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.
An affordable take on the Gretsch White Falcon? A new take on Charvel's classic So-Cal Superstrat? A urn that fits the cremated remains of your loved ones into your acoustic?! That, and more, can be found below...
Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon + Nashville
An early contender for guitar release of the year? Admirers of the classic Gretsch White Falcon – who may previously have been priced out of a move for the iconic design – will certainly agree.
As Gretsch itself explains, the new Synchromatic series looks to make the dreams of those particular guitar fans come true, with two Falcon and Nashville models that look to make "next-level Gretsch style and sound more accessible than ever before".
Custom Shop White Falcons can weigh in at as much as $12,000. The Synchromatic Falcon, by comparison, is $1,469. This is a pretty big deal indeed...
For more: Gretsch
PRS S2 Mira 594
An unsung model from the annals of PRS history but one widely loved by fans of the Maryland brand's deep cuts, the Mira – a distinct Santana-flavored double-cut first launched in 2007 – is officially back.
It returns as part of the S2 collection with a new name – the S2 Mira 594, specifically – and early signs all point to this being yet another winner from Paul Reed Smith and his merry band of guitar makers.
Guitar World issued it a glowing five-star verdict in its day-one review. It looks great, sounds killer and, apparently, plays like a dream, too. We suspected nothing less.
For more: PRS
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas
Jackson has also been in a rather reflective mood lately, and this week channeled that energy into the retro-inspired Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – a new collection of electrics that pay homage to "that golden era of guitar innovations".
The headline here is those J90 and J50 pickups, which have been directly engineered from original Jackson humbuckers that, as the firm states, helped shaped the sound of 1980s guitar music. One for those looking for something that merges old-school Jackson style with modern specs.
For more: Jackson
Charvel Pro-Mod Plus So-Cal Series
Speaking of throwback electrics, Charvel has also leant heavily on nostalgia with its Pro-Mod Plus So-Cal Style 1 model – which looks to bring the classic Superstrat into the modern era.
This is achieved through some Seymour Duncan pickups, player-friendly appointments such as compound radius fretboards and Floyd Rose tremolos, and super-comfy neck profiles.
They look the part and, judging by the demo video, they also sound the part. As a Strat player myself, my eyebrows have been raised...
For more: Charvel
Gibson Murphy Lab acoustics
The Gibson Murphy Lab is widely seen as the finest big-brand institution of artificially aged acoustic and electric guitars out there, so it's no shock that the firm's latest crop of vintage-inspired acoustics are borderline works of art.
Sure, the 1942 J-45 and 1957 SJ-200 are nice, but we've seen those before. What we're really intrigued by is that 1929 Nick Lucas Special Reissue parolor. That Argentine Grey finish is giving us hot flushes. 'Nuff said.
For more: Gibson
Kiesel Kyber Headless
You might remember the Kiesel Kyber – a guitar that launched earlier this year and took the fight to the likes of Strandberg and Abasi Concepts with a design that promised headless comfort from a guitar with a headstock.
Now, Kiesel has thrown caution to the wind and decided to cut out the middle man by making the Kyser completely headless.
It follows roughly the same specs apart from the fact it (obviously) doesn't have a traditional headstock. It does, however, have what Kiesel is calling a 'headpiece', which means it will fit nicely in your wall hangers with no issue. Very convenient...
For more: Kiesel
Solar Marzi Montazeri signature guitar
A week on from launching its first headless guitar, Solar has now experimented with another gnarly guitar design with its new Marzi Montazeri signature model. Montazeri – the renowned metal player formerly of Superjoint fame – has been nicknamed "The High Priest of Distortion", according to Solar, so his signature is spec'd appropriately.
It has a none-more-metal E-type body, a Sustainiac Stealth Pro humbucker, and a Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo.
For more: Solar Gutars
KapSoul
Every once in a while, a press release lands in the inbox and nothing can prepare you for what lies inside. This week, we heard about the KapSoul – an urn that you mount inside the soundhole of an acoustic, so that the cremated remains of your loved ones can be with you every time you play guitar.
It's certainly a novel idea, but we won't judge. For some, it's poignant and meaningful. For others, slightly morbid. We don't even want to think what would happen if your KapSoul-equipped guitar gets knocked over...
For more: KapSoul
Yamaha Revstar
Full disclosure, I absolutely love the Yamaha Revstar, and before I pulled the trigger on my Telecaster, I was seriously considering making a move for a Revstar. Chris Buck makes them sing. Matteo Mancuso has taken over the guitar world with one. They sound great, they play effortlessly, they look incredibly cool... there's so much to like.
Well, there's even more to like now, because Yamaha has introduced some new colors for two of its Revstar variants. That Sonic Blue model made me audibly groan. Back into the Revstar rabbit hole I go. Time to start saving...
For more: Yamaha
Vola OZ ROA Luminous
Since it was first established in 2015, Vola has cemented itself as a force to be reckoned with in the progressive and metal guitar market, producing a range of contemporary electrics and well-received signature guitars for a diverse range of artists.
The brand has truly been going from strength to strength, and now it has welcomed back the return of one of its most eye-catching designs: the OZ ROA Luminous.
In the light, it looks pretty darn great, but if you turn the lights off, it looks even better. that wasn't a cheap jibe, either – the OZ ROA has a glow-in-the-dark treatment thaat "truly comes to life in the shadows".
For more: Vola
Blackstar St. James 112 cab
Blackstar's St. James range just got that bit larger with the arrival of the 112 cab, which joins a lineup previously comprising a pair of 2x12s and a sole 4x12. For many players, 1x12 is the perfect cab configuration for home playing and small gigs, so this launch is very welcome indeed.
It's a St. James product, so it is incredibly light at just 28lbs – that's the whole USP of the range – and comes fitted with an exclusive G12Z Zephyr High Power speaker to help with the weight and tone. The lightest 1x12 ever? Quite possibly.
For more: Blackstar
Mooer GE150 Plus and GE150 Max
With every passing week, there seems to be a new multi-effects. This week, it's Mooer's turn. The GE150 Plus and GE150 Max both build on the brand's standard GE150, adding expanded interfaces and tone-tweaking controls for a more thorough playing experience.
The GE150 Plus has three footswitches, while the Max version has eight. These are paired with improved memory for a greater number of presets, and 55 preamp models that utilize Mooer's "intelligent nonlinear sample technology".
Mooer has previously shown its pedigree in the multi-effects world, so we imagine these two new units are more of the same. Not only that, prices start from less than $200, so they're very competitively priced, too...
For more: Mooer
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