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According to Fender pedal guru Stan Cotey, this acoustic overdrive might be the weirdest thing the company has ever built. After making a laundry list of all the problems associated with acoustic distortion, Cotey started checking things off. It offers a rather convincing solution for acoustic strummers who want to add some rock to their sound. $149 and will be out in October.
At first glance, these might look like your typical blackface combos. However, the Tone Master series are Fender’s brand-new modeling amps. Other than an added XLR out on the back and some custom IRs, these function exactly like their tube-filled counterparts. Bonus: They come in at about half the weight. The Deluxe will be $899 and the Twin will be $999. Out in the fall.
Setting its sites on aesthetically conscious newcomers, Yamaha Music USA came to Nashville #NAMM with the lovely new Storia line of acoustics. Available in three models, they feature either a solid spruce or solid mahogany top, mahogany laminate back and sides, a 25” scale and slimmer neck (with rolled edges!), and a passive pickup—all for $399 street.
Hailing back to the brand’s 1980s Stagemaster series, Kramer Guitars USA’s new SM-1 models are made here in Nashville and feature a Floyd Rose trem, Seymour Duncan Cool Rails neck and middle pickups, and a Duncan JB in the bridge position for around a grand.
VOX amps USA’s big unveiling here in Nashville is the Mini Superbeetle Bass. Availing 50 watts at 4 ohms, it features a 4-band EQ (bass, lo-mids, hi-mids, and treble), onboard compression and ‘60s-style fuzz circuits, a 1/4” DI out, and a 10” speaker. Street price is $380.
Gretsch Guitars unveiled Rich Robinson’s signature “Magpie” model at NAMM. It’s loaded with TV Jones pickups (Broad’Tron and BT65), ebony fingerboard, and is finished in a beautiful Raven’s Breast Blue relic finish. It growls and is made for thunderous roots rock. Comes in at $12k and it will be a limited edition.
Nashville’s own Mythos Pedals just showed us the Oracle Echo Machine, which is a digital delay that’s voiced to have plenty of analog vibe. Along with they typical controls and subdivisions, it has a wicked cool preamp control for more grit, a mod button, and a two-band EQ for the repeats. Pricing is TBA but should be ready in early September.
Greer Amplification’s latest is based on the classic Rat framework, but sounds a bit more like a cranked Marshall. Thanks to a discovery of a large stash of LM-308 chips Nick Greer formulated a new tale on an old classic.
One of the coolest bang-for-buck amp deals we saw at NAMM was Blackstar Amplification's new HT Club 40 MkII Kentucky Special. This 6L6-driven version of the existing EL34-powered HT Club 40 MkII features an Eminence Screaming Eagle 16 and serves up more American-style amp tones while also being able to conjure some nice British sounds via the company's tried-and-true ISF control. All for a price of (wait for it) ... $799 street.
One of the more buzzed about items from the Boss booth was the new SY-1 Synthesizer. It's completely polyphonic and tracks amazingly well. Our demo showed off how it can from from cutting '80s synth leads to ambient pads and so much more. It's available now for $199.
Jim Dunlop Guitar Products' booth is always a hoot to drop by at NAMM, both for the cool gear and the great performances by reps like Bryan Kehoe. Today was no different, as we heard four tiny little killers from the Authentic Hendrix '69 Psych Series—a Fuzz Face with top-panel pushbuttons for engaging a buffer and switching between silicon and germanium transistors, the Band of Gypsys Fuzz, the Octavio Fuzz, and the Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato. All go for $129 street, while the new '60s R&B-vibed Gary Clark Jr signature wah goes for $179 street.
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