
Here are a handful of options to keep everything powered up, no matter how bigāor smallāyour board might be.
It takes an absurd amount of time for us to refine our approach to pedals by trying out anything we can get our hands on. However, not enough time is spent figuring out how to properly power those boards weāve so carefully pieced together. Overall power, variable voltages, and portability all need to be considered when choosing the right power supply. Below are 10 different options that will assuredly keep your board up and running, but also give you peace of mind.
Cioks DC7
A slimline power machine, this 7-ouput unit offers four different voltages, a 5V USB outlet, and a 24V aux outputāquite a bit of options for a supply that is only 1" thick. For international travelers, it will handle any type of power you throw at it.
$249 street
cioks.com
Truetone 1 Spot Pro CS12
If your pedal inventory is creeping into the double digits, the CS12 offers a dozen customizable outputs to get all your stomps the power they need. Four of the outputs can move between 9V and 12V, while one output has variable voltage. All in, the CS12 cranks out 3000mA of isolated power.
$197 street
Strymon Zuma
With nine outputs pumping out 500mA each, youād be hard pressed to find a pedal that the Zuma canāt hang with. Itās also easily expandable, with a 24V thru jack to connect to other Strymon power supplies.
$279 street
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 3
One of the oldest names in the power game offers up the latest iteration of their classic model. It sports six 9V outputs each spitting out 500mA, a pair of switchable 12V/9V outputs, and an X-Link output that allows you to connect a Pedal Power X4 or X8 for up to 16 more isolated outputs.
$229 street
voodoolab.com
MXR M238 Iso-Brick
This compact power supply offers up 10 isolated outputs that range from 100mA to 450mA each, plus a pair of adjustable outputs that can be dialed in from 6V to 15V via a small knob.
$149 street
Walrus Audio Aetos
If youāre named after a close friend of the God of Thunder (no, not Gene), you better bring plenty of power to the table. It features a total of eight isolated outputs (six of them at 100mA and two at 300mA) and has a complimentary power output.
$169 street
walrusaudio.com
Fender Engine Room LVL8
If you have a mid-sized pedalboard with a handful of power-hungry pedals, this expandable eight-output unit offers plenty of juice. Alongside the six 9V, 500mA outputs you have two adjustable outputs that can go from 9V to 18V and a pair of USB outputs to keep your non-pedals gadgets powered up.
$219 street
Mission Engineering 529i USB
If you need to be really portable, this rechargeable power supply might be the ticket. With two hours of runtime, it can be recharged by nearly any mobile device including computers and even your car. Housed inside are six 300mA outputs and a pair of 500mA outputs for more power-hungry stomps.
$175 street
Friedman Power Grid 10
High-gain amp wizard Dave Friedman has created this power supply, which features 10 350mA outlets, to offer zero field hum. It works everywhere in the world, no matter what power you get to feed it. Plus, itās designed as a riser, so if you donāt have room under your board, you can mount a pedal right on top.
$219 street
Gator GTR-PWR-5
This small-but-powerful unit would be perfect for more compact rigsāeven if your board is tight on space. The five outlets shoot out 120mA each, and you can switch between 115 volts and 240 volts for international travel.
$79 street
There's a reason Danny Gatton's nickname was "The Humbler." He earned it through sheer Tele mastery. From his limitless technique and musical vocabulary to his command over his sound, Gatton was one of the greatest 6-stringers around.
Guitarist Scott Metzger (LaMP, Joe Russo's Almost Dead) is a modern master of the Telecaster vernacular, and he slings lyrical licks that offer nods to the masters of the form, all the way back to the first Tele virtuoso, Jimmy Bryant through aces Roy Buchanan, Jim Campilongo, and Gatton. He's joins us on this episode to help breakdown Gatton's playing and gives us some listening tips.
Cort Guitars announces a new multi-scale, seven string guitar in the KX507 series ā the KX507MS Pale Moon. The addition to the beloved series shows Cortās efforts to continue elevating their position in the marketplace. The guitar is now available online and in local retail stores.
The double cut, mahogany body is topped with a pale moon ebony to help support the strong mid-range and low response needed on a multi scale seven string. A 5-piece maple and purple heart bolt on neck supports a 25.5ā ā 27ā scale, macassar ebony fingerboard with a neutral fret at the 8th position for improved playability. 24 jumbo, stainless-steel frets offer maximum range with teardrop inlays and side dots for easy navigation. Measuring 2.059ā (52.3mm) at the nut, this guitar is built for performance and comfort. And with the two-way adjustable truss rod and spoke nut, this guitar delivers ultimate stability in any tuning in any environment. Performance is further enhanced with a D shape neck and 16ā radius.
At the core of the KX507MS Pale Moon is the FishmanĀ® Fluence Modern humbucker set. With a ceramic magnet in the bridge, and an alnico magnet in the neck, these pickups deliver all the musicality of traditional pickups but have three unique voices. Voice 1 is a modern active, high output. Voice 2 delivers crisp, clean tones. And Voice 3 is a single coil with glassy, clear performance. To unleash the potential of these pickups, Cort uses a simple single volume, single tone, each as a push/pull control and three-way selector switch. The volume push/pull put selects between Voice 1 and Voice 2 while the tone push/pull pot selects between humbucker and single coil mode.
Finally, to provide exact intonation and tuning stability, the KX507MS is loaded with seven individual string bridges and Cortās very own locking tuners. The bridges allow for thru body string installation to maximize sustain and vibration transfer at each string saddle. All guitars are shipped from the factory with DāAddario EXL110-7 strings.
For more information, please visit www.CortGuitars.com
MAP: $949.99 USD
Grover has introduced Grover Guitar Polish, a premium, all-natural guitar care solution designed to clean, shine, and protect your guitarās finish. Whether you're polishing your prized axe or simply maintaining your gear, Grover Guitar Polish offers a safe, effective choice for making your guitarās finish look its best.
Grover Guitar Polish is specially formulated to remove dirt, fingerprints, and grime while enhancing the natural luster of your guitar. The versatile polish is safe for virtually all guitars: it works on gloss, matte, and satin surfaces without causing damage or altering the finish.
Key features include:
- Non-Abrasive & Streak-Free: Groverās formula cleans without leaving streaks, ensuring a smooth, even shine every time.
- Effortless Cleaning & Restoring Shine: The easy-to-use formula requires minimal effort, so you can keep your guitar looking its best in no time.
- Protective Layer: Leaves a thin, smooth protective layer that guards your guitar from dust, dirt, and environmental factors.
- Pleasant, Non-Toxic Scent: Enjoy the fresh, non-toxic scent while you care for your instrument, knowing you're using a safe product for both you and your guitar.
"Grover Guitar Polish combines the best of both worlds ā a powerful, all-natural cleaning solution with a formula thatās gentle enough for every finish," said Cory Berger, President at Grover. "We wanted to create a product that not only restores the shine and beauty of your guitar, but also provides a layer of protection that helps maintain its finish for years to come."
Grover Guitar Polish carries a $14.95 suggested retail price. For more information visit the Grover website at grotro.com.
Noiseless pickups are lively and versatile. Coil-splitting widens color palette. Great fit and finish.
Noiseless pickups might exact slight cost in vintage Tele edge.
$1,029
Fender Player II Modified Telecaster SH
Incremental improvements yield a deeply satisfying whole in a Tele for all seasons.
As the slightly unwieldy name for this new series suggests, Fender is not averse to regular, incremental tweaks and refinements to core and legacy instruments. Some such improvements get guitar folk riled up more than others. But the refinements and overall execution in the new Player II Modified Telecaster SH are almost exclusively lovable. Itās musically flexible, stout, precision crafted, and satisfying to play. And the sturdy build, plentitude of sweet sounds, and the accessible price add up to a satisfying sumāa guitar capable of fending off competitors striving to beat Fender at their own game in the $1K price range.
The tight fit-and-finish Iām used to from Fenderās Ensenada, Mexico, factory is plain to see everywhere. In an almost black shade of purple/indigo called dusk with rosewood fretboard and black pickguard, itās a beautiful guitar with a moody personality. Design elements that are felt rather than heard, however, reveal a sunnier disposition. The neck profile is a variation on the C profile Fender uses in scads of guitars, but the satin finish and more contoured fretboard edges make it feel extra fast and lived in.
Thereās a lot thatās exciting and satisfying to hear, too. Any good Telecaster in the single-coil bridge/humbucker neck pickup configuration has a high potential for magic. So it goes here. If there is any difference in core tonality between a vintage Telecaster bridge pickup and the Player II Modified Tele bridge unit, itās that the latter might feel a little beefy in the low-midrange and maybe just a little fuzzy along the edges where vintage Telecasters shatter glass. I heard these qualities most via a vintage Vibrolux Reverb, which made the Tele bridge pickup sound a touch bellowy. The pickups are a fantastic match for an AC15 though, and most folks will hear tones squarely, identifiably, and often delectably along the Telecaster spectrum regardless of amp pairing. The pickups are also a great match for each otherāboth in combinations of the bridge and humbucker and the bridge and split-coil humbucker. The possible combinations are compounded by rangey pots and a treble-bleed circuit that keeps guitar volume-attenuated settings awake with top end. If youāre keen on working with the Telecaster SHās volume and tone controls and split-coil capabilities, itās remarkable how many sounds you can extract from the Telecaster SH and an amp alone. With a nice overdrive and a little echo, the world is your oyster.
At a click just north of a thousand bucks, the Player II Modified Telecaster SH is in a crazy-competitive market space. But it is a guitar of real substance, and in this iteration, features meaningful enhancements in the pickups, bridge, and locking tuners that offer real value and utility.