Seven-string players generally fall into one of two categories: those who use the low B string primarily to create crushing bass chunk, and shredders like Rusty Cooley, who deftly apply their extensive musical vocabulary and virtuoso technique to the guitar’s full, extended range. Cooley’s contributions aren’t limited to awe-inspiring musical prowess—his recent work with Dean Guitars has advanced the art of seven-string construction and resulted in some of the style’s most playable and tonally balanced instruments. Newest among these collaborative creations is the Dean Rusty Cooley signature RC7X Wraith, an import accompaniment to his USA models that offers custom graphics and inlays, high-end components, effortless playability and a street price under $1,100.

I reviewed Hughes & Kettner’s Tubemeister 5 mini amp a few issues ago, and was impressed by both its feature set and huge sound. The new Tubemeister 36, with 36 watts of output and three channels, offers considerably more features in a compact package that’s only about twice the size of the Tubemeister 5. The Tubemeister 36 may still qualify as a mini amp, but the only things small about it are its physical dimensions and affordable price. It offers versatility, performance and functions that aren’t available on many three-channel amps nearly four times its size.