A-list performances, gear exhibits and over 200 workshops draw record crowds to the nation’s largest customer-focused music trade show
Fort Wayne, IN — For the 17th year, Sweetwater hosted its annual GearFest on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23, 2018 at its campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, drawing record crowds with more than 15,000 attendees from across the world — including guests from Australia, Brazil and Japan. This year’s event also saw a 15-percent increase in music equipment sales during the event
Considered the nation’s largest customer-focused music and pro-audio trade show, GearFest 2018 offered something for every music lover — from over 200 workshops to new gear releases from top musical instrument manufacturers to performances by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Greg Koch, Peter Erskine and John Scofield.
“We are thrilled that GearFest continues to attract more and more musicians from across not only the U.S., but the world, who are searching for a unique music experience unlike any other,” said Steve Dwyer, Senior Director of Brand at Sweetwater Sound. “Through GearFest, Sweetwater is reaching today’s music creation community and bringing them the opportunity to learn and interface with some of the brightest minds in the music industry. We are certain that anyone who attended GearFest walked away with a new piece of knowledge and are ready to take their passion for music to the next level.”
For those who couldn’t make the event, Sweetwater live streamed select panels, performances and workshops on Facebook Live so everyone could be a part of the GearFest experience. The live streamed videos can be viewed at: https://www.sweetwater.com/gearfest/watch-live/.
Unforgettable Performances
Inspiring the crowd, this year’s GearFest was full of memorable, impromptu performances by some of the biggest names in the music industry, including guitarist Nita Strauss who took the stage during her seminar with Nick Bowcott and performed an impromptu performance of Pantera’s “Walk” as a tribute to the late Pantera/Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul.
Another unforgettable performance came when drummer Steve Ferrone, who has worked with top talent like Tom Petty, Eric Clapton and Duran Duran, learned that his former bandmate — keyboardist, arranger and music director Greg Phillinganes — was also at GearFest. The two legends connected and jumped onstage, entertaining the audience with a spontaneous rendition of Clapton’s “Pretending.”
Serious ‘Master’ Classes
Performances aside, GearFest also offered attendees the opportunity to learn from some of the best and brightest in the industry during expert panels and workshops which featured names like Periphery guitarist Misha Mansoor, drummer and producer Russ Kunkel, and former Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick. The more than 200 workshops and seminars covered such topics as getting discovered on YouTube, music creation with computers, and tips on improving technique and theory.
A perennial GearFest favorite, this year’s Producer’s Panel offered a high-powered discussion on what it takes to be a producer, how to help artists perform their best and what makes a song great. The panel was made up of Sylvia Massy (Tool, Prince), Neal Pogue (TLC, Pink), Kevin Killen (Shakira, U2), Fab Dupont (Jennifer Lopez, Bon Jovi), Chris Lord-Alge (James Brown, Prince) and Rich Chycki (Dream Theater) along with Sweetwter’s own Mitch Gallagher moderating the panel.
Among the most popular of the events was “Getting Great Electric Guitar Tone” which featured Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Panic! at the Disco), Buddy Miller (Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant), Tim Pierce (Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen), Lyle Workman (Bourgeois Tagg, Todd Rundgren), and panel moderator and Nashville session star Corey Congilio. During this session, the group dug deep into capturing electric guitar tones and demonstrated the power of Universal Audio’s OX.
Next year’s GearFest 2019 will be held June 21-22nd.
Winzz Guitars proudly announces the launch of the WGS150 Gravity PRO, the flagship model in the company’s new Gravity Series of electric guitars. The WGS150 stands as Winzz’s statement of purpose — combining refined design, precision craftsmanship, and professional-level performance at an unbelievable player-friendly price point. Built for musicians who demand more from their instruments, the WGS150 bridges traditional craftsmanship and modern innovation to inspire guitarists around the world.
The WGS150 features a flame maple top paired with either a selected North American alder body (offered in Maldives Blue and Cherry Red) or African mahogany (available in Jungle Green and Midnight Purple). Its contoured offset body merges comfort and style, while a curved arm cut and ergonomic asymmetric heel joint allow effortless access to the highest frets. The 25 ½-inch scale, five-bolt roasted Canadian maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard deliver both strength and silky playability. Winzz’s signature “glider neck” C+D profile blends speed with comfort for a feel that adapts to any style. Medium stainless-steel frets improve sustain and accuracy, while white ring inlays and Luminlay side dots ensure precision even on dimly lit stages.
At its core, the WGS150 is powered by a custom Alnico V SSH pickup configuration, combining a medium-high-output humbucker with vintage-voiced single coils for a wide tonal palette. A push-pull tone control engages series-parallel switching, delivering everything from crisp single-coil shimmer to full-bodied humbucker punch. The carefully tuned internal circuitry and durable anti-oxidation components provide consistent, noise-free performance for both stage and studio environments.
Every detail of the WGS150 is designed for reliability and expression. A premium two-point tremolo bridge with block saddles enhances tuning precision and sustain, while a synthetic bone nut, locking tuners, and 4+2 headstock layout maintain stable string tension and balance. Each instrument ships fully set up and ready to perform right out of the box.
Born from a partnership between passionate guitar builders from Germany’s village of Winz and Aileen Music in China, Winzz Guitars blends German precision with Chinese industriousness — a union that celebrates both artistry and innovation. Guided by the belief that music should be accessible to everyone, Winzz creates instruments that invite players to “find their voice and make every stage their own.” The WGS150 embodies that mission, offering a professional instrument that welcomes beginners, creators, and seasoned musicians alike.
For more information on the WGS150 Gravity PRO and other Winzz Guitars instruments, please visit www.winzzguitars.com
For more than three decades, Converge have delivered musical and emotional catharsis, putting purpose before perception and intent before interpretation. Whether it’s their 2001 landmark recording Jane Doe or their 2021 Bloodmoon: I collaboration, Converge have created some of the most compelling music, lyrics, and visual art of the 21st century. During that time, fewer bands have had a greater impact on the underground imagination.
It seems unlikely that anyone who has been making music for this long would create one of their best works for their eleventh album, in their 35th year as a band. And yet: Love Is Not Enough— incoming February 13, 2026— might be the apotheosis of Converge’s decades-long journey through the punk, hardcore and metal microcosm. What vocalist/lyricist Jacob Bannon, guitarist/producer Kurt Ballou, bassist/vocalist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller have created is a strident artistic statement on the turmoil of living that hones their collective strengths to a razor’s edge.
Today, Converge shares the album's title track / music video "Love Is Not Enough." The song is intensely emotional, and lyrically it "...explores what it means to remain empathetic and compassionate in the modern world. A reckoning with who we are today and hope to be in the future— if we can fend off the scavengers," comments Bannon.
Love Is Not Enough features no special guests, no studio trickery, no relentless massaging of human imperfection in trying to manufacture the perfect take. “I think that realism is missing from a lot of modern music of any genre, but especially our genre,” Bannon says. “Things either go super raw and almost chaotic to the point where it's distracting, or bands take the life out of what they’re doing by editing every aspect. Sometimes the perfect take is the one that has some wildness to it. It's not perfectly executed. There’s a lot of powerful moments on this record and a lot of angry moments. The realism amplifies that.”
Unlike so many albums that adhere to a time-honored sequencing format, cherry-picking favored tracks for the all-important first, second, and final spots, Love Is Not Enough is all about momentum. “It does a thing that no other Converge record does—it keeps ramping up,” Bannon says. “And that’s definitely by design. Internally, we passed around dozens of ideas for sequencing because everyone interprets music differently and there’s no right way of doing it. When we do that, we always joke that we all have to be equally unhappy. But this is the one that works.”
Love Is Not Enough was recorded and mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City in Salem, Massachusetts, with engineering assistance from Zach Weeks. Jacob Bannon did the artwork and design, creating an image for each song and a commanding cover depicting a celestial witness to a world aflame. “We still identify this band as the outlet that’s essential to our lives,” Bannon says. “We give everything we have to it. Being past your average middle age, we’re starting to see deeper than before into a variety of places. And I don’t think that’s specific to us. I think that’s something that’s utterly relatable.”
Converge will perform at Saddest Day fest on December 13th in Boston, MA with Touché Amoré, Coalesce, The Hope Conspiracy, Full of Hell, Soul Glo and more. Pre-order Love Is Not Enoughhere and look for more information to surface soon.
Affordable, expertly built in Berlin, mechanically noise-free and with our signature eye catching looks, our Utility Series of little helpful boxes have graced thousands of rigs the world over.
Consistent Connectivity Part II
Complementing our existing range of useful Utility pedals, KMA Machines bring you the all-new DUAL LOOP SWITCHER pedal. This diminutive mini sized pedal allows for dead simple switching between two distinct loops of Mono or Dual Mono/Stereo signal chains, to help you easily avoid tap dancing on your pedal boards. It can even combine signals and change the loop order in Mono or Stereo, making super creative flexibility a breeze.
In addition, we are introducing fully Active versions of our Passive AB/Y and STEREO AB/Y pedals to our line-up. The Active AB/Y and Active STEREO AB/Y also incorporate Phase and Y Direction switches and as they are buffered, are ideal for those who like to use the splitting or combining functions with some signals that don’t always play nicely together. So, whether you want the choice of Passive or Active models, even more musos can now have the choice of how they want to split, combine or simply switch between audio devices with ease, no matter your setup or signal demands.
All three new Berlin made devices retain our Silent Soft Switching, which heavily reduces mechanical noise and pops on stage, plus feature KMA’s high quality buffered bypass circuit, to maintain your tone on even the lengthiest of cable runs.
Guitarist Doug Gillard breaks down his iconic black Les Paul, his tone secrets, early Cleveland punk roots, composed solos, and the gear behind “I Am a Tree.”
Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices, Nada Surf) joins the Axe Lords to dissect his signature sound , explain why why he’s one of the few “indie rock guys” running a Mesa Dual Rectifier and—bonus!-gives the A-Lords a guided tour of his battle-worn ’76 Les Paul Custom.
Doug — who also played bass in Dave’s Band Valley Lodge — breaks down his approach to composed solos, the harmony and capo tricks behind “I Am a Tree,” and how Cleveland punk, college radio, glam, and right-hand tapping shaped his style. Along the way: how annoying Tom is to work with in the studio, early guitars from Sears and Gibson, Cleveland-scene lore, surviving GBV’s marathon shows, and the most intense comedy monologue since Andy Kaufman shuffled off this mortal coil.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas at Revoice Media. Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Anygig has unveiled the AGE TE Travel Guitar, a compact, full-scale electric guitar that redefines portability and performance. Priced at an exceptional $249.99 USD, the AGE TE embodies Anygig’s mission to deliver a design focused purely on playability, aesthetics, and compactness — free of unnecessary or ambiguous features. Its lightweight, headless design makes it the perfect companion for musicians on the move.
Unlike typical travel guitars derived from modified full-sized models, the AGE TE features a stylish, original design conceived entirely by Anygig. Its comfortable neck shape and smooth fret access stem from years of guitar-making experience, ensuring a natural feel and ease of playability. Despite its portable dimensions, the guitar boasts a 25.5” standard scale, delivering the same response and tension as a traditional instrument — which is ideal for players who demand full-scale performance wherever they go.
The latest Anygig model's adaptive design includes the new attachable ‘Flow’ Arm and Leg rests for improved playing posture, bridging the gap between compact design and ergonomic comfort. Fully compatible with the growing range of modern headphone amps, it gives players the freedom to practice and perform anytime, anywhere. Each AGE TE Travel Guitar ships with a travel-size gig bag, fret protector sleeve, Flow leg and arm rest, guitar scale booklet, pick, strap, digital tuner, and Allen key, providing everything needed for an immersive, portable playing experience. .
Dimension of Gigbag, Included Guitar & All Accessories : 91cm x 18cm x 10cm ● Net Weight: Fully assembled around 2.1 KG / 4lbs
The Anygig travel guitar is built around a minimalist, ergonomic design that emphasizes portability without sacrificing comfort or control. Whether you're practicing at home or touring across the globe, its slim profile fits wherever you need it to go. Available from $249.99usd on our Website www.anygigguitar.com , Amazon and Reverb.
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