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While conversations about typical guitar heroes generally tend toward the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, there are plenty of modern players pushing the envelope.

And in a new interview with We Wreck Records, Mötley Crüe and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 names some of the guitarists he feels are keeping the instrument exciting.

• READ MORE: Kirk Hammett says Tony Iommi uses “smart chords” – this is what he means

John 5 – real name John William Lowery – is quick to rattle off the names of Polyphia (guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage), as well as English guitarist Guthrie Govan and Animals as Leaders founder Tosin Abasi.

“It will always keep evolving. And you know what? Thank God for it,” he says [via Ultimate Guitar]. “There’s so many incredible guitar players. And even before Jimi Hendrix, we had Chet Atkins, we had Roy Clark, all these people that were just ripping it up on guitar.”

John 5 believes the widespread adoption of social media has led to the emergence of talents who would have otherwise stayed hidden.

“I love anybody that is ripping it up,” he says. “And that’s why I love Instagram so much, because you can see people all over the world. But before, you just would see people in Hollywood or hear about them in Guitar Player magazine. But now I can hear about somebody in Russia or someone in Brazil, and it’s wonderful.”

Asked to name three guitarists who have had a big impact on him personally, John 5 names some more traditional guitar heroes: “The three guitarists that changed music… 

“I think where I was really taken aback and it really changed my life, I would say Eddie Van Halen definitely was that for me. And when I heard Eddie, I loved it so much, just like everybody else. He really took it to the next level.”

“Then I would say Yngwie Malmsteen, because I just love that… That ‘less is more’, I’ve never gotten that. I’ve always gotten the, ‘No, more is more.’ And that’s what I loved about Yngwie. And then I’m gonna go with even Guthrie for today, modern. I just love him so much. I just love how he creates his solos and how he plays live.”

“I appreciate great guitar players so much, and it’s so hard to find inspiration, but I’m always looking. But I really, really love when I find these certain guitar players that are super inspiring, to me and the world.”

The post “It will never stop – thank God”: John 5 names three modern guitarists who are ensuring that the guitar will “keep evolving” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Over the years, Metallica and Black Sabbath have shared many stages; the heavy metal unit performed at Sabbath’s grand Back To The Beginning gig back in July, but they’d previously opened for Ozzy Osbourne back in 1986, while bassist Robert Trujillo was also an official member of The Prince of Darkness’s band between 1996 until 2003.

However, no matter how many times they performed together, Metallica never stopped being stunned by the talent within the Sabbath ranks. In episode 112 of The Metallica Report, Trujillo reflects on the unique style of each member of the band. “Take Bill Ward, for instance, as a drummer,” he says. “He’s so unique in his style of playing and that swing that he has, it reminds me of big band music… [Then there was] Ozzy with his very bluesy, soulful style of singing.”

• READ MORE: “We knew there was going to be quite a bit of scrutiny”: Jake Kiszka felt “pressure” at what Greta Van Fleet fans would think of his Mirador side project

He then points to guitar legend Tony Iommi and his own brand of ‘smart chords’. “His chords are – well, Kirk Hammett calls them smart chords,” he explains. “[They’re] basically jazz chords, which he incorporates into the riffs.”

Of course, Iommi’s style is partially the result of an injury he suffered as a 17 year old. Ever since slicing the tips of his fingers off at a factory job, he’s had to adjust his style, now playing with artificial leather fingertips. “Even just the fact that his fingers are different… it creates a certain sound, a certain riff,” Trujillo explains.

Elsewhere in the chat, Trujillo recalls how Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, had initially labelled the band as an “alternative” act. “It was so different from anything that was happening back then,” the bassist says. “And there’s a lot of reasons for that… A lot of [their music] is just very unique, very soulful.”

Reflecting on Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning gig, Trujillo recalls it as being yet another reminder of why Black Sabbath are the crème de la crème of heavy metal. “They were soundchecking, and Ozzy wasn’t even on stage yet… but just hearing them warm up, it was another level,” he says.

“This is like Muhammad Ali [hitting] the speed bag – it’s that intense. It’s crazy… they’re just warming up – drum fills, some tribal beats Bill was doing, and you hear Geezer Butler [bassist] kind of noodling a bit. And then Tony [plays] some kind of chords here and there.”

He recalls watching the band run through Into The Void, a track that Anthrax would instead perform during the final show. A few members of the supporting bands watched the performance – and it was pretty emotional. “We just started headbanging, and we were all smiling… but some people were crying,” he notes. “It was so beautiful, and it was a powerful moment. Anybody that witnessed it, that’s something that they’ll probably remember for the rest of their lives.”

The post Kirk Hammett says Tony Iommi uses “smart chords” – this is what he means appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

A conversation about prog rock titans is hardly complete without mention of Pink Floyd. But as David Gilmour explains in a recent interview with Rick Beato, he was never keen on the label.

He says that he and his bandmates “never talked about style”, and that they were creating the music they were creating “long before” the ‘progressive rock’ moniker came around.

• READ MORE: “The most important thing is to be able to hear something and play it”: Tim Henson on the importance of learning guitar by ear

“I’ve never talked about progressive rock, or thought that we were – whatever – progressive rock,” Gilmour tells Beato [via Louder Sound]. “To me, progressive rock is very, very serious players who can really do their stuff.”

“I think we were doing it long before the term ‘progressive rock’, and I think I was probably a grumpy old man in my 20s. You know, sort of, ‘Nah, that’s not us.’”

He concludes: “The whole idea of labelling – it’s become more essential in this day and age. But I’m not keen on it.”

Arguably, the genres by which certain bands are described are done so by fans, while artists both old and new prefer not to pigeonhole themselves as purveyors of one style of music only.

Regardless of Gilmour’s position on the ‘prog rock’ moniker, Pink Floyd are widely considered to have been behind some of the best prog albums of all time, including The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here.

In other news, David Gilmour recently explained why he’s “never learned” the classic Pink Floyd guitar solo in Comfortably Numb.

“To me it’s just different every time,” he said. “Why would I want to do it the same? Would it be more popular with the people listening if I did it exactly like the record? Or do they prefer that I just wander off into whatever feels like the right thing at the time? I don’t know. I suspect they prefer it to be real, and to be happening, you know?”

The post “To me, progressive rock is very serious players who can really do their stuff”: David Gilmour “never thought Pink Floyd were prog rock appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

What’s the most efficient way to become a better guitar player? Is it endlessly practicing scales and music theory? That certainly doesn’t hurt, but according to Polyphia guitar maestro Tim Henson, all guitarists should seek to learn as much as they can by ear.

While theory is no doubt important – and will help you better understand why certain note patterns and chord progressions work together – Henson says there’s a certain value to “learning everything you can by ear”.

• READ MORE: Strandberg launches N2 – the “most significant evolution” of its Boden headless guitars yet

“I started playing violin,” he tells The Music Zoo in a new interview [via Guitar World]. “Before I started playing guitar, I started playing at the age of three. I can sight-read violin pretty well.”

However, he says he learned to play guitar by ear, partly because “violin was so rigid, and it killed any sort of love for music”.

“It made me hate music,” he says. “Especially in classical music, you’re essentially just doing cover songs all the time. There’s no room for creativity. And when I picked up the guitar at 10, I saw it as an escape from that.”

Polyphia’s music is some of the most technically complex in the game, so for many guitarists, resorting to the tablature is a must. But Tim Henson says they should learn as much as they can by ear before checking the official tabs for accuracy.

“We sell our tablature,” he says. “It’s one of the things that helps us pay our bills, and I think it’s a great tool and a great helper. But for the young guitar players who want to play guitar, learn it by ear. Just learn everything that you can by ear.

“And if you want to get the tab afterwards to double check and maybe, if there’s something that you were struggling with that you couldn’t just quite get, sure, do it, but learn it by ear. That is going to be the most important thing for any musician is to just be able to hear it and to play it.”

The extent to which guitarists should know theory has long been a subject of debate. While most don’t discount the usefulness of theory entirely – some say it’s not necessary to make high-quality art.

Earlier this year, former All That Remains guitarist Jason Richardson said it’s not essential, explaining: “Remember, it’s called music ‘theory,’ not ‘law’.” And YouTuber Become the Knight explained how “you can have these tools in your tool belt and still make pretty mediocre art”.

A big advocate of knowing your theory, though, is jazz-funk maestro Cory Wong, who earlier this year slammed guitarists who don’t know every note on the guitar’s fretboard.

The post “The most important thing is to be able to hear something and play it”: Tim Henson on the importance of learning guitar by ear appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Strandberg has lifted the lid on N2, its new generation of headless guitars which represents its “most significant evolution yet”.

The N2 line debuts with two new models: the Boden N2 Original and Boden N2 Standard, both sporting an all-new arched body design, which brings the guitar closer to the player “for an even more comfortable and connected experience”.

• READ MORE: EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening review – can an amp simulator this simple actually sound good?

Specs found on both models also include EGS Arc hardware – a full-body contact bridge system which maximises resonance and sustain while simplifying setup and maintenance – and a titanium-reinforced EndurNeck, with dual titanium rods for “unmatched stability, resonance and clarity across every register.

In terms of electronics, the Boden Original N2 is fitted with Strandberg’s POWR:D pickups – developed in partnership with Fishman. These deliver “distinct voicings for ultimate versatility: from fluid modern distortion to classic crunch and shimmering cleans”.

Meanwhile the Boden Standard N2 is loaded with Seymour Duncan Pegasus/Sentient pickups, offering “tight, punchy and balanced tones that adapt seamlessly from heavy riffs to pristine textures”.

Elsewhere, the Boden Original N2 features a chambered swamp ash body with a flame maple veneer – and comes in Black Denim Burst Satin and Sunset Coral Burst Satin – while the Boden Standard N2 sports a solid basswood body, and roasted maple neck and fretboard, and comes in Black Satin Metallic and Transformative Teal Metallic.

“With the N2, we’ve created the most refined Strandberg to date. It’s designed to feel like an effortless extension of the player’s creativity,” says Founder and Creative Lead Ola Strandberg. 

“Every detail, from the arched body and titanium-reinforced neck to the new hardware and pickups, reflects our vision of building instruments that truly inspire musicians.”

Both the Boden Original N2 and Boden Standard N2 are available now in six-, seven- and eight-string versions. For more info, head to Strandberg.

The post Strandberg launches N2 – the “most significant evolution” of its Boden headless guitars yet appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$99/£115, earthquakerdevices.com

Maybe modern life really is just too complicated. Annoyed that your five favourite TV shows are on five different streaming services? Exasperated that there’s an app for everything even if it doesn’t need one? Bemused by the complex control arrays and secondary functions of digital amp simulators? The EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening is here to help… well, with that last one anyway.

• READ MORE: Walrus Audio Mako Series MkII ACS1 review: “this is as good as digital amp and cab simulators get”

Fully analogue and fuss-free, this one-knob wonder is designed to make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy playing the electric guitar – with or without effects pedals – in silence. And considering it’s made in the USA, it’s as cheap as it is straightforward.

EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening – what is it?

Is a pedal even a pedal if it doesn’t have a footswitch? That’s the level of simplicity we’re dealing with here: power it up, plug a guitar in on the right and some headphones on the left, then turn it up to one notch shy of permanent hearing damage – congratulations, you have now explored the full functionality of the Easy Listening.

Tonally it’s based on the legendary Fender Deluxe Reverb, so that should mean plenty of top-end chime and a sweetly scooped midrange. Will it also mean a lovely bit of crunch when you crank it? Nope, because there’s no crank to crank: that single control is for output level, not input gain, and we’re promised lots of headroom to ensure it’ll stay clean and take pedals without getting squishy.

The output is a proper quarter-inch type, and this can also be fed to an audio interface for direct recording. It’s TRS so you could even send it to two channels, though as this is a mono device that’s not exactly a major selling point.

EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening – what does it sound like?

In a sense, the words ‘pure’ and ‘basic’ mean the same thing… but with very different connotations. So yes, the fixed tone of the Easy Listening is pure – it’s clean and bright in classic black-panel Fender style, with a nicely rounded bottom end – but it’s undeniably a little bit basic too.

Maybe a better word is ‘unrefined’: natural compression is a key feature of small amps like the Deluxe Reverb, but here the dynamics are left wide open – which might be why you still get a hint of the dreaded plasticky DI ‘slap’ when you attack a note or chord. This is most noticeable with bridge humbuckers, which can sound alarmingly raw. The good news is, adding dirt pedals definitely helps – and all that headroom does indeed offer a giant playground for them to run around in. Overdrives that prefer some amp gain to work with might feel somewhat exposed here, but it’s a reliably blank canvas for everything else.

As for recording… well, I wouldn’t use it for anything important, but my test tracks ended up sounding quite respectable with a bit of software compression and reverb plus a slight EQ dip around the 2.5kHz mark. A decent result, then, but don’t throw away your favourite digital amp sim just yet – sometimes it’s good to be complicated.

EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening – should I buy it?

Be warned: there’s much more to a good amplifier than EQ filtering, so a simulator as stripped-back as this is never going to get you the whole amp experience. But the Easy Listening is pitched as a handy little practice gadget – albeit one with solid made-in-America pedigree – and that’s exactly what you’re getting.

EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening alternatives

Most modern amp sims are very much digital affairs, but there is a powerful analogue contender in the DSM & Humboldt Simplifier MkII ($359/£349) – and an old-school survivor in the battery-powered Electro-Harmonix Headphone Amp ($52.60), which presumably only exists because they forgot to discontinue it.

The post EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening review – can an amp simulator this simple actually sound good? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Few guitarists have a bond with their instrument quite like Jake Kiszka and his 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG. And that bond was strong from the moment he laid his hands on it.

As the story goes, Kiszka and his now-beloved SG first met during the early days of Greta Van Fleet, when he paid a visit to Chicago Music Exchange, of which the band’s manager knew the owner. As he tells Guitar.com in the latest episode of My Guitars & Me, the owner suggested he try the guitar out, “based on everything I was into at the time”.

• READ MORE: “We knew there was going to be quite a bit of scrutiny”: Jake Kiszka felt “pressure” at what Greta Van Fleet fans would think of his Mirador side project

And the moment he plugged it in, it was a moment of “divine intervention”, he recalls. “It was like lightning split from the sky – it was really unbelievable. It was everything that I had been looking for sonically in a guitar my whole life was right here.”

While it commanded a hefty $25,000 price tag, the owner generously let Kiszka walk away with the guitar and take it on tour with GVF, on the condition that he pay him back when he was able. “It was incredible on him for letting me do that,” Kiszka says.

The ‘61 Les Paul SG has been Kiszka’s go-to guitar ever since, and you don’t need a magnifying glass to tell it’s taken some wear and tear over the years.

“This is what happens when you start wearing rhinestones on suits with no jacket over them. And this is what my nipples have done,” he jokes. “It looks like a cutting board, doesn’t it? It’s a lot lighter than when I got it – I’ve sanded it away!”

The wear and tear is so extreme, Kiszka says, that Gibson would have to invent an “entirely new specification of aging level” to recreate the guitar as a true-to-life signature model.

Through their thousands of hours together, Jake Kiszka has developed a bond with his SG that few guitarists will ever enjoy with their instruments.

“I’ll probably be buried with it!” he jokes. “There’s a piece of me in this guitar, but there’s also a piece of this guitar in me. In reality, a lot of my playing, and the way that I’ve developed playing have actually come from this very specific instrument.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Kiszka shows off the custom Martin 00-28 he had designed specifically for his side project, Mirador.

“I wanted to find something that could be the guitar that would be the Mirador acoustic. I went to Gibson. I went to tonnes of people to do something specifically, with certain types of inlays, obviously. I went to Martin and asked if they could do this and they said, ‘Yes.’”

Kiszka says he was after an aged-looking “renaissance”-style guitar, and one with a slotted headstock. “I’m like, ‘Could you guys build me a pirate guitar.’ This is what they came up with, which is quite brilliant,” he says.

Watch the full episode of My Guitars & Me with Jake Kiszka below.

The post “I’ll probably be buried with it!”: Greta Van Fleet’s Jake Kiszka on his most beloved and battered guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Founding Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has cancelled his upcoming show at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California after suffering a fall in his home studio.

In a statement posted yesterday (25 September) on his social media channels, Frehley’s team offered more detail about the incident.

“Ace had a minor fall in his studio, resulting in a trip to the hospital,” the statement reads. “He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time. As a result, he is forced to cancel his performance at the Antelope Valley Fair on Friday, 26 September.

“Please go to the fair to support his friends in Quiet Riot and Vixen, and Ace looks forward to continuing on his tour and finishing work on his next album, Origins Vol. 4.

• READ MORE: Brian May admits he still finds it hard to play Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody: “I still have to keep my wits about me or I’ll fall off the train”

Despite the statement, the 74-year-old guitarist has yet to release the third installment of his Origins album series, following Origins Vol. 2 in 2020.

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A post shared by Ace Frehley (@acefrehleyofficial)

Earlier this year, Frehley told Eddie Trunk that Vol. 3 was in the process of being recorded with producer Alex Salzman, who also worked on the first two installments.

“We have a formula that we came up with and it seems to work,” he said [via Blabbermouth]. “I was listening to the records last night on YouTube, you know. In my office, on my desk, I have a set of Bose speakers, and the album sounds just as good as the new album, 10,000 Volts [which landed in 2024]. So I’m gonna keep that.”

“I’m gonna go back to my old formula with Alex and maybe I’ll bring back Steve [Brown, Trixter guitarist who also worked on 10,000 Volts] to do the studio album since he’s a very, very good songwriter and guitar player and engineer, as well.”

In other news, Frehley recently detailed how he declined an invitation to appear at the Kiss Kruise: Land-Locked in Vegas event. “They asked me and I declined. There’s no way I’m gonna be involved in that,” he said.

The post Ace Frehley cancels show following fall in his home studio appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

You’d think after half a century of playing one of the most famous songs in rock history, Brian May would have it down cold. But according to the Queen guitarist, Bohemian Rhapsody remains as tricky as ever – so much so that he still has to ‘keep his wits about him’ every time he plays it.

• READ MORE: “I wish I’d heard that song when I was a kid”: Brian May says this modern track is “one of the best rock songs ever”

Speaking to Rolling Stone, May shares how the complexity of Freddie Mercury’s writing made the track both exhilarating and challenging to play.

“The idea for all the instrumental stuff in Rhapsody was growing while I was listening to him developing the song,” he says. “Freddie had some amazingly lateral thought processes.  It was always easier for me to play on his songs than mine, ’cause there was so much stimulation coming.”

That said, the six-minute track is no walk in the park, even for its original guitarist.

“Bohemian Rhapsody is never that easy to play, even after all these years,” May admits. “I still have to keep my wits about me or I’ll fall off the train.”

And while the song continues to test him, the grind of constant touring is another challenge altogether. Though fans may be clamouring for yet another Queen tour, May, now 78, admits that life on the road no longer holds the same appeal.

“ I’ve had 50 years of touring and there’s a part of me that thinks it’s enough,” he says. “I don’t like the idea that you wake up in your hotel room and you’re trapped. I had a few experiences recently where stuff happened at home with my family and I could not go home. It got under my skin and I just thought, ‘I’m not sure if I want this anymore.’ I feel like I’ve given up my freedom too many times. So my feeling at the moment is I don’t want to tour as such. I still want to play shows. I still want to innovate.”

That innovation may soon find a new home in Las Vegas. May has his sights set on a Queen residency at the Sphere, the high-tech venue with 360-degree visuals that left him stunned after watching the Eagles perform there.

“ I’m very keen on the Sphere,” says the guitarist. “It’s got my mind working. I sat there watching the Eagles, thinking, ‘We should do this. The stuff that we could bring to this would be stupendous.’ So, yeah, I would like to do it. We’re having conversations.”

The post Brian May admits he still finds it hard to play Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody: “I still have to keep my wits about me or I’ll fall off the train” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Few guitar solos are as universally revered as the climactic second solo in Comfortably Numb. It’s the soaring, heart-wrenching finale to one of Pink Floyd’s most enduring songs, and the kind of performance many guitarists have spent decades trying to replicate. Yet the man who wrote it – prog wizard David Gilmour – admits he’s never actually learned it when it comes to playing live.

• READ MORE: David Gilmour is open to a Pink Floyd avatar show at the Las Vegas Sphere: “I’m hoping to go there and watch myself… So I don’t actually have to get up and do it”

Speaking with Rick Beato in a recent interview, the Floyd guitarist explains that the solo, while immortalised on The Wall, has never been something he felt the need to reproduce exactly.

“I’m not thinking about the audience and what they want, to be honest,” he explains. “I just like it starting the way it starts, and the rest of it is so ingrained in me that the various parts of it are going to find their way into what I’m doing.”

“But I’ve never learned it. Yeah, I’ve never learned that guitar solo.”

For Gilmour, the live experience is about feeling the moment rather than sticking to a routine formula: “I mean, there are a lot of guys who can play that. But I don’t play it,” he laughs.

“To me it’s just different every time. Why would I want to do it the same? Would it be more popular with the people listening if I did it exactly like the record? Or do they prefer that I just wander off into whatever feels like the right thing at the time? I don’t know. I suspect they prefer it to be real, and to be happening, you know?”

Still, his improvisational spirit doesn’t mean he’s completely unmoored from the studio version.

“There are cues within it, which I use to tell the band, ‘We’re going to end,’ or, ‘We’re going to do this,’” says Gilmour. “And so, they crop up as being the same every time, pretty much.”

The post “Why would I want to do it the same?”: Why David Gilmour “never learned” this classic Pink Floyd guitar solo appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$1049.99/£949, fender.com

When Fender launched the Player II series last year, it felt like a significant leap forward in the quality and especially playability of the brand’s most affordable Mexico-made instruments.

• READ MORE: PRS SE NF 53 review: “it might look like PRS’s Telecaster, but this is its own guitar”

Fender’s Ensenada factory guitars have also proved to be great modding platforms for pros and weekend warriors alike for decades now, and so it is that less than a year later, the Player II Modified range has sought to do the hard work for you.

Whether it’s Noiseless pickup-loaded Strats or Floyd Rose HSS offerings, the results have been pretty impressive so far – but can they say the same for Leo Fender’s original brilliant electric guitar design? Let’s find out…

Fender Player II Modified Telecaster – what is it?

The original Player II Telecaster was a very impressive guitar as it is. And many of the original’s best features are kept for the Modified version – that means an alder body and maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and yes those ‘board edges are nicely rolled just like the original. That neck is the same 9.5-inch radius’d C-shape as the Player II too.

Another holdover on this test example is a three-colour sunburst finish, but unlike the vanilla Player II it’s accented rather nicely with a four-ply white pearloid pickguard to make it stand out from the rabble.

Under the hood, there’s a lot more going on, however. Most notably, you get a pair of Fender’s Player II Noiseless Tele units – which should come in handy for noisy environments – and more advanced wiring nestling in that body cavity.

In practice that means you get the ability to switch between series and parallel wiring, and there’s also a treble bleed circuit on the volume control to keep things clear and focused as you roll off.

You also get a set of Fender’s locking tuners to make string changes a doddle, while a soft-shell gigbag is included in the price here too – something that was notably absent from the basic Player II range.

Fender Player II Modified Telecaster – feel and sounds

One of the chief concerns one might have when buying a conventional Telecaster, or any guitar with only single coils – at least if you are slightly more hard rock-inclined – is that the absence of a humbucker might prove inhibitive.

But thanks to the Player II Modified Telecaster’s push-pull tone pot-activated series mode – which utilises both the neck and bridge pickup at once in series – a sound is included in your palette which very effectively fills that humbucker void.

I’d class myself as a ‘recently country-curious’ player who primarily comes from a hard rock and metal background. With this in mind it’s a very pleasant surprise when I almost automatically dial in a high-gain tone and jam some quickfire palm-muted chugs in series mode.

Look, if you’re looking to venture into extreme metal territory you’re not going to find your perfect match here, but Player II Modified Tele definitely holds its own with heavier sounds with both pickups engaged – no doubt in part due to the Noiseless nature of the design. There’s a reason why Idles were involved in the marketing campaign for these instruments.

Fun side note, though: there’s a space between the series-on and series-off settings on the push-pull tone knob where signal is cut entirely, so the more creative among you might be able to use it as a makeshift killswitch and channel your inner Tom Morello.

Moving into the sort of tones that you’d probably expect this guitar to handle, here the pickups show their versatility and their quality – with the Noiseless factor adding real punch and clarity to blues, country and rock licks.

The bridge pickup boasts that classic Tele twang, while the neck pickup has a gloriously warm tone, while retaining a level of articulation by which the guitar just begs to be played for hours.

The treble bleed circuit is another really useful extra tool to have in your arsenal when you’re indulging in grittier tones. The ability to roll off the volume and clean things up without losing clarity adds another string to this versatile instrument’s bow.

If there’s one slight bugbear I have with the guitar straight out of the box, it’s that the action is a little high to really get the most out of the playability. It’s a relatively easy fix that any half-decent tech can handle if you’re not confident with doing it yourself of course, but it’s still suboptimal.

Otherwise, the general fit and finish of everything is truly top class – there are zero noticeable visual hiccups or sloppiness. The neck itself is effortlessly smooth, with those rolled edges really enhancing things again, and it really does feel every bit the road-ready pro instrument.

Fender Player II Modified Telecaster – should I buy one?

Fender has expended a fair bit of energy catering to their ‘pro’ market in the shape of the American Ultra II and Ultra Luxe guitars, but those instruments are also priced at a level that many ordinary working musicians can’t really consider.

So for that reason alone, it’s great then that the Player II Modified exists. The standard Player II Telecaster will be plenty of instrument for many players, but if your needs are a little more unconventional and you venture into the heavier spectrum of sounds, this Modified version will be right up your street.

Fender Player II Modified Telecaster – alternatives

You could, of course, go for a non-modified, standard Player II Telecaster (from $839.99/£709) if you’re not overly fussed about the series mode, treble bleed circuit or locking tuners. The previous iteration of the Modified concept was the Player Plus range, and you can still find them kicking around with a healthy discount – they’ll also give you Noiseless pickups and those lovely rolled fingerboard edges.

The post Fender Player II Modified Telecaster – “this guitar just begs to be played for hours” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Hot on the heels of the recent announcement that the marketplace was reducing its fees for sellers – down 3% to just 5% now – and adding a slew of smarter selling features, Reverb is continuing its innovative streak with a new Wallet experience.

Principally, sellers can now get even more value for their music gear by keeping their earnings from sales in their Reverb Wallet, and consequently take advantage of a 1% cashback bonus, faster earnings and future access to “exclusive perks that can help them fund their new sound faster”.

• READ MORE: Boss brings the Whammy into the 21st century with the all-new XS-100

So, essentially at its core, Reverb Wallet offers sellers an alternative to cash for their gear sales, and the option to boost their earnings if keeping them within the Reverb ecosystem – certainly good news for sellers looking to shift gear to make space for more in their collection.

“One of the most important parts of music making is trying out new sounds,” says Reverb’s Chief Technology Officer, Jason Wain.

“Whether you’re upgrading from an Epiphone Les Paul to a Gibson, or starting a new project that needs the dreamy tone of a Roland Juno rather than the gritty sound of the Moog Grandmother, we want to make that journey as easy as possible.

“With Reverb Wallet, players get access to more gear when they turn their old guitars, synths, pedals, and other instruments into higher earnings that help them refresh their rig.”

Reverb says its new Wallet feature is backed by a “trusted and regulated payments platform”, and will see users granted access to “exclusive perks over the coming months”.

In terms of how Reverb Wallet works in practice, sellers can opt in by visiting “Shop Settings”, and selecting “Reverb Wallet” in the payment settings section on the “Policies” page.

The slew of new features in quick succession follows Reverb’s recent return to independence for the first time since 2019 after being sold by marketplace giant Etsy.

The sale was made possible by two investors: Creator Partners, also an investor in BMI, SoundCloud, Color Studios and Mogul; and Servco, which owns a majority stake in Fender.

Learn more about Reverb Wallet at Reverb.

The post Selling your gear to make room for more? Reverb Wallet grants exclusive perks to sellers keeping their earnings on Reverb appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

President Donald Trump enacted hefty tariffs on the import of goods into the United States from countries around the world earlier this year, and they’re continuing to have a heavy impact on guitar manufacturers, including Fender.

Instrument and gear brands have been continually speaking out about the impact of these high tariffs on the guitar trade. Fender’s Executive Vice President Of Product, Justin Norvell, even travelled to Washington earlier this year in an attempt to mitigate the “devastating” impact of the global tariffs alongside industry figures including NAMM’s John Mlynczak and Gibson’s Erin Salmon.

• READ MORE: Are your favourite guitar strings about to get more expensive? D’Addario expects to incur more than $2 million in tariffs this year as a result of US trade policy

According to a new report from financial information and analytics expert S&P Global [via Guitar World], Fender increased prices throughout the first half of the year to offset higher costs from tariffs, “especially from China, which makes up 40 percent of purchases (half of which enter the US).”

The report further claims that the Big F implemented a five percent price increase in July across its entire portfolio to tough out the financial challenges of the enacted tariffs, but also, it acknowledges the impact of a weaker economy on the business, and explains how sell-in habits – the sales from manufacturers and dealers – affect the brand.

The report states, “Sell-in has exceeded our expectations for retail partners like Guitar Center, SweetWater, and Amazon, as higher-income consumers continue to value the Fender brand.”

Despite this, it also notes: “Nonetheless, volumes continue to decline due to lower consumer discretionary spending, which we expect will continue throughout the remainder of the year. For example, smaller locally owned US dealers continue to tightly manage inventory amid a weaker macroeconomic environment as consumers trade down to the second-hand market or defer discretionary spending.”

S&P Global also claims that Fender is having some success in regards to its entry-level trade; it believes that Fender is “gaining market share” in low-end guitars due to competitor brands allegedly reducing “imports of low-end guitars from China due to tariff headwinds.”

In summary, S&P states: “In 2026, we expect improving volume trends from new innovations, though we continue to expect subdued consumer sentiment resulting in minimal revenue growth. We expect dealers will remain cautious on increasing inventory levels because of a weak macroeconomic backdrop with lower discretionary spending on big-ticket items like guitars.”

It continues, “We expect management will continue to exercise prudent cost management and limit marketing spending and compensation costs to offset its lower gross profit given a weaker macroeconomic environment.”

View the full product lineup from Fender, or find out more on how Fender and other guitar brands joined forces to try and mitigate the impact of high tariffs.

The post “Fender increased prices to offset higher costs from tariffs”: Report reveals how Fender is tackling tariffs and a “weaker macroeconomic environment” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

[Editor’s note: Heritage Guitars and Guitar.com are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.]

Heritage Guitars has unveiled its Standard II Collection, described as a refinement of its original Standard Series, and it’s kicking things off with the newly updated H-150.

The launch continues Heritage’s 40th anniversary celebrations, with 2025 continuing to be a “landmark year” for the brand. So far, Heritage has also notably debuted the Custom Shop H-717 archtop and the Ascent Collection: a line of accessible instruments designed to bring Heritage’s craftsmanship to a wider audience.

• READ MORE: Heritage Ascent+ H-535 review: “this could easily become your new main guitar”

Marking the first model in the Standard II collection, the refreshed H-150 introduces several key enhancements in construction, tone, and versatility. It offers an updated headstock with a new veneer featuring the ‘Heritage’ logo, and its body is crafted from genuine mahogany with weight relief, offering greater comfort without compromising on tone.

It has a ’60s neck profile, which is slim for ample grip with a vintage-inspired feel, and it also comes in brand-new finishes including Wine Red, Bourbon Burst, and Chestnut Burst, alongside existing favourites Dirty Lemon Burst and Ebony.

Further diving into tone and electronics, the Standard II H-150 is fitted with new Heritage Custom Shop 225 Standard Humbuckers – designed and wound in-house, and offering a “broad and expressive” tonal range. Built with 42 AWG plain enamel wire (neck) or 43 AWG poly wire (bridge) on Butyrate unpotted bobbins, and 2.5” roughcast Alnico 5 magnets, they feature potted covers to minimise unwanted feedback at higher volumes.

The model is also equipped with series/parallel switching via push/pull tone pots for tonal flexibility, capturing the brightness and clarity of a “single-coil” voice without the volume loss of traditional coil-splitting.

Speaking of the new series, Heritage Guitars adds: “With the Standard II Collection, Heritage Guitars reaffirms its commitment to continual improvement and refining every detail to deliver meaningful upgrades for today’s players, while staying true to its American-made legacy.”

The Standard II H-150 is priced at $2,599. To find out more or view full specifications, head over to Heritage Guitars.

The post Heritage Guitars’ Standard II Collection adds “meaningful refinements” to its original Standard Series appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Back in March 2025, Gibson triumphed for a second time in its legal battle against Dean, with the latter having been found to have infringed on Gibson’s trademarks for the Flying V, Explorer and SG. However, that victory was tempered somewhat by the jury’s recommendation that Gibson be awarded just $1 in damages.

Now however, the judge in the case has increased this award, ruling that Dean’s parent company Armadillo Distribution Enterprises Inc, will have to pay Gibson just over $168,000 for the infringement, which is to be taken in disgorgement of profits earned through infringement.

In legal speak, disgorgement refers to the relinquishing or forfeiture of unlawfully obtained profits toward either the state, or in this case, to the party harmed, Gibson.

The original figure was so low because the jury felt that Gibson had waited too long to protect its trademark rights – Dean had been making guitars using the Flying V and Explorer body shapes since the 1970s, but Gibson didn’t take action against them for decades.

Now however, US District Judge Amos L Mazzant – who presided over the case – has decided that the jury’s recommendation is insufficient given the profits made by Armadillo over the period from use of the infringing shapes, and increased the damages to $168,399

Mazzant had the option to treble the damages or award Gibson statutory damages, but he declined to do so as he felt that any further financial punishment for Dean would be “punitive”.

“By requiring Armadillo to disgorge the profits it earned through infringement, the Court places Gibson in roughly the same position as it would have been had the infringement never occurred,” Judge Mazzant wrote in his latest opinion handed down on Monday (22 September).

“Here, statutory damages are unwarranted,” Judge Mazzant said in the ruling handed down on Monday. “The court already determined that disgorgement and injunctive relief are the proper remedy based on the equities of this case and any additional monetary award would be punitive.”

“Also, awarding statutory damages would be duplicative of the disgorgement award.”

The case wasn’t a total loss for Dean/Armadillo, however. While the brand was found to have infringed on the body shape trademarks for the Flying V, Explorer and SG – as well as the ‘Hummingbird’ and ‘Flying V’ wordmarks – but was found to have not infringed on either the ‘Dove Wing’ headstock shape or the ES body shape. In fact the jury even recommended that the ES trademark should be cancelled as it is generic.

In his latest opinion Judge Mazzant declines to elaborate further on this, though it could end up being a hugely impactful part of the case. He also neither accepted or denied Gibson’s request for Armadillo to cover the brand’s legal fees – both of these will be addressed in the final judgement on the case.

However, the injunction handed down now permanently bars Armadillo and Dean from making, advertising or selling products which infringe Gibson’s trademarks. Counsel for both Gibson and Armadillo have not commented on the matter at this time.

Brief history of Gibson vs. Dean

The legal battle between Gibson and Dean goes back to 2019, when Gibson accused Dean’s parent company Armadillo of trademark infringement, trademark counterfeiting, unfair competition and trademark dilution.

Armadillo subsequently launched counterclaims, saying a number of other guitar companies have been selling products with strong visual similarities to Gibson’s designs for decades. It argued, therefore, that Gibson’s trademarks should be cancelled for genericness.

But in 2022, Dean and Armadillo were found guilty of trademark infringement and counterfeiting pertaining to Gibson’s Flying V, Explorer, SG and Hummingbird shapes. At the same time, the jury found that Gibson had delayed in asserting its trademark rights for the Flying V and Explorer body shapes, and the Dove Wing headstock shape.

The case then went to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which in July 2024 ordered a new trial after finding that the district court had improperly excluded evidence.

However, after a second seven-day trial in March, Gibson once again triumphed – albeit in a more limited fashion than the first case. The jury found Dean had infringed on the Flying V, Explorer and SG – as well as the ‘Hummingbird’ and ‘Flying V’ wordmarks – but was found to have not infringed on either the ‘Dove Wing’ headstock shape or the ES body shape, and recommended the cancellation of the latter.

Guitar.com has reached out to both Gibson and Dean/Armadillo for comment on the latest ruling.

The post Judge orders Gibson’s damages in Dean legal case upped from $1 to $168,000 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

There are certain instruments which hold an unassailable place in music history. And Noel Gallagher’s 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355 is one of them.

While Oasis are back now stronger than ever – and in the midst of a world tour, one of the most highly anticipated in history – the Gallagher brothers have had to fight through their share of differences to get to this point.

• READ MORE: Boss brings the Whammy into the 21st century with the all-new XS-100

It was inevitable that the band’s breakup in 2009 would be climactic, and ultimately saw a fight break out between Liam and Noel backstage at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. The bust-up was not without collateral, either, as Liam grabbed Noel’s ES-355 and swung it “like an axe”, causing the damage which can be seen on the instrument today.

This guitar played a big part in the story of Oasis’s contentious breakup, so now that it’s headed to the auction block, it’s understandable experts are predicting such a high sell price: £250,000 – £500,000, to be precise.

According to PropstoreAuction – the auction house hosting the sale – Liam chose this guitar to swing around because he knew it was one of Noel’s favourites. “So then he leaves and goes to his own dressing room and picks up a guitar,” Noel explained in 2011. “He comes back in and he starts throwing it around like an axe.”

Noel later announced he was leaving Oasis, saying he could no longer work with Liam, and the band subsequently split.

Aside from its big part in Oasis’s 2009 breakup, the ES-355 was used by Noel and Gem Archer during Oasis’s Dig Out Your Soul tour in 2008, as well as extensively in the studio. Archer also played the guitar during the band’s performance of Don’t Look Back in Anger at Wembley Arena in 2008, and Noel played it during an acoustic performance at Koko Club in Camden on 2 November, 2006.

Online bidding for the guitar is open now, with a minimum starting bid required of £125,000. The auction will end on Thursday, 23 October.

Noel Gallagher’s 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355 is just one item in PropstoreAuction’s mega Music Memorabilia Live Auction. Other items headed to the auction block include: 

• Noel Gallagher’s Takamine FP460SC acoustic used to record Wonderwall (Est. £200,000 – £400,000
• Lyrics handwritten by Jimi Hendrix for Straight Ahead (Est. £40,000 – £80,000)
• Slash’s 2019 Gibson Les Paul Appetite Burst “Prototype 2 of 2” (Est. £20,000 – £40,000)
• Trevor Horn’s Sarm West Studio 2 Solid State Logic SL 4048E+G Series Mixing Desk (Est. £100,000 – £200,000)
• Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal music video white fedora (Est. £40,000 – £80,000)
• Elvis Presley’s original pair of worn Grand Prix sunglasses (Est. £8,000 – £16,000)

“Propstore’s auction is a celebration of music history, with guitars that shaped the sound of a generation, handwritten lyrics that capture the first spark of legendary songs, and personal items that offer a glimpse into the lives of the world’s greatest music artists,” says Mark Hochman, Propstore’s Music Specialist.

“From John Lennon’s unmistakable glasses to Noel Gallagher’s iconic guitars, these are not just collectables; they’re cultural touchstones that have inspired millions. The Oasis online auction is a particular highlight, perfectly timed with the band’s return to the stage, and offering fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a tangible piece of their enduring story.”

Learn more at PropstoreAuction.

The post Noel Gallagher’s 1960 Gibson ES-355, which Liam Gallagher destroyed right before Oasis’s breakup, is headed to auction – and could fetch up to £500k appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram burst onto the blues scene a decade ago as a teenage electric prodigy. Now the erstwhile son of Clarksdale, Mississippi is back with Hard Road – a new album of modern blues released on his new label Red Zero Records and an upcoming world tour to support it.

• READ MORE: “I think it’s important that I don’t restrict myself”: Flawed Mangoes is defying genre expectations and moving beyond ‘hopecore’

Anyone who has had the pleasure of hearing Ingram’s calling down the thunder with his soulful vocals interspersed with searing lead lines – from his signature Fender Telecaster Deluxe no less – will be expecting great things and this album does not disappoint with some stand out guitar moments. More about Hard Road later, but we really wanted to find out more about the records that have inspired Kingfish to become the 2025 blues colossus that he is. So here are his top five – well six actually – influential albums in the man’s own words.

I’ll Play The blues For You – Albert King

“The title track is the first song that I learned how to play – on bass! This album has to be first on the list. The whole record is great but my favourite song has to be Answer To The Laundromat Blues. He’s really digging in. I don’t know if this is a weird statement but I really like blues players that play with a lot of authority – not necessarily fast – they really dig in. Albert King is one of my biggest influences and he does that – especially on this record.”

Showdown – Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland

“This is a classic amongst blues historians. Well, for me it’s a classic. It was a collaborative thing between Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland. The first track – T-Bone Shuffle – Johnny Copeland plays one of my favourite solos on that song. I love his opening licks on that solo. I play those licks in my solos and I got them from this record!”

Live At The Regal – BB King

“Man, you can’t mess with this. Yes sir, that’s classic blues – in fact you can’t say classic blues without Live At The Regal. What can I say about the guitar work on this album? Listen to the whole thing! That’s all I can say! I love that sound – When I first started I played a Gibson 355 – that sort of guitar has certainly been part of my journey and sound.”

Are You Experienced? – Jimi Hendrix

“Jimi Hendrix was a big influence on me. Well, look, outside of classic blues – I love a lot of music, I’m looking at my computer right now and there is so much to choose from – this ain’t easy! But this record… I love the whole thing but there is this one song in particular that is special to me – May This Be Love. This song showcases Jimi’s R&B chordal influences and that’s why I love it. It’s beautiful. He was a master of rhythm guitar.”

A Real Mother For Ya – Johnny Guitar Watson

“Yes sir, Johnny Guitar Watson is definitely an influence when it comes to my phrasing, funk playing, he was a great blues player too – just so inspiring. This is just a great record – listen to the title track. So much feel, and humour too. But I need one more, can I have one more?”

Of course!

Superfly – Curtis Mayfield

“Curtis Mayfield has to be here. Superfly 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. Not only that but his black piano key tuning and his whole approach opening up the guitar to his melody and rhythm work. This record belongs here for sure. The title track says it all.”

“I don’t consider myself a blues purist. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with “purists” of the genre. And that’s simply because I jump back and forth – one day I’ll play traditional blues, the next I’m all rocked up and rocking out. But here’s the thing, I will play whatever the hell I want to play, how I want to play it. And not only that, I feel that it’s cool to showcase the influence of the blues as much as the language itself.

“We all know that the blues is the roots – all these other sub-genres like soul, blues rock, rock n roll, they’re all the branches. Ain’t nothing wrong with showing what the blues has influenced. I feel like the more I go out the box musically people will always be able to hear the foundation of the blues in my music because I will always have that no matter what I do. Even if I’m doing a pop record it’s going to have some blues in there somewhere because that’s where I come from.”

You recently set up your own record label – that is an interesting step forward!

“That’s right – Red Zero Records. This was an idea that my manager and I formulated back in 2019. We wanted to create an avenue for a lot of the young blues-based musicians that we felt weren’t getting the recognition they deserved. I’m not the only one that’s out. Here doing it you know – there’s a host of young talent out here and I wanted to help. You have to give back – someone gave me an opportunity and now I’m at a point in my career where I can pass that forward.”

Did you feel a new level of creative freedom?

“Definitely! I feel like everyone knows me for the blues and blues-rock but you listen to this new record and you will hear R&B on there, you’ll hear soul, I really wanted to make a record that would showcase my voice and my vocal range too – and then all the other stuff comes in. Tom Hambridge, Patrick “Guitarboy” Hayes, and Nick Goldston did a great job with the production too – those guys know what they’re doing – I love how this record sounds.”

Hard Road is out 25 September on Red Zero Records

The post Christone “Kingfish” Ingram picks his six most influential blues guitar albums of all time appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Boss has unveiled its 21st-century answer to the Whammy pedal with the all-new XS-100, as well as a smaller unit adopting the brand’s compact pedal format, the XS-1.

Boasting a huge eight-octave range – and, of course, an onboard pedal for linear control of the four octaves above and below the centre line – Boss is confident the XS-100 is a “powerhouse expression machine that will transform how guitarists and bassists perform with pitch”.

• READ MORE: Boss PX-1 Plugout FX review – “This is a pedal that could find a home in a lot of rigs”

Meanwhile, the XS-1 takes the XS-100’s core features and distills them into the treasured Boss compact pedal format, offering instant drop tunings, capo simulations, octave effects, and even linear pitch control, if pairing with an external expression pedal.

Linear pitch shifting has long been an effect much loved by guitarists. But with the development of the XS series, Boss says it has pioneered new methods to “advance real-time pitch shifting and eliminate the tonal artefacts common in conventional designs”.

“Powered by finely tuned algorithms and a specially selected DSP platform, the XS series provides balanced polyphonic performance that feels natural and musical across all playing styles, pickup positions, and pedal setups,” Boss says. 

“The attack and tonal character are fully preserved, and even complex chords and sustained lead tones – typically a challenge for pitch shifters – are reproduced with stunning clarity.

Let’s take a closer look at what both the XS-100 and XS-1 have to offer.

XS-100 Poly Shifter

In addition to four octaves both above and below, controllable via an onboard expression pedal, the XS-100 also enables motor revving-style tones via independent pitch-change speeds for each pedal direction.

There’s also an integrated toe switch, whereby at the end of the pedal’s travel, players can experiment with momentary pitch jumps with adjustable range and rise/fall time. Additionally, there are two footswitches which can be used to bypass the pedal shift and quickly retune an instrument at fixed semitone steps across the eight octaves.

The pedal’s range is also customisable, meaning musicians can create different presets for specific songs and bank them to 30 onboard memory slots.

And if one pedal wasn’t enough, the XS-100 supports up to two external footswitches or an expression pedal, further expanding real-time control options. There’s also MIDI I/O functionality for more advanced applications, like sending MIDI commands using the pedal and footswitches.

XS-1 Poly Shifter

Meanwhile, the XS-1 doesn’t have an onboard expression pedal – though an external one can be integrated – and is thus packed into Boss’s smaller compact blueprint for a more pedalboard-friendly footprint.

Offering a range of seven semitones and three octaves up or down, the XS-1 can be used for a variety of applications, including drop tunings, key changes, or capo simulation, to name a few.

Its easy-to-grasp interface features a dedicated Balance knob for adjusting the mix between wet and dry signal, while there’s also a Detune mode for experimenting with doubling effects.

The XS-1’s pedal switch can be assigned to on/off for momentary operation, while up to two external footswitches can be connected for quick access to alternate tuning modes with your preferred Balance settings. An external expression pedal can also be used to turn the XS-1’s operation more into that of the XS-100.

Pricing and availability

Both the XS-100 and XS-1 will be available in October 2025, priced at $349.99 and $199.99, respectively.

For more information, head to Boss.

The post Boss brings the Whammy into the 21st century with the all-new XS-100 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Sick of endless knob-fiddling to get that perfect tone? Positive Grid’s latest AI-powered guitar tone platform BIAS X is here to change that. Available for Mac and PC, BIAS X combines cutting-edge AI with a next-generation tone engine, taking musicians from a spark of an idea to a mix-ready sound in just moments.

From subtle dynamics and soaring leads to punchy modern metal and dreamy ambient swells, BIAS X delivers tones with an authenticity that mirrors real tubes, speakers, and circuits. Whether used as a standalone tone lab or as a DAW plugin, BIAS X is designed to help players spend more time making music and less time fiddling with settings.

• READ MORE: “AI should be putting mufflers on cars, not doing art for us”: Wolfgang Van Halen slams AI use in music

What really sets BIAS X apart is its use of agentic AI, which is said to “understand tone like a musician”. Players can describe the sound they want – via text prompts referencing a favourite artist, song, genre, or even an abstract feeling – and the software generates a matching tone almost instantly. Musicians can also upload audio clips to recreate tones or request iterative refinements such as “more bite,” “less fuzz,” or “add crunch”. This dramatically streamlines the creative workflow, which is clearly one of BIAS X’s primary goals.

The platform itself comes equipped with 33 amps, 62 effects, and an all-new cab simulation. All of which have been crafted with an advanced tone engine that combines decades of Positive Grid’s amp and effects modelling expertise with machine learning and circuit-level simulation.

Over 200 classic amps were analysed during development to capture their tonal character, while adaptive circuit modelling and harmonic fingerprinting ensure that every note responds dynamically to a guitarist’s pick, volume, and playing style.

BIAS X also features an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface – reminiscent of Positive Grid’s popular BIAS FX 2 amp and effects suite – that encourages fast experimentation without breaking creative flow. Musicians can easily mix and match amps, cabinets, and effects to build custom rigs, while the revamped preset manager and gear browser make it simple to recall, compare, or swap gear on the fly.

As with all AI learning models, BIAS X evolves with the user, which means it will, in theory, adapt to your preferred style and preferences the more you play.

BIAS X is available for $149. Check out the software in action below.

Learn more at Positive Grid.

The post Say goodbye to hours of painful tone tweaking: Positive Grid’s new BIAS X platform uses AI to deliver the perfect guitar tone instantly appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Jake Kiszka says he was prepared to face some scrutiny when releasing music for his new project, Mirador, from the fans who came to know him in Greta Van Fleet.

Launching Mirador has allowed Kiszka to make music without his brothers and GVF bandmates – Josh and Sam Kiszka – for the first time. He’s teamed up with Ida Mae’s Chris Turpin for the project, and the pair released their self-titled debut album earlier this month.

• READ MORE: “It’s quite a nice change to occasionally not be in a band with my brothers”: Greta Van Fleet’s Jake Kiszka on why he’s embarking on side project band Mirador

Opening up on the formation of Mirador, Kiskza tells SPIN, “There was some pressure around that, especially to begin with. We knew that if this was going to be a thing, there was going to be quite a bit of scrutiny around it from Ida Mae fans and Greta Van Fleet fans and everybody.

“In one way or another, there’s a skepticism about it. We really have to show up. We really have to deliver. In one way, as a promise to ourselves. But in another way, it was trying to do our best to represent this idea. It was trying to show people not only Mirador as a band, but that it exists because of this relationship and friendship and brotherhood. That’s part of the story. The reason we did this to begin with was because the philosophy, what Mirador means, transcends the music,” he states.

Further speaking on the differences in communication between the Greta Van Fleet camp and his work with Turpin, Kiszka adds: “The creative input is coming from four different sides of the table [in GVF]. There’s a stark contrast because there’s so many ideas. You’re really chasing a moving target, and that’s exciting, and it’s exhilarating, and it holds its place within the chemistry of Greta Van Fleet. But I’d never really worked with another person outside of my brothers.”

He continues, “That creative kinship is a rare thing. I have written or worked with other people where we’re seeing eye-to-eye to a certain degree, but not completing the other one’s sentences. It really started with a guitar, the phrasing. It was evident we were coming from the same place, that we spoke the same language, that our musicality and that vernacular was going to be shared and intertwined, because it was that way with the guitars.

“There was no question that if we could play together like that, with that kind of chemistry, we were of one mind. It was two people locked into one thing. I never had that before…. An interesting contrast to what I’ve been used to.”

The debut album from Mirador is out now, and you can also catch them on tour  from September-November this year.

The post “We knew there was going to be quite a bit of scrutiny”: Jake Kiszka felt “pressure” at what Greta Van Fleet fans would think of his Mirador side project appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.