Gear

Oktober Guitars Introduces Wraith Electric Guitar

Damian Fanelli — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:40:40 +0000

Oktober Guitars has announced the release of its new Wraith electric guitar.

The Oktober Wraith is available worldwide and can be ordered directly from Oktober Guitars' website.

The guitar features a solid mahogany neck and body, Oktober Blockhead pickups and and a 24¾-scale length and 12-inch radius ebony fretboard inlayed with mother of pearl diamonds.

Standard options include:

• Solid mahogany neck and body
• Set neck construction
• Premium bound ebony fretboard with mother of pearl diamond inlays
• 24 fret neck
• 24 ¾” scale
• Floyd Rose Special tremolo (non-recessed)
• Oktober Blockhead pickups BH1 (bridge) and BH2 (neck)
• Form-fitting Oktober hard shell case
• Jet Black finish

List price: $1,099.00 US
Factory direct: $599.99 US

For more information visit oktoberguitars.com.

Dean Markley USA Announces Nikki Sixx Helix HD SS Bass Strings

Damian Fanelli — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:19:49 +0000

Dean Markley USA has teamed up with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx to create Nikki Sixx Helix HD SS Bass Strings.

The strings, which are made of a stainless-steel alloy, feature the same custom gauges Sixx uses -- and Dean Markley's new Helix patent-pending hyper-elliptical windings.

As Sixx puts it, “Dean Markley puts the bite back in the bass sound.”

From Dean Markley:

"With over a year of research and development, the Helix string uses a precise elliptical shape for the winding wire. The shape then had to be paired with the correct winding process. The hyper-elliptical winding process results in an increased number of wraps along the length of the string.

"This increases the mass of the string without changing its diameter or material. More mass makes a fuller tone; more windings give a smoother feel as well as a brighter, more resonant tone. Additional benefits of the hyper-elliptical windings are a relaxed feel and less unwanted noise. The strings are designed to last much longer without sacrificing tone and performance."

The custom gauges are:

First String: .050 / Second String: .070 / Third String: .090 / Fourth String: .110

MSRP: $49.50 US

For more information, visit DeanMarkley.com.

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Stevie Ray Vaughan Bassist Tommy Shannon Signs Endorsement Deal With Markbass

Damian Fanelli — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:40:43 +0000

Tommy Shannon, best known as the bassist for Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Johnny Winter and Arc Angels, has signed an endorsement deal with Italy-based amp manufacturer Markbass.

His Markbass rig of choice is a CMD 102P combo with a Traveler 102P extension cabinet.

“Markbass gives me that big, full sound that I’m used to, with the portability that I need,” said Shannon in a news release from the company.

For more about Markbass, visit markbass.it.

Shannon performed with Winter at the Woodstock festival in August 1969. Several years later, he connected with Vaughan to form Double Trouble's rhythm section with drummer Chris Layton. After Vaughan's death in 1990, Shannon performed with Arc Angels and Storyville.

Shannon also has performed with Dr. John, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Susan Tedeschi, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin and Jeff Beck.

For more about Shannon and his Markbass rig, visit his profile page at Markbass.it.

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Photo Gallery: Martin Guitars Visits Guitar World with Four New Models, Including 00-DB Jeff Tweedy and GPCPA4 Siris

Damian Fanelli — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:05:03 +0000

Chris Thomas of Martin Guitars recently visited Guitar World's office in New York City.

Accompanying him were four new Martin models -- the 00-DB Jeff Tweedy, the new D-18, the GPCPA4 Siris and a Custom Shop CS28-12 -- which we checked out at the 2012 NAMM show in January.

Here's a photo gallery of three of the models (Sorry -- I completely missed the Custom Shop CS28-12), all of which were played by Guitar World's Paul Riario, who appears in a few photos, and me (I appear in no photos).

Let it be known that these were some seriously fine guitars; all of them were beautiful, bright, rich and exceedingly fun to play; we didn't want them to leave the building. Riario agrees that all the models were incredible and definitely deserve a test drive.

My personal favorite (Riario's too, for that matter) was the limited-edition Jeff Tweedy model, which will be built for only two years. I honestly didn't think I'd like a traditional 14-fret 00-size guitar, but it pretty much played itself and had a very full sound.

The tension was perfectly balanced up and down the neck, enabling fingers to fly on this thing. The modified-V-shape, long-scale neck (25.4 inches) certainly didn't hurt. The inside label on each of these guitars is signed by Tweedy -- the Wilco frontman -- and numbered in sequence.

So check out the photo gallery below -- and keep an eye out for Riario's review of the the GPCPA4 Siris in an upcoming issue of Guitar World and a related video on GuitarWorld.com.

For more about Martin Guitars, visit their recently redesigned website.

Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World.

Recording King Updates Slope Shoulder Guitars with Extended Scale Length

Damian Fanelli — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:20:34 +0000

Recording King has updated its Slope Shoulder guitars with an extended scale length and vintage styling.

From the company:

"We’ve taken everything great about our slope shoulder guitars and added a bunch of new features that will please modern players and vintage enthusiasts. Following the early mid-century “Jumbo” to “advanced Jumbo” change, we’ve extended our scale length to the full dreadnought scale of 25.4” for a little more punch and projection.

"The classic body shape still delivers the sweetness and ideal tonal blend characteristic to slope shoulder guitars, but the longer scale gives it just a touch more volume to help cut through the mix. The 1-11/16” bone nut is perfectly comfortable for strumming, fingerstyle or flatpicking, and combined with the bone saddle, helps to give these guitars an additional degree of brightness and clarity."

Recording King also has added ivory body and fretboard binding, pearl fretboard dots, vintage-inspired Golden Age tuners and the Recording King headstock logo inlay.

The slope shoulder guitars are available in two models. The RAJ-126 has a solid AA grade Sitka spruce top and solid African Mahogany back and sides. It’s finished in vintage sunburst with a classic firestripe pickguard, and ivory Golden Age tuning machines. The RAJ-116 has the same AA grade Sitka top with Mahogany back and sides. It’s finished in natural, with the same firestripe pickguard but with vintage-style Grover tuners.

The Recording King Slope Shoulder guitars start at a MAP of $499.99 with solid Sitka top and Mahogany back and sides.

Learn more about Recording King's 2012 line at its official website.

Reverend Guitars Introduces Reeves Gabrels Signature Model with Railhammer Chisel Pickups

Damian Fanelli — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:54:14 +0000

Reverend Guitars has announced its new Reeves Gabrels Signature Model guitar, now with Railhammer Chisel pickups. The new model, the Reeves Gabrels II, is Reverend's second Gabrels model.

Gabrels, who worked with Reverend on the guitar's specs, opted for the new Railhammer Chisels, which feature rails under the wound strings for tight lows and poles under the plain strings for fat highs. The pickups have power and clarity, which complement Gabrels’ style.

The signature model also now comes in a satin finish, which gives three-dimensional depth to the flame-maple top. The Reeves II will come in Satin Flame Maple Black and Satin Flame Maple Orange.

The solid Korina body has a recessed Wilkinson tremolo, and the pickup selector is a toggle-style switch, which can be rotated at any angle to suit the player. In addition to the volume/tone/bass contour knobs, featured on all Reverend guitars, the Reeves II also has a push-pull phase switch for more sonic adventures.

Visit reverendguitars.com for more info.

If you're not familiar with Gabrels' work, check out his official website, his Facebook page and the video below.

PRS Guitars Announces “Lefty” Custom 24 Limited Edition

Josh Hart — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:56:30 +0000

Earlier this week, Paul Reed Smith Guitars began taking orders for first-ever left-handed model of their flagship guitar, the Custom 24.

From PRS: "The 'Lefty' Custom 24 features a maple top (choice of flame or quilt), mahogany back, 24 fret mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, 'old school' abalone bird inlays, PRS’s redesigned 5-way blade switch, which offers a dual humbucker option, and 59/09 treble and bass pickups with contoured bobbins (new for 2012) that arc with the strings for a more spread out, open tone. 10-top flame or quilt maple as well as gold, nickel, or hybrid hardware are also available options."

The company hasn't placed a cap on the number of the guitars that will be produced, but the order window is limited to May 15 through July 15 of this year.

Gibson Acoustic Releases Sheryl Crow Southern Jumbo Special Edition Guitar

Guitar World Staff — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:59:27 +0000

Gibson Acoustic and Sheryl Crow announce their second collaboration with the release of the Sheryl Crow Southern Jumbo Special Edition. This new Southern Jumbo is the most advanced acoustic-electric Southern Jumbo available.

In 2010, Crow modified her entire live acoustic guitar lineup with the same new and advanced pickup system used in the Gibson Jackson Browne model released earlier that year. After an extensive in-studio comparison of guitars and pickups, the idea for her Southern Jumbo Special Edition was born.

Crow’s new Southern Jumbo is built for power and projection with wider X-bracing on the red spruce top. With mahogany back and sides, the combination of wood and pattern bracing gives this SJ a dynamic and responsive tonal range unlike any Southern Jumbo Gibson has built. The acoustic-electric version of this guitar has the same incredible stereo pickup system used in the highly-acclaimed Jackson Browne Model.

Traditional appointments like Ivroid Waverly tuners, vintage Gibson script logo and banner decal, a hand-beveled pickguard, bound fingerboard and a custom classic sunburst finish, result in a beautiful guitar with a classic appearance. The onboard electronics unleash a new level of acoustic performance capability never before achieved in an acoustic pickup.

“Having tested many internal pickup systems on many guitars,” said Robi Johns, project director with Gibson Acoustic, “we’ve discovered a new realm we never thought possible for live performance natural sound. This guitar, combined with this pickup system, can change the way players interact with their instrument on stage. It’s very exciting. Our goal is to get to the point where, as a player, you forget that you’re plugged in.”

Gibson continues to advance acoustic guitar tone and performance through innovation, experimentation and collaboration with world-class players.

For more about this model, visit the guitar's page on Gibson.com.

The Tone God Introduces Acoustic Pickup Adapter

Guitar World Staff — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:48:09 +0000

The Tone God has introduced its new Acoustic Pickup Adapter, which allows users to mount a common electric guitar pickup on an acoustic guitar without having to modify the instrument.

It gives players access to hundreds of different pickup models that can be experimented with until the desired tone is achieved. The installation can be done in minutes without drilling, routing or cutting.

The Acoustic Pickup Adapter mounts to the sound board with a small set of clamps that don't dampen the sound of the guitar, as well as cavities around the pickup that allow air to pass through, making sure your acoustic doesn’t sound muted.

The mount is designed to avoid damage to the guitar's finish. The Acoustic Pickup Adapter is made from transparent material, allowing your modification to fly under the radar and go unnoticed.

Wiring of the pickup can be done in a multitude of ways, including running the pickup wire through one of the vent holes like with common "drop in" acoustic pickups, wiring to a jack, an internal preamp, or even a set of volume and/or tone controls, just like an electric guitar.

To learn more about The Acoustic Pickup Adapter, visit thetonegod.com.

Campbell American Guitars Announces New WEW Series

Nick Vallese — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:35:29 +0000

Campbell American Guitars has announced the release of its latest model, the WEW.

The WEW draws inspiration from contoured-body, double-cutaway electric guitars of the 1950s and '60s.

Each WEW has a full, round C-neck shape and a 12-inch radius fretboard. The instrument also has a 25 ½-inch-scale neck and a body carved from premium Northwestern alder and finished with 100 percent nitro cellulose lacquer.

Handmade by a small group of luthiers in the Campbell American shop (in New England's Blackstone Valley), the WEW is truly a custom-built instrument in that it can be built to suit each player's individual tastes. Guitarists can choose from a variety of standard and custom colors. The guitar can be built using several different single-coil pickups by Jason Lollar, Lindy Fralin, Dimarzio and others.

For information on the WEW and other Campbell American Guitars, visit campbellamerican.com.

Carvin Announces JB200C Jason Becker Tribute Guitar

Damian Fanelli — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:53:40 +0000

San Diego-based Carvin Guitars has worked closely with neo-classical metal guitarist and composer Jason Becker to create a new tribute guitar, the JB200C.

For a while, Carvin and Becker had been considering a reissue of the flamed blue guitar made famous in the “kiss” photo, in which Becker is kissing the neck of his Carvin. The original guitar was a DC200 with the custom ST body shape and a flame maple fingerboard and flame maple body top.

The JB200C, which was created by Carvin’s Custom Shop, features an alder body, 4A flame maple body and headstock, flame maple fingerboard, Floyd Rose bridge with locking nut, Sperzel locking tuners, active/passive circuit and Carvin M22SD and M22V pickups.

Carvin has released a video paying tribute to Jason while documenting the making of the JB200C, and you can check it out below.

Becker, who rose to fame in the late '80s on Mike Varney’s Shrapnel Records, teamed up with guitarist Marty Friedman to form Cacophony. Becker joined David Lee Roth's band in the early '90s, appearing on the A Lil’ Ain’t Enough album. Before he could hit the road on the supporting tour, Becker was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He has survived decades longer than doctors had predicted. Although he can't play guitar anymore, Becker continues to compose music and communicate using a customized computer interface.

For more information on the guitar, visit carvin.com.

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Review: DV Mark Triple 6

Paul Riario — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:13:44 +0000

The following content is related to the June 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

In the following video, Guitar World's Paul Riario checks out the new Triple 6 three-channel, 120-watt all-tube head from DV Mark.

Lollar Introduces LollarTron Humbucker Pickups

Damian Fanelli — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:35:55 +0000

Lollar has released its new LollarTron humbucking pickups.

The retro-styled humbuckers channels the sound of vintage Filter’Tron pickups, the sort of thing you'd expect to find on an mid-1960s Gretsch.

The pickups feature A2 magnets and custom covers.

“Starting with a ‘60s Country Gentleman as a benchmark, we went after the classic rock-a-billy ‘bucker tone, adding some Lollar 'secret sauce' along the way," said From company founder Jason Lollar.

"The neck pickup is warm and buttery, with a clear, present top end. The bridge pickup is fat and honky, with a rich low end and great clarity. Combined, they sparkle and spank with clarity and punch. They’ll cover everything from 'OZ' rock to 'Nashville Super Pickers' and all points in between. We choose the humbucker size to make installation easier in a wider range of instruments.”

LollarTron humbucking pickups are available in singles or sets, with nickel or gold covers. They start at $175 each.

For more information, visit lollarguitars.com.

Cort Guitars Introduces New Sunset Series

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:43:23 +0000

Cort Guitars has introduced its new Sunset Series, which features two retro-styled models designed for rock, rockabilly and alternative guitarists.

The Sunset current models are the Sunset 1 and the Sunset 2. Both feature mahogany necks and bodies with maple tops, rosewood fingerboards and TV Jones pickups.

Sunset Series guitars come with D’Addario strings and chrome hardware and are available in black and candy apple red.

Sunset 1 specifications:

Bigsby B50 Tailpiece
Maple top on chambered mahogany body
Mahogany neck
Rosewood fretboard with 12” radius
22 Frets
Rectangular pearl inlay
Grover tuners
TV Jones Classic and Classic Plus pickups
One volume, one tone and three-way toggle controls
Single cutaway
Single “F” hole on body top
Chrome hardware
D’Addario strings
MSRP $1,195 USD

Sunset 2 specifications:

Maple top on chambered mahogany body
Mahogany neck
Rosewood fretboard with 12” radius
22 Frets
Rectangular pearl inlay
Die cast tuners
TonePros licensed bridge with stop tailpiece
TV Jones Ltd. pickups
One volume, one tone and three-way toggle controls
Chrome hardware
D’Addario strings
MSRP $750 USD

For more information, visit cortguitars.com.

Sterling by Music Man Introduces Sunburst Finish for John Petrucci Signature Model

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:03:19 +0000

Sterling by Music Man has introduced a new three-tone sunburst finish for its John Petrucci signature model, the JP100.

The three-tone sunburst version of the guitar, known as the JP100 3TS, features a quilt veneer maple top. Other features include a thin maple neck, 24 jumbo frets, Shield inlays, locking tuners, floating tremolo bridge, Dome knobs, three-way switch and two high-output ceramic magnet pickups.

Like the other Petrucci models, the guitar was designed by Petrucci and Music Man. Each guitar is inspected and set up in Orange, California.

The Sterling by Music Man JP100 3TS is available now. The MSRP is $955.

For more about the guitar, visit sterlingbymusicman.com.

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