Adding to the company’s lineup of premium US-made pickups, Brickhouse Toneworks has introduced the Mason Deluxe P.A.F. pickup. Available individually or in matched sets, the Mason Deluxe delivers the classic, exquisitely balanced tone of a vintage 1960s P.A.F. humbucker with added bite. They are a direct drop-in replacement for standard sized humbuckers.
Sporting AlNiCo 4 magnets for enhanced attack and articulation, the Mason Deluxe P.A.F. has the clarity of a lower wind with the power of a fuller wind. Pickup master David Shepherd designed the pickup with two slightly different wire thicknesses on each coil, along with carefully calibrated asymmetrical coils, to bring out the maximum frequencies and dynamic range possible.
Expanding on the legacy of Brickhouse Toneworks’ highly regarded 1960 P.A.F. and Semi 60 P.A.F. humbuckers, the Mason Deluxe P.A.F.'s deliver a unique tonal profile characterized by a chimey, bell-like clarity and exceptional articulation. The sound is both smooth and responsive, with a dynamic range that allows for a sweet, rolled-off tone as well as a powerful, aggressive distortion. A defining feature is the rich, harmonic overtones that bloom and sustain, providing a heightened sense of depth and dimensionality. The pickups also exhibit a slight microphonic effect, which enhances pick attack definition. This results in a complex, yet clear sound—fat and woody in the neck position, and sparkling with pronounced punch and tonal definition in the bridge.
The result: an extraordinarily responsive P.A.F. humbucker with a transparent and open sound, allowing the guitar and player's natural tone to be the star of the show.
Key Features of the Mason Deluxe:
AlNiCo 4 Roughcast Long Bar Magnets, Unpotted Coils
Vintage Correct Long Leg Frames and Butyrate Plastic Bobbins
Vintage Correct Alloys, Coil Wire and Braided Single Conductor Leads
Vintage Correct Hand Ground, Hand Buffed P.A.F. Covers
DC Resistance - Bridge: 8.1k (Average)
DC Resistance - Neck: 7k (Average)
Made in the USA with premium quality materials
The Brickhouse Toneworks Mason Deluxe P.A.F. street price starts at $195 each and starts at $390 per set. Visit www.brickhousetone.com or contact info@brickhousetone.com for more information and order yours directly.
EBS is proud to unveil the newly enhanced NeoLine 112 Mk2 bass cabinet, now shipping with key upgrades that bring even more power, low-end, and reliability to the stage.
The first significant change: the cabinet is now 4 inches deeper, offering a noticeable improvement in low-end response, projection, and overall tonal richness. This enhancement ensures that today's bassists get the punch and presence they need from a compact cabinet, whether they're in the studio, on tour, or pushing the limits live.
Second, EBS has swapped out the previous flip handles in favor of a single heavy-duty deep-dish handle. This small but significant upgrade helps eliminate the risk of rattling noise, making the cab perform securely even at high volumes, while also improving durability and ease of transport.
Third, the high-performance tweeter is now isolated and sealed from the rest of the cabinet, which also helps to reduce the risk of noise due to the sound pressure within the cabinet.Despite the deeper cabinet, and due to the Neodymium speakers and choice of wood, it remains a lightweight cabinet, weighing in at 14.35 kg (31.6 lb).
Already a favorite for its lightweight construction and road-ready build, the updated NeoLine 112 (Mk2) now delivers even greater performance with no compromises. It's a compact speaker for serious players. Despite the improvements, the price remains intact.
Today, Fender is expanding its acclaimed Vintera® II series with a Limited Edition Road Worn® lineup, era-correct classics from the ‘50s and ‘60s pair vintage-inspired designs and modern upgrades with the lived-in look of a well-loved instrument. Each model features a new subtle aging process—light checking, gentle wear patterns, and a semi-gloss finish—delivering unmistakable vintage feel and unmatched sound of a classic Fender®.
Limited Edition Vintera® II Road Worn® ‘60s Stratocaster®
Featuring a variety of vintage colors finished in Road Worn® aged nitrocellulose lacquer, the Vintera® II Road Worn® ‘60s Stratocaster® recreates the look and feel of a well-played classic. The limited Road Worn models are enhanced with a new subtle aging process combining light checking, gentle wear patterns and a semi-gloss finish, while maintaining the authentic broken-in feel players love about vintage Fenders. The ‘60s “C”-shape maple neck with 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard and vintage-tall frets provides supreme comfort and outstanding feel. Under the hood, you’ll find a trio of vintage-style ‘60s pickups that deliver all the warm, sparkling tones that made Fender® famous. Other features include a synchronized tremolo with bent steel saddles for expressive vibrato and vintage-style tuning machines for enhanced tuning stability. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Sonic Blue and Maple Fingerboard in Black.
Featuring a variety of vintage colors finished in Road Worn® aged nitrocellulose lacquer, the Vintera® II Road Worn® ‘60s Telecaster® recreates the look and feel of a well-played classic. The limited Road Worn models are enhanced with a new subtle aging process combining light checking, gentle wear patterns and a semi-gloss finish, while maintaining the authentic broken-in feel players love about vintage Fenders. The ‘60s “C”-shape maple neck with 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard and vintage-tall frets provides supreme comfort and outstanding feel. Under the hood, you’ll find a pair of vintage-style ‘60s pickups that deliver all the crystal-clear chime and raw, steely twang that made Fender® famous. Other features include a vintage-style 3-saddle bridge with slotted steel saddles and vintage-style tuning machines for enhanced tuning stability. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Burgundy Mist Metallic and Maple Fingerboard in Blonde.
Featuring a variety of vintage colors finished in Road Worn® aged nitrocellulose lacquer, the Vintera® II Road Worn® ‘50s Jazzmaster® recreates the look and feel of a well-played classic. The limited Road Worn models are enhanced with a new subtle aging process combining light checking, gentle wear patterns and a semi-gloss finish, while maintaining the authentic broken-in feel players love about vintage Fenders. The ‘50s “C”-shape maple neck with 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard and vintage-tall frets provides supreme comfort and outstanding feel. Under the hood, you’ll find a pair of vintage-style ‘50s single-coil pickups that deliver all the sweet and sparkling, warm and woody tone that made Fender® famous. Other features include a vintage-style floating tremolo for expressive vibrato and vintage-style tuning machines for enhanced tuning stability. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in 3-Color Sunburst and Rosewood Fingerboard in Fiesta Red.
Limited Edition Vintera® II Road Worn® ‘60s Precision Bass®
Featuring a variety of vintage colors finished in Road Worn® aged nitrocellulose lacquer, the Vintera® II Road Worn® ‘60s Precision Bass® recreates the look and feel of a well-played classic. The limited Road Worn models are enhanced with a new subtle aging process combining light checking, gentle wear patterns and a semi-gloss finish, while maintaining the authentic broken-in feel players love about vintage Fenders. The ‘60s “C”-shape maple neck with 7.25” radius rosewood fingerboard and vintage-tall frets provides supreme comfort and outstanding feel. Under the hood, you’ll find a vintage-style ‘60s split-coil Precision pickup that delivers all the warm, dynamic and powerful tone that made Fender® famous. The vintage-style 4-saddle bridge and vintage-style tuning machines provide classic looks with enhanced intonation and tuning stability to complete the package. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Fiesta Red and Charcoal Frost Metallic.
Brooklyn-based jazz-rock innovators Alex Skolnick Trio (AST) return this fall with PROVE YOU’RE NOT A ROBOT, the group’s sixth LP, arriving November 7, 2025. The album’s first single, a wildly inventive take on Tom Petty’s “Breakdown,” is available today. Listen here.
Blending fearless improvisation, genre-defying arrangements, and the virtuosity of its members, PROVE YOU’RE NOT A ROBOT captures AST at the height of their creative powers. The title reflects both a wry nod to our tech-saturated era and a deeper meditation on humanity, direct interaction, and the irreplaceable spark of live musicianship in an age of artificial intelligence.
Recorded with a range of vintage and custom instruments — from a Roger Sadowsky archtop to a 1935 Gibson L-00 acoustic — the album spans moods from the uplifting “Guiding Ethos” to the mind-bending Chick Corea/Steve Howe mashup “Armando’s Mood.” Alongside Skolnick’s inventive guitar work, bassist Nathan Peck and drummer Matt Zebroski bring rhythmic complexity and emotional depth, with odd-time signatures and genre twists that have become AST hallmarks.
“I feel this album represents my strongest work as a composer,” says Skolnick. “Nathan and Matt really brought their A-game throughout. I think it’s safe to say this is the record we’re all most proud of.” Since forming in the early 2000s, AST has reimagined the jazz guitar trio, melding influences as far-reaching as Wes Montgomery, Black Sabbath, Prince, tango, calypso, and Western swing. Known for their adventurous covers of rock and metal classics, they’ve earned praise from outlets like Billboard, Downbeat, Jazziz, The Village Voice, and NPR, and have toured internationally, captivating audiences from Norway’s Larvik Guitar Festival to Paris’s The Olympia and New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
PROVE YOU’RE NOT A ROBOT promises to be a bold addition to the AST legacy — as engaging for jazz aficionados as it is for rock fans curious about the inventive, genre-bending journey of Testament original guitarist Alex Skolnick.
Album Release Date: November 7, 2025 First Single “Breakdown” Release Date: September 12, 2025
PROVE YOU’RE NOT A ROBOT Tracklist
Parallel Universe
Armondo’s Mood
Infinite Hotel
Prove You’re Not A Robot
Guiding Ethos
Breakdown
The Polish Goodbye
Asking For A Friend
AST on Tour September 30 - New York, NY, The Cutting Room (Album launch party) November 15 - Montreal, QB, Piranha Bar November 16 – Ottawa, ON, Brass Monkey November 17 – Pittsburgh, PA. City Winery November 19 – Detroit, MI, Token Lounge November 20 – Chicago, IL. Reggie’s November 21 – Cleveland, OH, Irishtown Bend Tap Room November 22 – Buffalo, NY, Nietzsche’s November 23 – Anniville, PA, The Allen Theatre 2026 January 8 – The Woodlands, TX, Dosey Doe January 9 – McKinney, TX, Guitar Sanctuary January 11 – San Antonio, TX, Fitzgerald’s January 13 – Los Angeles, CA, Baked Potato January 14 – Sacramento, CA, Harlow’s January 15 – Seattle, WA, Funhouse January 16 – Portland, OR, Jack London Revue January 17 – Redding, CA, The Dip January 18 – Mill Valley, CA, Sweetwater Music Hall Alex Skolnick Trio is: Alex Skolnick – Guitar Matt Zebroski – DrumsNathan Peck - Bass
Hit-making guitarist Mike Scott—who’s worked with everyone from Justin Timberlake to Janet Jackson—showed up in Minneapolis from his hometown of D.C. and started snatching everyone’s gigs. Soon, he ended up at Paisley Park, jamming with the man himself and joining his band, New Power Generation.
This masterful storyteller joins 100 Guitarists to talk all things Prince, cracking us up along the way with firsthand recollections of playing onstage and in the studio, the only time he played the “Purple Rain” solo live, and some insight on Prince and his gear.
