Friedman Amplification has introduced the VX Series, part of Dave Friedmanās Vintage Series. Itās inspired by the British EL84 amplifiers of the early 1960s and includes three products: the VX-30 30-watt all-tube head, the VX-30 2x12 combo, and the matching VX-212 extension cabinet.
The VX-30 runs on four EL84 power tubes. Itās based on a rare 1963 copper-panel amplifier fitted with a Top Boost circuit.
Two Blendable Channels
Handcrafted in Los Angeles, the VX-30 Head and Combo each have two independent channels. The Brilliant channel has Treble, Bass, and Volume controls and covers clean through edge-of-breakup tones. The Normal channel has a Volume control and a three-position Voice switch that recreates the three factory voicings of the vintage originals. Treble gives open cleans, Bass adds low end and body, and Normal is warmer.
The original amps didnāt run their channels in phase. The VX-30 does, so the channels can be blended, similar to jumping the inputs on a Plexi. Players can also use each channel on its own. Friedman suggests running a treble booster into the Normal channel and blending in the Brilliant channel for added definition.
A Cut control shapes the power ampās high-frequency response. The M.V.C. (Master Volume Control) lets players push the cathode-biased EL84 output stage at lower volumes.
Response and Reliability
The VX-30 uses cathode bias, a 5AR4 tube rectifier, and zero negative feedback, so it cleans up as the guitarās volume is rolled back. Thereās no standby switch because the 5AR4 rectifier warms up gradually, which gives the amp a natural soft start. Friedman says the amp also includes modern protection features and conservatively rated components.
Combo and Cabinet
The VX-30 Combo is loaded with two Celestion Alnico Blue speakers. The open-back VX-212 cabinet is designed to pair with the VX-30 Head. Itās built from tongue-and-groove Baltic birch, has two Celestion Alnico Blue 12" speakers, and is wired with oversized 12-gauge speaker wire.
All three products are available in Black or Vintage Ivory, are handcrafted in the USA, and are backed by Friedmanās Limited Lifetime Warranty.
VX-30 Head and Combo Features Include:
30-watt all-tube design
4 x EL84 power tubes
3 x ECC83 preamp tubes
5AR4 tube rectifier
Cathode-biased power section with zero negative feedback
Two independent channels operating in phase for blending
Brilliant channel: Volume, Treble, and Bass
Normal channel: Volume and three-position Voice switch (Treble, Normal, Bass)
The Friedman VX-30 combo is available for a street price of $3,599.99. The VX-30 head carries a street price of $2,799.99. The VX-212 extension cabinet is priced at $1,499.99. For more information, visit https://friedmanamplification.com/.
Friedman Amplification
VX-30
Friedman Amplification has introduced the VX Series, part of Dave Friedmanās Vintage Series. Itās inspired by the British EL84 amplifiers of the early 1960s and includes three products: the VX-30 30-watt all-tube head, the VX-30 2x12 combo, and the matching VX-212 extension cabinet.
This month, our reader is Americana musician, luthier, and guitar tech Eddie Heinzelman, who toured with Radney Foster and fronts his own trio, the Rebellious Sons.
My family bought our West Harrison, Indiana farm in 1917. It was a working family farm for decades that belonged to my grandparents when I was a kid. I spent every Saturday morning at their house watching TV westerns and every Saturday night watching Hee Haw. My grandma got me my first guitar, from Sears, when I was eight years old, and we listened to the Grand Ole Opry and WSM AM radio every time we milked cows or worked in that barn. The farm had been in our family 100 years, but after my grandfather passed away a few years ago, we couldnāt continue to farm it ourselves. We sold it to a neighbor that I went to school with who kept on farming it.
I moved to Nashville after college and became a musician, songwriter, and luthier. I got the idea to build a Barncaster guitar so Iād have something from the farm that I could keep and pass down to family. I went back to the farm and pulled some boards from the old barn, which has been standing since at least the ā30s. Impressively, it was built with wooden pegs in the beams, rather than nails or bolts.
A friend of mine in Murfreesboro, Patrick Johnson, planed and cut the boards to make the body. The barn wood is poplar, which he used for the top, while a piece of striped sassafras makes up the back. This combination results in a very light guitarāin fact, my Barncaster has many of the qualities of a pine T-style instrument. We decided to also cut a wood pickguard from the barn wood (which includes all of the original worm holes), and then applied a light finish to seal the guitar, without laying it on too thick.
āThe old barn has been standing since at least the ā30s. Impressively, it was built with wooden pegs in the beams, rather than nails or bolts.ā
I didnāt have a vintage-style Telecaster, so I went with a Fender vintage-spec maple neck. It has an Oak Grigsby 4-way switch, Bourns 250k pots with a treble bleed circuit, an .047 uF Emerson Paper In Oil tone capacitor, compensated brass saddles, and Porter Vintage Tele pickups. Itās a really special heirloom that plays and sounds so good! In 2022, I used it on tour with Radney Foster for his Del Rio, TX 1959 30th anniversary tour, and in a tribute to my grandparents, I played it on the Grand Ole Opry, which sort of brings the story full circle.
Forty-five years after their formation, Anthrax continues to be one of the most influential and beloved bands in heavy music. Coming together in New York City, the group released a pair of albumsā1984ās Fistful of Metal and the following yearās Spreading the Diseaseāthat, along with a ferocious live show (they supported Black Sabbath and Metallica early on), established the five-piece as one of the forefathers of thrash metal.
Anthraxās third album, 1987ās Among the Living, was the breakthrough that put them in the pantheon of thrash greats. The critically acclaimed record, which eventually went gold, helped the band graduate from clubs to arena stages and cemented their place in the Big Four of American thrash alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.
āIt's been the fucking privilege of a lifetime to get to do this,ā guitarist and co-founder Scott Ian tells PG. āWe connected deep enough into the planet with Among the Living that essentially weāve been able to have a career for 40 years since.ā
In the years that followed, Anthrax zagged when other bands zigged. But remaining true to their own musical ideals is what allowed them to stand out from the metal pack. After being name-checked by Public Enemy on 1987ās āBring the Noise,ā Anthrax eventually recorded a version of that song with the Long Islanders in 1991 and followed with a joint tour, one of the landmark early metal-rap crossover pairings. In 1992, the band appeared on the Fox sitcom Married⦠with Children, playing a show at the Bundy residence, which replicated a 1989 MTV stunt where they trashed a contest winnerās (if you want to call them that) own house.
Those years alone would secure Anthraxās legacy. But the band is nowhere near the nostalgia circuit. Now, a decade after For All Kings, their 11th and most recent studio album, Anthrax have finally followed it up, with the new Cursum Perficio.
Bringing Cursum Perficio to life took nearly six years. Anthrax wrapped the three-year touring cycle for For All Kings in November 2019, a run that included shows celebrating the 30th anniversary of Among the Living. Over dinner after their final show, at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, the band agreed to take some time off before starting on the follow-up. Drummer Charlie Benante had some rough demos, and the plan was for him, Ian, and bassist Frank Bello to get together in early 2020 and jam out instrumentals. First, Ian was going to finish a new album with Motor Sister, his side project with Joey Vera of Armored Saint, Jim Wilson of Mother Superior, John Tempesta (White Zombie, The Cult) and his wife, vocalist Pearl Aday. Instead, Covid hit, and like nearly everyone else in the world, he was stuck at home. For the next few years, the band worked remotely, zapping files and parts back and forth online.
āNot since the band started touring in 1984 have I ever been literally in one place for that long, let alone my house with my wife and my son,ā Ian says. āNobody knew anything. Nobody knew if we were ever going to play again.ā
There was also plenty of anxiety about the unknown, the horrors of school shootings, partisan division, and cutthroat capitalism, as well as the tragedy of losing his father-in-law, the artist known as Meat Loaf, who passed away in 2022. All of it informed Ianās lyrics.
āIf you want to put it in gamer speak, we beat some final boss and we got to the next level of who we are as songwriters." āScott Ianā
Anthrax, 2026 (l-r): bassist Frank Bello, singer Joey Belladonna, Donais, drummer Charlie Benante, Ian
Photo by Travis Shinn
āSo much of that is certainly where I was at the time when I was writing lyrics for the record and my energy making the record, and I would have to think the same as for Charlie,ā Ian says. āAbout 90 percent of the music is from his demos, and Frankie came in with fully realized stuff as well, and is also amazing at writing melody ideas. But most of it starts with Charlie.ā
In early 2022, the trio finally got together at Dave Grohlās Studio 606 in the San Fernando Valley. Immediately, they realized they were onto something bigger than just another late-career album. Theyād begin with one of Benanteās riffs or rough arrangements, which would quickly turn into a skeleton of a song.
āI remember that demo for āThe Edge of Perfection,āā Ian says, āand I was thinking, āHoly fuck!ā If this is all we have, we're in good shape.āā
Heās not wrong. The song, built on Benanteās original demo, Belloās chorus melody and groove-heavy bass line, and Ianās words, runs for nearly seven minutes, with an atmospheric instrumental opening that explodes in a blast of metal riffing, aided by Joey Belladonnaās towering vocals. Benante has compared the song to Anthrax classics like āOnlyā and āIndians,ā and Ian agrees with that sentiment, saying it ranks among the top tunes in the Anthrax catalog.
Ian wields his āBaldiniā Jackson X Series Signature King V.
Photo by Travis Shinn
āI think it's the best song we've ever written,ā he says. āThat's my hot take on my own song that I'm a part of. When people ask, āWhat's your favorite Anthrax song?ā I usually say "Caught in a Mosh,ā based on the fact that itās the one that's never been out of our set since that record [Among the Living] came out. But I just think on āEdge of Perfectionā we got to some other level, you know? Or, if you want to put it in gamer speak, we beat some final boss and we got to the next level of who we are as songwriters.ā
Once the trio had the songs where they wanted them, they sent them to lead guitarist Jon Donais. Stuck at his home in Massachusetts, away from his bandmates, Donais had used the downtime to practice, and he says it made him a better player. When it came time to cut his parts, heād get the tracks back with timestamps marking where the others wanted him to play. Heād cut a demo, take notes from Benante and Ian, then record a final version. Because the songs were already so strong, he says, he had room to get creative. āRight off the bat, I knew it was going to be great and I had to have something great cooking,ā Donias recalls.
Far from cramping his creativity, the isolation felt familiar to Donais. He says the process was much the same on For All Kings, his first album with the band. Now 13 years in, making him the longest-tenured lead guitarist in Anthrax history, he was at ease with the setup, and he quickly heard how the new songs connected to the bandās classic material.
āIt has some old-school Anthrax vibes to it, and is a well-rounded record,ā he says, then adds, āItās got some curveballs too.ā One he didn't see coming: the black metal influence on āThe Edge of Perfection.ā
āIt has some old-school Anthrax vibes to it, and is a well-rounded record. Itās got some curveballs, too." āJon Donaisā
Donais onstage with his Dean Exile Signature
Photo by Krista Belladonna
One early fan of that song was Dave Grohl. After mixing it at Grohlās Studio 606, and with Grohl having played Ian the new Foo Fighters album before its release, Ian returned the favor.
āI sent him āThe Edge of Perfectionā and āItās for the Kids,ā which is a love letter to Anthrax fans,ā Ian says. āHe wrote me back the next dayāI'm paraphrasingāāDude, like, holy shit! Oh my God, āKidsā is classic Anthrax.ā And about āEdge,ā he said, āItās so you guys, and so new at the same time.āā
The reception has proved Grohl right. On social media, fans hailed the song as unmistakably Anthrax, and some called it one of the best releases from any of the Big Four in years. Benanteās pulsating drums, Ian and Donaisā guitars, and Belladonnaās vocals all contribute, but what seems to be connecting most is Ianās lyric. The song, he says, is about choosing to live by love rather than fear, and sticking with that choice for the long haul. It also argues that perfection is boring and that real beauty is in facing lifeās challenges, having empathy, and constantly working to keep yourself in a good place.
Navigating the intricacies of that song gave Anthrax confidence, fueling a heavy and urgent sound that permeates the entire album.
āListening to it, I know where we were mentally when we were working on the demos,ā Ian says. āHow happy we were with the material we had⦠itās all over the record. We've never had a moment like that, ever, in the history of the band. This is bigger than us. This one is special.ā
The albumās title, when translated from Latin, has several meanings: My journey has come to an end; My journey is over; I complete my journey. But have no fearāitās not a sign that Anthrax is ready to call it quits.
āWe're not necessarily coy about it because we answer the question,ā Ian says. āWhen people ask us, āIs it the last record?ā āAre you saying goodbye?ā I don't sit there and go, āWell, maybeā¦ā Thatās not us.ā
In fact, the title came from an unexpected place.
āNobody knew anything. Nobody knew if we were ever going to play again.ā āScott Ianā
Photo by Travis Shinn
āCharlie came up with the idea after he read that a stone at Marilyn Monroeās [home] had it,ā Ian says. āHe found out what it meant, and he just really loved the meaning and the feeling of the phrase. So much of it has to do with the journey to make this record.ā
If you need more proof that the band isnāt done, the music makes the case. The 11-song album packs as powerful a punch as any Anthrax album in recent memory. In addition to previously released tracks, the tone-setting instrumental āPersistence of Memoryā and the ferocious āEverybodyās Got a Planā are sonically adventurous indicators of a group that isnāt ready to take a victory lap quite yet.
The response so far has been incredibly strong. Anthrax played a small club gig at Brooklynās Saint Vitus ahead of a stadium show with Iron Maiden and Megadeth, and on the bandās European run this past summer, Donais says, āIt's for the Kidsā went over big with crowds.
At a time when they could be winding down, Anthrax continue to play hard and loud. "Their journey to Cursum Perficio hasn't been easy, but as Ian considers where they've arrived after 45 years, he's very aware of the payoff."
āNobody hands you this,ā Ian says of the bandās career. āI wasn't this person in another life. I wasn't this person in two other lives. Growing up in my life, it's been a road to get here.ā
Anthrax Gear
Scott Ian
Guitars
Jackson X Series Signature Scott Ian King V (primary guitar, for rhythm parts; āwhite, the first one they built meā)
āThe KHDK and the TC Electronic were used in front of a Marshall JCM800 as part of my main rhythm tone. That was combined with the EVH EL34. The rest of the pedals were used for sounds and overdubs.ā
Seymour Duncan has announced their Custom Shop Frankenstein Pickup Collection is now available with new EVH stripe options.
Seymour Duncan and Eddie Van Halen share a collaboration stretching back to the late 1970s. After years of tone exploration together, in early 2000ās the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop meticulously reproduced the pickup in Eddie's iconic Frankenstein guitar, then developed two additional variations representing distinct eras of Eddie's tone progression. All three were approved by Eddie himself and have been available for years in a range of options through the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop as the Frankenstein pickup collection.
Seymour Duncan is now introducing eye-grabbing new looks to our Custom Shop Frankenstein Pickups inspired by the iconic striped designs of Eddie Van Halenās early instruments. The Seymour Duncan Custom Shop now offers four versions: Red, Black & White; Grey & Black; Black & White; and Bumble Bee.
The new designs are available for all three versions of the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Frankenstein pickup. The Frankenstein Custom is a faithful reproduction of the pickup in Eddieās legendary Frankenstein guitar from 2006. The Frankenstein Plus is a hot-rodded version of the original, developed and approved by Eddie in 2013, offering heightened output with increased harmonics and sustain. And the Frankenstein Classic, also developed and approved by Eddie in later years, draws its inspiration from his early P.A.F. pickup tone that characterized the first six Van Halen records.
Street price for each model is $199. For more information visit seymourduncan.com.
Seymour Duncan
EVH Striped Custom Shop Frankenstein Pickups
Seymour Duncan has announced their Custom Shop Frankenstein Pickup Collection is now available with new EVH stripe options.
C. F. Martin & Co. is expanding its longstanding partnership with seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist John Mayer with the introduction of two new acoustic-electric guitars: the OM-13E John Mayer and OMC-13E John Mayer. Joining Martin's popular Road Series, these new Signature Artist Editions bring Mayer's preferred specifications, distinctive design details, and signature acoustic style to a more accessible price point, allowing more players to experience a John Mayer signature Martin.
The new OM-13E John Mayer & OMC-13E John Mayer make more than 20 years of signature sound, style & collaboration accessible to more players.
The launch marks a new chapter in a partnership that began in 2003 with the limited-edition OM-28 John Mayer, the artist's first signature Martin. Since then, the collaboration has grown to include a variety of celebrated models, including the popular OMJM John Mayer, which remains in Martin's lineup today. More than 20 years later, these new Road Series additions build on that legacy while making the signature John Mayer experience available to a broader audience.
Premium Tonewoods and Mayer-Inspired Details
Both models feature a solid Engelmann spruce top with aging toner, an exciting addition to the Road Series that delivers a warm, responsive voice with exceptional nuance and clarity. Solid black walnut back and sides provide balanced tone, rich midrange character, and a distinctive natural appearance, while scalloped spruce X-bracing enhances resonance and projection.
Inspired by Mayer's longstanding preferences, both guitars feature a 25.4-inch scale length, narrower 1 11/16-inch nut width, and Performing Artist neck profile with standard taper for smooth, comfortable playability. Premium appointments include a gloss body, ebony fingerboard and bridge, antique white binding, faux abalone rosette reminiscent of the OMJM, nickel open gear tuners, and custom faux mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays incorporating John's signature. Each guitar also features an interior label with his pre-printed signature.
Martin E1 electronics with a built-in tuner make both models performance-ready, and each includes a softshell case.
Two Distinct Takes on a Signature OM
The OM-13E John Mayer offers the traditional, non-cutaway Orchestra Model body, delivering balanced projection and versatility for fingerpicking, strumming, and songwriting. Bold herringbone top trim adds a classic Martin aesthetic.
The OMC-13E John Mayer features a comfortable 14-fret cutaway body for easier access to the higher frets, offering additional versatility for lead playing and performance. Multi-stripe top trim distinguishes it from its non-cutaway counterpart.
Together, these two models expand Martin's Road Series with new artist-inspired OM options, combining premium solid tonewoods, performance-ready features, and unmistakable John Mayer style at an approachable price point.
Availability
The OM-13E John Mayer ($1,999.99 USD) and OMC-13E John Mayer ($1,999.99 USD) are available through authorized Martin dealers and at martinguitar.com.
C. F. Martin & Co.
OM-13E John Mayer and OMC-13E John Mayer
C. F. Martin & Co. (Martin Guitar) is expanding its longstanding partnership with seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist John Mayer (https://t.e2ma.net/click/9vinlk/1pw7am/1ldek8) with the introduction of two new acoustic-electric guitars: the OM-13E John Mayer and OMC-13E John Mayer. Joining Martin's popular Road Series (https://t.e2ma.net/click/9vinlk/1pw7am/heeek8), these new Signature Artist Editions (https://t.e2ma.net/click/9vinlk/1pw7am/x6eek8) bring Mayer's preferred specifications, distinctive design details, and signature acoustic style to a more accessible price point, allowing more players to experience a John Mayer signature Martin.