Three days of guitar highlights from Chicago’s world-renowned festival.
We’re giving away pedals all month long! Enter Stompboxtober Day 11 for your chance to win today’s pedal from Hotone Audio!
Hotone Wong Press
Cory Wong Signature Volume/Wah/Expression Pedal
Renowned international funk guitar maestro and 63rd Grammy nominee Cory Wong is celebrated for his unique playing style and unmistakable crisp tone. Known for his expressive technique, he’s been acclaimed across the globe by all audiences for his unique blend of energy and soul. In 2022, Cory discovered the multi-functional Soul Press II pedal from Hotone and instantly fell in love. Since then, it has become his go-to pedal for live performances.
Now, two years later, the Hotone team has meticulously crafted the Wong Press, a pedal tailored specifically for Cory Wong. Building on the multi-functional design philosophy of the Soul Press series, this new pedal includes Cory’s custom requests: a signature blue and white color scheme, a customized volume pedal curve, an adjustable wah Q value range, and travel lights that indicate both pedal position and working mode.
Cory’s near-perfect pursuit of tone and pedal feel presented a significant challenge for our development team. After countless adjustments to the Q value range, Hotone engineers achieved the precise WAH tone Cory desired while minimizing the risk of accidental Q value changes affecting the sound. Additionally, based on Cory’s feedback, the volume control was fine-tuned for a smoother, more musical transition, enhancing the overall feel of volume swells. The team also upgraded the iconic travel lights of the Soul Press II to dual-color travel lights—blue for Wah mode and green for Volume mode—making live performances more intuitive and visually striking!
In line with the Hotone Design Inspiration philosophy, the Wong Press represents the perfect blend of design and inspiration. Now, musicians can channel their inner Cory Wong and enjoy the freedom and joy of playing with the Wong Press!
Mastodon's lead guitarist teams up with the Does It Doom creator Steve Reis to make a dream V come true with a sleek silverburst finish and alnico-V PAF humbuckers.
Woodrite Guitars, alongside with Dirty B himself, proudly presents the 'Dirty B' Signature Vagabond, a high-performance guitar that delivers on both craftsmanship and tone. The instrument's mahogany body and bound mahogany neck a repaired with a sleek Macassar ebony fingerboard, featuring distinctive custom "Mastogyph" inlays. Its silverburst finish adds to the guitar’s striking appearance, while stainless steel frets, Tonepros hardware, and Grover tuners provide the durability and precision expected in a professional-grade instrument.
Designed to meet the tonal needs of heavy players, the Vagabond is equipped with a set of Woodrite Barbarian humbuckers. Utilizing Alnico V magnets and inspired by the classic PAF design, these pickups offer a rich midrange response that thrives in both clean and overdriven settings. Coupled with a GraphTech TUSQ XL nut and "straight string pull" headstock for enhanced tuning stability, the 'Dirty B' is built to perform under the most demanding conditions, making it a reliable choice for musicians seeking versatility and sonic power.
Specs
- Body Shape: Vagabond
- Body Orientation: Right-Handed or Left-Handed
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Finish: Silverburst
- Clearcoat: Gloss Polyurethane
- Neck Pickup: Woodrite Barbarian (7.8k, A5, 42AWG)
- Bridge Pickup: Woodrite Barbarian (13.0k, A5, 43AWG)
- Controls: 2 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-Way Toggle Switch
- Finish: Chrome
- Bridge: TonePros Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: TonePros Stop Bar
- Pickguard: Black
- Control Knobs: Black Top Hats w/ Reflectors
- Switch Tip: Black
- Jack Plate Cover: Chrome
- Material: Mahogany
- Binding: Yes
- Nut: GraphTech TUSQ XL
- Nut Width: 1.69″
- Profile: 0.800″ at 1st Fret, 0.875″ at 12th Fret, Medium “C” profile
- Scale Length: 24.75″
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Fretwire: Jumbo Stainless Steel
- Inlays: ‘Dirty B’ Custom “Mastoglyph”
- Fingerboard Radius: 12″
- Number Of Frets: 22
- Tuning Machines: Grover Mini Rotomatic
- Tuning: D-Standard (D, G, C, F, A, D)
- Strings: D’Addario EXL116 (.011, .014, .018p, .030, .042, .052)
- Weight: Approximately 7 pounds
- Case: Includes Custom Form-Fitted Woodrite Guitars Hardshell Case
- Country of Origin: Built in Indonesia by PT Wildwood (PRS, ESP)
- Price: $1,599
With its ability to dial in custom reverb, delay, and chorus settings without needing any extra equipment and intuitive looper and Bluetooth audio functions, the TAG3 C is designed to make it easier than ever to write, practice, and perform.
Building on its brand legacy of innovation and creating many of the world’s finest guitars, the TAG3C TransAcoustic guitar from Yamaha offers an unmatched experience in sound, versatility, and playability to spark creative expression – making it the ideal instrument for the modern guitarist. The guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides, available in natural(TAG3 C NT) or sand burst finish (TAG3 C SDB), and includes a convenient magnetic charging port to enhance its functionality and ease of use.
“TAG3 C is the ultimate tool for players looking to push themselves artistically. The ability to dial in custom reverb, delay, and chorus settings without needing any extra equipment is a game changer for creative workflows, and the intuitive looper and Bluetooth audio functions make it easier than ever to write, practice, and perform,” says Brandon Soriano, marketing manager, Yamaha Guitars.“Even with TransAcoustic technology turned off, TAG3 C is a fantastic acoustic instrument built with all solid wood and high-quality craftsmanship. TAG3 C is a no-brainer for the modern guitarist!”
TAG3 C is equipped with powerful built-in tech and effects including but not limited to loop capability with touch sensitivity, a rechargeable battery, Bluetooth capability, new and improved user interface, controls, and indicators. Guitarists can also access the TAG Remote mobile designed for enhanced control and optimization.
TAG3 C Highlights At-a-Glance
- Built-in effects: chorus, delay and reverb
- Built-in looper• Bluetooth connectivity
- On-board tuner
- Solid Sitka spruce top
- Solid mahogany back and sides
- Dreadnought-style cutaway with ebony fingerboard
- Available in natural or sand burst finish
- Superior acoustic sound quality
TAG3 C | Yamaha TransAcoustic Guitars - YouTube
Ever watch a video of yourself playing guitar and wonder why you do “that thing” with your face?
When I was 16, my parents came to see me play in a bar. (Montana in the ’80s was pretty cavalier about the drinking age.) On a break, I sat with my parents, and my father said, “Boy, you really move your mouth a lot when you play. Why do you do that?”
“Do what?” I replied.
“Move your mouth when you play guitar.”
“I don’t.”
“You definitely are. It’s like you are trying to pronounce every note. Sometimes it looked like you were grinding your teeth.”
“Really? Tonight? Here?”
“Yes, you were literally just doing it pretty much on every solo. It’s a bit off-putting.”
My recent obsession with Corey Feldman guitar-solo videos reminded me of that conversation. I now feel a kinship with Corey. When the “Comeback King” and I play guitar, we both share that vacuous, dead-eyed stare into the distance, mouth chomping, teeth gnashing wildly. I bet, like me, Corey had no idea he was doing it until he watched a video of himself playing. Say what you will about Feldman, but when you watch his mouth, you know he is genuinely trying his best. He is in it, lost in the process of trying to make music.
Maybe you, dear reader, also suffer from guitar face. Most of our heroes do/did. Gary Moore, SRV, Hendrix, B.B. King, Joe Walsh, Steve Vai, Santana, Paul Gilbert—watch any of them play, and you will see some less-than-flattering involuntary facial expressions.
There are many types of guitar face:
Stank Face. Watch SRV cranking in “Cold Shot”—his face looks like he just walked into a porta potty on the third day of an Insane Clown Posse Festival. That’s stanky.
The Motor-Mouth. Corey Feldman and I are prime examples of motor-mouthing, but nearly everybody is guilty of it when working a wah pedal.
Angry Face.Joe Bonamassa is a philanthropist, great guy, and kind person, but when he’s playing, he hits those strings like they owe him money—the man looks pissed.
Surprised Face. Just imagine B.B. King with his eyes wide open, eyebrows raised in a lofting arch, and sometimes his mouth open in a perfect O.
I’m in Pain Face. Think John Mayer. The higher he sings, or the higher he plays, the more the notes hurt.Sometimes the grimaces are accompanied by loud groans, luckily usually drowned out by a loud band, but audible in acoustic settings. I saw famed classical guitarist Christopher Parkening in concert, and his guitar mic caught every loud groan and “aahh.” It was distracting. (Same with pianist Keith Jarrett. Listen to his Köln Concert and try not to be disturbed. Though that’s probably more a symptom of piano face, a related phenomenon.)I don’t think guitar face is one thing. Guitar face is probably at least partially an expression of emotions and the connection to the music. It’s also a reflection of the physical demands of playing guitar, like athletes grimacing as they sprint. It’s also one of those tics of concentration, like sticking your tongue out when you draw or paint.“Think John Mayer. The higher he sings, or the higher he plays, the more the notes hurt.”
I read a Quanta Magazinecolumn by R. Douglas Fields where he maintains that “hand and mouth movements are tightly coordinated. In fact, that interplay often improves performance. Martial artists scream short explosive utterances, called kiai in karate, as they execute thrusting movements; tennis players often shout as they smack the ball. And research shows that coupling hand movements with specific mouth movements, often with vocalization, shortens the reaction time needed to do both.”
To this day, I’m embarrassed when I see videos of my mouth moving. I’ve tried to control it, but have come to the conclusion that I can either try to connect with music or try to control my face. I cannot do both. I have found that smiling does mask it or make it less distracting. As an added bonus, smiling releases that happy hormone, dopamine. The smile trick works great on “Lay Down Sally,” but I wouldn’t try it on, say, “Tears in Heaven.”
I’ve been making an effort to be aware of where I’m holding tension when I play and making a conscious effort to relax my arms, shoulders, and butt, so maybe I can work my face into that.
I’ve made peace with this embarrassing quirk. Every now and then, I’ll see a video where it’s particularly bad, and I’ll feel that barb of shame nick me. But if it sounds okay, I’m okay with this degrading side effect.
Ultimately, connecting to an instrument is like mainlining deep emotions. Deep emotions get ugly, painful, pitiful, and ecstatic. In an age where half of America stares blankly at a screen, how lucky musicians are to dive deeply into something that puts them so firmly in the now that they lose control of their faces. Besides, if you play something genuinely moving, nobody will care how you look.