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NAMM 2024 Editors' Picks: Day 2

NAMM 2024 Editors' Picks: Day 2

The PG editors pick their favorite gear of NAMM day 2.


Ted Drozdowski - Editorial Director

Carr Bel-Ray

Although Steve Carr wasnā€™t at NAMM 2024, his latest amp, the Carr Bel-Ray, wasā€”at the Reverend booth. This oneā€™s in a handsome emerald green, and sounds killer. Like all Carr amps, itā€™s hand-wired. What else? Custom U.S.-made transformers, Solen Fast Capacitors, carbon composition resistors, and Jupiter signal caps. Output is 16 watts, with two 12AX7s, one EF86, one EL84, and one EZ81 rectifier tube. The control setā€”with its distinctive hot-rod displayā€”is level, 3-band EQ, tremolo speed and depth, and a power attenuator, down to 2 watts. The speaker is a Fane F25. It weighs in at 34 pounds and streets at $3,340.

Nick Millevoi - Senior Editor

Iris/Circle Strings Guitars

The Iris/Circle Strings booth had lots to offer. Built for the discerning working musicianā€™s taste and price range, their acoustic line covers a range of options and the DF slope-shouldered dreadnought is a standout at $2,350. They also brought a pair of Paul Languedoc builds that Trey Anastasio fans were busy bugging out about!

Eastman Henry James Signature Juliet

Over at Eastman, guitarist Henry James dr used his signature model. His version of the popular Juliet is a solidbody beast with Goldo vibrato, Seymour Duncan Vintage Mini-Humbockers, and a reverse headstock. Theyā€™re coming spring 2024 at $2,099

Red Panda Radius

Red Pandaā€™s new Radius pedal has loads of deep tones to discover. Ostensibly a ring mod/frequency shifter, its unique controls will allow you to head to the outer limits with phase-shifting, tremolo sounds, and much, much more! Priced at $349, theyā€™re available now.

Jason Shadrick - Associate Editor

Santa Cruz Vault Series

Santa Cruzā€™s Vault Series is built upon the idea of using very old reclaimed wood that master luthier Richard Hoover has been saving for decades. This D-style model uses Brazilian Rosewood from the Bryn Athena Cathedral for the back and sides and master grade Fort Ross Chapel redwood for the top. Nearly every part of this build is immaculate and the craftsmanship pushes the limits of modern lutherie. The price? $70,000.

Victory Amps MK Clean

Victory Amps brought two new models to the show. The MK Clean is a monster clean machine with loads of headroom, spring reverb, bright switch, and selectable EQ voicings. On the other side, the MK Overdrive is a 3-channel setup with independent gain controls, switchable volume levels, presence, and more. Production begins in March and they will go for around $5k.

Stevie Van Zandt with ā€œNumber One,ā€ the ā€™80s reissue Stratocasterā€”with custom paisley pickguard from luthier Dave Petilloā€”that heā€™s been playing for the last quarter century or so.

Photo by Pamela Springsteen

With the E Street Band, heā€™s served as musical consigliere to Bruce Springsteen for most of his musical life. And although he stands next to the Boss onstage, guitar in hand, heā€™s remained mostly quiet about his work as a playerā€”until now.

Iā€™m stuck in Stevie Van Zandtā€™s elevator, and the New York City Fire Department has been summoned. Itā€™s early March, and I am trapped on the top floor of a six-story office building in Greenwich Village. On the other side of this intransigent door is Van Zandtā€™s recording studio, his guitars, amps, and other instruments, his Wicked Cool Records offices, and his man cave. The latter is filled with so much day-glo baby boomer memorabilia that itā€™s like being dropped into a Milton Glaser-themed fantasy landā€”a bright, candy-colored chandelier swings into the room from the skylight.


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Ibanez Blackout series acoustic guitars feature all-black aesthetic, high-quality electronics, and in-demand woods. Models include AEG721 with Fishman S-core pickups, AEWC621 with Ibanez AEQ-SP2 preamp, and TCY621 with Ibanez under-saddle pickup. With prices ranging from $249.99 to $399.99, these guitars offer a unique and stylish option for musicians.

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