capacitors may begin to leak DC voltage into the audio signal. In this amp, only one of the coupling caps needed to be replaced, as it was leaking about 5 volts.
This amp is cathode biased, so I replaced the cathode bypass capacitor and resistor for the output tube. This is to promote reliability in the output circuit, and keeps the 6V6 running as intended. I left in the first stage coupling capacitor, as it tested totally fine. There’s always a line between originality and reliability, so it’s up to the repair technician to make that judgement call based on their testing and observations.
After testing for a while, I concluded that I did not need to replace any of the other resistors or tubes. The amp came to me with nice old American-made tubes, which can truly stand the test of time. I love being able to leave the old tubes in, especially if the amp has sentimental value like this one. The grit and growl of the Gibson Skylark is an essential component in any collection, and this one will be howling at the moon for another 70 years.
Vintage Vault: 1966 Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman
What if I told you that you could get a vintage guitar model from the original Big Bang of rock for less than a new U.S.-made Fender or Gibson? With the Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman, you can.
The double-cutaway Country Gents of the 1960s were ostensibly Chet Atkins signature models. But it was a young man named George Harrison who sent demand for these guitars through the roof, when he played one in living rooms across the United States during the Beatles’ first televised performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964.
Thanks to Harrison’s unofficial endorsement, Gretsch went from building a comfortable 2,000 models a year to struggling to keep up with demand, reportedly making 100 a day following the explosive Sullivan set.
While Harrison’s was a 1963, the production run of Country Gents he inspired from ’64-’70 brought about a few changes: the standard walnut brown finish was lighter than Harrison’s mahogany-colored, the Grover tuners had a more streamlined “kidney” shape, the mute pads changed from red to black, and, over time, some other minor changes were instituted (for example, the “Country Gentleman” branding was made more prominent on pickguards circa 1966).
However, the basic idea that Chet Atkins worked out with Gretsch had remained largely intact since ’61. These were high-end guitars, built for peak performance, without too many distracting frills: hollowbody, 17" wide and about 2" deep, with a laminated maple top, back, and sides. The f-holes were painted on, per Atkins’ orders, so that there were no real holes introducing feedback.
They had ebony fingerboards with a 12" radius, and a 24.5" scale length, a gold-plated Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, a Filter’Tron pickup in the bridge and Super’Tron at the neck, and three volume knobs—that’s right, count ’em, three—for neck, bridge, and master.
There’s not a single tone knob on the whole guitar, but there are three switches: a 3-way tone switch (to choose between bass, standard, and treble), a 3-way pickup selector, and a kill switch.
Add it all up, and you’ve got a certified guitar for a certified guitar player. (There’s even a felt pad snapped onto the back so you can stay comfortable while Travis picking for hours on end.)
“You could get a vintage guitar model from the original Big Bang of rock for less than a new U.S.-made Fender or Gibson.”
Back in the mid-’60s, a retailer would have asked for a whopping $595 for a new Country Gentleman—and that’s if they even had it in stock. Adjusted for inflation, that’s over $6,000 in 2026 money, a testament to the top-notch quality Gretsch and Chet targeted.
That figure puts into stark relief what a great buy these are on the vintage market right now. The 1966 Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman selected for this Vintage Vault column is listed in good condition from Reverb seller Chicago Music Exchange for just $2,650. (Like Harrison’s, at some point a previous owner removed the string mutes and filled in the holes.)
A price tag of $2,650 is still a good deal less than the $3,799 Gretsch asks currently for the closest reissue, the G6122T-62GE Vintage Select. And even that is on the higher-end of average vintage prices at the moment. In 2026 so far, the average final sale price on Reverb for ’64-’70 Country Gents is $1,900, a big drop from the 2021 peak of $3,400.
Country Gent pricing follows a trend in the vintage guitar world that some people—particularly a lot of sellers of vintage guitars—seem to have missed: the vintage guitar market has cooled. Not by a ton, and certainly not uniformly. The overall market is down 10-15% compared to its 2021/2022 peak, with values on the whole remaining above what they had been pre-pandemic.
That said, a lot of once-offbeat models—like the Gretsches of the world, CBS-era Fender offsets, and others—gained a ton of value during the pandemic, only to have slipped further since. Final prices can be 20% to even 40% lower than their peaks. This Country Gentleman is just one example, with plenty more to be found.
It’s a good reminder to all of us vintage guitar nerds out there: These days, it’s a great time to be a buyer. So if you see a guitar you like, go ahead and throw out an offer. Refer to the actual final sale prices you can always find in the Reverb Price Guide, and don’t take asking prices at face value. You just might score a real-deal vintage gem, for way less a current reissue.
Seward Park Electric Maravilla Review
Preamp pedals can be a lot of things. They tend to get lumped in with overdrives and boosts, and, in a sense, that’s fair. Preamps, ODs, and boosts are all plugged in before an amplifier’s power section, after all—usually employed to add body, grit, or a measure of distortion.
So, what’s the difference? Well, in the absence of a definitive answer about clipping and EQ circuitry differences—and certainly these can be factors—it can be just as helpful to imagine the preamp/overdrive divide in terms of personalities. An overdrive can be charming but brusque—all full of easy answers to life’s problems and, sometimes, a bit of loudmouth. A good preamp, meanwhile, can be the life of the party—an extrovert even! But it can also be an empathetic, responsive listener and conversationalist.
OK, maybe that isn’t the most watertight metaphor, but Seward Park Electric's Maravilla preamp is one pedal that makes it look particularly apt. Compared to many overdrives, the Maravilla has a huge tone vocabulary—one that spans civilized, sparkling, and venomous. It tends to feel exceptionally well integrated with your amp and guitar. And at the right settings, the Maravilla adds color and energy to a signal without hoovering up the oxygen that makes a guitar feel alive in your hands. Whatever you call it, it has more to offer as a tactile link to your guitar and as a tone scalpel than most overdrives I know.
Maximized Multifactedness
The essence of what makes the Maravilla tick is not terribly complex. Gain is generated via germanium transistors, which are less common in overdrives but make the pedal more dynamically responsive and lend the drive a smoother, less aggro voice. But it’s how the Maravilla builds upon this simple architecture that makes a difference. There is no single drive control on the Maravilla. But a pre-gain control enables you to smash the germanium transistors with input gain, while the post-gain control enables you to take the output from the germanium transistor section and pound the transformer for even more saturation. Transformers are not unheard of in effects pedals, but they aren’t commonplace either. Functionally they can take the place of buffers. But here, as in other excellent preamp-inspired pedals like Hudson’s Broadcast, the Maravilla also uses a transformer to lend extra richness to the distortion.
This simple, if slightly unorthodox, gain chain conjures many complex drive shades by itself. But the Maravilla’s powerful, fluid EQ section also transforms the distortion. The pedal even offers a post-gain presence control, called “air” here, that changes the gain and compression characteristics, along with how the pedal responds to touch and picking dynamics.
“Just as with single coils, the germanium bits of the Maravilla’s beating heart are responsive to touch, tone, and volume dynamics in ways that expand the PAF vocabulary.”
The Punch Spectrum
Uncovering Maravilla’s treasures can feel like fumbling in the dark at first—such are the interactive sensitivities of the six controls. Having all six knobs at noon positions is not a bad place to begin, and you can usually find a baseline not too far from your guitar and amp’s natural voice in these regions. But it pays to be bold as you venture forth from there. And getting a feel for how the post- and pre-gain controls shift the feel of your rig is an ideal launch pad for these experiments.
Slightly advanced pre-gain levels tend to generate sounds and attack most like a conventional overdrive. And depending on where I set the pedal’s EQ, I find sounds similar to those from the Klon and Tube Screamer clones I use as overdrive reference. High post-gain settings in isolation introduce a lean, clean, muscular edge to an amplifier’s input. Any setting that favors heavy pre- or post-gain levels can yield creative results. But it’s when the two are used together in generous servings that the Maravilla comes alive.
As organic amp-style drive goes, the sound and feel of both gain controls at 3 o’clock is hard to top. With a Telecaster and a Vibrolux on either side of the Maravilla, I heard a meaty, rambunctious version of this combination that suffers little from compression or unflattering midrange spikes. You can dial in plenty of compression and odd EQ peaks with the air and EQ controls if you want. But in terms of creating burly, blossoming, naturalistic variations on your natural guitar/amp voice, the two gain controls working together with smooth EQ combos yields the goods. Maximum pre- and post-gain settings sound fantastic too and made the Telecaster and Vibrolux sound positively Marshall-like. But any of these combinations of high pre- and post-gain distortion can be tamed and made near-clean with guitar volume attenuation, and I tended to keep them at higher levels for that reason.
Humbuckers, predictably, have a different relationship with Maravilla. I found the sweetest drive sounds by favoring the pre-gain, using a less dynamic air setting and more conservative tone levels. But just as with single-coils, the germanium bits of the Maravilla’s beating heart are responsive to touch, tone, and volume dynamics in ways that expand the PAF vocabulary. The Maravilla dazzles with Vox- and Marshall-style amps too. It can make an EL84-based rig sound sizzly. But dialing back the pedal’s rangy treble control and adding a scoop of preamp gain can give the combination a buzzy ’60s-practice-amp-set-to-blast essence that, with a little guitar volume and tone attenuation, recalls the crunchy/fuzzy tones David Hidalgo and Tchad Blake cooked up for Latin Playboys’ records. If you’re strictly into the maximum rock ‘n’ roll potentialities of a British amp and the Maravilla, though, fear not. It’s just as easy to dial up monster sounds as it is to find off-kilter ones.
The Verdict
Using the Maravailla in performance can be tricky business if you don’t do your homework. And paradoxically, this means its wonderful versatility may be its only drawback. But this is a drawback in very relative terms. The homework Maravilla demands of you is 101-level stuff. Yes, small adjustments to any of the Maravilla’s controls can profoundly affect the whole, and you might create something ghastly before you happen upon the magic recipe that matches your aims. But the Maravilla is forgiving, and you get used to the sweeps and range in its controls fast. It’s fantastic for awakening lifeless, one-dimensional signals that are missing energy or a certain EQ emphasis. It can add aggression through unique shades of saturation that can span smooth and fuzzy. And as you get to know its core strengths, you may find that some of the strangest sounds it produces might just become the most essential. Indeed, if the most obvious tone sweeteners here don’t convince you of Maravilla’s ability to outperform your average overdrive, the unexpected surprises most certainly will.
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks' "The Art of Music" Debuts October 1st on Public Television
- YouTube
October 1st marks the premiere of The Art of Music’s third episode, featuring GRAMMY © Award winning blues rock combo and Tedeschi Trucks Band co-founders, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks filmed live from The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Petrie Sculpture Court. It features intimate performances and a wide-ranging interview with legendary music journalist David Fricke. Corporate funding for the series is provided by Chase. The series is distributed by NETA.
Presented by United MileagePlus Cards from Chase. *
PREVIEW at youtube.com/watch
“What a beautiful and unique setting for a concert and interview,” said Derek Trucks. “Sitting in a room full of masterpieces from all over the world was inspiring - watching Susan hold and play Mississippi John Hurt’s guitar is something I won’t forget.”
The episode reveals details of the Tedeschi and Trucks musical journey, inspirations, family influences, and their personal connection to Derek and the Dominos’ “Bell Bottom Blues.” A performance with Sippie Wallace's “Women Be Wise” on Mississippi John Hurt's Gibson guitar, drawn from the Met's collection and a breakdown of “Who Am I” and “What in the World” highlight music from their sixth studio album release Future Soul.
Check local listings for more information at listings.tracmedia.com/artOfMusic.
“The Art of Music” format keeps pulling extraordinary moments like this out of artists,” said Don Maggi, founder and president of iMaggination. “Susan and Derek didn't just talk about their influences — they played them, on an instrument from the Met's own collection. That's what this series is built to do.”
This special interview and performance featuring Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks presented by United MileagePlus Cards from Chase was an unforgettable occasion for Chase United Cardmembers who were invited to attend the intimate live taping. TheUnited MileagePlus Cards from Chase provide Cardmembers with access to exclusive events and experiences in addition to many reward and travel benefits with United Airlines.
Other episodes of The Art of Music include Sheryl Crow with Jason Isbell and
Peter Frampton with Warren Haynes, available at www.theartofmusic.co.
Slash Honored with 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award During Hollywood Celebration
Rock icon Slash received the 2026 Les Paul Spirit Award last night, Monday, October 5, during an intimate celebration at The Les Paul Recording Studio at Universal Master Recordings in Hollywood.
Presented by the Les Paul Foundation in partnership with Gibson Gives, the philanthropic arm of Gibson, the private event brought together a room filled with music-industry luminaries, artists, media, friends and special guests to honor Slash’s extraordinary creative legacy, pioneering musicianship and enduring influence on generations of artists and fans.
The evening centered on the presentation of the one-of-a-kind Les Paul Spirit Award, recognizing Slash as an artist who embodies Les Paul’s pioneering spirit through innovation, creativity, technology and music. The celebration also included a reception and a tour of the historic recording studio, offering guests a closer look at the remarkable legacy of Les Paul and the continuing impact of his work on modern music and recording.
Slash and Les Paul shared a special friendship during Les Paul’s lifetime and often played music together. That personal connection brought added meaning to the evening as guests celebrated not only two of the most recognizable guitarists in music history, but also two artists united by an enduring curiosity, an instinct for innovation and a lifelong commitment to expanding the expressive possibilities of the electric guitar.
“Les was so much more than a great guitarist and innovator. He was an actual inventor who changed the instrument itself, built groundbreaking recording equipment and completely reimagined how artists could record music. I feel incredibly lucky that I got to know him, hang out with him and play music with him. I cherish the relationship we had, and receiving an award that carries his name and spirit is a tremendous honor.” --Slash
“We are honored to present the Les Paul Spirit Award to Slash this year. He and Les shared a special friendship and often jammed together when they could,” said Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation. “Not only does Slash exemplify the creativity and curiosity Les had during his life, but he is also an extraordinary talent and a wonderful supporter of the Les Paul Foundation. If Les were still alive today, Slash and he would be jamming onstage together somewhere regularly.”
The annual Les Paul Spirit Award is presented to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the late Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and music. The physical award presented to Slash was created from actual hand-carved acoustic boards that Les Paul built and used in his home recording studio. Because each award is fashioned from authentic studio materials personally created by Les Paul, no two Les Paul Spirit Awards are exactly alike.
Previous recipients of the Les Paul Spirit Award include Bob Weir, Nile Rodgers, the Edge, Peter Frampton and Steve Miller. Slash now joins that distinguished group of artists whose creativity, originality and contributions to music reflect the trailblazing spirit that defined Les Paul’s life and career.
A GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Slash has helped define generations of rock music through his work with Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, Slash’s Snakepit, Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators and Slash’s Blues Ball Band. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, he has created some of the most iconic guitar performances in rock history while continuing to push his artistry into new territory.
His most recent solo album, Orgy of the Damned, was released by Gibson Records in 2024 and topped the Billboard Blues Albums chart for 13 weeks. Whether exploring the blues or recording rock albums with Slash FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, Slash remains driven by the same instinctive, collaborative approach that has defined his career.
Prior to the award presentation, select members of the media were invited inside the Les Paul Recording Studio for an exclusive advance listening session featuring four songs from Slash FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS’ forthcoming album, Flying Blind. Guests heard “Good Time Girl,” “One of Your Kind,” “Flying Blind” and “Looking for a Miracle,” offering an early glimpse at the band’s next creative chapter.
Set for release on February 26, 2027, via Gibson Records, Flying Blind was recorded largely live with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette and captures the raw chemistry and unfiltered energy that have become hallmarks of the band’s sound. The preview underscored that, even after decades at the forefront of rock music, Slash continues to create with the same passion, spontaneity and commitment to collaboration that have defined his extraordinary career.
The Flying Blind WORLD TOUR 2027 will take Slash FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS across Latin America, North America, the United Kingdom and Europe, with stops at iconic venues including The Wiltern, Beacon Theatre and Ryman Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now: home.slashonline.com/tour.
Jackson’s Jon Romanowski: The Halo Effect
The superstrat was not born in a design studio. It was not shaped by a focus group, nor was it conceived as part of a grand plan to reinvent the electric guitar. It evolved because one player demanded more from the instrument than it had ever delivered before. When Eddie Van Halen assembled his now-legendary Frankenstrat, he wasn’t trying to create a new category of guitar. He was solving problems. He wanted an instrument that could survive aggressive tremolo abuse, deliver more power and thickness, and respond to the speed and articulation of the music he heard in his head. Every modification—hotter pickups, a flatter fingerboard radius, larger frets, a locking tremolo—brought the guitar closer to that vision.
What began as one player’s search for a more appropriate tool evolved into an entire philosophy of instrument design. The Frankenstrat became one of the defining blueprints for the superstrat, influencing everyone from boutique builders to major manufacturers. It also changed what players expected from an electric guitar and created a platform that continues to evolve nearly half a century later. Few people have had a better understanding of that evolution than Jon Romanowski.
As Vice President of Product for Fender Musical Instruments Corporation’s high-performance brands—Jackson, Charvel, and EVH—Romanowski occupies a unique position in the guitar world. He doesn’t build guitars in the traditional sense. He doesn’t carve necks, wind pickups, or spray finishes. Instead, his craft is something less visible but equally important: understanding what innovations guitarists seek and translating those insights into instruments they genuinely want to play.
“There’s a huge, undulating current of artists and bands having a major impact, so we’re watching those trends.”
Romanowski describes product management as the hub of a wheel, with each “spoke”—engineering, manufacturing, artist relations, marketing, sales, and finance—contributing a different kind of expertise. “Successful products,” he says, “are created at the point where those perspectives intersect.” Throughout a conversation that repeatedly emphasizes the value of teamwork, Romanowski’s focus always returns to the most important voice in the room: the guitarist.
To Romanowski, innovation doesn’t begin in a factory or a boardroom. It begins with a player trying to solve a problem. A player pushes boundaries, other musicians take notice, manufacturers respond, and new technologies eventually filter through product lines and out into the broader guitar community. He calls this phenomenon the “halo effect.” Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat was one of those ideas. Romanowski has spent much of his career shepherding similar ideas into existence—not by imposing himself on the product, but by listening to what players need.
Long before he reached the upper levels of the guitar industry, Romanowski grew up in Rochester, New York, raised with two distinct perspectives: His father, an engineer, emphasized discipline, academics, and analytical thinking, while his mother encouraged creativity and artistic exploration. That combination proved formative. His father’s mindset would eventually serve him well in product development, while his mother kept music at the center of his life.
Like many teenagers of his generation, Romanowski’s path changed after seeing the possibilities of rock music explode on MTV in the early ’80s. Watching Def Leppard’s “Photograph” video, he knew he wanted to play guitar. “My mom was always trying to get me involved in the arts,” he recalls. “But after seeing Def Leppard, I thought, ‘Man, I want to do that.’”
Playing eventually led to a job at Rochester’s legendary House of Guitars, where he says his real education began. The store became a classroom unlike any traditional academic environment. He saw firsthand how players interacted with instruments, watched local musicians chase opportunities, witnessed artists develop their identities, and began to understand that the music business extended far beyond playing guitar. “Don’t let school get in the way of a good education,” he says with a laugh.
That experience eventually led to positions with ART (Applied Research and Technology, founded by MXR alumni) and later Ibanez, where Romanowski learned one of the most important lessons of his career: successful product development isn’t necessarily about inventing something completely new. Often, it’s about paying attention.
“You’re looking for holes in the marketplace,” he explains. “You say, ‘We have these types of guitars for these kinds of players, but they’re looking for this other type of sound, so maybe we should do that.' You pair them up and bring it to market.” That philosophy would become the foundation of his approach. The goal isn’t to predict the future. It’s to listen closely enough that the future reveals itself.
By the time Van Halen’s debut album arrived in 1978, the electric guitar had already undergone several major transformations, yet Fender and Gibson still largely dominated the market. Romanowski acknowledges players like Les Paul were already pushing technical boundaries. “He was playing very fast and quick; he just didn’t do it with distortion,” he says. “And you had the undulating fusion thing going on with Al Di Meola and Allan Holdsworth, so there was already that virtuosity—except those players were highly-schooled and rooted in jazz. Then here comes a guy with those chops, applying them in a pop context. It was accessible and digestible, yet it also sounded like nothing anyone had heard before.”
“Eruption” was more than a great guitar solo; it was a moment when players realized the instrument could do things they had never imagined. “‘Eruption’ sounded like Beethoven meets E.T.,” Romanowski says with a chuckle. “People had never heard a guitar sound like that before. That was the appeal.”
But Van Halen’s influence extended beyond technique. Romanowski describes the Frankenstrat as “patient zero” in the superstrat lineage. “He completely changed the engineering demands of the electric guitar,” Romanowski says. “To play that way, you needed a guitar with a flatter radius, bigger frets, hotter pickups—and it had to look the part.”
Van Halen didn’t build the superstrat to create a market category, but rather because existing instruments didn’t meet his needs. “And people glommed onto that. They were like, ‘I want to be like that guy, so I need that kind of guitar.’” For Romanowski, that insight is essential: defining moments in the guitar industry are often driven by musicians pushing instruments beyond their present limitations.
Romanowski believes the halo effect is earned through meaningful innovation, not novelty for novelty’s sake. The goal is not to change an instrument simply to make it different, but to understand why players need something different in the first place. It’s a philosophy that shapes his view of signature models. In some corners of the guitar world, artist models are dismissed as marketing exercises—familiar designs dressed up with a famous name. Romanowski sees them differently. At their best, signature instruments give artists opportunities to push manufacturers toward ideas that may eventually benefit everyone.
He points to Misha Mansoor of Periphery as an example of an artist whose influence extends beyond his own instruments: he introduced ideas through his Jackson Juggernaut signature guitar that filtered through the rest of the product line. “Artists like Misha help push us in terms of design and technologies,” Romanowski explains. “They’re the ones that lead the charge, internally. We do stumble upon some things, but in my experience, we’ve always been more successful when we listen to what the artist needs, or the market telegraphs us some stuff. The halo effect drives the overall business.”
For Romanowski, the artist is not simply endorsing a product—they’re a part of the development process. He compares that influence to the way Michael Jordan changed perceptions of basketball shoes. A player at the highest level can transform how an audience views a product—not because everyone will perform at that level, but because the product represents possibility. The same idea applies to high-performance guitars. “With heavy metal and hard rock, you can’t just casually play it,” Romanowski says. “You must spend some time on it, which means you did that at the expense of something else. You sacrificed something to be able to play like this. And for those players, there’s an expectation there.”
Though Romanowski was initially hired by Fender to jumpstart its high-performance brands, he and his team understand that their role isn’t to recreate the revolutionary moments of the past. “Those moments already happened,” he admits. “Classic brands don’t need a whole lot. They’ve got a great history. They just need a little tweaking here and there.” The groundwork laid by the players and builders who reshaped the instrument—Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Grover Jackson, and Wayne Charvel—has endured. “That group in the ’80s hit pay dirt,” Romanowski says. “So [at Jackson] we already have extraordinary platforms—the Rhoads, the Soloist, the Dinky.”
Today, the challenge is to keep evolving those platforms. That means adapting classic designs for modern players with seven- and eight-string models, new pickup configurations, varied scale lengths, updated finishes, and a broader range of price points. Romanowski jokingly compares the process to “Mr. Potato Head”—rearranging familiar pieces to create something new. Beneath the humor is a sophisticated philosophy of iterative design: great designs endure because they are flexible. The superstrat can absorb new influences without losing its identity.
“A young player can stream Pantera, Bring Me the Horizon, Allan Holdsworth, Brad Paisley, and Kurt Cobain within the same afternoon.”
The next stage of the superstrat is already underway, according to Romanowski. While technical ability will always matter, he sees younger players increasingly emphasizing heavier riffs, lower tunings, and songwriting chops, rather than pure displays of speed. He believes the superstrat is well positioned for that future because it has always adapted to the musicians using it.
“The last guitar revolution, in my opinion, was back in 2008/2009, with Periphery and Animals as Leaders,” he says. “To me, that was like the late ’70s/early ’80s Van Halen and Randy Rhoads kind of thing.” For Romanowski, those moments are connected. Both represent players asking for more from the instrument, and manufacturers responding.
Now he sees two generations helping shape what comes next. “Boomers are starting to age out,” he says. “And Gen Xers are becoming more prominent. They were the ones that got exposed to all this stuff in the ’80s and ’90s, and that’s helped give us a tailwind. They remember it and want to get back in touch with it. There’s also a large group of very young people getting into guitar for the first time, so you’ve got these two cohorts coming together that can help chart a course.”
Beyond guitar-centric revolutions, Romanowski believes another major shift has helped shape the modern guitar landscape: the way people consume music.
“In the 1980s, MTV helped determine which artists reached millions of listeners,” he says. “In the 1990s, grunge changed the priorities of many guitarists seemingly overnight. Today, because of the internet and social media, those divisions have largely disappeared. A young player can stream Pantera, Bring Me the Horizon, Allan Holdsworth, Brad Paisley, and Kurt Cobain within the same afternoon.”
The result is a guitar culture where multiple generations and styles exist simultaneously. The superstrat no longer belongs only to virtuosos chasing technical perfection. It has simply become another electric guitar to choose from, regardless of what style of music one plays.
Ultimately, Romanowski defines his leadership role simply: “to take the beatings and celebrate the wins.” Nearly 50 years after Eddie Van Halen painted stripes on a modified Stratocaster and changed guitarists’ expectations of the instrument, the superstrat now comfortably coexists with standard-bearers like the Stratocaster, Les Paul, and SG.
“Technology evolves, players change, music moves forward,” Romanowski says. “Yet the conversation between musician and instrument continues. There’s a huge, undulating current of artists and bands having a major impact, so we’re watching those trends.”
He may not be able to predict the next guitar revolution, but Romanowski knows the future belongs to those willing to listen for it. “There continues to be a path forward, and there continue to be even more growth opportunities,” he says. For Romanowski, perhaps that is the real halo effect—not simply creating something new, but making an instrument that helps move the conversation forward.
State of the Stomp: Picking the Right Buffer for Your Rig
In Helmet front man Page Hamilton’s 2014 Rig Rundown, he highlighted the 12AX7-driven Fryette Valvulator Tube Buffer, stating, “That is a key piece of gear in my sound, always on my pedalboard.” For a precision-minded musician like Hamilton, a quality buffer can be a foundational part of the rig.
Every foot of instrument cable you run has inherent capacitance. When you daisy-chain a 15-foot cable into a pedalboard packed with true-bypass switches, and then run another 15-foot cable to your amp, you’ve essentially built a massive low-pass (RC) filter. The result? Your signal bleeds high-end frequencies and loses its transient lifeblood before it even hits your preamp tubes. This is where choosing the right buffer transcends being a mere option and becomes an absolute necessity.
A buffer doesn’t just convert Hi-Z (impedance) to Low-Z; its components also add their own “color” and character.
Op-Amp (Operational Amplifier):
This topology is the modern industry standard. It is known to be exceptionally clean, transparent, and linear, and possesses an incredibly low noise floor (dead quiet). An IC Op-Amp-based buffer reproduces your signal exactly as it is, without any meaningful harmonic coloration.
JFET (Junction Field Effect Transistor):
JFET transistors offer the ability to natively accept exceptionally high-impedance loads (up to the megaohm scale). The operational characteristics of a JFET are frequently compared to vacuum tubes because of how they operate in a voltage-controlled manner. This fundamental trait renders JFETs highly musical, incredibly responsive to picking dynamics, and perfectly suited as an instrument-level signal buffer.
BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor):
Unlike the JFET, BJT transistors are current-controlled and naturally lack the massive high-input-impedance capability required to reach the megaohm scale without employing specialized design tricks (such as bootstrapping). However, BJT-type buffers are often selected due to their highly efficient and economical design, and most importantly, they deliver a uniquely vintage interaction.
Discrete:
In terms of structural architecture, this is fundamentally an Op-Amp; however, instead of utilizing a factory-molded, micro-sized IC chip, this topology is constructed using an array of many full-sized individual (discrete) transistors. This approach allows designers to strictly regulate component tolerances to an extreme degree, yielding gargantuan headroom and a highly specific Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) profile. Frequently deployed in studio-grade buffers or mixing consoles, this topology is exceptionally rare to find in a stompbox format due to its space-consuming footprint.
Tube:
This employs classic vacuum tubes (such as the 12AX7) operating at actual high voltage. A vacuum tube is capable of handling high input impedance natively, just like a JFET, but with a voltage headroom that is far more massive. As a bonus, tubes deliver a pleasing (second-order) harmonic distortion that injects warmth and a 3D dimension into the signal, along with an exceptionally wide dynamic range.
Hybrid:
A clever topology that blends two worlds. It typically employs a JFET at the input stage to capture the high impedance from the guitar without degrading the tone, and then utilizes a BJT or Op-Amp at the output stage to forcefully spew a robust low impedance through long cable runs. This is the steadfast default buffer embedded within almost the entire Boss pedal line.
Active Pickups:
A technical fact that is frequently forgotten: if you are using active pickups, you already possess a built-in buffer located at the closest possible distance to the sound source. Hiding stealthily beneath the pickup cover and powered by a 9V battery, this circuit—which predominantly uses micro Op-Amps—instantly converts the signal to low impedance right at the guitar’s output jack. (Examples: EMG 81/85, Fishman Fluence).
Do you actually need two buffers?
Yes. Professional rig builders often quietly employ a “Buffer Sandwich.” One high-quality buffer sits first-in-chain to “catch” the fragile high-impedance signal. A second buffer sits at the absolute end, aggressively pushing your signal through 50 feet of stage cable to your backline or FOH without bleeding top-end sparkle.
The unaffected sound is the feature. It’s exactly this transparency that leads amateur tone-chasers to write off buffers as worthless gear. But when the stages get wider, when you demand wireless freedom, or when your cable lengths cross into the realm of the absurd, the buffer will be right there. It will silently save the life of your tone while you’re too busy praising the sheer magic of your boutique true-bypass overdrive.
Fender and Joe Bonamassa Introduce the Tone Master '59 Twin-Amp JB Edition
Fender has unveiled the Tone Master ’59 Twin-Amp JB Edition, the first signature amplifier in Fender’s Tone Master series, created in close collaboration with blues-rock guitarist and longtime Fender artist Joe Bonamassa. Inspired by Bonamassa’s prized late-’50s high-powered tweed Twin amps — a mainstay of his touring and studio rig — the new model brings the sound and response of his vintage originals together with the versatility and functionality of Fender’s modern Tone Master platform.
“I wanted to hate it,” said Joe Bonamassa. “We’re all in agreement that this amp was tighter, punchier, and better. I never thought I’d see in my lifetime the fact that I’d be sitting next to a digital amp. Sound makes you play. Sound inspires you to play. You just need to know how to unlock the sound you hear in your head and get it out.”
Powered by Fender’s Tone Master modeling technology, this signature amplifier combines the character of Bonamassa’s beloved vintage tube amps with the convenience and versatility of modern engineering. The 2x12” ‘59 Twin delivers crystalline cleans that transform into aggressive, distinctive overdrive when pushed into its sweet spot. A six-way power attenuator makes those tones accessible at bedroom-friendly volumes, while the amp can reach up to 85W for the stage. Celestion JB Neodymium Speakers deliver an expansive frequency range, and onboard controls including a vintage/tight switch, line output with level control, ground lift and three-way cabinet simulator let players further shape their tone.
Key Features Include:
- Joe Bonamassa Signature Tone: Based on the legendary Fender 5F8-A "high-powered" tweed Twin circuit and voiced after Joe Bonamassa's own prized late-'50s amps, delivering bold cleans and rich, dynamic overdrive.
- Dual Celestion JB Neodymium Speakers: Custom-designed lightweight 12" speakers capture the punch, warmth and articulation of Joe's touring rig while reducing overall weight.
- Stage-to-Home Power Control: A rear-panel output selector provides full power plus five attenuated settings, making the iconic high-power tweed Twin tone accessible at any volume.
- Premium Modern Performance: Features top-panel convolution spring reverb, an effects loop for time-based effects and a rear-panel "Vintage-Tight" switch for enhanced low-end response.
- Studio-Ready Connectivity: Balanced XLR line out with three onboard cabinet impulse responses, plus fully customizable speaker IRs via the Tone Master IR Manager app for seamless recording and live performance.
Designed in collaboration with Joe Bonamassa. Full technical specifications are listed below.
With a career that began at 12 opening for B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa was destined for guitar greatness. Known affectionately as JoBo, he has since released 17 LPs and holds the world record for the most No. 1 blues albums. Beyond his storied career as a performer and collaborator, Bonamassa is also renowned for his extensive gear collection. Across his Los Angeles, Nashville and New York City headquarters, he has amassed a rare and sought-after assortment of vintage amplifiers, instruments and effects.
“Joe Bonamassa is one of the world’s foremost authorities on vintage amplifiers, and he knows these original Twins as well as anyone,” said Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer, Fender Electronics & Digital. “For someone with Joe’s ears, experience and deep commitment to vintage tube amps to choose a digital Fender, and say it sounds even better than the original, is a real inflection point for our industry. It demonstrates just how far this technology has come and, more importantly, the extraordinary accuracy with which Fender can now recreate the sound, feel and response of our most iconic amplifiers. That’s what Tone Master is all about: preserving everything players love about these legendary amps while making them more useful for the way musicians play today.”
Fender’s Tone Master ’59 Twin-Amp JB Edition brings one of Bonamassa’s most relied-upon vintage Fender sounds to players in a format designed for the stage, studio and home. It carries a street price of $1,999.99 USD, £1,789 GBP, €2,099 EUR, $2,999 AUD, ¥308,000 JPY. For more information visit fender.com.
Tone Master ’59 Twin-Amp JB Edition
Fender has unveiled the Tone Master ’59 Twin-Amp JB Edition, the first signature amplifier in Fender’s Tone Master series, created in close collaboration with blues-rock guitarist and longtime Fender artist Joe Bonamassa. Inspired by Bonamassa’s prized late-’50s high-powered tweed Twin amps — a mainstay of his touring and studio rig — the new model brings the sound and response of his vintage originals together with the versatility and functionality of Fender’s modern Tone Master platform.
Ernie Ball Music Man Launches New Albert Lee Models
Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced two new takes on the Albert Lee guitar: the Albert Lee HSS, which pairs the model's distinctive body shape with a versatile HSS pickup configuration, and the Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee in Malibu Burst, limited to 75 instruments worldwide.
The Albert Lee HSS combines the distinctive Albert Lee body shape with a DiMarzio custom humbucker, first developed for the Music Man Axis, and Albert Lee's signature Seymour Duncan custom single-coil pickups. A Silent Circuit preamp reduces the 60-cycle hum associated with traditional single coils, while a 5-way selector with master volume and tone controls delivers everything from articulate, chiming cleans to full-bodied humbucker drive. An ash body in a high-gloss finish is paired with a roasted figured maple neck finished in gunstock oil and hand-rubbed wax, with 22 high-profile stainless steel frets on a 25-1/2" scale. White face dots and glow-in-the-dark side markers, a Music Man vintage tremolo, compensated nut, and Schaller M6-IND locking tuners round out a guitar built for players who need one instrument to cover it all. The Albert Lee HSS comes in three striking finishes: Firemist Silver, Honey Burst, and Cosmos Sparkle.
Albert Lee HSS Features:
- DiMarzio custom humbucker + Albert Lee signature Seymour Duncan custom single coils
- Silent Circuit preamp
- Ash body with roasted figured maple neck
- 22 stainless steel frets
- Music Man vintage tremolo and Schaller locking tuners
- Strung with Custom RPS Slinkys (10–46)
The Albert Lee HSS is available for a street price of $3,299.
The Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee in Malibu Burst brings premium tonewoods and refined details to the Albert Lee platform. A figured maple top over an okoume body is finished in high-gloss Malibu Burst, paired with a roasted figured maple neck and fretboard in a hand-rubbed oil and wax finish. White pearl Atlante block inlays and glow-in-the-dark side dots give the fretboard a distinctive look, while custom-wound DiMarzio humbuckers—the same pickups found in the Axis—deliver rich, articulate tone through a 5-way selector and 500k volume and tone controls. A Music Man vintage tremolo, compensated nut, locking Schaller tuners, and 22 stainless steel frets on a 10" radius complete the package. Limited to just 75 instruments worldwide.
Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee Features:
- Figured maple top on an okoume body in Malibu Burst
- Roasted figured maple neck and fretboard
- White pearl Atlante block inlays with glow-in-the-dark side dots
- Custom-wound DiMarzio humbuckers
- Music Man vintage tremolo and locking Schaller tuners
- Limited to 75 instruments worldwide
The Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee is available for a street price of $3,799.
Albert Lee HSS
Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced two new takes on the Albert Lee guitar: the Albert Lee HSS, which pairs the model's distinctive body shape with a versatile HSS pickup configuration, and the Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee in Malibu Burst, limited to 75 instruments worldwide.