The Rush maestro's mega-versatile signature Les Paul at fraction of the price of the original.
Killer axe that offers tons of tones. Amazing value.
Pickups can be susceptible to radio frequency noise.
$899
Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess Standard
epiphone.com
Gibson's Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess was released in 2011. It's a drool-worthy instrument that, with a price tag of $5,500, is unfortunately out of reach for most. But Epiphone's new Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess Standard distills the essential elements of Lifeson's signature model into an axe that streets at just $899.
Grand Designs
A sonic visionary of the highest order, Alex Lifeson's imaginative guitar work was critical to Rush's ascent to immortal status. He has always been an adventurous player, so it's not surprising that his signature Epiphone has features you don't see too often on a Les Paul. For starters, it has a Floyd Roseālicensed double-locking tremolo. The vibrato system also has Graph Tech Ghost piezo pickups under the bridge saddles, and there are two output jacks that let you run the standard pickups and piezo either simultaneously or mixed via a single output. I've seen both double-locking tremolos and piezo pickups offered separately on special edition Les Paul models but have never seen both on the same instrument.
In addition to the piezo system, the Lifeson Axcess is outfitted with a pair of humbuckersāan Epiphone Ceramic Pro in the neck and a ProBucker 3 in the bridge. Each pickup can be split via the neck and bridge volume knobs. Interestingly, the other two knobs on the guitar aren't the usual neck and bridge tone knobs. Instead, there's one master tone knob for both pickups and a piezo pickup volume knob. This knob is also a push-pull switch that turns the piezo on or off.
Feels So Good
The viceroy brown Lifeson Axcess looks fantastic in its included hybrid EpiLite gig bag/hard case, which, by the way, features a very robust neck support. The mahogany body is capped with a AAA flame maple veneer carved top. And while the guitar isn't particularly light, it's extremely comfortable. It's obvious that ergonomics were prioritized in the guitar's design. A belly carve facilitates a snug fit with the body, and its sculpted neck joint permits excellent upper fret accessibility. The guitar's Indian laurel fretboard with its medium jumbo frets and 12" radius will feel familiar to anyone who's played a Les Paul.
The humbuckers sound great. I compared them to my early '80s Les Paul Standard and, to my ears, they were nearly identical.
The Spirit of Piezo
I tested the Lifeson Axcess through Mesa/Boogie Mark IV and Blue Angel amps with a Line 6 M9 used for modulation effects. I also used a Samson powered PA at various points for the guitar's piezo output. I started my test by turning the volume off for each of the magnetic pickups and listening to the piezo only. Piezos often sound metallic and harsh, but the pickup in the Lifeson is noticeably warmer than other piezos I've knownāparticularly when using a soft touch and a fingerstyle approach. It was perfect for arpeggio parts like Alex's intro in Rush's "Something for Nothing." Things got magical, though, when I blended in some of the magnetic neck pickup. With the piezo volume around 4 and the neck pickup's volume around 7, I got unique, open-but-substantial tones that maintained articulationāeven with a softer, acoustic-like edge around transient notes.
I also used the two outputs to route the guitar to both of my test amps, with the piezo output going to the Blue Angel and the magnetic pickups going to the Mark IV's clean channel. This configuration generated a massive 3-D experience that was beautiful to hear and feel. Using the two outputs/two amps approach with an amp switcher is one way to approximate the gentle-to-powerful dynamic shifts in Rush songs like "The Fountains of Lamneth."
The two outputs/two amps approach is also cool for leads. I engaged the Mark IV's lead channel for the magnetic pickups and turned down the piezo volume slightly for the Blue Angel. This configuration yielded super-interesting lead textures: I could play ultra-long legato lines and still hear almost percussive detail from the piezo side.
Without the piezo, the Lifeson's humbuckers still sound great. I compared them to my early '80s Les Paul Standard, and to my ears, they were nearly identical. They're beefy and powerful with plenty of clarity for low-register riffs like "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ," as well as "Limelight" power chords. The split-coil tones have bite. They stay loud relative to humbucking mode, and the volume difference isn't nearly as obvious as it is on other coil-splitting instruments I've played.
The Verdict
The Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess Standard offers features that you won't find on other Les Pauls. If you're a Rush fan, it's a no-brainer. But even if you're not, you'd be challenged to find a guitar that offers this much versatility for $899. Rumor has it that a lot of Nashville session players scooped up the original Gibson Lifeson model for its utility. If you can find an Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess Standard, I'd suggest you grab one while you can.
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Lutefish, the real-time music collaboration device and platform, is excited to announce a suite of new features designed to simplify setup, streamline collaboration, and offer more flexible subscription options for Lutefish Stream users. These latest updates, Audio Presets, Automatic Session Recall, Improved Scheduling with Contact Visibility, and a new Yearly Subscription Plan, are all about making it easier than ever for musicians to jam together, no matter where theyāre based.
Save Time and Stay in the Flow with Audio Presets & Session Recall
Musicians can now save and reuse their exact audio settings, reducing setup time and ensuring every session sounds exactly as they want.
- Automatic Session Recall: When users leave a session, their current audio levels are automatically saved and restored when they rejoin.
- User-Defined Audio Presets: Each user can create and name up to five custom presets, like āBand Practice,ā āStudio Mic Setup,ā or āQuick Jam,ā making it effortless to jump back in with the perfect sound.
āThese tools are all about saving time and hassle,ā said Patrick Finn, Business Manager at Lutefish. āMusicians want to make music, not spend time rebalancing levels every session. With presets and recall, weāre giving them time back and helping them sound their best, every time.ā
Smarter Scheduling and Contact Visibility
The latest update to Lutefish also made it easier to find collaborators and book sessions. Users can now:- View all their contacts at a glance when scheduling a session.
- Instantly identify which contacts own a Lutefish Stream deviceāso they will always know whoās ready to jam.
Go Yearly and Save 20%
Lutefish now offers a Yearly Subscription Plan, providing users with the same great access as the monthly plan at a 20% discount.
This option is now available within the Lutefish app and web platform, and current monthly users are eligible for a discount with an upgrade to a yearly subscription.
Lutefishās mission has always been to empower musicians to connect and collaborate without boundaries. With these new updates, Lutefish Stream continues to break down barriersāwhether youāre jamming with a friend across town or collaborating with a bandmate 500 miles away.
For more information and to start jamming today, visitlutefish.com.
Few musical acts did more to put their fame and fortune to good use than punk rock icon Wayne Kramer. Known for his enduring commitment to activism, especially in justice reform, his life story embodies the defiant, DIY ethos of punk, directly inspiring generations of bands and musicians who followed. Now, fans and fellow musicians alike can attempt to emulate Kramerās incendiary sound with the new, limited-edition pedal.
Designed before his death in February 2024, Wayne Kramerātogether with friend Jimi Dunlop (Dunlop CEO) and Daredevil Pedals owner Johnny Wator āthe pedal features artwork from artist and activist Shepard Fairey (Obey Clothing founder). A majority of profits from the sale of the pedal goes directly to Kramerās charity supporting the rehabilitation of incarcerated people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.
In honor of his close friend, Tom Morelloāthe innovative guitarist behind Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, the Nightwatchman, and moreādemoed the pedal, showcasing its sound and shining light on Wayne Kramerās incredible legacy.
Tom Morello Introduces MC5 Wayne Kramer-Inspired Pedal For Charity: MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive
"What they've tried to bake into the MXRĀ® Jail Guitar Doors Drive distortion pedal is not just Wayne's sound but Wayne's attitude, and the grit and the rawness of Detroit and of the MC5," said Morello, one of Kramerās best friends, during his demo of the pedal. "This is the guitar pedal that was used on the song 'Heavy Lifting' that I recorded with Wayne for the last MC5 record.
"Named after the late rocker's charityāwhich provides instruments and art workshops to incarcerated individuals as rehabilitation toolsāthe MXRĀ® Jail Guitar Doors Drive pedal aims to capture all of the high-voltage energy of Wayne Kramer's sound. It features two uniquely voiced gain circuits cascaded together with a singular pot controlling both the output level of each circuit and the overall saturation level of the distortion.
Music makers looking to capture Kramerās raw, fiery sound can pick up the new MXRĀ® Jail Guitar Doors Drive pedal, exclusively on Reverb via The Official MXR Jail Guitar Doors Drive Reverb Shop for $199, here: https://reverb.com/shop/the-official-mxr-jail-guitar-doors-reverb-shop.
The veteran Florida-born metalcore outfit proves that you donāt need humbuckers to pull off high gain.
Last August, metalcore giants Poison the Well gave the world a gift: They announced they were working on their first studio album in 15 years. They unleashed the first taste, single āTrembling Level,ā back in January, and set off on a spring North American tour during which they played their debut record, The Opposite of December⦠A Season of Separation, in full every night.
PGās Perry Bean caught up with guitarists Ryan Primack and Vadim Taver, and bassist Noah Harmon, ahead of the bandās show at Nashvilleās Brooklyn Bowl for this new Rig Rundown.
Brought to you by DāAddario.Not-So-Quiet As a Mouse
Primack started his playing career on Telecasters, then switched to Les Pauls, but when his prized LPs were stolen, he jumped back to Teles, and now owns nine of them.
His No. 1 is this white one (left). Seymour Duncan made him a JB Model pickup in a single-coil size for the bridge position, while the neck is a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Staggered. He ripped out all the electronics, added a Gibson-style toggle switch, flipped the control plate orientation thanks to an obsession with Danny Gatton, and included just one steel knob to control tone. Primack also installed string trees with foam to control extra noise.
This one has Ernie Ball Papa Hetās Hardwired strings, .011ā.050.
Here, Kitty, Kitty
Primack runs both a PRS Archon and a Bad Cat Lynx at the same time, covering both 6L6 and EL34 territories. The Lynx goes into a Friedman 4x12 cab thatās been rebadged in honor of its nickname, āDonkey,ā while the Archon, which is like a ārefined 5150,ā runs through an Orange 4x12.
Ryan Primackās Pedalboard
Primackās board sports a Saturnworks True Bypass Multi Looper, plus two Saturnworks boost pedals. The rest includes a Boss TU-3w, DOD Bifet Boost 410, Caroline Electronics Hawaiian Pizza, Fortin ZUUL +, MXR Phase 100, JHS Series 3 Tremolo, Boss DM-2w, DOD Rubberneck, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Walrus Slo, and SolidGoldFX Surf Rider III.
Taverās Teles
Vadim Taverās go-to is this cherryburst FenderĀ Telecaster, which he scored in the early 2000s and has been upgraded to Seymour Duncan pickups on Primackās recommendation. His white Balaguer T-style has been treated to the same upgrade. The Balaguer is tuned to drop C, and the Fender stays in D standard. Both have DāAddario strings, with a slightly heavier gauge on the Balaguer.
Dual-Channel Chugger
Taver loves his 2-channel Orange Rockerverb 100s, one of which lives in a case made right in Nashville.
Vadim Taverās Pedalboard
Taverās board includes an MXR Joshua, MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe, Empress Tremolo, Walrus ARP-87, Old Blood Noise Endeavors Reflector, MXR Phase 90, Boss CE-2w, and Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-200, all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Big Duff
Harmonās favorite these days is this Fender Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass, which heās outfitted with a Leo Quan Badass bridge. His backup is a Mexico-made Fender Classic Series ā70s Jazz Bass. This one also sports Primack-picked pickups.
Rental Rockers
Harmon rented this Orange AD200B MK III head, which runs through a 1x15 cab on top and a 4x10 on the bottom.
Noah Harmonās Pedalboard
Harmonās board carries a Boss TU-2, Boss ODB-3, MXR Dyna Comp, Darkglass Electronics Vintage Ultra, and a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus. His signal from the Vintage Ultra runs right to the front-of-house, and Harmon estimates that that signal accounts for about half of what people hear on any given night.
Kiesel Guitars has introduced their newest solid body electric guitar: the Kyber.
With its modern performance specs and competitive pricing, the Kyber is Kiesel's most forward-thinking design yet, engineered for comfort, quick playing, and precision with every note.
Introducing the Kiesel Kyber Guitar
- Engineered with a lightweight body to reduce fatigue during long performances without sacrificing tone. Six-string Kybers, configured with the standard woods and a fixed bridge, weigh in at 6 pounds or under on average
- Unique shape made for ergonomic comfort in any playing position and enhanced classical position
- The Kyber features Kiesel's most extreme arm contour and a uniquely shaped body that enhances classical position support while still excelling in standard position.
- The new minimalist yet aggressive headstock pairs perfectly with the body's sleek lines, giving the Kyber a balanced, modern silhouette.
- Hidden strap buttons mounted on rear for excellent balance while giving a clean, ultra-modern look to the front
- Lower horn cutaway design for maximum access to the upper frets
- Sculpted neck heel for seamless playing
- Available in 6 or 7 strings, fixed or tremolo in both standard and multiscale configurations Choose between fixed bridges, tremolos, or multiscale configurations for your perfect setup.
Pricing for the Kyber starts at $1599 and will vary depending on options and features. Learn more about Kieselās new Kyber model at kieselguitars.com