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Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has shared that his cancer has returned and that he is continuing treatment, but he’s staying resilient and “not slowing down”.

Campbell, who has also played for Dio, White Snake and Thin Lizzy, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013, and reported that he was in remission in June of last year after receiving a donor stem cell transplant.

Unfortunately, Campbell now reports that the transplant “didn’t stick” and that he may have to do another in a few years. In the meantime, he says he is doing as much with his life as possible, including his work with Def Leppard and his Last In Line supergroup.

Asked how he keeps a positive mindset during his health battles, he tells Francisco Sigüenza of El Salvador’s Radio YSKL FM [via Blabbermouth], “Unfortunately, I have met people in my life who, when they’ve gotten a cancer diagnosis, they’ve only focused on that. They think, ‘I can’t do anything. I need to stay in bed…’ I’ve never felt that way. I’ve always felt like I’m gonna continue to live my life as much as possible. In fact, even more so… I also consider myself very fortunate because I caught my cancer early.

“There’s only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me; in the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening. And I realised at that point that I had to do a donor transplant. It was my only hope to survive. And that’s what I did. I did that in January of ’25. Unfortunately, it didn’t stick. So the cancer has returned. And I’m continuing treatments to manage it.”

He goes on to add, “In the meantime, I’m certainly not slowing down. I’m doing as much with my life as possible, not just with Def Leppard and with Last In Line. I’m also rally driving, ’cause I always wanted to do that. So I’ve been doing that more and more, ’cause I love cars and I love driving.

“Life is for the living,” he says, “and I encourage everyone to look after their own health. And if you are unfortunate enough to get a cancer diagnosis to overcome the fear. Fear is inevitable when you’re first told those words. But once you get over that, you gotta realise just how to manage it and how to deal with it as best as possible, and just don’t give in.”

Def Leppard are on tour in October/November this year. You can find out more via the band’s official website.

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Halestorm’s powerhouse vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale has launched a new signature model with Epiphone – a sparkling Explorer Custom model designed for heavy music with an aesthetic sure to steal the spotlight.

Finished in a Black Diamond Holographic Sparkle exterior, fans may recognise its shiny good looks from her signature Kramer Voyager model from 2023. Epiphone describes it as a “commanding new addition” to her series of Epiphone signature guitars; you may remember her limited-edition Explorer from 2019.

• READ MORE: “If you wanna listen to the studio recording, listen to the studio recording”: Why Halestorm refuse to use backing tracks during live shows

This new guitar has a classic mahogany body and 7-ply top binding, with a single-ply mirror pickguard that reflects and shines under stage lighting in keeping with its sparkling looks. Its mahogany neck is shaped to Epiphone’s SlimTaper 60s C profile, paired with an ebony fretboard, 22 medium jumbo frets, and pearloid block inlays.

At the top of the model, the Explorer “hockey stick” headstock has a raised Epiphone 3D nickel logo, a Graph Tech nut, and Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners. Custom artist details include a black two-ply truss rod cover engraved with Hale’s signature and a black stinger on the rear of the headstock.

Tonally, the guitar is powered by a matched set of Epiphone ProBucker Ignite pickups, with each wired to its own volume control, with a shared master tone control topped by a silver Speed knob for shaping. It’s also got a three-way pickup selector, a LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and LockTone Stop Bar tailpiece, and you also get a hardshell case included.

Due to its premium features, this is a higher-end Epiphone model that comes in at $999. Find out more about its story below:

Aljon Go, Product Manager at Epiphone, says: “Lzzy has always brought a rare combination of power, precision, and unmistakable style to the stage. The Lzzy Hale Explorer Custom captures that same energy in an instrument that looks unforgettable, plays fast, and delivers the clarity and punch players need to own the moment.”

To find out more, visit the Epiphone website. Lzzy Hale is offering fans on Halestorm’s autumn 2026 North American tour the opportunity to own an autographed Explorer Custom played live on stage through a VIP experience.

The post Lzzy Hale’s dazzling new Epiphone Explorer Custom is “purpose-built for heavy music” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Johnny Marr has shared his thoughts on the bidding estimates for the guitars he’s selling through Christie’s auction house.

Announced in June, the Marr’s Guitars auction will take place on 17 September and features nearly 100 pieces from his personal collection. Though these items are definitely not cheap, Marr believes his collection will sell for a lot less than that of other pivotal players, and hopes the items will go to fans.

Consisting of almost 80 instruments, as well as amps and other bits of gear, price estimates range from £1,000 to £80,000. However, one of the items could potentially go for up to £150,000 – his 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, which he used to write The Smiths’ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.

• READ MORE: “Okay, Hans, no need to hurt my feelings!”: Johnny Marr reveals the brutal but helpful expletive-laden advice he once got from Hans Zimmer

Speaking to Guitarist, he explains, “Well, compared with other auctions, the prices don’t look too horrible. The people who follow me might not necessarily be the same people who follow Mark Knopfler or David Gilmour. Two people I’ve got the utmost respect for. My appeal as a guitar player is coming from a different place and a different time. That’s the main reason I put a lot of my Jags in there, precisely because they’re not heritage antiques.

“My hope is that someone who’s got a regular job in Glasgow, who fancies a good guitar but wants one of mine, will be able to afford it. They’re not all tens of thousands,” Marr states.

“In the past, I’ve never regretted selling, like, one of the Playland guitars or something I used on The Messenger. Because I know it’s someone who really cares about [what I’ve done in] my career overall. It’s not just someone who wants to buy the How Soon Is Now guitar and stick it in a glass case. I want a fan to buy these guitars.”

He goes on to add, “It’s not really for me to control if someone wants to hang it up in a collection, but something tells me that isn’t going to be the case. Precisely because I come from a different culture from Jeff Beck and David Gilmour. And not to say that their fans aren’t [guitar fanatics]. But y’know, I’m an indie-rock musician and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be an indie-rock fan who buys my guitars.”

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It’s fair to say that these prices are still very high for the regular player, but Marr raises a fair point regarding the value of Gilmour’s instruments. The Pink Floyd guitarist’s famous Black Strat holds the title of the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction, nearly tripling the previous record by selling for $14,550,000 including fees.

The guitar was sold as part of the Jim Irsay Collection auction, also via Christie’s. It originally had an estimated price of $2-4,000,000.

Marr has promised to donate 100 percent of the profits from 10 lots of his auction to a pair of charities: The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and The National Autistic Society.

Find out more about the Marr’s Guitars auction via Christie’s auction house.

The post “My hope is that someone with a regular job will be able to afford it. They’re not all tens of thousands”: Johnny Marr on his upcoming Christie’s auction appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you happen to be named Sebastian, well it seems you might have Sebastian Bach to thank – or at least that’s what he thinks.

The Twisted Sister singer believes there was a spike in popularity for his name in the late 1980s, but prior to his music career taking off, he recalls never hearing of anyone else with the same name as his. He even says fans have approached him over the years to tell him that their parents named them after him.

• READ MORE: “They play too many notes”: Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French on the problem with young guitarists

Speaking to Loudwire, he says, “There’s a lot of times people come up to me and say, ‘I was named after you, my parents named me after you.’ ’cause when I was a kid, I was born in 1968, so I was in grade school in 1975/76. Let me tell you something. There was no other kid named Sebastian in the ’70s.

“I would come home almost crying to my mom, ‘Why did you name me this name? Why couldn’t you name me Joe?’ I remember saying that. My mom’s like, ‘Listen, honey, you’re gonna like it [one day].’ When I got to be like 13 getting in bands, then it was a great name!” He shares.

“Back in 1989, some fan said, ‘Sebastian, do you know about this?’ And it was [one of] these polls of popular names for boys and girls. They showed me in ’89 the in the newspaper it had the most popular names and it said Sebastian, but the year before it wasn’t even in the chart! I was the fuckin’ guy, okay? Because ’88, nothing. ’89, Sebastian was one of the top names that people were naming their kids. You’re welcome!”

You can watch the interview below:

Bach joined Twisted Sister in 2023 in place of Dee Snider. Their guitarist, Jay Jay French, has been pretty outspoken in recent years about his thoughts on rock music and its future. In fact, he’d go as far as to say it’s “dead”.

Speaking with Sean P. McKenna on Rimshots With Sean for Barstools & Bandtalk earlier this year, French said: “People say to me, ‘What makes you say rock is dead?’ Well, here’s my take on that. When I was 17 years old back in 1969, all my heroes – Beatles, Stones, Who, Zep, Floyd, Hendrix, Dylan, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane; you name it, you name ‘em all – none of them were older than 27.

“Now think about this for a second. The greatest rock artists in the history of the world, when I was 17, were no older than 10 years [older] than me. Most of them were 25 to 27. Well, I say, name me a 27-year-old rock star right now. And nobody can name one.”

He went on to add, “I’m not saying that there are no rock bands. I’m just saying that the collective psyche that dictates current music trends and sociological impact of music, it’s not showing up in the rock world in terms of mass acceptance.”

The post “I was the f**kin’ guy, okay?”: Sebastian Bach says he was the reason for a spike in popularity of the name ‘Sebastian’ in 1989 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Gretsch has added a new limited-edition Penguin model to its lineup, complete with a head-spinning Light Blue Pearl finish and a String-Thru Bigsby tailpiece.

2026 has been a big year for Gretsch so far, with new metal-ready baritone models landing in May, and limited-edition Emerald Night Falcon and Penguins arriving the month before. And continuing its hot streak, the brand has added a beautiful new Penguin model to its lineup.

• READ MORE: Gretsch G2622TG Streamliner Ltd Ed Center Block Double-Cut with Bigsby review: “There are a million and one songs trapped inside this guitar, impatiently waiting to be unleashed”

Boasting a mahogany body with an arched maple top and vintage chambering, with a striking Light Blue Pearl finish, the G6134T-58 offers a truly eye-catching take on a classic Gretsch design.

Elsewhere, the guitar sports a mahogany neck with a 12”-radius ebony fingerboard, with 22 medium jumbo frets, mother of pearl Neo Classic thumbnail inlays and Luminlay side dots.

Tones come by way of a pair of TV Jones Ray Butts Ful-Fidelity Filter’Tron pickups, made according to Ray’s personal notes and designs. These pickups are said to produce a tighter bass response and slightly more top end than modern Filter’Tron pickups. “The absence of wax potting results in a more open, three-dimensional sound with truly unique sparkle and exceptional dynamics,” Gretsch says.

Other features include a Space Control bridge with a pinned ebony base and a String-Thru Bigsby B3CP tailpiece, Grover Imperial tuners and chrome hardware.

The G6134T-58 is priced at $3,799.99, and comes with a G6238XL Gretsch deluxe hardshell case as standard.

Learn more at Gretsch.

The post This new Gretsch Penguin could be the most striking guitar of the year so far appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$2,799/£2,399, gibson.com

The 1980s were an interesting time for the guitar industry. The decade saw a new generation of players who demanded instruments that were quite a departure from the electric guitars that had been front and centre for most of the previous thirty-plus years. That in turn enabled small makers like Kramer, Charvel and Jackson to become the big-time brands they are today.

• READ MORE: Gretsch Electromatic CVT Baritone review – long-scale downtuned heaviness from Gretsch hits the mark

It was a trickier period for the established big guns, however. While Gibson had some guitars that were ready-made for this new, more aggressively styled era – notably the Explorer and Flying V most notably – both the brand and Fender understandably wanted to make some guitars that were designed for this new era.

Unfortunately, none of these new models really caught fire at the time, and you imagine that there was a collective sigh of relief in both Nashville and Corona when the 90s rolled around and MTV was replete with Golden Era guitars once again.

But time has a funny way of changing perceptions. And just like it took wider guitar culture a few decades to really appreciate the V and the Explorer, so it has been with some of the more unloved guitars from the 80s.

While nobody seems to be falling over themselves to demand a Corvus reissue (yet!), the Victory has long had a bit of a cult following. And looking at it with 21st-century eyes, you can see why – like so many underappreciated guitar designs, it was ahead of its time, offering a double-cut solid-body take on the Gibson recipe that has since become a huge part of the modern heavy guitar firmament.

All this meant it was a big deal when the brand relaunched the Victory into the core line back in 2024. Clearly this time around the concept has found a more receptive audience too, as it has been followed up two years later by this brand new version that puts it even more squarely in the wheelhouse of today’s technical guitar players.

What Is It?

Like its hardtail sibling, the Victory Floyd Rose is a solid-body, double-cut electric guitar with a pair of humbucking pickups, and – you guessed it – a Floyd Rose vibrato. Gibson says that the original Victory has been a big hit with its audience, but one of the most common bits of feedback was, “Can you add a Floyd Rose?” Request granted.

Other than that, it’s pretty much identical to the figured top version of the hardtail Victory. That means you get a solid mahogany body with a beautifully figured maple top, finished in either Deep Ocean Burst, Ebony Burst or the eye-catching Iguana Burst.

The neck is also mahogany, with a classic 80s hockey stick headstock. Despite its super-S-type-adjacent origins, there are no bolts here – this is a through-neck, glued-in neck construction, and interestingly the Victory comes with a longer-than-usual 25.5-inch scale length – most Gibson electrics ship with a 24.75-inch scale.

The neck itself has a shred-ready 10-14-inch compound radius, with Gibson’s SlimTaper profile, and you’ll find 24 medium jumbo frets on its mahogany fingerboard. Above the locking Floyd Rose nut are a set of Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners, not that you’ll be needing to mess around with them too much.

In terms of the noise-making stuff, the Victory ships with a pair of zebra-bobbin’d 80s Tribute humbuckers, and these both have coil-splits – pull up on the volume pot to engage the split on your selected pickup, and pull up on the tone to select whether you want the inner or outer coil.

Build quality and playability

Gibson has upped its game considerably in the years since the brand was reborn out of bankruptcy in 2018, and so it’s perhaps no surprise that upon pulling the Victory Floyd Rose out of its (very cool blacked-out) hard case I was very impressed with it from a build and finishing perspective.

Iguana Burst isn’t going to be to everyone’s tastes, but it’s also the sort of colour that doesn’t give any hiding place to overspray or sloppy finishing. And yet every inch of the body, neck and headstock is finished expertly, and there’s a really inviting three-dimensional quality to that figured top that really pulls you in.

Picking the guitar up, I’m immediately impressed by the offset double-cut body – it really hugs the player from an ergonomic perspective, and invites you to explore the full length of its neck. At just under 7lbs, it’s lightweight and balanced, too.

That extra scale length does make this a different kind of ride to a Les Paul – it has a little more resistance when you’re bending, for one – but this is still a very slick player that’s set up low and fast, and encourages you to blaze up and down that neck.

Speaking of the neck, I found the combination SlimTaper profile and compound radius to be slim, but not too slim. A baseball bat this obviously ain’t, but it’s not so skinny that it feels insubstantial either – a nice middle ground.

The Floyd does what a Floyd does – giving you smooth and expressive control of your vibrato while keeping perfect pitch. The less said about restringing it, the better, of course, but that is the rub when it comes to a locking trem.

One slight bone of contention might be the frets. The playability is top notch, and I found the fretwork excellent throughout – there are no dull frets or rough patches to be seen. That said, many more technically minded modern players won’t get out of bed for anything less than stainless steel these days, and jumbo ones at that. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, but others may see it as an opportunity Gibson should be taking, following the move towards stainless steel frets in its Epiphone Futura line.

Sounds

Gibson knows a thing or two about making great dual-humbucker guitars, and even in an unconventional format here, there’s some real Gibson magic to be found in these Alnico V-magneted 80s Tributes.

As befits their name, these are not ultra-high output modern humbuckers that are full-send all the time. There’s a nuance here – obviously these are great-sounding pickups that come ready to play with heavier rock and metal genres, but they’re not so lacking in subtlety that they don’t have character when you roll the volume off.

Ultimately though, these are pickups that are born to be distorted, and so that’s my first port of call. They sound absolutely fantastic as you dial the drive up, delivering warm harmonics and sustain with a depth that I haven’t heard from a new guitar in a while.

It’s hard to imagine too many people picking this guitar up and going for a crystal clean tone, and so it’s not a surprise that its un-gainy tones are perfectly fine, if unlikely to become the bedrock of anyone’s John Mayer tribute.

Equally, while the coil-split modes aren’t going to convince anyone that you’re playing a bona fide SSS or HSS guitar, they will do a solid job – especially in a live situation. Having the flexibility to select the inner-coils sounds is great, as they’ll do a passable out-of-phase sound, further enhancing your sonic options. This is a guitar that can cover a lot of bases without needing too much tweaking.

Should I Buy One?

If you’re a hard rock or metal guitarist who wants to stand out from the crowd, it’s very easy to see why the Victory is proving such a popular option. The heavier end of the spectrum doesn’t lack for weird guitar shapes, but there’s something timeless and refined about the Victory that makes it feel much more palatable. Perhaps the Gibson inlay on the headstock speaks volumes here.

Because you know what you’re getting with a Gibson guitar, and it must be said that even by modern standards, this feels like a very well-built and well-thought-out instrument. It has a level of fit and finish that I would have expected from the Custom Shop a few years back, but at a price that makes it very competitive in the world of US-made hard-rocking guitars.

Okay, it might look a little weird if you trot out with it for an Eagles cover at your next gig, but there’s a lot to be said for a guitar that understands what it is and doesn’t try to be all things to all people. You probably already know if the Victory is for you just by looking at it, and this Floyd Rose version simply puts the icing on the cake of a shredder’s delight.

Alternatives

It speaks to the impressive value proposition the Victory offers that to get a similar US-made guitar from a rival brand will cost you a lot more. Closest of all is perhaps the Jackson USA Signature Chris Broderick Soloist 6 ($5,549/£4,779) – which sports a mahogany body with a maple cap, twin DiMarzio humbuckers and a Floyd. When it comes to twin-humbucker mahogany-bodied electric guitars with flame-topped finishes, it would be remiss not to bring PRS into the conversation, though the Core line Custom 24 Floyd model is not cheap at $4,940/£3,999. More in the ballpark of the Victory is Mark Lettieri’s Fiore HH ($2,649/£2,499), though it’s just got a non-locking vibrato. ESP’s E-II Horizon FR ($2,789) is another guitar that dukes it out with the Victory in terms of build, spec and vibe. It’s made in Japan, not the USA, but that’s more a question of geography than guitar-making ability at this level.

The post Gibson Victory Floyd Rose review: “this is a fantastic addition to the Gibson line” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Bluegrass artist Billy Strings still takes guitar lessons to expand his technical horizons and venture out of his genre.

Strings obviously doesn’t need lessons, and his three Grammy Awards can prove it, but he believes working with a tutor helps him to stay curious and inspired, as he starts to “get sick” of hearing himself play.

• READ MORE: Alex Lifeson reveals the Rush song he “really struggled with” learning to play again for the band’s reunion: “My hands are not operating like they once did”

In The Interview podcast with The New York Times, he not only explains further why he takes lessons, but also demonstrates what he’s been learning within them to better his playing.

“Oh, I don’t know. I feel like I just play so many gigs and stuff, I hear myself play so much. I get sick of it, you know? Bluegrass is a lot of using this much of the fretboard,” he says, beginning to play, “I’ll occasionally slide up here, but there’s no money past the fifth fret.

“I’ve just started to try to learn some different styles of music that I never really got into, studying with my guy Rob that I’ve been taking lessons with for the last couple years… Just trying to expand my horizons, I guess.”

Hear what he’s been learning and watch him play below:

Last year, Guitar.com reviewed Billy Strings’s Martin D-X2E Signature model, and awarded it 9/10 for its playability and balanced tonality.

The model was part of a drop of two signatures with Martin, the first of which was launched at NAMM in January 2025 and was a $4,000 D-28 model, released as a love letter to his beloved 1940 D-28. The D-X2E is a more affordable option from Martin’s Remastered X-series.

Billy Strings has a new album, So Much For Goodbyes, landing on 28 August. You can pre-order it now.

The post Billy Strings explains why he’s still getting guitar lessons, despite being a Grammy-winning artist: “I hear myself play so much – I get sick of it” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Amid their Fifty Something reunion tour, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush have revealed the hardest song that they had to relearn ahead of the shows.

After kicking off in early June, the tour is still running this August and will continue through to April next year. It sees Anika Nilles take to the drum kit following the death of Neil Peart in 2020, who is continually honoured each night on the tour.

• READ MORE: Alex Lifeson spent years “fighting for guitar rights” after this Rush song: “It’s a strong song, it’s just the mix that I didn’t like”

Speaking to Rolling Stone about their return to the stage together, Lee and Lifeson explain why they decided to bring A Farewell To Kings back into their setlist for the first time since 1979.

“We wanted to be better than we’ve ever been,” begins Lifeson. “Not just be as good as we were, and challenge ourselves with songs that we haven’t played in a long time. All of them were challenging after 11 years anyways, but to bring back A Farewell To Kings, that took a lot of work. Probably the hardest song of all.”

Lee adds, “That was the hardest one because it’s a really mental song. It’s just weird, structurally. Each part is difficult to play in and of itself. And then when you add… like even the beginning, it sounds like a walk in the park, but it’s not.

“You go into the intro, and the intro keeps changing. In the intro and the outro, beats are added, beats are dropped, and you have to remember the order that those happen in. Then you get into the opening riff. That’s a tricky riff for a guitar player to play.”

Lifeson continues, “Yeah, I really struggled with it. I’ve played classical for a long time, but I really struggled with it. My hands are not operating like they once did. I work really hard to get them to that level and it’s been pretty successful so far, I think. But to play that, like Ged said, to play that in a very smooth, delicate way, and that’s the way it is on record, while you still have another guitar draped on your sore neck, it takes a lot of gymnastics to get it all done.”

Watch the full interview below:

To view the full list of Fifty Something tour dates, head over to the official Rush website.

The post Alex Lifeson reveals the Rush song he “really struggled with” learning to play again for the band’s reunion: “My hands are not operating like they once did” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

A cancelled show is frustrating for all involved, so much so that Ghost’s Tobias Forge considered wearing a diaper during a severe case of food poisoning just so he could push through a gig – now that’s dedication.

Not your regular show, the set was one of three shows in Mexico City due to be filmed for the band’s 2 Big To Rig concert film, which lands in cinemas this August. The opening show was inevitably cancelled at the last minute when Forge couldn’t pull through, despite his best efforts.

• READ MORE: Kirk Hammett, Tobias Forge and Billy Corgan to appear on new album celebrating 50 years of Accept

In an interview with Metal Hammer, Forge is asked what went down: “We flew into Mexico City five days before, just to get acclimatised to the elevation and jet lag,” he remembers. “Everything was dandy, and then came the show day. I woke up and felt weird. It takes about an hour to go from the hotel to the venue, and throughout that whole trip, I just slept. I thought I was just tired!

“When I came to the venue, I couldn’t stomach anything, everything was just flowing through me, and for every hour that went by I was getting more and more drained. And then, all of a sudden, I started puking violently. Everything, just, ‘Out, out, out!’ Everyone’s getting super-nervous: not only is the show dependent on this, but we also have a film depending on this! Fuck!”

With no other obvious cause for Forge’s sudden onset illness, it was then presumed he had a bad case of food poisoning. He recalls feeling an “incredible sense of defeat” with all that was weighing on the show ahead.

“The film is one thing, but I really don’t like cancelling shows in the first place, and I absolutely hate to cancel when the crowd is already there. I’m horizontal, and I’m like, ‘Can we get a diaper? I’m gonna give it my best!’ But I cannot stand – literally. Even if you get me up onstage, I will not be able to sing.

“Then you just have to do the rational thing: ‘Fuck this, we need to pull the plug.’ The rest of the evening, I was just lying on a stretcher with intravenous liquid going in. And then you have to handle the defeat and hope for people to understand,” he says.

Thankfully, Forge had a good team around him who knew that rest and recovery mattered most. The remaining two shows went ahead as planned as he began to get better.

You can watch the trailer for the film below:

To find out where you can catch 2 Big To Rig, head over to the Ghost website.

The post “I’m horizontal and I’m like, ‘Can we get a diaper?’”: The time Tobias Forge tried to go ahead with a Ghost show despite food poisoning appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Green Day bass player Mike Dirnt has become the latest artist to sell a trove of his used gear on Reverb.

Launching 9 September, the Official Mike Dirnt of Green Day Shop includes bass guitars, amps, clothing and other items of memorabilia used by the bassist both on tour and in the studio throughout his multi-decade career.

A selection of bass guitars headlines the collection, including two American Idiot-era Fender Mike Dirnt Signature Precision Basses – used extensively on tour and personally customised by Dirnt – another Fender bass that was one of the main instruments used on Green Day’s landmark 1997 album Nimrod, and one of Dirnt’s original Gibson Grabber basses, smashed beyond playability by drummer Tré Cool and Dirnt.

• READ MORE: Charvel expands its Pro-Mod Plus Dinky DK24 line with four new shred-ready models

Also up for grabs is one of the first Ampeg SVT-810 cabinets Dirnt bought with his first Green Day paycheck, and used throughout the band’s Dookie tour, one of two Yamaha G100-II amp heads used on some of Green Day’s earliest records and tours, and a selection of tour-used Mesa/Boogie amps and speaker cabs.

“I’ve found some amazing guitars and basses over the years. When you’re on tour for a long time, you’re always looking for cool gear. You’re always thinking about what could be on the next record or what do I need to play tonight or what can I find that sparks inspiration,” says Dirnt.

“Every guitar, every bass, every amp has something different. You pick up a guitar and strum it and you think, there’s songs in this thing and I’m going to extract those songs. Then once you feel like you’ve gotten the songs or the recording out of it, it’s time to let it go and give it to the next person.”

The Official Mike Dirnt of Green Day Shop also includes a haul of clothing worn by Dirnt on tour and in Green Day music videos, including the leather bomber jacket he wore in the video for Wake Me Up When September Ends, and jackets from the 21st Century Breakdown, American Idiot and ¡UNO! Tours.

“This is all stuff people have seen me wearing in the past,” Dirnt says. “If somebody wants to buy a pair of the pants and cut it, make bracelets with it, cut a patch off and put it on your jacket… that’s the coolest thing ever. It’s just fabric. Play with it. Have fun with it like I did. From me to you.” Proceeds from the sale of Mike Dirnt’s used clothing will go to charity.

This isn’t the first time Green Day gear has appeared on Reverb. Back in 2023, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong listed nearly 100 items of used gear.

The Official Mike Dirnt of Green Day Shop goes live on 9 September. You can preview the items up for grabs by heading to Reverb.

The post Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt is selling Dookie-, Nimrod- and American Idiot-era gear and clothing on Reverb appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you hand most guitar players a fanned fret instrument for the first time, their first reaction is probably to recoil in horror – after all, the way the frets gradually tilt forward on the fretboard as you move up the neck looks like something designed to confuse and confound your tried and tested muscle memory. And yet, more and more guitarists – especially those at the technical end of the spectrum – are using fanned frets. So what gives? Well, the answer is actually quite simple.

• READ MORE: What are pots anyway? A working guide to the knobs on your guitar, and what they actually do

In traditional guitar construction, the frets on the neck run perpendicular to the strings, parallel to each other from nut to heel. A fanned fret guitar is built differently. The frets sit at an angle, splayed out like the ribs of a folding fan, usually with the nut and bridge slanted to match. The proper name for the design is multiscale, and that name explains what is actually going on: each string gets its own scale length.

On a conventional guitar, every string shares one scale length (with slight variation at the bridge, of course). A Les Paul is 24.75 inches from nut to bridge on every string. A Strat is 25.5 inches on every string. On a multiscale instrument, the bass side is longer than the treble side. A common spec on a modern multiscale 6-string is 25.5 inches on the high E stretching to 26.5 or 27 inches on the low E. Strandberg’s standard Boden 6 runs a subtle 25 to 25.5 inches. Dingwall’s 5-string basses go much further, spanning 34 inches on the G string out to a 37-inch low B. Because each string has its own scale length, the frets need to be laid out according to that scale length, so they have to fan.

Why Scale Length Matters In The First Place

String tension is a function of three things: pitch, string mass, and vibrating length. Tune a string to the same note on a longer scale and the tension goes up. That’s the entire reason fanned frets exist.

Every guitarist who has tuned a 25.5-inch guitar down to drop A has met the problem. The low string turns into a floppy noodle. You can fight it with heavier gauges, but heavy strings on a short scale bring their own trouble: stiff, thumpy attack, sharp fretted notes because the string deflects so much when you press it, and inharmonicity in the overtones that makes low chords sound blurry. Piano builders solved this centuries ago by giving bass strings dramatically more length than treble strings. A concert grand is, in effect, a multiscale instrument.

The obvious fix on guitar is a longer scale, which is why baritones exist. But if you stretch the whole instrument to 27 or 28 inches, you’re trading away the treble side. Bends get stiffer, the plain strings lose some warmth, and the fret spacing in the lower positions gets wide enough to annoy anyone with average hands. One scale length is always a compromise between what the low strings want and what the high strings want.

Fanned frets seek to end that compromise. The wound strings get the length and tension they need for a clear, focused low end. The plain strings stay at a familiar length where bends and vibrato feel normal. That’s the purpose of the design.

Where The Idea Came From

Fanned frets are, contrary to popular belief, a very old concept. The orpharion, a wire-strung cousin of the cittern built in England in the late 1500s and credited to luthier John Rose, used slanted frets and an angled bridge to give its bass courses extra length. A patent for a fanned fingerboard was filed by E. A. Edgren as far back as 1900.

The modern version belongs to Ralph Novak. Working as a repairman and builder in the 1980s, Novak wanted the sweet, warm treble response of a short scale combined with the piano-like bass of a long scale on one instrument. He filed in 1988 and was awarded U.S. Patent 4,852,450 in 1989, the same year he founded Novax Guitars. Novak trademarked the term Fanned-Fret, which is why big manufacturers say multiscale instead. Charlie Hunter’s 8-string Novax hybrids were the design’s most visible early ambassadors. When the patent expired in 2008, the concept went from boutique curiosity to production reality. Ormsby, Dingwall, Strandberg, Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, Schecter, and Cort all build multiscale instruments now, and the design rode the extended-range metal boom of the 2010s into the mainstream.

What It Feels Like

Somewhere in the middle of a multiscale neck sits the neutral fret, the one that remains perpendicular to the strings. Builders typically place it between the 7th and 9th frets, and its location determines how the fan is distributed. Frets below it lean toward the nut on the bass side; frets above it lean toward the bridge.

There is an added ergonomic benefit to fanned frets too. In the first position, the slanted nut end roughly matches the natural angle of a fretting hand reaching for an open chord. High up the neck the angle reverses, which suits the way the wrist rotates as it travels toward the body. Most people adapt to it with relative ease. The genuine trouble spots are big barre chords near the extremes of the fan.

There are real costs to building this way, which is why I’ve done so few of them myself. Fretwork, nut cutting, and pickup makers have to offer slanted or individual-pole designs to track the string angle properly. None of this is exotic anymore, but unless you’re building your own custom pickups, it can limit your options. For many, the benefits outweigh the costs, and that’s why we see so many fan-fretted guitars out there today.

Who Actually Needs Fanned Frets

In modern settings, guitarists who play a 7-string, 8-string, or heavily downtuned 6-string are the core audience. This is because the low B, F#, or drop G is where a stretched bass scale earns its keep. Bassists chasing a tight, articulate low B are arguably served best of all, which is why Dingwall owns that conversation. If you play a standard-tuned 6-string, fanned frets solve a problem you do not have. Tension balance and intonation improve slightly, but the payoff is modest. The lower you tune and the more strings you add, the more sense the fan makes.

You’ll also occasionally see very high level acoustic guitar players – the sort who are not playing cowboy chords – using fanned fret instruments because there really is no hiding place for intonation when you’re playing virtuosic acoustic guitar!

The post What’s the point in a fanned fret guitar anyway? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

We’ve got some good news for all the shredders out there – Charvel is expanding its Pro-Mod Plus Dinky DK24 line. Both the HH and HSS ranges have new siblings, with three new HH options and one new HSS available in a slew of striking colour variants.

In terms of the Pro-Mod Plus Dinky DK24 line, the standard formula is a streamlined designed that is great for the technical, speedy riffers of the world. The guitars all wear the same double cutaway shape, designed to be lightweight and ‘dinky’ small, 24 stainless steel jumbo frets, a shredder-considerate cut heel for unrestricted upper fret access, and a five-way blade switch to flick between pickup configurations.

• READ MORE: Joe Bonamassa reveals the vast number of his Gibson and Epiphone signature guitars that have sold over the years

The new instalments offer up a few variations on the Pro-Mod Plus Dinky DK24 blueprint. In terms of the HH range, two of the new models come in the form of the £1199 HH FR EB, available in crimson eclipse and satin black, and the slightly more expensive HH FR QM EB, which comes in cloaked emerald green and costs £1299. Both models boast basswood bodies with quilt maple top, Seymour Duncan Nazgul bridge and Sentient neck pickups, as well as a Floyd Rose 1500 Series recessed double-locking tremolo bridge.

The last HH guitar in question is the HH HT EB, available in both crème white and black ash. This HH model differs slightly, instead comprised of an ash body. and Charvel’s HT6 string-through-body hardtail bridge alongside its Seymour Duncan Nazgul bridge and Sentient neck pickups. The guitar is the most affordable new addition to Pro-Mod Plus Dinky DK24 line, sitting at just £1149.

As for the HSS range, the HSS 2PT QM’s colourways are a tad more bold. The model comes in both a green-to-yellow ombré, called zombie face, as well as wearing a tiger print look, named amber tiger eye. The HSS 2PT QM is comprised of a basswood body with quilt maple top, and it’ll set you back by £1249.

The model also has a Seymour Duncan Full Shred TB-10 humbucking bridge and Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 middle and neck single-coil pickups. As for tremolo, we’ve got a two-point tremolo Wilkinson WVS130-2p bridge with locking saddles.

For more information on the new models, head to Charvel.

The post Charvel expands its Pro-Mod Plus Dinky DK24 line with four new shred-ready models appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Few have had the honour of wielding Khn de Poitrine’s ridiculous double-neck microtonal guitar-bass hybrid. However, on occasion the Angine de Poitrine axeman does allow his admirers a chance to bask the glory of his iconic creation – and the latest lucky pair was none other than Willow Smith and Animals As Leaders’ Tosin Abasi.

In a new Instagram post, Smith reveals that she not only attended Angine de Poitrine’s California show on 18 August, but she also got to hand backstage with the duo themselves. There, the young avant-garde rocker was allowed to toy with Khn’s signature axe – and she is pretty excited about it, judging by the “HOLY SHIT!!!!!” caption.

• READ MORE: Joe Bonamassa reveals the vast number of his Gibson and Epiphone signature guitars that have sold over the years

Alongside Smith’s picture with Khn’s double-neck, it seems Abasi was equally as keen to pose with the iconic guitar. Unlike Smith, who appears with an – ahem – ‘cigarette’ hanging out of her mouth, the prog metal guitarist looks like he’s deep in conversation as he plucks away. We can only assume he’s picking the brains of the elusive Poitrine duo for some tips and tricks.

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On her story, Smith also posted a photo of a special cake congratulating Angine de Poitrine, presumably for smashing their current ongoing tour. The custom cake has the pair’s bizarre, polka-dot-infested faces on for good measure.

While it’s unclear how far back Smith’s friendship with the Quebec pair spans back, it’s possible that the musicians connected back in June. As Smith has been emerging from her pop-punk era and moving towards a more experimental jazz sound, she found herself performing at this year’s Montreal Jazz Fest – and Angine de Poitrine also performed.

In terms of Angine de Poitrine, the duo have been rapidly luring in a cult following. Back in April, guitarist Khn told Cult MTL that the project was “a culmination of a lot of years of inside jokes” at the beginning: “The whole idea of the band was to assume a bit of a satirical approach to rock music in general. We wanted an exaggeration, so the double-neck guitar was the perfect choice to kind of make fun of guitar heroes.”

However, the project has since become far more serious than a one-off gag. Hell, even Rush’s Geddy Lee has gone on record praising the eccentric duo. “I think they’re fantastic,” he told Radio Futuro two weeks ago.

“I love the fact that they’ve gone viral, because they’re so unusual, peculiar, idiosyncratic… It’s a sound that no one’s heard before. They’ve taken Primus and a bit of Rush and all the complexities and sort of boiled it down to a two-piece band using an incredible array of technology.”

The post Tosin Abasi and Willow Smith have been hanging out with Angine de Poitrine appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, drugs were part and parcel of the rock and roll lifestyle. Many of the biggest bands at the time indulged in hard substances, and in many cases they defined their sound during this era.

For example, when the Eagles and Black Sabbath recorded their respective albums Hotel California and Technical Ecstasy in adjacent studios at Miami’s Criteria Studios in the ‘70s, Tony Iommi and co found the console used by the Eagles clogged with cocaine.

Indeed, the Eagles were known for their rock and roll excess, and were routinely barred from hotels for their antics.

• READ MORE: Joe Bonamassa reveals the vast number of his Gibson and Epiphone signature guitars that have sold over the years

Aerosmith were another band known for their affinity for hard drugs, and in a newly resurfaced interview in the new issue of Classic Rock, Steven Tyler lifts the lid on some of the band’s drug-fuelled antics.

“We never knew enough to stop touring,” Tyler said. “We just stayed on the road, and our vacation was in a little gram bottle… We spent the whole of the ‘70s on a treadmill. It was never like there was a tour. We’d stay on the road for a year and a half. The only time we’d come off was to record an album.”

Back in those days, drugs were very much part of a rockstar’s image. “I once had three Porsches, and I sold them all so I could snort up half of Peru,” Tyler is quoted as saying. “I would have traded my nuts for a good ounce of heroin in those days!”

He continued: “Drugs are fun. Once you’ve tried them you love them so much it turns bad on you.”

Last year, Beatles man Paul McCartney reflected on the legendary drugs bust that landed him in a Japanese prison. “This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet!” he said.

“It was the maddest thing [I’d done] in my life – to go into Japan, which has a seven-year hard-labour penalty for pot, and be so free and easy,” he recalled in horror.

The post “I once had three Porsches – I sold them all so I could snort up half of Peru”: Inside the drug-fuelled world of Aerosmith in the ’70s appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

You shift the pitch of your playing whenever you switch frets, bend a string or turn a tuning peg, but the sounds (and pitches!) available via a pitch shifter pedal open up new frequencies – and ways to leap between them.

• READ MORE: DIY workshop: adding coil-splitting to humbuckers with push-pull pots

Depending on the pitch shifter, you can add harmonies, shift everything you play up or down by notes or octaves, and sometimes tap into more creative sounds and modulations. You’re a few twiddles and a stomp away from filling out the harmonics of your compositions, adding oomph to riffs, helping melodies cut through, or enriching the texture of your guitar’s sound.

The best pitch shifters range from simpler models that do just one type of pitch modulation, such as drop-tuning or octaving, to more multi-fangled options with textural effects like ring modulation and harmonisation, or additional features such as an in-built expression pedal.

Whether you want a functional pedal to adjust your pitch, or you’re looking for something that will spark creativity and broaden your compositional horizons, you’ve found your way to the right type of effects pedal. You can find ten of our favourites below, from the likes of Boss, DigiTech, Electro-Harmonix and TC Electronic.

At a glance:

• Best overall: Boss XS-1 Poly Shifter
• Most powerful: Boss XS-100 Poly Shifter
• Best for downtuning: DigiTech Drop
• Best for classic Whammy sounds: DigiTech Whammy 5
• Best compact: Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork
• Best harmoniser: Boss PS-6 Harmonist
• Best workstation pitch-shifter: Electro-Harmonix POG3
• Best for experimental sounds: EarthQuaker Devices Data Corrupter
• Best doubler: TC Electronic Mimiq Doubler
• Best ring-modulator: DOD Gonkulator
• Why you can trust Guitar.com

Best overall: Boss XS-1 Poly Shifter

‘Poly’ is right. This small-format pitch shifter from Boss offers extraordinary scope in an impressively navigable package, with drop-tuning, chorus-y detuning, up-tuning, octaving and harmonies. There’s also an expression pedal input, so you can plug one in to produce Whammy-style sweeps.

What blew us away about this pedal was how it delivers its effects in a remarkably pure-sounding form, and with minimal latency, thanks to the world-beatingly clever algorithms under the hood. This translates into crisp drop-tuned riffing, refreshingly clear harmonies, and sweeter melodies than the average pitch shifter can muster. The ’80s-flavoured detune effect is easily accessed via its own switch.

Need more? Read our Boss XS-1 Poly Shifter review.

Most powerful: Boss XS-100 Poly Shifter

The eagle-eyed pedal-enjoyers among you will have noticed that this pedal is closely modelled on the DigiTech Whammy. We dare say it might be even better than the genuine article, with the same smarts and sounds as the XS-1 Poly Shifter (reviewed above), plus a built-in Whammy-style expression pedal and some superior specs. Essentially, it does similar things to a Whammy, but has less latency (delay between hitting your strings and hearing the sound) and purer pitch shifting effects.

Not convinced? The XS-100 has a few extra tricks up its sleeve that just might sway you, including an ear-boggling eight-octave range (that’s more than Mariah Carey), and a swanky digital display that makes it easy to tweak the parameters of its effects.

Need more? Read our Boss XS-100 Poly Shifter review.

Best for downtuning: DigiTech Drop

If you crave the capability to tune your electric guitar extra-low, without spending eternal seconds twiddling with tuning pegs under stage lights, then what you need is a good drop-tuning pedal. This uncharacteristically straightforward option from DigiTech takes your signal and shifts it down, polyphonically, by anywhere from one to seven semitones – or by an octave.

Using the ‘momentary’ switch is key to enjoying this pedal’s creative potential at its fullest. When it’s activated, the footswitch will only activate drop-tuning for as long as it’s pressed, so you can get your pitch to nimbly dip and dive with a press of the toe.

Best for classic Whammy sounds: DigiTech Whammy 5

If you’ve spent much time peering at alt rock pedalboards from the 1990s onwards, there’s a good chance you already know and love the DigiTech Whammy. Radiohead, Melt Banana, QOTSA and countless other guitar bands owe their spikiest, harmonically squelchiest sounds to this ostentatious box of tricks.

There’s much debate over which iteration (or spin-off) of DigiTech’s pitch shifting icon is the best – which one bubbles with the most characterful digital artefacts, which has the nicest tread on its footpedal, and so on. We’re going with the Whammy 5, which sounds much better than its predecessors when chords (not just individual notes or melodies) are played through its harmonising and octaving effects. No other pedal sounds quite like it.

Best compact: Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork

You get more pitch-shifting capabilities than you might expect from this dinky EHX stompbox. There are three octaves to shift your way through, and you have the rare option to add up and down octaves at the same time for an ostentatiously filled out sound.

Transposition comes in 12 degrees, from a slight detune to a full octave, selectable via the shift dial or a connected expression pedal (sold separately). As with the DigiTech Drop, you can use it in ‘momentary’ mode for precipitous peaks and troughs in pitch, while the blend control allows you to mix varying levels of pitch-shifted signal with your dry input.

Best harmoniser: Boss PS-6 Harmonist

We promise to stop talking about Boss pitch shifters when the brand stops making such outrageously good ones. This Harmonist model is a slightly different beast to the XS pedals above, with a tighter focus on adding harmonies to your signal.

It takes some mastering, but the PS-6 opens up interesting possibilities for adventurous musicians. Set it to produce three-voice harmonies (taking care to use the minor/major selector) and it’ll make your individual notes sound positively choral. Meanwhile, its seven-octave ‘S-bend’ pitch shifting range can transpose your sound further than the average competing pedal, creating astonishing swoops in your frequency. Max out the fall time setting to enter a wonderland of squelchy squeals.

Best workstation pitch-shifter: Electro-Harmonix POG3

If you could make your guitar sound like an organ at will, why wouldn’t you? This is one of the many possibilities wrapped up in the byzantine knobs and faders of the POG3 – the latest and most sophisticated model from EHX’s line of polyphonic octave generators.

Our reviewer loved getting to grips with this workstation pedal, which retains a lo-fi spirit despite its high complexity (and price). It’s easy enough to dive right in with up octaves, down octaves, envelope filtering and more – and once you’ve got to grips with tweaking all of the pedal’s synth-like parameters, you can start saving your creations to its 100 preset slots.

Need more? Read our Electro-Harmonix POG3 review.

Best for experimental sounds: EarthQuaker Devices Data Corrupter

As you may have gathered, we’re now travelling towards the experimental fringes of the pitch shifting universe, and the EQD Data Corrupter takes the bizarro biscuit.

These days, most pitch shifter pedals are (ostensibly) polyphonic – they work with chords – but here we have a monophonic specialist that’s meant for shifting single notes in some of the weirdest and coolest-sounding ways imaginable. It converts the signal to a fuzzy square wave, splits it into octaves or harmonies, and spits a glorious cacophony that’s better heard than described.

EQD pedals are often one of two things: pointedly simple or intimidatingly elaborate. This one’s the latter, with plentiful voicing, sub-harmonics and pitch oscillation controls to exercise the mind, before it’s blown.

Best doubler: TC Electronic Mimiq Doubler

Doubling is a technique that’s been used to thicken guitar sounds in studio recordings since the heyday of Abbey Road. The guitarist is recorded twice playing the same part, and the two subtly different recordings are put together to create a fuller sound.

Subtle pitch shifting – in the form of detuning – is one of several tricks that the clever Mimiq Mini Doubler uses to reproduce the sound of studio doubling in a live context, along with other nods to human unpredictability like variations in timing and attack. You can use the pedal’s ‘tightness’ knob to narrow or widen the gap between the dry and wet signals, which can both be dialled up or down via their own respective controls.

Best ring-modulator: DOD Gonkulator

If you haven’t gonkulated in the last decade or so, then it’s high time to give DOD’s classic ring modulator pedal another stomp. For us, the Gonkulator is at its best when it’s used to add an unhinged, uncanny feeling to riffs, arpeggios and chromatic runs. Some guitarists won’t find much use for this pedal, but our reviewer certainly had fun combining its abrasive, sci-fi sounds with other effects like looping, delay and reverb. Compared to the vintage unit, too, this modern reissue has moved the carrier frequency control to an external knob rather than an internal trim-pot.

Need more? Read our DOD Gonkulator review.

Why You Can Trust Us

Every year, Guitar.com reviews a huge variety of new products – from the biggest launches to cool boutique effects – and our expert guitar reviewers have decades of collective experience, having played everything from Gibson ’59 Les Pauls to the cheapest Squiers.

That means that when you click on a Guitar.com buyer’s guide, you’re getting the benefit of all that experience to help you make the best buying decision for you. What’s more, every guide written on Guitar.com was put together by a guitar obsessive just like you. You can trust that every product recommended in those guides is something that we’d be happy to have in our own rigs.

The post The best pitch shifters for guitarists: from Boss and DigiTech classics to sound-bending oddities appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

CHF149/£149/€179/$199, rhpfelectronics.com

Choosing a new overdrive pedal these days is like looking for a needle in… well, a massive bucket full of needles. If you’re looking for something with an interesting angle to set itself apart from the crowd, consider the RhPf Electronics Mosphoros: a drive pedal that has three gain knobs and no EQ controls.

• READ MORE: Buzzing Bugs Bolster review – is this the ultimate dual fuzz pedal?

That’s not quite the whole story, though, because it is possible to adjust the tonality of this MOSFET-powered crunch machine – just not in the way you’re probably used to.

What is it?

RhPf isn’t the snappiest of brand names, but they don’t like to make a fuss of themselves in Switzerland. This is the same company behind the Mosrawr, a high-gain fuzz aimed at pedal-stacking shoegazers, yet the Mosphoros lies right at the other end of the dirt scale: it’s a transparent overdrive, designed for organic tones and touch sensitivity.

The two main controls are for gain and output level, but what’s going on with the two mini knobs below? These are also for increasing the gain, but in specific frequency zones, so basically you’ve got separate (though interactive) bassy drive and trebly drive dials.

In theory, this offers plenty of tonal control without the need for a standard tonestack – and with the bonus of a huge dirt range, from clean boosting to what designer Thomas Besse calls “harmonic mayhem” with all three gain knobs maxed out. In practice? Let’s find out.

Sounds

You have to get used to a new way of navigating with this thing. For a clean starting point, set all three gain controls at minimum and level at max – this is a perfect match for the bypass sound, with just a teeny sliver of added hiss. And from there, you’ve got three different ways to mess things up.

The tonal overlap between the mini knobs is such that going really bright and thin or dark and flabby is not on the table – really it’s all about subtle variations on the transparent theme – but this pedal has two key things on its side. One is that its fundamental voice is very nice indeed; the other is that the promised extra-wide gain range is delivered in style.

MOSFET overdrives are known for offering natural and amp-like breakup, and that’s never been more true than it is here. My main reference for transparent drive is the divine EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker; the Mosphoros can come pretty close to the Cranker’s perfect purity, but with a looser feel and a slightly softer attack – at least until you hit the strings hard to bring out the rasp.

Blues players looking for a low-gain option to add smooth grit will have no trouble finding it here, while rockers in need of more full-on crunch will be equally satisfied. The nuclear option of all three gain knobs at full blast is fearsome but by no means unmanageable, and there’s just enough flexibility in tweaking the trio’s relative levels to ensure every guitar/amp combination can find its best voice. The touch sensitivity, meanwhile, remains impeccable even at fairly feisty settings.

Should I buy one?

It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, this one. The Mosphoros is defined by the ingenious individuality of its design, but in sound terms it’s actually pretty orthodox. What this means, I think, is that it’s the overdrive to get if you’re happy with classic MOSFET drive tones but like the idea of being able to tune them in a way that feels more ‘embedded’ than simple filtering.

As a considerable bonus – one that I probably should have mentioned earlier – it’s one of the coolest-looking dirt pedals I’ve seen in a long time, especially when you switch it on and those ghoulish eyes glow orange.

Alternatives

A list of good transparent-ish overdrive pedals would end up longer than the rest of the review, so let’s stick to MOSFET options. The lovely Blackstone Appliances Mosfet Overdrive ($260) has become something of a stompbox legend, but more mainstream options include the Wampler Mofetta ($200/£185) and Electro-Harmonix OD Glove ($82/£70).

The post RhPf Electronics Mosphoros review – this boutique drive pedal doesn’t have any tone controls… or does it? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Fender is continuing to celebrate 75 years of the Telecaster and Precision Bass with even more Anniversary models, including a tribute to the nameless Nocaster.

A range of new guitars join the previously unveiled P-Bass 75th Anniversary models that landed in May, and a range of Teles that arrived in March – including a new Cabronita model.

• READ MORE: Fender Vintera III Mid ’60s Jazzmaster review: Mexican-made vintage-style offset bliss

This latest drop consists of a number of P-Bass and Tele models that integrate archival finishes, classic and peculiar models of the past, and modern features that offer a contemporary take on their historic features.

Let’s dive into each one…

75th Anniversary American Vintage II 1951 Nocaster

In 1951, between the end of the Broadcaster name and the dawn of the Telecaster, Fender shipped guitars with no model name on the headstock. This ‘Nocaster’ documents a peculiar window in electric guitar history; informed by a telegram from Gretsch that the ‘Broadkaster’ name had been registered for a drum kit, Fender began clipping the Broadcaster name from headstock decals until the new Telecaster decals were delivered.

The 75th Anniversary American Vintage II 1951 Nocaster features an ash body finished in Nocaster Blonde and an exclusive Heirloom Lacquer treatment. It has a ’51 U-shaped maple neck with a 7.25” radius fingerboard and vintage tall frets.

True to the Nocaster specifications, the 12th fret face-dot spacing is narrow and the sole single Phillips-head fastener on the guitar is at the truss rod nut. Elsewhere, it has a triple brass saddle bridge and single-line Fender Deluxe tuners, while the 75th Anniversary Blackguard Telecaster pickups honour the guitar’s lineage.

75th Anniversary Player II Baritone Telecaster

This Baritone model offers a Modern C-profile, a rosewood or maple fingerboard, 22 medium jumbo frets, and a 27” scale length – ideal for players seeking access to lower registers. Fitted with Player Series Alnico V Single-Coil Tele pickups and a 3-way blade, it’s completed by a 6-saddle bridge, block steel saddles and ClassicGear tuners. This one is available in 3-Color Sunburst and Black with a Rosewood Fingerboard, or Lake Placid Blue and Butterscotch Blonde, both with a Maple Fingerboard.

75th Anniversary Player II Telecaster

Bringing a contemporary take to the Tele, this Anniversary Player II model also offers a Modern C-profile with satin urethane finish and a 9.5”-radius slab rosewood or maple fingerboard with rolled edges. It hosts 22 medium jumbo frets, and players get a choice between alder, chambered ash or chambered mahogany bodies available in Daphne Blue and Seafoam Green with a Rosewood Fingerboard, or Candy Apple Red and Aztec Gold with a Maple Fingerboard. This model is powered by Player Series Alnico V Single-Coil Tele pickups, accompanied by a 3-way blade switch, a 6-saddle bridge, block steel saddles and ClassicGear tuners.

75th Anniversary Player II Precision Bass 

This Player II Precision Bass is “primed for today’s players”, according to the Big F. It has a Modern C-profile with a satin urethane finish on the back, a 9.5”-radius slab rosewood or maple fingerboard with rolled edges, and 20 medium jumbo frets.

An alder body is available in both classic Fender finishes and never-before-seen colours unearthed from the archives: Daphne Blue and Seafoam Green with a Rosewood Fingerboard, or Candy Apple Red and Aztec Gold with a Maple Fingerboard. Player Series Alnico V Split-Coil P Bass pickups power tone, while an adjustable 4-saddle bridge, single-groove steel saddles and open-gear tuners aid tuning stability.

To find out more about the 75th anniversary collection, visit Fender.

The post Fender continues 75th anniversary celebrations for its Telecaster and Precision Bass – including a “meticulous tribute” to the Nocaster appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

It will soon be 20 years since Joe Bonamassa released his first signature model with Gibson, and ahead of the milestone he’s provided an estimate on how many of his signature models with Gibson and Epiphone have sold overall so far.

JoBo’s first signature was a Custom Shop ‘Inspired By’ Gold Top Les Paul model, which was released as a drop of only 300. The model sold quickly, unexpectedly for Bonamassa at the time, opening the gate to more opportunities for further guitars over the years.

• READ MORE: “I think you should stay there”: The great reason why Joe Bonamassa changed his mind about Jared James Nichols borrowing his guitar gear

During his appearance with Eric Dahl on the Gear Gab podcast, Bonamassa begins to reflect, “Mat Koehler over at Gibson told me that next year is the 20th anniversary. Time flies! We originally started with 300 Custom Shop ‘Inspired By’ Les Pauls, that was my take on an old Gold Top.

“The late great Pat Foley was the one that basically approached me about that. Rick Gembar, who was the head of the Custom Shop at Gibson at the time, he was the one that green lit the whole thing. I don’t think they were expecting to sell those kinds of guitars that fast, especially because I was not as well known, but for some reason they sold really fast and we did other ones. ”

He adds, “We did other Custom Shop ones and then we did… I mean, there’s probably Custom Shop JB ones, there’s maybe a couple thousand out there. I know there’s at least 20,000 Epiphones out there, so we’re vastly approaching 25,000 Gibsons over the last 20 years.”

Watch the full podcast below:

On a similar note, Bonamassa has teamed up with Martin again for two new signature models inspired by his 1937 Martin 00-18 shade-top. The collaboration consists of the 00-18 Joe Bonamassa and 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa – two acoustic guitars that aim to give players the look and feel of the blues maestro’s treasured pre-war 00-18.

The post Joe Bonamassa reveals the vast number of his Gibson and Epiphone signature guitars that have sold over the years appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Walrus Audio has introduced a new addition to its Canvas Series, an expression pedal that promises minimal wear and tear overtime.

Building on its Canvas Volume pedal that launched earlier this year, Canvas Expression is said to offer smooth control without “the mechanical compromises of traditional expression pedals” thanks to its sensor operation.

Walrus Audio describes it as a “command centre” rather than a typical pedal, providing a control hub for compatible devices through Expression, MIDI, USB-C or CV, making it adaptable to pedalboards, synths, and computer-based rigs.

• READ MORE: Red Panda RD-1 Pitch Delay review – a clever compact delay with multiple note-manipulating tricks

Engineered in Oklahoma City, Canvas Expression relies on a contactless precision magnetic position sensor for smoother operation and improved reliability, unlike conventional designs that rely on strings, gears, or potentiometers. With this modern take, the brand says it delivers “consistent performance with no mechanical parts to stretch, slip, or wear out”.

Users get simultaneous control over multiple devices at one time, and there are multiple analogue 1/4” expression connection options such as expression, CV and switch signals.

Using the Canvas Expression web editor, musicians can also further customise tapers, wiring, MIDI CC and PC assignments, CV settings, switch behaviour, and more to optimise compatibility with a wide array of setups.

Walrus Audio’s Canvas Series also features a number of other nifty tools like DI boxes and the Canvas Tuner, Clock, and even its own Rehearsal tool. The series aims to deliver the “cleanest, clearest signal possible throughout your rig”.

Outside of the Canvas range, we’ve included a number of Walrus Audio tools in some of our top roundups. We highlighted the Walrus Audio Fundamental Distortion in our guide to the best distortion pedals, and its Fundamental Ambient reverb in our top picks for the best pedals for beginners.

Walrus Audio’s Canvas Expression is available now for $299.99. Find out more via the Walrus Audio website.

The post Walrus Audio’s new Canvas Expression pedal has no mechanical parts for better reliability appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Back in 2010, legendary composer Hans Zimmer roped in Johnny Marr to feature on his latest film project – that’s how The Smiths legend wound up performing a 12-string electric on the Inception soundtrack. Zimmer was so impressed that he’s enlisted Marr for plenty of projects ever since. However, things could have ended at Inception if Zimmer hasn’t given Marr a stern pep talk.

Despite being a renowned axeman, Marr used to be pretty coy about his guitar skills. When first faced with Zimmer 16 years ago, the guitarist was too reserved – and Zimmer wasn’t having it. Sensing that Marr was holding back, the composer quickly knocked some sense into him. “When I was younger I was too reverential,” Marr admits in the latest issue of MOJO. “Hans Zimmer had to tell me that – ‘I got you in to sound like Johnny Fucking Marr, so get on with it!’”

• READ MORE: “I was just up my own arse” Johnny Marr recalls the moment he realised he was being “ridiculous” not playing The Smiths songs live

While Marr jokes “Okay, Hans, no need to hurt my feelings!”, Zimmer was right. Marr wasn’t living up to his name or legacy – so he made sure to bring everything to the table from that day on. “It was a good lesson learned,” he says. “These days I think I know what people want me to bring [to a recording session].”

In the years since their first collaboration, Marr has also given Zimmer some helpful advice in return. In fact, in 2015, Marr began to encourage Zimmer to pick up his own guitar and start performing live. “[He said it had] came to the point now where I have to look the audience in the eye, where I can’t hide behind a screen anymore, and I need to get out there and confront humanity,” the composer explained on CBC’s Q with Tom Power podcast last year.

Just as Zimmer had encouraged Marr to be more confident in his skills. And Zimmer decided to take his advice, even performing guitar for Pharrell Williams at the 2015 Grammy Awards. “At that moment, I thought only an idiot would say no,” Zimmer noted. “That sort of started the whole thing up.”

That’s how Zimmer began embarking on tours to perform his soundtracks live, with the first tour coming in 2016. “It’s all Johnny Marr’s fault, really,” he told Irish News in 2016. “He talked me into doing a concert, then another, then another and now a tour. There I was, trapped away in my little room with no windows for 30 years, and now I’m playing arenas.”

“I always had [stage fright], and it was Johnny making me go on stage that got me out there each time we’ve performed,” he added. “He was always saying, ‘Come on, you can do it, you’ve got to’, and I got out there. You can’t not do something in life just because you are afraid of it. You cannot let fear rule your life; you just have to throw yourself at the mercy of humanity. If I mess up, people will be kind about it.”

Elsewhere in the MOJO interview, Marr also reflected on how another legend’s advice reframed his sadness over The Smiths breakup – namely, Beatles icon Paul McCartney. “I just told him about the break-up of the band,” he remembers. “I looked to him and waited and he just said, ‘That’s bands for you.’ It’s such a brilliant answer coming from him.”

“Over the years, I’ve been asked to give advice,” he continues. “There is just a time to say, ‘That’s bands for you.’”

Johnny Marr’s new album, The Age of Everything, drops on 2 October. You can pre-order it now.

The post “Okay, Hans, no need to hurt my feelings!”: Johnny Marr reveals the brutal but helpful expletive-laden advice he once got from Hans Zimmer appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.