This week you could win gear from EMG, Fishman, Grover Jackson, Lundgren Pickups, Mod® Electronics, or StewMac! Enter before May 22, 2023.
Enter here! Be sure to see details on the prizes below.
MOD Madness
Fishman Fluence Tim Henson Signature Series Pickup Set
Tim Henson is known for being the lead guitarist of the progressive band Polyphia and is widely considered one of the hottest guitarists in the world. Unafraid of new technology and forging new paths, Tim has quickly established his legacy as a guitar hero.
His new signature pickup set is no exception. The wide array of tones available from this set spans the entire range of aggressive lead and rhythm tones to the cleanest of clean single coil combinations, even touching on sounds Tim was previously only able to produce with his acoustic guitars.
Tim Henson Signature Series Neck Pickup features:
Three extremely diverse and unique voices in the same pickup. Thick neck humbucker tones from Voice 1, a quasi-acoustic in Voice 2, and fluid and precise neck single coil tones in Voice 3, all packed into the same pickup.
Tim Henson Signature Series Bridge Pickup features:
A solid hot passive bridge lead tone in Voice 1, combined with Tim’s idealized bridge humbucker tone in Voice 2, and a single coil combination tone that, when combined with one coil from the neck humbucker, produces Tim’s signature single coil combination tone.
Lundgren Black Heaven humbucker SET
New for 2018, Johan Lundgren's newest recreation may be his finest yet! The Black Heaven combines the power, aggression and tight response of the legendary M6, but with more refined, organic character that lends itself to more diverse tonal applications.
The Black Heaven® bridge model boasts crisp attack, meaty growl, and punchy lows accompanied by rich harmonics and excellent dynamics. There is plenty of power here, but with less compression and more of a wide frequency response. The Neck model is both articulate and juicy, so lead players will appreciate its depth and sonic complexity. Whether you're into modern down-tuned progressive metal, old school thrash, hard rock, punk or anything in between- the Black Heaven has you covered! Neck pickup AlNiCo. Bridge pickup Ceramic. BIG AlNiCo optional. Black adjustable poles. Short legs, 4-lead cable for all switching options. Available in 6,7 and 8 stringed versions. 6 stringed versions are available in open, black nickel cover or Drop-Top/Open Black nickel cover.
Habanero Pickups by Grover Jackson Poblano PAF Humbucker Pickup Set - Black
The Habanero Poblano PAF is Grover Jackson's personal take on the Patent Applied For-style pickups that graced the very first Gibsons back in the 1950's. With a warm bottom end and open, bell-like top, the Grover version features alnico V magnets for a slightly sharper output than the alnico II’s yet is still slightly underwound like the originals. This results in more flavorful harmonics while keeping the clarity that the classic design is renowned for.
As with all Habanero Pickups, the Poblano PAF is handmade in California with all top-shelf alnico V magnets, bobbins, and wire. The 4-conductor lead wire leaves options for many different wiring configurations (split coil, series / parallel).
Mod® Electronics, Phase / Off, Modulation - Phaser
The Phase / Off is a four-stage phaser based around the Sound Semiconductor SSI2140 voltage-controlled multi-mode filter. This pedal offers classic phasing effects along with plenty of control to dial in the perfect amount of modulation using the Depth, Rate, and Regen knobs. The Stages switch can change the Phase / Off from four-stage phaser to a two-stage phaser providing a wide variety of different phasing sounds. Change the Mode switch from LFO to Manual to use the Phase / Off in fixed phase mode controlled by the Depth knob for unique filtering effects.
The Phase / Off pedal kit is the second entry in the Nexus Series from Mod® Electronics. This series features a PCB base rather than the Mod® Electronics’ traditional point-to-point wiring kits to offer builders an even wider variety of effects to build. The Phase / Off is a great pedal for intermediate skill sets. It features an all through-hole build with pre-soldered SMT SSI2140.
The pedal operates on 9VDC. A center negative power supply is required for use (not included with kit). There is no battery connection. The pedal draws ~50mA. The enclosure size is a standard 1590BB (4.7" x 3.7" x 1.34").
StewMac Parson Street Humbuckers (Set A2 Neck / A5 Bridge)
StewMac Parson's Street Humbucker Set
(Alnico 2 Neck Pickup / Alnico 5 Bridge Pickup)
StewMac Parsons Street Humbucker Pickups are straight-up raw vintage tone! Closely modeled after outstanding original P.A.F.s, these humbuckers capture the tone that changed music forever.
Crafted by tone experts
StewMac's own Erick Coleman tracked down priceless original P.A.F. humbucker sets and meticulously studied the materials and construction that gives these pickups their truly timeless tone. Once he cracked the code, that tone was undeniable!
We christened these exceptional humbuckers in tribute to the famous Kalamazoo address where the holy grail of pickups, the legendary P.A.F. (Patent Applied For), was born.
We build them like they used to!
Just like the originals, the slug coil has more windings than the polepiece coil, and both coils are unpotted. Old P.A.F.s weren't made in separate neck and bridge-position models, and their DC resistance varied from 7-9K ohms. We give you a choice: Parsons Street neck position pickups are wound to mid 7K range, and bridge position models to low 8K range.
Fender Jack White Triplecaster Telecaster Electric Guitar - Black
Fender Limited-edition Jack White Triplesonic Acoustasonic Telecaster - Blacktop Arctic White
There are very few guitars that can claim to be as instantly recognizable and iconic as Jimmy Page’s 1969 EDS-1275 Doubleneck. The photos of him playing it on stage with Led Zeppelin are indelible to rock ’n’ roll history. While Gibson has been making doubleneck electric guitars since 1958, Jimmy was the player who defined the EDS-1275 from the day it was delivered to him. Introducing the Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck VOS, now part of the Gibson Custom core lineup and built to the exact specifications of Jimmy’s iconic EDS-1275 Doubleneck.
The Jimmy Page EDS-1275 features a double-cutaway one-piece mahogany body that provides exceptional access to the full length of both the12-string and six-string mahogany necks. Both necks have long tenons and are hide glue fit, and the neck profiles are recreated from 3D scans of the necks on the original guitar. The necks are both capped with bound Indian rosewood fretboards. Each fretboard is equipped with 20 authentic medium jumbo frets and adorned with aged cellulose nitrate parallelogram inlays. The fretboards of both necks have a 12” radius, which is perfect for both playing chords as well as for string bending while soloing. The 18 tuners are Kluson double line, double ring style, just like those found on the original guitar, and even the headstocks feature the correct 17-degree angle and specific logo stylization found on Jimmy’s EDS-1275. The electronics are just as authentic and deliver all of the sonic character of Jimmy’s legendary EDS-1275. Two uncovered Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Custombuckers with double black bobbins and Alnico 5 magnets are used for the two six-string pickups, while a covered pair is installed on the 12-string neck. Of course, the two volume and two tone controls use CTS potentiometers and period-correct ceramic disc capacitors, and the pickup select switch, neck select switch, and output jack are all from Switchcraft.
Here is your opportunity to own a clone of Jimmy Page’s famous EDS-1275, identical to how it appeared on the day that Jimmy first received the guitar. A Gibson Custom hardshell case is included, along with a vintage leather strap, and a certificate of authenticity with a photo from famed photographer Barrie Wentzell.
Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck VOS '69 Cherry
Recreation of the EDS-1275 used by Jimmy Page made using 3D scans of the original guitar, one piece mahogany body, mahogany six and 12-string necks with custom Jimmy Page profiles, Indian rosewood fretboards, Jimmy Page Custombucker pickups with Alnico 5 magnets and double black bobbins, Gibson Custom hardshell case
Reader: Daniel Switkin
Hometown: Oakland, California
Guitar: Doublecaster
I've been using a multitrack looper with a guitar and an octave pedal, which was okay for simple bass parts, but didn’t give me thick strings and I couldn’t slap with it. So I decided to build a double-neck prototype specifically for looping, with a 6-string guitar and a 4-string bass.
Since building the necks would be the hardest part, I looked around for instruments with bolt-on necks I could reuse. Squier makes an Affinity Stratocaster and a Mini Precision Bass which were affordable and had matching fretboards, so I bought those. It was also cheaper to reuse the electronics and hardware that came with them, rather than buying everything separately.
Using two precut instrument bodies saved the burden of having to route cavities for the electronics.
My plan was to design my own body from scratch. As I debated which neck should go on top, how far apart they should be, and whether to line up the nuts or the saddles, I realized there was actually enough wood there to make a double neck body, which saved me the work of recreating the neck pockets, etc. Putting the guitar on top made barre chords much more comfortable, and the 28.6" bass scale meant I could still reach the first fret easily.
After stripping the paint with a heat gun, I ran both bodies through a table saw, glued them together, and thinned them to 1 3/8". Then I created an offset body shape, a new arm bevel, and reshaped the three cutaways. The pickguards are both original, with the guitar side cut down to make a yin and yang shape. The controls are volume and tone for each neck, using the original knobs. I moved the jack to the back and upgraded it to stereo so the guitar and bass signals can run through separate effects chains.
Note the location of the jack on the back of the extended-shape body. It’s unconventional but practical.
My top concerns were weight and ergonomics. Many doublenecks are around 12 to 13 pounds and 18" wide. I knew I would never play something that big, no matter how good it sounded. To that end, I saved weight everywhere and tracked everything to the gram in a spreadsheet. (That’s also the reason I chose a fixed bridge instead of a vibrato.) I ultimately used a wipe-on gel stain to keep the weight down further. Stripping the paint from the factory saved 5 ounces! The final playable weight is 9 pounds, 5 ounces, and 15 1/4" wide at the lower bout. This has been pretty manageable, however, there is some neck dive because of the tuners. I’m taking everything I’ve learned from this prototype and designing a new doubleneck, which will be headless. I believe I can shed another pound and eliminate the neck dive that way. You can watch my entire build on YouTube.