Martin D-11E Rock the Vote acoustic-electric guitar is a limited edition collaboration between Martin Guitar, Rock the Vote, and artist Robert Goetzl, honoring David Crosby's passion for voting. Crafted with premium materials and featuring unique LR Baggs M80 soundhole pickup and Luxe by Martin Kovar strings, this guitar inspires civic participation through music.
The Martin D-11E Rock the Vote acoustic-electric guitar is a special edition instrument crafted to inspire people to participate in our democracy. This collaboration between Martin Guitar, David Crosbyās estate, Rock the Vote, and artist Robert Goetzl tells a powerful story. āDavid was a patriot,ā says Executive Chairman Chris Martin IV. āHe believed deeply in this great experiment of ours, and his passion for voting is something we wanted to honor and continue.ā
The vision for the original D-16E Rock the Vote guitar launched back in 2020 was born from a conversation between Chris and David Crosby, partnering with Rock the Vote to encourage people to register and participate in federal, state, and local elections. That conversation led to blending Robertās compelling artwork with Martin's renowned craftsmanship. Robert shares, āDavid threw out this quote, that ādemocracy works if you work it,ā and that became a guiding theme for the artwork.ā
A reissue of that original guitar, the all-new D-11E Rock the Vote model includes new features like an LR Baggs M80 soundhole pickup paired exclusively with Luxe by MartinĀ® Kovarā¢ strings. Kovar is a unique alloy of two ferromagnetic metals, nickel, and cobalt, not found in conventional phosphor bronze strings. When paired with the adjustable M80 humbucking coil, these strings are guaranteed to deliver an exceptional acoustic-electric experience. Itās the ideal pairing for players seeking warm, authentic, amplified tones in any performance setting.
The D-11E Rock the Vote acoustic-electric is crafted with premium materials, including American sycamore satin back and sides and a spruce gloss top showcasing Robertās custom artwork. Its Dreadnought size and unique 000 depth offer players a powerful, projective sound with strong bass and a comfortable feel. It also features a satin select hardwood neck, ebony bridge and fingerboard, silver binding, and includes a softshell case made of hemp.
This guitar not only commemorates David Crosbyās legacy, but through this collaboration, Martin Guitar is proud to support Rock the Vote with a $5,000 donation. Rock the Vote is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to building the political power of young people, and over the past 30 years it has helped register over 14 million voters. According to the organization, āIn 2024, Millennials and Generation Z will comprise 44% of American voters. Young voters are new voters and as new voters they face unique obstacles to voting... Our efforts focus on research-driven programs and innovative solutions to right the system and ensure each youth generation is represented in our democracy.ā
"We are thrilled to partner with Martin Guitar to harness the power of music in inspiring young musicians and their fans to engage in our democracy," said Carolyn DeWitt, President and Executive Director of Rock the Vote. "Music has always been a catalyst for change, uplifting critical issues and driving people to action. As we face the defining challenges of 2024, it's essential that young voices are heard and their passion is transformed into meaningful participation at the polls," adds Carolyn DeWitt, President & Executive Director of Rock The Vote.
With only 47 of these guitars made, honoring the election of the 47th U.S. president, each one represents a commitment to encouraging civic participation through the universal language of music. āI believe itās our responsibility as citizens to participate in our democracy,ā says Chris.
For more information, please visit martinguitar.com.
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Effects Bakery MECHA-PAN BAKERY Series MECHA-BAGEL OVERDRIVE
Konnichiwa, guitar lovers! šøāØ
Are you ready to add some sweetness to your pedalboard? Letās dive into the adorable world of the Effects Bakery Mecha-Pan Overdrive, part of the super kawaii Mecha-Pan Bakery Series!
š© Sweet Treats for Your Ears! š©
The Mecha-Pan Overdrive is like a delicious bagel for your guitar tone, but itās been upgraded to a new level of cuteness and functionality!
Effects Bakery has taken their popular Bagel OverDrive and given it a magical makeover. Imagine your favorite overdrive sound but with more elegance and warmth ā itās like hugging a fluffy cat while playing your guitar!
Resistance to digital amps might just be futile at this point. Many tunes you hearāand an increasing number of live gigsāfeature a bit of faux-tube tone somewhere in the mix. But while the sound of pro-level modelers can be nearly indistinguishable from their analog counterparts in a mix, the feel and simplicity of a real amplifiers remain appealing and even indispensable to many players. That said, modelers that make usability, convenience, and price priorities can convince even die-hard tube users to see whatās on the other side of the fence. IK Multimediaās TONEX ONE is one modeling device that might make the cut. Itās likely the smallest, most portable modeler out there. And at $179, itās easily the most affordable.
Big Tones, Tiny Controls
The TONEX ONE isnāt designed to put a million different options at your feet, and that economy may be the unitās strongest feature. It features several different modes, but the primary operating mode allows you to either switch between two different models, or simply use the unit as a stompbox. Each model can be an amp, an amp and cab, a pedal, or a pedal driving an amp and cab. Judging by how deep the online repository tone.net is for user-created presets, the options are nearly endless, which speaks to the already sizable user base. Itās a little strange to consider a modeler in a package this small with so few controls. Thereās a large main knob that controls volume and gain (when youāre in ALT mode), and above that are three illuminated mini knobs that control the 3-band EQ, gate, compression, and reverb. You can also plug your headphones directly into the pedal, which makes it a dynamite silent practice amp.
My experience with modelers is that high-gain tones and clean tones are relatively easy to achieve and typically very good. After unboxing the TONEX ONE, I loaded up a slightly dirty Vox-style amp to evaluate the edge-of-breakup tones. I paired the pedal with humbuckers (with a coil split option), Stratocaster single coils, and P-90s in a T-style solidbody. With each one, the Vox-style amp was punchy and clear but could also range to very nice higher-gain sounds. Naturally, each version of a modeled amp offers different gain structures, so it pays to experiment. Combining the humbuckers in a PRS SE DGT with a few hot-rodded Marshall emulations and the growl offered tones nearly as good as those from much more expensive modelers. In a blind test, Iām not sure I could hearāor feelāmuch of a difference. As I explored further and fine-tuned things a bit more, the ToneX One felt more alive in my hand,s and sounded much less shrill in the top end than other digital solutions Iāve encountered.
One of the most obvious tone fixers in a modelerāand maybe one of the most underutilizedāis the EQ section, and kudos are due to IK for placing those controls at the fore. Being able to adjust the most immediate tone-shaping options without having to dig through menus or touchscreens is a pleasure.
There are many possible uses for the TONEX ONE. It can serve as a high-quality direct solution on your pedalboard, a portable recording interface, and a plug-and-play practice solution when high volume is a no-go. One handy setup I tried was disabling the cabinet emulation in the pedal and then plugging into the effects return of a combo amp, in this case, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I immediately imagined many backline amp headaches being a thing of the past. You can always plug directly into a flat-response cabinet or PA system too.
Because it has such a small footprint and streamlined controls, harnessing the unitās full potential, and accessing all the different modes, takes a bit of effort. You can store 20 different presets within the pedal and assign them to any of the three active slots (two for dual mode and one for stomp mode). And although doing this on the fly is handy, I found it much easier to program the presets via the easy-to-use desktop editor.
The Verdict
TONEX ONE benefits from a rather singular focus and its biggest advantage is that itās not shrouded in unnecessary layers of tweakable options. You can simply load up a base sound or two, drop it at the end of your pedalboard, and go.The included software allows you create your own models and makes swapping presets easy. I did find the multitude of modes, and their color-coded indicators, a bit confusing at times, but IKās documentation was very clear and got me through any trouble spots. The TONEX ONE would serve well to those who want to explore digital modeling but still hold on to their analog pedalboards, and at $179 itās a steal.
If 3 Were 6
With six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions (if you discount the originalās on/off slider switch,) the LPB-3ās control complement offers pre-gain, boost, mid freq, bass, treble, and mid knobs, with a center detent on the latter three so you can find the midpoint easily. A mini-toggle labeled āmaxā selects between 20 dB and 33 dB of maximum gain, and another labeled āQā flips the resonance of the mid EQ between high and low. Obviously, this represents a significant expansion of the LPBās capabilities.
More than just a booster with a passive tone, the LPB-3 boasts a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section, comprising the two knobs with shaded legends, mid freq and mid level. The gain stages have also been reimagined to include a pre-gain stage before the EQ, which enables up to 20 dB of input gain. The boost stage that follows the EQ is essentially a level control with gain to allow for up to 33 dB of gain through the LPB-3 when the āmaxā mini toggle is set to 33dB
A slider switch accessible inside the pedal selects between buffered or true bypass for the hard-latch footswitch. An AC adapter is included, which supplies 200mA of DC at 9.6 volts to the center-negative power input, and EHX specifies that nothing supplying less than 120mA or more than 12 volts should be used. Thereās no space for an internal battery.
Power-Boosted
The LPB-3 reveals boatloads of range that betters many linear boosts on the market. Thereās lots of tone-shaping power here. Uncolored boost is available when you want it, and the preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it upāeven before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.
āThe preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it upāeven before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.ā
I found the two mid controls work best when used judiciously, and my guitars and amps preferred subtle changes pretty close to the midpoint on each. However, there are still tremendous variations in your mid boost (or scoop, for that matter) within just 15 or 20 percent range in either direction from the center detent. Pushing the boost and pre-gain too far, particularly with the 33 dB setting engaged, can lead to some harsh sounds, but they are easy to avoid and might even be desirable for some users that like to work at more creative extremes.
The Verdict
The new LPB-3 has much, much more range than its predecessors, providing flexible preamp, boost, and overdrive sounds that can be reshaped in significant ways via the powerful EQ. It gives precise tone-tuning flexibility to sticklers that like to match a guitar and amp to a song in a very precise way, but also opens up more radical paths for experimentalists. That it does all this at a $129 price is beyond reasonable.
Electro-Harmonix Lpb-3 Linear Power Booster & Eq Effect Pedal Silver And Blue
