Guitar.com

From £1,800 (£2,200 as reviewed), madocguitars.com

All the way back in 2012, I reviewed the Fender FSR Thinline Jaguar for this very publication. It was gorgeous, and left me asking myself why there weren’t more offset-type guitars with semi-acoustic bodies.

• READ MORE: Eastman Fullertone Offset ’62 review – “it has a unique sonic voice and retro feel all of its own”

Now I’m reviewing the Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow, it’s even more gorgeous, and I’m no longer asking myself that question – I’m yelling it at the sky like a maniac demanding answers from God.

Strictly speaking, this isn’t even an offset – the waist of the body is more or less symmetrical, rather than being swept forward on the top side like a Jaguar or Jazzmaster – but it is a two-pickup guitar with Fender-style construction and a Mastery vibrato, so that’ll do for me.

What really matters, semantics aside, is the ‘even more gorgeous’ bit – because that’s pretty good going for a new UK maker that most people have probably never heard of.

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – what is it?

Come with me to the beautiful English county of Worcestershire, famed for its gently rolling hills and unpronounceable (if you’re American) sauce. This is where Luke Roberts builds his guitars under the Madoc name.

The Wyre is his only model for now, but it’s all about custom orders and the spec options are wide open – starting at an undeniably reasonable £1,500 for a one-pickup solidbody with a hardtail bridge.

Not everyone is going to love the distinctive body shape, which has a hint of “Look what the shark did to my surfboard”, but I find it strangely appealing… aided by the fact that my review instrument is finished in the king of all guitar colours: burgundy mist.

That’s just the ash top, though – the sides and back of the chambered mahogany body have been left with a natural oiled finish, along with the roasted maple neck. Completing the main specs in timber terms is an unbound ebony fretboard with a 25.5-inch scale and 12-inch radius.

But it’s in the hardware that this premium-specced sample really stands out – the Mastery tailpiece/bridge combo is a mighty expensive indulgence, adding £400 to the price. Still, it is a proven game changer in terms of tuning stability and reliability.

And that just leaves the pickups, which have the unmistakable look of Filter’Tron types. These are made by Manchester-based Green Pickups – another fairly new name but already one with a certain amount of pedigree, as the Tele pups fitted to the Ancoats Granada I reviewed last year were excellent. These humbuckers promise “definition, dynamics, and that classic Gretsch sparkle” – and who doesn’t want that?

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – build and playability

One spec detail I didn’t mention above is the compound neck profile: the Madoc site says it morphs from a modern V at the 1st fret to a modern C at the 12th. The effect is subtle, but what you’re getting is a moderately rounded neck that feels slimmer on the upper frets even though it isn’t.

That might be one reason why this guitar is so luxuriously playable; the other is its impeccably high standard of fret work and general build quality.

There are a couple of cosmetic details that could be considered imperfections – a visible join in the binding just above the bridge pickup, and a headstock decal that looks greyly opaque when it catches the light – but you might just as easily call those evidence of authentic artisan construction.

The important thing is that it’s a pleasure to hold and even more of a pleasure to play. Now all it needs to do is sound good.

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – sounds

There are two build factors pulling this guitar in opposite tonal directions: on the one hand, you’ve got the inefficient bridge design that gives offsets their fast, twinkly response; and on the other, you’ve got a semi-hollow body slowing everything down and adding airy warmth.

I’m pretty sure that combination was the secret of the Thinline Jaguar, and here the longer scale length and beefier pickups just make the tone even fuller and smoother.

Mind you, ‘smooth’ is hardly the word for the bridge pickup through a clean amp. I’ve got a Godin hollowbody with TV Jones Filter’Trons and the Wyre actually out-twangs it – the tone is unashamedly bright, with oodles of surfy character.

The neck pickup, in contrast, is pure jazz – albeit still with more treble than most humbuckers in this position – while the middle setting does a sterling job of combining the best of both, and sweetens the whole thing up with some classic phasey chime. The responsiveness to playing dynamics, with either pickup or both, is sublime.

The tone control doesn’t do much until it’s down to at least halfway – which is about as close to a disappointment as I can find in this guitar – but not to worry, because knocking back the volume a notch or two instead is extremely effective at softening down the edges when required.

That’s unlikely to be on your mind once you stomp on the nearest overdrive pedal, though: with high gain, that trebly response translates to a nicely articulate attack for expressive lead work… which is made all the more appealing by the speedy smoothness of the neck.

And of course, a chambered body with humbuckers plus a supremely well-behaved whammy bar is the perfect recipe for controlled feedback. Wannabe alt-rock guitar heroes will be in heaven with this thing – and yes, that is coming from a wannabe alt-rock guitar hero.

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – should I buy it?

For readers in the UK at least, it’s hard to think of many reasons not to buy a Wyre Semi Hollow – because even if there’s something about the specifications of this one that you don’t like, all you have to do is change it.

Personally I’d love to try a guitar exactly like this – including the burgundy mist finish, obviously – but with slightly less feisty pickups.

If the price is out of your range, the hardtail and solidbody options will bring it down… but then you’re talking about a quite different guitar. Mind you, if all Madocs are put together as well as this example, then you’re still going to be getting a pretty fantastic instrument.

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – alternatives

You’ll notice that the prices below all start with the word ‘from’ – bear in mind that the numbers will go up once you specify semi-hollow construction and a whammy bar. British alternatives include the Trent Model 1 (from £2,095) and Ancoats NQ (from £1,099), while a highly rated American contender is the Jennings Voyager (from $2,845/£2,399). Or you could just go for a factory standard model like the Duesenberg Starplayer TV (€2,599/£2,399).

The post Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow review – “wannabe alt-rock guitar heroes will be in heaven with this thing” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Charvel has unveiled the American Neo-Classic San Dimas series, comprising two guitars based on the brand’s classic San Dimas blueprint, and built in Corona, California.

First introduced in 1979 after Jackson founder Grover Jackson bought out Wayne Charvel’s guitar business in the late ‘70s, the San Dimas later became a defining guitar of the ‘80s hard rock and heavy metal scenes. 

Now, Charvel’s new American Neo-Classic San Dimas series pays homage to one of heavy metal’s most enduring guitars, while bringing a number of performance upgrades for the modern player.

• READ MORE: This new range of guitar cleaning products has everything you need to keep your instrument in pristine condition

The American Neo-Classic San Dimas series features two guitars: San Dimas SD1 HH FR MPL, and the San Dimas SD1 HH HT MPL. The naming convention of electric guitars is notoriously difficult to follow, but there’s actually pretty little that separates the guitars in this case.

Both models sport a classic versatile Seymour Duncan JB/59 double-humbucker pickup configuration – for a warm tone in the neck position with the ‘59 and a high-output in the bridge position courtesy of the JB. Controls are kept streamlined, with a singular volume control and a five-way blade switch.

They also feature stainless steel jumbo frets for a smooth playing experience across the length of the neck.

Crucially, what sets both guitars apart is the bridge; as the keen-eyed amongst you may have noticed, the SD1 HH FR MPL features a Floyd Rose bridge, while the SD1 HH HT MPL sports a Charvel Hardtail bridge.

Each guitar comes in four distinct colourways: the SD1 HH FR comes in Robin’s Egg Blue, Ivory Blitz, Gloss Black and Racing Red; while the SD1 HH HT comes in Gloss Black, Racing Red, Velvet Midnight and Ivory Blitz.

To celebrate the launch, Charvel has tapped Dweezil Zappa – son of the legendary Frank Zappa – to take the American Neo-Classic San Dimas for a spin in a California skate park. Check it out below:

“Charvel was born in California and so was this guitar,” says Jon Romanowski, VP of Product at Charvel. “The American Neo-Classic San Dimas is a direct line back to where it all started, the shop, the craft, the obsession with making instruments that players actually want to play.

“Building it in Corona feels like coming full circle. The JB/59 pickup pairing delivers on every level, and the finishes feel as iconic as the guitar itself.”

Go behind the scenes at the Charvel factory to see how the new American Neo-Classic San Dimas is built:

Price-wise, the American Neo-Classic San Dimas Style 1 SD1 HH FR MPL clocks in at $2,799.99 / £2,399, while the San Dimas SD1 HH HT MPL is priced at $2,749 / £2,249.

Learn more at Charvel.

The post San Dimas returns to its roots: Charvel introduces the made-in-California American Neo-Classic San Dimas series appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Nashville-based string manufacturer Stringjoy has unveiled a sprawling new line of guitar cleaning and care products, designed to keep your instrument in tip-top condition.

After its founding in 2014, Stringjoy has become a big player in the guitar strings market, and its String Conditioner has for years been a choice for guitarists looking to maximise the longevity of their strings. Now, the brand expands into a full range of guitar care products, including a fretboard conditioner, guitar polish, all-in-one instrument cleaner, and a cloth for wiping away all that stubborn fingerboard grime.

• READ MORE: Epiphone celebrates Rush’s return to the stage with a faithful recreation of Alex Lifeson’s legendary 1976 ES-355

 “For years, customers have trusted our String Conditioner to help extend the life and performance of their strings,” says Scott Marquart at Stringjoy.

“Expanding into complete instrument care was a natural next step, but we knew we had to do it the right way. From the beginning, we weren’t interested in taking an existing automotive polish or generic cleaner and simply putting a guitar on the label. We wanted to create products specifically for guitars, from the ground up.”

Marquart reveals the team at Stringjoy “worked closely” with guitar techs, repair shops, and working musicians to land on a range of guitar care products they’d use themselves.

“The result is a complete care lineup designed to clean, protect, and maintain guitars without compromise. We’re excited to finally share it with players everywhere.”

You can view details and prices for all the products in Stringjoy’s new guitar care range below:

• All-in-One Instrument Cleaner ($13.99): Erases fingerprints, dust, sweat and other buildup
• Guitar Polish ($11.99): Deep-cleans and restores clarity to finishes and hardware
• Fretboard Conditioner ($11.99): Cleans, restores, and rejuvenates unfinished fretboards
• String Conditioner ($14.99): Cleans, protects, and prolongs strings’ vibrance and playability
• Microfiber String Cleaning Cloth ($4.99): Instantly removes oil, grime, and buildup

Learn more at Stringjoy.

The post This new range of guitar cleaning products has everything you need to keep your instrument in pristine condition appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Kurt Ballou of Converge has opened up about his use of digital modelling gear on stage and the reaction it sometimes gets from gear enthusiasts expecting more traditional rigs.

Speaking on the Garza podcast with host Chris Garza, the metalcore guitarist discusses his use of the Line 6 Helix Stadium, explaining how it helps streamline his approach to tone and keep the focus on the band’s performance.

• READ MORE: Outlowd by Ed Sheeran: Orange officially partners with Ed Sheeran on the megastar’s first-ever line of signature amps

“I kind of love it when people show up expecting me to have JMPs and V4s and other vintage stuff, or boutique amps,” he says. “I played Bad Cat for a long time. I still do play the cabinets. I love that company.”

While he acknowledges the appeal of traditional amp setups, Ballou says going digital helps remove distractions and keep the focus where he wants it: on the song itself.

“There’s something about disappointing the gear heads with using this modeler, “ says the guitarist. “I don’t necessarily want to disappoint them, but it’s cool that it makes it about the songs, is what I’m getting at.”

“I think this thing sounds sick. It lets me focus on the song,” Ballou continues. “All the gear in the world – that’s cool and stuff, but how many times have you gone to see a band and watched them set up their full stacks and massive pedalboards, and then they just suck? Or everything is breaking all the time and it’s detracting from the show?”

“Let’s just get to the songs, because that’s the thing that I really care about,” says Ballou. “This lets me do that.”

He adds that using a modeller also brings practical benefits when touring, particularly in maintaining consistency across different venues.

“This thing lets me go to a festival and plug into whatever they have as house backline and get my stage volume that way,” he explains. “I can have my sound that I’ve worked hard to craft in my studio every single night. It’s consistent.”

Ballou is far from alone in his support for digital gear. While once seen as a divisive alternative to traditional tube setups, digital modelling is now increasingly finding its way into the arsenals of players who built their reputations on analogue gear.

Vintage amp and gear collector Joe Bonamassa is one such example. Known for housing one of the largest private collections of classic tube amps across his Nerdville East and West studios in Nashville and Los Angeles, the blues guitarist might not seem like an obvious candidate for digital adoption.

But Bonamassa has recently been exploring Fender’s Tone Master range on tour – a fully digital line designed to replicate classic tube amp tones.

“It’s honestly really amazing what they did digitally,” he said, revealing in April that he has been “beta testing” the amps on the road.

The post Converge’s Kurt Ballou on “disappointing the gear heads” by choosing digital gear live: “It makes it about the songs” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

For every musician who can’t wait to dust off a forgotten deep cut, there’s a fan who just wants to hear the song that changed their life.

Paul Stanley has little patience for bands who grow tired of their most famous songs, arguing that live shows should prioritise audience expectations over an artist’s desire to reinvent familiar material.

In a new interview with Vulture, the Kiss frontman dismisses the idea that playing a band’s biggest hits should ever feel like a burden.

Asked to name a song his guitar has a “love-hate relationship” with, Stanley replies: “This may sound corny, but I’ve never, ever found playing any of those songs a chore. They made me what I am and I love them all dearly.”

• READ MORE: Answered: Even More Technical Guitar Questions You Were Too Afraid To Ask

Stanley’s latest comments feed into a long-running debate over what fans should expect from live shows. While some artists use concerts as an opportunity to reinvent older material or spotlight deep cuts, others argue audiences are primarily there to hear the songs that defined a band’s career.

For Stanley, moving too far from those original versions risks undermining the experience.

“When I would go see a band and they were bored and would rearrange a heavy rock song and do it as a reggae tune, I was terribly disappointed and felt minimised,” he says. “I paid to hear the song that I loved, the way I loved it.”

He adds that personal boredom should never take precedence over the expectations of a paying audience, particularly when it comes to the songs that built an artist’s career.

“The idea of going up on stage with a sold-out audience and showing disrespect by fulfilling some need in me, or boredom, is unimaginable,” Stanley says. “Play it the way people know it, the way it became famous, and show the respect you had for it when you wrote it.”

“You’re only deviating because you’re bored and that’s irrelevant as far as I’m concerned. The worst I can say is if you win the lottery, you shouldn’t complain about taxes.”

That said, not everyone agrees with the sentiment. Metallica frontman James Hetfield has previously spoke about the importance of “challenging” fans with deeper cuts from the band’s catalogue, while Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows has argued that leaning too heavily on hits can leave artists feeling creatively stagnant.

“There’s bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden that continually play new stuff and reinvent themselves,” Shadows said. “And it pisses people off, but it allows them to be interested in what they’re doing.”

By contrast, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx has voiced support for hit-heavy setlists as a way of meeting audience expectations. Speaking to Utah’s 103.5 The Arrow, he explained that audiences generally want to hear the songs they already know.

“I hate it when a band goes out and doesn’t play their hits,” Sixx said. “I just remember [David] Bowie doing that, and I was like, ‘He’s one of my favourite artists. I don’t want to go hear a bunch of C and D tracks off of records that I love. I want to hear songs like Rebel Rebel.”

The post Kiss’s Paul Stanley says bands should play hits “the way it became famous” and not ‘minimise’ fans: “The idea of going on stage with a sold-out audience and showing disrespect by fulfilling some need in me is unimaginable” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Armadillo Enterprises, parent company of Dean Guitars, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, following a turbulent few years for the company.

• READ MORE: Gibson denied opportunity to appeal court ruling that its ES body shape is generic – but the final terms of its legal victory over Dean have been laid down

Court filings made yesterday (9 June 2026) reveal that both Armadillo and its investment partner Concordia have filed jointly. Armadillo has estimated its assets to be between $1 million and $10 million, however its liabilities range up to $50 million. The bankruptcy petition indicates that Valley National Bank – which had previously threatened Armadillo with foreclosure over millions in unpaid debt – now holds an unsecured claim of around $3.3 million – the largest claim held by a creditor.

The filings come after several years of legal trouble for Dean and Armadillo, most notably a high-profile and lengthy trademark lawsuit brought by Gibson regarding several guitar shapes. Armadillo was found to have sold infringing guitar designs, and was ordered to stop marketing and selling its V and Z instruments. After a lengthy appeal, a similar verdict was found.

Given the scope of the gulf between Armadillo’s assets and liabilities, the future of Dean Guitars again is unclear. It has already been hit with a string of losses and internal challenges. Following the legal loss to Gibson, the jury found that Dean must pay Gibson just $1 in damages – but also around $170,000 in legal fees. On top of this, the ruling also stated that “all costs of court spent or incurred in this cause are adjudged against Armadillo” – it’s unclear just how much this second figure could be, or what the full effect of yesterday’s bankruptcy filing may be on the final stages of this case.

In a statement released today, Armadillo CEO Pamela Keris-Rubinson remains optimistic, saying: “This is a proactive step to strengthen our financial foundation and position these iconic brands for long-term success. Resolving the financial pressures of recent years allows us to focus fully on growing what we’ve built. We remain fully committed to our customers, our dealer network, and our employees. Dean, Luna, and ddrum are strong brands, and this process will allow us to emerge as a more resilient organisation.”

The statement also notes that “Armadillo wishes to assure both its retail and consumer partners that all existing orders, dealer relationships, and customer commitments will continue to be honored without interruption.”

In other news,  Dean was awarded a victory in a trademark filing from the estate of late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, relating to the alleged unlawful use of guitar designs Darrell made in collaboration with Dean. Darrell’s estate announced its intention to appeal the ruling just this week.

The post Dean Guitars’ parent company Armadillo files for bankruptcy appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Epiphone has partnered with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson on an Inspired by Gibson reissue of his Alpine White 1976 ES-355.

Described as a “stage-ready, Custom Shop-inspired recreation” of the prog rock legend’s famous white guitar – which appeared on every Rush record and during countless Rush shows, before being sold at auction in 2022 for $384,000 – the Alex Lifeson 1976 ES-355 Reissue arrives right on time for Rush’s highly anticipated Fifty Something reunion tour, which kicked off Sunday, 7 June at LA’s Kia Forum. 

• READ MORE: Outlowd by Ed Sheeran: Orange officially partners with Ed Sheeran on the megastar’s first-ever line of signature amps

Featuring a five-ply semi-hollow body constructed from layers of maple and poplar, along with a multi-ply binding on the top and back, the guitar also sports a solid maple centerblock for enhanced sustain the reduction of unwanted feedback.

Meanwhile, the instrument boasts a three-piece maple neck which mirrors Lifeson’s original ‘76 ES-355, with a Slim C neck profile, 22-fret ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl large block inlays, and a Gibson-style open book headstock with premium die-cast tuners and a Graph Tech nut. A stylish aesthetic touch comes via a truss rod cover engraved with Alex Lifeson’s name.

Elsewhere, the guitar features gold-finished hardware, a Tune-O-Matic bridge and gold pickup covers, which cover a pair of USA-made Gibson T-Type humbucker pickups, wired to individual volume and tone controls with CTS potentiometers and Mallory capacitors, and a three-way toggle switch.

The tonal palette is further expanded by a mono Varitone switch, while a dedicated mini toggle allows the Varitone circuit to be engaged or bypassed as desired.

The guitar ships in a custom hardshell case with a black exterior and a reproduction of Alex Lifeson’s signature, with a plush red interior and gold hardware.

“The ES-355 has always been a really special guitar for me – it’s got this incredible balance of elegance and power,” says Alex Lifeson. 

“What I love about this Epiphone ‘Whitey’ recreation is how faithfully it captures that original spirit while still feeling fresh and alive in your hands. It’s a guitar that invites you to explore, to take chances, and to find your own voice. I’m genuinely thrilled that players everywhere will have the chance to experience it and make it part of their own musical journey.”

The Inspired by Gibson Alex Lifeson 1976 ES-355 Reissue is available now for £1,199.

For more information, head to Epiphone.

The post Epiphone celebrates Rush’s return to the stage with a faithful recreation of Alex Lifeson’s legendary 1976 ES-355 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

After teasing his brand-new signature Orange amp during an impromptu busking gig in his hometown of Ipswich last week, Ed Sheeran has officially launched his new Outlowd by Ed Sheeran ES Series range of guitar amps and Bluetooth speakers.

The launch arrives as part of Play It Home, a new global initiative by Sheeran and Orange to celebrate grassroots musicians, emerging talent, and giving something back to the communities from which they hail.

Ed Sheeran busked a six-track setlist at the Ipswich harbour on Friday 5 June to a crowd of around 2,000, alongside local musician and songwriter Lianne Kaye. The megastar teased the gig just a day before by posting a Google Maps pin for location on Instagram, tagging Orange Amps in the post.

• READ MORE: Höfner has reportedly been saved from bankruptcy by Thomann and GEWA music

A heartwarming moment came when Sheeran gifted a nine-year-old boy named Felix the signature Orange amp he used during the set. Orange also reveals Felix’s next 12 months of music lessons will be fully funded as part of the initiative.

The Play It Home initiative will now travel globally via a series of sessions hosted by Orange Amps and a selection of their retail partners, with towns and cities including Guildford, Toronto, Paris, Sydney, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Bamberg. Each city will enjoy local music initiatives through equipment donations, youth music programmes, rehearsal space support and other direct funding for community projects.

So what about the new Outlowd by Ed Sheeran amp line? It consists of three models in total, the flagship 100W ES100, the 60W ES60 and the smaller, practice amp-sized 3W ES3.

The ES3 is, as you’d expect, the smallest and most portable model in the lineup, with a USB-C rechargeable battery, reverb control, full-range 4″ speaker, Bluetooth playback and a leather carry strap.

At the other end of the spectrum sits the ES100, a “fully professional acoustic solution” made for “larger performances and demanding live environments”. It features a 12″ Celestion full-range neodymium driver paired with a neodymium Celestion HF tweeter.

“Music doesn’t start in arenas or on streaming platforms,” says Ed Sheeran. “It starts in bedrooms, youth clubs, pubs, schools, parks, living rooms and street corners. That’s where I found my voice. I think tiny venues are super important to learn how to perform and busking teaches you not to sweat the big stuff.”

He goes on: “I wanted this project with Orange to feel honest to that – celebrating local musicians, local communities, and the idea that anyone can start somewhere.

“Playing music is a really fun thing to do and it should always be fun. It should feel like an escape. Now I’m in my 30s, I just want to do things that I enjoy and get excited by. With this collaboration, it was like, would I use this? Is this something that I need in my life as a musician? And the answer was yes.”

“What made this collaboration feel right from the beginning was that it came from a very real place,” says Sarah Yule, Managing Director of Orange Amplification.

“Before streaming numbers and stadium tours, Ed’s music started in community spaces and street corners. That’s still true for others today and is an important beginning – that with nurture – feeds the whole music ecosystem. The ES Series was designed around that journey; products that feel approachable, inspiring and genuinely useful for musicians at different stages of their musical lives.”

“It’s a real pleasure to work with Ed,” adds Cliff Cooper, Founder and CEO of Orange Amps. “He is such a talented and caring person who does so much to introduce people into music.”

Pricing for the Outlowd by Ed Sheeran ES Series is as follows:

• ES3 – £149 / €179 / $199
• ES60 – £499 / €599 / $699
• ES100 – £1,099 / €1,299 / $1,499

Both the ES3 and ES60 are available now, while the ES100 is available now for preorder, and will ship from 10 September.

All three amps are available directly from Orange and from selected retail partners.

Learn more at Orange Amps.

The post Outlowd by Ed Sheeran: Orange officially partners with Ed Sheeran on the megastar’s first-ever line of signature amps appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The world of extended range guitars is no mystery here at Guitar.com, having previously taken a detailed look at baritones and seven-string guitars. Believe it or not, there are more strings to be had – although an essential guide to nine-string guitars is not (currently) on our features idea board, as eight is really the limit before you get into completely niche djent oddities.

Much like our guide to seven-string guitars, the applications of an eight-string guitar are overwhelmingly stacked towards the metal world, so a big proportion of the guitars we’re highlighting will be geared towards that genre. That’s not to say that a lot, if not all of them, couldn’t be used for other genres, but some of the hardware will be chasing tones that are very metal-centric.

Is an eight-string guitar right for me?

Progenitors of the eight-string guitar movement like Meshuggah and Deftones have been bolstered in the last 10-15 years by the likes of Periphery, Animals As Leaders and the explosively popular Sleep Token. Hell, even Muse entered the ring with 2025’s Unravelling. Regardless of your route to eight-string guitars, it’s important to make an informed choice before adding one to your collection.

We’ll start by saying that “I just want to go lower,” is not the best reason for an eight-string, especially if it’s one string stuff you’re primarily playing in that register. Baritones and multi-scale fretboards across six and seven-string guitars can help achieve the low tunings you’re craving. Equally, pitch shifting down has gotten so good, that many bands use it on six and seven-string guitar, while also automating downtuned sections/songs using MIDI when touring live.

As well as your needs, there’s also your comfort. The jump to an eight-string can be incredibly jarring. The shift in ergonomics, most notably the wider fretboard and profile of the neck can be a big roadblock, especially if you skipped playing a seven-string guitar.

That being said, an eight-string can be a fantastic creative tool, allowing you access to another register of bass notes to create new voicings and change the flow and feel of a composition. While the leap from a six-string can be daunting, that challenge and leaving your comfort zone is very appealing to a lot of players, and can often result in some previously untapped inspiration.

As always, our best advice is to play as many as you can before making a purchase and really hone in on what you want from an extended range guitar before assuming an eight-string is the answer.

What is a multi-scale guitar?

As most of the guitars in this guide are multi-scale, it’s worth giving a little refresher on what this means before continuing. A multi-scale neck ‘fans’ the frets so that each string has a different scale length; applying heavier tension to the lower strings, allowing extreme detuning without sacrificing intonation, while applying lower tension to the higher strings, allowing for easier playability. It can look intimidating, but actually takes very little time to get used to.

When you look at a multi-scale guitar, you will notice they all have a ‘neutral’ fret – a position in which the fret is level across all strings. The location of the neutral fret changes how extreme the fret fanning is across the fretboard. If your playstyle is centered on low, chuggy riffing, a neutral fret around the 7-9 mark is the sweet spot, whereas a neutral fret at 12 is more comfortable for shredding higher up the neck. This is by no means a universally accepted opinion, but it’s another aspect to be aware of and research when shopping for an eight-string guitar.

Our favourite budget eight-string guitars

Our first recommendation is Harley Benton’s R-458 BK, especially if an eight-string is something of an experiment for you. It’s available with either a 26.5” straight-scale length (£156) or 25.5-27.2” multi-scale (£175). We favour the multi-scale, as it ensures those low tunings sound full, without sacrificing playability on the higher strings. Yes, you’ll want to change out the stock pickups and do a proper setup, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find an eight-string guitar that does this much for so little.

For £100 more, Gear4Music offers their very own eight-string, the 529 Pro (£279). While it does suffer from some build quality/finish issues and not the most expressive pickups, it plays like a £500+ guitar. Clean and distorted tones perform well with a little dialing in of effects (pedals or digital signal chain), and the multi-scale fretboard and single saddle bridge mean consistent tuning and intonation. One word of warning, you may need custom strings for the low end as regular eight-string sets aren’t quite long enough for the level of tension required for those lower tunings.

Our favourite midrange eight-string guitars

Starting at the low end of the price scale is the Ibanez RGMS8-BK. Costing less than £600 and rocking the iconic RG shape, this is an excellent entry point to the world of eight-string guitars. While the neutral fret at 12 can be a little uncomfortable for certain playstyles, the stock pickups perform fantastically across distorted, overdriven and clean tones. A more colourful version is available – the Cosmic Blue Stardust – however, it’s almost £150 more and the hardware is exactly the same.

Just under £800, Cort’s KX508MS packs a punch, both in high gain and clean tones, thanks in no small part to the Fishman Fluence pickups, and remains the 9/10 we gave it in our review back in 2022. “Even though the KX508 is not in the current entry-level price range for eight-string models, it rivals guitars three times the price and as such represents a great investment for newcomers and beyond,” said Darran Charles in his review. “You can now satiate any extended range fantasies you’ve been harbouring at a relatively affordable price for the quality this delivers.”

At the top end of the scale, we have the Schecter Omen Elite-8 MS (£869). We recommended the Omen Elite-7 in our last guide, and the Elite-8 features the same excellent Diamond Heretic pickups, poplar burl top and eye-catching colour options. However, the addition of the multi-scale really elevates this into a supremely versatile guitar.

Our favourite premium eight-string guitars

We’re into the big leagues now and we mean that literally with our first recommendation; Ibanez’s M80M Meshuggah (£1,399). This mammoth eight-string has a 29.4” scale length rather than a multi-scale neck, so it’s more like playing a Bass VI. While that scale length may take a little getting used to, it means you can use a lighter gauge string and still intonate well on these low tunings. You will however need to hunt down a special set of strings to meet the scale length. The Lundgren M8P Humbucker is super clear and bright, so even at your lowest, the notes are clearly articulated. The fixed bridge and nut make restringing and custom tuning changes unnecessarily fiddly, but it’s the only real downside of this guitar.

Sticking with signatures – and enormous necks for that matter – there’s Stephen Carpenter’s signature SC-608 Baritone from ESP LTD (£1,899). Drenched in supercar yellow, there’s heaps of diversity in tones here, thanks to Steph’s updated 3-voice signature Fluence pickups. This is really bolstered by neck-thru construction and really elevates the playability and delivers fantastic resonance. It’s a massive guitar, so definitely try it out before buying if you can, even if you wouldn’t consider yourself to have small hands.

Lastly, we have Strandberg’s Boden Standard N2.8 (£1,859). Immediately recognisable, Strandberg’s dedication to ergonomics is what drives their striking appearance, and for the most part those design choices pay off. The EndurNeck may not be to everyone’s tastes, but if you gel with it, it’s a pretty special instrument to play. The resonance and haptic feedback from the titanium rods in the neck is like nothing we’ve experienced before. While the neck is chunky, it’s one of the less ‘out there’ multi-scale fretboards – of this list and eight-strings in general. We really love the passive Seymour Duncan Pegasus/Sentient pickups, which are fantastic for both heavy and clean tones.

The post The best eight-string guitars for all styles and budgets appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Following the news in December that Höfner, the maker of Paul McCartney’s iconic Violin Bass, had filed for bankruptcy, it appears the company has been rescued, according to a press release obtained by YouTuber and guitar industry journalist KDH.

While few details about Höfner’s financial woes were made public when it was revealed it had filed for bankruptcy at the Fürth District Court in Bavaria in December, it was revealed that an insolvency administrator had been appointed, tasked with rectifying debts over a three-month period.

Beatles legend Paul McCartney – with whom the Höfner brand became most commonly associated – called the news of the company’s bankruptcy “very sad”

• READ MORE: Gibson unveils shred-ready Victory Floyd Rose – and it “excels with drop tunings”

Now, YouTuber KDH has apparently uncovered big news regarding the company’s future.

Upon discovering that the contact information on the Höfner website had recently been updated to Thomann’s contact details, KDH reached out to the German retail giant for further information. He says the company sent him back a statement apparently confirming it had acquired the storied musical instrument brand.

If the press release obtained by KDH is legitimate, it confirms a “successful investor solution”, which will ensure the “continuation” of Höfner’s headquarters in Baiersdorf, Germany.

“The transaction not only secures the long-term preservation of the globally renowned brands Höfner and Paesold, but also the preservation of the Baiersdorf site and 24 jobs,” the statement continues.

The document reveals Höfner “most recently employed a staff of 52 producing stringed instruments, bows, guitars and basses and marketing them internationally”, so if the details are legitimate, that could mean the layoff of 28 employees.

It is revealed that GEWA music GmbH took over the operational business operations of Höfner’s Baiersdorf headquarters on 1 April, 2026. Meanwhile, Streetlife GmbH, a subsidiary joint investment company of Thomann’s and GEWA’s has taken over and acquired the trademark rights for Höfner and Paesold.

“This ensures that both brands will survive and be further strategically developed in the long term,” the document reads, adding that distribution rights for the Höfner brand in Europe will be “held exclusively” by Thomann GmbH, and outside of Europe by GEWA music. GEWA holds distribution rights for the Paesold brand.

“Höfner instruments, including the legendary Beatle basses, string instruments and bows, will continue to be manufactured in Baiersdorf,” the statement goes on.

“As part of the transaction, 24 jobs were also preserved at the Baiersdorf site. In addition, it has been possible to place some of the remaining employees in new positions. All in all, this represents a very pleasing result – especially against the backdrop of the challenging market situation in the musical instrument industry.”

“In a complex and demanding process, we have succeeded in reaching a solution that ensures both the continued existence of the Baiersdorf site and the future viability of the Höfner and Paesold brands in the long term,” says insolvency administrator Dr. Hubert Ampferl.

“The [fact] that operations can be continued seamlessly and jobs are preserved at the same time are an important signal for the location and the region.”

Founded by Karl Höfner in 1887 in the then-Austrian-Hungarian town of Schönbach – now Luby in the Czech Republic, Höfner grew to one of the largest suppliers of stringed instruments in the region in the following decades. Operations were scaled back during World War II, when its facilities were repurposed for making supplies for the German army.

Germany’s postwar reconstitution meant Germans were expelled from Czechoslovakia, and Höfner relocated to West Germany, opening a new factory in Bubenreuth in 1950.

While the brand has manufactured countless different instruments throughout its nearly-150-year history, it’s undoubtedly most known for the 500/1 bass guitar – the Violin Bass – long championed by Paul McCartney.

Guitar.com has reached out to Thomann to verify the legitimacy of the press release provided to KDH.

The post Höfner has reportedly been saved from bankruptcy by Thomann and GEWA music appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Electro-Harmonix has expanded its lineup of mini pedals with the pocket-sized Pico Shimmer Cosmic Reverb.

Boasting a tiny footprint that’ll be at home on even the most crowded pedalboards, the Pico Shimmer Cosmic Reverb is inspired by the Shimmer settings on EHX’s much-loved Canyon Delay and Oceans 11 Reverb, and offers three settings: Intergalactic, Off-World and Etherdust.

• READ MORE: EHX Pico Intelligent Harmony Machine review: impressive tracking hampered by inevitable compromise
  

Each of these combines a different blend of reverb, delay and modulation effects, as well as an octaves and string synth engine, EHX says.

Intergalactic is described as a “classic shimmer” made up of polyphonic octaves, reverb, modulated delay and compression, plus a string synthesis engine. “Morph between plate reverb, classic shimmer, and ethereal strings to create cinematic atmospheres beyond time and space,” the brand says.

Meanwhile, Off-World is a more mellow shimmer effect with enhanced delay modulation, while Etherdust is a glitch shimmer effect in which the delay time is randomised, offering stutters ranging from “short granular sparkles to distinct glitch echoes”.

Controls on the pedal include a Blend knob for setting the overall wet/dry mix, a Tone knob sets the brightness of the effect, Time, which controls decay time, a Voice knob for morphing the reverb character, and a Scene mode button for toggling between the pedal’s three main settings.

The Pico Shimmer Cosmic Reverb ships with a standard EHX 9V power supply, and is available now for $149.

Learn more at Electro-Harmonix.

The post “Otherwordly reverbs in a compact package”: Meet the Electro-Harmonix Pico Shimmer Cosmic Reverb appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Chances are none of us really know as much about guitar as we think, or that we’d like to. That being said, it can still be awkward or embarrassing to ask our bandmates, friends, guitar techn or local shop assistants about stuff that we feel like we should know by now but don’t.

• READ MORE: Answered: more technical guitar questions you were too afraid to ask

If that’s you, don’t fret – after rattling through two full articles of common guitar queries already, we’re back with another tranche from you, the reader. Read on and learn!

How often should I change my guitar strings?

Does the gunk keep the funk? For many guitarists, the question of when is an appropriate time to change your strings is a key one to their overall sound. Answers can range from “as often as you can afford” to “when they break,” and both are valid answers. But from a tone perspective, there is a certain sound that you get from old strings, and it works really well for certain genres of music.

James Jamerson – the Motown bassist whose fingerprints are on more classic records than most people realize – used to go absurdly long stretches without changing his strings. His whole explanation was four words: “gunk keeps the funk.” Whether that’s a philosophy or just a guy who couldn’t be bothered, you can’t really argue with the catalog he built on those nasty strings. Jeff Tweedy has basically said the same thing about his preference to record with old guitar strings.

What’s happening physically is pretty straightforward. New strings are bright – they have lots of overtones, lots of sustain, very alive. Then you sweat on them, dead skin cells fill up the windings, they stretch out and stop holding tension evenly, and eventually the whole thing just kind of… settles into itself. Less sparkle, more thud. For some genres of music, that sort of sound works very well.

Funk bass is a good example. You want a tight, punchy fundamental – overtones and ringing sustain are actually in the way. Dead strings aren’t a flaw in that context; they’re doing exactly what the music needs. So, sometimes not changing your strings isn’t laziness. Sometimes it’s just the right call.

What Makes a Guitar Feel “Fast”?

I hear a lot of people use the term “fast” to describe a neck and as far as I can gather, a “fast neck” is a neck that feels effortless to play. Again, this is something that is the result of several different factors, and since we’re talking about “feel” different necks will feel different to different players. That being said, there are a few factors that universally result in effortless playing for the vast majority of hands.

One major factor is string action. Lower action means the strings sit closer to the fretboard, so your fingers don’t have to press as far to fret notes. That alone can dramatically change how effortless a guitar feels.

Neck shape also plays a role. A thinner or flatter profile may feel quicker to some players because it allows the hand to wrap around the neck more easily. Others actually prefer chunkier necks because they provide more support for the thumb.

Fret size can influence the sensation as well. Larger frets reduce the amount of fingerboard your fingertip touches when you press down a note, which can make bends and vibrato feel smoother.

Finally, the fingerboard radius affects how chords and single-note lines feel across the neck. Flatter radii often make bending easier, while rounder ones can feel more comfortable for chord playing.

Put all of those factors together and you get something players loosely call a “fast neck.” But in practice, what feels fast to one guitarist might feel awkward to another.

Do Heavier Guitars Have More Sustain Than Lighter Guitars?

The short answer here is no. While there might be some heavy guitars that sustain very well, correlation does not equal causation. There are plenty of light guitars that sustain as well if not better than their heavier counterparts. The real determining factor in a guitar’s sustain is far more complex than just overall weight. It has much more to do with the wood itself, the neck and body stiffness, neck joint design, bridge and hardware, and pickups and amplification.

If sustain the most important quality you’re looking for in an instrument, the best way to test it is to simply play the guitar before you buy it – something I would always recommend anyway. You can always record a guitar into a DAW and watch the waveform, but I find it much more fun to just play it and see if you like the way it feels and sounds.

What’s The Best Way To Power Your Pedalboard?

Power adapters are one of those things that seem simple until they’re not. The basics: an adapter takes AC power from your wall outlet and converts it to the lower DC voltage your pedals run on. Most pedals use 9V DC, though some require 12V, 18V, or higher – and that difference matters more than people think. Some pedals don’t come with an adaptor, or if you’re buying used pedals, it’s worth knowing a bit about adaptors before plugging things in.

The plug itself has a polarity, either center-positive or center-negative, which just refers to whether the inner or outer contact carries the positive charge. Grab a random adapter from the hardware store and you’re gambling – wrong voltage, wrong polarity, or AC instead of DC and you’ll likely kill the pedal outright. Too little voltage and the pedal may not turn on, or will run noticeably degraded. It’s not a forgiving system.

The other variable worth understanding is current draw, measured in milliamps (mA). Digital pedals tend to pull more than analog ones, sometimes significantly more. To figure out what your board needs, just add up the mA rating for each pedal – usually printed on the bottom or in the manual, and easy to look up if not – and make sure your power supply can handle the total. If you’ve got a tuner pulling 35mA, a fuzz at 5mA, an analog delay at 150mA, and a few other pedals in between, you might be looking at 300mA or more just for a modest board. A supply rated above that total gives you headroom and keeps everything running cleanly. Match the voltage, match the polarity, and give yourself enough current – and you’ll mitigate the risk to your pedals, which, as we all know, are expensive.

The post Answered: Even More Technical Guitar Questions You Were Too Afraid To Ask appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

After reviving the cult classic Victory electric guitar model in 2024, Gibson has expanded the lineup with a new Floyd Rose-equipped model.

The addition of a Floyd Rose vibrato system to the Victory blueprint was reportedly the result of consistent requests from Gibson fans. Like the previous model launched in 2024, the Gibson Victory Floyd Rose features a Victory AA figured maple top on a mahogany double-cutaway body, plus a 25.5” scale mahogany neck with a SlimTaper profile for “fast, articulate playing”.

Elsewhere, the guitar sports a 24-fret ebony fingerboard with a compound radius, as well as simple acrylic dot inlays in line with its “streamlined, performance-driven design”.

• READ MORE: Anime fans can get a real-life version of the guitar from Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty thanks to PRS

Pickups come by way of a pair of uncovered ‘80s Tribute humbuckers with zebra bobbins, wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and selectable inner/outer coil options when split. These are paired with a three-way selector switch.

And finally, the guitar features a six-on-a-side Explorer-style headstock, fitted with Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners and a Floyd Rose locking nut for rock-solid tuning stability, as well as chrome-plated hardware, black top hat knobs and a black five-ply pickguard.

“Designed for expressive modern playing styles and musicians seeking extended creative range, the Victory Floyd Rose continues the journey every Gibson begins in Nashville and carries into the hands of players worldwide,” says Gibson.

“It excels with drop tunings thanks to its 25.5” scale length and is available in three gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finishes that highlight the figured maple top – each hand-sprayed for depth, individuality, and character. The result is an instrument as unique as a fingerprint, built to be played, pushed, and ultimately passed down.

“Like every Gibson, it’s more than a guitar – it’s a future legacy instrument. The final chapter begins the moment it leaves our craftory: to your hands, your sound, your story.”

The Victory Floyd Rose clocks in at $2,799, and is available in three colourways: Iguana Burst, Translucent Ebony Burst and Deep Ocean Burst.

Learn more at Gibson.

The post Gibson unveils shred-ready Victory Floyd Rose – and it “excels with drop tunings” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Rush have officially kicked off their Fifty Something world tour, and Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy is certainly not alone in feeling emotional about the band’s return.

In a post on social media, Portnoy shares that through watching a livestream of the show he found himself in tears, and believes that it’s now “very obvious” that the tour “needed to happen”.

The Fifty Something global trek celebrates over 50 years of Rush music, and sees Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and new touring drummer Anika Nilles all paying tribute to the late Neil Peart, who sadly passed away in 2020.

• READ MORE: “He would go, ‘What riff?’” Geddy Lee says he had to record all of Rush’s songwriting sessions because Alex Lifeson would forget “great” riffs just minutes after playing them

In his post, Portnoy – a huge Rush fan – says, “So many feelings and emotions today…I wasn’t there in person last night, but like so many of us around the world, I was glued to YouTube all night long…I watched the RushCon live stream in real time for the entire show as it was happening.

“What can I say that hasn’t been written already by everybody online today…? It was magical! The setlist was absolutely PERFECT! (and to think they still have around three other variations up their sleeves to come…) Anika absolutely KILLED IT in the best way imaginable.”

He goes on to add, “I was so happy for her…nailing all of the big Neil moments with a giant smile on her face the whole time! She really is the perfect choice for this! The tributes to Neil throughout the show were so tasteful and emotional. (Yes I’ll admit I cried at a few points).

“The production was absolutely INSANE (Major props to Howard Ungerleider), and most importantly of all, I am so happy for Geddy and Alex to be able to do this again! Seeing this tour come to life, it is very obvious this needed to happen. As not only a proper tribute to Neil, but most importantly to honour the legacy of this band. Geddy and Alex deserve it. And the fans deserve it as well…”

View this post on Instagram

The show took place at the Kia Forum in LA, the very same venue that hosted their fateful 2015 departing gig. Performing before 18,000 fans, the band honoured Peart with a rendition of Bravado, and a series of tribute montages were also shown onscreen throughout the entire evening.

The post Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy cried watching Rush’s first reunion show: “Seeing this tour come to life, it is very obvious this needed to happen” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

PRS Guitars has teamed up with AMC Global Media’s Sentai and streaming service HIDIVE to bring fans a real life version of the pink guitar featured in the coming-of-age drama series, Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty. 

The 2026 SE Rock Lady Limited Edition guitar is limited to just 690 units, and is based on both the PRS SE Paul’s Guitar model and PRS Artist KANAMI’s Limited Edition Custom 24-08. The model recreates the guitar used by the series’ main character Lilisa Suzunomiya (“Lily”).

• READ MORE: Fender claims social media has led to “a lot of misunderstandings about the nature and the scope” of their cease and desist blitz… as PRS confirms they were one of the brands affected

Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty was originally created as a manga series, written and illustrated by Hiroshi Fukuda. The opening theme for the hit anime adaptation, Ready to Rock, was written by KANAMI and performed by her band, BAND-MAID. Both she and her band mates provided motion capture for the anime production.

PRS’ real life model recreates the featured guitar as closely as possible, with a Pink Pearl top, black headstock face, natural back, and purple-toned pickup bobbins. One notable difference, and a key fingerprint of PRS instruments, is the inclusion of its trademark bird inlays.

It hosts TCI “S” treble and bass pickups paired with a three-way toggle pickup selector and two mini-toggle switches. These mini-toggles allow players to coil-tap the pickups independently, providing a total of eight pickup combinations.

Anchoring this guitar is a PRS Stoptail bridge, and it also features a line-drawing of a lily flower on the truss rod cover as a unique finishing detail.

“This project has been one of the most creative, out-of-the-box things we have done in a while. Developing a guitar with a fictional artist is not something we do every day. It has been a lot of fun, but this is far more than a commemorative display piece – it’s a true player’s guitar, designed for performance and durability. Ultimately, it’s a musical instrument that is made to be played,” says PRS Guitars COO, Jack Higginbotham.

KANAMI adds, “When I wrote the opening theme Ready to Rock, I wanted it to feel like the moment you decide to step onto the stage and let everything out. It’s exciting to see that energy carried into a real PRS guitar inspired by Lily’s instrument, and I hope players and fans can plug in, turn it up, and experience the world of Rock is a Lady’s Modesty for themselves.”

The guitar is available from major PRS Guitars retailers in North America and select international markets, including Japan. For full details, head over to PRS Guitars.

The post Anime fans can get a real-life version of the guitar from Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty thanks to PRS appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The estate of Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell says it “respectfully disagrees” with a court ruling in favour of the Dean guitar brand amid a trademark dispute, and says it intends to appeal the decision.

In Dime We Trust, led by Dime’s longtime girlfriend and estate trustee, Rita Haney, has issued a press release in which it argues against a summary judgement that dismissed “the majority” of the estate’s trademark, fraud, and breach of contract claims against Dean and its parent company, Armadillo Distribution Enterprises.

The lawsuit, filed in 2021, argued unlawful use of the Stealth and Razorback guitar body shapes that Dimebag (real name Darrell Abbott) made in collaboration with Dean, and “unauthorised fraudulent trademark registrations” for the two.

• READ MORE: The history of pinched harmonics, divebombs and squeelies

The press release, issued this June, states (via Lambgoat): “The Trust respectfully disagrees with the Court’s ruling and believes the decision conflicts with the clear language contained in the agreement Darrell Abbott signed with Dean Guitars in 2004.

“Specifically, the agreement states: ‘The Company [Dean Guitars/Armadillo Enterprises] shall acquire no rights in the trade names or designs Stealth Guitar or Razorback Guitar by virtue of this Agreement, and upon termination of this Agreement shall cease the production of Stealth and Razorback style guitars.’”

The statement goes on to address a Non-Disclosure Agreement, reportedly executed two months prior to the 2004 agreement, “in which Dean Guitars CEO Elliott Rubinson acknowledged that the Razorback and Stealth guitar designs, along with the associated headstock designs, were created by Darrell Abbott.”

A statement from Rita Haney reads: “The Agreement Darrell signed in 2004 stated Dean Guitars shall acquire ‘NO’ rights in the designs Stealth or Razorback Guitar, and…No means ‘None…’ Darrell would never have signed away ownership of his designs, and the documents clearly support that.”

She adds, “He had Dean Guitars sign an NDA to even look at his Razorback Guitar. His Stealth guitar was previously sold during his relationship with Washburn, and when that relationship ended, Darrell retained his designs and expected the same arrangement to be upheld by Dean Guitars.

“Dean Guitars did not make or sell a single Razorback nor Stealth before their formal relationship with Darrell. They never used the shapes without Darrell’s endorsement and in no way should be allowed to make these guitars after the relationship was terminated… We continue to fight for the return of Darrell’s guitar designs as well as their unauthorised use of Darrell’s name, likeness, and intellectual property.”

The Trust says that the litigation is ongoing and that the “recent ruling does not resolve the broader dispute”. The statement outlines that it intends to appeal the summary judgment decision and continue pursuing additional claims.

Guitar.com has reached out to Dean Guitars for comment.

The post Dimebag Darrell’s estate “intends to appeal” against court ruling in favour of Dean amid trademark dispute over guitar designs appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

A fake version of dotty duo Angine de Poitrine has been spotted (pun intended) playing a show in Russia, but with one tell-tale sign: their ‘Khn de Poitrine’ has been playing a single-neck guitar.

The real duo, which consists of the anonymous Khn de Poitrine on guitars and Klek de Poitrine on drums, has caught the attention of Dave Grohl and Lars Ulrich, and amassed millions of views online with their viral live session for the US radio station KEXP.

This fake version has caught the attention of the band’s team, specifically art director Sam Murdock, who claims they’re tagging the real band in social media posts and have not disclosed that they are not the real deal themselves.

• READ MORE: “It was the perfect choice to make fun of guitar heroes”: The story behind Angine de Poitrine’s ridiculous double-neck guitar

Speaking to Exclaim!, Murdock says, “We’re living in a weird time where everyone’s trying to make money off the band. Right now, there’s like 1,500 fake T-shirts online already, and I removed 700 fake T-shirts on Tee Republic and on Red Bubble, but they keep on popping up.

“It’s crazy that so many people would [make these]. There’s a fake [version of the] band touring Russia already, with the costumes and everything, and they keep tagging the band [on socials] and they don’t even say it’s not a real band. And they just have a one-neck guitar.”

Further addressing the band’s surge in popularity, he adds: “Things that would happen over five years are happening over five weeks.”

You can watch the imposter Angine de Poitrine playing a show at a venue in Moscow in the video below:

View this post on Instagram

In a recent interview with The Guardian, the pair said they don’t plan on changing their costumes or stage set up as a result of their growing fame.

“People have fallen in love with the band as it’s always been,” said Khn. “So we’re not gonna change everything [because] we have a bigger budget now. We’re emotionally attached to our old beaten-up costumes that have been in car accidents and are full of snot. We think people love the fact that you can feel they have lived.”

The post This fake Angine de Poitrine band has been pretending to be the real thing – but they’re using a single-neck guitar appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$149/£139, ikmultimedia.com

As a guitarist, few experiences transcend that of plugging in to a big, heavy tube amp and cranking that thing to 10. But in reality, this is not always possible – or appropriate. There are times when you want to practice long after noise levels are generally curtailed – and moments when you want something portable you can just plug into and play – so a headphone amp is an important piece of kit to have in your repertoire.

• READ MORE: Positive Grid Reactor review: does your guitar amp really need an AI chatbot?

IK Multimedia TONEX Plug – what is it?

The TONEX Plug from IK Multimedia is an intriguing entry to the category, and competes with already-loved devices like the Boss Katana GO and Fender Mustang Micro Plus with tonnes of amp and effects emulations, Bluetooth audio streaming, plenty of preset storage and a well-designed free companion app, TONEX Control, offering granular control over your tone patches.

IK Multimedia TONEX Plug – build quality and user experience

Props must be given to IK Multimedia for the design of the TONEX Control app. It’s quick and snappy, and responds to input pretty much instantaneously. In a technologically advanced world, even the slightest degree of lag can be hugely frustrating, so it’s nice to see this isn’t a problem at all with TONEX Control.

Navigating the app is equally straightforward. Simply select a preset, and it’ll load up a full signal chain complete with an amp and effects, all with fully adjustable parameters. Again, the responsiveness of the app is what really wins points here, as there’s no lag whatsoever between app input and what you actually hear in your headphones.

You’ve also got access to the IK Multimedia ToneNET platform, where users upload their own tone creations to the cloud. So you’ve basically got an ever-expanding range of tone profiles at your disposal from within the TONEX Control app.

Bear in mind, though, that you don’t need to use the companion app. You can cycle through presets using just the TONEX Plug, your guitar and a pair of headphones; using the app just offers control over the many parameters of your tone.

In terms of the build quality of the actual TONEX Plug device, it’s lightweight at just 70g – carry it in your gigbag and you won’t even know it’s there – but still manages to feel premium thanks to its sleek design, subtle aesthetic touches and sturdy side buttons.

My only flag to raise here is the swivel of the input jack. It could do with being slightly stiffer, as it’s prone to moving around with accidental tugs of your headphone cable, which are common if you’ve got a longer lead that drags on the floor.

IK Multimedia TONEX Plug – sounds

The most important thing about any headphone guitar amp is how it sounds, and the TONEX Plug serves up an impressively professional range of tones that rival any category-leading amp plugin or practice amp.

There’s a certain mental sacrifice that goes on in the brain when dealing with headphone amps: “It’s not a ‘real amp’, so I’m prepared for the tones to not be as good.” But that’s not the case with the TONEX Plug. Once you get stuck in, you don’t wish you were playing through a real practice amp instead. If anything, this might even become your go-to practice solution.

The range of amp models on offer is impressive; I’m particularly admiring of the digital tube amp emulations, which have an authentic responsiveness, courtesy of IK’s AI Machine Modelling technology. Not too shabby for a 150 bucks of headphone amp.

You’ve also got onboard EQ, gate, compressor, delay, reverb and modulation effects which you can add or subtract from your signal chain at will. It’s all very intuitive and easy to use, so big points here.

IK Multimedia TONEX Plug – should I buy one?

As guitarists we don’t always want to plug into a tube amp and crank it to 11. And your neighbours or roommates definitely don’t want you to. The TONEX Plug is a terrific option for quiet practice, loaded with thousands of top-quality presets that are fully tweakable via the TONEX Control app. So if you want to continue practicing guitar outside of curfew hours without sacrificing great tone, this little device is just the ticket.

You might also be looking for a practice solution that doesn’t involve a huge degree of setup. I’m a huge fan of in-the-box guitar playing – playing through plugins within a DAW. The only problem is that it involves switching on your computer, plugging in your audio interface, loading up your DAW and so on. Basically, it’s a lot of work if you just want to practice right away. The TONEX Plug is a great idea in this regard, as you just need the device, a pair of headphones, your guitar, your smartphone on the coffee table and you’re good to go.

IK Multimedia TONEX Plug – alternatives

There’s some stiff competition in the guitar headphone amp market, and conveniently for you, the consumer, there are a number of great options at similar price points. The Fender Mustang Micro is probably the king in this category, which we rated a strong 9/10 in our review. You’ve also got the Boss Katana GO, which is priced around the £100 mark, and earned a cool 8/10 in our review, in which we debated whether it was the “perfect headphone amp”. The Positive Grid Spark NEO is an interesting over-ear take on the headphone amp that sounds truly fantastic, while if you want something that you can actually hear in the room, the Blackstar Beam Mini might be the new king of practice solutions.

The post IK Multimedia TONEX Plug – coming for the headphone amp crown? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll? Keith Richards would prefer an early night in after playing dominoes with his dad, thanks. Despite the ‘70s painting rockstars as insatiable, hedonistic maniacs, the Rolling Stones frontman admitted back in 1988 that the phrase was just “good PR”.

In an old interview shared by Freeport Traveler, Richards explained that, while he loves the sentiment, the saying couldn’t be further from the truth. “It’s a neat phrase… but I’ve been doing this gig for a long time, and to me that’s just a good PR phrase,” he said [transcribed by Ultimate Guitar]. “[Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll] has very, very little to do with the day-to-day life of making music and making records.”

• READ MORE: “It’s the beginnings of the development of the electric guitar, it’s iconic” – Gina Gleason on 75 years of the Telecaster

While he admitted that the phrase can “encapsulate an image” of a rockstar, it’s not that simple, he said. “If it were that easy, I’d be very happy – but it isn’t that easy!”

Of course, the Stones were hardly angels; the band infamously got raided in 1967 and faced a subsequent trial for drug possession. However, Richards explained that the band were just an easy target, high-profile target for the police and media hungry to fuel a moral panic story.

In fact, in 1988, Richards said that the police were more-or-less tired of hounding him now. Instead he had found himself signing more autographs for cops than getting raided – a welcome change…

However, he explained that he knows the media will associate them with the “PR phrase”, no matter how untrue it is. “I’ve got a public image,” he explained. “So I don’t really think about self-image. I just try to live as normal a life as possible [off-stage]. This is what I want to do. I have a lot of friends. I enjoy sitting around, and I enjoy playing dominoes with my dad.”

“The image of myself – I realise that there’s a certain amount of the ‘Keith Richards rebel lord, junkie freak, rock and roll, sex and drugs,’” he continued. “I understand that that’s there, but it’s only a part, and I find that your image is like a shadow.”

While his ‘shadow’ self will always follow him around, he noted that the public impression will always be on his past actions. It essentially takes a few years of being on the straight-and-narrow for people to catch up. “[The media is] always ten or fifteen years behind what you actually are,” he said. “Images just sort of stick. They have a lot of glue on them, and it’s hard to get them off. Images – they’re like acne.”

Ultimately, Richards explained that trying to live by the lazy rockstar checklist is something that would just end up hurting you. “You’ve got to grow up, or it can kill you if you don’t,” he said.

Thanks to the Stones being good lads and not going too wild in their youth, they’re still going strong. 2023 saw their mega comeback with the Hackney Diamonds, and this year will see yet another record, Foreign Tongues, drop in July. You can hear lead single In The Stars now.

Foreign Tongues is set to drop 10 July 2026.

The post Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll was just a “good PR phrase” if you ask Keith Richards – he prefers playing dominoes appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

How important is it as a guitarist to be versed in music theory? While knowing your way around the fretboard from a technical standpoint no doubt gives you a stronger roadmap in terms of understanding why certain note choices and chord progressions work together, many high-profile guitarists have made successful careers without knowing lots of theory.

Former All That Remains guitarist Jason Richardson – known for his jaw-dropping shred chops – said last year that knowing music theory is not essential: “I know plenty of players who write the craziest-sounding stuff, and some of them don’t know anything about theory.”

Indeed, some players have been able to mark their stamp on the world of guitar with somewhat limited theory knowledge. Take former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker for example, who tells Guitar World in a new interview that he “doesn’t care about that stuff”.

• READ MORE: Peter Frampton says he likes “the challenge” of playing guitar as his neuromuscular disease gets worse

“I’ve never known about anything technical,” says the guitarist, who released his 13th album with the Michael Schenker Group in October last year.

“When I put a musical sketch together for a song, I can’t say if it’s major or minor. People say I switch between the two, but I don’t know.”

He goes on: “Maybe I play parts of scales, but I don’t know the names of them or the modes or whatever. I just don’t care about that stuff.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Schenker reveals how he comes up with guitar riffs, and how they’re not always with a specific song in mind.

“It’s interesting because when I write riffs, I don’t know what songs they’re for,” he says. “And then I start randomly putting them together. I don’t even look for the best piece of gold, I just start playing something in my collection, and if it works I use it. If it doesn’t, I reach for something else.”

Earlier this year, Michael Schenker revealed why he chose not to join Ozzy Obsourne’s band upon being invited to, following the death of Randy Rhoads in 1982.

“I’ve always believed in doing exactly what I feel like. That’s freedom of expression. If I did something just because it was what people expected, or if I stopped what I was doing because I was blinded by fame and money, that would be selling my soul,” said the guitarist, whose latest MSG album is fittingly called Don’t Sell Your Soul.

In other news, Michael Schenker’s famed 1971 Flying V was recreated earlier this year by the Gibson Custom Shop, and reportedly sold out in a single day.

Listen to Don’t Sell Your Soul below:

The post “I don’t know the names of the modes or whatever. I just don’t care about that stuff”: Why Michael Schenker isn’t interested in becoming an expert in music theory appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.