The Concept series cases feature a Rigidlite, proprietary, precision-molded exterior with a plush, cushion-soft, secure-fit interior.
Oilville, VA (July 18, 2017) -- Utilizing the innovative designs, materials and manufacturing processes that have allowed them to become the preferred OEM case maker for many of the worldās leading guitar companies, TKL Products Corp. currently offers a range of Concept MC and Zero-Gravity cases developed to fit most every vintage and contemporary acoustic guitar on the market. Both series are noted for their unique combination of portability, protection and affordability and both carry TKLās exclusive 24/7 Protection Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Concept series cases feature a Rigidlite, proprietary, precision molded exterior with a plush, Cushion-Soft, Secure-Fit interior and TKLās reliable Providence-Forge hardware. Secure-Fit is a exclusive TKL process that ensures a perfect fit and maximum protection for every guitar type/body style. The rugged design is recommended for professionals, semi-proās and collectors.
The lightweight but strong TKL Zero-Gravity case offers a tough, T-Cord 600 exterior over a protective, reinforced core along with a Cushion-Soft, Secure-Fit interior and Providence-Forge hardware. Suggested for professionals as well as local heroes, weekend warriors and rising stars, Zero-Gravity provides TKL safety, security and quality at a price that will fit any budget.
The advanced, new Vectra series MC and IPX Impact-X electric guitar cases from TKL represent a huge step forward in safety, security and portability. Their Vectra-shaped cases incorporate more than 30 years of the experience and innovation that have allowed TKL to remain the preferred OEM case maker for many of the top guitar companies in the world. Developed to fit a wide range of modern electric guitar models, TKL Vectra cases are designed and precision-crafted to provide increased strength and lighter weight for greater carrying comfort. The cases also include TKLās exclusive 24/7 Protection Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Recommended for professionals and semi-proās in the studio, on the road or around town, the Vectra MC case has a custom-molded exterior with a plush, Cushion-Soft, Secure-Fit interior and TKLās proprietary Providence-Forge hardware. Secure-Fit is a proprietary TKL process that ensures a perfect fit and maximum protection for every guitar type/body style.
The Vectra IPX case features a tough, T-Cord 600 exterior over a protective, molded core with a Cushion-Soft, Secure-Fit interior and Providence-Forge hardware. Vectra IPX is suggested for professionals as well as rising stars, local heroes and weekend warriorsā providing safety, security and TKL quality at a surprisingly affordable price.
With numerous patents and trademarks awarded for their innovative designs and manufacturing processes, TKL cases continue to set the industry standard for the highest level of quality, reliability and protection of musical instruments and accessories of every type and value. These exceptional features along with their 30-plus years of case-crafting knowledge are among the many factors that set TKL apart from other case companies.
āOur commitment to continuous R&D and attention to detail are two of the reasons we have remained the industryās top leading supplier of hard and soft cases to the worldās music makers, retailers, distributors and manufacturers,ā explains TKL co-founder and CEO Tom Dougherty.
From their innovative, musician-focused designs to their premium-quality interiors and exteriors, TKL LTD, Concept, Vectra and BlackBelt series cases are designed and built to provide a lifetime of performance. They feature a host of premium-quality, proprietary components and manufacturing processes, including:
- Rigidlite HS strong, sustainably harvested, multi-ply, hand-laminated, select hardwood construction.
- Rigidlite MP ultra-strong, ultra-light, precision-formed, custom, resin-blend polymer exteriors.
- Authentic Durahyde coverings.
- Arch Top and Dual Neck Support systems.
- Patented, Secure-fit impact-absorbing, thermally-insulated, Advanced Interlink Cellulair (AIC) interiors.
- Providence Forge hinges, latches and locks.
- Comfort-Grip Series II handles.
- Cushion-Soft custom-woven plush lining.
It is this exclusive combination of elementsā plus TKLās expertise and experienceā that have enabled TKL to meet the stringent demands of legendary instrument makers such as CF Martin, Collings, DāAngelico, Fender, Fodera, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Heritage, Ibanez and Ovation while simultaneously becoming the choice of the worldās most discriminating musicians, including Les Paul, Eric Clapton, Vince Gill and Alan Jackson, as well as members of P.O.D., Janes Addiction, Bon Jovi, Jerry Douglas, Pat Benatar, Lita Ford, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Foreigner, QueensrĆæche and many more.
Combining proprietary designs, premium-quality components and advanced manufacturing processes with an exclusive 24/7 Limited Lifetime Warranty, TKL cases offer a perfect fit and exceptional protection for a wide range of musical instruments. TKLās exclusive 24/7 Protection Limited Lifetime Warranty provides unparalleled protection for the many millions of musicians who rely on them to keep their instruments Safe and Sound in the classroom, the studio, on stage and on the go.
āOur exclusive 24/7 Protection Limited Lifetime Warranty assures that every TKL hard and soft case will stand up to the most extreme conditions and that we stand behind them 100%,ā says TKL co-founder and CEO, Tom Dougherty.
For more information:
TLK Products Corp
On our season two finale, the country legend details his lead-guitar tricks on one of his biggest hits.
Get out the Kleenex, hankies, or whatever you use to wipe away your tears: Itās the last episode of this season of Shred With Shifty, a media event more consequential and profound than the finales of White Lotus and Severance combined. But thereāll be some tears of joy, too, because on this season two closer, Chris Shiflett talks with one of country musicās greatest players: Vince Gill.
Gillās illustrious solo career speaks for itself, and heās played with everyone from Reba McEntire and Patty Loveless to Ricky Skaggs and Dolly Parton. He even replaced Glenn Frey in the Eagles after Freyās death in 2017. His singing prowess is matched by his grace and precision on the fretboard, skills which are on display on the melodic solo for āOne More Last Chance.ā He used the same blackguard 1953 FenderĀ Telecaster that you see in this interview to record the lead, although he might not play the solo the exact way he did back in 1992.
Tune in to learn how Gill dialed his clean tone with a tip from Roy Nichols, why he loves early blackguard Telecasters and doesnāt love shredders, and why you never want to be the best player during a studio session.
If youāre able to help, here are some charities aimed at assisting musicians affected by the fires in L.A:
https://guitarcenterfoundation.org
https://www.cciarts.org/relief.html
https://www.musiciansfoundation.org
https://fireaidla.org
https://www.musicares.org
https://www.sweetrelief.org
Credits
Producer: Jason Shadrick
Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis
Engineering Support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudion
Video Editor: Addison Sauvan
Graphic Design: Megan Pralle
Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.
New RAT Sound Solution Offers a Refined Evolution of Distortion
ACT Entertainment ās iconic RAT brand has unveiledthe Sterling Vermin, a boutique distortion guitar pedal that blends heritage tone with modernrefinement. With a new take on RATās unmistakable sound, Sterling Vermin delivers a new levelof precision and versatility.
āThe Sterling Vermin was born from a desire for something different ā something refined, withthe soul of a traditional RAT pedal, but with a voice all its own,ā says Shawn Wells, MarketManagerāSound, ACT Entertainment, who designed the pedal along with his colleague MattGates. āBuilt in small batches and hand-soldered in ACTās Jackson, Missouri headquarters, theSterling Vermin is a work of pure beauty that honors the brand legacy while taking a bold stepforward for creativity.ā
The Sterling Vermin features the LM741 Op-Amp and a pair of selectable clipping diodes.Players can toggle between the traditional RAT silicon diode configuration for a punchy, mid-range bite, or the BAT41 option for a smoother, more balanced response. The result is a pedalthatās equally at home delivering snarling distortion or articulate, low-gain overdrive, with a wide,usable tonal range throughout the entire gain spectrum.
The pedal also features CTS pots and oversized knobs for even, responsive control that affordsa satisfying smoothness to the rotation, with just the right amount of tension. Additionally, thepolished stainless-steel enclosure with laser-annealed graphics showcases the merging of thepedalās vintage flavor and striking design.
āFrom low-gain tones reminiscent of a Klon or Bluesbreaker, to high-gain settings that flirt withBig Muff territory ā yet stay tight and controlled ā the Sterling Vermin is a masterclass indynamic distortion,ā says Gates, an ACT Entertainment Sales Representative. āWith premiumcomponents, deliberate design and a focus on feel, the Sterling Vermin is more than a pedal, itāsa new chapter for RAT.ā
The RAT Sterling Vermin is available immediately and retails for $349 USD. For moreinformation about this solution, visit: actentertainment.com/rat-distortion .
The Miku was introduced about 10 years ago and is based on the vocal stylings of Hatsune Miku, a virtual pop icon. But it does much more than artificial vowels and high-pitched words.
Itās tempting to think of this pedal as a joke. Donāt.
It all started a few years ago through a trade with a friend. I just wanted to help him outāhe really wanted to get a fuzz pedal but didnāt have enough cash, so he offered up the Korg Miku. I had no idea then, but it turned out to be the best trade Iāve ever made.
Hereās the truth: the Korg Miku is not your typical guitar pedal. It wonāt boost your mids, sculpt your gain, or serve up that warm, buttery overdrive youāve always worshipped. Nope. This little box does something entirely different: It sings! Yes, sings in a Japanese kawaii accent thatās based on the signature voice of virtual pop icon Hatsune Miku.
At first glance, itās tempting to dismiss this pedal as just a gimmickāa joke, a collectorās oddity, the kind of thing you buy for fun and then forget next to your Hello Kitty Strat. But hereās the twist: Some take it seriously and Iām one of those people.
I play in a punk band called Cakrux, and lately Iāve been working with a member of a Japanese idol-style girl groupāyeah, itās exactly the kind of wild mashup youād ever imagine. Somewhere in the middle of that chaos, the Miku found its way into my setup, and weirdly enough, it stuck. Itās quirky, beautiful, occasionally maddening, and somehow ⦠just right. After plenty of time spent in rehearsals, studio takes, and more sonic experiments than I care to admit, Iāve come to appreciate this pedal in unexpected ways. So here are a few things you probably didnāt know about this delightfully strange little box.
Itās Not Organicāand Thatās OK
Most guitar pedals are chasing something real. Wah pedals mimic the human voiceāor even a trumpet. Tube Screamers? Theyāre built to recreate the warm push of an overdriven tube amp. Cab sims aim to replicate the tone of real-world speaker setups. But the Miku? It breaks the mold. Instead of emulating reality, it channels the voice of a fictional pop icon. Hatsune Miku isnāt a personāsheās a vocaloid, a fully digital creation made of samples and synthesis. The Miku doesnāt try to sound organic, it tries to sound like her. In that sense, it might be the only pedal trying to reproduce something that never existed in the physical world. And honestly, thereās something oddly poetic about that.
A World-Class Buffer
Hereās a fun fact: I once saw a big-name Indonesian session guitaristāyou know, the kind who plays in sold-out arenasāwith a Miku pedal on his board. I was like, āNo way this guyās busting out vocaloid lines mid-solo.ā Plot twist: He only uses it for the buffer. Yep, the man swears by it and says itās the best-sounding buffer heās ever plugged into. I laughed ⦠until I tried it. And honestly? Heās not wrong. Even if you never hear Miku sing a note, this pedal still deserves a spot on your board. Just for the tone mojo alone. Wild, right?
āThe Miku is one of those pedals that really shouldnāt work for your music, but somehow, it just does.ā
Impossible to Tame
Most pedals are built to make your life easier. The Miku? Not so much. This thing demands patienceāand maybe a little spiritual surrender. First off, the tracking can be finicky, especially if youāre using low-output pickups. Latency becomes really noticeable and your picking dynamics suddenly matter a lot more. Then thereās the golden rule I learned the hard way. Neverāeverāput anything before the Miku. No fuzz, no wah, no compressor, not even a buffer! It gets confused instantly and says āWhat is going on here?ā And donāt even think about punching in while recording. The vocal results are so unpredictable, youāll never get the same sound twice. Mess up halfway? Youāre starting from scratch. Same setup, same take, same chaotic energy. Itās like trying to recreate a fever dream. Good luck with that.
Full Range = Full Power
Sure, itās made for guitar, but the Miku really comes to life when you run it through a keyboard amp, bass cab, or even a full-range speaker. Why? Because her voice covers way more frequency range than a regular guitar speaker can handle. Plug it into a PA system or a bass rig, and everything sounds clearer, richer, way more expressive. Itās like letting Hatsune Miku out of her cage.
The Miku is one of those pedals that really shouldn't work for your music, but somehow, it just does. Is it the best pedal out there? Nah. Is it practical? Not by a long shot. But every time I plug it in, I canāt help but smile. Itās unpredictable, a little wild, and it feels like youāre jamming in the middle of a bizarre Isekai anime scene. And honestly, thatās what makes it fun.
This thing used to go for less than $100. Now? Itās fetching many times that. Is it worth the price? Thatās up to you. But for me, the Korg Miku isnāt just another pedalāitās a strange, delightful journey Iām glad I didnāt skip. No regrets here.
Two guitars, two amps, and two people is all it takes to bring the noise.
The day before they played the coveted Blue Room at Third Man Records in Nashville, the Washington, D.C.-based garage-punk duo Teen Mortgage released their debut record, Devil Ultrasonic Dream. Not a bad couple of days for a young band.
PGās Chris Kies caught up with guitarist and vocalist James Guile at the Blue Room to find out how he builds the bandās bombastic guitar attack.
Brought to you by DāAddario.
Devilish Dunable
Guile has been known to use Telecasters and Gretsches in the past, but this time out heās sticking with this Dunable Cyclops DE, courtesy of Gwarsenio Hallāaka Jordan Olds of metal-themed comedy talk show Two Minutes to Late Night. Guile digs the Dunableās lightness on his shoulders, and its balance of high and low frequencies.
Storm Warning
What does Guile like about this Squier Cyclone? Simple: its color. This one is also nice and easy on the back, and Guile picked it up from Atomic Music in Beltsville, Maryland.
Crushing It
Guile also scooped this Music Man 410-HD from Atomic, which he got just for this tour for a pretty sweet deal. It runs alongside an Orange Crush Bass 100 to rumble out the low end.
James Guileās Pedalboard
The Electro-Harmonix Micro POG and Hiwatt Filter Fuzz MkII run to the Orange, while everything elseāa DigiTech Whammy, Pro Co Lilā RAT, and Death by Audio Echo Dream 2āruns to the Music Man. A TC Helicon Mic Mechanic is on board for vocal assistance, and a TC Electronic PolyTune 3, Morley ABY, and Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 3 Plus keep the ship afloat.