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.
It's not been a blockbuster week by any means, but the theme is most definitely "quality over quantity" – not least because Fender Japan is currently throwing a multi-day guitar extravaganza across Tokyo which our intrepid EIC Mike is currently attending (not jealous at all).
From that, we have a bunch of monstrous builds to look over, as well as an SE overhaul from PRS, the latest Joe Bonamassa signature Epiphone, and more...
Fender x Godzilla
Fender Japan is no stranger to big-name collabs – Hello Kitty, Monster Hunter, and Final Fantasy are in the list – but the new Godzilla Stratocasters, which were unveiled as part of a blockbuster guitar event being held in Tokyo, are perhaps the best of the lot.
There's a few different iterations, but the headline is a one-off $36,000 Custom Shop Masterbuilt model that has a roar button. And, yes, it does exactly what you'd think: it triggers Godzilla's roar.
There's also 'standard' Blue and Black versions, which are anything but standard – they both have patent-pending Gain-Linked Optics functions that trigger an onboard distortion circuit and make the dorsal fin of 'Zilla, helpfully positioned on the pickguard, glow. Pretty rad.
The drop also included a Godzilla Distortion pedal, some Godzilla picks, and even Godzilla coffee, which was served at Fender Japan HQ. Heck, the press conference had someone dressed up as Godzilla. It's all happening in Tokyo.
Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1959 Les Paul Custom 'Black Beauty'
Joe Bonamassa's annual Epiphone signature guitar drop landed this week, and once again it's an affordable recreation of one of his prized Nerdville vintage gems. This time, JoBo put an Epi spin on his ultra-rare 1959 Les Paul Custom 'Black Beauty', which, unlike other similar models of the time, came with two humbuckers instead of three.
By Bonamassa's estimation, only 20 were made, and he got his from a little old lady in Pennsylvania who had no idea what she was selling. Now it's available as an Epi model, Grover Imperial tuners included, and it looks rather gorgeous indeed.
Martin Jeff Tweedy 00DB and 000JR E
It's been a busy week for the signature guitar market, but it's not been all electric: Martin teamed up with Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy for two new acoustics, one of which revives an old favorite. Specifically, his popular 2012 model has been brought back alongside a new 000 Junior model.
Of the drop, Tweedy said, “The idea that we could do this again, and then also offer a guitar that may be a little bit more affordable to people starting out, and maybe a little smaller for smaller hands starting out – that's a thrill to me. Someone buys a guitar with my name on it and takes it home – I hope it becomes a part of their daily habit of making some music.”
PRS SE Chleo Herman Li
Earlier this year, PRS really pushed the boat out with the original Chleo – the new signature for Herman Li, which served as the firm's most radical, most daring design to date. Those contours; that body shape, profile, and pickup configuration, made it arguably PRS' most notable drop in quite some time.
Now, the SE version is here – quicker than we expected, we might add – and it's done a darn good job of bringing the authenticity and charm of the near-$7k version to a slightly more attainable price point. It is still dear, but what do you expect: for an SE guitar, it's still incredibly advanced.
PRS SE DGT Standard
As part of PRS' end-of-2025 SE overhaul, the Maryland brand also issued its second SE DGT model, which was officially badged as the SE DGT Standard. The all-mahogany build strips the acclaimed DGT down even further, making the firm's immensely popular and highly praised David Grissom signature guitar more affordable than ever.
PRS' activities in the affordable guitar market are really quite something. This thing sings like an absolute tone machine in the demo above. Doesn't hurt that it looks very smart, too...
PRS DGT 15 combo
DGT guitars aren't the only part of the PRS David Grissom ecosystem that has gone down well with players over the years. The DGT amps have a fanbase of their own, and now that tone has been repackaged into a 15-watt combo.
It's the first time we've had a DGT combo. Previously, it was only 15- and 30-watt heads in the lineup. This, then, will no doubt delight many fans of DGT amps who had been put off by its head/cab configuration. Again, it sounds great from the demo. No surprise there.
Warm Audio Tube Squealer
Another Tube Screamer clone? Well, yes... sort of... not quite. The Tube Squealer is green, and has elected an appropriate synonym for the job, but Warm Audio – the brand behind some highly acclaimed, affordable recreations of vintage, hard-to-acquire gear – has sought to differentiate this from the source material.
To do so, it has offered not one, not two, but three TS circuits into one pedal. That means you get faithful 808, TS9, and TS10 tones from one destination. Not only that, you get a additional Mix knob for greater versatility, and a Pickup-Voicing Selector switch to fine-tune it to your guitar.
The ultimate TS clone out there? It's hard to say without getting hands-on with one, but the early signs are promising...
Warm Audio Throne of Tone
Warm Audio set its sights on two legendary overdrive pedals this week, and has partnered the Tube Squealer with the Throne of Tone – an amalgamation copycat, it seems, of two distinct drives that puts its own spin on both.
The chassis gives serious Blues Breaker vibes (as do those control knobs) but the name makes us think of Analogman's King of Tone. Either way, this promises to be another beast of a drive pedal, with plenty of mid- and high-gain tones on tap thanks to its vast array of bells and whistles.
The dual overdrive design is very nice, too, and given the firm's well-documented ability to deliver world-class overdrive pedals, we bet these gain stages would stack absolutely beautifully. And I just bought another overdrive...
Nuno Guitars
This is more of an honorable mention, rather than a gear release, but it's a big story in the world of guitar gear so worth covering here: Nuno Bettencourt has launched Nuno Guitars, his very own guitar brand.
It spells the end for his decades-long partnership with Washburn, with this new company – which had been the subject of intense speculation from fans, thanks to a mysterious guitar spotted at Ozzy Osbourne's Back to the Beginning farewell concert – set to take over production of the N4, as well as two new models.
Details are few and far between at the moment, but it's one we're looking forward to seeing unfold...
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