Acres upon sprawling acres of instruments and ever-flowing taps of ale (or
bier, as the locals say) aren't all that differentiate Musikmesse from its gear-show counterparts in America and elsewhere.
Of course, the NAMM shows in Anaheim and Nashville have tons
of titillating tone toys, too, but this annual gathering of music manufacturers in Frankfurt,
Germany—which was held this year from April 6–9—is a refreshing opportunity to sample
sonic and design flavors that aren’t quite as common at stateside gear shows.
Here, luthiers like Switzerland’s Claudio Pagelli and Hungary’s Balázs Mihályi, Zoltán
Mihályi, and Zoltán Ughy (from Blasius Guitars) parade eclectic designs while heavyweight
European manufacturers like Warwick, Framus, and Hughes & Kettner host visitors in
huge, bustling, and often loud exhibit spaces. US-based outfits like Fender, Gibson, and
PRS usually take advantage of Musikmesse’s springtime schedule to unleash at least a
couple of new items, too. And then there are promising upstarts like Stark Amps and Nick
Page Guitars turning heads with unique, beautifully built designs.
LEFT: This dashing dandy at the Gewa Bags booth
had us wondering if we weren’t letting our sartorial
standards slip. In the end, we decided our garb was
rock ready but that we could also use a little more sun.
Still, Gewa’s gigbags are pretty nice way to tote your
axe.gewamusic.comRIGHT: Frankfurt’s New.MusicAcademy promoted its
forward-thinking educational efforts by deploying several
young ladies with a portable Vox amp, a Vox Virage
electric, and an iPad stocked with song transcriptions.
LEFT: While we totally dig classic instruments, we also contend there’s not enough envelope pushing
going on when it comes to stringed instrument design. That’s why we were psyched to come
across the ViolaFon, an axe that lets you play standard guitar on frets 1 through 9, and then rip
like Stéphane Grappelli—in wicked fi ddle style—higher up on the neck. We couldn’t help wondering
what Page would have done to “Dazed and Confused” with one of these.violafon.com RIGHT: Bassist Alain Caron (left), drummer Damien Schmitt (behind Caron), and Frank Gambale tear it
up for a big crowd at the plexiglass-enclosed Markbass performance booth.markbassit.com
LEFT: A crowd gathers to watch Hiwatt’s Alfonso Pinzon (back), an unnamed demo player, and PG’s
Charles Saufley (right) and Shawn Hammond (middle) shoot a video demo of the new Hiwatt
Custom 20 and Custom 50 heads (hiwatt.com), which are now being handwired in the US. Watch
this and other Musikmesse demo videos at premierguitar.com.
Premier Guitar perused all this and more as we tirelessly walked the aisles of
Musikmesse to chronicle the newest, most intriguing guitars, amps, and effects we could
find. Actually, “tirelessly” isn’t quite the word—our dogs were barking pretty hard as we
journeyed back and forth from one cavernous hall to the next—but the coolness of it all,
in addition to our steadfast commitment to bring you as many drool-worthy demo videos
as possible from the floor, kept us trudging onward despite the blisters and parched
throats. So be sure to visit premierguitar.com/video to check out our lineup of professionally mic’d HD videos after reading about what we’ve assembled here. Enjoy!
Guitars
Pagelli Andre Archtop and Ekolette Solidbody
Few luthiers design with so little regard to boundaries—real or perceived—as Swiss builder Claudio Pagelli. He builds inspired acoustics,
archtops, and electrics with an irreverent aesthetic that rarely stays on one path very long. The Andre archtop (left) was built to celebrate
his 30th anniversary in business and features a body and neck of Canadian maple, a top crafted from moon-cut Swiss alpine spruce, ebony
binding, Schertler tuners with tagua-nut buttons, and a Häussel pickup. Like so many of Pagelli’s designs, it pulls off the tough act of
being classic and deconstructionist at once.
As for the Ekolette (right), it seems to be a blend of the extroverted stylings of Italian electrics from Bartolini, Eko, and Gimelli. Its
name, says Pagelli, is a mix of Eko and Echolette—a German amp company from the ’60s and ’70s—and the shape is based on a bass
design from years ago. “We always thought it would be a great shape for an electric guitar.” Specs include a mahogany body and neck,
a maple top, an Indian rosewood fretboard, Q-tuner neodymium pickups, Gotoh bridge, and Kluson-style tuners. “The back and sides
match the color of the pickups,” Pagelli explains, “but the rest is covered with vintage-stock Italian mother-of-toilet-seat [pearloid]. The
sound is very open and clear—almost acoustic—but with lots of sustain.”
(LEFT) Gibson Les Paul
Studio Baritone
Fans of growling baritones channeled
via brawny 496R (neck)
and 500T (bridge) humbuckers
have cause to celebrate at the sight
of this 28"-scale beauty with a
“’50s Rounded” neck profile and
Grover tuners. Finished in pretty
honeyburst, this thump machine
looked bossy just hanging there.
(RIGHT) Lâg Imperator
I3000 Master
Michel Lâg Chavaria brought his
guitars to the US just two years
ago, but they’ve been something
of a fixture in Europe for decades.
The new Imperator I3000 Master
has a mahogany body with a
spalted, quilted, or flamed maple
top, a choice of hardware finishes
(“black satin,” nickel, or “antique
gold”), and DiMarzio, Seymour
Duncan, or EMG pickups.
PRS Bernie Marsden SE
Hardworking former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden has been
honored with a signature PRS this year. This SE has a 24 1/2" scale,
PRS SE 245 humbuckers in the bridge and neck positions, and a Wide
Fat neck.
Nick Page Guitars Strich-II
Berlin-based Nick Page had some of the most stylish guitars
on the Musikmesse floor this year. Though some of his designs
pay subtle homage to classics from Supro, Zemaitis, and
Rickenbacker, they’re dressed up with custom hardware and
Page’s unique slotted headstock. The Strich-II shown here has a
fiberglass body, vintage 1960s Filter’Tron pickups, a 3-way selector,
Volume and Tone knobs, a Bigsby-style vibrato, and a maple
neck with a rosewood fretboard and Dunlop 6105 fretwire.
Nik Huber Krautster II
When we visited Nik Huber at his workshop in Rodgau,
Germany, after Musikmesse (keep an eye out for the forthcoming
video tour on premierguitar.com), he told us the back-to-basics
Krautser models (the one-pickup Krautster I and two-pickup
Krautster II) have become his most successful designs.
So it only made sense that he update the line a bit. Both
versions are now available with an optional veneer of thin, oxidized
silver (left and middle).
Duesenberg Rezobro
Perhaps the single most innovative guitar development at Musikmesse came from the folks at
Duesenberg. The Rezobro features a semi-hollow mahogany body with a spruce top, and it
enables you to blend remarkably realistic resonator tones with the electric tones from its bridge-position
humbucker and neck-position P-90. While some in this day and age might expect this
feat to be accomplished with digital processing or modeling, the Rezobro does it mechanically: A
metal plate attached to the stop tailpiece extends up to the one-piece bridge, and two piezo pickups
under the plate transmit the vibrations between it and the bridge. For more tonal variety, the
metal plate also has adjustment screws for a tighter or looser resonator sound. Controls for the
electronics include Master Volume, magnetic-pickup Volume, dual piezo Volumes, and a Master
Tone knob, as well as a piezo toggle, and a 3-way magnetic-pickup selector. Other cool features
include Duesenberg Z tuners and a nut with height screws for easily setting up slide-friendly
action. The Vintage White version shown here was custom-built for Keb Mo.
(LEFT) Blasius Guitars
Hungary’s Blasius Guitars—which has primarily offered basses until this year’s
Musikmesse—unveiled a new line of ornate custom solidbodies with deeply carved bodies
and highly figured woods. The guitars shown here feature Sublime pickups (with matching
wood covers in the left two models), and the guitars on the left and right feature a
Schaller Hannes bridge.
(RIGHT) ESP
ESP had a bazillion guitars on the show floor.
But none were quite as arresting as this touch
of evil.
Guitars
Pagelli Andre Archtop and Ekolette Solidbody
Few luthiers design with so little regard to boundaries—real or perceived—as Swiss builder Claudio Pagelli. He builds inspired acoustics,
archtops, and electrics with an irreverent aesthetic that rarely stays on one path very long. The Andre archtop (left) was built to celebrate
his 30th anniversary in business and features a body and neck of Canadian maple, a top crafted from moon-cut Swiss alpine spruce, ebony
binding, Schertler tuners with tagua-nut buttons, and a Häussel pickup. Like so many of Pagelli’s designs, it pulls off the tough act of
being classic and deconstructionist at once.
As for the Ekolette (right), it seems to be a blend of the extroverted stylings of Italian electrics from Bartolini, Eko, and Gimelli. Its
name, says Pagelli, is a mix of Eko and Echolette—a German amp company from the ’60s and ’70s—and the shape is based on a bass
design from years ago. “We always thought it would be a great shape for an electric guitar.” Specs include a mahogany body and neck,
a maple top, an Indian rosewood fretboard, Q-tuner neodymium pickups, Gotoh bridge, and Kluson-style tuners. “The back and sides
match the color of the pickups,” Pagelli explains, “but the rest is covered with vintage-stock Italian mother-of-toilet-seat [pearloid]. The
sound is very open and clear—almost acoustic—but with lots of sustain.”
(LEFT) Gibson Les Paul
Studio Baritone
Fans of growling baritones channeled
via brawny 496R (neck)
and 500T (bridge) humbuckers
have cause to celebrate at the sight
of this 28"-scale beauty with a
“’50s Rounded” neck profile and
Grover tuners. Finished in pretty
honeyburst, this thump machine
looked bossy just hanging there.
(RIGHT) Lâg Imperator
I3000 Master
Michel Lâg Chavaria brought his
guitars to the US just two years
ago, but they’ve been something
of a fixture in Europe for decades.
The new Imperator I3000 Master
has a mahogany body with a
spalted, quilted, or flamed maple
top, a choice of hardware finishes
(“black satin,” nickel, or “antique
gold”), and DiMarzio, Seymour
Duncan, or EMG pickups.
PRS Bernie Marsden SE
Hardworking former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden has been
honored with a signature PRS this year. This SE has a 24 1/2" scale,
PRS SE 245 humbuckers in the bridge and neck positions, and a Wide
Fat neck.
Nick Page Guitars Strich-II
Berlin-based Nick Page had some of the most stylish guitars
on the Musikmesse floor this year. Though some of his designs
pay subtle homage to classics from Supro, Zemaitis, and
Rickenbacker, they’re dressed up with custom hardware and
Page’s unique slotted headstock. The Strich-II shown here has a
fiberglass body, vintage 1960s Filter’Tron pickups, a 3-way selector,
Volume and Tone knobs, a Bigsby-style vibrato, and a maple
neck with a rosewood fretboard and Dunlop 6105 fretwire.
Nik Huber Krautster II
When we visited Nik Huber at his workshop in Rodgau,
Germany, after Musikmesse (keep an eye out for the forthcoming
video tour on premierguitar.com), he told us the back-to-basics
Krautser models (the one-pickup Krautster I and two-pickup
Krautster II) have become his most successful designs.
So it only made sense that he update the line a bit. Both
versions are now available with an optional veneer of thin, oxidized
silver (left and middle).
Duesenberg Rezobro
Perhaps the single most innovative guitar development at Musikmesse came from the folks at
Duesenberg. The Rezobro features a semi-hollow mahogany body with a spruce top, and it
enables you to blend remarkably realistic resonator tones with the electric tones from its bridge-position
humbucker and neck-position P-90. While some in this day and age might expect this
feat to be accomplished with digital processing or modeling, the Rezobro does it mechanically: A
metal plate attached to the stop tailpiece extends up to the one-piece bridge, and two piezo pickups
under the plate transmit the vibrations between it and the bridge. For more tonal variety, the
metal plate also has adjustment screws for a tighter or looser resonator sound. Controls for the
electronics include Master Volume, magnetic-pickup Volume, dual piezo Volumes, and a Master
Tone knob, as well as a piezo toggle, and a 3-way magnetic-pickup selector. Other cool features
include Duesenberg Z tuners and a nut with height screws for easily setting up slide-friendly
action. The Vintage White version shown here was custom-built for Keb Mo.
(LEFT) Blasius Guitars
Hungary’s Blasius Guitars—which has primarily offered basses until this year’s
Musikmesse—unveiled a new line of ornate custom solidbodies with deeply carved bodies
and highly figured woods. The guitars shown here feature Sublime pickups (with matching
wood covers in the left two models), and the guitars on the left and right feature a
Schaller Hannes bridge.
(RIGHT) ESP
ESP had a bazillion guitars on the show floor.
But none were quite as arresting as this touch
of evil.
Guitar Amps
Palmer Drei
Perhaps best known for their speaker simulators, Palmer has a knack for amplifier innovation, too. The Drei enables you to combine the
outputs from three types of GZ34/5AR4-rectified power tubes—an EL84, a 6V6, and a 6L6—via the Eins, Zwei, and Drei (One, Two, and
Three). By varying those knobs, in addition to the preamp’s Klang (Tone), Normal Sättigung (Low-Frequency “muddy” overdrive), and Höhen
Sättigung (high-frequency “tight” overdrive) controls, you can create numerous unique amalgams of Brit and Yank tones.
Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18
Powered by twin EL84s, the TubeMeister features twin channels, each with Master and Gain knobs, a shared 3-band EQ, and Lead
Boost and Channel Select buttons. Around back, there’s a four-step power soak for cranked-tube dynamics at whisper volume, in
addition to built-in Red Box circuitry for silent recording with the company’s famous cabinet simulation.
Orange Dark Terror
The Terror just keeps getting more terrifying. A stroll by the bright and
sizable Orange booth found us ducking a barrage of gain-charged riffery
from the new Dark Terror. Like its blockbuster predecessor, the featherlight
head doles out 15 class-A watts (switchable to 7) via two EL84s, but its
tone stack—which is controlled by Volume, Shape, and Gain knobs—has
morphed in a way that enables insanely dynamic switches between all-out
Norwegian black metal evilness and cleaned-up bluesy wailing.
Stark Amps Stark 1
This handsome little point-to-point-wired head features
a delectable textured-grid covering and knobs for Gain,
Drive, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence, and Master. It can
run off EL34 or 6L6 power tubes for 20, 35, or 50 watts
of class AB power, and its single-channel design is made
more versatile by a boost feature that’s activated via the
front-panel toggle or a footswitch. Rear-panel features
include an XLR direct out and a serial effects loop.
Koch Jupiter and Startrooper
Koch Amps’ two new hybrid amps—the Jupiter and
Startrooper—pair a 12AX7-driven preamp with a solidstate
power section. Each has two EQ-sharing channels
and a boost function. The Jupiter summons biting cleans
and brawny blues-rock distortion via a 12" Jensen with
a neodymium magnet, while the Startrooper uses a Koch
12" speaker that’s voiced like a Celestion Vintage 30 to
prime the storm trooper in you for higher-gain applications.
Laney Ironheart
You couldn’t miss
the IronHeart barking,
purring, and
roaring from Laney’s
impressive demo
stage at Musikmesse.
But despite its raw
power and intimidating
moniker, it’s
an amp of many
personalities, thanks
to its three flexibly
voiced channels and
a continuously variable
1-120-watt output
knob that helped
it sound sweet
when purring low
or screaming like a
banshee at full force.
Fender Super-Sonic Twin
Fender’s Super-Sonic line has always offered Jekyll-and-Hyde vintage and modern voicings
wrapped in classic Fender livery. The 100-watt, 6L6-driven Super-Sonic Twin (lower left;
at upper right the new Super-Sonic 100 head sits atop Super-Sonic 100 4x12 cabs, and
the Super-Sonic 60 combo is at lower right) has a 25-watt Club mode, can be switched
between Twin and Bassman voices, and has an exceedingly nasty Burn section that covers
major sonic territory.
Guitar Amps
Palmer Drei
Perhaps best known for their speaker simulators, Palmer has a knack for amplifier innovation, too. The Drei enables you to combine the
outputs from three types of GZ34/5AR4-rectified power tubes—an EL84, a 6V6, and a 6L6—via the Eins, Zwei, and Drei (One, Two, and
Three). By varying those knobs, in addition to the preamp’s Klang (Tone), Normal Sättigung (Low-Frequency “muddy” overdrive), and Höhen
Sättigung (high-frequency “tight” overdrive) controls, you can create numerous unique amalgams of Brit and Yank tones.
Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18
Powered by twin EL84s, the TubeMeister features twin channels, each with Master and Gain knobs, a shared 3-band EQ, and Lead
Boost and Channel Select buttons. Around back, there’s a four-step power soak for cranked-tube dynamics at whisper volume, in
addition to built-in Red Box circuitry for silent recording with the company’s famous cabinet simulation.
Orange Dark Terror
The Terror just keeps getting more terrifying. A stroll by the bright and
sizable Orange booth found us ducking a barrage of gain-charged riffery
from the new Dark Terror. Like its blockbuster predecessor, the featherlight
head doles out 15 class-A watts (switchable to 7) via two EL84s, but its
tone stack—which is controlled by Volume, Shape, and Gain knobs—has
morphed in a way that enables insanely dynamic switches between all-out
Norwegian black metal evilness and cleaned-up bluesy wailing.
Stark Amps Stark 1
This handsome little point-to-point-wired head features
a delectable textured-grid covering and knobs for Gain,
Drive, Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence, and Master. It can
run off EL34 or 6L6 power tubes for 20, 35, or 50 watts
of class AB power, and its single-channel design is made
more versatile by a boost feature that’s activated via the
front-panel toggle or a footswitch. Rear-panel features
include an XLR direct out and a serial effects loop.
Koch Jupiter and Startrooper
Koch Amps’ two new hybrid amps—the Jupiter and
Startrooper—pair a 12AX7-driven preamp with a solidstate
power section. Each has two EQ-sharing channels
and a boost function. The Jupiter summons biting cleans
and brawny blues-rock distortion via a 12" Jensen with
a neodymium magnet, while the Startrooper uses a Koch
12" speaker that’s voiced like a Celestion Vintage 30 to
prime the storm trooper in you for higher-gain applications.
Laney Ironheart
You couldn’t miss
the IronHeart barking,
purring, and
roaring from Laney’s
impressive demo
stage at Musikmesse.
But despite its raw
power and intimidating
moniker, it’s
an amp of many
personalities, thanks
to its three flexibly
voiced channels and
a continuously variable
1-120-watt output
knob that helped
it sound sweet
when purring low
or screaming like a
banshee at full force.
Fender Super-Sonic Twin
Fender’s Super-Sonic line has always offered Jekyll-and-Hyde vintage and modern voicings
wrapped in classic Fender livery. The 100-watt, 6L6-driven Super-Sonic Twin (lower left;
at upper right the new Super-Sonic 100 head sits atop Super-Sonic 100 4x12 cabs, and
the Super-Sonic 60 combo is at lower right) has a 25-watt Club mode, can be switched
between Twin and Bassman voices, and has an exceedingly nasty Burn section that covers
major sonic territory.
Guitar Effects
Vibesware Guitar Resonator GR-1 Sustainer
It was always a pleasure to walk by the Vibesware booth and get an earful of
the odd and ethereal sounds created by the Vibesware Guitar Resonator GR-1
infinite sustainer. The mic-stand-mounted unit can sustain multiple strings
simultaneously and, most importantly, frees your picking hand to engage in
picking or vibrato-arm manipulation.
T-Rex Gull Wah
The multivoiced Gull features auto-inspired aesthetics and
a unique magnet-equipped treadle—which means there’s
no wah potentiometer to wear out, even after years of
lead-footed wailing. You can also select between three wah
sounds, including a “yoy-yoy” setting that lends a heavily
rounded, vowel-ish sound. It also has a Boost knob
for when you want to get a little more aggressive, a Slope
control for tailoring the EQ range, and a pot that enables
you to dial in variable settings for the pedal’s action.
Elmwood Amps Woodpecker
Best known for its tube amplifiers, Elmwood Amps from
Tanumshede, Sweden, offered a sneak peek of the JFETtransistor-
based Woodpecker overdrive prototype. It’ll be in
stores this summer, and it uses Gain, Shape, and Output
controls to serve up serious boost power and extreme tone-shaping
capabilities.
Line 6 POD HD
The desktop POD has been a mainstay studio asset for
pros and hobbyists alike for years now. This latest version
incorporates Line 6’s HD modeling technology to not
only improve the authenticity of amp and effect models,
but also to increase touch sensitivity and dynamics. It also
includes more than 100 effects for nearly limitless tone
combinations.
Carl Martin HeadRoom
Fans of wet and whacked-out spring reverb will no doubt dig Carl Martin’s new HeadRoom, which uses an Accutronics spring reverb
apparatus in a compact stompbox that can also be switched remotely if you want to place the unit out of range from stage vibrations—
although listening to this thing rattle after a kick to the enclosure is a blast!
Duesenberg Effects
The always-on-the-move folks at Deusenberg unveiled updated versions of the Red Echo, White Drive, and Green Comp, as well as three
all-new effects—the Blue Move chorus, Violet Trem tremolo, and Gold Boost booster—all are handwired and feature true-bypass circuitry.
Guitar Effects
Vibesware Guitar Resonator GR-1 Sustainer
It was always a pleasure to walk by the Vibesware booth and get an earful of
the odd and ethereal sounds created by the Vibesware Guitar Resonator GR-1
infinite sustainer. The mic-stand-mounted unit can sustain multiple strings
simultaneously and, most importantly, frees your picking hand to engage in
picking or vibrato-arm manipulation.
T-Rex Gull Wah
The multivoiced Gull features auto-inspired aesthetics and
a unique magnet-equipped treadle—which means there’s
no wah potentiometer to wear out, even after years of
lead-footed wailing. You can also select between three wah
sounds, including a “yoy-yoy” setting that lends a heavily
rounded, vowel-ish sound. It also has a Boost knob
for when you want to get a little more aggressive, a Slope
control for tailoring the EQ range, and a pot that enables
you to dial in variable settings for the pedal’s action.
Elmwood Amps Woodpecker
Best known for its tube amplifiers, Elmwood Amps from
Tanumshede, Sweden, offered a sneak peek of the JFETtransistor-
based Woodpecker overdrive prototype. It’ll be in
stores this summer, and it uses Gain, Shape, and Output
controls to serve up serious boost power and extreme tone-shaping
capabilities.
Line 6 POD HD
The desktop POD has been a mainstay studio asset for
pros and hobbyists alike for years now. This latest version
incorporates Line 6’s HD modeling technology to not
only improve the authenticity of amp and effect models,
but also to increase touch sensitivity and dynamics. It also
includes more than 100 effects for nearly limitless tone
combinations.
Carl Martin HeadRoom
Fans of wet and whacked-out spring reverb will no doubt dig Carl Martin’s new HeadRoom, which uses an Accutronics spring reverb
apparatus in a compact stompbox that can also be switched remotely if you want to place the unit out of range from stage vibrations—
although listening to this thing rattle after a kick to the enclosure is a blast!
Duesenberg Effects
The always-on-the-move folks at Deusenberg unveiled updated versions of the Red Echo, White Drive, and Green Comp, as well as three
all-new effects—the Blue Move chorus, Violet Trem tremolo, and Gold Boost booster—all are handwired and feature true-bypass circuitry.
Bass Gear
Fernandes Jeff Walker Triturador (“Grinder”) Signature Bass
The Carcass bassist’s new 34"-scale namesake features a bound mahogany body and set
neck, an ebony fretboard with inlays taken from the band’s 1992 Tools of the Trade EP, and a
lightning-bolt soundhole. The EMG 35DC humbuckers are controlled by Volume, Blend,
and Tone knobs, while a Gain knob and On/Off toggle govern the EBS overdrive circuit.
Palmer Deepressor,
Uebertreiber, and
Bazz Pedals
Palmer had a trio of new
bass effects at Musikmesse.
The Deepressor is a dedicated
bass compressor with
Sustain, Attack, and Level
knobs. The Uebertreiber
goes from clean boost to
overdrive and features
Clean, Gain, Tone, and
Level knobs that let you
also create an articulate
mix of both. The Bazz
bass fuzz has Fuzz, Tone,
and Volume knobs, as well
as a Mid Boost switch to
emphasize the nastiest fuzz
frequencies.
Warwick Steve Bailey Signature 6-String Fretless
Steve Bailey’s list of collaborations is about 10 miles long, and it got that
way because he can do just about anything on a bass. His new signature
Warwick looked very much like an instrument that could keep up, too.
With a snakewood fretboard, asymmetric neck radius, and cool electronic
features like a harmonic enhancer that boosts high-mid content, it’s an
endless well of tone.
AER Amp Three
The newest addition to AER’s Bottom Line series pumps 200 watts
through two 8" speakers. Tone controls include a 3-band EQ, a Bass
Boost function for +10 dB of kick at 55 Hz, a Colour knob that cuts
mids and boosts treble, a Tone Balance control, and Ratio and Threshold
controls for the compression circuit.
Hartke Kilo
Hartke's potent new head kicks out 1000 watts of bridged mono power that can be split into 500 watts of stereo power. It has a tube
preamp, and front-panel controls include Overdrive, Compressor, Gain, Shape, Bass, Mid, and Treble knobs, in addition to a 10-band
graphic EQ and Active, O.D., Mute, Brite, Shape, Deep, EFX, and GEO buttons.
Bass Gear
Fernandes Jeff Walker Triturador (“Grinder”) Signature Bass
The Carcass bassist’s new 34"-scale namesake features a bound mahogany body and set
neck, an ebony fretboard with inlays taken from the band’s 1992 Tools of the Trade EP, and a
lightning-bolt soundhole. The EMG 35DC humbuckers are controlled by Volume, Blend,
and Tone knobs, while a Gain knob and On/Off toggle govern the EBS overdrive circuit.
Palmer Deepressor,
Uebertreiber, and
Bazz Pedals
Palmer had a trio of new
bass effects at Musikmesse.
The Deepressor is a dedicated
bass compressor with
Sustain, Attack, and Level
knobs. The Uebertreiber
goes from clean boost to
overdrive and features
Clean, Gain, Tone, and
Level knobs that let you
also create an articulate
mix of both. The Bazz
bass fuzz has Fuzz, Tone,
and Volume knobs, as well
as a Mid Boost switch to
emphasize the nastiest fuzz
frequencies.
Warwick Steve Bailey Signature 6-String Fretless
Steve Bailey’s list of collaborations is about 10 miles long, and it got that
way because he can do just about anything on a bass. His new signature
Warwick looked very much like an instrument that could keep up, too.
With a snakewood fretboard, asymmetric neck radius, and cool electronic
features like a harmonic enhancer that boosts high-mid content, it’s an
endless well of tone.
AER Amp Three
The newest addition to AER’s Bottom Line series pumps 200 watts
through two 8" speakers. Tone controls include a 3-band EQ, a Bass
Boost function for +10 dB of kick at 55 Hz, a Colour knob that cuts
mids and boosts treble, a Tone Balance control, and Ratio and Threshold
controls for the compression circuit.
Hartke Kilo
Hartke's potent new head kicks out 1000 watts of bridged mono power that can be split into 500 watts of stereo power. It has a tube
preamp, and front-panel controls include Overdrive, Compressor, Gain, Shape, Bass, Mid, and Treble knobs, in addition to a 10-band
graphic EQ and Active, O.D., Mute, Brite, Shape, Deep, EFX, and GEO buttons.
Billy Gibbons is an undisputable guitar force whose feel, tone, and all-around vibe make him the highest level of hero. But that’s not to say he hasn’t made some odd choices in his career, like when ZZ Top re-recorded parts of their classic albums for CD release. And fans will argue which era of the band’s career is best. Some of us love drum machines and synths and others don’t, but we all love Billy.
This episode is sponsored by Magnatone
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.