Renowned amp builder and pickup designer (holding three patents), Dylana Nova Scott speaks with John Bohlinger about her pursuits of creating responsive systems of guitar tone that inspire music, explains that a circuit is never perfect or complete, recalls being in the hair-metal scene when the Nirvana bomb dropped, and surviving the gear industry through perseverance and innovation.
Surfy Industries has launched a limited-edition Pet Sounds version of its SurfyBear Compact spring reverb unit to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the landmark album. Created in collaboration with The Beach Boys, the unit features official Pet Sounds artwork and visual elements, including the album cover’s iconic green, yellow and white color palette.
The SurfyBear Compact is an analog spring reverb unit— with real springs — that replicates the tank reverb units of the 1960s in a pedalboard-friendly housing. The limited-edition Pet Sounds unit creates a version fit for musicians, collectors and mega-fans of The Beach Boys.
The SurfyBear Compact is a natural choice for the collaboration because it represents Surfy Industries’ popular range of spring reverb units, offering a compact format that appeals to modern guitar players. It has the exact same specs as the most famous standalone tank reverb units, but with JFET transistors replacing tubes. It also features:
Original Accutronics® type-8 spring reverb pan
Dual mixer control to switch between two reverb settings
Decay control to adjust the length of the reverb tail
Clean boost to adjust the volume when the effect is on
True bypass functionality to keep your signal intact when the effect is off
Rugged aluminum body and high-quality switching components
Like outboard tank units, the SurfyBear Compact is placed before the amplifier’s gain stage and becomes part of the way the player interacts with the instrument. Real springs, with all of their quirks and inconsistencies, create a different playing experience than onboard amp reverb or digital emulation.
“When The Beach Boys team came to us and asked if we wanted to do something together, we could only reply, ‘Yes, of course!” said Lorenzo Valdambrini, CEO of Surfy Industries. “The Beach Boys have a very special place in our hearts. We love their music, and this project is extremely special for us.”
“A reverb tank is not just an effect — it is an instrument on its own,” Valdambrini said. “It changes the way you play guitar. You start talking to the reverb, and it talks back. It’s a visceral experience that you not only hear, but feel, too.”
While Pet Sounds is not a surf guitar album in the traditional sense, The Beach Boys remain deeply connected to the sound, mythology and cultural image of Southern California. The band’s early music was entwined with surf music and the surfing culture of the 1960s. Spring reverb is strongly tied to surf guitar and that era, which makes the collaboration culturally coherent, even if Pet Sounds itself is broader and more experimental.
The Pet Sounds SurfyBear Compact is limited to 500 units and carries a street price of $450. For more information visit surfyindustries.com.
StewMac, a brand trusted worldwide for guitar repair and restoration, announces the launch of GuitarTek, a new line of premium cleaning and maintenance products designed to give every part of a guitar the specialized care it deserves.
For decades, guitar players have relied on one-size-fits-all cleaners and polishes—many of which contain harsh chemicals, silicone, or petroleum-based ingredients that can damage delicate finishes and leave unwanted residue. GuitarTek was engineered to change that. Each product in the line is purpose-built, using dermatologist-tested, effective formulations that deliver professional results without compromising the instrument—or the player.
“We’ve spent years helping people fix and build guitars. This is about helping them to take better care of them every day,” said Brock Poling, StewMac VP of Marketing and Customer Experience. “We didn’t want to make just another cleaner. We wanted to rethink the entire approach to guitar care—from the ingredients to the way players actually use these products day to day.”
The GuitarTek launch features four core products, each engineered for a specific role in guitar care:
Gloss Max (High-Shine Polish) – A petroleum-free, silicone-free polish designed specifically for high-gloss finishes. It restores a brilliant, mirror-like shine without streaking and is safe for even the most delicate lacquer and poly finishes.
Clean Axe (Total-Care Cleaner) – A versatile, all-in-one cleaner that safely removes caked-on dirt from gloss, satin, and matte finishes, as well as hardware and plastics—without harsh chemicals or heavy scrubbing. Available in convenient individual and multi-pack wipes perfect for guitar cases or 4 oz. spray bottles for quick touch ups.
Board Oil (Fretboard Cleaner + Conditioner) – A premium fretboard treatment that cleans stubborn grime, rehydrates dry wood, and restores a natural feel and appearance without waxy buildup. Featuring our new easy-to-use, patent-pending applicator. Pro results in seconds.
Each GuitarTek formula is made with Amazonian Rosewood oil and is free of harmful silicone and petroleum. The cleaners and polishes are dermatologically tested for skin safety—making it the only line of guitar care products designed with both instrument and user in mind.
With GuitarTek, StewMac delivers on a simple promise: pro-level guitar care made simple. Whether it’s restoring shine, conditioning a dry fretboard, or maintaining a full instrument, players now have a complete system tailored to every surface of their guitar.
The GuitarTek line is available starting June 1, 2026 at StewMac.com, as well as through Amazon and Reverb.
A Perfect Circle return with “Starless” (https://apc.lnk.to/Starless), a new single from Billy Howerdel and Maynard James Keenan that signals a new dawn for the band, arriving days before they launch their first European/U.K. tour in eight years.
“Absolutely chuffed to debut this new track on stage in the U.K.,” Keenan shares. “Of course I’m excited to release the recordings but our songs always take on an expanded personality once we start playing them live.”
Unmistakably A Perfect Circle, “Starless” moves between muscular, guitar-driven intensity and delicate, intricate passages, with the precision that has long defined the band’s work.
Recorded at Howerdel’s Lankershim Ranch Studio in Studio City, Calif., “Starless” was written earlier this year, produced by Howerdel and mixed by Matty Green (U2, Florence + the Machine, TV on the Radio) and features longtime collaborator Josh Freese on drums.
“Some songs get kicked around and massaged for years,” Howerdel says. “But once in a while, one takes shape quickly, as if it had been there all along.”
A limited-edition “Starless” 7-inch single is also available now via Revolver. Featuring a custom etching of the band’s famous crescent logo on the B-side and a custom 7-inch adapter, the vinyl release arrives on two variants: silver/black, and white with sea blue and black splatter.
Tickets for all shows except Japan are available now via APerfectCircle.com. Japanese tickets are available June 13 at 10 a.m. local time. Puscifer appears on dates from Nov. 25 to Dec. 19. Jehnny Beth, Reclus.É, and A.A. Williams open on various dates throughout Europe.
A Perfect Circle tour dates:
3 June London, UK O2 Academy Brixton SOLD OUT ^&
4 June London, UK O2 Academy Brixton SOLD OUT ^&
6 June Nürnberg, DE Rock Im Park
7 June Nürburg, DE Rock Am Ring
9 June München, DE Zenith ^
10 June Warszawa, PL Torwar ^
12 June Wien, AT Nova Rock Festival
13 June Ferrara, IT Ferrara Summer Festival ^#
15 June Budapest, HU Budapest Park ^
16 June Zagreb, HR SRC Šalata #
18 June Zürich, CH Halle622 ^
20 June Clisson, FR Hellfest
21 June Düsseldorf, DE Mitsubishi Hall ^
23 June Tilburg, NL Poppodium 013 #
24 June Amsterdam, NL AFAS Live #
26 June København, DK Copenhell
27 June Oslo, NO Tons of Rock
28 June Stockholm, SE Gröna Lund
1 July Berlin, DE Zitadelle ^
2 July Praha, CZ Forum Karlín ^
4 July Esch-sur-Alzette, LU Rockhal
5 July Werchter, BE Rock Werchter 2026
7 July Paris, FR Zenith Paris ^
9 July Oeiras, PT NOS Alive 2026
10 July Madrid, ES Mad Cool Festival
With Puscifer:
25 November Mexico City, MX Estadio Fray Nano %
28 November Buenos Aires, AR Microestadio Argentinos Juniors %
29 November Santiago, CL Hipodromo de Chile %
4 December Adelaide, AU The Drive %
6 December Melbourne, AU Rod Laver Arena %
8 December Brisbane, AU Riverstage %
10 December Sydney, AU Carriageworks %
11 December Sydney, AU TikTok Entertainment Centre SOLD OUT %
13 December Auckland, NZ Spark Arena %
15 December Tokyo, JP Zepp DiverCity %
17 December Osaka, JP Zepp Bayside %
19 December Honolulu, HI Neal S. Blaisdell Arena %
Darryl Jenifer — bassist and founding member of the legendary hardcore innovators Bad Brains — returns with The Weather Channel, a new instrumental album arriving July 17 on Org Music on LP, CD, and digital formats.
Rooted in exploratory jazz and threaded with elements of fusion, dub, psychedelia, and punk, The Weather Channel channels the fearless experimental spirit that has defined Jenifer’s career into a deeply immersive and unpredictable listen built on fluid improvisation, deep grooves, and expansive ensemble interplay.
To mark the announcement, Jenifer has released the album’s first single, “Sacred Love II,” a reimagining of a song originally written for Bad Brains. The track arrives digitally alongside a limited 7" vinyl release featuring the exclusive b-side “F.A.L.S.” from Jenifer’s new punk project, Palm Beach.
The Weather Channel follows Jenifer’s acclaimed 2010 solo debut In Search of Black Judas and finds him leading a powerhouse quartet featuring drummer and percussionist Ben Perowsky, guitarist Karma “Chogyi” Marco, and keyboardist John Medeski. The album also includes appearances from celebrated collaborators and late jazz luminaries Jack DeJohnette and Karl Berger, among others.
Across eleven tracks, the album presents nine new original compositions alongside fresh reinterpretations of two Bad Brains songs, reframing familiar themes through a richly textured jazz lens. While echoes of punk urgency, dub-heavy rhythm, and psychedelic atmosphere drift throughout the record, its foundation remains firmly rooted in adventurous ensemble playing and improvisation.
More than four decades after helping redefine hardcore music with Bad Brains, Jenifer continues to evolve as an artist — pushing far beyond genre expectations with a record that feels expansive, soulful, and entirely singular.
Rather than revisiting the past, The Weather Channel opens another chapter in Jenifer’s creative evolution: one driven by curiosity, collaboration, and the same boundary-breaking mindset that made Bad Brains one of the most influential bands in punk history.
