
Boss announces new products featured at NAMM 2025, including the VG-800 V-Guitar Processor, GX-10 Guitar Effects Processor, and WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core.
VG-800 V-Guitar Processor
Driven by the latest generation of Boss V-Guitar technology and the Serial GK divided pickup, this pedal is designed to allow players to completely transform their sound at the push of a button. Advanced modeling provides the ability to play different stringed instruments together or on isolated strings, explore alternate and down tunings, and go even further with all-new sounds not possible with traditional instruments. Itās now easier than ever to access V-Guitar power, thanks to the VG-800ās pedalboard-friendly size.
The V-Guitar approach leverages sophisticated Boss modeling advancements to realize a world of new musical potential. Coupled with the Serial GK divided pickup, the VG-800 recreates a variety of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, and basses, plus instruments like sitar and banjo. Users can also play synth tonesāincluding a spot-on emulation of Rolandās GR-300 from the early ā80sāand travel to undiscovered territory with the unique VIO type and its bowed attack characteristics.
The VG-800 comes loaded with great preset sounds, ready to play on their own or inspire new creations. It works equally well with bass, providing a dedicated mode with bass-optimized processing algorithms and 150 independent memories.
The intuitive VG-800 menu structure makes it easy to build virtual instruments with deep customization tools that include string behaviors, instrument style, pickup position, resonance, and much more. Each stringās pitch and panning are adjustable, enabling alternate tunings and ultra-wide sounds. And with the unique Dual Guitar and Dual Bass options, players can create supercharged platforms with two independent instruments.
The VG-800ās onboard switches and diverse external control options unlock inspiring performance possibilities. With a single press, the user can change the instrument type or tuning, bend the pitch of individual strings to create pedal steel, āB-bender,ā and other unique effects, or smoothly morph between instrument types, each with a discrete signal processing chain.
The VG-800 delivers a massive amount of creative power in a compact size that flows into any setup. Along with its instrument modeling functions, itās filled with advanced signal processing derived from flagship-level BOSS multi-effects. Amps and effects can be applied to two modeled sounds and the dedicated guitar input. Send and return jacks are also available to patch in mono and stereo pedals.
With its USB audio/MIDI interface, the VG-800 is a powerhouse recording tool for computer music production. Versatile multi-channel routing lets the user capture the stereo mix or record two modeled instrument sounds and the direct guitar input to separate DAW tracks. Itās even possible to separately record the unprocessed string sounds from the GK divided pickup, then pipe them back into the VG-800 for āre-guitarā or āre-bassā processing. Speedy pitch-to-MIDI conversion is also supported to trigger software-based instruments with a guitar or bass.
Boss Tone Studio (macOS/Windows) allows users to edit memories, adjust system settings, import speaker IRs, and manage setups for different playing applications. Boss Tone Exchange is also accessible within the software, providing access to professionally created Livesets and sound sharing with the global BOSS community.
A Serial GK pickup is required to access the advanced modeling features on the VG-800. There are user-installable Serial GK guitar (GK-5) and bass (GK-5B) pickup models for external mounting, plus Serial GK kit options for permanent installation within instruments.
Availability & Pricing
The new BOSS VG-800 V-Guitar Processor will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers for $649.99 in February.
GX-10 Guitar Effects Processor
Boss showcases the GX-10, a powerful new amp and effects processor for guitar and bass. Equipped with the core sound engine and color touch display from the acclaimed GX-100 released in 2022, the GX-10 offers players the same inspiring experience in an even more portable footprint. Adding in multi-mode footswitches, an integrated expression pedal, and USB audio connectivity, the GX-10 seamlessly transitions from nightly stage performing to desktop recording, song creation, and daily practice sessions.
The GX-10 delivers a universe of ultra-responsive tones in a travel-ready size. There are 23 guitar amps and nine bass amps to choose from, including high-gain X-Ultra, X-Optima, and X-Titan types crafted with the latest BOSS modeling technologies. Players can color sounds with 170 different effects, including overdrives and distortions, mod effects, delays, and reverbs, plus dedicated bass effects and Boss classics like Slow Gear, Octave, Slicer, and more.
The GX-10 enables fast sound creation with an inviting color touch display and four dynamic parameter knobs. Up to two amps and 15 effects are supported in each memory, and itās easy to change effect order and create series or parallel routings by dragging blocks with a finger on the screen. Send/return jacks are available to integrate favorite pedals or an ampās effects loop into the GX-10 signal flow.
The GX-10's clever control options provide versatile real-time sound adjustment possibilities while performing. Multiple control modes and user-assignable settings offer maximum flexibility with just three footswitches. By default, the expression pedal toggles between volume and wah and activates the tuner when the pedal is pulled back. But it can be customized to control nearly anything using the GX-10ās assign matrix.
Boss Tone Studio allows users to edit sounds and load their own speaker cab IRs from a Mac or Windows computer. The GX-10 also supports the optional Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor, which unlocks on-the-gig wireless editing via the mobile version of the app.
Boss Tone Studio includes additional tools to organize GX-10 sounds for different gigs and playing situations. It also provides direct access to Boss Tone Exchange, an online platform for downloading professionally created sounds and sharing GX-10 Livesets with the global Boss community. GX-100 Livesets are fully compatible with the GX-10 as well. In addition, thereās a built-in USB-C audio interface for capturing high-quality guitar tones in music production apps on computers and mobile devices.
Availability & Pricing
The new Boss GX-10 Guitar Effects Processor is available now for purchase at authorized U.S. Boss retailers for $399.9.
WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core
A powerful recording and practice solution for tube-based guitar amplifiers. Based on the popular WAZA Tube Amp Expander, this new model offers a streamlined footprint and many powerful enhancements focused on direct recording applications. The advanced Boss Tube Logic design approach harnesses the complete output of a connected tube amplifier, supported by premium cab emulation and studio processing to craft impactful, mix-ready guitar tracks. The WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core also features an integrated 30-watt reactive drive power amp, allowing users to hook up a speaker cabinet and enjoy āsweet spotā amp tones at home-friendly levels.
A tube-based guitar amp sounds and feels its best when the volume is cranked and its power section is really working. Unfortunately, the levels produced are usually unmanageable for anyone without an isolation booth or very forgiving neighbors. The WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core solves this issue, allowing the user to drive their amp while capturing the speaker output with a reactive load that accurately emulates combo and stack-style speaker behaviors. This isolated signal can then be used for direct recording and low-volume playing situations.
The companion editor software provides a studio playground for shaping the raw amp sound within the WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core. Users can choose from 22 BOSS cabinet emulations and five classic mic types (two available simultaneously), then dial in the ideal blend with position, distance, and level controls. Alternatively, itās possible to use up to two speaker cab IRs at once, either from the 10 included Celestion Digital IRs or 64 selections loaded into the unit from a personal IR library.
The WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core contains powerful tools to help achieve world-class recorded tones with no engineering experience required. The Mix Assist function applies one of three sound contour curves with variable transient control, making it easy to record parts that blend perfectly within mixes. Thereās also an immersive Air Feel feature that uses Boss spatial technology to recreate the inspiring āamp-in-roomā tone that guitarists love.
Effect processing plays a vital role in shaping great studio guitar tones. The WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core features a series/parallel loop for inserting external mod and ambience effects, positioned after the ampās distortion for the clearest sound. High-quality internal processing is also available to apply compression, EQ, delay, and reverb within the unit. Users can organize custom setups in the editorāincluding cab choices and effectsāand assign 10 favorites for instant access with the Rig knob on the front panel.
The WAZA Tube Amp Expander Coreās versatile connectivity provides many ways to use rig setups. Players can record directly to music production software over USB or patch into a mixer or audio interface with the stereo XLR output jacks. Itās also possible to hook up an external speaker cabinet (4/8/16 ohms) for daily practice or monitor through headphones with Air Feel for an inspiring spatial experience. The optional Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor adds wireless capabilities, allowing players to jam with music streamed from a smartphone and use the mobile version of the editor to tweak rigs and load IRs.
Availability & Pricing
The new Boss WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. Boss retailers for $699.99 in February.
Katana-Mini X
The latest addition to the Katana series. While its footprint is small, its sound is anything but. Evolving on the features of the popular Katana-Mini model, it offers six versatile analog sound options, two simultaneous effects, and a robust cabinet for a bigger and fuller guitar experience. Katana-Mini X provides many enhancements to energize playing sessions, including an onboard tuner, front-facing panel controls, an internal rechargeable battery, and onboardBluetoothĀ® for streaming music from a smartphone.
Availability & Pricing
The Katana-Mini X is available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers now for $149.99.
More info: boss.info. Visit BOSS at NAMM: The Roland Studio, Room 202, Level 2.
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- NAMM Show 2025: Premier Guitar Gear Gallery - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Iconic Boss Gear Unveiled at NAMM 2025 - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Unleash Big Tones at Any Volume with Boss Tube Amp Expander - Premier Guitar āŗ
Onstage, Tommy Emmanuel executes a move that is not from the playbook of his hero, Chet Atkins.
Recorded live at the Sydney Opera House, the Australian guitaristās new album reminds listeners that his fingerpicking is in a stratum all its own. His approach to arranging only amplifies that distinctionāand his devotion to Chet Atkins.
Australian fingerpicking virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel is turning 70 this year. Heās been performing since he was 6, and for every solo show heās played, heās never used a setlist.
āMy biggest decision every day on tour is, āWhat do I want to start with? How do I want to come out of the gate?āā Emmanuel explains to me over a video call. āA good opener has to have everything. It has to be full of surprise, it has to have lots of good ideas, lots of light and shade, and then, hit it again,ā he says, illustrating each phrase with his hands and ending with a punch.āYou lift off straightaway with the first song, you get airborne, you start reaching, and then itās time to level out and take people on a journey.ā
In May 2023, Emmanuel played two shows at the Sydney Opera House, the best performances from which have been combined on his new release, Live at the Sydney Opera House. The venueās Concert Hall, which has a capacity of 2,679, is a familiar room for Emmanuel, but I think at this point in his career he wouldnāt bring a setlist if he was playing Wembley Stadium. On the recording, Emmanuelās mind-blowingly dexterous chops, distinctive attack and flair, and knack for culturally resonant compositions are on full display. His opening song for the shows? An original, āCountrywide,ā with a segue into Chet Atkinsā āEl Vaquero.ā
āWhen I was going to high school in the ā60s, I heard āEl Vaqueroā on Chet Atkinsā record, [1964ās My Favorite Guitars],ā Emmanuel shares. āAnd when I wrote āCountrywideā in around ā76 or ā77, I suddenly realized, āAh! Itās a bit like āEl Vaquero!āā So I then worked out āEl Vaqueroā as a solo piece, because it wasnāt recorded like that [by Atkins originally].
āThe co-writer of āEl Vaqueroā is Wayne Moss, whoās a famous Nashville session guy who played āda da daā [sings the guitar riff from Roy Orbisonās āPretty Womanā]. And he played on a lot of Chetās records as a rhythm guy. So once when I played āEl Vaqueroā live, Wayne Moss came up to me and said, āYou know, you did my part and Chetās at the same time. Thatās not fair!āā Emmanuel says, laughing.
Atkins is the reason Emmanuel got into performing. His mother had been teaching him rhythm guitar for a couple years when he heard Atkins on the radio and, at 6, was able to immediately mimic his fingerpicking technique. His father recognized Emmanuelās prodigious talent and got him on the road that year, which kicked off his professional career. He says, āBy the time I was 6, I was already sleep-deprived, working too hard, and being forced to be educated. Because all I was interested in was playing music.ā
Emmanuel talks about Atkins as if the way he viewed him as a boy hasnāt changed. The title Atkins bestowed upon him, C.G.P. (Certified Guitar Player), appears on Emmanuelās album covers, in his record label (C.G.P. Sounds), and is inlaid at the 12th fret on his Maton Custom Shop TE Personal signature acoustic. (Atkins named only five guitarists C.G.P.s. The others are John Knowles, Steve Wariner, Jerry Reed, and Atkins himself.) For Emmanuel, even today most roads lead to Atkins.
When I ask Emmanuel about his approach to arranging for solo acoustic guitar, he says, āIt was really hit home for me by my hero, Chet Atkins, when I read an interview with him a long time ago and he said, āMake your arrangement interesting.ā And I thought, āWow!ā Because I was so keen to be true to the composer and play the song as everyone knows it. But then again, Iām recreating it like everyone else has, and I might as well get in line with the rest of them and jump off the cliff into nowhere. So it struck me: āHow can I make my arrangements interesting?ā Well, make them full of surprises.ā
When Emmanuel was invited to contribute to 2015ās Burt Bacharach: This Guitarās in Love with You, featuring acoustic-guitar tributes to Bacharachās classic compositions by various artists, Emmanuel expresses that nobody wanted to take ā(They Long to Be) Close to You,ā due to its āsyrupyā nature. But for Emmanuel, this presented an entertaining challenge.
He explains, āI thought, āOkay, how can I reboot āClose to You?ā So even the most jaded listener will say, āHoly fuckāI didnāt expect that! Wow, I really like that; that is a good melody!ā So I found a good key to play the song in, which allowed me to get some open notes that sustain while I move the chords. Then what I did is, in every phrase, I made the chord unresolve, then resolve.
Tommy Emmanuel's Gear
āIām writing music for the film thatās in my head,ā Emmanuel says. āSo, I donāt think, āIām just the guitar,ā ever.ā
Photo by Simone Cecchetti
Guitars
- Three Maton Custom Shop TE Personals, each with an AP5 PRO pickup system
Amps
- Udo Roesner Da Capo 75
Effects
- AER Pocket Tools preamp
Strings & Picks
- Martin TE Signature Phosphor Bronze (.012ā.054)
- Martin SP strings
- Ernie Ball Paradigm strings
- DāAndrea Pro Plec 1.5 mm
- Dunlop medium thumbpicks
āAnd then to really put the nail in the coffin, at the end, āClose to youā [sings melody]. I finished on a major 9 chord which had that note in it, but it wasnāt the key the song was in, which is a typical Stevie Wonder trick. All the tricks I know, the wonderful ideas that Iāve stolen, are from Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, James Taylor, Carole King, Neil Diamond. All of the people who wrote really incredibly great pop songs and R&B musicāI stole every idea I could, and I tried to make my little two-and-a -half minutes as interesting and entertaining as possible. Because entertainment equals: Surprise me.ā
I share with Emmanuel that the performances on Live at the Sydney Opera House, which include his popular āBeatles Medley,ā reminded me of another possible arrangement trick. In Harpo Marxās autobiography, Harpo Speaks, I preface, Marx writes of a lesson he learned as a performerāto āanswer the audienceās questions.ā (Emmanuel says heās a big fan of the book and read it in the early ā70s.) That happened for me while listening to the medley, when, after sampling melodies from āSheās a Womanā and āPlease Please Me,ā Emmanuel suddenly lands on āWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps.ā
I say, āIām waiting for something that hits more recognizably to me, and when āWhile My Guitarā comes in, thatās like answering my question.ā
āItās also Paul and John, Paul and John, George,ā Emmanuel replies. āYou think, āThatās great, thatās great pop music,ā then, āWow! Look at the depth of this.āāOften Emmanuelās flights on his acoustic guitar are seemingly superhumanāas well as supremely entertaining.
Photo by Ekaterina Gorbacheva
A trick I like to employ as a writer, I say to Emmanuel, is that when Iām describing something, Iāll provide the reader with just enough context so that they can complete the thought on their own.
āYou can do that musically as well,ā says Emmanuel. He explains how, in his arrangement of āWhat a Wonderful World,ā heāll play only the vocal melody. āWhen people are asking me at a workshop, āHow come you donāt put chords behind that part?ā I say, āIām drawing the melody and youāre putting in all the background in your head. I donāt need to tell you what the chords are. You already know what the chords are.āā
āWayne Moss came up to me and said, āYou know, you did my part and Chetās at the same time. Thatās not fair!āā
Another track featured on Live at the Sydney Opera House is a cover of Paul Simonās āAmerican Tuneā (which Emmanuel then jumps into an adaptation of the Australian bush ballad, āWaltzing Matildaā). Itās been a while since I really spent time with There GoesRhyminā Simon (on which āAmerican Tuneā was first released), and yet it sounded so familiar to me. A little digging revealed that its melody is based on the 17th-century Christian hymn, āO Sacred Head, Now Wounded,ā which was arranged and repurposed by Bach in a few of the composerās works. The cross-chronological and genre-lackadaisical intersections that come up in popular music sometimes is fascinating.
āI think the principle right there,ā Emmanuel muses, āis people like Bach and Beethoven and Mozart found the right language to touch the heart of a human being through their ears and through their senses ... that really did something to them deep in their soul. They found a way with the right chords and the right notes, somehow. It could be as primitive as that.
Tommy Emmanuel has been on the road as a performing guitarist for 64 years. Eat your heart out, Bob Dylan.
Photo by Jan Anderson
āItās like when youāre a young composer and someone tells you, āHave a listen to Elton Johnās āCandle in the Wind,āā he continues. āāListen to how those notes work with those chords.ā And every time you hear it, you go, āWhy does it touch me like that? Why do I feel this way when I hear those chordsāthose notes against those chords?ā I say, itās just human nature. Then you wanna go, āHow can I do that!āā he concludes with a grin.
āYou draw from such a variety of genres in your arrangements,ā I posit. āDo you try to lean into the side of converting those songs to solo acoustic guitar, or the side of bridging the genreās culture to that of your audience?ā
āI stole every idea I could, and I tried to make my little two-and-a-half minutes as interesting and entertaining as possible. Because entertainment equals: Surprise me.ā
āIf I was a method actor,ā Emmanuel explains, āwhat Iām doing isāIām writing music for the film thatās in my head. So, I donāt think, āIām just the guitar,ā ever. I always think it has to have that kind of orchestral, not grandeur, but ⦠palette to it. Because of the influence of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and Elton John, especiallyāthe piano guysāI try to use piano ideas, like putting the third in the low bass a lot, because guitar players donāt necessarily do that. And I try to always do something that makes what I do different.
āI want to be different and recognizable,ā he continues. āI remember when people talked about how some playersāyou just hear one note and you go, āOh, thatās Chet Atkins.ā And it hit me like a train, the reason why a guy like Hank Marvin, the lead guitar player from the Shadows.... I can tell you: He had a tone that I hear in other players now. Everyone copied himāthey just donāt know itāincluding Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, all those people. I got him up to play with me a few times when he moved to Australia, and even playing acoustic, he still had that sound. I donāt know how he did it, but it was him. He invented himself.ā
YouTube It
Emmanuel performs his arrangement of āWhat a Wonderful World,ā illustrating how omitting a harmonic backdrop can have a more powerful effect, especially when playing such a well-known melody.
Gibson partners with Warren Haynes to release the Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard, featuring P-90 DC pickups and a 15 dB boost for modern functionality in a traditional 50s-era Les Paul design.
Grammy Award-winning artist Warren Haynes is a cornerstone of the American music landscape, lauded as one of the most formidable and prolific guitarists, vocalists, songwriters, and producers of the modern era. Gibson is proud to announce its partnership with Warren Haynes for the release of his first signature guitar, the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard. The Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard from Gibson is available worldwide now at the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, at authorized Gibson dealers, and on Gibson.com.
āIāve always been a Gibson guyāI got hooked on that sound as a teenager and have been playing them ever since,ā says Warren Haynes. āNeedless to say, Iām honored to be partnering with Gibson to release my Signature Les Paul Standard. Being traditionally a humbucker guy, Iām really loving the hum-free P-90s. Itās a really cool tonal change, and the boost offers even more tonal options. Iām really enjoying playing this guitar on stage and looking forward to using it in the studio. Iām equally psyched that other guitar players will now have the opportunity to own and play one as well.ā
Warren Haynes effortlessly cross-pollinates genres and unfurls solos that broil with passion in his distinctive, signature playing style. Renowned and highly regarded for his work in rock, blues, and Americana music through his work with the Allman Brothers Band, as a founding member of Govāt Mule, the leader of The Warren Haynes Band, a solo artist, and as a session guitarist and sideman for numerous famous friends and groups. As one of musicās most treasured storytellers, Haynes and his artistry have led to thousands of memorable performances and millions of album and track sales. A master of multiple styles and genres, Warren has also shared his expertise with other players via multiple instructional videos. A self-described āGibson man,ā Warren has used several Gibson models throughout the years, including his cherished ā61 ES-335ā¢, among others.
The new Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard is another standout, with features tailored specifically to Warrenās preferences, including a mahogany body with a plain maple cap, a 60s Cherry finish, a mahogany neck with a chunky 50s vintage profile like all of Warrenās favorite Les Pauls, a rosewood fretboard with acrylic trapezoid inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets, a pair of P-90 DC pickups that deliver hum-free performance with all the sonic nuances of traditional P-90 DC pickups, and a 15 dB boost that can be activated via a mini toggle switch. The quick-access battery compartment is mounted into the control cover on the rear, and the guitar will still function, even if the battery dies, by simply flipping the mini toggle switch to the off position.
Bearing the traditional looks and feel of a 50s-era Les Paul coupled with modern features like hum-free P-90 DC pickups and an onboard boost, the Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard bridges modern and traditional and is a great choice for players who, like Warren, want both a traditional appearance and modern functionality in one outstanding guitar.
Last fall, Warren Haynes released his fourth solo album, Million Voices Whisper, via Fantasy Records. Haynes sounds as energetic and focused as ever on the self-produced album, powering through an 11-song set of soulful blues-rock, his first solo collection in nearly a decade. Accompanying Warren on the collection are members of his current all-star band, including John Medeski on keyboards, longtime drummer Terence Higgins (of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band), and Govāt Mule bassist Kevin Scott. Million Voices Whisper also features guest appearances from his Allman Brothers Band compatriot Derek Trucks, whose unmistakable guitar sound toughs up three tracks on the album that were co-produced with Haynes, and his Last Waltz tour co-stars Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson, who are featured on the forceful āDay Of Reckoning.ā Joining Haynes in the studio for the first time since the final sunset of the ABB, one of the featured tracks with Trucks on guitar is āReal Real Love,ā a song initially co-written with Gregg Allman that Warren finished in Allmanās style and methods as if Gregg were singing it to honor his friend.
Buzzing through the chart-topping album is the question of how to make things betterāin love, in life, in the worldāled by Haynesās soaring vocals and the poignancy of his six-string mastery. Million Voices Whisper opens with āThese Changes,ā a co-write with Trucks, leading into āGo Down Swinging,ā co-written with Johnson, which features a horn section and a Van Morrison vibe. Then, thereās the soulful power ballad āTill The Sun Comes Shining Through,ā driven by Warrenās impassioned vocals and slide guitar skills. The expressive pipes of touring backup singer Saundra Williams are also heard on multiple tracks, including the lead single āThis Life As We Know It,ā which reached Top 15 on the Americana singles chart and Top 40 at Triple A radio. Among the four bonus tracks on the deluxe CD version is a new version of the Trucks-Haynes composition āBack Where I Startedā featuring Warren on lead vocals and slide guitar and the power trio of Haynes, Nelson, and Johnson covering the CSNY classic āFind The Cost Of Freedomā into an extended version of āDay Of Reckoning.ā Million Voices Whisper combines the eloquent musicianship of a triple-threat blues-rocker with the glowing spirit of a vital creative artist at the peak of his powers.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson WarrenĀ HaynesĀ Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar - '60s Cherry
WH LP Std, 60s CherryMinus the Bear announces nationwide tour celebrating 20th anniversary of Menos el Oso album.
Formed in Seattle, WA at the turn of the millennium, Minus the Bear burst onto the alternative rock scene in the waning days of nineties burn-out, and at the birth of the early-aughts indie revival. When they played their debut show in Seattle back in September 2001, there was an immediate hype surrounding the band.
Four years later, on August 23, 2005, the band would release their sophomore album, Menos el Oso, on local independent label, Suicide Squeeze Records. Since then there have been a number of line-up changes, with the addition of Alex Rose on keyboard and backing vocal duty and drummer Joshua Sparks.
The band bid farewell to performing in 2018, to focus on other priorities, but the passage of time has brought them back together, just in time to celebrate the album that changed their lives forever twenty years after the fact. Last week, the band was announced as co-headliners of Best Friends Forever in Las Vegas, NV this October, and today are thrilled to announce a nationwide tour, where they will be playing the seminal album in full. Dates below, tickets available for purchase on Friday, March 14 at 10:00 A.M. local time.
Guitarist and founding member David Knudson, while reflecting on the album, notes āMenos el Oso put us on a trajectory that none of us were expecting. There is a ābefore āPachuca Sunriseā videoā moment in time, and then there is an āafter āPachuca Sunriseā videoā moment in time. It seemed like once people heard that song, and saw that video, everyone went straight to Limewire, Napster, Soulseek, BitTorrent, etc. and shared the album immediately. Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of something this monumental in our lives is a gift. Having the chance to appreciate it with our fans, families and fellow bandmates while we are all alive and kicking is an opportunity I canāt wait to embrace.ā
At the first Minus the Bear rehearsal in seven years earlier this year, the bandās drummer Joshua Sparks put it this way, āThese songs are like having a really nice car in the garage⦠itād be a shame not to take them out for a drive every now and then.ā
For more information, please visit minusthebear.com.
Minus the Bear Tour Dates:
- 10/04/25 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
- 10/06/25 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
- 10/07/25 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
- 10/08/25 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
- 10/10/25 - Las Vegas, NV @ Best Friends Forever Festival
- 10/11/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
- 10/12/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
- 10/14/25 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
- 10/17/25 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
- 10/18/25 - Austin, TX @ Emo's Austin
- 10/21/25 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
- 10/22/25 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
- 10/24/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
- 10/25/25 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
- 11/05/25 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
- 11/07/25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
- 11/08/25 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
- 11/11/25 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre
- 11/12/25 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
- 11/14/25 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
- 11/15/25 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
- 11/16/25 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
- 11/18/25 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
- 11/21/25 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
- 11/22/25 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
- 11/23/25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
- 11/28/25 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
- 11/29/25 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
An overdrive and mangled fuzz thatās a wolf in a maniacal, rabid wolfās clothing.
Invites new compositional approaches to riffs and solos. Gray Channel distortion is versatile and satisfying. Unpredictable.
Unpredictable. Footswitches for distortion and fuzz are quite close.
$199
Fuzz can be savored in so many ways. It can be smooth. It can be an agent of chaos. But it can also be a trap. In service of mayhem, it can be a mere noise crutch. Smooth, classy, ātastyā fuzz, meanwhile, can lead to dull solos crafted as Olympian demonstrations of sustain. To touch the soulful, rowdy essence of fuzz, itās good to find one that never lets you get quite comfortable. The EarthQuaker Devices Gary, a two-headed distortion/overdrive and rabid, envelope-controlled square-wave fuzz designed with IDLESā Lee Kiernan, is a gain device in this vein.
Gary is not exclusively a destruction machine. Its distortion/overdrive section is a very streamlined take on EarthQuakerās Gray Channel, a versatile DOD 250-derived double distortion. Like any good circuit of the 250 ilk, Garyās hard clipping OD/distortion section bites viciously in the high- and high-mid frequencies, supported by a tight, punchy low-mid output. You can play anything from balanced M.O.R. studio crunch to unhinged feedback leads with this side of Gary. But itās the envelope-triggered pulse-width fuzzāwhich most of us will hear as a gated fuzz, in many instancesāthat gives the Gary its werewolf duality. Though practice yields performance patterns that change depending on the instrument and effects you use around the Gary, its fuzz ultimately sputters and collapses into nothingnessāespecially when you throw a few pitch bends its way. The cut to silence can be jarring, but also compels a player to explore more rhythmic leads and choppy riffs that would sound like sludge with a Big Muff. The Garyās unpredictable side means it wonāt be for everybody, but its ability to span delicioso distortion and riotous splatter fuzz in a single unit is impressive.