Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s sparkly new gear round-up, your one-stop-shop for keeping up to date with what’s been happening in the big wide world of guitar gear over the past seven days.
From new electric guitars to amp modeler updates, the guitar industry is never short of fresh releases, and it can sometimes be hard to stay abreast of every new launch that may be of interest to you.
To make things a little easier, we’ve put together an essential must-read guide that will cover the major releases, the boutique drops, and everything in between.
From Stratocaster/Jazzmaster hybrids and a Jimmy Page signature amp to no-nonsense analog amp simulators and beyond, it’s been another hectic week in the world of guitar gear, with high-profile launches from Martin, Fender, Charvel and Boss to pick through. Let’s not waste any more time…
Sundragon Jimmy Page The Nymph
Perhaps the headline launch of the week, the Sundragon Nymph is the latest launch from the boutique amp firm that was founded in 2017 by Jimmy Page and former Marshall/Vox executive VP Mitch Colby.
The Led Zeppelin legend has a few Sundragon tube amps to his name already, but this one is particularly interesting, not least because the marketing tag reads: “From your bedroom to Madison Square Garden without missing a beat.”
A smaller footprint without sacrificing specs and sounds was the aim of the game here, with the Nymph offering two 12AX7s, a sole eight-inch speaker, and a power switch that lets you go to as low as 1/4-watt for bedroom practice.
Apparently, it was the most challenging Sundragon amp to design to date, but the firm – and Page – is confident the Nymph offers stadium-sized tones in a tiny combo package.
For more: Sundragon
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++
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Until this week, the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++ had never been made available as a production release.
After it had been pioneered out of Vivian Campbell’s modded IIC+, it became a cult metal amp for artists alone, and was only ever made on an ad hoc basis for big-name players. Such players included Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield, who used their own ‘Crunch Berries’ IIC++ amps to shape the sound of heavy metal in the 1980s.
Now, that off-the-record mod has been brought to the masses (sort of) through a limited edition run that recreates the higher gain, tighter low-end tones of the hallowed original. Unfortunately, the hype for this amp was so great, that all 200 amps have already sold out.
For more: Mesa/Boogie
Fender Ariel Posen Limited Edition Stratocaster
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As someone who loves Stratocasters and adores Jazzmasters, Ariel Posen’s conceptual hybrid of the two is something of a dream guitar for me. With the tonal sensibilities of his Jazz – arriving courtesy of newly developed AP90 pickups – pairing with the playability of his favorite Strat, Posen’s Custom Shop signature guitar looks (and sounds) like a proper player. That finish ain’t half bad, either.
I can’t remember the last time a Strat got me this excited. If those pickups ever get a standalone release, they’ll be going straight into my own Strat. Of course, I don’t expect to sound half as good as Posen, but there’s something about them that just feels… fresh.
For more: Fender
Charvel Angel Vivaldi
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Granted, it’s been a busy week for signature releases, but let’s not gloss over the Charvel Nova-7 – a new seven-string guitar for fusion virtuoso Angel Vivaldi.
It’s Vivaldi’s second Charvel model and the latest to update his flagship Nova model from 2019, bolstering it with an additional string, DiMarzio Tone Zone and Air Norton pickups, Luminlay side dots and a recessed Gotoh double-locking tremolo, among other specs.
For more: Charvel
Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble
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A pedalboard-friendly rotary pedal that promises to authentically and accurately replicate the expressive spacial goodness of an original rotary speaker cabinet, but also goes above and beyond by addressing its more complex audio behaviours? We’re listening.
Boss has dropped the latest addition to its compact stompbox line that apparently does just that, and it might just be an essential piece of kit for anyone wanting to dust their signal chain with a sprinkle of rotary goodness.
Built with “the latest Boss advancements”, the RT-2 offers three different modes, some nifty extras for a more expansive sound, and – best of all – is a lot more convenient (and affordable) than wiring up to an actual rotary cabinet.
For more: Boss
Watch On
After launching a Joe Satriani signature TONEX One pedal, IK Multimedia has now directed the attentions of its digital activities to taking on the ‘Brown Sound’ – Eddie Van Halen’s coveted guitar tone defined by its warm high-gain and luscious sustain, which has now been emulated and made available through the firm’s TONEX ecosystem.
Across three limited-edition pedals and too regular TONEX Signature Collections, six album’s worth of evolutionary Brown Sound tones have been curated, all of which were created in collaboration with Brown Sound tone guru Jim Gaustad.
The result, IK says, is “150 ultra-accurate Tone Models that feature both authentic recreations and thoughtful variations, representing different theories about how these legendary tracks were recorded”.
For more: IK Multimedia
EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening
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Ever wanted to dabble in the world of amp modelers but been left feeling overwhelmed by the menu deep-diving, IR loaders, and option paralysis that usually comes with the flagship floorboard modelers? Well, you’re in luck, because the EQD Easy Listening is an all analog amp simulator designed for at-home practice that removes all of the extra fluff.
There’s just one knob for controlling output, and that’s it. Based on a ’65 Deluxe, it sounds excellent, takes pedals very well it seems, and could become the go-to amp simulator for those wanting genuine analog tones in a world swimming in digital guitar sounds. I have an HX Stomp and a Nano Cortex, and even I’m tempted by this…
For more: EarthQuaker Devices
Gibson Certified Vintage CF-100E
While not technically a gear drop in the traditional sense, the Gibson Certified Vintage program did just unveil a rather unusual guitar: a vintage CF-100E from 1951, which has been dubbed the firm’s first-ever attempt at creating an electrified flat-top acoustic guitar.
Owing to the nature of the collection, only one will be up for sale directly through Gibson, but it’s a neat piece of history and a formative innovation that feels like it merits an inclusion here. The rest of the drop has some gems, too…
For more: Gibson
Martin X Series, Inception and Road Series update
There are five new Martin guitars to sink your teeth into this week, with the storied acoustic firm overhauling its Inception, X Series and Road Series collections with fresh finishes, new body styles and updated tonewood options.
Without getting too bogged down by the details, there’s an all-new non-cutaway GPE Inception Maple acoustic, two Ziricote X Series models and a spruce spin on the offset SC-10E.
For more: Martin
Fender Japan Tokyo Edition Telecaster
Another week, another irresistible launch from Fender Japan, which has once again tested my mental resolve with a Tokyo Editions Telecaster that is just beggine to be bought.
Available in two finishes, it features Lollar DC-90 hum-cancelling P-90 pickups straight from the factory, and offers a modern-yet-traditional take on the timeless single-cut blueprint. Again, we’re sad to say these are only available in Japan, but that’s probably a good thing. My wallet is safe for now.
For more: Fender Japan
Knaggs Severn H
The rise of the headless guitar continues unabated, it seems, with Knaggs now entering the playing field with a headstock-less development of its own.
Strandberg, Ibanez, Schecter and Kiesel have all been flying the flag for headless instruments over the past few years, and it seems firms far and wide are still keen to capitalize on the trend.
The Severn H looks like a valiant effort, too, with a sleek body design and a versatile HSS configuration.
For more: Knaggs
