"Former PRS designer Joe Knaggs had his full line of new JSK Guitars on display for the first time, including solidbodies, semi-hollows and acoustics."
Walrus Audio is excited to announce the return of their "Storybook Series" with all-new expanded stereo versions of the Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator and Fable Stereo Granular Soundscape Generator.
Built for players who want to move beyond traditional delay and reverb, the Lore centers around five different modes of reverse reverb, delay, and pitch shifting, while the Fable pairs delay with granular processing through its five modes. Both pedals feature complex feedback paths that loop through the Feedback and Regen controls to build and create evolving stereo soundscapes that feel less like effects and more like instruments. While Lore and Fable share a common architecture, each takes a distinctly different path of sound creation.
The updated Lore and Fable also share an expanded control system designed to put deep DSP functionality directly beneath the player’s fingertips. A multifunction Tweak control provides access to Width, Mod Rate, Mod Shape, Shift, and Ramp, while the Dive / Rise momentary function allows players to manipulate the clock rate in real time. In addition to stereo functionality, both pedals have been given MIDI control, expression/external tap functionality, three onboard presets plus Live mode, or up to 127 presets via MIDI.
At the heart of both pedals is Walrus Audio’s proprietary MDSP platform, developed entirely in-house by the company’s engineering team. MDSP provides the processing power necessary to combine multiple algorithms, feedback paths, time manipulation, and modulation for an immersive soundscaping experience.
The Lore and Fable are available in two color variants with illustrated art by Niall Grant and minimal versions with a simplified icon and black enclosures.
Walrus Audio is offering the Lore and Fable MKII each at a retail price of $349.99. For a firsthand experience of the updated Storybook Series, visit walrusaudio.com or your nearest authorized Walrus Audio dealer.
Walrus Audio is excited to announce the return of their ‘Storybook Series’ with all-new expanded stereo versions of the Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator and Fable Stereo Granular Soundscape Generator.
Adding to the company’s line of eye-grabbing straps, Get’m Get’m has unveiled the new Bitch What! collection.
The new straps combine bold, fun colors with textured serpentine faux leather, premium materials, and Get’m Get’m’s signature multi-layer construction. Bitch What! straps are designed to deliver the comfort, support, and craftsmanship musicians expect from a high-end strap while giving them something visually unexpected.
Key features include:
Available in nine colors: Aqua, Black, Gold, Neon Green, Neon Pink, Neon Yellow, Red, Silver, and White.
Textured Serpentine Faux Leather—A distinctive, snakeskin-inspired texture with a bold, tactile finish. Get’m Get’m calls this look “serpentine” to distinguish the collection from its existing snakeskin strap designs.
Premium Materials & Reinforced Stitching—Built for long sets, loud nights, and plenty of rock ’n’ roll.
High-Quality Multi-Layer Construction—Lining is made of soft, high-quality nylon for comfort, stability, and better weight distribution while playing.
Fully Adjustable Up to 65 Inches—2 inches wide and comfortably adjustable for guitarists and bassists of different sizes.
Real 7 oz. Leather Tips—Strong, secure leather ends designed to keep the instrument where it belongs.
Pewter Hardware—Durable pewter-tone hardware adds the final badass touch.
Since 1996, Get’m Get’m straps have been worn by musicians across genres and have become known for bringing fashion, personality, and craftsmanship to the stage. Owner Virginia Castro has built the brand around distinctive design, premium materials, handmade production, and a passion for musicians and their individuality.
Supporting others has always been part of the Get’m Get’m story. A portion of proceeds from Get’m Get’m sales goes toward supporting animal rescue organizations, reflecting Castro’s long-standing commitment to helping animals in need.
The company continues to design and manufacture its straps with a small, women-owned manufacturing operation in Downtown Los Angeles. For more information visit getmgetm.com.
Get’m Get’m
Bitch What! Strap Collection
Adding to the company’s line of eye-grabbing straps, Get’m Get’m has unveiled the new Bitch What! collection.
Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced two new takes on the Albert Lee guitar: the Albert Lee HSS, which pairs the model's distinctive body shape with a versatile HSS pickup configuration, and the Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee in Malibu Burst, limited to 75 instruments worldwide.
The Albert Lee HSS combines the distinctive Albert Lee body shape with a DiMarzio custom humbucker, first developed for the Music Man Axis, and Albert Lee's signature Seymour Duncan custom single-coil pickups. A Silent Circuit preamp reduces the 60-cycle hum associated with traditional single coils, while a 5-way selector with master volume and tone controls delivers everything from articulate, chiming cleans to full-bodied humbucker drive. An ash body in a high-gloss finish is paired with a roasted figured maple neck finished in gunstock oil and hand-rubbed wax, with 22 high-profile stainless steel frets on a 25-1/2" scale. White face dots and glow-in-the-dark side markers, a Music Man vintage tremolo, compensated nut, and Schaller M6-IND locking tuners round out a guitar built for players who need one instrument to cover it all. The Albert Lee HSS comes in three striking finishes: Firemist Silver, Honey Burst, and Cosmos Sparkle.
Albert Lee HSS Features:
DiMarzio custom humbucker + Albert Lee signature Seymour Duncan custom single coils
Silent Circuit preamp
Ash body with roasted figured maple neck
22 stainless steel frets
Music Man vintage tremolo and Schaller locking tuners
Strung with Custom RPS Slinkys (10–46)
The Albert Lee HSS is available for a street price of $3,299.
The Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee in Malibu Burst brings premium tonewoods and refined details to the Albert Lee platform. A figured maple top over an okoume body is finished in high-gloss Malibu Burst, paired with a roasted figured maple neck and fretboard in a hand-rubbed oil and wax finish. White pearl Atlante block inlays and glow-in-the-dark side dots give the fretboard a distinctive look, while custom-wound DiMarzio humbuckers—the same pickups found in the Axis—deliver rich, articulate tone through a 5-way selector and 500k volume and tone controls. A Music Man vintage tremolo, compensated nut, locking Schaller tuners, and 22 stainless steel frets on a 10" radius complete the package. Limited to just 75 instruments worldwide.
Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee Features:
Figured maple top on an okoume body in Malibu Burst
Roasted figured maple neck and fretboard
White pearl Atlante block inlays with glow-in-the-dark side dots
Custom-wound DiMarzio humbuckers
Music Man vintage tremolo and locking Schaller tuners
Limited to 75 instruments worldwide
The Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee is available for a street price of $3,799.
Ernie Ball Music Man
Albert Lee HSS
Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced two new takes on the Albert Lee guitar: the Albert Lee HSS, which pairs the model's distinctive body shape with a versatile HSS pickup configuration, and the Ball Family Reserve Albert Lee in Malibu Burst, limited to 75 instruments worldwide.
Keeley Electronics has launched the Compressor Plus Germanium pedal, the newest addition to Keeley’s line of iconic compressors. Built around the familiar Level, Tone, Compression, and Blend controls, this new design brings a fresh voice to a pedal that has been evolving for a quarter century.
At the heart of the Compressor Plus Germanium is a crucial germanium transistor. Keeley incorporates germanium into both the audio output section and the compressor’s side-chain feedback, bringing a new character and response to one of the company’s most enduring designs.
The pedal also includes a 2-position switch for adjusting the recovery time when using single coil or humbucking pickups. Recovery time is slower in the Single Coil setting, and faster in the Humbucker setting, allowing ideal feel and responsiveness for any guitar in your arsenal.
Built from start to finish at Keeley Electronics in Oklahoma City, the Compressor Plus Germanium also includes selectable true-bypass or Keeley silent buffered switching, rugged construction, and the classic compressor sound that has made Keeley the go-to choice for guitarists and bassists for a quarter century.
Compressor Plus Germanium features include:
A Germanium Transistor at the heart of the new compressor circuit
Germanium-enhanced audio output section for added character and musical response
Germanium incorporated into the side-chain feedback circuit
Classic Compressor Plus knobs: Level, Tone, Compression, and Blend control for mixing compressed and dry signals for greater control over feel and dynamics
2-position switch to optimize responsiveness and recovery time for single coil or humbucking pickups
Switchable on the fly between true bypass and buffered bypass
Operates at 9–18V DC for flexible pedalboard integration
Designed and manufactured by Keeley Electronics in Oklahoma, USA
The Compressor Plus Germanium arrives as Keeley Electronics celebrates 25 years of building pedals for players who care deeply about sound. It all began in 2001 with Robert Keeley, a workbench, and a humble compressor pedal. What started as a pursuit of better compression became one of the defining products in Keeley’s history and helped establish the company during the early days of the boutique pedal movement.
Over the years, the Keeley Compressor continued to evolve. The original two-knob design gave way to the expanded four-knob Compressor, followed by the Compressor Plus, which brought Tone and Blend controls into the circuit and gave players greater control over sustain, attack, and the natural character of their instrument. By the time the Compressor Plus arrived in 2017, Keeley had built more than 50,000 compressors, making compression not simply part of the company’s history, but a fundamental part of its identity.
It feels only fitting to mark the company’s 25-year milestone by returning to where it all started. The Compressor Plus Germanium honors that beginning while carrying the Keeley Compressor forward for a new generation. Like every Keeley pedal, the Compressor Plus Germanium is designed and manufactured in Oklahoma, USA.
Keeley’s Compressor Plus Germanium carries a street price of $189. For more information visit robertkeeley.com.
Keeley Electronics
Compressor Plus Germanium
Keeley Electronics has launched the Compressor Plus Germanium pedal, the newest addition to Keeley’s line of iconic compressors. Built around the familiar Level, Tone, Compression, and Blend controls, this new design brings a fresh voice to a pedal that has been evolving for a quarter century.
Fender and the Fender Custom Shop have unveiled three new John 5 signature Telecaster models: the Fender John 5 Phantom Telecaster, Fender John 5 Ghost Telecaster and Fender Custom Shop John 5 “Phantom” Telecaster. Each of these Telecaster models captures a different facet of his unmistakable style and musical range, bringing his signature sound and design to more players across a range of price points.
“I don’t know if the Telecaster picked me or I picked it. I was so drawn to that shape,” said John 5. “Ever since I was little, Fender was always just the pinnacle, the greatest, and I just wanted nothing more to have the best guitar for me and have the people enjoy it as well.”
John 5’s approach to the Telecaster showcases the instrument’s versatility: equally at home with distortion-drenched shredding and country chicken-picking, John 5 has spent his career proving there’s no genre, style or vibe off limits. A lifelong Telecaster devotee, his technically demanding, theatrical playing has made him one of rock’s most distinctive guitarists.
The three signature models translate John 5’s sound and visual style into distinct instruments, from the Fender lineup to the Fender Custom Shop:
John 5 Phantom Telecaster (MSRP: $1,299.99 USD, £1,149 GBP, €1,349 EUR, $2,149 AUD, ¥198,000 JPY) Finished in black with a matching headcap, the Phantom pairs its unmistakable Telecaster silhouette with a decidedly modern performance setup. DiMarzio D’Activator pickups in the neck and bridge deliver the high-output response John 5 is known for, with tight low end and clear articulation through high-gain settings. A Floyd Rose FRTS2000 Special Series tremolo brings another dimension to the instrument, allowing for dramatic pitch bends, dive bombs and other extreme techniques while maintaining tuning stability. The streamlined control layout features a single volume knob and killswitch, leaving plenty of room for the player to shape the performance in real time.
John 5 Ghost Telecaster (MSRP: $1,299.99 USD, £1,099 GBP, €1,299 EUR, $2,149 AUD, ¥198,000 JPY) Finished in Arctic White with a matching headcap, the Ghost Telecaster makes a statement before it’s even plugged in. DiMarzio D’Activator pickups in the neck and bridge give it the high-output response John 5 is known for, with tight low-end response and searing clarity that can cut through any mix. With a stripped-down control layout, a single volume knob and killswitch, this guitar keeps the focus where it belongs: on the music and the moment.
Fender Custom Shop John 5 "Phantom" Telecaster (MSRP: $6,000.00 USD, £5,599 GBP, €6,599 EUR, $9,799 AUD, ¥1,056,000 JPY) Few players have pushed the Telecaster into darker, heavier territory than John 5, and the John 5 “Phantom” Telecaster is built to match his relentless approach to the instrument. Crafted by the Fender Custom Shop, this is a Telecaster reimagined for the modern virtuoso: aggressive, precise, and ready for anything from chicken pickin’ to metal.
At its core, a two-piece select alder body with Ultra Contours finished in gloss black urethane provides the resonant foundation, while a maple neck with a smooth Modern “C” profile and 10" to 14" compound-radius, flat-laminated ebony fingerboard invites effortless chording down low and clean, choke-free bending up high. Twenty-two medium jumbo frets, a 25.5" scale, and satin urethane finish give the neck the fast, articulate feel of John 5’s playing demands, while Luminlay luminescent side dots keep fret positions visible on the darkest stages.
A pair of DiMarzio D Activator humbuckers gives the “Phantom” its voice, from tight, cutting bridge attack to a warm, vocal neck tone, selected via a 3-position toggle switch and controlled by a single master volume for zero distraction. Anchoring it all is a recessed Floyd Rose Original double-locking tremolo paired with an R7 locking nut and modern locking tuners, keeping the guitar dead-on in tune through the most extreme dives. Other premium features include a Bi-Flex truss rod, 3-position toggle switch, Mother of Pearl dot inlays, 4-bolt contoured neck plate with Custom Shop "V" logo, Floyd Rose retainer bar string tree, black hardware, .009-.042 nickel-plated steel strings, deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.
Born John William Lowery, he picked up guitar after being inspired by a Telecaster, the banjo and guitar virtuosos before heavy metal propelled him toward a professional career. He began session work in Los Angeles at 17 and went on to perform with artists including David Lee Roth, Mötley Crüe and Rob Zombie. With 11 studio albums and a career defined by his genre-defying approach, John 5 continues to push the Telecaster, and guitar playing itself, beyond convention.
"John 5 is one of the most distinctive players in modern guitar, pushing the Telecaster across genres and beyond convention, and these three instruments reflect that versatility,” said Justin Norvell, Fender Chief Product Officer, Guitars. “Bringing the Ghost back into the Fender lineup puts his signature design within reach of more players. Together, this collection gives fans at every level a way to plug into his sound."
"John 5 has always pushed the Custom Shop to think beyond the traditional Telecaster blueprint,” said Chase Paul, Fender Custom Shop Director. “From the single-bound body with Ultra Contours to the single volume control and killswitch, this guitar is a true reflection of his playing style. It’s a great example of what's possible when the Custom Shop works directly with an artist to bring their vision to life."
Together, the three new signature Telecaster models celebrate John 5’s longstanding relationship with Fender and his ability to push the instrument across musical boundaries. From the Phantom’s aggressive performance features to the Ghost’s striking design and the Custom Shop’s premium craftsmanship, the collection offers players new ways to explore his distinctive approach to the Telecaster.
For technical specs, additional information on new Fender products and to find a retail partner near you, visit www.fendercustomshop.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @Fender and @FenderCustomShop.
