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Rig Rundown: Between the Buried and Me [2015]

The prog-metal juggernauts discuss how their signature axes cranked through Axe-Fx units create their brutal live tone.

As loyal gearheads, Waring and Waggoner have been big fans of Fractal Axe-Fx units for years. While recording their newest LP, Coma Ecliptic, they upgraded to the Axe-Fx II XL. They always run them into Mesa/Boogie Simul-Class 2:Ninety power amps.

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The bold English band return with their eighth record, Dreams on Toast. The brotherly guitar duo tell us about their pilgrimage back to Tonehenge.

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Very diverse slate of tones. Capable of great focus and power. Potentially killer studio tool.

Sculpting tones in a reliably reproducible way can be challenging. Midrange emphasis may be a deal breaker for some.

$199 street

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Bold-voiced, super-tunable distortion that excels in contexts from filtered boost to total belligerence.

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The New ToneWoodAmp2 is smaller, lighter, rechargeable, and offers foureffects simultaneously, along with a mobile app and much more.

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Paul Reed Smith also continues to evolve as a guitarist, and delivered a compelling take on Jeff Beck’s interpretation of ā€œCause We’ve Ended As Loversā€ at the PRS 40th Anniversary Celebration during this year’s NAMM.

After 40 years at the helm of PRS Guitars, our columnist reflects on the nature of evolution in artistry—of all kinds.

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