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Walrus Audio Xero Polylooper review – this could be the ultimate looper, once they get it working properly
$299/£285, walrusaudio.com
When choosing a looper, your first decision is how complicated you want it to be. Fancy something ultra-simple that you can operate with one foot? Get the original TC Electronic Ditto, a modern classic that has one knob and doesn’t even need that. Feeling more ambitious? That’s where your options get interesting… and where the Walrus Audio Xero Polylooper comes in.
- READ MORE: TC Electronic Ditto 2 review: “The most easy to use looper on the market just got even better”
Walrus has thrown itself into the looping market with a device that offers three minutes of recording time and goes big on bonus features – including two separate recording channels with stereo panning, double/half speed and reverse modes, MIDI control (including clock sync) and more. On paper at least, this is a super-looper.
Image: Press
Walrus Audio Xero Polylooper – is it easy to use?
Here’s the basic principle of operation: hit the left footswitch once to start recording, then again to define the end of the loop, then again to overdub; hold the same switch to delete the last layer, then again to delete the whole loop. If you can’t get your head around that, you’re probably a bassist.
Pressing both footswitches moves you to the other channel, and each has a slider for level and a knob for panning. So far, so approachable… and if you want to change the speed (and octave) or go into reverse mode, you just have to tap the relevant button then hold the right footswitch.
It’s only when you start building up loops and effects on both channels that things can start to get confusing, so Walrus has added colour-coded LEDs to help you keep track. How useful that is will depend on how quickly you can learn the meanings of seven different colours. Regardless, it’s probably a good idea to start slowly and get the hang of one channel before you double up the potential for disorientation.
Image: Press
Walrus Audio Xero Polylooper – what does it sound like?
Each channel has an extra 3dB available above unity gain to provide some wiggle room as you layer up your loops, and I certainly have nothing negative to say about the audio quality. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the Xero is a good looper – not in its current state anyway.
The main problem is that all-important transition at the end of each cycle, where a short crossfade is required to prevent waveforms being chopped off abruptly. Good-quality loopers – even cheap ones like the Ditto – do not have a problem with this. The Xero does. All of my loops had an audible dip or bump, which showed up on recorded waveforms as a gap of around 3 milliseconds.
Clearly that’s some kind of mistake, but the other issue I have with this pedal is apparently a deliberate design choice: when you’re overdubbing, the recording automatically stops after one cycle. Feeling inspired and want to lay down a bunch of quick harmonies? The Xero will only let you do one at a time, followed by a thumb-twiddling cycle of listening back before you can move on to the next. It’s a real inspiration-strangler, and there’s no option to change it.
The other features work fine – messing around with sped-up and reversed loops on two separate channels is a lot of fun – but when the fundamentals are this flawed, all that hardly seems to matter.
Image: Press
Walrus Audio Xero Polylooper – should I buy it?
Right now, no, you probably shouldn’t – but here’s the good news: as far as I can see, there’s nothing going on here that a good firmware update couldn’t fix. So let’s hope Walrus is willing to take its problematic progeny back home and turn it into the all-powerful stereo looping machine that it surely has the potential to be. If that happens, I’ll be sure to update this review.
Walrus Audio Xero Polylooper alternatives
I reviewed the Pigtronix Infinity 2 ($199/£179) back in 2020, and it did most of what the Xero does without any issues. See also the stereo TC Electronic Ditto X2 (€111/£98), or really go for it with the Boss RC-600 Loop Station ($660/£499), which is feature-packed but still fairly easy to use.
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Almost £1,000 off a Taylor acoustic? That’s right, Thomann’s early Black Friday deals are here – see our top guitar picks!
Thomann has kicked off its Cyber Week savings with some big discounts before the big day! Black Friday may still be a little way out, but the deals start now over at Europe’s biggest music retailer. Let’s check out the best deals that have come early!
Save £339 on a Strandberg Boden 6 essential in Astro Dust – was £1050, now £711
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This Strandberg is already affordable for an ergonomic headless guitar, but with another big discount it’s a great way to enter into a totally new guitar universe. Who needs headstocks anyway?
Save £554 on a Gibson Marcus King ES-345 60’s – was £3499, now £2945
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Marcus King has pretty awesome taste in guitars, and this 1960s-style cherry red ES-345 is no exception. With more blues-rock style than you could shake a stick at, including two awesome humbuckers, a fixed vibrola tailpiece, split-block inlays and an engraved stud-anchor cover, this guitar’s even more enticing thanks to a heft discount.
Save £24 on a Harley Benton DNAfx GiT – was £129, now £105
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Maybe you’re new to the world of digital modelling and want to just dip a toe in – or maybe you’re a beginner guitarist on a budget. The DNAfx GiT is a great option in either case, even more so with a chunk of change knocked off the price!
Save £469 on a Fender LTD Am Pro II Stratocaster – was £1868, now £1399
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Fender’s Am Pro II range are some of the sleekest and most impressive guitars you can get from the brand outside of its Custom Shop models. This classic-styled Strat is loaded with high-performance features, and has an amazing saving of almost £500 for Thomann’s early Cyber Week deals!
Save £90 on a Martin GPC 10e Roadseries Special – was £879, now £789
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One of the best-sounding, affordable Martins out there, this guitar is also utterly beautiful, with a rich dark finish for its solid sapele back and sides.
Save £965 on a Taylor 314ce LTD 50 – was £2555, now £1590
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A saving of almost £1,000 is absolutely not to be sniffed at when it comes to this beautiful Taylor 314ce LTD 50. We gave it an absolutely glowing review upon release, and now’s a great time to get your hands on one!
Save £23 on a Boss Katana Mini X in limited-edition Blue – was £145, now £122
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Portable yet powerful, there’s a great discount on this pint-sized amp from Boss, finished in a cool limited-edition blue so you can stand out while you play.
Save £71 on a Peavey 6505 Piranha Micro Head bundle – was £159, now £88
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This mini amplifier head and cab bundle from Peavey is almost half-off – so you can blast //Demiurge// through a cranked amp, without breaking the bank – or your eardrums.
Save £855 on a Martin Custom D18 – was £5299, now £4444
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This top-of-the-line Martin D18 is perhaps the pinnacle of the brand’s instrument design, and you can save a whopping £855 right now. Perfect if you want to really up your acoustic game in 2026!
The post Almost £1,000 off a Taylor acoustic? That’s right, Thomann’s early Black Friday deals are here – see our top guitar picks! appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Ace Frehley died of blunt trauma injuries to his head, report reveals
Ace Frehley’s cause of death has been revealed as blunt trauma injuries to his head sustained following a fall.
According to a report obtained by TMZ [via Blabbermouth], a CT scan of Frehley’s head revealed “multiple contusions, bone fractures to the back of his skull, haemorrhages and a subdural hematoma”, all linked to head trauma suffered during the guitarist’s fall. The report also indicated bruises were found on Frehley’s hip, thigh and abdomen, and that he had suffered a stroke.
According to TMZ, the 74-year-old musician spent nearly two weeks in hospital following the fall, and was placed on life support following a brain bleed.
Last month, Frehley’s longtime manager John Ostrosky told the New York Post that the musician had been laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York on 22 October, following a private memorial on 21 October at Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers.
Frehley’s death last month prompted an outpouring of tributes from the guitar community, from the likes of Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt, Opeth, John 5, Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee and many others.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Kiss wrote in their own post. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of Kiss’s legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Ace Frehley was a founding member of Kiss in 1973 alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss. He left the band nearly 10 years later to pursue a solo career, amid rising tensions within the band over creative direction. Frehley later rejoined the band from 1996 until 2002.
During his tenure with the band, Frehley – affectionately known as the Spaceman – helped write hits including I Was Made For Lovin’ You, Rock and Roll All Nite, Love Gun and Detroit Rock City.
The post Ace Frehley died of blunt trauma injuries to his head, report reveals appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Marshall partners with Spinal Tap on the “loudest amp ever made” – with knobs that go to 11 and a master volume that goes to infinity
“These go to 11.” Some of the most immortal words uttered in rock music’s history. So iconic even, that they’ve inspired a new amp from Marshall to celebrate the recent release of Spinal Tap II.
Billed as the “loudest amp ever made” – we would hope so – the Spinal Tap JVM410H Limited Edition is built on the DNA of the 100-watt JVM410H, with a few tweaks celebrating the sequel to the cult rockumentary film.
Those classic words appeared in the original This Is Spinal Tap movie, when Nigel Tufnel – portrayed by Christopher Guest – shows Rob Reiner his modded Marshall, on which all its knobs go to 11, rather than the conventional 10.
Truth be told, guitarists have been trying to get more than the 10 units of volume available to them for decades (let’s not talk about how it’s relative). So now, with the launch of the Marshall Spinal Tap JVM410H Limited Edition, that myth finally becomes a reality.
“Marshall has always been part of Spinal Tap’s DNA, quite literally,” says Hugh Gilmartin, Artist Relations & Marketing Manager at Marshall.
“It’s poetic to finllay make the amp that fans have talked about for forty years. It’s a celebration of sound, satire and everything that makes rock both ridiculous and great.”
Only 20 of these amps exist worldwide – with 11 being sold exclusively via the Sweetwater Gear Exchange. Pricing hasn’t been announced quite yet, but we do know that all profits will be donated to charities chosen by Spinal Tap.
At its core, the amp is a JVM410H, but this limited-edition version has a number of visual tweaks, including custom panel artwork, renamed channels, all knobs going to 11, and a master volume knob which goes beyond, to infinity, specifically. There’s also a bold Spinal Tap logo on the back.
Credit: Marshall
You might remember when Nigel Tufnel spoke about this amp back in September, marvelling at the fact its master volume knob goes not just to 11, but all the way to infinity.
“Marshall has made for me an amplifier, the head, and if you look at the dials, it now goes to Infinity. Just think about that for a moment. Think about infinity – oh, my God, that’s literally infinity,” he said.
“There’s a beautiful madness in this project,” continues Hugh Gilmartin. “It’s not about nostalgia, it’s about honouring a moment that defined how we all see rock, volume and humour.”
You can learn more at Marshall. Spinal Tap II is out now.
The post Marshall partners with Spinal Tap on the “loudest amp ever made” – with knobs that go to 11 and a master volume that goes to infinity appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Johnny Marr is synonymous with the Fender Jaguar – and he’s just launched a new signature model based on his prized 1965 model
Fender has partnered with The Smiths legend Johnny Marr on a new signature Jaguar model.
Built on the classic Jaguar blueprint but with a number of modern appointments and Marr-chosen specs, the Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar is the latest in a line of signature model collaborations between the Smiths man and the Big F.
“The Jaguar has been central to my sound and style for nearly 15 years,” says Johnny Marr. “With this new model, I wanted to create an instrument that feels classic but also pushes players to explore new tones and possibilities.
- READ MORE: “Dear UPS, where are my guitars?”: Johnny Marr slams UPS over “lost” guitars ahead of tour
“Fender has once again brought that vision to life in a way that I didn’t think could be possible until now. From my work with The Cribs playing gritty in your face indie, to the cinematic soundscapes I crafted with Hans Zimmer, the Jaguar has been an incredible asset in helping me expand my sound, no matter the genre or the occasion.”
Key specs include an enhanced neck profile inspired by Marr’s own original 1965 Jaguar, a Jaguar bridge with Mustang saddles and a vintage-style floating trem, and custom-wound, Johnny Marr-designed single-coil Lipstick pickups in the bridge, middle and neck positions. There’s also a custom gloss nitrocellulose black lacquer finish and 22-fret fingerboard with ivory dot inlays.
These are controlled by an all-new pickup selection system: a unique four-position blade switching system, as well as three slide-switch options for “maximum tonal versatility”.
Credit: Fender
“Johnny Marr’s legacy as one of the most inventive guitarists of the last four decades is undeniable,” says Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer at Fender. “His distinctive style and tone has inspired generations of players over the years. The new Signature Special Jaguar is a versatile, performance-ready twist on his classic instrument that delivers a captivating tone with great feel. We’re thrilled to share it with guitarists everywhere.”
The new Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar follows in the footsteps of his first signature Fender Jaguar in 2012, which was designed by the Fender Custom Shop to reflect his personal modded 1965 Jaguar model.
The Johnny Marr Signature Special Jaguar is available now, priced at $2,999/£2,949.
For more information, head to Fender.
Credit: Fender
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“The guitar tones alone were worth the price of admission!”: Jon Bon Jovi claims Oasis’s tour reignited the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll
What with all the dynamic ticket pricing drama, many were sceptical as to whether Oasis’ reunion shows would deliver enough bang for your buck. However, if you ask Jon Bon Jovi, the tour was worth every penny.
Speaking to Virgin Radio UK, Bon Jovi praises the Gallagher brothers for delivering a tour packed with true, bona fide “rock ‘n’ roll” for the masses. Specifically, Oasis haven’t forgotten what matters most: killer guitar tone. “I’m telling you, the guitar tones alone were worth the price of admission!” he insists.
Bon Jovi notes that he enjoyed the show “immensely,” claiming that it was a reminder of rock’s heyday. “I needed to go and smell a rock ‘n’ roll band, you know?” he says. “I needed to be out there and see what a rock band looked like on a stage again.”
The star notes that the show will undoubtedly stir up more hunger for old school rock bands – the kind that don’t rely on stage production, solely letting their music do the talking. “People really want a rock band again!” he said. “No dancers, no tricks, no loops, no recorded stuff. They wanted to hear a rock band!”
“The audiences ate it up,” he added. “They loved it… this was a much bigger venue than they’ve ever played in America. [It was also the] first time I’ve seen them live, and they were really good.”
This isn’t the first time Bon Jovi has voiced his appreciation of Oasis’ recent tour. At a recent press conference announcing his first world tour since having vocal surgery, the singer reflected on how Oasis’ reunion has reignited excitement around rock ‘n’ roll.
“I think post-Covid people wanted that kind of experiential thing,” he explained back in September [via The London Standard]. “They wanted to get together again and feel that joy. So [Oasis’ show felt] bigger than ever.”
“There was a time, 10, 12 years ago that I used to hear people say, ‘rock is dead’,” he continues. “I think rock is alive and well again, so the promise of what Oasis brought is going to give a lot of young rock bands an opportunity to shine again.”
Bon Jovi is set to embark on his Forever Tour with his band next year, and it will their first tour in eight years. The tour will kick off next July at Madison Square Garden, running up til September with a triumphant finale at London’s Wembley Stadium.
For more information on Bon Jovi’s tour, head to his website.
The post “The guitar tones alone were worth the price of admission!”: Jon Bon Jovi claims Oasis’s tour reignited the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“There’s not much to do in Clarksdale – it’s either music, sports or illegal stuff”: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on his formative years as a guitarist in the Mississippi Delta
Growing up in Clarksdale in the Mississippi Delta, perhaps it was inevitable – or at least highly predictable – that Christone “Kingfish” Ingram would go on to carve a path of blues stardom.
At just 26, Kingfish has cemented himself as a champion of modern blues, honing his six-string chops on the live circuit throughout his teenage years, sharing the stage with the likes of Samantha Fish, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Eric Gales, and with a number of killer blues albums already under his belt.
And as he explains in a new interview with Classic Rock, he owes a great deal of that success to his hometown.
“There’s not much to do in Clarksdale – it’s either music, sports or illegal stuff,” he says. “I chose music because it was around me 24/7. I lived right next to guys who were in a blues band.”
“I was never shy about my love of blues music,” he goes on. “My classmates would ask questions and I’d explain about blues being the root and all other music being its fruit. Maybe I gave them some understanding of what it was…
“Some people think that the blues is ‘my baby left me’ and long guitar solos, but it’s a whole lot deeper than that. Blues is life experience. Blues is pain and anger. But it’s also good times. All across the world, I find people who appreciate that.”
Kingfish recently revealed his latest signature model by Fender, the Delta Day Telecaster Deluxe. Paying homage to his Delta origins, the guitar is the same as his previous Mississippi Night-finished Telecaster Deluxe which arrived in 2022, but now sports a Daphne Blue finish plus a three-ply white Parchment pickguard.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Kingfish back in September, when he broke down his six most influential blues guitar albums of all time.
Highlighting Curtis Mayfield in particular as a “prophet”, singling out his album Super Fly, the soundtrack to the 1973 movie of the same name, Kingfish said: “Curtis Mayfield has to be here. Super Fly is an important album. I always say that Curtis Mayfield was a prophet. History repeats itself and he really prophesied a lot of what we are seeing today for sure man.”
Check out Voodoo Charm, from Kingfish’s latest album Hard Road, below:
The post “There’s not much to do in Clarksdale – it’s either music, sports or illegal stuff”: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on his formative years as a guitarist in the Mississippi Delta appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden is bullish about the future of pop-punk: “You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band”
The last time Good Charlotte visited the UK in 2019, they came in with quite a bang. One solitary UK date at London’s 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace, bringing out Architects frontman Sam Carter for a performance of Leech. Six years later, after somewhat of a hiatus, that ‘go big or go home’ attitude will define their present and future, says guitarist Benji Madden.
- READ MORE: These are the five greatest hardcore and metal breakdowns according to Drain guitarist Cody Chavez
“We’re making emotional decisions,” he begins. “I would really like to create an environment where we don’t have to take a hiatus. We find a pace [that] people understand. We may not do 100 shows, but if we do 15, you’ll know that we really want to be there. Hopefully everything that we do, going forward, feels limited edition.”
Underlining this mindset is their return to the top of the Slam Dunk Festival bill next May, for what will be their only two dates in all of Europe. This comes after they returned from hiatus with August’s stellar eighth album Motel Du Cap, mixing their signature uber-melodic rock with balladry and unexpected collaborations, including US rap icon Wiz Khalifa.
Image: Jen Rosenstein
Diary Of A CEO
‘Hiatus’ is perhaps the wrong word for Benji and his twin brother Joel (vocals), who have been busy running their management company MDDN, working with artists like Architects, Bad Omens and Poppy. “They’ve influenced us as much as we’ve had any influence on them,” Benji tells Guitar.com. “They’re not running the same race as everybody else, and I think we instinctually gravitate to those people.”
When it came to getting the Good Charlotte train up and running once again, Benji’s added experience – professional and personal – meant the band could operate on terms that simply weren’t available to them in their breakout period, being talked into things by people who “wanted commission” and saying yes to everything. “We’ve got our baby back, and we’re not letting anyone touch it.”
That freedom bleeds into Motel Du Cap, which still packs some punch when it comes to guitar riffs. Take the earworms of lead single Rejects, for example, or the ice-cold swagger to Bodies, which Benji credits to production wizards (and MDDN clients) Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me The Horizon, and Zakk Cervini.
“That song is literally if you let Jordan Fish join Good Charlotte for a day!” jokes Benji. “One of my favourite songs in Good Charlotte history is Keep Your Hands Off My Girl, and we wanted to find a vibe that was the next version of that element.” Benji actually shares a Suhr Modern T with Zakk, one that has been plastered all over recent albums from Bring Me The Horizon and All Time Low, as well as Motel Du Cap, he reveals.
The album’s daring forays into genres including EDM and country means, on the whole, Benji’s riffs play a less prominent role than in greatest hits like The Anthem and The River. Taking inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, Prince and Tom Petty, Benji explains that he shies away from finding moments to be a “guitar God”, grounded in the belief that his riffs – however present or minimal – must serve the wider purpose of the song.
“Everyone’s got an ego,” he admits, “but if you are serving the song, that guitar part is going to be memorable. If you are a guitar player, your skills go completely to waste if you’re not working with a fucking great songwriter. Your moment to shine will come in these moments of great songs. Serve the execution of that song, and make it a fucking classic.”
Well said, Benji. To conclude our conversation, we asked him who he thinks are the five most important guitar players in pop-punk, a genre in which Good Charlotte have cemented their place in the history books.
Image: Jen Rosenstein
Joe Strummer, The Clash
“I would probably start with Joe Strummer, bringing punk to the mainstream. I’m not an historian, but there was probably a bunch of music his parents liked, and then he got into some bands that are not mainstream. He did his version of it, and mixed those things, and it was The Clash.”
Eric Melvin, NOFX
“I think about NOFX records, and what they [helped] drive in the world of kids starting bands. They were the quintessential beginning of pop-punk – in the form of what we do – and Blink-182.”
Noodles, The Offspring
“In the 90s, again, I think they had a huge effect on a lot of kids starting bands. People sleep on The Offspring, and what they were in America in the ’90s. Again, taking a bunch of these underground punky influences, and whatever he grew up listening to, and putting it into this radio rock – but it’s still pop punk – pushed the genre ahead.”
Tom DeLonge, Blink-182
“No doubt, he took everyone we just mentioned, but added his own artistry to it, and you can see his development. He brings an artistry, and all those guys do – Travis [Barker, drummer] Mark [Hoppus, bassist], they have this incredible mix of elements that make Blink so relatable for so many people.
“But as a guitarist, I think you can tell he’s a really smart, curious guy. You can tell he’s a really curious guy. He’s a really cerebral person. All the Angels & Airwaves records, but then what he does in Blink, and how it mixes with the other two guys. There’s no doubt he’s one of the most important pop-punk guitar players of all time.”
Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day
“If I have to go number one, it’s Billie Joe from Green Day. They’ve taken pop-punk all the way from clubs to stadiums and now a bunch of pop-punk bands have done – or will do – stadiums. You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band. Green Day will be the [next] Rolling Stones, as they continue on and play stadiums all over the world.
“Again, it goes back to, ‘How can I become a guitar hero? How can I become a guitar player that’s remembered in time?’ It’s all about the songs. Billie Joe has his own feel, and his own journey, too. That would be the poster child to me, because they are a fixture in the culture of what people love and remember and associate with. That makes him a really important pop-punk guitar player.
“And then I would give myself an honourable mention!”
Motel Du Cap is out now. Good Charlotte will headline Slam Dunk Festival on 23rd and 24th May 2026.
The post Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden is bullish about the future of pop-punk: “You haven’t seen the last pop-punk stadium band” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“I feel very protective over 5150. It’s what I need to watch and protect, for the rest of my life now”: Wolfgang Van Halen on his father’s legendary studio
Wolfgang Van Halen’s childhood was steeped in rock royalty, but these days he’s the one safeguarding the magic. The 34-year-old musician, who recorded Mammoth’s third album, The End, in the legendary 5150 studio, says protecting the space is now a lifelong responsibility.
“I live in my childhood home now, so the studio’s right there,” the young Van Halen tells Classic Rock. “Yeah, I feel very protective over 5150. It’s what I need to watch and protect, for the rest of my life now.”
The studio, immortalised through countless Van Halen records, has become Wolfgang’s own creative haven. Here, he sings and plays every instrument on Mammoth’s latest release, merging brooding 90s grunge influences with metallic heft and melodic pop sensibilities.
But the legacy of his father, Eddie Van Halen, occasionally shines through – most vividly on the album’s title track, which kicks off with a 40-second tapping solo reminiscent of Eddie’s iconic moves in Hot For Teacher.
Wolfgang also keeps intimate reminders of his father close: the words “play play,” written in red and blue on his right arm, were transferred from a Christmas card and serve as a permanent life lesson.
“He was being silly, and he wrote it with both markers to almost make it like a 3D effect,” says Wolfgang. “I just use it as kind of a life lesson, so that if I’m playing guitar I can always see that, just to make sure I keep following it.”
Offstage, the pressures of life in a Van Halen household are still felt. While en route to support Metallica on their 2024 M72 World Tour, Wolfgang says he experienced a panic attack on the plane to Mexico City.
“I’ve never in my life been freezing but completely drenched in sweat,” he recalls. “It fucked me up. It felt like it was forever, but it was probably about a 10-minute thing. In hindsight it’s hilarious, but during, very traumatic.”
“I guess I am my toughest critic,” the musician adds. “Since I was 14, growing up under scrutiny, I think that might have a lot to do with it. I’ve been to therapy, I’m medicated, all of that. It’s just about working through it and being comfortable in yourself – not needing approval from others.”
The post “I feel very protective over 5150. It’s what I need to watch and protect, for the rest of my life now”: Wolfgang Van Halen on his father’s legendary studio appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“Peter Frampton handed me his black Les Paul and I handed it right back to him”: Why Rick Beato refuses to play the guitars of his interview guests
![[L-R] Rick Beato and Peter Frampton](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Rick-Beato-and-Peter-Frampton-hero@2000x1500.jpg)
Musician and YouTuber Rick Beato has interviewed some of the biggest names across music, especially from the world of guitar, and yet despite having the opportunity, he’s never wanted to play any of their instruments himself.
Beato has worked in the music industry since the 1980s, having been a musician himself as well as a producer and educator, to name just a couple of the strings to his bow. His channel, which has over five million subscribers, features interviews with the likes of David Gilmour, Wolfgang Van Halen, Les Claypool, and many more.
In an interview with Guitar Player, Beato shares just how magical it is to sit alongside his guitar heroes, not only to pick their brains but to watch them play in person and close up. However, even when some of their most prestigious gear accompanies them, Beato has no desire to get his hands on it himself.
“Never. I try and never touch anyone’s instruments. Even if they do [offer], I’m like, I don’t want [to]. I’ve had people hand me things,” he says. “I had Peter Frampton, the first time I met him, he handed me his black Les Paul and I handed it right back to him. Larry Carlton handed me his [Gibson ES-] 335. I handed it right back to him. ‘I’m not going to play this.’ I’ve had so many people hand me their guitars, and I’m like, ‘No, thank you.’”
According to Beato, it’s because the players impress him the most, not their gear. He’d much rather observe them in all their glory than spend time playing their instruments. As an example, he goes on to talk about one of his recent guests, Neal Schon from Journey.
“I’ve watched Neal play a thousand times but you can’t tell what people are doing unless you’re right next to them,” explains Beato. “Like his right hand? I can’t… He showed me how he holds the pick, and how he picks and everything, and he kind of uses it at an angle, but he is so relaxed.”
You can watch Beato’s interview with Schon below:
Find out more about Rick Beato or view more interviews via his official YouTube channel.
The post “Peter Frampton handed me his black Les Paul and I handed it right back to him”: Why Rick Beato refuses to play the guitars of his interview guests appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
AFI guitarist ditched tube amps because they made him feel “constrained” sonically – does he have a point?
AFI’s Jade Puget is another guitarist who’s switched over to the world of amp modelling, as he began to feel constrained with his tube amps.
Puget has previously been known to play through Diamond’s NitroX amp heads – powered by six 12AX7 preamp tubes and four EL34s – which he spoke of in a rig rundown back in 2017. These days, his signal runs through a pair of rack-mounted Line 6 Helix units in a stereo configuration, and a computer running Ableton. He has an RJM Mastermind and Effect Gizmo that are programmed to control all of his pedals, the Helix, and Ableton.
AFI released their 12th album, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…, back in October, and in a newly updated rig walkthrough, Puget has shared why he’s happy to have made the ‘trade off’ between the pros and cons of real life tube amps with modellers and future-forward tech.
Speaking to Premier Guitar in the new video, he explains, “I played tube amps for the better part of 30 years. I just wanted to expand, try something new, and a lot of what I’ve been doing on the recordings have been more getting into sound design and trying to take my tones elsewhere.
“Tube amps are great. They sound amazing, but you’re kind of constrained to whatever that tube amp sounds like, even if it sounds amazing, that’s the sound. And I wanted to really be able to tap into a ton of different sounds,” he shares.
“I’ve been using Helix’s for a while, I’ve been using the Native plugin for a long time, but I thought, you know… My last rig was a Bob Bradshaw rig that I had made in 2002, and it was falling apart. Like, it was held together by chicken wire and duct tape. So, it was just time for a new rig regardless of where I went. [I was] like, I’m going to build this rig myself, because the Bradshaw was a great rig, but I didn’t build it. So, if I build it, I know how it goes together and if something goes wrong, I know how to fix it.”
Asked if there was much of an adjustment period for getting used to a modeller, Puget replies: “Yeah, there is this kind of low mid, beefy thing that’s very difficult to recreate with models, and I spent a lot of time experimenting.
“IRs are important of course when you’re talking about modelling, getting the right IR and getting the right cab, or getting the right amp emulation. It can sound fizzy, it could be weird, it could be thin, but I think after a lot of experimentation and work I’ve figured out something that sounds good. I feel like you’ll always be missing a little bit of that air, but what you get in return is some things that you can’t get with the tube amp. It’s a little bit of a trade-off.”
You can watch the full rundown below:
AFI will play at Sick New World festival in 2026 – you can find out more via the AFI website. Silver Bleeds The Black Sun… is out now.
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Yes legend Steve Howe on guitar improvisation: “You don’t need very much information. You just need a bit of the plot”
Is guitar virtuosity about memorising the fretboard, or trusting your instincts? Earlier this year, Jazz-Funk star Cory Wong made headlines insisting that “advanced” players should know the location of every note on the guitar – a view Joe Satriani has publicly supported.
For Yes legend Steve Howe, though, mastery takes a different form. Largely self-taught, Howe treats the fretboard as a guide rather than a rulebook, arguing that when it comes to improvisation, guitarists “just need a bit of the plot”.
Asked whether being self-taught shaped his style in a new interview with Uncut, Howe explains: “I guess it did. But my brain capacity when I was young was all about the hearing and not playing while you look at a piece of paper. It comes through my head, and I put my fingers on the frets, and if I can recognise the tonality, I’m in the zone.”
“That’s why I like improvising so much,” he adds, “because you don’t need very much information to improvise. You just need a bit of the plot.”
Beyond notes, Howe emphasises rhythm as the true backbone of playing.
“The important thing is that notes are fairly meaningless on their own, so the rhythm is important,” he says.
“Two of my sons are drummers – unfortunately, Virgil [Howe’s second son and longtime Yes drummer] passed away – but it runs in the family, and I could have been a drummer; it really interested me. So, I’m pretty fanatical about beats. I feel beats. People talk about time signatures, but I can’t actually think about whether something is in 5/4 or not – I’ve got to feel what it’s like when the part’s in 5/4.”
Whether players should know their fretboard back to back has been the subject of some discussion as of late. After Cory Wong split the guitar world in two with his assertion that players should know every note on their instrument inside out, White Stripes legend Jack White responded hilariously: “Ok it’s a deal; I’ll find the C, but I’m not learning all those other notes!”
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“Hurt yourself a bit”: Mateus Asato is one of the world’s best guitar players – and his latest practice tip is certainly unconventional
There’s no shortage of practice routines floating around the guitar world – from strict metronome drills to hyper-targeted exercises – but sometimes the most effective tips are the ones that push you well past your comfort zone. And according to modern guitar hero Mateus Asato, that might quite literally mean embracing a bit of pain.
Over the weekend, Asato shared an unusual tip on his Instagram Story, urging players to “practice standing up,” wear their strap “as low as possible,” and above all, “‘hurt yourself’ a little bit.”
In the accompanying photo, the guitarist makes sure to practice what he preaches – wearing a Gretsch slung so low it sits nearly mid-thigh.
“It will sound terrible. Rusty. A completely new instrument at first. But do it. Have a great weekend,” the post concludes.
Credit: Mateus Asato via Instagram
The post arrives as Asato gears up for a major milestone: his long-awaited debut album, expected in early 2026. Last month, he released its first single, Cryin’, offering fans the first real glimpse of what’s to come.
Describing the record as a snapshot of every phase of his musical life, Asato told Guitar: “The album is definitely a journey through all the sides of Mateus: the Mateus who’s a sideman, Mateus as the Instagram boy, and then the Mateus that got more mature over the years. Who developed a different vision regarding music, regarding how I see guitar.
“There are a couple of solos that I recorded from 2016 to 2019, but in that time my playing has changed – and when I listened to it back, you could tell that things were different… the vibrato, the tones, those little nuances. But I decided to just leave the original take and add new layers of me playing now, so it’s like I’m jamming with myself – that was cool!”
While Mateus Asato is, by most accounts, the quintessential Instagram guitarist, he took a widely publicised hiatus in 2020, citing burnout. “I grabbed all my guitars off the wall, put them in their cases, and I was like, I don’t want to have any contact with any instruments,” Mateus told Guitar.com. “And I went 90 days without touching any instruments, so I had to just go do other things.”
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Positive Grid Spark NEO Core review: “Great sounds with an unavoidable compromise”
$159/$139, positivegrid.com
By now you surely understand the sketch when it comes to Positive Grid’s all-conquering Spark ecosystem – the once and future amp and effects plugin maker makes affordable and versatile practice and small gig amps that, regardless of how tiny they are, sound outrageously good in the room.
The whole concept reached what may have been its zenith in terms of being a quiet and functional practice tool when the Spark NEO headphones dropped earlier this year. Cramming the clever ‘smart amp’ tech into a set of cans that came with their own wireless dongle to ensure zero-latency cable-free home playing.
Now however, the brand has launched another set of headphones – these ones coming in at barely half the price of the original NEO, so what gives?
Image: Press
Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – what is it?
It’s hard not to see the NEO Core as, on some level, a reaction to things happening that are far beyond the ken of music technology companies to control. Eight months ago, the Spark NEO cost $199, and at time of writing they now cost a whopping 25% more at $249.
I can’t say this for sure of course, but I’d wager that price hike has less to do with corporate greed than it does to do with this being a uniquely volatile and difficult moment to be a company that relies on importing electronic devices from China into the USA (though it’s worth noting that the UK price of the NEO has had a smaller but still substantial bump since launch).
Anyway, the fact that these now cost $250 is a problem because $250 is a lot to spend on a practice amp AND a lot of money to spend on some headphones. It doesn’t make the NEO any less great, of course, but it muddies the waters of it as an entry-level option.
The NEO Core then fixes this issue by coming in at a reasonable $159, which in these tariff-heavy times feels like an absolute frigging steal. For those 160 wing-wangs, you get something that looks and feels pretty much identical to the originals.
The cans themselves feel reassuringly weighty without being heavy. The faux-tolex rubberised covers and generous padding on the ear caps and headband make them comfortable and premium to slide on, and under the hood you’ll find the same Spark technology (accessible via the companion app) that offers a wealth of amps, effects and practice options.
What you don’t get, however, is the wireless dongle that came with the NEO. Yep, this baby is analogue-only – something that was an option with the original if you forgot to charge the dongle, but is now your only means of getting sound in out of the box.
Mercifully, bluetooth is still on board for audio and app-related things, so you can use it to stream audio into your cans – it’s just the zero-latency wireless instrument connection you’re missing out on here.
Image: Press
Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – usability and sounds
In many ways, the sounds portion of this test is broadly redundant – I did a quick A/B test with the original NEO cans I still have kicking around here and could not tell a single difference between the two.
And that’s a very good thing because like its bigger brother, the NEO Core manages to sound very much like you’re not playing through headphones at all. There’s midrange punch, high-end clarity, thumping bass response and a sense of roominess about the sound that really does feel like you’re playing through an amplifier – it’s not spatial in the way that Boss’s Waza-Air cans are, but it still sounds way better than running your amp through headphones ever has.
Choosing between your three onboard presets is as simple as clicking the button on the side of the headphones, and you can adjust your overall volume here too. In all the sonic ways that probably matter most of all, there are zero compromises here from the originals.
There is one big compromise, however. I’m not sure if you’ve ever noticed how unwieldy and uncomfortable it is having a guitar cable hanging down from just below your right ear, but reader, it sucks.
It’s easy to forget that even the most expensive pro audio wired headphones don’t tend to have ¼-inch cables – even ones with ¼-inch jacks at the end! They also don’t tend to use the sort of rugged, heavy and substantial jacks that guitar cables do… because all of these things which might be totally normal when plugged into an amp or a pedalboard become profoundly uncomfortable and annoying when they’re hanging off the side of your head.
I don’t know what the solution is here, really – some sort of male-to-female connector cable that has a more headphone-appropriate cable that you can plug your guitar cable into at a level that’s less intrusive?
On the plus side, if you wanted to get around this, you could plug a wireless unit into the jack. It worked fine with the Spark Link I tried, and the added weight of the receiver was minimal compared to the annoyance of the cable – I would imagine other wireless units with lightweight battery-powered receivers would work here too.
The problem with that of course is that the Spark Link costs $149… which means you’d be better off just buying the original NEO and save yourself a lot of hassle.
Image: Press
Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – should I buy one?
On the surface, the Core offers some of the best practice amp sounds you can get for a killer price – there’s no getting away from that equation if the original NEO is beyond your means. This is still a far better sounding solution than pretty much any other $130 practice amp out there.
There’s also no getting away from the fact that the usability is severely impacted to reach this price point however – you’d have to spend a fair amount of time finding the right kind of lightweight cable to render it less annoying, and ever then you still have to contend with something hanging down broadly in the area where you’re likely to be strumming.
But worse things happen at sea, as the old saying goes. If you’re looking for a great sounding route to silent practice at home, this is the best bang for buck option on the market – just be prepared to go cable shopping sometime soon.
Positive Grid Spark NEO Core – alternatives
Asides from the original NEO ($249) and Boss’s impressive but even more pricey Waza-Air ($389) options, there aren’t many headphone-based practice amps worth thinking about really. What there are a lot of however, are impressive plug-and-play micro-amps that offer the ability to plug in a normal set of cans (with a normal cable) into. Prince of these is probably the Fender Mustang Micro Plus ($134) though the Boss Katana Go ($139) and the Blackstar Beam Solo are also very impressive and affordable.
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Reverb just launched limited-edition Blacked Out pedals with 5 top brands – and we want them all
It’s been some years now, but Reverb’s Blacked Out event is still going strong. Every year, the gear marketplace partners with a number of pedal makers to launch a limited-edition run of all-black stompboxes, and this year’s are especially tantalising…
The event started back in 2019, when 17 boutique builders offered super-limited Blacked Out versions of their pedals, including Old Blood Noise Endeavors and Adventure Audio. 2023 saw a gothed-up Line 6 DL4.
- READ MORE: Jason Isbell might have the strangest tip for breaking in an acoustic guitar we’ve ever heard
So what does 2025 have in store, you ask?
This year, Reverb has partnered with five pedal brands – Walrus Audio, EarthQuaker Devices, Way Huge, Daredevil and Death By Audio – for a run of gothic-esque stompboxes. They are (in order of the brands listed above): Qi Etherealizer, with original signed art by Yvette Young; Mini Black Eye; Deep State, signed by Joe Bonamassa; Chicago Rat and Infinity Verb.
As of the time of writing, the EarthQuaker Mini Black Eye is sold out, but the other four are still available.
“Blacked Out 2025 brings five exclusive, all-black effects from your favorite builders: Walrus Audio, EarthQuaker Devices, Death By Audio, Daredevil, and Way Huge. Each one redesigned, reimagined, and built for players who like their tone with a darker edge,” says Reverb.
Head to Reverb to find out more.
The post Reverb just launched limited-edition Blacked Out pedals with 5 top brands – and we want them all appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“The rock world is filled with losers, idiots”: Gene Simmons explains why he doesn’t drink alcohol – and why sugary foods are “as much fun as I have with my pants on”
Gene Simmons has walked fans through his passion for sober living, and his peculiar rockstar diet – including a lot of sweet treats.
The Kiss bassist has proudly never drank alcohol or used drugs, but does indulge in a lot of cake which he, apparently, also rubs all over himself after a good show. In a video titled Gym & Fridge for Men’s Health, Simmons says his diet is about “as much fun as I can have with my pants on”.
“When in the middle of a tour, I’d eat cheesecake every day because I’m wearing 40 pounds of armour, seven-inch platform heels — each one of the dragon boots probably weighed, I don’t know, eight to 10 pounds, a leg, a foot. You don’t have to do anything. Within two hours, you will be exhausted,” he says [via Blabbermouth].
“The amount of calories burned on stage, it’s like a heavy workout. And so I could eat anything. Strangely, I wouldn’t be that hungry, after you exert that pressure, but I’d crave sweets. In the morning, big egg white, maybe a little steak, toast, coffee. And then nothing until about three, four o’clock in the afternoon — a little pasta for some carbs, and then hit the stage. Coming off the stage, cake. I wouldn’t even have to eat it, I’d just rub it all over myself.”
Of his sober lifestyle, he credits his mother for keeping him on the right path: “I don’t drink. I never have… The rock world is filled with losers, idiots. Actually, I think it goes back to my mother. She was a survivor of Nazi Germany’s concentration camps at 14 years of age, and I never wanted to break her heart. I’m her only child, so this idea that you could be a loser, not be able to earn a living, and destroy yourself… It’s crazy. No.”
Elsewhere in the video, Simmons says he’s never been “gung-ho about doctors”, but does proudly proclaim himself to be “the doctor of love”. A rather bold statement indeed, but nothing short of surprising from Simmons. In fact, back in 2023 he “confirmed” rumours that he’d slept with over 5,000 women.
Kiss played their final show in December 2023, and are due to return as live avatars only in the future.
The post “The rock world is filled with losers, idiots”: Gene Simmons explains why he doesn’t drink alcohol – and why sugary foods are “as much fun as I have with my pants on” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“Everybody was down, and then suddenly we were all smiling and having a laugh”: Bruce Dickinson recalls his eventful Iron Maiden audition
According to Bruce Dickinson, the vibe at his Iron Maiden audition started out on quite a bum note.
Dickinson famously joined the band in 1981 after departing the band Samson, and elevated the English metallers to new heights after the dismissal of vocalist Paul Di’Anno. Featuring for the first time on the band’s third album, 1982’s The Number Of The Beast, Dickinson saw them achieve their first number one album in the UK.
However, in an interview with Classic Rock, Dickinson recalls that spirits were feeling a little withered when he rocked up to his audition in Hackney, London. He tells the magazine: “It was weird… I turned up and Steve [Harris, founder and bassist] wasn’t there, he hadn’t arrived yet, but everybody else was. And I looked around and everybody was just… not happy.
“Everybody was just down. And I was thinking: ‘This is going to be rough.’ But we started bashing through some songs that we knew, and it turned out we all knew half of every fucking rock song on the planet,” he shares. “We had a go at a bit of AC/DC, a bit of Deep Purple – Woman From Tokyo then Black Night – and so on. And suddenly we were all smiling and having a laugh.”
After Harris arrived, the band got straight down to business, which was a breeze for Dickinson, having already mastered all of the Maiden songs thrown his way. On drums was another recent addition to Maiden, Clive Burr, who had also played in Samson.
“Steve turned up. We went: ‘Right, let’s have a bash at some Maiden songs.’ We did three or four Maiden songs, but I’d learned all of them. Clive had been Samson’s drummer, so it felt very natural. But then I had to wait two weeks so that they could deal with Paul after the last gigs in Scandinavia,” Dickinson remembers.
These days, Dickinson is pretty outspoken on one matter in particular: his expectations for the crowd at Maiden’s live shows, and their use of mobile phones. In a conversation with Appetite For Distortion, the vocalist said: “It’s like some terrible disease, that people feel the need to look at the world through this stupid little device. It’s like a failing of humanity,” he explained. “You’re surrendering your senses completely to this little fascist in your hand.”
Iron Maiden continue their Run For Your Lives world tour in 2026, with the first date kicking off on 23 May in Athens, Greece. Find out more or grab tickets via the official Iron Maiden website.
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“I’d never in my life been freezing but completely drenched in sweat”: Wolfgang Van Halen had a panic attack while en route to support Metallica
Wolfgang Van Halen is no stranger to the stage; he joined Van Halen alongside his father Eddie in 2006 at the ripe old age of just 15. But that’s not to say he doesn’t still experience nerves like the rest of us.
Wolfie has graced some of the world’s biggest stages; his band Mammoth routinely play arena shows, and he’s appeared at some real landmark events, including Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute shows in London and LA in 2022. He was also invited to appear at Black Sabbath’s monumental farewell show, but was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts with his own band.
But this breadth of experience doesn’t make him immune to jitters, as he notes in a new interview with Classic Rock.
As the story goes, Mammoth were invited to support metal titans Metallica on a string of 2023-2024 shows for their M72 World Tour. But while on the plane to Mexico for two shows in Mexico City in 2024, Wolfgang recalls suffering a panic attack.
“I’ve never in my life been freezing but completely drenched in sweat,” he remembers. “It fucked me up. It felt like it was forever, but it was probably about a 10-minute thing. In hindsight it’s hilarious, but during, very traumatic.”
He notes how he was able to take the negative experience and channel it into something positive, the writing for Mammoth’s newly released third album, The End. “I think that headspace – I’m already an anxious person – bled into the whole writing process,” he says.
As many who have suffered such panic attacks will note, the exact cause is often hard to pin down.
“When I get like that it doesn’t really matter,” Wolfgang notes. “At any time, I can just freak out because something’s gonna go wrong, or I’m gonna make an ass of myself, or I’m gonna ruin it, I’m gonna mess up, or, you know…”
He reflects that some of his anxiety may stem from a lifetime in the public eye as the son of Eddie Van Halen.
“I guess I am my toughest critic,” he says. “And growing up in the scrutiny of the public eye, since I was 14, I think might have a lot to do with that; issues that I’ve got to work on. I’ve been to therapy a couple of times, I’m medicated, all of that. So it’s just a matter of working your way through it, being more comfortable in yourself, not needing that approval from others.”
We were lucky enough lately to catch up with Wolfgang Van Halen himself, where he told us about his five all-time favourite guitar players. You can read the full interview at Guitar.com.
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Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster HSS review: “probably the best marriage of vintage and modern features out there”
$2,899/£2,899, fender.com
If there’s anyone that can find a gap in an already comprehensively stocked catalogue, then it’s Fender. Back at the tail end of 2024, Fender updated their pro-focused American Ultra range with the release of the American Ultra II series. Guitars designed to cater to those modern players desirous of compound radii, Noiseless pickups, extra body contouring and the like.
The thing about those guitars, however, was that they tended to look as modern as they played – and not everyone wants that particular recipe. Enter then, the American Ultra Luxe Vintage series. This brand new tangent at the top of Fender’s USA production range aims to, “Fender’s contemporary innovations with their historic foundations to create a series of modern performance-focused instruments beautifully inspired by vintage tones and aesthetics.”
In short then, these electric guitars offer all the tweaks on the classic formula that the Ultra guitars have championed, but with more old-school sounds and visuals that mean you’d probably never know unless you played it yourself.
Guitars that combine vintage aesthetics and tones with more modern appointments are, of course, already very popular – many of the biggest names in the boutique guitar world made their names doing it. The biggest question is why it’s taken Fender so long to catch up.
Despite the company introducing a 22-fret neck all the way back in 1987, Fender guitars that blend vintage aesthetics with appointments favoured by more technically-minded modern players have been vanishingly rare in the intervening three decades.
Outside of Custom Shop instruments, it’s been pretty much unheard of. It was notable however that last year a British retailer spec’d a run of Custom Shop Strats with heavy relic finishes but with bridge humbuckers, sculpted heels and large frets – and despite the hefty price tag these guitars sold out almost instantly. You would imagine that this did not go unnoticed by Fender’s accounts department…
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster HSS – what is it?
So what does the snappily-named American Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster HSS actually offer you? Well, for players such as myself, the best of both worlds.
Many of the specs of the Ultra II range are replicated here. That means you get a 22-fret compound radius neck complete with rolled edges and Luminlay side dots. You’ll also find a sculpted heel for upper-fret access, and further accommodation is offered for dusty end excursions courtesy of some extra contouring to the back (including on the lower horn).
Up top you’ll find Fender’s two-point Syncronized Tremolo with block saddles, a Tusq nut at the other end, and Fender’s own locking tuners. Under the hood you’ll also find Fender’s S-1 switching system adding some extra sonic options to the usual.
But the pickups themselves are where things start to deviate – rather than the Noiseless units found in the Ultra II, this HSS guitar pairs a duo of Pure Vintage ’61 single-coils (also found on the 1961 American Vintage II Stratocaster) in the neck and middle with a Haymaker humbucker in the bridge.
The most striking visual difference of course is the visual stuff. In this case you get a Heirloom-aged nitrocellulose lacquer finish, and a rosewood board instead of ebony – in this case it’s ol’ faithful Fiesta Red, and there’s also a rather lovely Surf Green option in this HSS configuration.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster HSS – build quality and playability
As you’d expect from a guitar that occupies the space at the very top of Fender’s production output, the general impression upon pulling this guitar out of its brown vintage-style case (another departure from the Ultra II recipe) is very impressive.
The general fit and finish is exemplary throughout, but it’s worth spending a minute talking about the Heirloom finish Fender has introduced with these new models – as it’s not always totally apparent in photos. The first thing to be aware of is that this is not a pristine ‘just left the factory’ finish – there is artificial ageing going on here, though it is very subtle.
There’s no overtly artificial wear and tear, but the finish itself does have a very subtle (and pretty convincing) lacquer checking to the body and the neck – which has a satin lacquer treatment as opposed to the satin urethane job on the Ultra II. The finish too has a slightly dulled effect – it certainly doesn’t have the vibrant orange-tinted sheen of a classic Fiesta Red, but that’s all to its benefit, I think.
The plastics on the guitar have a slightly yellowed colour too, while the beautifully dark and inviting rosewood board is similarly given the more retro vibe courtesy of some yellowed clay dots – the contrast of which with the Luminlay side dots really does reflect the world-straddling nature of the whole guitar.
The neck shape itself is described by Fender as a shallow D, but with a slightly pronounced set of shoulders, it actually feels more ‘C’. The definition of a modern player’s neck seems to be a D shape, but the dimensions can prove to be a little too slim for some. The Vintage Ultra Luxe has a decent set of shoulders, which vintage enthusiasts may find a little slim, but as someone who has a strong preference for the fulsome Oval 60s C shape offered on a Custom Shop model, I can say that this is still comfortable in comparison.
The rolled fingerboard edges really lend a touch of finesse to the playing experience and further hints at a guitar that’s been well played-in. Combine that with the stainless-steel fretwork and compound radius, and it makes for a notably sleek Strat that will certainly appeal to more technical players.
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster HSS – build quality and playability
If I had my way, every Strat would have a humbucker in the bridge. I’ve never been a fan of the often bright, shrill, and scything tone produced by a single coil in this position but that is a disservice to all the incredible rock riffs by Messrs Blackmore and Gilmour (I guess that’s why they’re called the greats).
Through a Boogie Mark IV the Haymaker humbucker pays homage to another icon of yesteryear, Jeff Beck, as the tonal similarity with his namesake’s iconic pickup are remarkably similar. We get the trademark mid-range bump with a crisp – but not harsh – high end supported by a focused low end. The stainless-steel frets also add an additional presence to my ears and combined, make legato work smooth and seamless. There is also a wonderful balance across all six strings for chordal/rhythm work. This is everything a rock humbucker should be.
In the middle and neck position we have Fender’s Pure Vintage ’61 Single-Coils, so when switching over to the neck pickup I’m expecting a lower output vintage experience. Rather surprisingly – and pleasingly – there’s a plenty of snap and girth on tap, making for a well-rounded tone that is obviously vintage-inspired but with a slightly higher output (noticeable more on the thicker strings).
Through the Boogie, pentatonic-based rock riffs sound wonderfully percussive and full, while retaining some warmth traditionally expected from the neck position. In fact, they’re reminiscent of the Bare Knuckle ’63 Veneer Board’ pickups, which are based on the hotter coils from the ’63/64-era Strats – a set venerated for their wide frequency response and dynamics.
The only real disappointment here is the S-1 system, which continues the trend from the Ultra II of offering a significantly reduced palette of extra sounds than was previously available on the pre-Ultra Elite model Strats. Here it functions in just two positions: splitting the bridge humbucker. I would argue that a simple push-pull switch would do the job just as well.
The split coil is an acquired taste and certainly has its uses, but I found it to be a little on the thin side for my needs – your mileage may vary depending on how much you love the sound of a Strat bridge pickup, however!
Image: Adam Gasson
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster HSS – should I buy one?
When you’re talking about a near-$3,000 instrument, the pricetag is always something that’s going to weigh heavily on any comparisons made. At this end of the market you’re putting yourself up against not only Fender’s own Custom Shop, but also some of the most storied names in the US boutique market who have been doing this sort of thing for a long time.
The Ultra Luxe Vintage more than stands up to these rivals, however. The attention to detail and general build is exemplary, while the playability is exactly what you’d expect from an instrument at the very highest echelons of production instruments.
It’s one of the most enjoyable and compelling Fender-made Strats I’ve played in a long time – the combination of vintage looks with all the modern conveniences that a technically elevated player could ask for makes for a serious forever guitar. In fact, it’s probably the best marriage of vintage and modern features out there.
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Stratocaster HSS – alternatives
When you’re within touching distance of the $3k price point, you’re bringing in not just other big brands, but the meat of some of the bigger boutique guitar makers, too. The vintage/modern amalgamation is extremely well espoused by Suhr and its Classic S guitars ($3,525). It’s not cheap, but is designed to capture the essence of vintage guitars whilst simultaneously offering modern precision and comfort. Tom Anderson is another big name in this world, and the Classic ($4,134) offers a unique blend of classic styling and modern playability. A relic’d Tom Anderson is an unusual sight, but their “Level 1” distressing is subtle yet authentic. And of course, the playability and craftmanship are second to none. The elephant in the room is probably the PRS Silver Sky ($2,339) – if you can live without a bridge humbucker, it does a fine job of blending the vintage and modern in a very stylish package.
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Jason Isbell might have the strangest tip for breaking in an acoustic guitar we’ve ever heard
Jason Isbell has just unveiled his new collaboration with Martin, a pair of classy acoustic signature guitars. And while promoting the fresh Jason Isbell 0-17 and the 0-10E Retro acoustics, the Americana star has shared some rather unconventional advice on how to break an acoustic guitar in.
Isbell insists that a new acoustic guitar should be introduced to good, loud music before it’s played. His advice? Popping your guitar in front of some speakers and letting your axe soak up all the musical magic. “I recommend putting it in front of a couple of stereo speakers when you leave the house and turn it up really loud,” he says [via MusicRadar].
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His personal preference is treating his guitars to a bit of good ol’ hip-hop. It’s not the only option – but it’s just the kind of music Isbell enjoys. “I normally use OutKast or something, just so when I come home, OutKast is playing on the stereo,” he explains. “It makes me happy! But all my new acoustic guitars get to listen to Outkast for about 40 hours the first week they’re in the house.”
While Isbell doesn’t quite explain the science behind his technique, we can only ponder why he stands by it. Perhaps the loud vibrations loosen the guitar up a bit? Sort of like you pull on a new set of strings before retuning a few times so the tuning sets. Or perhaps it really does just sink right into the mahogany, giving it a thorough lesson on what good music should sound like.
If you’re on the hunt for a new acoustic to trial Isbell’s technique out on, one of the guitarist’s new Martin models might take your fancy. The pair of mahogany guitars come in a more premium Jason Isbell 0-17 model, sitting at $4,999 and limited to just 50 units, while the 0-10E Retro is a slightly more affordable $1,049
The premium Jason Isbell 0-17 also serves as a replica of the pre-war 0-17 guitar heard across the entirety of his 2025 record, Foxes In The Snow. The guitars also both come with onboard Martin E1 acoustic guitar pickup systems, which also have the benefit of an inbuilt guitar tuner.
“If you’re a beginner player, a guitar this size and the shape works for you because it’s easy to play, but the more advanced you get as a guitar player, the guitar still works because it’s easy to control,” Isbell explains.
“A guitar like this meets the artist criteria that the instrument can’t be the challenge…” he continues. “What the guitar should be is an extension of your own physical self, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that you play it well enough to where it feels like you’re tying your shoes, but it can mean that you play it well enough to where you don’t notice it after a while.”
The limited Martin 0-17 Jason Isbell is priced at $4,999, while the 0-10E Retro version comes in at $1,049. Both are available from Martin Guitar in left- or right-handed configurations.
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