Norse Guitar Feeds

In the modern DAW world, every plugin comes with a buffet of presets promising instant results: “Vocal Gold.” “Drum Bus Glue.” “Radio-Ready Mix.” The implication is that these settings are the magic sauce separating amateurs from professionals. Just load the preset, and you’re done. Right?

Not quite.

Presets can be powerful tools, but only if you understand what they really are: starting points, not finish lines.

I’ve spent years inside some of the best studios in the world, working with world-class players, gear, and engineers, and I’ve seen how subtle context drives every EQ, compressor, and fader move. That experience shapes how I approach presets—and how I think they should be used.

Designing Presets with KIT Plugins

I’ve had the privilege of working closely with the team at KIT Plugins almost since their beginning—as an early beta tester and collaborator on nearly every product they’ve released. When they asked me to design some of the included presets for the BB A5 (a modern interpretation of a 96-channel Legacy API console, $199 Street) and the BB N105 (modeled after Blackbird Studio’s world-famous Neve 8078 console - $99 Street), I felt genuinely honored.

I’d spent years recording and mixing through those very consoles and EQs at Blackbird, and now I had the chance to help translate that analog DNA into the digital world.

When creating my presets, I didn’t approach them as “ready-made sounds.” Instead, I thought of them as guides—compass points that could help an engineer or musician quickly find a tonal direction. Each one reflects a real-world scenario from my own sessions: a slightly edgy vocal that needed midrange presence, a bass guitar fighting for space in a dense mix, a snare that needed to punch through without losing body.

Every preset I made came from that practical place. My goal was to share a bit of the process—how I think about frequency balance, gain staging, and energy within a mix—not to hand anyone a “paint-by-numbers” result. That distinction matters.

The “Preset Mismatch”

Imagine: you open a plugin, scroll through the options, find something like “Vocal Gold,” and think, “Perfect, that’s exactly what I need.” You load it—and suddenly your vocal sounds worse.

What happened?

Every preset, whether it’s mine or someone else’s, was born in a very specific context. Maybe the original source was a male singer with a soft top end and a ragged low midrange. Maybe he was singing into a vintage Neumann U67 through a Neve 1105 preamp, hitting a “Blue Stripe” 1176, inside a mix stacked with distorted guitars and busy drums.

But if you’re recording a lo-fi shoegaze female vocal with an SM57 in a bathroom through an Apollo X2, that same EQ curve will likely make your singer sound potentially worse. (Or will it?)

“Every preset, whether it’s mine or someone else’s, was born in a very specific context.”

The preset didn’t “fail”—it just wasn’t meant for your signal chain.

There are layers of invisible context behind every EQ decision: the performer, the instrument, the mic, the preamp, the compressor, the room, the genre, and the emotional target of the mix. When you remove a preset from that ecosystem, you have to re-interpret it. Otherwise, you’re comparing apples to lava lamps.

How to Use Presets the Right Way

Presets are at their best when you treat them as teachers. Here are four ways to get the most out of them:

1. Start, Don’t Stop
   Load a preset, listen, and then move a few knobs. Ask yourself why it sounds the way it does. Does it bring clarity, weight, excitement? Or does it tilt things too far? You’ll learn more by adjusting than by accepting.
2. Reverse-Engineer the Intent
   Solo each band or section. If it’s an EQ, sweep the frequencies. If it’s a compressor, change the attack and release. Try to imagine the sound that inspired those moves. That’s how you train your ear.
3. Ignore the Labels
   “Vocal Gold” might be perfect on a snare drum. “Drum Bus Glue” might breathe life into an acoustic guitar. Don’t let the category box you in. Think in terms of function, not title.
4. Trust Your Ears Over Everything
   No preset designer, even the most experienced one, can hear what you’re hearing in your room with your monitors. The final call always belongs to your ears.

The Value of Presets

When I sit down to make presets, I’m not trying to predict your sound—I’m trying to invite you into the process. A well-made preset can accelerate learning, spark curiosity, and remind you that every mix decision has a reason behind it.

They’re saying, “Here’s how I started; now make it yours.” Used that way, presets become more than convenience—they become education. They let you peek over the shoulder of another engineer for a second and understand why a particular setting works.

So, the next time you load one of my KIT Plugins presets, don’t treat it like a rulebook. Twist the knobs, push it too far, pull it back, and most of all, listen. Because presets aren’t prescriptions—they’re invitations.



Nearly every guitar player has daydreamed about running their favorite guitar company. On this week’s Fretboard Journal Podcast, we hear from two individuals currently living that dream: Nashville’s Pete Mroz and Shannon Pollard. Earlier this year, these two guitar fanatics and businessmen became the new owners of Bend, Oregon-based Breedlove Guitars.

During our chat, we talk about the realities of running a guitar business in 2025; the surprises they weren’t anticipating; what changes they are implementing at the 35-year-old company; and where they see growth in the guitar space.

Whether or not you’re a Breedlove owner, Pete and Shannon’s enthusiasm for guitars is downright infectious. We think you’ll love this chat.

Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. https://fretboardsummit.org

Our 58th issue of the Fretboard Journal will mail later this month. Subscribe here to get it.

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com

The post Podcast 530: Breedlove Guitars’ Pete Mroz and Shannon Pollard first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Winzz Guitars announces the WGT100, a new electric guitar designed to blend classic inspiration with modern refinement. The WGT100 introduces a unique combination of ergonomic shaping, upgraded playability, and versatile tonal performance. Built for musicians seeking comfort, stability, and expressive sound, it delivers a fresh interpretation of the electric guitar while staying rooted in time-tested design principles.

Featuring a selected alder body, the WGT100 pairs a classic silhouette with a delicate offset contour and smooth curved edges that enhance both comfort and visual appeal. A seamless and asymmetric ergonomic neck-body joint ensures easy access to higher frets. The instrument employs a 25.5” scale, roasted maple neck topped with either a rosewood or maple fingerboard and 22 stainless steel, medium frets. The guitar’s signature “glider neck” C+D profile and satin finish make for a fast, fluid feel. This combination, along with a stable five-bolt construction and Luminlay side dots provide comfort and confidence when playing under any circumstances.

For electronics, the WGT100 is fitted with custom ceramic single coil pickups, offering a versatile tonal palette that stays faithful to traditional single-coil clarity while supporting a wide range of modern styles. The upgraded pickups are designed to respond dynamically to picking nuances and playing intensity, providing both warmth and precision. Controls and switching work in a familiar, intuitive layout, allowing players to easily shape their sound onstage, in the studio, or at home.

The guitar’s hardware emphasizes tuning stability with modern steel bridge saddles and locking tuners working together to enhance accuracy, performance, and reliability. The instrument’s 4+2 tuner layout further contributes to balanced string tension and improved intonation. A spoke adjustable truss rod provides setup flexibility and playing comfort.

Born from a partnership between passionate guitar builders from Germany’s village of Winz and Aileen Music in China, Winzz Guitars blends German precision with Chinese industriousness — a union that celebrates both artistry and innovation. Guided by the belief that music should be accessible to everyone, Winzz creates instruments that invite players to “find their voice and make every stage their own.” The WGS150 embodies that mission, offering a professional instrument that welcomes beginners, creators, and seasoned musicians alike.

For more details about the WGT100 or to explore more instruments from Winzz Guitars, please visit www.winzzguitars.com

Street Price: $339.99 USD

Just the other day, I was thinking, “Diver Down gets no respect.” (You have to imagine Rodney saying it.)

This lesson is a lighthearted look at one of the David Lee Roth era’s most maligned albums. Does it have too many covers? Probably. Does it seem kinda just thrown together? Sort of. Do I love it? Well, no. Do I like it a whole lot? Yes. Yes, I do. And, as with every VH record, there are some inspired Eddie Van Halen moments. The following is a look at just a few of them, and, if you don’t walk away at the end with at least a couple of fun ideas, well, we won’t ever mention this again.

Not Those Kinds of Pedals

Here’s the scintillating EVH riff that begins “Hang ’em High”:

This unique riff finds Eddie using an inverted pedal point—a re-articulated or sustained note above an accompanying melodic figure. Ex. 1 is inspired by this barnburner; it ends with a Van Halen-style flourish of natural harmonics.

Ex. 1

The opening two beats’ picking pattern incorporates string skipping, which can open up a new world of ideas involving wider intervals. Here that interval is a minor seventh, so, to spark some new ideas, let’s take the B Dorian scale (B–C#–D–E–F#–G#–A) and play it in sevenths, as in Ex. 2. B Dorian is simply A major, but with B as the root or “home base.” Try experimenting with these and other wide intervals in your own playing.

Ex. 2

Just a few bars later, Eddie hints at another pedal (below, this time) to kick-start his nimble fill at 0:10; Ex. 3 expands on his idea. Begin with a mini-barre on the top two strings, allowing the F# on the second string to ring over the pull-offs. The lick ends with a bluesy flourish, as Eddie’s does. So often, he would ground phrases that are a bit off the beaten path by balancing them with something bluesy and down to earth.

Ex. 3

“Secrets” finds Eddie applying a pedal in yet another way, allowing a slightly palm-muted open D-string drone to gently linger below shimmering, melodic chords. Check him out here as he plays the song’s intro on the 12-string neck of his rarely-seen Kramer doubleneck guitar:

Ex. 4 is along the same lines. If you have an ’80s-style chorus pedal, now’s the time to add it back to your pedalboard.

Ex. 4

The Pick’s the Thing (Or Is It?)

My favorite of Diver Down’s covers is VH’s bouncy version of the Motown classic “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha and the Vandellas. The lick that always catches my ear is the wicked descending line Eddie plays at the 2:57 mark of his solo.

The song is in the key of D, and that lick (Ex. 5) is played over an F#m chord. Eddie uses the basic 14th position F#m pentatonic box (F#–A–B–C#–E), but cunningly adds most of the chromatic notes in between those pitches. But he summons even more magic from how he uses his pick. Starting on beat 2, Eddie is using upstrokes only, scratching the edge of his pick along the string to create a grinding squeal. Be sure to play these notes short (as indicated by the staccato dots) by quickly resting your pick back on the string right after the scratching motion. Great stuff.

Ex. 5

More of Eddie’s pick-based antics—likely inspired by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons—are found in “The Full Bug.” Over a nasty two-note boogie riff, Eddie conjures a subtle high-pitched countermelody using pinch harmonics.

Pinch harmonics are sounded by lightly touching the string with the flesh of your picking-hand thumb immediately after striking it. In the same way an open string offers harmonics of varying pitches, depending on where you touch it with a fretting-hand finger along its length, the same holds true for your picking-hand thumb, as illustrated in Ex. 6. To match the pitches in the example, begin with your pick about an inch from the bridge pickup—about halfway between the middle and bridge pickups if you’re using a standard Strat. This produces a pitch three octaves and a fifth above the fretted notes. On beat 3 of the third bar, slowly begin moving your picking hand towards the headstock to produce the remaining pitches. But this is rock ’n’ roll, so better to just go for it and find the harmonics that sound good to you.

Ex. 6

Okay, but how about not using your picking hand at all? “Cathedral” has Eddie doing just that, hammering notes with his fretting hand while creatively employing a dotted-eighth-note delay setting. Since a dotted-eighth is equal to three 16-notes, every time a note is played, it repeats itself three 16-notes later. (Eddie sets his delay at approximately 380 ms with just one repeat and Mix set at 100%.) If you swell the volume at a straight eighth-note pace, the repeats will create the bouncy 16th-note pattern of the tune.

Ex. 7 is inspired by “Cathedral” and illustrates how Eddie uses both triads and scales to create classical-sounding melodies.

Ex. 7

Happy Trails…

Let’s close with a look at “Little Guitars,” a Diver Down highlight that Eddie was inspired to write after picking up a pint-sized Les Paul. In the song’s verses, Eddie employs hybrid picking—simultaneously plucking three strings by using the pick, index, and middle fingers.

Eddie again creates drama by playing staccato, quickly resting his pick and fingers back onto the strings after plucking each chord. Ex. 8 is inspired by his approach. (Note you can also play it fingerstyle, if you prefer.) Eddie’s mini Les Paul is tuned up one and a half steps from standard; the example approximates this by using a capo, but feel free to omit it if you prefer. Lastly, try turning down your guitar’s volume knob a bit to reduce the amount of distortion, and note that the final three chords are strummed with the pick.

Ex. 8

In the end, Diver Down may not arguably be Van Halen’s greatest album, but even after all of these years, it still holds its own, bolstered by Eddie’s cleverness and creativity.

Just the other day, I was thinking, “Diver Down gets no respect.” (You have to imagine Rodney saying it.)

This lesson is a lighthearted look at one of the David Lee Roth era’s most maligned albums. Does it have too many covers? Probably. Does it seem kinda just thrown together? Sort of. Do I love it? Well, no. Do I like it a whole lot? Yes. Yes, I do. And, as with every VH record, there are some inspired Eddie Van Halen moments. The following is a look at just a few of them, and, if you don’t walk away at the end with at least a couple of fun ideas, well, we won’t ever mention this again.

Not Those Kinds of Pedals

Here’s the scintillating EVH riff that begins “Hang ’em High”:

This unique riff finds Eddie using an inverted pedal point—a re-articulated or sustained note above an accompanying melodic figure. Ex. 1 is inspired by this barnburner; it ends with a Van Halen-style flourish of natural harmonics.

Ex. 1

The opening two beats’ picking pattern incorporates string skipping, which can open up a new world of ideas involving wider intervals. Here that interval is a minor seventh, so, to spark some new ideas, let’s take the B Dorian scale (B–C#–D–E–F#–G#–A) and play it in sevenths, as in Ex. 2. B Dorian is simply A major, but with B as the root or “home base.” Try experimenting with these and other wide intervals in your own playing.

Ex. 2

Just a few bars later, Eddie hints at another pedal (below, this time) to kick-start his nimble fill at 0:10; Ex. 3 expands on his idea. Begin with a mini-barre on the top two strings, allowing the F# on the second string to ring over the pull-offs. The lick ends with a bluesy flourish, as Eddie’s does. So often, he would ground phrases that are a bit off the beaten path by balancing them with something bluesy and down to earth.

Ex. 3

“Secrets” finds Eddie applying a pedal in yet another way, allowing a slightly palm-muted open D-string drone to gently linger below shimmering, melodic chords. Check him out here as he plays the song’s intro on the 12-string neck of his rarely-seen Kramer doubleneck guitar:

Ex. 4 is along the same lines. If you have an ’80s-style chorus pedal, now’s the time to add it back to your pedalboard.

Ex. 4

The Pick’s the Thing (Or Is It?)

My favorite of Diver Down’s covers is VH’s bouncy version of the Motown classic “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha and the Vandellas. The lick that always catches my ear is the wicked descending line Eddie plays at the 2:57 mark of his solo.

The song is in the key of D, and that lick (Ex. 5) is played over an F#m chord. Eddie uses the basic 14th position F#m pentatonic box (F#–A–B–C#–E), but cunningly adds most of the chromatic notes in between those pitches. But he summons even more magic from how he uses his pick. Starting on beat 2, Eddie is using upstrokes only, scratching the edge of his pick along the string to create a grinding squeal. Be sure to play these notes short (as indicated by the staccato dots) by quickly resting your pick back on the string right after the scratching motion. Great stuff.

Ex. 5

More of Eddie’s pick-based antics—likely inspired by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons—are found in “The Full Bug.” Over a nasty two-note boogie riff, Eddie conjures a subtle high-pitched countermelody using pinch harmonics.

Pinch harmonics are sounded by lightly touching the string with the flesh of your picking-hand thumb immediately after striking it. In the same way an open string offers harmonics of varying pitches, depending on where you touch it with a fretting-hand finger along its length, the same holds true for your picking-hand thumb, as illustrated in Ex. 6. To match the pitches in the example, begin with your pick about an inch from the bridge pickup—about halfway between the middle and bridge pickups if you’re using a standard Strat. This produces a pitch three octaves and a fifth above the fretted notes. On beat 3 of the third bar, slowly begin moving your picking hand towards the headstock to produce the remaining pitches. But this is rock ’n’ roll, so better to just go for it and find the harmonics that sound good to you.

Ex. 6

Okay, but how about not using your picking hand at all? “Cathedral” has Eddie doing just that, hammering notes with his fretting hand while creatively employing a dotted-eighth-note delay setting. Since a dotted-eighth is equal to three 16-notes, every time a note is played, it repeats itself three 16-notes later. (Eddie sets his delay at approximately 380 ms with just one repeat and Mix set at 100%.) If you swell the volume at a straight eighth-note pace, the repeats will create the bouncy 16th-note pattern of the tune.

Ex. 7 is inspired by “Cathedral” and illustrates how Eddie uses both triads and scales to create classical-sounding melodies.

Ex. 7

Happy Trails…

Let’s close with a look at “Little Guitars,” a Diver Down highlight that Eddie was inspired to write after picking up a pint-sized Les Paul. In the song’s verses, Eddie employs hybrid picking—simultaneously plucking three strings by using the pick, index, and middle fingers.

Eddie again creates drama by playing staccato, quickly resting his pick and fingers back onto the strings after plucking each chord. Ex. 8 is inspired by his approach. (Note you can also play it fingerstyle, if you prefer.) Eddie’s mini Les Paul is tuned up one and a half steps from standard; the example approximates this by using a capo, but feel free to omit it if you prefer. Lastly, try turning down your guitar’s volume knob a bit to reduce the amount of distortion, and note that the final three chords are strummed with the pick.

Ex. 8

In the end, Diver Down may not arguably be Van Halen’s greatest album, but even after all of these years, it still holds its own, bolstered by Eddie’s cleverness and creativity.

December 19, 2025 We are getting further behind in Holiday prep every day, so not much new on my guitar front this week. Although, we did get a new Bee Gees lesson from Nesh – How Deep Is Your Love. I did take the opportunity in today’s video to play a few of my favorite […]

The post Totally Guitars Weekly Update December 19, 2025 appeared first on On The Beat with Totally Guitars.

Hayden Pedigo performs “I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away,” the title track from his 2025 album, at our headquarters.

For this recording, he borrowed our ladder-braced Waterloo WL-14 guitar (the same one that Bill Frisell used for prior FJ sessions).

Follow Hayden’s Instagram here.

The post Hayden Pedigo – “I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away” first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Shnobel Tone has introduced the latest addition to its line of premium guitar effects: the new Dumbbell Boost offers a Dumble® BBC-1 circuit in a compact two knob pedal.

Available in either black or white finishes, it’s a dead-simple way to fine-tune your tone, add some grind and help your guitar stand out in the mix.

The Dumbbell Boost’s Input knob controls the input impedance and impacts your tone and grit. When turned fully to the left (counterclockwise) it gives you a brighter, less bassy sound. Turned all the way to the right (clockwise) you’ll get a full range sound with rich harmonics and Dumble® like tones. The pedal’s Level knob controls the pedal’s overall output volume.

Hand soldered with the best through hole components for maximum tone and reliability. Shnobel Tone’s Dumbbell Boost includes these features:

• Simple two-knob control set: Input and Level
• True-bypass on/off footswitch
• Top mounted power and in / out jacks for easier pedalboard placement
• Available in Black or White finish
• Hand-built in the USA with through-hole components
• Standard 9v center negative power – no battery compartment

Shnobel Tone’s Dumbbell Boost carries a street price of $179 and can be purchased at shnobeltone.com.

Cort Guitars announces the KX500 Pale Moon, an electric guitar designed for players who demand both uncompromising performance and standout style. Available worldwide through local and online retailers, the KX500 Pale Moon delivers aggressive tone, surgical precision, and a visually striking Pale Moon ebony top that ensures players stand out both sonically and on stage.

The KX500 Pale Moon features a mahogany body producing warm, rich tones with strong midrange and low-end response. Its Pale Moon ebony top adds a dramatic and unique aesthetic, while the matte open-pore Natural Black Burst finish highlights the natural beauty of the wood. A bolt-on, 5-piece roasted maple and walnut neck improves resonance and durability, paired with a comfortable D-shaped profile measuring 19.5mm at the first fret and 21.5mm at the twelfth. The 25.5-inch scale length neck is topped with a Macassar ebony fingerboard featuring 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets, a 15.75-inch radius, luminous, glow-in-the-dark side dots, and teardrop inlays. A Graph Tech® Black TUSQ® nut (43mm) and two-way truss rod with spoke nut enhance performance, comfort, tuning stability, and sustain.

Loaded with a Seymour Duncan® Sentient and Nazgul humbucker set, the KX500 Pale Moon excels in both high-gain aggression and expressive dynamics. The Nazgul bridge pickup delivers crushing low-end response, sharp attack, and saturated tone, while the Sentient neck pickup provides smooth, articulate cleans and fluid leads. Electronics are kept intuitive with a 1-volume, 1-tone control layout and a 3-way selector switch.

The guitar’s hardware includes Cort® locking tuners for fast, precise tuning and stability, while the new Cort® hardtail bridge with string-through-body construction enhances sustain and resonance. The instrument comes factory-fitted with D’Addario® EXL110 strings, rounding out a feature set designed to meet the demands of modern players.

For more information about the new Cort KX500 Pale Moon and other Cort Guitars instruments, please visit www.cortguitars.com.

Street $929.99 USD

He may be Deep Purple’s longest serving guitarist, but Steve Morse isn’t expecting – or pushing for – a reunion with the band any time soon.

Morse joined Deep Purple in 1994, stepping into an unenviable role after Ritchie Blackmore’s departure, and went on to record eight studio albums with the band over a 28-year run. But since stepping away in 2022 to care for his late wife Janine, the guitarist has been candid about where he stands, and where Deep Purple are headed without him.

• READ MORE: Steve Morse reveals the guitarist with the best pre-show warm-up routine he’s ever seen

In a recent chat with Guitar Interactive, Morse was asked about the possibility of reuniting with the Deep Purple for one-off shows, to which the guitarist replies [via Blabbermouth]: “I think if the band felt differently, I would feel differently.”

“But I think that there’s a couple of guys in the band that were really glad for me to be gone, because they were sort of heading back to their roots and wanted just to be a rock band, and ‘don’t give me any of that fancy crap.’ And when you look at me as a writer, I definitely give you that fancy crap. I can’t help it. [Laughs]”

Which is why he doesn’t believe a reunion would make sense for either side.

“So I think the band’s happier the way they are, and it would be kind of a step back for them to wanna do something like that… Anyway, they’re happier and better off. And I think same here.”

Elsewhere, Morse has also opened up about the resistance he faced from some Deep Purple fans after replacing Blackmore. Speaking to Prog magazine about that period, he said that “For acceptance from a percentage of them, it took the first album and our first tour. But I never won over the whole audience. You can’t!”

That hostility sometimes turned physical too: “It sure as hell happened in the form of things whizzing by my face,” Morse recalled. “One of the bottles one time hit Jon [Lord, keyboardist] right in the head, nearly knocked him out.”

The post Don’t hold your breath for a Deep Purple reunion with Steve Morse: “A couple of guys in the band were really glad for me to be gone” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Paul McCartney has spoken out following news that Höfner – the famed German instrument maker behind his iconic violin bass – has filed for bankruptcy, describing the situation as “very sad”.

Earlier this week, filings in the Fürth District Court in Bavaria revealed that Höfner has entered insolvency proceedings in Germany. Founded in 1887, the company has become synonymous with McCartney’s early Beatles-era sound and remains one of the most recognisable names in electric bass history.

• READ MORE: Polarising Boss pedals, brilliant Martins and a relic Fender: these are my favourite new guitar products of 2025

Now, McCartney himself has weighed in on the brand’s uncertain future. In a new Instagram post, the former Beatle reflects on his longstanding relationship with Höfner and the instrument that helped shape his playing.
“It is very sad to see Höfner go out of business,” McCartney begins. “They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the sixties. I have loved it ever since. It’s a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely. It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy.”

“So commiserations to everyone at Höfner, and thank you for all your help over the years.”

View this post on Instagram

Despite the news, Höfner has also issued a statement reassuring customers and fans that the situation is not yet final.

While an insolvency administrator has been appointed, the company says day-to-day operations will continue for the time being: “Some of you may have already heard: our company has been going through a difficult period – especially since the introduction of the US tariffs – and filed for insolvency on Thursday, 11 December 2025.”

The firm also stresses that production and support remain unaffected during the initial phase of the process.

“We would like to clarify a few things: We are not discontinuing production, distribution or our media channels,” says Höfner “In Germany, there is a three-month period before the actual insolvency procedure is opened. This period offers the opportunity to consolidate the company and restructure it for a better future.”

“Within this period, we will continue to build and sell our instruments and the Höfner team is doing its best to provide you with the support, service and warranties you expect.”

View this post on Instagram

The post Paul McCartney calls Höfner’s bankruptcy “very sad” as the legendary violin bass maker faces uncertain future appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Nuno Bettencourt has admitted that unveiling his own guitar brand at Black Sabbath’s farewell show may not have been the smoothest exit strategy, especially considering how his longtime partner Washburn had no idea he was about to walk away.

Speaking about the launch of Nuno Guitars and his decision to end a 35-year relationship with Washburn, the Extreme guitarist reveals that the high-profile onstage debut of his Dark Horse model at Back to the Beginning earlier this year was, in fact, not part of a planned rollout.

• READ MORE: Nuno Bettencourt says bands often sabotage guest guitarists at gigs on purpose with sub-par gear: “I’ve dubbed it the ‘punishment’ rig’”

“To be honest with you, it probably wasn’t a good idea to play that guitar at all,” Bettencourt tells Premier Guitar. “I’d been thinking about this for a long time, and Washburn didn’t know I was leaving. So for them to see not only a guitar they’d never seen, but then to see not their name on the headstock – to see mine – was probably a really fucked up thing to do. [laughs]”

That said, the guitarist explains that his long-standing arrangement with Washburn was never bound by a formal contract.

“I didn’t really have a contract with them. It was more of a gentleman’s agreement that had been up for so long,” he says. “After a while, especially after [Extreme’s last album] Six came out, I just felt nothing from them. Guitars were back ordered, no press, nothing.”

“But the reason I pulled the guitar out that day is because when I got it, I played it and was like, this feels like the best N4 I’ve ever played. I was super excited. I just wanted to play it onstage. It wasn’t marketing or teasing. I was just authentically excited. I was blown away by how the neck felt. It just felt right.”

Bettencourt also shares that starting his own guitar company was something he’d “always wanted to do”.

“Without sounding like a hippie, it was time. Everything was happening organically – the Six album, the attention with Rise, that solo, the Back to the Beginning concert – all these dominoes were tipping,” he says. “I felt like the universe was saying, ‘Here are a few opportunities for you. You’ve worked your ass off, you’ve hustled for 40 years. This is it.’”

The post Nuno Bettencourt admits debuting his guitar brand at Black Sabbath’s farewell show “was probably a really f**ked-up thing to do”: “Washburn didn’t know I was leaving” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$1,469.99/£1,299, gretschguitar.com

If we accept that the most recognisable and iconic electric guitars of all time are exclusively made by Fender and Gibson, the Gretsch Falcon might be the exception to that rule. Whether in the hands of Neil Young, Joe Strummer, John Frusciante or The Edge, the Falcon has established itself as a big, bold and blingy holy grail guitar for many musicians – though the eye-watering price tag has usually disqualified most people who aren’t rock stars from indulging their raptor reverie.

• READ MORE: Warm Audio WA-TS Tube Squealer review: “it offers a great deal in a small enclosure”

But now the velvet rope behind which the Falcon has existed for the last 70-odd years has been dropped, and now Gretsch are for the first time producing a Falcon that won’t cost as much as a small family car.

The catch? It’s made in China like many of Gretsch’s more affordable instruments, but interestingly this isn’t part of the popular Electromatic range – instead these new instruments form the bedrock of a new class that sits between Electromatic and the Japan-made Professional Series – the Synchromatic collection.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – what is it?

For years now, Gretsch has been one of the worst offenders for giving products overly long and unnecessary names. So it’s quite nice to see a guitar that is just called “Synchromatic Falcon” without the jumble of numbers and letters that no human being outside of Gretsch shipping and handling can understand spaffed in there somewhere.

They can’t quit cold turkey however, and so this guitar is technically called the “Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon Hollow-body Single-cut with Bigsby”. That certainly goes a long way to explaining the basic makeup of this guitar without having to consult a spec sheet, but beyond that is an absolutely insane thing to call a product.

Imagine if the new iPhone was called the “iPhone 17 Pro Max with 6.9″ Super Retina XDR display, A19 Pro chip and a USB-C port”? That’s what Gretsch is doing every time and someone needs to stage an intervention.

Anyway, this is a classic Falcon in all the ways that are fundamental to the concept: a big, deep hollowbody guitar with a honkin’ great Bigsby and a bunch of flashy gold hardware.

How big? Well, it’s actually a teeny bit smaller than a Professional Series Falcon. The classic is 2.5” deep and 17” wide, while my example is more like 2.45” deep and 16.9” wide.

That is basically nothing, but does correspond to bang on 6cm deep and 44cm across, so I would guess this is probably to make the measurements more straightforward in a metric-using Chinese factory than anything else. Still, the more you know!

The Synchromatic range is designed to offer “upgraded materials and components, enhanced bracing, and authentic aesthetic features”, says Gretsch, and that’s clear to see when you look closer.

Perhaps the most notable change here in terms of construction is the new Semi-Arc bracing. This is a variation on Gretsch’s classic trestle bracing – which has two straight braces running down the top of the guitar, anchored with two sets of ‘feet’ to the guitar’s back – designed in the 50s to improve sustain and reduce unruly vibrations and thus feedback, at the cost of a little resonance.

Semi-Arc bracing effectively does away with one of these sets of feet, meaning that the bracing is now connected to the back only beneath the bridge. The thinking is that this still retains the advantages of trestle bracing while allowing more liveliness and resonance.

Elsewhere it’s all very Falcon – the body and neck are maple, you get a nice “Classic C” neck profile and 25.5-inch scale length, plus a bone nut and thumbprint pearly inlays on the ebony fingerboard. You even get a set of Grover Super Rotomatic tuners to keep things as stable as a Bigsby-toting laminate hollowbody can hope to be.

Finishes are a choice between classic white or black for the finish, and there’s an abundance of gold sparkly binding throughout – though the headstock is a disappointingly demure affair compared to the regular Falcon.

While there’s precedent for Falcons having the simple Gretsch logo on the peghead, it does feel rather underwhelming compared to the glorious bewinged ostentatiousness of the classic design – but I suppose costs have to be factored in somewhere.

That’s also something you’ll have to make peace with for two of the most important components. The Bigsby is a B60 with V cutout, but it’s a licensed version as opposed to the proper USA-made model, while the pickups are Gretsch’s own Hi-Fidelity Filter’Tron units – no TV Jones for those in the cheap(er) seats.

In happier news, the guitar ships with a deluxe Gretsch hard case – something that has been a glaring omission from the top end of the Electromatic line.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – build quality and playability

Whenever an iconic guitar gets reimagined at a significantly reduced price point, the first thing you’re looking to ensure is that the inevitable corners that have been cut to get there don’t compromise the essence of what the guitar should be.

But for the Synchromatic Falcon, the initial impression is very positive indeed. Pulling it out of the case, it looks every bit the Falcon – the drab headstock ornamentation aside.

I happen to have a Japan-made Professional Falcon to hand and visually it really does stand up to muster on initial inspection. The binding and hardware are equally as vibrant and sparkly on both guitars, and you even get the same red jewel-encrusted control knobs for an extra bit of opulence.

White is obviously the classic Falcon colour, but I tend to think the black version here is actually the connoisseur’s choice – black and gold is a timeless guitar pairing, and it feels more gig-ready than the white’s ‘looks nice in a music video’ aesthetic.

On closer inspection, however, there are a few finishing issues that you would not expect on a near-$1,500 guitar. The binding is generally well applied, but there are a few areas where the binding has some tool marks and roughness, mainly in the f-holes, and there’s also an excess of glue around the heel which really should have been tidied up.

The fingerboard also has some unsightly residue above the 12th fret – something easily removed with a bit of wire wool but again, this is a $1,500 guitar and I’d expect a bit better on the QC/finishing side of things at this price point.

Most problematically, however, there’s a white blemish to the finish on the top of the neck just before the neck joint. It’s a tiny dot, but one that’s pretty visible against the black finish, and is also right in your eyeline as you look down at the guitar – it’s the sort of thing that you might not notice at first but you’d never stop noticing once you did.

I’d be surprised if this wasn’t an isolated issue – another Synchromatic guitar I have in for review has no such oversights – but it’s also the sort of thing that really should have been spotted and rectified before it left the factory.

Strapping it on, and while a hollowbody is never going to be a boat anchor, I was still surprised at its weight – a hair off 9lbs isn’t a deal-breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re buying this expecting to feel like you’ve got a cloud wrapped around your neck, take heed.

The neck is described by Gretsch as a ‘soft C’ and it certainly makes for a smooth and enjoyable playing experience. It might not have the personality of a bigger and more heavily-shouldered neck, but it feels comfortable in the palm and doesn’t discourage meandering up to the dustier regions.

Be warned, however, that this does ship with 11s out of the box – a suitably robust thickness of string to ensure better tuning stability, but one that might come as something of a shock to those used to 10s or 9s.

The Bigsby’s travel is smooth and responsive, and while there’s always going to be a degree of compromise in terms of stability with one in situ, the Grover tuners and a nicely cut and lubricated nut certainly make the experience as in-tune as you could hope for.

A nice touch that deviates from tradition is the presence of an oval jack plate. There are too many sad stories about plate-less hollowbodies getting a new and entirely unwanted hole in the side courtesy of a free-mounted jack socket, so this is a definite upgrade.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – sounds

With more freedom for the top to vibrate, you’d expect the new bracing used on the Synchromatic would make this a more strident acoustic instrument, and an unplugged strum certainly presents a little more volume and vibration than I’d expect, even from a big ol’ hollowbody like this one.

Confession time before we plug in – I absolutely love Filter’Trons. If you’ve never played a guitar with a set in before, do yourself a favour and rectify that because they split the difference so well between single-coil and humbucker, while still maintaining the punch and power that makes them so well suited to rocking out.

Plugging in, and it’s immediately apparent that these High Fidelity units capture a lot of the best bits about Filter’Trons – with plenty of growl, punch and articulation. However, they’re definitely not overburdened with the airiness that characterises a ‘classic’ Filter’Tron.

In fact, the bass frequencies can get a little overwhelming at times – part of that is just what you’d expect from a big-bodied guitar of course, but I wonder if this new bracing pattern makes those low-end frequencies resonate more forcefully.

It makes for a guitar you have to keep a watchful eye on when played clean and at volume then – it doesn’t take much for that punchy bass to tip things into feedback. The Falcon has the classic Gretsch four-control wiring, however, including the master volume with treble bleed, and this is an effective way to tame some of those thuddier frequencies on the fly.

Add a bit of gain to proceedings and it all starts to come together in a way that’s tremendously rewarding. Rhythm tones are thick and muscular while retaining the note separation that you’d expect from a Gretsch, while adding fuzz to proceedings is an absolute riot.

The liveliness of that more freely vibrating top makes the Synchromatic a perfect companion to my Bigfoot King Fuzz, and emphasises the inherent sonic character of the guitar. It feels like something of a hybrid between a traditional humbucker and a Filter’Tron.

That might mean it’s not going to nail the Brian Setzer rockabilly sound necessarily, but if your White Falcon heroes are more at the Neil Young end of the spectrum, turn it up and have fun.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – should I buy one?

For an awful lot of potential buyers, the proposition of cutting the price of entry for a Gretsch Falcon in half is compelling enough on its own, regardless of how good the guitar is. And you can certainly make the argument that for $1,500 you can easily drop a few hundred bucks on a pair of TV Jones pickups and get a lot closer to a Professional Series instrument for a fraction of the cost.

And that’s because, QC issues aside, this is a fundamentally very good guitar that captures much of the essence of what a Falcon should be without cutting too many obvious corners. Even the decision to use pickups that are voiced a little bit more to the middle ground probably makes sense in the grand scheme of things – they still sound great and will rock in the free world with the best of them.

Some Falcon owners will be dismayed at what they perceive as a dilution of the exclusivity of the model. For decades it has been a Rolex of a guitar that was as much a status symbol as it was a musical tool.

There’s no doubt that this guitar is going to make Falcons a much more common sight on everyday stages, but the Tudor Black Bay hasn’t stopped people wanting to buy Rolex Submariners, has it? Falcons for the masses – it’s a beautiful thing.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – alternatives

If you want the big-bodied Gretsch hollowbody vibe without the Falcon appointments, the Gretsch G5420T Electromatic Classic Hollowbody ($839 / £769) is a great value alternative. At the other end of the scale, the Professional Collection Falcon ($3,789 / £3,549) offers Japanese build and quality of life improvements like a string-thru Bigsby. Another affordable hollowbody with prestige and heritage is the Guild M-75 Aristocrat ($1,199).

The post Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon review – “this guitar is going to make Falcons a much more common sight on everyday stages” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

“Smoking in the Boys Room” is a collaborative two-in-one distortion and chorus pedal created by Summer School Electronics and Supercool Pedals – A cross-border team-up that delivers unmistakably 90’s grunge tones with a refreshed modern bite and artful design.

Smoking In the Boys Room artfully fuses a Summer School Electronics DS-1-inspired distortion – complete with classic buzzsaw edge and a modernized mid-range snarl – with Supercool Pedals’ organic and watery Small Clone-style analog chorus. This tribute to the legendary Seattle Grunge pioneers Nirvana is unmistakable and loving, summoning classic tones but delivering original spins on sound and circuit to bring this iconic sound into the 21st century.

Smashed into a single thoughtfully designed enclosure (with art that is SATURATED with deep 90’s and Nirvana lore), each effect can be run independently or simultaneously for a classic cacophony of flannelled saturation, with an all-important external order switch to determine the effect chain sequence.

Each pedal offers the following features:

• Buzzsaw distortion tones with a revamped easy to use tone circuit.
• Watery chorus with adjustable rate and depth.
• Internal order swap accessible by an external toggle switch.
• Nostalgic and 90’s-rich art and design (with full colour manual, printed fabric bags, and plenty of box candy).

• Hand-built across borders by two independent builders: Summer School Electronics (Syracuse, NY) and Supercool Pedals (Peterborough, ON).

• True mechanical bypass on both circuits (no more BOSS buffer woes).
• 9-volt operation with a stranded DC input.

Smoking In The Boys Room is available at Supercool Pedals and Summer School Electronics dealers, at a street price of $299.99 as well as online at www.summerschoolelectronics.com and www.supercoolpedals.com



It’s the 157th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps.

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts

:42 Atmospheric rivers

3:52 Skip’s appearance at the Bay Area Guitar Show (Jan 10-11, link)

8:46 Fretboard Journal 58 (coming soon!)

9:57 Unsung electronics hero (and possible con man) Lee De Forest (read his memoir here); power conditioners

17:44 Skip’s new trail cam

20:47 One man’s trash: Repurposing the square capacitor/resistor found in a Gibson GA-19 RVT/Falcon

22:44 What’s on Skip’s Bench: A clean early 1969 SF Fender Vibro Champ with a trem that didn’t want to go slow; an Ampeg J-20

29:11 Advice on an amp road trip (New Orleans, Phoenix, LA, and Denver)

34:25 What’s louder: Two 50-watt halves or one full 100-watt stack of amps

37:29 Using the potentiometers in hi-fi speaker units from the 1950s; the Christmas Jug Band; ukuleles

42:10 What’s up with this Winson combo amp? EL84s vs 7189s; garlic bread; Roy Buchanan’s The Messiah Will Come Again (YouTube link); Roy Clark and Joe Pass; Van Morrison’s “You Are My Sunshine;” The Fretboard Journal’s You Are My Sunshine project (link)

50:29 Gigging a 1947 Fender Deluxe 5A3, Brookwood leather

55:40 6L6s in Deluxe Reverbs and Princetons? wild mushrooms

1:00:43 Are all trebles created equal?

1:05:38 Greetings from Canada; Slow Horses (redux); Life on the Line featuring John Travolta (Wikipedia link); chicken curry

1:13:26 Questions re: a Knight 93SX670 PA amp and the phono wiring

1:17:23 WD-40 musings

1:19:33 Just completed my Mojotone Tweed Princeton kit, but what’s with this hum?

1:22:50 An RCA MI12155 PA head with no output; Chuck Prophet; Mosquito Coast cocktails; recommended book: ‘The Night Train to Nashville’ (Amazon link)

1:26:40 The Whole Earth Catalog; Stewart Brand (Amazon link)

1:30:30 Vacuum Tube Valley

Want amp tech Skip Simmons’ advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

Don’t forget, we have a Patreon page. Support the show, get behind-the-scenes updates and get to the front of the line with your questions.

Above and below: Listener Rick’s Winston amplifier, as discussed on this episode.  

The post The Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 157 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

The Blondie co-founder talks early Stratocasters, fingerpicking punk riffs, CBGBs-era New York, and the cultural truth of electric guitars.

Chris Stein of Blondie joins the Axe Lords for a deep conversation about tone, technique, and the guitars that shaped Blondie’s sound from their early years at CBGBs to today. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer also explains why he dislikes relic guitars, how he came to his very un-punk fingerpicking picking technique and reveals that some of the band’s most iconic “synth” sounds were actually produced by guitars. A thoughtful, opinionated, and unrelentingly wise-cracking look at creativity by a punk and new wave legend who Dave says is basically his best friend. Make sure to stick around through the end of the episode for a deep dive into the design and build of Cindy’s D&D guitar.

Cindy's D&D Guitar!

In Alex Van Halen’s 2024 memoir, Brothers, he wrote that “when there was a disagreement within Van Halen, he was taking [his brother’s] side” – and the band certainly had its fair share of disagreements. From Sammy Hagar to David Lee Roth, there was seemingly always a drama in the Van Halen camp.

However, Wolfgang Van Halen argues that drama is the last thing his father ever wanted. In a new interview with Song Cake, Wolfgang explains how Eddie Van Halen always just wanted to rock out and have a good time. “He just wanted to play music,” he insists. “There was never a desire for drama.”

• READ MORE: Sammy Hagar thinks Alex Van Halen is “angry” because he’s still “out doing it” – and Alex can’t

“He just wanted to play guitar,” he continues. “He just wanted to make music. Why can’t you just make music and have a good time with people you love?”

It’s possible that some of the older Van Halen dramas were a by-product of Eddie’s addictions. For example, in a 2016 interview with AXS TV, Hagar called Eddie’s behaviour “horrible” on Van Halen’s 2004 World Tour, adding that the guitarist “did horrible things to people”.

However, Wolfgang’s introduction to the lineup in 2006 helped keep Eddie in check. “I was just there for my dad,” Wolfgang reflects. “My dad was newly sober, had a noted, you know, problem with addiction, and he needed me there.”

However, even after Eddie cleaned up his act, ex-members have caused a stir countless times over the years. Notably, Hagar called Eddie a liar for implying Michael Anthony was a subpar bassist in 2015 – and he did so with a big “fuck you, Eddie Van Halen”. And, even since Eddie’s passing, David Lee Roth has had an ongoing drama with Wolfgang.

Last year, David Lee Roth posted a YouTube video titled This Crazy Kid, a fiery 5-minute verbal rampage aimed at the late Eddie’s son. “This fucking kid…” Roth said. “He’s complaining the entire tour like I’m not paying enough attention to him on stage.”

He also seemingly took another swipe at Wolfgang in another video entitled Family Therapy. “Son, commercially speaking, you got your ass handed to you,” he said, referring to Van Halen’s 2012 record A Different Kind Of Truth.

The post “There was never a desire for drama. He just wanted to play guitar”: Wolfgang Van Halen believes his father hated the politics and arguments in Van Halen appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

2025 marked my 16th year working as a guitar journalist. And before you ask, yes – the very act of writing that sentence made me feel so old that it receded my hairline by an extra half a centimetre and my knees started to ache. It’ll come for you too, younglings.

Anyway, it’s safe to say that in that decade and a half, I’ve played, reviewed and written about a LOT of guitars, amps and effects. Some of them were inspirational enough that I still use or think fondly of them today. Others, well… let’s not dwell too much on the Peavey AT-200, lest we frighten the children.

With the benefit of hindsight, the thing that I always find remarkable looking back is that somehow I’ve not run out of stuff to say about these things – no matter how many hundreds of thousands of words I’ve scribbled down about them over the years.

I don’t think it has much to do with me, or my gift for prose for that matter. It’s more to do with the fact that every year – every month really – the guitar industry continues to delight and surprise me with its creativity. Given that we often joke about how the fundamentals of this whole thing haven’t really changed in 70-plus years, it’s amazing how often I come away from someone’s NAMM booth, or a product demo thinking that I’ve played or experienced something I’ve never seen before.

2025 was no different in this regard – we saw innovation and exploration in every part of the guitar world, with a special focus on the more affordable end of the market. As someone who still winces at the thought of spending over a grand on a new guitar, it’s something that’s always hugely encouraging to see.

Read on then, to get my personal picks of the best guitar gear for 2025:

My favourite electric guitar of 2025: Fender Vintera II Road Worn ‘50s Jazzmaster

Okay, I’m going to cheat slightly here because, frankly, this is my article and you can’t tell me what to do. Yes, you will probably have noticed that Guitar.com hasn’t quite got round to publishing our review of Fender’s latest Road Worn return… but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’ve had one in my house for the last month and it is K-I-L-L-E-R killer.

That might be somewhat spoiling the review when it comes out early next year, but time is a construct and I will not be constrained by such trivialities. I love a Jazzmaster at the best of times, but the Fender Road Worn Vintera II is such a wonderfully bang on version for the money.

The original Vintera II guitar was already great, but adding a properly worn-in finish to the whole thing just really makes you feel like you’re slipping into an old pair of well-loved Chuck Taylors.

It’s also a real exercise in restraint – I remember the first RW Jazzmaster they did over a decade ago, and while it was cool, it did very much look like a factory-aged guitar. The subtle ageing and lacquer checking on the 2025 variant is so much more believable. The only thing that’s lacking is the colour options – Fiesta Red and Sunburst? Come on guys, give us some custom colour options – Sonic Blue, Seafoam Green, Shoreline Gold… who cares if it’s vintage-correct, live a little!

My favourite acoustic guitar of 2025: Martin 000-Jr Sapele

I am not a small person. I am big and broad enough that I will begrudgingly accept that I do look rather silly playing any kind of student or parlor guitar. And yet… I bloody love a small-bodied acoustic. Especially as the entirety of my acoustic playing life is now at home, I don’t really care about the power and projection of a big-bodied guitar at this point. I just want something that’s comfortable, plays well and sounds good.

That said, I was not expecting to get on with the Martin 000 Jr quite as much as I did – but something about the whole recipe really did just click with me in a way that made it a very, very hard guitar to say goodbye too.

That scaled-down 000 body shape doesn’t feel as dainty as a parlor-sized instrument, and the full-size scale length certainly combines with that to make it feel every inch a ‘proper’ guitar, but just a big more ergonomic and compact.

It also sounds and looks great too, and with its stained sapele finish, it just looks at home in any space you put it in – a killer instrument and a killer price too.

Read the full review.

My favourite amp of 2025: Orange O Tone 40

I didn’t actually review this one in the end, Richard did, but the Orange O Tone 40 spent a few weeks in my house while it was waiting to be photographed and man, did I have a good – and extremely loud – time with it sitting in for my trusty Princeton over that time.

We film quite a lot of our Guitar.com Originals videos on London’s iconic Denmark Street. As a result, I often find myself on the street, glancing up to the nondescript workshop Orange Amps design guru Ade Emsley keeps above the guitar shops there, wondering what one of the true geniuses of modern amp design is cooking up there.

Because, as the O Tone 40 proves, nobody really designs amps like Adrian. Here’s a solid-state, non-modelling amp that sounds absolutely fantastic, responds like a tube amp in all the best ways and is unapologetically and unreasonable loud with it.

I am a paid up member of the ‘most people play at home we need amps that sound great at bedroom levels’ club, but I love that there are people out there like Orange building these uncompromising machines in 2025 – it’s a dying art and we should appreciate it.

My favourite pedal of 2025: Boss PX-1

A confession, before we start: I think we might have reached something of a saturation point in terms of pedal innovation in 2025. That’s not a particularly original thought I know – my esteemed colleague Cillian said much the same last year – but it’s something I’ve been coming back to a lot this year.

It’s not that there aren’t still good and interesting pedals being made all the time of course. But I think we’ve reached the point in the curve where the ‘surprise and delight’ aspect has started to wear off. Pedals are a bit like iPhones now – what would have blown your mind a decade ago is kinda normal now, and it takes a lot to really inspire much strong emotion.

Which is why I found the reaction – and dare I say the backlash – to the Boss PX-1 so interesting. There’s no doubt that what Boss is trying here is quite different – creating a pay-as-you-go archive of classic and rare stompboxes from the brand’s illustrious past is not what anyone had on their bingo cards I don’t think.

And while I think that the discussion and debate it provoked was actually quite useful and important – I’ll be very surprised if anyone tries a subscription-based pedal thing any time soon on the back of it, for example – it did rather obscure what the pedal itself was about.

And taken on its own merits, the PX-1 is a very fun thing to have around – a living library of Boss rarities to pull out as and when the mood strikes. And judging by how quickly they flew off the shelves, a lot of you agreed with that sentiment.

The post Polarising Boss pedals, brilliant Martins and a relic Fender: these are my favourite new guitar products of 2025 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The original SansAmp Classic, introduced 37 years ago, was in constant production for 27 years until 2016. After a 5-year hiatus and a surge in popular demand, it was reissued in 2021. Once again, its enduring popularity has prompted Tech 21 to do another release of a limited quantity scheduled for early 2026.

Virtually unchanged and still made in the USA, the all-analog SansAmp Classic pedal design is B. Andrew Barta's unique invention that was the catalyst for the whole “going direct” movement way back in 1989. Since then, SansAmp evolved into an extensive line of pedals and racks, as well as being the essential element of Tech 21’s Fly Rig series.

Of the pedal formats, SansAmp Classic is the most sophisticated. There is a bank of eight Character switches to adjust tonality, harmonics and dynamics; a 3-position input switch offers a choice of pre-amp styles; and four knob controls to shape pre-amp contours, power amp contours, volume and final tone.

It is rare an electronic music-related product can withstand such a test of time. For over almost 40 years, the SansAmp Classic has been used for every kind of music style from death metal to commercial jingles, in countless pro studios, on tours around the globe, on a vast variety of major releases (including Grammy Award-winning records), and by hundreds of thousands of everyday players, producers, and engineers.

While all SansAmps are flexible, user-friendly, robust devices that deliver the warm, rich, natural tones of the most desirable tube amplifiers on the planet, the SansAmp Classic is the original. Not just for guitar and bass, everything from industrial samples to maracas have been saved from atonal death by its analog magic. It has defied the odds and to this day, remains the standard of the industry.