Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s sparkly new 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.
The highlight this week probably has to be the Gibson Tony Iommi signature humbucker which, while at first glance may seem fairly modest, proved to be rather special, as the firm decided to celebrate in style with an in-person event in London with Iommi himself in attendance. Watching him riff Iron Man up close was borderline biblical.
Elsewhere, there was a multi-effects pedal from Boss, new-look Sweetwater Silver Sky guitars and yet another crazy invention form Jack White's Third Man Hardware brand...
Gibson Tony Iommi signature pickup
Gibson rolled out the red carpet for the return of the Tony Iommi signature humbucker this week, hosting an exclusive in-person event at the Gibson Garage in London to celebrate the reissue of the firm's first-ever signature pickup.
Iommi has on-hand at the event for a Q&A during which he, naturally, demo'd the pickups. Hearing the heavy metal riff lord himself rip through Iron Man from three feet away really is quite something. The pickups sounded exceptional. Iommi didn't sound half-bad, either...
For more: Gibson
Fender Player II Shell Pink
Yet more web-exclusive Fender Player II models landed this week, with the Big F following its Racing Green catalog of Strats, Teles and Jazzmasters with a crop of Shell Pink variants. We aren't quite sure why Shell Pink isn't a standard finish available more widely, because – let's face it – these are irresistible.
Even those with a phobia of pink would have to admit these look absolutely spectacular. And the decision to complement it with a tortoiseshell pickguard? Chef's kiss. Take all our monies, Fender.
For more: Fender
Boss PX-1 Plugout FX
Single-effect multi-effects pedals have been having a moment in recent years, with Boss now unveiling its answer to the Line 6 HX One and TC Electronic Plethora X1 with the PX-1 – a compact pedal in appearance and design that lets players load a bunch of Boss effects into the chassis of one unit.
The OD-1, CE-2 and DD-2 are just three of the 16 effects available at launch, with more expected to arrive in the future (with an added premium, at should be added). It weighs in at $250, and doesn't come close to the sheer array of effects the HX One offers – the Plethora X1 doesn't do drives by comparison – so it remains to be seen just how much of a hit this one will be.
For more: Boss
PRS John Mayer SE Silver Sky Sweetwater Exclusives
We can't quite believe we've never seen any store-exclusive Silver Sky models in the past – spot drops with big retailers are a mainstay strategy for the likes of Fender and Gibson, after all – but PRS and John Mayer have kickstarted their own custom launch portfolio with two dashing models designed exclusively for Sweetwater.
Gold Spark and Platinum Spark (missed the trick by not calling it the Silver Spark, I'd argue) are the order of the business here, both giving the best-selling signature a metallic twist. Both look killer. I'd put my eggs in the Gold Spark basket, though.
For more: Sweetwater
Fender Adrian Younge signature Jazz Bass
A semi-fretless fingerboard? A Silver Sparkle finish? An onboard fuzz circuit? A built-in tremolo?! Just exactly what did Adrian Younge cook up with his new Fender signature? Well, for our money, perhaps the craziest Jazz Bass model in Big F history, that's what.
It truly is a marvel, and a stunning example of how the worlds of vintage designs can be married with a boundary-pushing blueprint that looks to reinvent them altogether. Kudos to Younge and Fender for daring to take the Jazz Bass to such experimental heights. Of course, it helps that it was made by the Custom Shop (as such it's quite pricey) but the principle remains.
For more: Fender Custom Shop
Kramer Pacer Deluxe
Back in the day, Kramer was arguably the Superstrat builder to beat, but with a market now saturated with models from the likes of Ibanez, Jackson, EVH and more, competition for that title has never been tighter. Furthermore, a Kramer revival is still very much underway, so there's work to do for the Gibson-owned brand if it hopes to reach the peak of Superstrat mountain again.
The Pacer Deluxe collection – a bevy of appropriately appointed HSS Superstrats that tread the line between contemporary specs and vintage visuals – is a strong first step on the way, with EMG pickups, super-slim neck profiles and, in some instances, Floyd Rose trems.
A sure-fire winner for retro-minded shredders, and with old-school hair metal-style guitars seemingly on the rise, the appeal of the Pacer Deluxe might yet spill into more colorful genres...
For more: Kramer
Third Man Hardware x Black Mountain Roto-Echo
What's this? Oh, nothing, just another crazy Third Man Hardware invention from Jack White's gear company that once again puts a unique twist on traditional effects pedal thinking.
Simply put, it's an adjustable delay pedal, built in collaboration with Black Mountain, that leverages an innovative foot-scroll wheel to trigger parameter changes. There are three parameters, and all of them can be dictated by the wheel, thanks to a mode-changing switch at the bottom of the pedal.
It is, without doubt, one of the most forward-thinking delay pedals I've come across in quite some time, and it begs the question as to why the scroll wheel isn't a more common tool for effects tweaking. Sure, it might not be quite as accurate, but it looks very, very fun.
For more: Third Man Hardware
Bzzzzkill Stratocaster Hum Reducer
Single-coil pickups are, of course, responsible for some of the most cherished guitar tones ever dialed in, but the unfortunate reality is that, sometimes, they can be incredibly noisy. Because of the fundamental design of single-coils, they are susceptible to the dreaded 60Hz hum.
Newly launched BzzzzKill, though, hopes to have solved that problem, debuting a new Hum Reducer coil that can be fitted into your Stratocaster-style guitar to drastically reduce that unwanted noise.
Installation is said to be easy, so that's a bonus, and when all is in place, BzzzzKill says hum is "virtually gone". Better yet, it's said to have no effect whatsoever on your tone.
For more: BzzzzKill
Epiphone EDS-1275
Epiphone seemed to have stealth-launched a bunch of new electric guitars this week, and this EDS-1275 has left us scratching our heads a bit. A double-neck from the Gibson-owned company for less than $1k? That's bound to get some attention.
What's more, Epi double-necks have previously been badged G-1275, and came with the old, outdated Epiphone headstock design as limited-edition launches. Now, though, this model has been given the full-fat EDS-1275 moniker – as per the Gibson original – and also boasts an updated headstock to boot.
When you remember that Jimmy Page's signature EDS-1275 went for $50,000, $949 sounds like a pretty good deal in comparison. Okay, this one is white, but it's still an EDS-1275.
For more: Epiphone
Fender Eddie Vedder Telecaster Trophy
Okay, not strictly a gear drop, but I felt compelled to include this here, because how often do you see the winning team of an MLB baseball competition be awarded with a trophy that's literally a guitar? Never. That's how often.
The Vedder Cup – inspired by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and recently formalized as an actual competitive event – was hosted recently, and for the occasion, Fender and Vedder designed a custom, playable Telecaster as a substitute for a traditional trophy.
The Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres faced off for the Tele. The Mariners one. Whether it will ever be played live remains to be seen. Don't expect the 'Vedder Cup Trophy Telecaster' to get a production release soon, though...
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