Norse Guitar Feeds

First impressions aren’t everything, but they’re definitely something. When our Zoom call whirrs into life, Drain guitarist Cody Chavez opens with a peppy, ‘What’s up, man?’, his long hair pulled back beneath a baseball cap. The frame just catches the sharp edges of the Metallica logo splattered across his sleeveless tee. Chavez has a rep as the metal guy in one of hardcore’s most exciting bands and here he is: the metal guy in one of hardcore’s most exciting bands. “Usually people start out as metalhead and they turn into a straight up hardcore kid, or maybe they’re a hardcore kid and they go straight up metalhead,” he says. “Why can’t you be both?”

• READ MORE: “We’ve gone from a jack-o’-lantern to a plastic pumpkin:” Creeper on the best horror-themed albums

“A lot of my favorite guitarists, like Michael [Gibbons] from Leeway or Sob from Merauder, were metal-hardcore guys,” he continues. “They had long hair but they were playing in hardcore bands. So I figured, ‘Well, they could do it, why can’t I?’ From hardcore, I love all my groove parts and breakdowns. And then, of course, I love throwing in my little thrash licks and my glam metal influence, a lot of melodic stuff. I have always looked at music and guitars as: why not throw your whole personality into it?”

On Drain’s forthcoming third LP …Is Your Friend, Chavez pulls that off with gnarly brio, studding straight-up ragers such as Living In A Memory with pinch harmonics while threading galloping, hooky leads between vocalist Sammy Ciaramitaro’s gobby screams.

It feels like the most fully-realised version of himself as a guitarist that he’s managed to put to tape, amping up the complexity of his playing without losing the windmilling energy of the San Jose-Santa Cruz hardcore scene the band have helped to bring to international prominence since their 2020 record California Cursed became a pandemic breakout.

Image: Atiba Jefferson

“We’re a bunch of friends having fun,” Chavez says. “The same way that we would jam in a practice spot is the same way that we would jam to 2,000 people, you know what I mean? There’s not really much science behind it.”

What is behind it is hundreds and hundreds of shows. Since touring became a thing again, that’s pretty much all Drain have done, with venues increasing in size each time they crisscross the US. When we talk, they have just pulled up in Atlanta, having made the overnight drive from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The show there popped off, Chavez says. So too did their set at Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, where Ciaramitaro whipped up an enormous circle pit during Army of One with a cry of, “No weak shit!” There’s a great dynamic between the singer and his bandmates, with his pogoing energy keeping things punk while they thrash and whirl, drummer Tim Flegal pushing the pace. “Sammy is going crazy,” Chavez says. “He’s diving into the crowd. Tim’s going crazy. I’m doing my thing, ripping some solos, ripping some riffs.”

…Is Your Friend does a great job of capturing this energy. It is pit-primed mayhem from buzzer to buzzer. Drain don’t assemble new stuff on the road, preferring to pool ideas as a trio in their rehearsal space as they always have done, but there’s clearly a lot of muscle memory at work. With a rotating cast of live bassists joining them — the latest is Greg Cerwonka of Chula Vista crossover-thrashers Take Offense, formerly Turnstile’s touring guitarist — it’s down to Ciaramitaro to handle that during writing and, for the first time here, on record. “He really killed it, man,” Chavez says. “He wrote some basslines, I threw my sauce on there. He really came through.”

Image: Atiba Jefferson

When it came time to capture the songs in the studio, Drain turned to Jon Markson, who mixed 2023’s Living Proof. Over the past decade, the New Jersey-based producer, engineer and Such Gold bassist has distinguished himself as someone who can make punk bands sound colossal without sanding down their rough edges, giving genuine heft to records by Drug Church and One Step Closer. In tandem with Chavez, here he has cooked up some filthy, febrile sounds that also feel detailed and organic. “I was looking to take an ‘80s metal guitar tone and modernise it,” Chavez says. “I didn’t know exactly how to execute it, but he was like, ‘I got you.’ We used a Peavey Butcher, a Diezel Herbert 3, and then in front of it to get the bright texture we used a Jazz Chorus. That was a really cool thing that I didn’t expect him to pull out.”

Guitar-wise, Chavez is a Jackson head, using his Dinky for most of the leads while turning to his Virtuoso for any down-picking parts. “Anytime I have something chugging, like Hetfield, I use that,” he says. On the road, meanwhile, he’s been playing around with an MXR Rockman X100, a pedal modelled after the headphone amp created by Tom Scholz that he’d initially wanted to take into the studio as he chased something glittery. “They were all sold out at the time,” he says. “But I ended up getting one right before this tour at a Guitar Center near me. I just have a digital delay and chorus, very simple, but Greg helped me pair it with all that stuff. Straight up, all my leads now sound like Boston. It sounds unique — even though you recognise it as the Boston sound, I can’t name any bands in our scene who are using it like that.”

When Scholz dreamed up the Rockman way back when, he probably didn’t envisage its honeyed voice running headlong into breakdowns like the ones that lurch into view during …Is Your Friend highlights Until Next Time or Stealing Happiness From Tomorrow, but life is funny. When you give Drain a chance to do something nuts, they’re going to take it. To understand where that impulse comes from a little better, here are five mosh parts that make Chavez want to cause some damage. In observance of proper protocol, they were generally expressed in terms of DA-NA-DA-NA-JUN-JUN-JUN before further analysis.

Leeway – Unexpected (Born to Expire, 1989)

“I really love Leeway for how good their songwriting is and having that metal sound to them while still being a hardcore band. I relate to that a lot because of what we do in Drain. What they did in the ‘80s is similar to what we’re doing now in our own way. In terms of that song, I love how you think it’s gonna go somewhere else. It starts off with a melodic, kind of glammy, heavy metal riff, then it just goes into straight thrash for a long time. It stops, and then you hear that hi-hat. It’s such a perfect song — cool riffs, fast part going into a mosh part. I don’t care who you are, that pit part — I think it’s just 3-2-1-open — how could you not start moshing to that?”

Dark Angel – Psychosexuality (Time Does Not Heal, 1991)

“Some people consider them a straight thrash band. Other people consider them early death-thrash because it’s more extreme, a lot faster and with heavier parts. Sammy is a big fan of that record, too. I feel like we were listening to it a lot for California Cursed and that influenced tracks on there. It still does, man. Psychosexuality goes into the breakdown and you’re like, ‘Holy shit!’ It goes from that to the riff and the same kind of beat. It’s awesome, dude. It’s an incredible metal track with a pit part.”

No Warning – Over My Shoulder (Ill Blood, 2002)

“The pit part at the end is incredible. I played drums for this band Gardens, and we covered that a couple times. Half of it would probably be nostalgia, thinking of when I was younger, listening to Ill Blood, having a good time with my friends, in a car, going to a show. It’s just: fast part, boom, straight into a mosh part. It’s such a simple riff, but it’s so effective and hard-hitting. I gotta give a shout out to Jordan [Posner], who’s a guitarist I look up to. He’s a good friend of mine. He plays in Terror as well, and we’ve toured with them a bunch. But he is also one of the masterminds behind No Warning. It’s an honour to know him and know that he did all that shit on those records.”

Kreator – Betrayer (Extreme Aggression, 1989)

“Kreator is not a band you would hardcore dance to at all, but the breakdown in that song sounds like it could be in a hardcore song. It is fucking dope. The riffs are fucking amazing. As a kid discovering hardcore, already knowing metal, I’d listen to thrash bands and be like, ‘I could see this in a hardcore context.’ Sepultura’s Dead Embryonic Cells, you know? There are pit parts all over that record [Arise]. When I joined Drain and started writing some of the newer music, I was like, ‘Fuck, I want to do that on my own.’ That type of stuff influenced me greatly.”

Ceremony – Eraser Making Its Way Its Only Job (Still Nothing Moves You, 2008)

“It’s just so primitive. It gets me every time. What sets Ceremony pit parts apart from other hardcore bands is that there’s a lot of emotion in it. Sometimes it’s the melody. It’s just a different experience from a heavy hardcore band, or something more straightforward. For lack of a better term, there’s a lot of feeling. Ceremony will always be my favourite hardcore band. They really shaped how I view a lot of things. I discovered them when I was 17-18, when I was playing in my old band. They’re just incredible, man. I love that band to death. I gotta throw this in as a bonus — my favourite ‘80s hardcore/crossover band is Crumbsuckers. Jimmie’s Dream, off the second album Beast on My Back, the riffs and the pit part in that are incredible.”

Drain’s ‘…Is Your Friend’ is out on November 7 through Epitaph.

The post These are the five greatest hardcore and metal breakdowns according to Drain guitarist Cody Chavez appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Goldbird, an independent NYC-based music gear brand, has announced the release of its signature line of electric guitar strings. Designed for modern musicians who value reliability, simplicity, and style, Goldbird’s products combine top-tier materials and performance with a community-driven approach.

The new Goldbird electric guitar strings are available in Light (9-42), Medium (10-46), and Heavy (11-50) gauges. Each 6-string set is crafted to deliver durability, balanced tone, and consistent feel across all six strings.

Key product features include:

• Made in the USA
• Nickel-plated steel construction — the ideal balance of brightness and warmth
• Three simple gauges — covers most common playing styles
• Thoughtful packaging — rust-inhibiting material extends shelf life

The debut string offerings are a product of the company’s indie energy. Goldbird is a New York–based music gear brand founded in 2025 with a mission to support emerging musicians and the next generation of creators. Goldbird’s products are designed to make gear simple, reliable, and inspiring — whether you’re practicing at home or playing on stage.

Goldbird strings are available at www.goldbirdmusic.com for $10 per set or $25 for three packs.

“I wouldn’t say that All Washed Up was my first choice for the title of the new record,” says Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen from the living room of his Rockford, Illinois, home. “But hey, I’ve always said that if you have to tell people you’re cool, then you’re not!”

Nielsen and his longtime bandmates, vocalist and guitarist Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson, are not among those who need to toot their own horns. Six decades into a career that has seen the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, invited to collaborate with John Lennon, name-checked by Jerry Garcia, and cited as a primary influence by bands as disparate as Mötley Crüe and Nirvana, Cheap Trick certainly have nothing left to prove. Yet the group, whose deft ability to combine muscular riffs, edgy subject matter and unforgettable power-pop hooks continues to tour relentlessly—they’ve long since passed the 5,000-show mark—and record with a regularity that might wind bands half, or even a third, their age.

All Washed Up, the band’s 21st studio album, captures a Cheap Trick that’s still in top form and able to effortlessly deliver snarling rockers like the swaggering “Riff That Won’t Quit” and thunderous “Bet It All” that harken back to such early classics as “Stiff Competition” and “Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School.” The group’s ability to shift gears and settle into Beatles-inspired midtempo numbers is also on clear display, and tracks like the swirling “The Twelve Gates” and ethereal “The Best Thing” are melodically and lyrically compelling enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with decades-old fan favorites like “Downed” and “Heaven Tonight.”

“Luckily, we never progressed,” says Nielsen of the band’s ability to remain on musical track. “We still like the Beatles. We still like the Stones and AC/DC. We still love the Who. And most importantly, we still love making records.”

RICK NIELSEN’S LIVE RIG

Guitars

• Various Hamer Standards
• Fender Custom Shop Tribute Series Jeff Beck Esquire
• 1984 Gibson Aldo Nova Les Paul with Explorer headstock
• Epiphone “Dwight”
• Gibson Explorer
• Gibson Flying V
• 2016 Gibson Custom Mike McCready Les Paul
• Various other Gibson Custom Shop Les Pauls
• GMP Mandocello

Amps

• Modified silver-panel Fender Deluxe Reverb
• Marshall JMP
• Orange Rockerverb

Effects

• Dunlop MXR Micro Amp
• Dunlop DCR2SR rack-mounted Cry Baby
• Shannon Phaser

Strings, Picks, & Accessories

• D’Addario EXL 110 strings (.010–.046)
• D’Andrea picks
• Shure AD4Q wireless

“It’s one the few things that we’re actually really good at,” Petersson adds from his home in Nashville. “We’re lucky enough to still have an outlet to release our music, so we send ideas back and forth and what we end up doing is what we as music fans would like to hear from a record. What we’re not as good at though,” he continues, “is picking out what other people want to hear!”

There to assist with this last task is long-time Cheap Trick producer and self-professed super fan Julian Raymond (the Struts, Brian Setzer). “Julian, even though at this point we basically treat him like a member of the band, has the perspective of what a fan would like us to do, and it really brings out the best in us,” says Petersson. Adds Nielsen, “He knows us better than we know ourselves. He’ll say, ‘I really liked what you did on “He's a Whore” from your first album. Can you get that sound and do something like that here?’”

“At this point in their careers, the guys in Cheap Trick don't care about anything but being happy and doing what they want to do,” says Raymond, also calling from Nashville, where the bulk of All Washed Up was tracked at Blackbird Studios. “Those first four Cheap Trick records from the late ’70s—the debut, In Color, Heaven Tonight, and then Dream Police, those are the best songs on earth,” he continues. “The only problem is that the band sounds all slendered down, because the producer of several of those albums was looking to get on the radio and get hits. It’s a much different vibe from what the band does live, which is so brash and heavy. So now we try to capture that feel and power whenever we make a record.”

“I’ve always said that if you have to tell people you’re cool, then you’re not!”—Rick Nielsen

Nielsen is widely known as an avid guitar collector, with a stash in the hundreds that includes both incredibly rare and valuable vintage instruments like original late-’50s Gibson Explorers and Les Pauls and off-the-wall custom one-offs like his iconic checkerboard Hamer 5-neck. But he brings only a limited number of guitars with him to the studio. “This time, I had a couple of my Dwights [in the ’60s, Epiphone manufactured guitars under the Dwight brand name for Sonny Shields Music in East St. Louis], a couple of my Hamer Explorer-shaped Standards, a ’59 Les Paul, and a Telecaster. And I just grab the one I think is good for the song,” he says. The sessions also relied on only a trio of guitar amps: a Marshall half stack, a Vox AC30 and one of the Paul Rivera-modified silver-panel Fender Deluxe Reverbs that have been Nielsen’s go-tos since the ’70s.

​TOM PETERSSON’S LIVE RIG

Basses

• Brooks EXP-12-TP 12-string

Amps

• Orange OR30 with Orange 4x12 cab
• Fender Super Bassman with Fender 4x12 cab

Effects

• Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI

Strings, Picks, & Accessories

• D’Addario EXL170-12 strings
• Junger Pyramid picks
• Shure AD4Q wireless
• Radial JD7 splitter
• D’Addario foam earplugs

For Raymond, limiting the number of choices available to Nielsen is crucial to ensuring that the guitarist remains engaged in the creative process. “When you start getting down that road of auditioning 10 different amplifiers and 15 different guitars with Rick, he just gets bored,” says Raymond. “He doesn't have the patience.”

Nielsen likes to work fast when he’s in the studio, often keeping the basic track that was played live with the band. “I know what I want to do and have it down, so I’ll often keep that track and then embellish on it afterwards,” he says. The guitarist also rarely doubles his rhythm tracks exactly, but instead has the guitars engage in a push-and-pull dialogue that introduces tension and a ragged intensity to songs like the album’s title track. “Rick doesn’t double his tracks exactly because he’s sloppy—and I mean that in the best possible way,” Raymond explains. “You can hear what the guitar on the left is doing, and you can hear what the guitar on the right’s doing. That’s what I love about the way he plays. It’s almost kind of a punk-rock style in more of a rock and roll manner, you know?”

“What we end up doing is what we as music fans would like to hear from a record.”—Tom Petersson

“Of course, we could take those tracks and make them match as perfect doubles in Pro Tools,” he continues. “But you don’t want that. That’s not Rick’s sound.”

Where the lead guitar work on All Washed Up is concerned, Nielsen takes one of two approaches: the first, melodic and impeccably structured, like the rotary-speaker enhanced break on the ballad “Best Thing,” and the other, manically chaotic and visceral, like the hair-raising screech fest on “Bet it All.”

“I’m no guitar virtuoso like Satch or Vai, so I don’t try to make something real fast and real cool,” he says. “But I do make it so my solo has something to do with the actual melody of the song. Then when I run out of smart ideas, there can be a lot of noise and unison bends and screeches and all that stuff!”

From a producer’s standpoint, Raymond says that, much like when he’s recording the guitarist’s rhythm tracks, cutting Nielsen’s frenetic leads is an exercise in catching lightning in a bottle. “Rick plays guitar like it’s his last day on earth,” he says. “He just bounces off the walls and plays, and it’s so much fun to watch because you don’t have to give him any direction. And he gets those solos quick. It’s just his spirit—the spirit of the way he thinks and plays. You don’t fix that. You don’t try to manipulate that. That’s the soul of Cheap Trick to me.”

“I’m no guitar virtuoso like Satch or Vai, so I don’t try to make something real fast and real cool.”—Rick Nielsen

If Nielsen’s methodology has a seat-of-the-pants spontaneity at its core, Petersson’s approach to recording the bass tracks on All Washed Up is decidedly more considered. “We pretty much used a different bass on every song,” he says. “There were two Gibson Thunderbirds, which have been my go-to recording basses since the beginning of the band, a ’66 non-reverse and a ’64 Thunderbird II. I was introduced to those by [PG columnist] Jol Dantzig, who would end up at Hamer guitars and now builds under his own name. He said, ‘Tom, you’ve got to try these Thunderbirds. They’re really cool.’ To me they're just a little clunkier and dirtier than a P-Bass, and to me, the P-Bass is the best all-around bass ever. I mean, it’s a subtle difference. So, in the end, when it’s on a recording, who can tell the difference? Probably no one!”

True to his word, Petersson also used four Fender Precision basses—a ’53, ’55, ’56, and a ’71—on All Washed Up. “And then a ’65 Jazz Bass with flatwound strings and one with roundwounds, a Rickenbacker 4003 with flatwounds, a 1960 Gibson EBO with a body like a double-cut Les Paul Junior, a Hofner 500/2 Club Bass, and my Gretsch White Falcon 12-string bass,” he adds. Petersson is widely credited with conceiving the 12-string bass, an instrument later adopted by players like Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam and Doug Pinnick of King’s X, but he generally reserves the thunderous buzz of this sometimes-unruly instrument for the stage. “I don’t usually use that much 12-string on the records—mainly just for overdubs,” he explains. “Because I feel it’s like a 12-string guitar; it’s cool, but do you really want to have that on everything? But this time, there’s way more of it on there. We just thought, ‘Why not? Let’s just do the song the way it will sound live.’”

Both onstage and in the studio, Petersson’s beefy, overdriven tone booms, growls, and sustains, perfectly complementing his Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, and Ron Wood (when he played with the Jeff Beck Group)-inspired lines and fills. “Tom is my favorite bass player on earth,” says Raymond. “His sound has enormous bottom end, but it’s totally distorted, like he's the rhythm guitar player in the band.”

To achieve his signature sound, Petersson employs a multi-amp setup that can be changed to adapt to the material at hand. “I use a combination of stuff, all through Orange or Hiwatt 4x12 cabinets,” he reveals. “There’s a 30-watt Orange for the distortion, a 300-watt Orange, a 20-watt Hiwatt Maxwatt that was really cool, a 400-watt Hiwatt bass head and then my old Hiwatt Lead 100 that I’ve had since 1972. That was actually the only amp that I had when we made the first album.”

And where many bass players customarily also record a clean DI signal to complement their amplified sound, Petersson strongly disapproves of the practice. “I have my sound, so once it’s there, why give people the opportunity to change it?” he says. “Inevitably, it will get blended in there somehow or they’ll just use the direct. I play all my parts with distortion, so can you imagine how lame and plinky it’s going to sound without that? I want it to sound like the Who!”

At the sound of those two last words, Nielsen’s eyes light up and his enthusiasm can’t be contained. “The Who were the ultimate live band,” he interjects. “They were the greatest: loud and nasty and melodic. They had everything, and it was like nobody could keep up with it.”

“Luckily, we never progressed. We still like the Beatles. We still like the Stones and AC/DC.”—Rick Nielsen

“I saw them open for Herman’s Hermits, and when they smashed their gear after only playing for, like, 20 or 25 minutes, I didn’t completely get it,” Petersson chimes in, also switching into fan mode. “But then right after that tour, they were in the States on their own, and I saw them again in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was the real deal. Once they built it up to a frenzy at the end, it all made sense. It wasn’t just some fake show of smashing gear. It was like we were losing our minds because it was so great.”

“We’ll be playing a few songs with the Who on their farewell tour in Los Angeles soon, which is amazing,” says Nielsen. “But I remember the first time we played with them, in 1979, at Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg, Germany—Pete Townshend walked up to me and said, ‘Rick, how’d you get that sound on your live record, At Budokan? And I was like, ‘Pete, you’re the guy that did Live at Leeds! The greatest live album of all time.’”

Nielsen pauses to give his trademark smirk. “What are you asking me for?”

Special thanks to Cheap Trick techs Chet Haun and Mark Newman for their live rig assistance.

“I wouldn’t say that All Washed Up was my first choice for the title of the new record,” says Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen from the living room of his Rockford, Illinois, home. “But hey, I’ve always said that if you have to tell people you’re cool, then you’re not!”

Nielsen and his longtime bandmates, vocalist and guitarist Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson, are not among those who need to toot their own horns. Six decades into a career that has seen the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, invited to collaborate with John Lennon, name-checked by Jerry Garcia, and cited as a primary influence by bands as disparate as Mötley Crüe and Nirvana, Cheap Trick certainly have nothing left to prove. Yet the group, whose deft ability to combine muscular riffs, edgy subject matter and unforgettable power-pop hooks continues to tour relentlessly—they’ve long since passed the 5,000-show mark—and record with a regularity that might wind bands half, or even a third, their age.

All Washed Up, the band’s 21st studio album, captures a Cheap Trick that’s still in top form and able to effortlessly deliver snarling rockers like the swaggering “Riff That Won’t Quit” and thunderous “Bet It All” that harken back to such early classics as “Stiff Competition” and “Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School.” The group’s ability to shift gears and settle into Beatles-inspired midtempo numbers is also on clear display, and tracks like the swirling “The Twelve Gates” and ethereal “The Best Thing” are melodically and lyrically compelling enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with decades-old fan favorites like “Downed” and “Heaven Tonight.”

“Luckily, we never progressed,” says Nielsen of the band’s ability to remain on musical track. “We still like the Beatles. We still like the Stones and AC/DC. We still love the Who. And most importantly, we still love making records.”

RICK NIELSEN’S LIVE RIG

Guitars

• Various Hamer Standards
• Fender Custom Shop Tribute Series Jeff Beck Esquire
• 1984 Gibson Aldo Nova Les Paul with Explorer headstock
• Epiphone “Dwight”
• Gibson Explorer
• Gibson Flying V
• 2016 Gibson Custom Mike McCready Les Paul
• Various other Gibson Custom Shop Les Pauls
• GMP Mandocello

Amps

• Modified silver-panel Fender Deluxe Reverb
• Marshall JMP
• Orange Rockerverb

Effects

• Dunlop MXR Micro Amp
• Dunlop DCR2SR rack-mounted Cry Baby
• Shannon Phaser

Strings, Picks, & Accessories

• D’Addario EXL 110 strings (.010–.046)
• D’Andrea picks
• Shure AD4Q wireless

“It’s one the few things that we’re actually really good at,” Petersson adds from his home in Nashville. “We’re lucky enough to still have an outlet to release our music, so we send ideas back and forth and what we end up doing is what we as music fans would like to hear from a record. What we’re not as good at though,” he continues, “is picking out what other people want to hear!”

There to assist with this last task is long-time Cheap Trick producer and self-professed super fan Julian Raymond (the Struts, Brian Setzer). “Julian, even though at this point we basically treat him like a member of the band, has the perspective of what a fan would like us to do, and it really brings out the best in us,” says Petersson. Adds Nielsen, “He knows us better than we know ourselves. He’ll say, ‘I really liked what you did on “He's a Whore” from your first album. Can you get that sound and do something like that here?’”

“At this point in their careers, the guys in Cheap Trick don't care about anything but being happy and doing what they want to do,” says Raymond, also calling from Nashville, where the bulk of All Washed Up was tracked at Blackbird Studios. “Those first four Cheap Trick records from the late ’70s—the debut, In Color, Heaven Tonight, and then Dream Police, those are the best songs on earth,” he continues. “The only problem is that the band sounds all slendered down, because the producer of several of those albums was looking to get on the radio and get hits. It’s a much different vibe from what the band does live, which is so brash and heavy. So now we try to capture that feel and power whenever we make a record.”

“I’ve always said that if you have to tell people you’re cool, then you’re not!”—Rick Nielsen

Nielsen is widely known as an avid guitar collector, with a stash in the hundreds that includes both incredibly rare and valuable vintage instruments like original late-’50s Gibson Explorers and Les Pauls and off-the-wall custom one-offs like his iconic checkerboard Hamer 5-neck. But he brings only a limited number of guitars with him to the studio. “This time, I had a couple of my Dwights [in the ’60s, Epiphone manufactured guitars under the Dwight brand name for Sonny Shields Music in East St. Louis], a couple of my Hamer Explorer-shaped Standards, a ’59 Les Paul, and a Telecaster. And I just grab the one I think is good for the song,” he says. The sessions also relied on only a trio of guitar amps: a Marshall half stack, a Vox AC30 and one of the Paul Rivera-modified silver-panel Fender Deluxe Reverbs that have been Nielsen’s go-tos since the ’70s.

​TOM PETERSSON’S LIVE RIG

Basses

• Brooks EXP-12-TP 12-string

Amps

• Orange OR30 with Orange 4x12 cab
• Fender Super Bassman with Fender 4x12 cab

Effects

• Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI

Strings, Picks, & Accessories

• D’Addario EXL170-12 strings
• Junger Pyramid picks
• Shure AD4Q wireless
• Radial JD7 splitter
• D’Addario foam earplugs

For Raymond, limiting the number of choices available to Nielsen is crucial to ensuring that the guitarist remains engaged in the creative process. “When you start getting down that road of auditioning 10 different amplifiers and 15 different guitars with Rick, he just gets bored,” says Raymond. “He doesn't have the patience.”

Nielsen likes to work fast when he’s in the studio, often keeping the basic track that was played live with the band. “I know what I want to do and have it down, so I’ll often keep that track and then embellish on it afterwards,” he says. The guitarist also rarely doubles his rhythm tracks exactly, but instead has the guitars engage in a push-and-pull dialogue that introduces tension and a ragged intensity to songs like the album’s title track. “Rick doesn’t double his tracks exactly because he’s sloppy—and I mean that in the best possible way,” Raymond explains. “You can hear what the guitar on the left is doing, and you can hear what the guitar on the right’s doing. That’s what I love about the way he plays. It’s almost kind of a punk-rock style in more of a rock and roll manner, you know?”

“What we end up doing is what we as music fans would like to hear from a record.”—Tom Petersson

“Of course, we could take those tracks and make them match as perfect doubles in Pro Tools,” he continues. “But you don’t want that. That’s not Rick’s sound.”

Where the lead guitar work on All Washed Up is concerned, Nielsen takes one of two approaches: the first, melodic and impeccably structured, like the rotary-speaker enhanced break on the ballad “Best Thing,” and the other, manically chaotic and visceral, like the hair-raising screech fest on “Bet it All.”

“I’m no guitar virtuoso like Satch or Vai, so I don’t try to make something real fast and real cool,” he says. “But I do make it so my solo has something to do with the actual melody of the song. Then when I run out of smart ideas, there can be a lot of noise and unison bends and screeches and all that stuff!”

From a producer’s standpoint, Raymond says that, much like when he’s recording the guitarist’s rhythm tracks, cutting Nielsen’s frenetic leads is an exercise in catching lightning in a bottle. “Rick plays guitar like it’s his last day on earth,” he says. “He just bounces off the walls and plays, and it’s so much fun to watch because you don’t have to give him any direction. And he gets those solos quick. It’s just his spirit—the spirit of the way he thinks and plays. You don’t fix that. You don’t try to manipulate that. That’s the soul of Cheap Trick to me.”

“I’m no guitar virtuoso like Satch or Vai, so I don’t try to make something real fast and real cool.”—Rick Nielsen

If Nielsen’s methodology has a seat-of-the-pants spontaneity at its core, Petersson’s approach to recording the bass tracks on All Washed Up is decidedly more considered. “We pretty much used a different bass on every song,” he says. “There were two Gibson Thunderbirds, which have been my go-to recording basses since the beginning of the band, a ’66 non-reverse and a ’64 Thunderbird II. I was introduced to those by [PG columnist] Jol Dantzig, who would end up at Hamer guitars and now builds under his own name. He said, ‘Tom, you’ve got to try these Thunderbirds. They’re really cool.’ To me they're just a little clunkier and dirtier than a P-Bass, and to me, the P-Bass is the best all-around bass ever. I mean, it’s a subtle difference. So, in the end, when it’s on a recording, who can tell the difference? Probably no one!”

True to his word, Petersson also used four Fender Precision basses—a ’53, ’55, ’56, and a ’71—on All Washed Up. “And then a ’65 Jazz Bass with flatwound strings and one with roundwounds, a Rickenbacker 4003 with flatwounds, a 1960 Gibson EBO with a body like a double-cut Les Paul Junior, a Hofner 500/2 Club Bass, and my Gretsch White Falcon 12-string bass,” he adds. Petersson is widely credited with conceiving the 12-string bass, an instrument later adopted by players like Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam and Doug Pinnick of King’s X, but he generally reserves the thunderous buzz of this sometimes-unruly instrument for the stage. “I don’t usually use that much 12-string on the records—mainly just for overdubs,” he explains. “Because I feel it’s like a 12-string guitar; it’s cool, but do you really want to have that on everything? But this time, there’s way more of it on there. We just thought, ‘Why not? Let’s just do the song the way it will sound live.’”

Both onstage and in the studio, Petersson’s beefy, overdriven tone booms, growls, and sustains, perfectly complementing his Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, and Ron Wood (when he played with the Jeff Beck Group)-inspired lines and fills. “Tom is my favorite bass player on earth,” says Raymond. “His sound has enormous bottom end, but it’s totally distorted, like he's the rhythm guitar player in the band.”

To achieve his signature sound, Petersson employs a multi-amp setup that can be changed to adapt to the material at hand. “I use a combination of stuff, all through Orange or Hiwatt 4x12 cabinets,” he reveals. “There’s a 30-watt Orange for the distortion, a 300-watt Orange, a 20-watt Hiwatt Maxwatt that was really cool, a 400-watt Hiwatt bass head and then my old Hiwatt Lead 100 that I’ve had since 1972. That was actually the only amp that I had when we made the first album.”

And where many bass players customarily also record a clean DI signal to complement their amplified sound, Petersson strongly disapproves of the practice. “I have my sound, so once it’s there, why give people the opportunity to change it?” he says. “Inevitably, it will get blended in there somehow or they’ll just use the direct. I play all my parts with distortion, so can you imagine how lame and plinky it’s going to sound without that? I want it to sound like the Who!”

At the sound of those two last words, Nielsen’s eyes light up and his enthusiasm can’t be contained. “The Who were the ultimate live band,” he interjects. “They were the greatest: loud and nasty and melodic. They had everything, and it was like nobody could keep up with it.”

“Luckily, we never progressed. We still like the Beatles. We still like the Stones and AC/DC.”—Rick Nielsen

“I saw them open for Herman’s Hermits, and when they smashed their gear after only playing for, like, 20 or 25 minutes, I didn’t completely get it,” Petersson chimes in, also switching into fan mode. “But then right after that tour, they were in the States on their own, and I saw them again in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was the real deal. Once they built it up to a frenzy at the end, it all made sense. It wasn’t just some fake show of smashing gear. It was like we were losing our minds because it was so great.”

“We’ll be playing a few songs with the Who on their farewell tour in Los Angeles soon, which is amazing,” says Nielsen. “But I remember the first time we played with them, in 1979, at Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg, Germany—Pete Townshend walked up to me and said, ‘Rick, how’d you get that sound on your live record, At Budokan? And I was like, ‘Pete, you’re the guy that did Live at Leeds! The greatest live album of all time.’”

Nielsen pauses to give his trademark smirk. “What are you asking me for?”

Audio announced the release of Temperance™ Pro. Building on the revolutionary foundation of Temperance Lite, which introduced the world's first musical reverb, Temperance Pro adds 29 modal spaces, advanced sequencing capabilities, MIDI control, and specialized modal and temper controls for transforming your spaces in ways that were previously not possible.

Temperance Pro speaks the language of music, operating on the 12-note chromatic scale, letting users create spaces that feel musically intentional rather than incidental. This unique modal approach models reverb as collections of thousands of independent resonators, each one adjustable in real-time for unprecedented ways to shape space.

Pete Bischoff, the Product Owner said of the plug-in “Temperance impresses me on so many levels. The notion that you can recreate a room from thousands of individual resonances, complete with delays, flutters, and other nuances intact just blows my mind. The engineer in me can't figure out how Eventide got them to cooperate so perfectly and how they managed to squeeze them all into a real time effect. The musician in me giggles at the thought of the sheer number of tiny "instruments" playing in concert and what novel sound avenues they could explore.”

Woody Herman, Sr. DSP Engineer with Eventide added, "I've always enjoyed Eventide's willingness to try something different. As an engineer, it's especially rewarding to work on a project that tries to re-think something we've known about and used for a long time. Temperance is a different way of thinking about reverb that I think is new, fun, and hopefully leads people to make creative decisions they normally wouldn't.”

Temperance Pro introduces two controls for advanced shaping of musical texture. Target Select controls when tempering happens in time, choosing whether selected notes bloom with early reflections, with the late reflections during the reverb tail, or both. Note Width defines how many nearby modes are included in each note, with lower settings offering more musical precision and higher settings affecting more of the overall reverb for broader, more pronounced results.

Three powerful note selection methods add depth and creative potential. Manual Mode offers note-roll style input with instant access to chords, scales, modes, or intervals through the Choose Scale dialog. Sequence Mode programs note changes to follow chord progressions with adjustable beat grid and session offset for precise timeline positioning. MIDI Mode provides real-time keyboard control with Octave Repeat, offering an immediate and tactile way to work, whether performing live or sketching ideas in the studio.

Three unique modal controls offer unprecedented ways of shaping space. Position adjusts the balance between early and late reflections, working independently from tempering. Density controls how many modes are active, from full quality reverb to progressively fragmented, lo-fi tones. Offset shifts the center frequencies of all modes by up to ±500Hz independent of temper settings, changing the pitch of the entire space for dramatic results.

Temperance Pro delivers 29 spaces spanning intimate rooms, grand halls, lush mechanical reverbs, and experimental synthetic spaces. The collection includes faithful recreations of legendary acoustic spaces, including several designed by acoustics pioneer Ralph Kessler, alongside original creations built specifically to showcase modal reverb technology.

The plug-in features over 120 creative and production-focused presets including 11 tutorial presets. Professional features include ultra-low latency suitable for live performance, fully automatable controls, Dual Mono mode, A/B comparison states, and Eco Mode for CPU optimization.

Temperance Pro is available for $179 MSRP from Eventide Audio and authorized dealers worldwide. Crossgrade from Temperance Lite is also available for $79. The plug-in supports AAX 64-bit, AU 64-bit, and VST3 64-bit formats on Windows 10+ and macOS 10.14+. For more information visit eventideaudio.com.

We’ve seen a slew of new signature guitar launches in the past couple of weeks, including a newly finished Fender Telecaster Deluxe for blues maestro Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, new Martins for Jason Isbell, as well as Gibson and Epiphone signatures for Noel Gallagher, Bonehead and Gem Archer of Oasis.

And now, YouTuber and metal hero Rabea Massaad has been invited to the party with his first-ever Sterling By Music Man signature, the Rabea Artist Series Sabre. Designed to deliver the custom feel and roaring tones of Massaad’s premium Ernie Ball Music Man guitars at a more attainable price point, this new signature model clocks in just shy of $1,000.

• READ MORE: What a day to be an Oasis fan, as Gibson launches wider-release Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard – and Epiphone Bonehead and Gem Archer signature guitars

Built for technical precision and comfort, the Sterling Sabre retains many of the elements players love from the original. It sports a custom-tapered roasted maple neck, a recessed heel, and a lower-horn spoon carve, providing unrestricted access to all 22 frets. The guitar’s nyatoh body with flame maple veneer keeps it resonant yet lightweight, while locking tuners paired with a modern tremolo ensure tuning stability even under aggressive playing.

Unlike the Ernie Ball version though, this model swaps out Rabea’s signature Bare Knuckle “Silo” pickups and the custom Ernie Ball Music Man tremolo, for a pair of custom-voiced Alnico V humbuckers instead and Modern Tremolo bridge instead. Additional appointments include an ebony fretboard with specialty white ring inlays, glow-in-the-dark side dots, along with a five-way pickup selector, master volume pot, and a push/pull coil-splitting tone control.

The guitar also ships with Ernie Ball 2215 Skinny Top / Heavy Bottom strings, tuned to E♭ Standard, making it ready to rip straight out of the box.

“One of the most important things to me when making these guitars was to make sure we brought all the main design elements over from the Ernie Ball Music Man version,” says Massaad. “These guitars have all the same comfort and playability as their American counterparts, and the pickups are incredibly expressive with plenty to offer in their tonal palette. We made sure the ergonomics and feel were just right – every detail was considered, from pickup voicing to neck feel. It’s simply an enjoyable guitar to play. I couldn’t be happier, and I hope everyone enjoys playing them as much as I do.”

Reflecting Massaad’s love of gaming, the Sterling Rabea Sabre comes in two exclusive finishes: Ashen Burst – a dark, moody shade inspired by Dark Souls and Blood Flame Burst – a fiery red tone drawing inspiration from Elden Ring.

Watch Rabea demo the new Sterling Sabre below.

Learn more at Sterling by Music Man.

The post Dark Souls/Elden Ring finishes: Rabea Massaad’s new Sterling By Music Man signature comes in two colourways inspired by his favourite video games appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Over the past few weeks, reports have surfaced suggesting that G&L – the guitar company Leo Fender co-founded in 1979 and championed by the likes of Jerry Cantrell and Carl Perkins – may be in the middle of a quiet but complete shutdown.

An Instagram post from the account guitarcheology, which has been documenting the brand’s situation in real time, outlines what appears to be the final days of G&L’s Fullerton, California operations.

According to the post, BBE Sound, G&L’s longtime parent company under president Dave McLaren, was ‘legally dissolved’ on 28 October – a move that effectively ends the entity Leo’s last company has operated under since the early ’90s.

• READ MORE: Why the sale of Jim Irsay’s Greatest Guitar Collection On Earth is a sad moment in guitar history

The post also claims that Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) did not purchase G&L outright, despite widespread speculation online. Instead, Fender is said to have bought only G&L’s intellectual property, including trademarks – and not the remaining tools or inventory.

Public filings from the US Patent and Trademark Office show that Fender submitted a trademark application for “Leo Fender” on 6 October. By 30 October, his name appeared on Fender’s official website, suggesting that whatever deal took place likely centred on Leo’s legacy rather than G&L’s production assets.

In the meantime, G&L’s Fullerton facility is reportedly being liquidated. Over the past month, McLaren and his team are said to have sold off a CNC machine and a Plek system, with other tooling simply being scrapped.

“They have a deadline to be out, the building ready for the next tenant by December 1. This week has been the mad dash to clear out what hasn’t sold. They are opting to simply scrap it,” the post states.

According to the same source, the remaining US-made guitars has since been sold to used-guitar wholesaler MIRC in Tennessee for resale, while the fate of the Tribute import line remains unclear: “MIRC dealers online will likely start putting this stuff on eBay,” the post adds. “I wouldn’t expect bargain basement prices.”

There’s also no word on what’s happened to prototypes, templates, or the surviving contents of Leo Fender’s lab – though recent photos show what appears to be Leo’s original filing cabinet discarded in a dumpster behind the G&L facility, alongside other pieces of his old office furniture.

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The post notes that there are still “lots of info gaps,” and that “we have to be open to the possibility FMIC only bought the IP.”

For now, no official statements have been released by G&L, BBE, or Fender. But reports of employee layoffs and liquidation activity suggest that G&L’s operations in Fullerton are winding down, marking the end of Leo Fender’s final guitar company.

Read the full post below.

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The post Legendary Leo Fender-founded guitar brand G&L reportedly shutting down – with Fender acquiring its intellectual property appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Remember that silver Gibson SG Kirk Hammett mysteriously pulled out during Black Sabbath’s farewell show earlier this year? The one that had Metallica fans scouring forums trying to identify it? That very guitar – built by Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian himself – is officially heading to auction, and it’s bringing more than 150 of Hammett’s personal guitars and memorabilia along for the ride.

• READ MORE: Jim Irsay’s entire $1 billion guitar collection – featuring Kurt Cobain, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix guitars – is headed to auction

Hammett, who famously rotates through an enviable lineup of electrics, surprised fans during Back to the Beginning when he appeared onstage wielding an unfamiliar silver SG. He used it for one of Metallica’s two Sabbath covers that night – Hole in the Sky from 1975’s Sabotage.

The mystery was soon solved: the guitar was CEO4, a one-of-a-kind instrument crafted by Gueikian as part of his ‘CEO series’ of personal builds. At the time, Gueikian revealed that the SG would be auctioned in support of Gibson Gives, Gibson’s charitable foundation.

Credit: Julien’s Auctions

Now, that promise is being fulfilled. CEO4 will go under the hammer as part of Julien’s Auctions’ Played, Worn & Torn event on 20–21 November, joining more than 150 guitars, awards, and stage-played instruments from Hammett’s own collection.

Credit: Julien’s Auctions

While CEO4 – and its connection to Ozzy Osbourne’s last show – will likely seal the spotlight, the sale is stacked with deep cuts for serious collectors as well. Highlights include the Lux Æterna Black Metal guitar (seen in the song’s music video, complete with Hammett’s hand-carved “X”), a 1985 Gibson Custom Shop Michael Schenker Flying V owned and played live by the guitarist in the late 2000s, and a liquid-filled, clear Lucite 1996 ESP Wavecaster from Metallica’s Load and Reload tours. Also going under the hammer is Hammett’s 2006 Washburn Custom Shop X Series guitar, decked out with The Bride of Frankenstein artwork.

Credit: Julien’s Auctions

Other artists contributing to the sale include Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Adam Clayton of U2, with proceeds benefiting charities like MusiCares, Teenage Cancer America, Gibson Gives, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Check out the full collection at Julien’s Auctions.

Elsewhere, Kirk Hammett recently partnered with Gibson to release the Raven, something of an evil-looking take on Gibson’s classic Hummingbird design.

The post Kirk Hammett is auctioning his silver Gibson CEO4 SG from Black Sabbath’s farewell show – plus more than 150 guitars from his collection appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

You might never stumble upon the Holy Grail, but you can try your luck with the next best thing – an original, gold-finish Klon Centaur, straight from Bill Finnegan himself.

The listing went live on 2 November via Finnegan’s official eBay account, klondirectsales, with bids already climbing past the $2,000 mark — and they’re showing no signs of slowing.

“Hi everyone – this Sunday, 11/02/2025, an eBay auction will begin (at 7 pm PST) for a newly-built, previously-unused gold-finish Centaur unit, the eBay account name being klondirectsales,” mythical overdrive’s creator’s announced on Instagram. “Thanks for all of your interest and support over the years.”

• READ MORE: Harness Matt Bellamy’s legendary Supermassive Black Hole guitar tone with Manson’s first-ever effects pedal, the Supermassive Black Fuzz

The listing itself provides some extra context for collectors. This particular unit carries the serial number RG 022, where “RG” stands for Reissue Gold. And according to Finnegan, “the unit has been hand-built by me, in exactly the same way as I have been hand-building Centaur units for something like thirty years now, and with the exact same components (including, specifically, the exact same NOS clipping diodes) that I have always used.”

For guitarists and collectors, a Finnegan-built Klon is the stuff of legend. The original Centaur – hand-wired and sold directly by Finnegan throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s – redefined transparent overdrive, and quickly became one of the most sought after pedals on the planet. When production stopped, used prices skyrocketed into the stratosphere, and myths surrounding the circuit only deepened.

This latest auction follows a rather turbulent year for the Centaur’s legacy. Finnegan recently found himself in a legal battle with Behringer, after the latter’s $69 Centaur Overdrive pedal hit the market in 2024. Finnegan sued Behringer’s parent company, Music Tribe, calling the unit a “blatant counterfeit” and citing “extensive actual confusion” among players who believed it was officially licensed.

The controversy only added fuel to the Klon’s mythology – second-hand listings of Behringer’s pedal even shot up to $2,000 overnight, as collectors speculated it might be pulled. The company eventually changed the pedal’s name to Centara, and later Zentara, with court documents confirming that the case has since been dismissed, with no costs incurred to either party.

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Check out the listing at eBay.

The post Bill Finnegan is auctioning another newly-built gold Klon Centaur – and the current bid’s already over $2,000 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$1,799/£1,699, strandbergguitars.com

Headless guitars – is there a more polarising concept in the world of musical instruments? People tend to have very strong opinions about them one way or another, and yet often the people who are the most passionately opposed to the concept are those who’ve never actually sat down and played one.

• READ MORE: Positive Grid BIAS X review – “it’s like having a virtual studio engineer doing the hard work”

Spend a bit of time with a headless electric guitar and you tend to become something of a convert. That was certainly the case with me – I’ve ended up owning several headless guitars and basses over the years, but I’ve rarely had my head (ahem) turned as much as I did by Strandberg’s Boden Essential 6 last year.

All of which has me on tenterhooks at the Swedish guitar brand’s latest innovation – the Boden N2.

Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – what is it?

A few months ago, I had a Zoom call with Strandberg’s founder, Ola Strandberg, to discuss his vision for the N2, and he summed it up succinctly: “It’s about making the Standard an even more inspiring and dependable instrument for demanding players.”

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the existing Standard – but the N2 takes that fundamental recipe and – in theory – simply makes it even better.

The biggest part of this is the new arched body. The original Boden was already a marvel of ergonomic guitar design – but this takes things up a gear. The slight curve of the body is designed to wrap around the player to make you feel even more connected to the instrument.

Elsewhere you’ll find Strandberg’s titanium-reinforced EndurNeck, and the all-important EGS Arc hardware that enables that lack of headstock. While the more expensive N2 Original ($2,499) sports a pair of Fishman-designed POWR:D pickups, the more affordable Standard uses the well-considered Seymour Duncan pairing of Sentient and Pegasus humbuckers.

You get 24 fanned stainless steel frets on that roasted maple fingerboard, and your finish options are limited to metallic black or this rather handsome Transformative Teal Metallic. As you’d expect for a guitar this uniquely shaped, a gigbag comes as standard.

The Strandberg Boden Standard N2 in Transformative Teal Metallic. Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – playability and build

The Boden range is built by Cortek in Indonesia, and its reputation for excellence in build and finish is well earned. Straight out of its case this feels every inch a well-sorted premium guitar.

The fretwork is immaculate and the general build quality feels top drawer – everything is supremely well fitted together, with the hardware and components giving an extra dose of rugged reassurance – especially the substantial and imposing EGS Arc Hardtail.

As with any headless locking situation, this isn’t the most instantaneously gratifying unit with which to change a string – you’ll need a couple of hex keys – but it’s very rapid to do so when you have the tools you need, and the overall tuning stability once you have it locked in is superb.

Strapping it on, and that new body curve really does contribute to the whole dynamic in terms of playability. It curves away from the body, letting your arm rest more easily, while the bevelled basswood body is narrower at the top, and the back belly carve deeper, really getting you up close with your instrument – it’s vanishingly light too, further improving the overall playing experience.

The trapezoid-shaped EndurNeck is the sort of thing that puts people off from a distance – an angular neck just looks… wrong! But there’s method here – not least the way the angled central plane effectively guides your thumb into the optimum position as you move up the neck. It sounds weird – and it is! – but the proof is in the playing and once again it’s a remarkably comfortable and fast player.

If you’ve never played a fanned fret instrument before, this is my strong recommendation – do so at your own risk because you may never want to go back. A fanned frets are extra useful here because of that neck – the two combining to put your fingers in a more natural and comfortable position at all times.

It meant I didn’t have to think about my thumb and hand position as I was traversing the fretboard – it just ended up where it needed to be, and made me feel like I was a better guitar player than I am. And that’s what we all want from a new guitar, right?

Seymour Duncan humbuckers on the Boden Standard N2. Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – playability and build

The presence of the new Seymour Duncan pickups really does bring the whole N2 package together in wonderful style. As you’d expect with an ergonomically designed guitar, the Sentient and Pegasus shine with the application of distortion and fuzz.

Conjuring up vintage and modern metal tones was easy and gratifying, especially in the neck and middle position on the 5-way selector. Dialling things back, I found positions two and four really work for blues and more straight-ahead rock, while the bridge pickup on its own was a blast for country.

This is a remarkably versatile and usable guitar that, provided you don’t mind getting some strange looks, would work for almost any musical situation.

Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – should I buy one?

The biggest compliment that I can give the Standard N6 is that I’ve had to put it down to write this review and the whole time I’ve been glancing over to it, itching to get over there and start playing it again.

Forget about whether you should buy one – I’m asking myself which guitars in my collection I need to sell so that I can buy one. I’m half wondering if my editor doesn’t keep giving me Strandberg guitars to review on purpose so I have to keep writing for him to afford them!

The good news is that I don’t have to sell any organs to buy one of these – at $1,799 it’s competitively priced, and comes in under similarly oddball guitars like the Abasi Concepts ēmi. The fanned frets might not be for everyone, but I say again – just try it. Like me, you might very well become a convert.

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – alternatives

There are an increasing number of accessible ergonomically designed guitars out there now, and one of the best value options is the Ibanez QX54QM ($1,199/£1,109), which also sports fanned frets. The aforementioned Abasi Concepts ēmi 6 Legion ($1,999) is the most affordable iteration of Tosin Abasi’s impressively shred-ready designs, and if you want something Abasi designed but even more affordable, the Sterling by Music Man Kaizen ($849/£1,099) is a lot of fun.

The post Strandberg Boden Standard N2 review: “a remarkably versatile and usable guitar” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Every now and then, a holy-grail guitar falls into your lap and makes you do crazy things to get it. In my case, the holy grail is a 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom from the original owner, Brian, who played it every day like it owed him money.

I’m obsessed with guitars with personality and deep stories—specifically vintage Gibsons—and have a habit of poking around to see what’s out there. I found Brian’s guitar through my buddy Joe at Joe’s Vintage Guitars in Arizona. This guitar was all vibe and dripped energy—a true player’s instrument. That honest playing wear is very important, not only to the history, but to the sound. You see something that’s heavily played and worn, you know it’s going to sound good. I had to have it. Luckily, the old broken headstock made it financially attainable. I consulted my guitar uncles, Doug Myer and Chris Such, who are equally obsessed and they encouraged me to go for it. I didn’t think twice. I pulled my beloved 1938 D’Angelico Excel off the wall and sold it. Joe and I made the deal. He shipped Brian’s guitar to me in NYC.

Customs were Les Paul’s version of the luxurious Gibson L5 or a Super 400. They were made of the highest-quality material. With a mahogany body, multi-ply binding, and upgraded exotic ebony fingerboard featuring mother-of-pearl inlays, the guitar has a classy tuxedo look which exudes elegance.

Only 256 of these guitars were made in 1958 and would have cost $470 with added factory Bigsby, plus $47.50 with a case for a whopping $517.50.

Brian’s serial number is 8 4224—not far from another LPC from 1958 which belonged to Eric Clapton until he gifted it to Albert Lee (8 6320). While clearly a special build, the feature that kept this model from becoming a household name is the “Fretless Wonder” frets that Les Paul loved to play on. These were designed for jazz and Les Paul’s style of playing with heavy flats—a style with more gliding and sliding across the fingerboard as opposed to bending notes.

The pot codes date to the eighth week of 1958 (February), meaning the PAFs are still a proper example of Seth Lover’s original humbucker design, without being potted. All the frequencies and the overtones are still intact.

The capacitors are also rare: .02 uF Phonebook Spragues that were only used in top Gibson models like the Flying V and Explorer. The Brian Custom also came with the patent pending Grover tuners (instead of waffle backs) which were the highest quality of tuner hardware at the time.

But it was the factory Bigsby, cast by Paul Bigsby himself in his workshop in Southern California, that put me over the edge. In my band, Caveman, I only use guitars I’ve made with a Bigsby. It’s become a part of my signature sound. The Bigsby on the Brian Custom is an early example—you very rarely see them with the green felt, tapered shape, and texture in the cast aluminum like this.

“My goal is to keep this guitar a player’s guitar. I believe all guitars need to be played or they will wither and die.”

The only thing I have done since receiving this gem, is replace the frets so it plays perfectly. I put on a special set of La Bella strings that I’ve been working on with my brother Eric from La Bella Strings—a prototype set of super-polished stainless-steel rounds that we will be releasing soon.

What makes the Brian Custom truly special goes far beyond its physicality. The guitar is alive. Brian respected the art of the instrument—he played it every day. It’s rare to see such an honest, beat-up, and absolutely played guitar of this caliber—and even rarer that it belonged to only one person. The divots in the fretboard, the yellowed binding and knobs from nights playing in smoky venues, reflect a lifetime of playing and musicianship. Out of respect for Brian, my goal is to keep this guitar a player’s guitar. I believe all guitars need to be played or they will wither and die. It’s part of my mission to have players feel and understand why guitars like this are so special. To experience how they play, how they sound, to understand the magic. Guitars like Brian’s make you feel things you can’t put into words.

Most importantly, being the caretaker of such special instruments like the Brian Custom directly affects the way I build my Carbonetti Guitars and Olinto Bass instruments. Studying and playing vintage instruments elevates and inspires my craft. When you feel one of my guitars, I want everything to feel soft like a real player’s guitar—rounded edges and a worn-in feel. I aim to create the comfort and familiarity in my instruments that feels like an old friend and doesn’t need explanation. This ’58 custom is one of the greatest examples of this. It’s the official new mascot of the Guitar Shop NYC, and will continue to be played on stages and in studios forever.

We live on the frontier of a sci-fi future, so I assume you’ve all heard of the Turing Test, which evaluates a machine's ability to exhibit behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. If the AI can consistently fool humans into believing it’s human, it passes the test. The T Test has worked its way into hundreds of books and movies over the past 30 years, but did any of us imagine that we would be conducting our own private Turing Test every time we called customer service? A lot of personal research has shown that AI can be just as ineffective as any human when it comes to customer services, so I guess it’s passing the test.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering at this point: What does all this have to do with guitars and music? I’ve played three sessions of late where the “songwriter” brought in AI demos they wanted to record with a full band and human vocals. All of these songs did pass the T Test in that they were just as cliché and empty as any not-particularly-imaginative amateur songwriter. Don’t get me wrong—for songs that were cobbled together in seconds, borrowing parts of melodies, rhymes, rhythms, and themes from every song ever recorded, they were perfectly mediocre. But why would anybody want to record another D-level song devoid of a single original thought? I guess because they think it might advance their career. But one more lackluster drop in an ocean 95-percent full of mediocrity is not helping anyone.

That said, this process is going to improve. You know how you can have a secret desire for something, like a new pair of shoes or an Epiphone Sheraton, and keep this secret desire in the depths of your heart, telling no one—and yet, those shoes and/or Epiphone Sheraton somehow become ubiquitous in pop-up ads when you open your computer? There are times AI really does seem to be reading my mind—or at least my email, texts, and searches—and then feeds this into the algorithm to give me its version of what I think I want. It also can do that in songwriting. AI can gather data from all of the artists out there pouring their thoughts into songs, poems, books, and movies, and then rearrange them into songs that attempt to express the depths of human emotion. And in fact, I have heard AI create songs that are profoundly poignant.

I’d bet most successful or aspiring songwriters under the age of 60 have tried feeding a few commands into Suno, Udio, or Soundraw, and found a chord change, a line, or part of a melody that could be worked into a composition. Or maybe the AI version just needs a few tweaks. This is applying the “work smarter, not harder” creed, which used to be good advice, but I’m not sure it is anymore, now that working hard is so easy to avoid. For instance, I was a dyslexic kid (I suppose I still am), and had a very difficult time learning to read, but as there was no other option, I had to slog through it and put in the extra work to get up to speed. My 8-year-old daughter faces the same challenge, so we read together slowly most nights, making a little bit of progress each time that will hopefully grow like compound interest.

Of course, she hates it just like I did—but we power through. The challenge for her generation, though, is that anyone can now push a mic button on a phone, speak their thoughts, and have the phone instantly read them back. It’s an easy hack to avoid the hard work of reading and writing, and that’s why I think illiteracy will rise in developed nations.

“Wrestling with your deepest heartache or happiness and writing songs about it is good for the soul.”

So what does this have to do with guitars? Simple: you get out of life what you put into it. Doing something hard is good for you. Wrestling with your deepest heartache or happiness and writing songs about it is good for the soul. Explore what’s torturing you. As Pete Townsend wrote in his song “A Guitar and a Pen”:

“When you take up a pencil and sharpen it up / When you’re kicking the fence and still nothing will budge / When the words are immobile until you sit down / Never feel they’re worth keeping, they’re not easily found / Then you know in some strange, unexplainable way / You must really have something / Jumping, thumping, fighting, hiding away / Important to say.”

“When you sing through the verse and you end in a scream / And you swear and you curse cause the rhyming ain’t clean / But it suddenly comes after years of delay / You pick up your guitar, you can suddenly play.”

P.S. When I was writing the column What Will the Gibson Les Paul Standard 100th Anniversary Model Look Like?, I asked Grok/X what the LP will look like in 100 years. The answer? That most musicians will work in the digital realm, simply telling AI something like, “Give me a solo that sounds like Van Halen in 1978.” Honestly, we’re basically already there. But who cares—I’m taking the Nero approach, gleefully playing my guit-fiddle while Rome burns.

P.P.S. For this column’s art, I asked Perplexity.ai to make a cartoon of a guy happily playing guitar during the apocalypse. The first attempt wasn’t great, so I fed it an R. Crumb sample and said, “Do it like this.” AI nailed it.

We live on the frontier of a sci-fi future, so I assume you’ve all heard of the Turing Test, which evaluates a machine's ability to exhibit behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. If the AI can consistently fool humans into believing it’s human, it passes the test. The T Test has worked its way into hundreds of books and movies over the past 30 years, but did any of us imagine that we would be conducting our own private Turing Test every time we called customer service? A lot of personal research has shown that AI can be just as ineffective as any human when it comes to customer services, so I guess it’s passing the test.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering at this point: What does all this have to do with guitars and music? I’ve played three sessions of late where the “songwriter” brought in AI demos they wanted to record with a full band and human vocals. All of these songs did pass the T Test in that they were just as cliché and empty as any not-particularly-imaginative amateur songwriter. Don’t get me wrong—for songs that were cobbled together in seconds, borrowing parts of melodies, rhymes, rhythms, and themes from every song ever recorded, they were perfectly mediocre. But why would anybody want to record another D-level song devoid of a single original thought? I guess because they think it might advance their career. But one more lackluster drop in an ocean 95-percent full of mediocrity is not helping anyone.

That said, this process is going to improve. You know how you can have a secret desire for something, like a new pair of shoes or an Epiphone Sheraton, and keep this secret desire in the depths of your heart, telling no one—and yet, those shoes and/or Epiphone Sheraton somehow become ubiquitous in pop-up ads when you open your computer? There are times AI really does seem to be reading my mind—or at least my email, texts, and searches—and then feeds this into the algorithm to give me its version of what I think I want. It also can do that in songwriting. AI can gather data from all of the artists out there pouring their thoughts into songs, poems, books, and movies, and then rearrange them into songs that attempt to express the depths of human emotion. And in fact, I have heard AI create songs that are profoundly poignant.

I’d bet most successful or aspiring songwriters under the age of 60 have tried feeding a few commands into Suno, Udio, or Soundraw, and found a chord change, a line, or part of a melody that could be worked into a composition. Or maybe the AI version just needs a few tweaks. This is applying the “work smarter, not harder” creed, which used to be good advice, but I’m not sure it is anymore, now that working hard is so easy to avoid. For instance, I was a dyslexic kid (I suppose I still am), and had a very difficult time learning to read, but as there was no other option, I had to slog through it and put in the extra work to get up to speed. My 8-year-old daughter faces the same challenge, so we read together slowly most nights, making a little bit of progress each time that will hopefully grow like compound interest.

Of course, she hates it just like I did—but we power through. The challenge for her generation, though, is that anyone can now push a mic button on a phone, speak their thoughts, and have the phone instantly read them back. It’s an easy hack to avoid the hard work of reading and writing, and that’s why I think illiteracy will rise in developed nations.

“Wrestling with your deepest heartache or happiness and writing songs about it is good for the soul.”

So what does this have to do with guitars? Simple: you get out of life what you put into it. Doing something hard is good for you. Wrestling with your deepest heartache or happiness and writing songs about it is good for the soul. Explore what’s torturing you. As Pete Townsend wrote in his song “A Guitar and a Pen”:

“When you take up a pencil and sharpen it up / When you’re kicking the fence and still nothing will budge / When the words are immobile until you sit down / Never feel they’re worth keeping, they’re not easily found / Then you know in some strange, unexplainable way / You must really have something / Jumping, thumping, fighting, hiding away / Important to say.”

“When you sing through the verse and you end in a scream / And you swear and you curse cause the rhyming ain’t clean / But it suddenly comes after years of delay / You pick up your guitar, you can suddenly play.”

P.S. When I was writing the column What Will the Gibson Les Paul Standard 100th Anniversary Model Look Like?, I asked Grok/X what the LP will look like in 100 years. The answer? That most musicians will work in the digital realm, simply telling AI something like, “Give me a solo that sounds like Van Halen in 1978.” Honestly, we’re basically already there. But who cares—I’m taking the Nero approach, gleefully playing my guit-fiddle while Rome burns.

P.P.S. For this column’s art, I asked Perplexity.ai to make a cartoon of a guy happily playing guitar during the apocalypse. The first attempt wasn’t great, so I fed it an R. Crumb sample and said, “Do it like this.” AI nailed it.



It’s the 155th episode of the Truth About Vintage Amps, the call-in show where amp tech Skip Simmons fields your questions on all things tube amps. This week: Barn finds, lost dogs, an extra-grounded Jason (amp pun intended), and more!

Some of the topics discussed this week: 

1:05 Skip gets the new Fretboard Journal (link); do banjos belong in the Fretboard Journal?

5:16 Recommended music: Ned Boynton’s ‘The North Beach Sound;’ The No-Mads (nomadsband.com)

7:54 Our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars and Amplified Parts (and Mr. Microphone)

18:12 What’s on Skip’s bench: A Bogen GA-5; a Realistic Carnival; Masco C-6; 6AQ5 tubes

22:53 A listener baffler, answered (speaker re-coning); Vintage 47 amps (link)

26:18 Skip’s ep. 154 baffler, answered: What does Skip do when he’s modding the second input of a Fender Champ? Supro Spectators

32:51 New Accutronics reverb tanks by Revisit (link)

34:52 What’s the low input doing in a Marshall JCM800; green chile on everything

39:20 Lowering the B+ on a 1971 Fender Bassman 10 project; ultralinear transformers; cactus salad

48:43 The long-awaited dog story

51:35 Colin Hay’s “Overkill” with Choir! Choir! Choir! (YouTube link); Traynor amps

54:52 Should I treat the pitting on a Soundmaster 600 PA?

1:00:17 Lab Series amps

1:03:39 Smoke-damaged MusicMan HD-130

1:09:20 The dangers of old tractors (and drawbridges)

1:15:34 Modifying the power section of a Twin Reverb for lower volume playing; fixing a Filmosound 385 with hum; guitarist Evan Crafts (Instagram)

1:21:26 TAVA listener spotlight: Children’s book author Matt James! (Order his new book, The One About the Blackbird (Amazon link)

1:23:56 How to raise kids and run a small business; Mae Ploy curry paste 

1:31:16 Barn finds: Spring-loaded input jacks; a 1947 Fender Princeton amp and matching lap steel

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: Listener Dayn’s Soundmaster PA amp, which he may or may not clean up. Below: The dangers of old tractors, courtesy of Wick Street Guitars.

The post The Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 155 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

October 31, 2025 This week I got sidetracked into catching up with lessons on some Tom Petty songs that I had been meaning to get to for years. Just a couple loose ends and now Wildflowers and Mary Jane’s Last Dance are in the TG Library. Most of his songs are relatively easy to play […]

The post Totally Guitars Weekly Update October 31, 2025 appeared first on On The Beat with Totally Guitars.

Question: What was the most exciting change in your guitar playing this year?

Guest Picker - Brian Dunne

A: My guitar playing is pretty constantly shifting, but in the last few years, I feel like I’ve really “found it.” And I’d attribute that to a personal change, honestly. I’m no longer afraid to show what I’ve got. I grew up playing, but I was a slightly “embarrassed” guitar player, if that makes sense? I loved indie rock and I loved singer-songwriters, and at that point in my life, I felt like the guitar solo was maybe a gratuitous move, and so for years, I hid my playing abilities. Not only that, but because I was so self-conscious, every time I stepped up for a rare solo, I had so much going on in my head that I never felt free.

I’m in my thirties now, and I would never say I don’t care anymore—I’ll always care about what music means, who it’s for, what it says, what each note indicates to the listener. But I am who I am, and I think that people are their best musical selves when they’re singing and playing at the top of their ability. And that’s what I’m gonna do. You’ll be hearing a lot more guitar on my records from here on out. I’m a proud guitar player, no way around it.

Obsession: Current obsession is a 1973 Tele Deluxe that I just bought!

Reader of the Month - Dave Jackson

A: This last year I’ve noticed that I’m not using a pick very often, and I’m really enjoying the direct contact of fingers and fingernails on strings. Also, I’m using very few effects with no reverb or delay, and that feels like I’m closer to the instrument's vibrations. So I’m just down to a Rothwell Switchblade distortion into my ZT Lunchbox and an Emma TransMORGrifier compressor for clean stuff—and both together for neighbor-friendly feedback.

Also, after 45 years I’ve grown dissatisfied with humbuckers and want single-coil clarity and hi-fi detail but without the hum and buzz. So I’ve been researching noiseless Strat pickups until my eyes got bleary. There’s some Bill Lawrence Wilde pickups on their way to go in my ’80s Squier Strat.

Obsession: Current musical obsessions include Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality. I’m left-handed, so Tony Iommi will always be a hero for me. I’ve also been revisiting Derek Bailey’s solo recordings like Lot ’74. He completely changed the way I think about music when I saw him play in 1986. Free improvisation is the most rewarding kind of music making I know. Ornette Coleman’s Love Call has also been heating up my speakers this week.

Editorial Director - Richard Bienstock

A: Sweep picking. Not a new concept for someone who grew up listening to metal in the ’80s and ’90s, but as much as I was into fast, technical playing, something about sweeping always left me cold. Too video-game sounding, before that was actually a thing guitarists were trying to sound like! But now my son plays, and one of the solos he tackled this year was Marty Friedman's daunting leads in Megadeth’s “Tornado of Souls.” Like everything else, we played it together. So, more than 30 years after I was hunkering down in my bedroom with the Hal Leonard official Rust in Peace tab book, I was finally sweeping up and down the frets.

Obsession: Cobra Kai, for maybe a third (fourth? fifth?) go-round. It just hits the perfect note of self-aware nostalgia, and the guys behind the score—Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg—are two of the most imaginative guitar-based composers around. What’s more, they tapped ace ringers like Tim Henson, Andrew Synowiec, Myrone, and even Tosin Abasi to lend a hand, making it essential viewing—and listening—for guitar nerds.

Contributing Editor - Ted Drozdowski

A: Freedom. After recently retiring as editorial director of PG, it seems I’ve been pushing the envelope more—in the disparate directions of tradition and outrage, and feeling more comfortable and relaxed with a guitar in my paws. I think the title made me self-conscious about my playing, which is never a good thing. I’m excited about what happens next!

Obsession: The thrilling, evolutionary period of jazz from the mid 1940s to 1975, thanks to James Kaplan’s extraordinary book 3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool. It’s reconnected me to this wonderful, diverse, and sometimes extreme, often beautiful music I’ve loved so long, but had lost contact with.

Honing in your warmup routine is an important part of your daily guitar ritual. In this guided practice routine, Tom Butwin takes you through his warmup and will keep you company as you work your way through.



For Episode 107 of the Luthier on Luthier podcast, I’m joined by Rory Dowling, the owner and builder behind the beautifully crafted Taran Guitars.

https://www.taranguitars.co.uk

Rory talks about his team-based approach to building and his journey from furniture design to guitar making. We also take a deep dive into his unique methods for back bracing and voicing…and much more.

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

Taran Guitars: Zachie Morris, Caelin Harrington, Rory Dowling, and Gemma Dowling

The post Luthier on Luthier: Rory Dowling (Taran Guitars) first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

For more than 150 years, Epiphone has crafted the instruments behind music’s most iconic moments. From legendary riffs to unforgettable performances, its legacy continues to shape the sound of generations. Now, in celebration of the monumental Live ’25 Tour and the long-awaited return of Oasis, Epiphone unveils two extraordinary tributes to rock history: the Masterbilt Gem Archer Sheraton™ and the Bonehead Riviera. Inspired by the original guitars still wielded by Gem Archer and Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs on stage today, these models capture the spirit, tone, and swagger of a band that defined an era. Whether you’re chasing the classic Oasis sound or carving your own path, these guitars deliver the authenticity and craftsmanship that Epiphone is known for. The Masterbilt Gem Archer Sheraton and Bonehead Riviera are now available worldwide at authorized Epiphone dealers, at the Gibson Garage locations in London and Nashville, and online at www.Epiphone.com.

“The Epiphone Sheraton first came into my world when I borrowed Noel’s for Oasis tours and recording,” says Gem Archer. “When I started playing with him again in the High Flying Birds in 2017, this was the guitar I asked if he still had. I’m playing it again together with my signature model based on his ’66 original, on the Oasis Live ’25 tour. It’s got a ring and a clang to it, with loads of definition and clarity that I haven’t found in any other model.”

“Epiphone Rivieras have been with me from the early rehearsals at the Boardwalk in Manchester all the way up to those historic shows at Knebworth and on into Liam’s solo career,” says Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs. “I’m still playing my original 1984 guitar on the Oasis 2025 tour, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m excited to bring this new guitar to audiences who experienced it back in the day, as well as those coming out to see us on this tour. It plays great and sounds massive; you’re gonna love it.”

“2025 is turning out to be quite the year for live music, and we’re thrilled to play a small part in paying tribute to one of the greatest reunions of the 21st century!” adds Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial and Marketing EMEA at Gibson. “The first time I remember seeing Gem playing that Cherry Red Epiphone Sheraton was on July 2, 2005, in Manchester—what a show! Gem was such an important part of the Oasis sound in the 2000s, and to see him carry that on with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds makes it a privilege to be part of this project. Spotting that Epiphone Riviera on stage during the Be Here Now tour in 1996 is something that stuck with me and inspired me to get my first Epiphone guitar. Nearly 30 years later, I’m honored to have played a tiny part in bringing the Epiphone Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs Riviera to life.”

Gem Archer, the versatile guitarist from Oasis, Beady Eye, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, is known in part for playing an Epiphone Sheraton, a guitar on long-term loan from Noel. Now, Epiphone proudly introduces the Masterbilt Gem Archer Sheraton, a new artist model based on that original Sheraton, which Gem still regularly uses. The Sheraton is an original Epiphone design first introduced in 1958.

This Masterbilt semi-hollowbody guitar, with its distinctive and elegant styling, represents the highest standards of craftsmanship and componentry from Epiphone. Built to the same specifications as the Inspired by Gibson Custom models, it features the signature etched Double Diamond on the rear of the headstock, a hallmark of those premium instruments.

The Masterbilt Gem Archer Sheraton boasts a semi-hollowbody, five-ply layered maple/poplar construction with a maple centerblock for enhanced sustain and improved feedback resistance. The top and back of the body are multi-ply bound, as are the headstock and fretboard. Its one-piece mahogany neck has a comfortable 60s C profile and is topped with a rosewood fretboard featuring 22 medium jumbo frets, adorned with elegant mother-of-pearl block and abalone triangle inlays.

The large 60s-style Sloped Dovewing headstock showcases the historic Epiphone logo and Tree of Life inlaid in mother-of-pearl. All hardware is gold, complementing the beautiful Vintage Gloss finish. The headstock is fitted with smooth-turning Grover® Rotomatic® tuning machines with Milk Bottle buttons, and the low-friction Graph Tech® nut helps keep the guitar solidly in tune. At the other end, an ABR-1 bridge and Casino™-style raised diamond trapeze tailpiece secure the strings.

Electronics are top-tier, featuring a pair of USA-made Gibson Mini Humbucker™ pickups, each with individual volume and tone controls using high-quality CTS® potentiometers and Mallory™ capacitors. These are routed through a Switchcraft® three-way pickup selector toggle switch and a 1/4” output jack.

Available in both right-and left-handed versions, the Masterbilt Gem Archer Sheraton comes with an Epiphone hardshell guitar case to keep this stunning instrument protected wherever your music takes you.

For over 130 years, groundbreaking Gibson instruments have shaped some of the most powerful moments in music history. Now, in celebration of the Live ’25 Tour and the long-awaited return of Oasis, Gibson proudly introduces the Noel Gallagher Les Paul™ Standard—a model designed by world-renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist Noel Gallagher himself to capture the sound, vibe, and aesthetics of the 90s while bringing everything full circle for today’s audiences. Available for a limited time at authorized dealers, Gibson Garage locations in London and Nashville, and Gibson.com, this release marks a new chapter in the iconic partnership between Gibson and one of rock’s most influential artists.

“This guitar is simply too iconic and cool not to be released more widely and made available for more fans to get their hands on,” says Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial and Marketing EMEA at Gibson. “Noel’s original Gibson Custom version of this Les Paul was the first guitar he played during the biggest rock ’n’ roll reunion of the 21st century. This Gibson USA version embraces that legacy, capturing a historic moment in British and global live music.”

The Gibson Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard features a non-weight-relieved mahogany body with a bound maple cap and a mahogany neck with Gallagher’s preferred SlimTaper™ profile. A bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and acrylic trapezoid inlays completes the classic look. Hardware includes an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and aluminum Stop Bar tailpiece for precise intonation and sustain, along with smooth-turning Grover® Rotomatic® tuners with kidney buttons, plus a chrome switch washer and output jack plate.

The pickguard is a black five-ply unit similar to those typically found on Les Paul Custom models. The electronics are equally distinctive, featuring unique chrome-covered Gibson P-90 Soapbar pickups hand-wired to individual volume and tone controls, along with a three-way pickup selector. The control knobs are black Top Hats with silver reflectors and dial pointers. The Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard also includes an artist signature reproduction decal on the back of the headstock and comes in a hardshell guitar case to keep it safe—whether you’re taking it to a local gig or on your next world tour. Perfectly encapsulating the historic Live ’25 Tour, the Gibson Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard is sure to be a fan favorite—so get yours today while they’re still available.