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What's New: March 3, 2026

Ben Kuriscack
By Ben KuriscackMar 03, 2026
Ben Kuriscack

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J. Rockett Aqueous Review

J. Rockett Aqueous

It might be an overstatement to call the J. Rockett Aqueous chorus “surgical.” But for any player that has lamented a lack of subtlety in vintage-style chorus effects, the Aqueous offers an impressive level of control, making it a promising studio and performance tool and an intriguing alternative to the classics—even as it often excels at those sounds.

What's New in HeadRush 5.0? Drum Machine, High-Gain, Transparent Overdrives

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The wait is over for HeadRush users. Firmware 5.0 has officially landed, bringing a massive suite of features to the Prime, Core, and Flex models. Beyond introducing a fully performable, highly customizable drum machine, ‪@TomButwin‬ details a brutal new high-gain amp model, updated IRs and transparent overdrives, plus quality of life upgrades that make practicing and gigging smoother than ever.

Satch on Vai | 100 Guitarists Podcast

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have one of the deepest guitar-shredding relationships in the 6-string universe. Famously, Satch was Steve Vai’s guitar teacher back in their Long Island days, and they’ve developed their careers across the decades as solo artists, as partners in the G3 world, and now with their own co-led band, SATCHVAI. To celebrate, we’ve got a two-episode arc with each of the guys talking about the other one’s playing. First up is Satch talking all things Vai, from their early days in the lesson room to their upcoming Surfing With the Hydra tour.

Fix the Tiny Gremlins Stealing Your Guitar’s Tone

Here are a handful of simple tweaks that can enhance your guitar’s performance and sound.


Question of the Month: Who's Your Favorite Independent Guitar Builder?

We asked around about the best and brightest from the luthier underground.

State of the Stomp: It’s Not the Pedal—It’s Your Pickup

Gain structure, headroom, and tone all start at the source, long before your signal hits a stompbox.


Toronto’s Frank Brothers Build Guitars From the Heart

Twin brothers Tim and Nick Frank were college students in their Canadian hometown when they built their first guitar.

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Sully Guitars Adds 24-Fret Version of Singlecut ‘71 Trella
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Sully Guitars Adds 24-Fret Version of Singlecut ‘71 Trella

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On Bass: Are You Playing With Your Ears or Your Eyes?

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Eric Gales Goes Months Without Playing Guitar

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Martin Guitar Launches Two Joe Bonamassa Signature Models

Martin Guitar Launches Two Joe Bonamassa Signature Models

C. F. Martin & Co. has introduced the 00-18 Joe Bonamassa and 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa, two new signature acoustic guitars inspired by Bonamassa's treasured 1937 Martin 00-18 shade-top.

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Rig Rundown: The Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson [2026]
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Duane Betts: Rising Son

Duane Betts: Rising Son
Photo by Bobbi Rich

Towards the end of Duane Betts’ video for “Heartache,” a melancholy song about grief written after his father died in April 2024, the 48-year-old guitarist etches the initials “FRB” in the sand. It seems like a riddle, or perhaps a non sequitur, until you realize Betts’ late father, Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band, was born Forrest Richard Betts. “It was something that was kind of thought about and plotted out as an easter egg—something very meaningful, but not obvious. We didn’t want to be too on the nose about any of the references,” the singer and guitarist says, speaking to Premier Guitar by phone from a summer home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the night before he’s scheduled to perform with the Allman Betts Family Revival in Vail, Colorado. “Some people don’t know that my dad’s first name is Forrest. They might not catch the initials.”

While inspired by the senior Betts’ death at age 80, “Heartache” is a universal ballad, on the edge of Neil Young-style folk-country and, yes, the Allman Brothers’ soulful southern rock. “I’ll wait, watch over you / Nothing I can do,” Betts sings, then repeats the phrase “there’s nothing you can do” multiple times before playing a solo that is both mournful and hopeful on his cherry-red 1961 Gibson ES-335, a guitar he inherited from his father. “I wrote that song down in Florida, shortly after my dad passed away, with my friend [singer-songwriter] Stoll Vaughan,” Betts says. “I had this haunting chorus melody, and I was mumbling ‘heartache,’ and it just went from there. It’s a universal feeling that everybody can relate to. It’s about loss and acceptance and getting through that process.

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Rig Rundown: Kris Donegan

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Nashville studio veteran Kris Donegan was at Nashville’s East Iris Studios earlier this summer when PG’s John Bohlinger stopped in to check out all the gorgeous vintage gear that Donegan uses to make the magic happen. Have a look at some quick highlights below, and tune into the new Rig Rundown for all the details. Brought to you by D’Addario.

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John Page Guitars Introduces the Noah Levine Signature DL Baritone

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John Page Guitars has introduced the Noah Levine Signature DL Baritone, a new signature model developed in close collaboration with guitarist Noah Levine, lead guitarist for Noah Kahan and a multi-platinum songwriter. The release marks the latest expansion of John Page Guitars' baritone platform, continuing the company's focus on hand-built American instruments designed around the way real players actually use them.

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Acoustic Soundboard: A New Technique From a Romanian Violinist

Acoustic Soundboard: A New Technique From a Romanian Violinist

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As anyone who has toiled long enough in any art form can tell you, hitting walls is inevitable, even necessary. They exist to remind us that there’s something on the other side, someplace to go that we haven’t discovered yet. We may not see the way over today, but when we start looking, that’s when new ideas reveal themselves (and not always in a way we can anticipate).

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