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Koll Guitar Company: The Superior
Designed in 1995 as a departure from the Glide series, the Superior features a solid alder body with a striking double cutaway. Also included is a set maple neck with
You’d be hard-pressed to find a punk or garage rocker who was not influenced by the raw tones that Wayne Kramer pitched into the guitar universe through MC5’s iconic recordings in the early 1970s. MXR teamed up with lifelong MC5 fan Johnny Wator of Daredevil Pedals to capture that gritty, groundbreaking sound in a compact, straightforward stompbox. The result is a pedal that delivers a huge rock ’n’ roll kick in the pants—just like Wayne’s music.
The MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive cranks out powerfully rich tones reminiscent of two dimed-out 100-watt amp stacks. Johnny combined his Drive-Bi Dual Gain Distortion with the MXR Micro Amp to create two separate gain stages, one cascading into the other. A single knob controls the outputs of both circuits, and as the volume is raised, more gain is fed from the first stage into the second. The EQ range is wide and balanced with all the definition you need to cut through a loud live mix with an unrestrained roar thick with harmonics. And it’s all passed the ultimate test—an early prototype of this pedal, delivered to an MC5 recording session, made it onto the album.
We figured this pedal should look as great as it sounds, so we enlisted street art pioneer Shepard Fairey to create a visual representation of the pedal’s rebellious tones.
A limited run, a majority of the proceeds from the sale of each pedal will be donated to Jail Guitar Doors USA, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Mr. Kramer, his wife Margaret, and Billy Bragg. For over fifteen years, JGD's efforts have included programs to help incarcerated individuals heal and grow through music in over two hundred facilities nationwide. In 2021, JGD opened the doors to their youth-driven C.A.P.O Center (Community, Arts, Programming & Outreach) in the heart of Los Angeles to aidsystem-impacted young men and women in the exploration of personal healing through the art of self-expression. To make a further donation, please visit jailguitardoors.org.
MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive highlights:
Special limited edition
Includes numbered certificate of authenticity
Recreates the raw tones that Wayne Kramer used in MC5
Reminiscent of two dimed-out 100-watt stacks
Two cascading gain stages—Daredevil Drive-Bi Dual Gain and MXR Micro Amp
Single knob increases both gain and volume for a thick, unrestrained roar
Custom artwork from Shepard Fairey
Co-designed with Daredevil Pedals proprietor Johnny Wator
Majority of proceeds go to nonprofit Jail Guitar Doors USA
Availability
The MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive is available now at $199.99 street/$285.70 MSRP from your favorite retailer.
Adding to the company’s line of boutique effects, Gigahearts FX has introduced two new fuzz pedals: the Hyper Soup and Mashed Voltaire Deluxe bring unique tonal variations, circuit refinements and performance-driven controls to guitarists seeking to expand their distortion and fuzz palate.
Designed to appeal to musicians who want to push their tone into new directions, and value genuinely hand-soldered and wired construction, both pedals build upon classic and well-loved circuits by bringing the feature-set into the 21st century.
Wildly expanded take on the “Violet Rams Head” circuit
Eleven external controls to fully sculpt and fine-tune your sound
Three band EQ (HP/BP/LP) feeding a dual-mode synthesizer-style resonant filter offering unlimited tonal variation from lo-fi to cocked-wah and full-on fat fuzzed out bliss
Footswitch-activated “starve” circuit limits voltage to the second transistor stage, bringing control over gating, dying-amp sounds, octave-glitches and textural artifacts
Comprehensive adaptation of the popular “Super Fuzz /Hyper Fuzz” circuit
Four-way rotary control, offering three fuzz modes and a boost mode
Footswitchable upper-octave, essentially doubling the number of fuzz tone options
Powerful Two-band High and Low active EQ controls
Both pedals feature Gigahearts’ signature hand-made construction, with high quality dual-layer PCBs, all through hole parts and hand soldering/wiring throughout. The pedals utilize 9-volt DC from an external power supply using standard 2.1mm tip negative (no battery compartment) and feature true bypass mechanical switching.
Mashed Voltaire Deluxe fuzz is priced at $239 USD / £175 GBP and Hyper Soup is $213 USD / £155 GBP available directly from www.gigaheartsfx.com, shipping worldwide, with free UK shipping and DDP duties paid to the USA.
Today, guitar powerhouse JARED JAMES NICHOLS is proud to release his new single, "Ghost," marking his first new music since recently signing with Frontiers Music Srl. The new track arrives accompanied by an official lyric video, available to view below.
In addition, JARED JAMES NICHOLS will be embarking on his European and UK headline tour starting November 5th in Valencia, Spain, at Loco Club and concluding December 6th in London, UK at The Underworld.
On the new single, JARED JAMES NICHOLS comments:
"‘Ghost’ was written with a very good friend of mine, Grammy-winning producer and epic guitarist Tyler Bryant. We have a synergy whenever we get together; it’s infectious, and things happen quickly. Tyler jumped behind the drums, and I started jamming the verse groove with the guitar. Within minutes, we had carved out the entire bones of the song in an old-school way of a jam.
"Lyrically speaking. ‘Ghost’ is something we can all relate to. It’s all about trying to live up to the voices inside your head, staying away from the insecurities and fear we all have running in our minds. It is about facing your fears, accepting the mind wars, and ultimately conquering them."
He continues, "‘Ghost’ was recorded with super producer Jay Ruston at Dave Grohl's 606 Studios in Los Angeles, California. Working with Jay is like breathing air; things come out so naturally and fresh. We share a common vision that is always hard to find when working with a producer. We put a lot of trust in each other, which means we care about nothing less than what is best for the song. As a band, our adrenaline was pumping…! Recording this song at such a legendary studio really sparked the fire and energy that you hear in the track."
Armed with nothing more than his signature GibsonLes Paul, a cranked amp, and a microphone burning hot, JARED JAMES NICHOLS lives the Blues the way it was meant to be lived - tough by design, raw in delivery, and authentic to the core. The Wisconsin-born, Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist unleashes unapologetic rock ’n’ roll, his voice hitting with grit and soul while his fretwork roars with fire and fury.
Celebrated by American Songwriter, Guitar World, and Relix, NICHOLS has already tallied millions of streams and built a devoted following online. Gibson Guitars recognized his impact by naming him one of only four Global Brand Ambassadors worldwide - a rare honor that cements his standing as one of today’s most vital guitar slingers.
Now preparing his fourth - and most defining - album, NICHOLS calls this era “JJN Mach II.” Written and inspired by his post-pandemic touring experiences and new home base in Nashville, the record showcases his growth as a singer and songwriter, while taking his guitar playing to explosive new heights.
NICHOLS’ journey has not been without hardship: cancelled tours, collapsed labels, breakdowns on the road, even a freak accident that left him with 20 screws in his arm. Yet every challenge has only fueled his drive and deepened the legend of his self-proclaimed “Blues Power.”
With Frontiers Music Srl now by his side, JARED JAMES NICHOLS is ready to bring his uncompromising rock ’n’ roll to the world. The time has come for his name to be known in every household where true rock is alive.
The SSI2100 is a 512-Stage BBD that offers a wide range of delay times using clock frequencies from 1kHz to over 2MHz. Special care was taken to faithfully reproduce the bucket brigade chain to preserve “mojo” of these quirky and beloved analog delay circuits.
Sound Semiconductor took advantage of a modern CMOS IC process that not only permits reduced chip die size but also allowed addition of new features. The SSI2100 includes an on-chip clock driver with anti-phase outputs that accepts a single TTL/CMOS 5V or 3.3V input that can be easily generated from a wide range of sources, negating the need for a traditional companion clock generator IC. In addition, the SSI2100 incorporates a clock tree to distribute the two anti-phase clocks throughout the chain for improved fidelity. The SSI2100 also internally provides the legacy “14/15 VGG“ supply voltage needing only an external capacitor.
A novel circuit (patent pending) provides noiseless gain allowing easy connection of multiple SSI2100’s for longer delay times without having to recalibrate inputs and outputs. An additional benefit to daisy-chaining is access to intermediate feedback taps for interesting reverb and other psychoacoustic effects.
The SSI2100 is available in a compact SOP-8 package, and believed to be the first BBD IC to be offered in a surface mount package. Pricing is $1.08 at 1k pieces, with samples available to qualified OEM’s. Production stock is available now.
"Before we could even start development in earnest of the SSI2100, we had to fully understand how these unusual devices work,” stated Neil Johnson, designer of the SSI2100. "From there it became a very fun project to complete.”
Sound Semiconductor is composed of musicians and technologists with the goal of developing affordable, high-performance integrated circuits for music creation. For more information, please visit www.soundsemiconductor.com.
Building on the success of MTD’s USA Norm Stockton Signature Saratoga, the new KNSJ5 brings high end appointments and renowned playability to a more affordable price range.
Built to Norm Stockton’s specs for a service life equally at in the studio and on the road, the KNSJ5 marries USA Bartolini pickups and a new USA Bartolini Preamp to MTD Kingston Saratoga’s signature neck profile, fretwork, iconic body shape and hardware. The new preamp designed in conjunction with Bartolini gives players an unparalleled playing experience.
Features include:
35” Scale Maple neck with Maple fingerboard for a more focused B string
MTD Asymmetrical neck profile for less fatigue and a more comfortable grip
Custom NSJ Preamp from Bartolini with Shiftable 250/450hz Mid band and Active/Passive switch
“I had high expectations for the Kingston NS,” says Norm Stockton, “and it absolutely blew them away! Gorgeous looks, spectacular playability, and TONE for days. Everyone who’s played it has been floored.”
This new model represents a shift in how MTD Kingston basses are assembled. While every single Kingston model received a full setup – including a fret level/dress, intonation, and action adjustments – moving forward all Kingston series instruments equipped with Bartolini electronics will have those electronics installed in company’s Kingston, NY facility by the MTD team.
The KNSJ5 is available in Satin Blue Burst and has a street price of $2099. For more information visit mtdbass.com.
