In celebration of Guild’s 60th anniversary, the company has opened the Guild Custom Shop. The shop’s first offerings include the 60th Anniversary model, the Orpheum Jumbo, Orpheum Mahogany Orchestra, Orpheum Rosewood Orchestra, Orpheum Slope Shoulder 14-fret Rosewood Dreadnought, Orpheum Slope Shoulder 14-Fret Mahogany Dreadnought and Orpheum Slope Shoulder 12-Fret Dreadnought, American Patriarch Artist Award, American Patriarch X-500 Stuart, American Patriarch M-75 Aristocrat guitars.

So you’re out hunting for strings. Rather than go with some fly-by-night brand that’s been in the string business for only 100 years, let’s take a look at La Bella. They’ve been making violin strings since the 1640s! The company could just sit around at its headquarters in Newburgh, New York, where it makes its strings, but it keeps churning out new ideas. Recently I got the chance to test drive the company's new White Nylon Tapewound bass strings.

Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton has been playing G&L ASAT Basses for nearly 20 years — ever since he bought his first blue metal flake ASAT bass at 48th Street Custom Guitars in New York City. Since then, G&L has built several more ASAT basses in a variety of finishes, but there’s something about G&L’s over-the-top metal flake finishes that keeps him coming back for more.

Warwick's Streamer Series is expanding with a new model — the Streamer CV (Classic Vintage). The ergonomically shaped body of the Streamer CV is made of lightweight US swamp ash. The one-piece maple neck fretted version comes with a rosewood fretboard; the fretless version offers a Tigerstripe Ebony fretboard. The 21 Jumbo Bronze frets get installed and perfectly dressed with Warwick’s innovative Invisible Fret Technology.