Norse Guitar Feeds

It’s no secret that the Boss Katana is a versatile and powerful thing – walk into any practice studio and you may well encounter at least one, and for good reason. The Katana is affordable, sounds great, and is loud enough to compete with a drummer. And for Cyber Monday, the 50-watt version of the amp is even more affordable over at Sweetwater. Check out the deal:

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$299 for the Katana 50 Gen 3 is an extremely appealing deal – that’s less than you might pay for a dedicated direct solution like a UAFX pedal, and the Katana Gen 3 has excellent direct sounds, with a customisable signal path and effects chain thanks to robust software control. But, it is more than capable of being used as a regular combo amp, and the 50-watt version has a nice balance between power and portability. It’s more than capable of small-to-medium club gigs, practices and even bigger stages if you have the right monitoring setup, thanks to those great direct tones.

I took a look at the 100-watt version back in 2024, and was mightily impressed by the tonal upgrades that Boss added – particularly the “pushed” mode that recreated an edge-of-breakup tube combo. And so I’d heartily recommend any Gen 3 Katana!

See more deals here, or check out more places to save below:

The post The Boss Katana can do it all – and it’s $50 off for Cyber Monday appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Flattley Pedals has introduced The Outlaw, the company’s first dual-function pedal, which offers a boost circuit and overdrive circuit in a single package.

The Outlaw’s boost channel is based on Flattley’s Ace tone booster. It has an independent tone stack, so it can deliver everything from clean boost, bass boost to treble boost.

The Outlaw’s overdrive section, based on the Flattley’s Plexi pedal, is an FET circuit that gives a simulation of the harmonic distortion that you would expect from a 12AX7 valve with a wide range between a sweet blues tone to a flat-out rock tone.

Each of the two halves of the pedal has its own bypass footswitch to allow the user to use boost or overdrive individually. However, the combination of these two pedal circuits is taken further by allowing the user to swap the order of the two with the flip of a single switch. This means the overdrive tone can be boosted (with additional tone shaping) in one mode, ideal for lifting level for soloing. Alternatively, the overdrive circuit can be driven by the booster which can push it into extreme compression/ distortion as the boost half of the pedal has its own tone stack that can be used to pre emphasise the signal to give a wider range of overdriven tones.

The pedal’s red halo light rings installed diffuse the light when playing live, so you can avoid being blinded by standard LEDs, and an aluminium foot topper gives you more real estate for contact when switching the pedal on and off during quick changes when playing live.

All Flattley "Platinum Range" pedals are hand processed in our Flattley paint shop, with a strikingly unique finish.

The Outlaw includes this control set:

Toggle Switch: The toggle switch allows you to change the lead order of the two pedals. Toggle switch selected forward has the clean tone booster as the lead pedal, toggle switch selected to the rear has the plexi style overdrive as the lead pedal.

Plexi Drive Controls

• Volume: Controls the overall output level.
• Gain: Controls the amount of gain/overdrive
• Tone: Controls the amount of treble/bass

Tone Booster Controls

Volume: Controls the output of the pedal from zero (use as a kill switch), unity gain is around midway and max gives quite a lift to the output. It’s second function is to act as a gain recovery stage for the tone control.

Tone: Midway the tone control is effectively flat and the setting you would use for a straight lift in volume. Either side of midway there is a sweet spot allowing tone to be a little dark (anticlockwise) or have a bit more sparkle (clockwise). Tone fully anticlockwise, the pedal works as a bass boost, fully clockwise it becomes a treble boost with the volume control being used as a gain compensation control as bass boost requires a reduce in overall gain and treble boost usually requires an increase in overall gain.

Other features include:

• 9-volt external power operation (no internal battery option)
• 15mm red anodised aluminium custom etched control knobs
• Red halo light rings installed
• The Outlaw comes with a purple custom etched aluminium foot topper

All Flattley pedals are handmade and hand wired in the UK using the highest quality components.

The Flattley Outlaw carries a street price of $379/£299. For more information visit flattleyguitarpedals.com.

https://flattleyguitarpedals.com/shop/platinum-range/overdrive-platinum-range/the-outlaw-dual-pedal-plexi-overdrive-with-clean-tone-booster/

Universal Audio has launched a new plugin, Paradise Guitar Studio, and it’s designed to make you feel like you’re playing in the studio of your wildest dreams.

It has everything you need for a pro guitar recording chain, offering its acclaimed UAD guitar amp emulations along with classic cabinets and mics, pedals, and studio effects – all built upon its analogue modelling.

• READ MORE: It’s my go-to pedal for all-in-one heavy tones, and it’s $50 off this Black Friday

Within Paradise Guitar Studio, you get 11 hand-picked vintage and modified tube amps, over 300 presets – spanning genres such as rock, blues, indie, metal, funk, and pop – as well as a generous range of effects like 1176 compression, vintage tape echo, and more.

The plugin also has its own integrated tuner and input gate, as well as an intuitive interface similar to a classic pedal board workflow. It comes in UAD’s Native format and is available to purchase on its own, or it can be accessed with a UAD Spark plug‑in subscription.

The plugin has already received praise from Covet’s Yvette Young, engineer Pete Lyman, and Rush’s Alex Lifeson, who says: “This is a stunning array of guitar tones that are instantly usable. The worst part about Paradise Guitar Studio is I’m not going to get much sleep now!”

Learn more in the video below:

“We built Paradise to make any guitarist feel like they’re playing in a dream studio,” says James Santiago, Senior Product Designer at Universal Audio. “It’s the most complete ‘end‑to‑end’ virtual experience we’ve ever built, with hand-picked tube amps and essential recording gear, all in a single plugin.”

Paradise Guitar Studio is available for $199 starting 1 December 2025. For a limited time during the UAD Holiday Sale, you can grab it for an introductory price of $149. Find out more at Universal Audio.

The post “A entire pro guitar recording chain in your DAW”: Universal Audio launches Paradise Guitar Studio appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Ever fancied a Gretsch guitar but been priced out of owning one? Well, if you’ve saved your pennies for the Cyber Monday sales, you may just be able to grab this signature Nigel Hendroff Penguin model for just shy of $2,000.

We’ve been scouting out all of the most exciting deals across the sales over the weekend, and this Gretsch G6134TFM-NH Nigel Hendroff signature Penguin model is now priced at $1,999 over at Reverb — a MASSIVE $1,680.99 price drop from its original list price.

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There are multiple units of this model available on Reverb, all of which are in mint condition and come with their factory box. This signature model honours worship guitarist, songwriter and producer Nigel Hendroff, affectionately known as “Droff”.

It’s a single-cutaway model with a chambered mahogany body and flame maple top, which “captures harmonic richness and resonance” for a “livelier, more articulate tone”. It was designed by Fender Musical Instruments’ Tim Shaw, and hosts BT65 BroadTron pickups that offer “wall-shaking power and full-spectrum fidelity”.

• READ MORE: I’m finding the best Cyber Monday guitar deals in the US and UK across Thomann, Sweetwater and more
  

Hear how it sounds in play below:

Shop this deal now via Reverb.

The post This signature Gretsch Penguin has been discounted by nearly $1,700 for Cyber Monday appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Chorus is, of course, on of those all-time great effects that underpins so many brilliant tones – particularly the Boss CE-1, which has been put to great effect by Robert Smith, Andy Summers, Alex Lifeson, The 1975, The War On Drugs, Tame Impala and countless more. And this Cyber Monday, Thomann has an awesome deal on UAFX’s stellar digital recreation of the CE-1: the Brigade. Check out the deal below:

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When we took a look at the original UAFX compact line, pretty much our only complaint was they were a little too straightforward for the price – however for Cyber Monday the Brigade has been discounted all the way down to just £88, which is an unbelievable deal!

The sounds themselves are great – it is a mono pedal, but there’s both vibrato and chorus modes as well as an optional preamp for a bit of colour. When he reviewed the pedal my colleague Josh said: “the Brigade does a really impressive job of replicating the warm analogue bath of the CE-1… if you told me that it was genuine Bucket Brigade chips producing those wonderfully warm undulations and shimmers, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid.” A pretty good endorsement!

Check out more Cyber Monday deals here, or see more places to save below:

The post UAFX’s best chorus pedal is at an insanely low price this Cyber Monday appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The 2025 remaster of The Beatles Anthology landed on Disney+ last week, along with an additional ninth episode and a new box set containing remastered versions of the original three Anthology albums and a new compilation album, Anthology 4.

If you’ve whisked your way through the doc series like most of us here, then you’ve probably been dreaming of ways to make your guitar collection a little more Beatles-esque. If so, then look no further than this Cyber Week deal on a stunning Höfner Ignition Bass Limited HI-VB-SB model over at Thomann. With 24 percent off it’s now just £333, making it the perfect gift for The Beatles fanatic in your life, or an early Christmas treat for yourself…

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This bargain HI-VB-SB model has an original trapeze nickel tailpiece and control panel, plus a spruce top with flamed maple back and sides. It has a one-piece maple neck and rosewood fingerboard hosting 22 frets, and features two Höfner Ignition Staple humbuckers with nickel covers.

Get yours now at Thomann.

The post If you’ve been binging The Beatles Anthology like us, this bargain violin bass is your perfect Cyber Monday deal appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

By now you’re probably a little flummoxed with all the Black Friday messaging you’ve been bombarded with over the weekend. And I feel for you. But what about Cyber Monday – still got an appetite for that? I’m being facetious, but I had to get your attention on this unbelievable deal on a Kramer somehow.

Right now at Reverb, you can get this Kramer Pacer – in a shred-ready Scarlet Red – for just $179. With a huge $200 discount, you’re getting a $379 guitar here at 53% off. And ultimately a guitar for $179 is just ridiculous in itself.

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Kramer has long built a reputation in the hard rock and heavy metal community, helping facilitate the wildest and most wailing shred solos since 1976.

The Kramer Pacer Classic is a solid option for any shred fanatic – beginner or advanced – and is built for speed with a Kramer K-Speed SlimTaper C profile neck, with 22 medium jumbo frets and a 25.5” scale length, as well as an alder Superstrat-style double-cutaway body, a pair of white Alnico Classic 5 humbuckers, and a licensed Floyd Rose trem for those mandatory divebombs.

But don’t just take my word for it; have a look at what other Reverb users are saying about the Kramer Pacer. “Best guitar ever,” one writes, while another says they “couldn’t be happier” with their purchase.

• READ MORE: Black Friday Guitar Deals 2025: find the best deals and biggest savings with the help of our experts

So don’t hesitate. Whether you’re after the perfect beginner guitar or just a shred-ready workhorse to add to the guitar rack, this Kramer Pacer for just $179 is a truly ridiculous deal.

Get yours at Reverb.

The post If you’re a budding shredder, this Kramer guitar is just $179 for Cyber Monday appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

[Editor’s Note: Meng Ru Kuok, Founder & CEO of Caldecott Music Group is a part owner of Manson Guitar Works. Guitar.com is part of Caldecott Music Group]

£899, mansonguitarworks.com

It’s been six years since Muse frontman Matt Bellamy purchased the long-time manufacturer of his signature guitars, Manson. Shortly after this acquisition they introduced Meta series MBM-1: an affordable variant of Matt’s signature model, built – as many budget brands are – by Cortek. It quickly garnered plaudits from the guitar community as a much-improved successor to 2015’s already rather good MBC-1.

• READ MORE: Boss XS-100 Poly Shifter review – even better than the squeal thing?

Manson soon expanded the Meta series in 2022 and released the MBM-2, marketed as being ‘more closely aligned to Bellamy’s stage guitars’ and included revised body contouring and a Fernandes Sustainer in the neck position.

Of course, due to the sad demise of Fernandes Guitars, the Sustainer is no longer a viable option for anyone wanting an infinite-sustain pickup in their guitar, and so welcome then the latest MBM-2H, which retains much of the spec of the original guitar but with some newly revised body contours and the all-important presence of a Sustainiac pickup in the neck – the exact model Bellamy uses himself these days.

Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Sustainiac – what is it?

As mentioned, this is broadly a very similar to the guitar it’s replaced – you get a basswood body, laurel fretboard, compound 12-16” radius, soft ‘V’ neck profile, kill switch, 3-way toggle switch, volume and tone controls, and staggered locking tuners.

The tweaked body contours are subtle enough that you’d probably not even notice, but the new finish options – the festive Red Sparkle or this more demure Satin Olive Green – are very much in the current Bellamy wheelhouse and represent a welcome change from the flat black that the original MBM guitar exclusively shipped in.

It’s all made in Indonesia by Cortek, the makers of Cort, and the guitars are then shipped to Manson’s UK facility for final inspection before being sent out to yours truly.

Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Sustainiac – build quality and playability

Though Matt’s guitars may look like industrially-vibed disproportionate Telecasters at first glance, the guitar is a surprisingly comfortable shape when strapped on. The new contouring probably helps this – the tummy contour in particular makes things instantly feel a little less agricultural than its slab-bodies inspiration.

It’s a shame that the concessions to player enjoyment don’t extend to the upper frets – the slanted bolt-on neck joint has little regard for those of us who want to reach the highest parts of the fretboard.

Bellamy is no stranger to the dusty end of course, but it’s worth noting that the high-end Mansons that Matt tends to actually use himself usually have some element of sculpting on the heel – it’d be nice if the affordable options could follow suit someday.

The industrial aesthetic extends to its overall feel. The satin finished neck looks fresh off the CNC machine with its thin satin finish and lack of rolled fingerboard edges. This is understandable given the price point (though Fender have managed to work out how to affordably roll edges), but we feel most would prefer a slightly more comfortable finish on the fretboard edges.

But that is also the vibe with Matt’s guitars – they look and feel very utilitarian and this is further evidenced by the lack of amenities such as fretboard markers. Before I consider lamenting the lack of fretboard dots, I remind myself that Mr. Bellamy himself has provided ample evidence via his incredible live performances, that their omission is not an impediment to performance or accuracy. Consider myself scolded.

Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Sustainiac – sounds

Plugged into my high-gain Diezel VH4, the MBM-2H’s bridge humbucker performs feels like a medium-high output voicing and delivers us a mid-rich crunch that’s pleasingly devoid of the brittle high end that you sometimes get with an alder body.

Basswood is sometimes perceived as a more economical wood compared to say alder or ash, but it has an even frequency response which often makes it the preferred choice of rock and metal players with high output pickups, and in conjunction with the Manson bridge pickup pushes our preamp section enough to produce a real throaty rock tone that punches out palm muted riffs and chords.

Matt, along with Ed O’ Brien, are players who demonstrate the full potential of the sustaining pickup as a bona fide writing tool. For those who only view it as an opportunity to infinitely sustain bends as part of ostentatious live solos ala Steve Vai, you’re missing out on the sheer number of textural parts you can create by using the Sustainiac in conjunction with a wide variety of effects – such as the conveniently placed kill switch right underneath your nose.

The sustainer switches are sensibly located near the volume and tone pots and allow us to switch between fundamental, harmonic, and blend modes. What many don’t realise is that the neck pickup in non-sustainer mode is quite exceptional sounding in its own right, providing an extra little bit of punch and clarity that really shines on low to mid-gain sounds.

Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Sustainiac – should I buy one?

Despite it’s place as the affordable signature model of one of the most high profile players in modern rock, the MBM-2 paradoxically continues to be something of an under-the-radar standard bearer for this sort of rock-focused T-type.

While the nature of the world right now means that it’s more expensive than it used to be, that’s true of every guitar really – and getting this level of guitar for this price is still not to be sniffed at.

The sheer versatility and creative prowess the Sustainiac affords you means that irrespective of your preferred guitar styles, if you like experimenting with textures then this is an affordable way of trying one.

Cortek’s manufacturing process and quality control further cements their status as world-leader in affordable guitar manufacture. That means that while there’s undoubtedly a somewhat polarising industrial, unfinished feel to the MBM-2, it’s still a superbly set-up and put together instrument that’s ready for anything thrown at it.

Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Sustainiac – alternatives

Tele-based but with a little more 80s vibe is the Schecter PT Sun Valley Super Shredder (£989). Very much styled upon the Californian super Strat/Tele models of the 80s, Schecter, like Cort, are another huge manufacturer that continues to provide impressive specs for very reasonable prices. In this instance just under a grand gets you a twin humbucker, maple necked, Floyd rose loaded axe with onboard sustainer.

Another signature guitar with a sustainer loaded has now become somewhat a modern classic: the Ed O’Brien Fender Stratocaster. With JB mini-humbucker in the bridge and a Fernandes Sustainer in the neck, all the electronic accoutrements of Radiohead wizard have been distilled into a classic Strat format.

A slightly more left-field choice (for a very left-field player) is the Reverend Reeves Gabrels Signature RG-SUS (£1,399). Its unique body shape will invite comparisons to a Telecaster but with a Korina Body, ebony neck, and Sustainiac such comparisons begin to dissipate. A unique guitar worthy of further investigation.

The post Manson Meta Series MBM-2H Sustainiac review: “a superbly set-up and put together instrument that’s ready for anything thrown at it” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Cyber Monday is here at last, and while this is traditionally the final day of the Black Friday sale weekend, in practice now it’s become the final day of what has been a week- or even month-long sales event across the world’s biggest musical instrument retailers – so if you’ve been on the fence about buying something recently, do so now while you have the chance!

I’ve been writing about guitar in print and online since 2008, so I know a great deal when I see one. I’m also a sucker for a Cyber Monday splurge – my beloved Gibson Les Paul Special was actually a late Cyber Monday flash deal from Guitar Guitar here in the UK, and there’s nothing I love more than finding similar killer deals so that you can find your next musical inspiration for a killer price, just like I did.

Guitars, amps and effects are just like any other sector on Cyber Monday – there’s an awful lot of things pretending to be great deals that are either not that great a discount, or are not the sort of product you should be spending your hard-earned on. That’s where myself and my team here at Guitar.com are here to help – we’re constantly watching the sales and offers at big retailers before and after Black Friday and Cyber Monday in order to make sure you get the best possible deal on the gear you need.

So below you’ll find a mix of killer savings that simply can’t be missed, but also some more modest discounts on tried-and-tested gear that we’ve reviewed and loved here at Guitar.com – the savings might not be as steep, but you can trust that these guitars, amps and effects won’t let you down.

Click for USA deals and UK deals

USA Deals

Whether it’s Sweetwater, Reverb, Zzounds or Guitar Center, there are still so many incredible guitar savings to be had this Cyber Monday. Amazon is the king of Cyber Monday of course, but by and large the guitar deals over there are pretty modest – if you want to save on genuinely good gear, you’re better off sticking with a specialist retailer. Don’t sleep on the direct retailer options either – brands like Fender and Positive Grid are offering serious savings if you buy off their websites.

Save $300 on a Epiphone Dave Grohl DG-335 in Pelham Blue – was $1299, now $999

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Dave Grohl’s hard-to-find signature Gibson Trini Lopez 335 graced the Epiphone product lineup and finally allowed Foo fans a bit more an accessible version of his cooler-than-cool semi-hollow. For Black Friday you can save a substantial $300 on the guitar, which is a pretty faithful affordable version of Grohl’s ultra-rare Gibson Custom DG-335 signature model – down to using the very same Gibson USA Burstbucker pickups.

Save $200 on the PRS SE Silver Sky at Sweetwater

I absolutely love the PRS Silver Sky – John Mayer’s affordable signature model is one of the best bang for buck electrics out there, and it was the easiest decision in the world to give the maple-board version a glowing 9/10 review when I looked at it last year. Now however, you can save serious wedge on what was already a seriously well-priced guitar – a whopping $200 off the list price on a variety of colours at Sweetwater.

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Save $200 on the Martin 000 Jr Sapele

The 000 Jr Sapele was a steal at full-price, but Sweetwater have a killer deal on the guitar for Black Friday that takes an incredible $200 off the base price of the guitar, making it just $549. I absolutely loved this guitar when I reviewed it recently, and it’s an amazing first Martin for players who want a smaller bodied instrument.

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MXR TBM1 Tom Morello Power 50 Overdrive on Reverb – nearly 70% off

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The MXR Power 50 is a signature overdrive for Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, so you can bet your bottom dollar (which you won’t be reduced to with this killer deal) that it’ll provide all the gnarly gain flavourings you’re after. Its circuitry even uses the same MOSFET technology to recreate the preamp stages of Morello’s own amp. It’s usually priced at $199.99, but it’s now just $64.99 (a 68% saving!). Get yours now.

Save $50 on the UAFX Anti

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The UAFX Anti is an awesome all-in-one metal rig, and has just recently received a major firmware update that adds a whole load of features. Could it be the heart of your new direct rig?

Save $170 on a PRS Sonzera 20 combo amp at Sweetwater – was $1099, now $929

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This 20-watt 1×12 tube amplifier can handle everything from the most pristine of cleans to thick, saturated crunch. You also get all of the bells and whistles you might need from a modern tube amplifier, including footswitch control, an effects loop, and multiple speaker outputs to expand your sound. However, the included 12-inch celestion speaker and 20 watts of tube power will still do a great job at projecting you over most drummers!

Save $60 on the Walrus Audio Silt

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What do you think of sonically when you think of Walrus Audio? Maybe the subtle wobble of the Julia, the considered amp emulation of the ACS1 or the textural pads of the Slo. The Silt, however, drives a truck through any expectations of boutique subtlety, and starts ripping a guitar-burning octave-fuzzed solo, standing windswept on the flaming wreckage, and it’s on sale right now for Black Friday at Sweetwater.

Save $31 on the Pro Co RAT

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An awesome versatile distortion pedal that everyone should give a go at least once. It’s normally affordable anyway, but it’s a no-brainer right now for Black Friday.

Save on Warm Audio pedals

Warm Audio makes their own affordable takes on otherwise hard-to-find gear – and for Black Friday, its pedals are even more enticing! Both the Centavo, a Klon-alike that costs one 20th of the original, and the ODD Box, an OCD-inspired pedal free of the controversy, are discounted.

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Electro-Harmonix JHS Pedals Lizard Queen Octave Fuzz on Reverb – just $45

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Perhaps you’re looking for a stocking filler ahead of Christmas? Well, a sub-$50 effects pedal is sure to do the trick, isn’t it? This Lizard Queen Octave Fuzz from Electro-Harmonix and JHS Pedals is just $44.95, and is based on a unique transistor-based octave fuzz distortion circuit designed by JHS head honcho Josh Scott.

Save $30 on the Positive Grid Spark Go at Sweetwater

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We called it “the first truly great portable electric guitar amp” – and it has a great discount right now, along side a whole host of other Positive Grid amplifiers at Sweetwater. Check it out!

Charvel MJ So-Cal Style 1 HSS FR M on Reverb – was $1,679, now $899

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Courtesy of Franklin Guitar Works, this Charvel MJ So-Cal Style 1 HSS FR M is now discounted by almost $800 at Reverb. This Superstrat-style electric guitar is loaded with a trio of Seymour Duncan pickups – a humbucker in the bridge position and single coils in the middle and neck position – as well as a Gotoh double-locking tremolo for those juicy divebombs. And at an original price of $1,679 that’s a humungous 47% saving, so it would be rude not to…

Save $100 on a Exclusive Olive Green Line 6 HX Stomp – was $699, now $599

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For Black Friday you can save $100 on a Sweetwater-exclusive Olive Green variant of the HX Stomp, one of the most powerful modelling units out there, packing tons of different tones into a pedalboard-friendly unit that leverages Line 6’s decades of digital experience. Perfect if the only analogue pedal in your rig is a Sovtek Big Muff, and you want to keep a consistent colour scheme!

Squier Limited Edition Paranormal Jazzmaster XII on Reverb – only $299

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Let’s face it, every guitarist needs a 12-string in their collection – those jangly natural chorus-type tones are just indispensable. And right now at Reverb, you can get this Squier Limited Edition Paranormal Jazzmaster XII in Sherwood Green at over 40% off, meaning you pay just $299 instead of $517. That’s a bargain if ever we saw one.

Save $200 on Walrus Audio’s Mako D1 delay at Sweetwater

The Mako D1 is an extremely fully-featured pedal, with stereo, MIDI, and more delay modes than you can shake an echoey stick at. At the time, we  gave it a 10/10 and said: “There’s a startling amount of functionality available here – far more than we could hope to cover even in a review of double this length – in fact it’s no exaggeration to say that we are confident the D1 is capable of just about any existing delay texture as well as myriad yet to be discovered.”

All that makes it pretty appealing on its own. But for Black Friday, Sweetwater has discounted the pedal by a whopping $200! Make no mistake – even though the unit has been surpassed in some ways with the MkII (different to the V2 – confusing, yes) – a pedal like this for only $149 is an absolute bargain. Check out the deal below:

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Save $194.9 on a Electro-Harmonix Soul POG at Sweetwater – was $324.8, now $129.90

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Want some polyphonic octaves but with a little more grit than the standard POG? There’s a huge discount of 50% to be had on this Electro-Harmonix Soul POG, a dual pedal that mashes up the Klon-inspired drive sounds of the Soul Food with the multi-octave pitching of the POG, allowing for some awesome overdriven octave sounds – and for only $129.90, you’re effectively getting two amazing effects for the price of one!

UK Deals

The biggest player in the guitar retail game in both the UK and Europe is Thomann – the German retail giant has breadth of products that nobody else can ever compete with, and some of the best prices and great customer service, too. They’re not the only game in town however, and you can find some amazing savings at retailers like Gear4Music – who have some really good deals on their impressive in-house brands.

There’s also some bargains to be found on the newly relaunched Reverb UK, and a limited but interesting selection on Amazon UK too. Don’t forget about shopping direct either – there are some killer savings on Fender and Positive Grid‘s UK sites.

Save £1,487 on the Taylor 514ce Urban Ironbark

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Across the whole event of Black Friday week, there are some deals that just knock you flat on your back, and this is definitely one of those. At Thomann right now you can save well over a grand on one of Taylor’s most interesting and unconventional approaches to sustainable guitar making.

Save €165 on a Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard

Thomann has some absolutely killer deals on Epiphones this Cyber Monday, but this one really takes the biscuit. The Epi 1959 Les Paul Standard is perhaps the best bonafide Les Paul you can get for under a grand, and a €165 saving here makes it even more compelling. The collaboration with the Gibson Custom shop grants this Epiphone a true Gibson-like headstock, and two USA Custombucker Alnico 3 humbuckers for high-fidelity, touch-responsive tone.

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Save £90 on a Martin GPC 10e Roadseries Special at Thomann – was £879, now £789

One of the best-sounding, affordable Martins out there, this guitar is also utterly beautiful, with a rich dark finish for its solid sapele back and sides.

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Save €160 on an Epiphone 1960 Les Paul Special DC TVY

Another collaboration with the Gibson Custom Shop, this double-pickup double-cut is an awesome simple rock machine, with a pair of P90s and a slab mahogany body – great for everything from old-school 70s rock to stoner doom fuzz.

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Save €188 on an Epiphone Hummingbird Deluxe

An awesome acoustic entry into the Inspired by Gibson Custom collection, this high-end epiphone comes with a solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, an ebony fretboard and a mahogany neck for a classic sound – as well as some equally classic Hummingbird aesthetic appointments. For Black Friday, there’s a great saving of 13% off, so whether you’re looking to take your first steps into the world of acoustics or upgrade your rig this is a great option.

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Save £24 on a Harley Benton DNAfx GiT at Thomann – was £129, now £105

Maybe you’re new to the world of digital modelling and want to just dip a toe in – or maybe you’re a beginner guitarist on a budget. The DNAfx GiT is a great option in either case, even more so with a chunk of change knocked off the price!

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Save £23 on a Boss Katana Mini X in limited-edition Blue at Thomann – was £145, now £122

Portable yet powerful, there’s a great discount on this pint-sized amp from Boss, finished in a cool limited-edition blue so you can stand out while you play.

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Save £855 on a Martin Custom D18 at Thomann – was £5299, now £4444

This top-of-the-line Martin D18 is perhaps the pinnacle of the brand’s instrument design, and you can save a whopping £855 right now. Perfect if you want to really up your acoustic game in 2026!

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Why You Can Trust Us

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

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

The post I’m finding the best Cyber Monday guitar deals in the US and UK across Thomann, Sweetwater and more appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The Hello Kitty Strat is something of a cult legend in the guitar world. The Hello Kitty Fender Stratocaster was first launched in 2006, but received little attention at the time. That was until a YouTuber began uploading videos playing the guitar in the late 2010s, causing searches for the guitar to skyrocket, and average prices on Reverb to shoot 254% from $275 to $700.

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Fender always has its ears to the ground, and spotted the furore surrounding the Hello Kitty Strat, and this year launched the latest in its Hello Kitty line, a white-finished Squier Stratocaster. And for Cyber Monday, you can get your hands on one at a generous 30% discount, and grab it for $399 rather than $579.

• READ MORE: Black Friday Guitar Deals 2025: find the best deals and biggest savings with the help of our experts
  

Aside from its white finish and unmistakable Hello Kitty decals across its body, the Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster boasts an easy-playing C-shape neck, contoured body, Fender humbucking pickup with volume control, and vintage-style tuning machines. A Deluxe Hello Kitty gig bag also comes included.

Get yours now at Sweetwater.

You can also check out savings at all the big online music retailers below:

The post One of the internet’s most hyped guitars of the last year has a rare 30% discount this Cyber Monday at Sweetwater appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.



On this episode of Luthier on Luthier, I talk with the endlessly creative Fred Carlson.

Fred shares his path into instrument making—from early sculptural dulcimers with mentor Ken Ripartella, to studying with Charles Fox, to building in communal workshops surrounded by musicians, woodworkers, and fellow artists. Fred also shares his thoughts on inspiration and reflects on appreciating a charmed life.

Link: https://www.fredcarlsoncreativeluthier.com/

Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by the Looth Group, Dream Guitars and StewMac.

Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.

The post Luthier on Luthier: Fred Carlson first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

The similarities between Bad Cat’s light, compact, and versatile new Ocelot lunchbox head and its South American feline namesake make the amp’s moniker a truly apt one. A real ocelot is lean and agile, generally weighs around 20 pounds, and boasts incandescent eyes that glow when illuminated. It also packs a formidable bite quotient and can produce a loud, forceful roar or a softer, if no less menacing, close-range purr.

With its 2xEL84 power stage, and 3x12AX7 preamp, the all-tube, 20-watt Bad Cat Ocelot is similarly taut, lean, and light. The aluminum chassis features a dazzling front panel with orange stripes that glow when the amp is on. And plugged into either an 8- or 16-ohm cabinet, the Ocelot displays a talent for roaring British lead and crunch tones, as well as mellow-to-menacing, but cleaner California-style sounds.

It's also adaptable to almost every conceivable live, studio, and home environment, thanks to its internal speaker load, footswitchable 2-channel, dual-gain-mode versatility, the ability to shift from 20-watt to 1-watt operation with a single switch, and cabinet-simulated XLR and headphone outputs for recording and silent practice. Obviously, the Ocelot offers plentiful possibilities running straight into a speaker. But with software integration and editing capabilities via Two Notes software and their Torpedo DynIR multi-mic cabinet capture—which are deep and powerful tone-shaping tools on their own—the Ocelot shows just how wildly versatile a modern EL84 amp can be.

Prowling the Jam Jungle

I performed a 10-song live Hendrix set with the Ocelot, and while it was far from dimed, the amp hit every corner of the venue. The front-panel EQ with bass, middle and treble is responsive and varied enough to match what your ear wants and needs in most musical situations. The mid control has an especially nice range and moves readily between smooth American tones and British bark. In fact, the only problem with the EQ is not the EQ itself, but the fact that the cool, but very bright orange light on the front grille can make front panel adjustments hard to see.

Channel 1 is a clean machine. Add a dash of slapback delay in the Ocelot’s buffered effects loop, and rockabilly rave-ups and country double-stops on a Telecaster sound punchy and crisp. Choose the middle-bridge pickup combo on your Strat, hit a ninth chord or Curtis Mayfield-style third-based figures and you’ll conjure the spirits of Jimmy Nolen, Prince, Paul Jackson, Jr., and Nile Rodgers, all of which benefit from a whiff of very nice organic compression.

Bump Channel 2 into “hi” mode and you’ll wonder how 20 watts produces lead tones that loud and dynamic. It’s simply wicked.

Jazzbos and bluesmen will dig the Ocelot’s clean headroom, too. Neck and neck/middle position pickup configurations—along with a little guitar tone shaping—summon tones evocative of Otis Rush or Les Paul. Even surf and early garage enthusiasts can have a blast with Channel 1, which, via the included footswitch, can move between “lo” and “hi” gain mode—adding enough grit for Dave Davies, Link Wray, or Wayne Kramer speaker-tearing rages.

The Hum of the Forest

Channel 2, the higher-gain channel with dedicated gain control, is where many humbucker-oriented players will want to spend their time. And it’s here that the Ocelot pulls the Bad Cat formula into contemporary high-gain realms. Pickups as different as Gibson ’57 Classics, Seymour Duncan Hot Rails, and a brutal Duncan Nazgul set on a Schecter C-1 Standard are all capable of whiplash-inducing, djent-worthy wallop. Bump Channel 2 into “hi” mode and you’ll wonder how 20 watts produce lead tones that loud and dynamic. It’s simply wicked.

Interestingly, while the Ocelot/single-coil pairings come across as full-throated and dynamic (very much like Eric Johnson’s most singing tones) it was less sweet with noiseless single-coils. This is a subjective observation, but it’s worth investigating if you plan on matching noiseless units with the Ocelot.

Impulse Control

The Ocelot is Bad Cat’s first leap into the world of cabinet emulation and impulse responses. But this direct recording functionality is no afterthought. Bad Cat made solid choices here with the internal load box by working with Two Notes Audio Engineering to help design their cabinet emulations, and by using the company’s Torpedo software for remote editing.

In the interest of brevity, here’s what you absolutely need to know: Ocelot ships with six onboard cabinet emulations, selectable via a knob on the front panel. These are created with DynIR Virtual Cabinet Technology rather than as static impulse responses, and there are myriad options in the editing suite, including eight mic options for each cabinet, dual miking, variable mic axis, and up to 10,000 possible mic locations including front- and back-of-cabinet placings. All can be situated in a plethora of room and studio spaces. Ocelot can store up to 32 of these detailed DYNir Virtual Cabinets in internal memory. When connected to a computer (via the onboard USB-C port) you can use the cabinet manager in Torpedo to assign the IRs to Ocelot’s 6-way cab switch.

The Verdict

Given Bad Cat’s pedigree, the Ocelot’s top-shelf voicing is no surprise. But paired with Torpedo, it offers a standout, standalone direct recording solution that’s competitive with most offerings in that ever-evolving space. And where some power-scaling amps can introduce irritating quirks, the Ocelot’s 2-channel design makes tone crafting across many gain and power levels easy. The Ocelot's $1,200 price is modest for an amp that magnifies the character of pickups this accurately and sounds this velvety right out of the box. Its versatility might just make that price an outright bargain.

Nearly a year ago, we published our first hardcover book, The Luthier’s Tool Box. This is a collection of stories – love letters, really – from luthiers around the world, describing the tool they cherish the most in their builds and repairs.

Compiled by frequent Fretboard Journal contributor Jamie Etherington, it spans a wide array of makers, builders, and repair people, famous and not-quite-famous. Included are submissions by Andy Powers, Linda Manzer, Michael Bashkin, amp builder Chris Benson, Michael Greenfield, Dick Boak, Kevin Ryan, Joshia De Jonge, and John Monteleone. 

Note: This is not just a book for luthiers. We’ve sold nearly 2,000 copies to guitar fanatics around the world. It seems as though everyone with a love for music, fretted instruments and craft can appreciate these short tales. In fact, we’re down to our last 500 copies. When they are gone, they are gone.

For the holiday season, we’re discounting our remaining inventory to make room for our next hardcover book project. Nab your copy today (yes, we should also add that it makes for a great gift).

Order the Luthier’s Tool Box here.

The post On Sale (and Almost Sold Out): The Luthier’s Tool Box first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

PG contributor Tom Butwin explores the versatile Pulze Mini from Hotone. The size of a smartphone, the Pulze mini sports full-featured modeling engine, extensive app control, and even a built-in USB audio interface. With 52 amp models, 48 cabinet simulations, 20 user-loaded IR slots, 7-slot effects chains, and up to 11.5 hours of battery life on headphones, you can practice anywhere, anytime.

Headless guitars have always eluded me, somewhat. For the longest time I never saw the point, plus I’ve only ever had my hands on a couple in my life. But as a huge Avenged Sevenfold fan, when Synyster Gates added a headless Schecter to his rotation for the Life Is But a Dream album cycle, my interest in headless guitars was supercharged.

And now might be the perfect time to get my hands on one, as this Hils Next HN4 has been discounted by 21% – over £100 over at Thomann. My first headless guitar for under £400 is a proposition that’s, quite frankly, hard to turn down.

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I get it – headless guitars aren’t for everyone… But they’ve been gaining popularity in recent years, and it’ll certainly be a strong conversation piece whenever you have guests over, that’s for sure…

In terms of spec, with the Hils Next HN4, you get a mahogany body with a roasted maple neck and rosewood fingerboard – with 24 medium stainless steel frets, perfect for dabbling in the upper registers – as well as a pair of Hils-designed humbuckers, controlled via singular volume and tone controls (the latter with a push-pull function for coil splitting).

• READ MORE: Black Friday Guitar Deals 2025: find the best deals and biggest savings with the help of our experts

Further hardware includes a custom tremolo bridge, titanium locking machine heads, a bone nut, and .010 – .046 factory strings, and it even comes with a gig bag, too.

So if you’ve ever been tempted by a headless electric guitar like me, now’s the time to add one to the guitar rack. But be warned, if it’s the last one in stock, you’re gonna have to fight me for it.

Learn more at Thomann.

You can also check out savings at all the big online music retailers below:

The post I’ve wanted to a headless guitar for a while, and this Black Friday deal at Thomann is too good to be true appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

“I have enough guitars; I don’t need any more.” This is what I tell myself, and most of the year, it works to stave off my gear addiction. But when Black Friday rolls around, some of the bargains are just a little too tempting to resist.

As Guitar.com’s resident shred fanatic, a solid deal on a double-humbucker metal machine built for speed is always going to pique my interest, and with nearly £100 off this Schecter Omen 6 at Thomann, it might be time to get my wallet out once again.

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It doesn’t make it any better that I don’t have a Schecter currently, so my collection – which I take pride in for its metal leanings – doesn’t feel complete until I get one. I started writing this article to convince you to buy one, but I think I’ve just convinced myself. BRB.

• READ MORE: Black Friday Guitar Deals 2025: find the best deals and biggest savings with the help of our experts
  

So let’s talk specs: for just £392, the Schecter Omen 6 sports a basswood body with a bolt-on maple neck and rosewood fingerboard (with 24 frets, for those shred solos in the uber-high registers, naturally…) This fingerboard is decorated with metal-esque semi-goth inlays, while a pair of Schecter Diamond Plus humbuckers are on hand to provide all the high-gain tones you’ll need.

Further hardware includes a Graph Tech XL Black TUSQ nut, singular volume and tone controls, a three-way selector switch, Schecter machine heads and a Tune-O-Matic-style bridge with a string-through setup.

If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the metalhead in your life, I promise the Schecter Omen 6 will make you the hero. Or, hell, get it for yourself and be your own hero, mate.

Check out the deal at Thomann.

And you can check out more places to save below…

The post I’m Guitar.com’s resident shredder, and this bargain Schecter Black Friday deal could tempt me into a new guitar appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you’ve played any of the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom (IGC) electric guitars released over the past couple of years, you already know how solid Epiphone’s higher-end import guitars can be. And it probably won’t be much of a spoiler to say right up front that this double-cut plank is another winner. As familiar and simple as this model will look to most, the full model name—the Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue—is a mouthful. But at heart it encapsulates so much of what made the original stripped-down, raw, P-90-fired take on the Les Paul so beloved by punk- and garage-rockers.

Double Indemnity

Epiphone IGC guitars differ from Epiphone’s Standard line instruments in several respects. Some changes are merely cosmetic, like the “open-book” headstock and a thin “vintage gloss” finish that better approximates a Gibson nitrocellulose finish. Other changes to the hardware—most notably the U.S.-made P-90s, 1-piece neck, and rosewood fretboard—are more substantial. But in each case, the IBCG instruments offer discernibly more Gibson aura.

The Gibson Les Paul Special that inspired this model first appeared in 1958 when the double-cutaway shape was first introduced. The design changed slightly a year or so later when the neck pickup was moved further back to strengthen the neck joint. That change is represented here, though the “1960” designation takes some historical liberties: by 1960 the “Les Paul” name was dropped from the headstock when Paul stepped back from his Gibson endorsement deal.

Quibbling details aside, the IGC 1960 Les Paul Special feels very much like a product of early-1960s guitar design and construction. It’s made with a slab-style, 2-piece mahogany body and glued-in mahogany neck, which is capped with a bound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, a 1 11/16" nut width, and 22 medium-jumbo frets. The Gibson-style headstock makes it hard to recognize as an Epiphone from most angles. And though I’ve never been a huge fan of Gibson’s SlimTaper neck profile, it faithfully represents the way Gibson was trending in 1960. Some fret ends here are just a tad snaggy—but all in all the guitar plays well, and makes a good impression for a sub-$1k reissue.

As a Special, this Les Paul is loaded with a pair of single-coil P-90 soapbar pickups, which in this case are pulled straight from Gibson’s American factory stash. That means alnico bar magnets and coils wound to vintage-correct specifications. The rest of the wiring harness is also from U.S.-factory supplies and includes CTS potentiometers, “bumblebee” paper-in-oil tone caps, a Switchcraft 3-way toggle selector, and Switchcraft output jack. The hardware consists of a stud-mounted historical wraparound bridge and three-on-a-plate tuners with plastic buttons, which are essentially Kluson replicas.

If the Epiphone IGC 1960 Les Paul Special Reissue isn’t quite up to the Gibson Custom Shop build quality, it’s still very well put-together. The mahogany, while not quite Custom Shop grade, still results in a reasonably light guitar at around 7.8 pounds. The finish used here is clearly of a different formulation than the nitro used on American models, and actually has a slightly hazy and satin-like sheen.

True Grit

This Epiphone delivers a major dose of what players love about a slab-bodied, dual-P-90 workhorse, all while displaying much of the character you’d expect from a more expensive guitar. Gibson’s P-90s have always acquitted themselves well, and loaded into this chassis they give you the fat single-coil bite, snarl, and granularity that make up this iconic pickup’s personality. For the record, I plugged into a Fender Bassman head and 2x12 cab, a Vox AC15 1x12 combo, and a Fractal FM9, and each pairing yielded fantastic tones.

“Clean tones” are rarely all clean when a P-90 is involved, even when the pickup is of vintage-spec variety like these. That’s the case here too, unless you set the amp’s gain uber-low or dial the guitar volume way down—a trick well known by any habitual Special and Junior player who needs occasional chime and jangle. Even at lower volume, though, the P-90s are still full, rich, a little edgy, and surprisingly sweet in the middle position in particular.

Full-on overdrive tones can get as hairy as you like them, but this guitar offers more articulation than some of its kind. You’ll also find many of the singing, wailing, and grinding tones here that you’d expect from humbucker-equipped models. Of course, there’s also significantly more noise, with those wide coils soaking up the 60-cycle hum. That’s another thing habitual P-90 players get used to, and once you start hammering the strings you forget all about it.

This guitar is most lively at edge-of-breakup and mid-gain-crunchy amp and pedal settings, where the dynamics and touch sensitivity associated with set-neck mahogany instruments and pickups with attitude can shine. If no-nonsense rock ’n’ roll is your thing, there’s a lot to love. But there’s also nuance to explore once you get a feel for how it responds to touch and volume input.

The Verdict
At just less than $1k, the Epiphone IGC 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue certainly narrows the gap between the parent company’s top-tier instruments and Epiphone’s best import guitars. You might not encounter the same level of construction detail or period-perfect features that Gibson’s Nashville Custom department turns out. But players that align their expectations with that reality are bound to be very happy with the value this guitar represents.



Today’s podcast episode is with Liam Kazar, a Chicago-born singer-songwriter and guitarist currently touring in Jeff Tweedy’s band.

Liam just put out a new record, Pilot Light, which he made at Flying Cloud Studios in upstate New York. Check it out and catch him on the road.

https://www.instagram.com/liamkazar

https://liamkazar.com

Our 57th issue of the Fretboard Journal is now mailing. Subscribe here to get it. It also makes for a great gift.

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

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

We are also brought to you by Seattle’s own Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar. https://mmguitarbar.com

The post Podcast 527: Liam Kazar first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

If there’s one mic I’d recommend everyone gets, it would be the SM57. It can record basically anything, you have to actively try to make it sound bad and you have to really try to break it. While the mic itself remains £99 for Black Friday, Thomann’s throwing in a Gravity mic stand – normally £35 – for free! This shorter stand is perfect for micing up any speaker on a guitar cab, or a drumkit without it getting in the way of itself. Check out the deal:

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So once you’ve unpacked your brand new SM57, what can you use it for? Well, I would argue basically anything – it’s famously great in front of a guitar cabinet, but it’s super versatile. It does a stellar job on bass, kick, snare, vocals, trumpet, sax – anything. Point an SM57 at all of the important parts of your band, start rolling and you may well have an album by the end of the day.

It also has near unlimited volume handling – you could probably get a clean recording of an extinction-level asteroid impact with an SM57, which would be at least one saving grace about the whole situation. Failing planetary destruction, it will also definitely handle your amp at its loudest, or the shotgun-blast of sound that is your drummer hitting their snare with all their might.

Check out more places to save below.

The post It’s the mic I use on everything – and there’s an awesome Black Friday saving to be had appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.