Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s weekly 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 in the loop with every new launch.
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.
Article continues belowFender Vintera III
I’ve got a lot of time and love for Fender, and I personally love what it’s done with the Vintera range. The Vintera III, the firm says, looks to set a new benchmark for historical accuracy with a boatload of guitars that drill down into various decades to deliver a truly comprehensive lineup.
It’s a neat twist on the ‘vintage-inspired’ ethos, and while that whole approach can get quite tedious at times (how many times have we heard ‘vintage-inspired’ to describe a guitar?) the Vintera range is the perfect platform to pedal it.
Gone are the days of ‘one-size-fits-all’ decade-inspired guitars. The Vintera III breaks things down further, offering various Teles and Strats from across the spectrum, including mid ‘60s and late ‘60s Strats, as well as late ‘50s Mid ‘60s and Late ‘60s Teles. It’s extensive, and somewhat daunting, but it leaves more opportunities for bringing some of the sought-after quirks and details of each individual model.
There’s a lot of differentiation here, but my favorite has to be that sunburst Jaguar. Rhythm/Lead switching circuit, with a built-in mute system? I thought I’d gotten over my Fender offset moment. Take all of my monies right this instant.
Epiphone Futura
One of the biggest takeaways that Team Guitar World got from NAMM 2026 back in January was just how strong Gibson and Epiphone’s respective lineups were for this year, Epiphone especially.
The Futura range was what tipped it over the edge for us. These are some seriously killer-looking guitars, ringing in at the sub–$900 price points with a healthy helping of modern specs, sleek aesthetics and more.
As the name implies, they put a futuristic spin on some classic Gibson shapes, including the SG, Les Paul, ES-355, Firebird, Explorer and Flying V. And, for good measure, there’s also an RD thrown in there, too.
Stainless steel frets, color-shifting finishes, ProBucker pickups, Super 400–style pearloid split-block inlays, compound radius fingerboards… yep. Epiphone really delivered here.
Gibson Les Paul Studio Double Trouble
I would also like to give an honorable mention to the Les Paul Studio Double Trouble, another model that was previewed at NAMM 2026. My first ‘proper’ electric guitar was a Gibson Les Paul Studio, so I have a soft spot for these guitars.
The burst finishes and cheeky uncovered Double Trouble humbuckers here are a really nice touch. I thoroughly enjoyed the Gibson USA Standard Double Troubles, so to see that format brought to the Studio series is a big win in my eyes.
Gretsch Limited Edition 1958 Custom Falcon and Penguin
Gretsch rolled out some limited edition models this week, and by jove they are easy on the eyes. Arriving in Falcon and Penguin formats, these guitars offer a delicious Emerald Night metallic finish as well as period correct appointments that pay homage to 1958 Gretsch guitars.
That means there are TV Jones Ray Butts Ful-Fidelity Filter-Tron pickups, vintage chambering in the mahogany/maple body, and nitro lacquer finishes. There are some modern tweaks, though, such as the string-through Bigsby tailpieces and Luminlay side dots. Yummy.
OBNE Setback
I simply cannot write these round-ups without including some form of ambient-y, soundscape-y, textural machine, and this week the honor goes to Old Blood Noise Endeavor’s Setback Reverse Delay. As you’d expect from a reverse delay pedal, you can get pretty wild with this thing.
It looks simple to operate, but the minimal controls can tap into some niche effects, offering up everything from lo-fi warbles and cinematic soundscapes to oddball echoes and bit-crush-y textures.
Marshall Synergy JCM800
Back at Guitar Summit last year, Marshall was showing off its new Synergy JMP preamp module, which served as the first signs of a new collaboration between the British amp builder and Synergy.
Now, the two have returned with an all-tube preamp module of the JCM800. It’s described as “the ultimate tribute to the icon that is the JCM800”, designed to work in conjunction with Synergy’s compact, rack, IR heads, and combo modules.
It comes packed with three 12AX7 valves in a bid to deliver the sound of the source material, and also drives a zero-watt power amp in its quest to deliver inimitable cranked MArshall tones at a more sensible volume level.
We were told at Guitar Summit that the Marshall x Synergy link-up was just getting started. Expect more modules to come in the future…
Mesa/Boogie Subway+ Bass DI-Preamp II
It was a big week for the Gibson family of brands, and Mesa/Boogie capped things off by dropping its Subway+ Bass DI-Preamp II. A blockbuster sequel to the original, this thing is super compact, absolutely rammed with features, and offers loads of tweakability to channel classic Boogie tones.
