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 belowJackson Limited Edition Misha Mansoor Surfcaster
I've literally been waiting years for this. And that's no exaggeration. I've been writing stories about Misha Mansoor's custom Surfacaster since 2023. I interviewed him about it twice. Now, the most desirable metal offset ever created (there, I said it) is finally here.
Unfortunately, it's a Custom Shop limited edition model that costs $9k. However, Misha did tell me eons ago that the potential roll-out of a signature Surfcaster would be prefaced by a Custom Shop build and, if that was successful, it would be then followed by a production run.
A man can dream. Because this thing is a beaut. That heavy relic'd Army Drab finish is exquisite. The Bare Knuckle pickups? Delightful. Misha has said it's been an infinitely inspiring instrument, and that doesn't surprise me.
Jackson, if you're reading this: please, please, please do a production run. Can I get a ‘Hell yeah!’ in the comments, please.
Charvel Jake E. Lee Pro-Mod San Dimas Blue Burst
This week, Charvel honored Jake E. Lee's Ozzy Osbourne era by giving the veteran shredder a new signature Pro-Mod San Dimas that doffs its cap to the Blue Burst Superstrat that Lee wielded at the peak of his Prince of Darkness years.
It's got slanted pickups because of Jimi Hendrix, and a lush colorway that came about when Lee decided he wanted something unique that would set him apart from the crowd. As if his playing didn't do that enough already. A really, really good-looking guitar.
Bad Cat PurePath
When we talk about speaker simulation, IRs, all that stuff, it’s always digital, digital, digital – in-the-box solutions that are really convenient and all that, but are, essentially, artificial, a facsimile writ large in 1s and 0s, when really you just want to capture the sound of your tube amp in all its glory.
The Bad Cat PurePath passive analog cabinet simulator, does just that. And it’s clear there is a market for it. The PurePath was winner of NAMM 2026’s Best in Show award. The PurePath will be a blessed relief for anyone who wants to cut down on screen time. There is no need for a laptop, or an app – there isn’t even a power socket. It features a mechanical reactive load; everything is powered by your amp.
It is designed for studio use, home recording, silent stages, and “for players who want the most realistic direct sound possible”. In other words, it sounds like a real guitar speaker cabinet, and feels like your amp, with the same sag and dynamics.
The PurePath can handle up to 150-watts, impedances of 4, 8 or 16 ohms, and has a 20dB pad for tamping down super-powered amps whose output is making your console clip. It has switches, not dials, 2-way microphone “placement” at the edge or center, plus open and closed-back cabs, alnico and ceramic speakers, and there’s an onboard presence boost and XLR with ground lift. It’s priced $449 street. (JH)
PRS Limited Edition Mango Top guitars
PRS has never shied away from a little experimentation. It's one of the core values of the firm: to continually push the boundary of conventional guitar making and further elevate its builds. We've seen it previously with the reinvention of the tuning machines, as well as the development of the Narrowfield pickups.
Now, PRS is championing a new tonewood, mango wood. It's been used for a run of six limited-edition guitars, each of which boast the exotic wood top in a variety of colors. It's been an instant hit in the PRS factory: firm workers love it, and it's already found its way onto Mark Holcomb's signature guitar.
We're not surprised, really. Just look at how nice they are...
Ernie Ball Music Man Axis 30th Anniversary
Okay, so many of us get confused when we see the Axis, because of the Eddie Van Halen association, because while the Axis we have here officially became the Axis in 1996 – happy birthday – that shape, a sort of ‘90s shreddable reinvention of a T-style, was the great man’s signature guitar. It bears his design preferences. And from 1991 to ’95 Eddie Van Halen was happy with it, only reportedly moving to Peavey because they could make more units of them.
Anyway, EBMM didn’t retire the instrument. It rebranded it the Axis (a name that had been kicking around already), made some adjustments, let it evolve over the years, and if the brand’s high-profile artist endorsements from John Petrucci et al have overshadowed the Axis then what better than this limited run to remind us that it is one of the best electric guitars that EBMM have made.
These take it back to the start, with quilt-maple tops, matching headstocks, and black sparkle-finish backs. Finish options include Translucent Gold Black, Pink, Red, Blue, and Purple, and you’ve got a pair of custom DiMarzio humbuckers, a double-locking tremolo system, and a typically bougie made in the USA build. At $3,799, it’s a serious instrument. (JH)
Revv Generator G25
So, Revv Amplification has given its pretty much ground-breaking G20 series of high-gain tube amps a refresh… Who’s ready to chug!? Well, come on in. But the Generator G25 does a lot more than just atom-splitting gain – though we’ll get to that. It presents players with two channels, both sharing an EQ (these heads are really quite compact), but each with their own independent volume controls. There are some familiar touches, such as the Aggressive and Fat switches, which do what you’d think they would do to your tone.
Design-wise, Revv knows what’s what, placing almost everything you need to turn and control on the front panel – including the five-way rotary dial for selecting your virtual cabinet. But of course this is a Revv amp, so you can access 128 virtual cab presets via MIDI and program that five-way dial with your favorites.
Speaking of favorite things, the G Series Purple channel is one of those, and it has been suitably redesigned, and made to sound bigger. This is now a 25-watter, yet still switchable to 4-watts, but Revv says we’ll get more headroom and punch.
Elsewhere, you’ve got the tube-buffered effects loop, an XLR output. Under the hood there are a pair of 6V6s doing the heavy lifting, a pair of 12AX7s in the preamp, and if a tube amp head equipped with onboard Two Notes Torpedo tech sounds good in 2026 then head over to Revv Amplification for more details. This will set you back $1,499. Oh yeah, there’s an onboard noise gate, too. Yup, it’s ridiculous. (JH)
Mooer StemLab Intelligent Amps
Mooer Audio’s StemLab technology has arrived for its Future Series Intelligent Amps, and will soon be rolled out across more of its smart products, and it is a very clever AI tool that allows players to de-mix an audio track and isolate instruments, making it a potentially transformative proposition for practice sessions.
Now, we’ve seen something like this before, and we liked it. The JBL Bandbox Trio had this feature on the actual device, allowing players to mute vocals or guitars or whatever in real time and play along to what’s left. Time will tell if we actually see that on a piece of Mooer Audio hardware (you can bet on it). But for now, those with the F Series amps should update their app, and they can take advantage of the StemLab features. You can split the track six ways, adjust volume on each, and export the de-mixed track as a .wav file. Very clever. (JH)
Guitar Center x Keeley Red Nectar
Guitar Center has done plenty of brand-exclusive guitar drops in the past (any excuse to bring up those uber-popular Violet Widow Les Pauls, eh?) but now it's partnered with a Keeley for an exclusive stompbox.
And the Red Nectar looks like a really cool pedal. It's an overdrive/compression twofer, combining two of Keeley's celebrated circuits under one roof. Two of Keeley's most trusted tone-shaping tools in one chassis? It's a simple sell, but a strong one. And it's red. That's pretty cool.
Wylde Audio Hybrid Mini Amp
Zakk Wylde has spent the past 10 years honing his craft as a guitar builder under the Wylde Audio banner, masterminding some of the most outrageously metal guitars to ever see the light of day.
Now, he's turned his hand to amp designing, producing the first Wylde Audio mini amp head, which is said to deliver authentic Zakk Wylde tones in a super-small format. Only 275 will be made, and each comes loaded with Wylde-appointed specs including the same single ECC83 preamp tube he's always used, and a built-in cab sim voiced after his EV-loaded stacks.
It's an exciting turn for Wylde Audio. A new website has been set up and everything. Expect more amps to follow...
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