Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s 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.
Fractal Audio AM4
The mini amp modeler market has never been more competitive, and now Fractal Audio – widely considered to be the gold-standard in the industry – has sought to go toe-to-toe with Line 6 and IK Multimedia with the AM4, its most compact and portable unit to date.
With the acclaimed Axe-Fx III tech in its corner, and boasting a newly retooled UI that prioritises ease of use, the AM4 looks like a hit in the making. A worthy companion to the slightly smaller FM3, the AM4 has been dubbed Fractal’s most compact all-in-one rig solution to date, with four configurable footswitches, over 100 presets, more than 250 effects from the Axe-Fx algorithms, and gapless switching.
I’ve long been a convert to the world of amp modelers, and ever since I ditched tube amps for modelers two years ago, I’ve never looked back. In fact, they’ve changed my playing life so much, I don’t see myself ever going back to traditional amps – and I encourage all players to give them a go at least once in their life.
To that end, while the AM4 is a bit too new for a discount, there are still plenty of price-cut amp modelers that have been reduced for Black Friday.
The Neural DSP Nano Cortex – the modeler I swear by – has been reduced from $729.98 to $689 on Sweetwater. The IK Multimedia TONEX – a close competitor that GW has raved about in the past – is now just $329 at Guitar Center. Finally, the Line 6 HX Stomp – the piece of gear that changed my rig like no other, and that started my amp modeler journey – is $100 off at Guitar Center.
JHS Pedals Kilt 10
I’m a sucker for JHS Pedals. On my pedalboard, I currently have the Morning Glory, Moonshine and Notaklon. Having recently reviewed the 424 Gain Stage, I fully intend on adding one of those at a later date.
Now, I’ve got my eye on another: the new JHS Kilt 10 – a high-gain overdrive and fuzz pedal that’s been given an update to celebrate its 10th birthday. There’s a retooled clipping circuit for more headroom and a smoother attack, as well as an expanded breadth of Gain settings. It also has a flashy new polished aluminum chassis that looks rather dashing.
The same versatile controls return – Gain, Volume and Tone knobs, and Cut/Flat, G1 and G2 switches – as does the Red Box compatibility for extra switching flexibility. It is, simply, one of the best drive pedals you can get, capable of running the gamut from transparent overdrives to zipper-style fuzz.
And, better still, it’s been included in Sweetwater’s mega JHS Pedals sale, which is slashing up to 25% off all its JHS stock. That means the JHS Kilt 10 can be pre-ordered for $186.75 – a saving of $62.25 from its original $249 price tag.
Time to add a 5th JHS pedal to my rig? With 25% off this just-launched distortion, it’s hard to resist…
Gibson Les Paul British Racing Green
Is there a cooler, classier finish for a guitar than British Racing Green? I’d argue not. In fact, I’d give it the edge over Surf Green – arguably the only other socially acceptable green that can be used for a guitar [I raise you Seafoam Green – Ed].
Lucky for us, Gibson has rolled out the red carpet for that exact finish, treating some of its most famous models to a British Racing Green cosmetic overhaul. In the drop, there’s a bunch of conventional classics – SGs and Les Pauls – as well as more intriguing additions, such as a Flying V, Explorer and Firebird.
They’re all absolutely stunning, but that ’50s P-90 Les Paul is especially breath-taking. I’ve had a thing for P-90s ever since I had a brief fling with an SG Junior. That LP is screaming my name.
Fortunately for me, Guitar Center has sliced $150 off its exclusive Epiphone Les Paul Custom P-90 model, which is now available for just $649 this Black Friday.
Elsewhere, Sweetwater has also taken $600 off its stunning, Sparkling Burgundy Les Paul Standard '60s model. Something for those who are looking for a genuine Gibson this Cyber Weekend…
Fender x Palace Skateboards Telecaster
This week, Fender announced its collaboration with Palace Skateboards, which has resulted in a host of accessories and a custom-finished Telecaster. The guitar world and the skate scene have always gone hand in hand, so the partnership makes sense. It’s quite a daring design, admittedly, but Palace Skateboards is known for its bold graphics, so it fits the bill. Underneath the artwork, it’s a standard Player II Telecaster.
If the Fender x Palace Tele collab has got your G.A.S. senses tingling, you can bag a Limited Edition Player II Telecaster at Fender for just $587.99 thanks to a gigantic $252 price reduction. More of a Strat player? Fear not. Fender has given its Player II Stratocaster the same discount.
Fender Tom DeLonge Ad Astra 10
Tom DeLonge’s To The Stars gear brand announced its latest out-of-this-world drop this week, partnering with Fender to produce 10 one-of-a-kind Starcaster models that each feature actual meteorites sourced from samples of the moon, Mars and more.
The Starcaster has experienced a bit of a renaissance over the past year or so, largely thanks to DeLonge’s continued loyalty to the model which resulted in a signature reissue last year. The Ad Astra 10 line takes that one step further. The meteorite samples were crushed by hand using a pestle and mortar, and have been eternalized underneath a clear coat on the guitars’ bodies. Mesmerizing stuff.
In keeping with the spirit of Cyber Weekend festivities, there are a bunch more unmissable Black Friday Fender deals worth sinking your teeth into...
Harley Benton King-12 CE NT
What’s this? Another new Harley Benton acoustic? With 12 strings? And it’s mind-bendingly affordable?! We’d expect nothing less from the cheap gear champion, but even so, we really like the look of this. It’s a cutaway jumbo with a solid spruce top and 12-string configuration, and it weighs in at $349.
It becomes arguably one of the best entry points to the world of 12-string acoustic for many, with plenty of faux-premium stylings – including an extended pickguard, block inlays, and gold tuners – that belie its humble price tag.
Now, this one hasn’t been included in Thomman’s Black Friday sale, but a whole bunch of other Harley Benton gear has. For Cyber Weekend, Thomann has slashed the prices of a huge range of pedals, acoustics, accessories, and more.
Highlights in the sale include the DNAfx GiT Core amp modeler multi-effects for just $77 and the TableAmp V2 Bluetooth for $66. There are plenty of guitars to check out there, too…
Fuchs Audio JB-ODS
A Dumble that won’t set you back $175,000? That’s what Joe Bonamassa’s new Fuchs signature amp is shaping up to be. Built by Andy Fuchs – a renowned disciple of the legendary Howard Alexander Dumble – the JB-ODS is loosely inspired by a classic Dumble Overdrive Special, though with some Fuchs-approved tweaks.
The collaboration came about when Bonamassa asked Fuchs to build him a run-around go-to gigging combo for the studio and small club shows. He was so blown away by what Fuchs built that the project soon turned into something bigger.
There’s a JB Celestion speaker at its heart, with onboard reverb – something most authentic Dumbles don’t have – and a three-way Brite switch for a trio of distinct voices. It’s $3,999, so still very much at the premium end of the spectrum of guitar amps, but nowhere near the six-figure sums that Dumbles fetch.
For those on the hunt for a new tube amp that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg this Black Friday, it’s worth noting that Fender’s 68 Custom Twin Reverb has been reduced by more than $270 for Black Friday. And, if you’re after a more modest practice amp, Positive Grid’s hugely acclaimed Spark Mini is now just $199 at Sweetwater.
Neural DSP Nano Cortex and Quad Cortex update
Here's one that's really caught my eye this week. Neural DSP has rolled out not one, but two major platform updates for its flagship Quad and Nano Cortex modelers. There's a lot that's been introduced, but the big headline is Neural Capture Version 2 – a wholesale expansion that introduces next-gen V2 Captures.
On paper, V2 offers high-resolution modeling and greater dynamic accuracy; enhanced realism for more complex, touch-sensitive gear, such as fuzz pedals and responsive amps; and improved tracing of expression, such as dynamic cleanup, sag and transient response.
In other words, it all sounds more real. I personally was blown away by Neural Capture Version 1, so if V2 can deliver on all those promises, it could be game-changing. Of course, 'realism', 'authenticity', and 'tube amp tones' have all been the bed rock of amp modelers, and these days, the general consensus is that the tech is as good as it's ever going to get.
Not so, says Neural DSP, which is clearly committed to pushing the very boundaries it once expanded when it launched the Quad Cortex.
For the Nano Cortex, it's worth noting there's also a new tremolo effect, offline Cortex Cloud mode, a new intuitive workflow and more.
Now, excuse me while I go and test out the new Dumble Overdrive Special V2 Capture...
New Donner Hush finishes
They've been some of the more left-field guitar designs of the past year, but now Donner's Hush X Pro and Hush I Pro Silent guitars – both of which leverage a forward-thinking design approach characterized by a headless setup and detachable arms – both have some new finishes.
The body of each is, admittedly, quite small, but now they are available in White Luxe and Midnight Glow, and Hawaii Blue, Space Black and Maillard Fade. 10 out of 10 for the finish names, there.
Black Friday guitar deals
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