Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s 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.
Gibson Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard
Oasis came back this year. Noel Gallagher’s been playing a drop-dead gorgeous Les Paul on tour. The internet can’t stop talking about it. You know the score.
It is one of 2025’s most talked-about builds. But for those Oasis fans wanting to channel some Big Gallagher Energy, their only option was to either a) fork out for one of the 25 ultra-exclusive Murphy Lab models, or b) cut corners and get a Les Paul that came close to the source material.
Now, Gibson has answered the calls from those fans, reissuing the Gallagher Les Paul as a more affordable Standard USA model. It looks the part, right down to the chrome P-90s – which, apparently, took some time to get right – and chrome poker chip toggle switch.
It’s still a limited edition, but there’s more of them, so we imagine there will be plenty more happy Oasis fans this time around. We kinda want those pickups as aftermarket mod accessories, though…
For more: Gibson
Epiphone Gem Archer Masterbuilt Sheraton and Bonehead Riviera
The Oasis signature guitar ecosystem doesn’t just contain the Gallagher Les Paul, though. This week, two Oasis stalwarts received signatures of their own. Co-founder Bonehead got an Epiphone Riviera, based on the vintage model he used to help shape the Oasis sound, while Gem Archer received a recreation of the original Sheraton that was gifted to him by Noel.
Both are incredibly classy and are inspired by some truly great instruments. These are the Epiphones that have helped carry the Oasis sound, after all, and the ones that have played a huge part in making the reunion tour sound so darn good. We’re on the fence, but the sunburst finish of the Bonehead model is sooo pretty…
For more: Epiphone
Fender Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Delta Day Telecaster Deluxe
Blues maestro Kingfish is fast becoming synonymous with the Fender Telecaster. In years to come, when people have conversations about the Tele greats, Kingfish's name will be well in the mix. If we're honest, he already really is.
His loyalty to the Tele Deluxe template was further rewarded this week with a new-look version of his flagship signature. It's called Delta Day, has a sleek Daphne Blue colorway, and looks (and sounds) killer.
Funnily enough, though, Kingfish wasn't sold on the Telecaster when he first got his hands on one...
For more: Fender
Gibson Kirk Hammett Raven
Gibson’s homepage has been proudly taken over by the brand’s new Back to the Future ES-345s, and for good reason – the hunt for the film’s OG guitar has been high up on Gibson’s priority list this year. However, space was made for another new launch this week, which happened to be Kirk Hammett’s latest signature acoustic.
The release was eventually given plenty of fanfare and gothic grandiose, which seems appropriate for the guitar itself – those are some of the cleanest pickguard designs we’ve seen grace the top of a Gibson dreadnought, fully befitting the heavy metal guitar icon. It’s been dubbed a counterpart to the Hummingbird. Think if the Hummingbird had an evil twin.
For more: Gibson
Martin Jason Isbell 0-17
Jason Isbell has joined Jeff Tweedy on the (very short) list of ‘artists who got a Martin signature guitar this month’, partnering with the company for two acoustics of varying prices that look to recreate his prized pre-war acoustic.
The more expensive $5k version was a particular challenge to get right. For that one, Martin used the very-hard-to-source Brazilian rosewood – something that Isbell is particularly grateful for. It’s been joined by a more accessible $1,049 model, which channels the spirit of Martin’s Road Series, and a signature string set that looks to “set the standard for acoustic tone and playability”.
“They’re well made, they’re easy to play, and it encourages beginner guitar players and singer-songwriters to have something that is quality,” Isbell said. “I could take this guitar and make a living with it.”
For more: Martin
Donner x MIYAVI signature pedal
MIYAVI – the Japanese super shredder who worked with Fender to produce one of the wildest Telecasters we’ve seen – now has a few more pieces of signature gear under his belt: two multi-effects pedals, designed in collaboration with Donner.
MIYAVI, who is now both a Donner signature artist and the firm’s creative director, debuted his pedal pairing at Shanghai’s Music Show last weekend, with both promising to deliver “a distinctive tone beyond limits”.
The Dimension Weaver concerns itself with reverb, chorus and delay, while the Rage Breaker offers boot, fuzz and overdrive. Both follow the precedent set by Jack White’s surprising and uber-affordable $99 multi-effects – one of the White Stripe legend’s more unexpected partnerships – which came out at the start of last year.
Like White, MIYAVI is something of a maverick when it comes to gear, technique and tone, so both pedals here are pretty intriguing. Plus, with Donner pulling no punches in its artist ranks, we wonder which big-name player could be its next collaborator…
For more: Donner
Sterling by Music Man Rabea Massaad Sabre
When Ernie Ball Music Man announced Rabea Massaad as a signature artist back in 2023, promising at the time that they’d work together on some exciting new builds, it piqued our interests. After all, you had a goliath in the online progressive guitar scene working with a company unafraid to push the boundaries of guitar design – see the St. Vincent Goldie and Kaizen for evidence.
While not as radical as those two models, the resulting Sabre was unique in its own way. Highly refined and engineered for Massaad’s style, the guitar put a modern spin on the classic Sabre – and ever since the $4k model landed, fans have been waiting patiently for an affordable Sterling by Music Man version.’
Now, after a brief NAMM preview, it’s finally here, and it slashes more than $3,000 off the OG’s price tag. Of course, some cost-cutting measures have been adopted to hit that price point. The premium tonewoods are gone. So are the Bare Knuckle humbuckers. Still, it’s a Massaad Sabre, with all the feel and playability of the real deal.
For more: Sterling by Music Man
Korn Indigo Sludge
Korn’s self-titled debut album shaped the very fabric of nu metal. Oft described as the first nu metal album, the record included tracks such as Blind, Blown and Need To, which introduced the world to the band’s distinct sound – spearheaded by visceral, downtuned seven-strings and a raw, bone-rattling heaviness.
It’s been the muse of many tone-chasers over the years, but now the hunt can be called off. Korn has released its own self-branded pedal, which promises to put those exacting tones into one box. Unsurprisingly, it’s been deemed a pedalboard essential for many Korn fans. So much so, in fact, that it’s already sold out. Shame.
For more: Korn
D’Addario Pick Holder 360
There are a handful of certainties in the life of a guitar player, the most obvious one being that if you buy a pack of 20 guitar picks on a Monday, chances are you’d have lost all 20 come Sunday. Those things seem to vanish into thin air. It’s not our fault.
To resolve those woes and provide an answer to the missing pick conundrum, D’Addario is aiming to promote greater pick organization skills with its Pick Holder 360. As the name implies, the gizmo can spin 360 degrees for immediate access to up to 12 picks, with space underneath for storage. That is, if you can remember to put them back in the spinner and keep the tine stocked up with picks…
For more: D'Addario
Positive Grid Spark NEO Core
Positive Grid’s Spark NEO wireless headphone amp was one of the biggest stories to come out of NAMM this year, so it’s no surprise to see the practice amp expert expand its lineup with a wired version that keeps all the sought-after sonic specs of the flagship pair but slashes the price down to a very tasty $159.
Silent practice is just a cold hard necessity of guitar-playing – you can’t always crank amps, unfortunately – so practice amps and headphone amps are excellent ways to keep playing late into the night. The NEO Core looks like a solid option in that regard.
For more: Positive Grid
To The Stars: The Adventure Box
Is there an award for the best-named effects pedal? There should be. The Adventure Box would win. The latest creation from To The Stars and designed with Tom DeLonge himself, this 2-in-1 compressor and delay (a rather obscure blend for a twofer stompox, we note) puts “the tones you’ve been listening to for 20 years right at your feet”.
Specifically, the tones are born from DeLonge and producer Aaron Rubin’s recording sessions, and are especially voiced for humbuckers. It also offers six studio-approved settings for songs such as The Adventure and Adam’s Song.
For more: To The Stars
Manson Supermassive Black Fuzz
We know what you’re thinking: Manson? Making a fuzz pedal? Based on a Muse hit?! The Matt Bellamy-backed British firm has been flexing its guitar-making nous for some time now, but now it’s decided to show off its newfound effects pedal expertise by branching into the stompbox game for the first time ever.
And what a way to start. The grizzly, gnarly fuzz tones of Muses’ Supermassive Black Hole are what inspired the aptly named Supermassive Black Fuzz, which has been years in the making. With a chassis that wouldn’t look out of place on a Beetronics shelf, the Supermassive fuzz was concocted with the help of ThorpyFX’s Adrian Thorpe, and was fine-tuned by Bellamy himself at various studios around the world.
We are so here for Manson’s pedal era. We can’t wait to see what the firm does next.
For more: Manson Guitar Works
Ibanez Gaofunk GF1
Ibanez certainly has a few Strat-y guitars on its books. The AZ Essentials line, for example, is inspired by the classic double-cut design. But the GF1 – built for Japanese blues funk maestro Gaofunk – might be its Strattiest build to date. That sunburst finish. The tortoiseshell pickguard. The rosewood fingerboard. It all screams Stevie Ray Vaughan. Bravo, Ibanez.
For more: Ibanez
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