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.
Below you'll find my personal highlights from the week, along with plenty of honorable mentions for the new gear you might have missed. Agree with my picks? Have a highlight of your own? Let us know in the comments.
IK Multimedia TONEX Board
The modeler we’ve all been waiting for? I’ve certainly been keeping an eye out for this one for a few years now. IK Multimedia’s flagship floorboard rig solution, this touchscreen-equipped powerhouse puts the whole TONEX ecosystem into one relatively compact pedal.
At $999, it’s competitively priced against offerings from Neural DSP and Line 6, and with a bunch of classic IK Multimedia goodies baked in, it makes for a worthy addition to the market.
You get your usual AI Machine Modeling, AmpliTube and TONEX effects, access to the ToneNET community for swapping and sharing tone captures, and a powerful signal chain that can be set up in all sorts of clever ways.
Best of all, it looks like a breeze to operate. A touchscreen is now an essential on modern modelers, and the visual depictions of the gear that’s being dialed in is always a nice touch.
Billy Gibbons Pearly Gates
How would you like to own a meticulous replica of Billy Gibbons’ legendary Pearly Gates Les Paul, and get a personal performance from the ZZ Top hero while you’re at it? It’s certainly a novel way to release a guitar, but Gibson is offering just that.
Pearly Gates is one of the most iconic Les Paul’s of all time. Gibbons bought it for $250 back in the day, and used it to track some iconic ZZ Top moments. It’s now been given Gibson’s highly exclusive Custom Shop ‘Collector’s Edition’ treatment, which comes with some unique case candy.
Only 30 will be made, and they’ll be sold exclusively at an event in Nashville. The evening will also host a Q&A with Gibbons, an intimate performance, and a meet and greet with the man himself. Gibson hasn’t listed a price for all of that. Probably for good reason…
ALSO RELEASED THIS WEEK
Ibanez September 2026 drop
Ibanez dropped some new surprise models this week. New signatures for its star players Joe Satriani, Nita Strauss and Steve Vai, as well as an absurd metal P Series, serve as highlights. But there’s also some new acoustics and accessories on tap…
For more: Ibanez
Keeley Tube Drive
Another one for the ‘overdrives I really want’ list (yes, I have one of those). This dual drive from Keeley features a 12AX7 tube for genuine valve-flavored compression and dynamics, as well as Robert Keeley’s famed ‘Phat Mod’ overdrive circuit included as stock.
For more: Keeley Electronics
Fender x Timex
Another lifestyle collaboration from Fender, this time with Timex, which has produced a watch that integrates genuine guitar-making elements into its design. The butterscotch blonde wood grain insert on the dial is pretty swanky.
For more: Timex
HeadRush FRFR CAB
More FRFR speakers for the market, which is now a hot contest between HeadRush, Positive Grid, Fender, Line 6, Blackstar, Laney, among others. HeadRush is no stranger to the game, but the FRFR CAB lineup is a new series. At $399, they’re pretty competitive and have some nice features to shout about – including Bluetooth streaming.
For more: HeadRush
Taylor Next Generation 12-Fret Grand Concert models
Taylor has expanded its Next Generation lineup with five new 12-fret Grand Concert models. Lots of numbers and letters in the product names as usual, but the elevator pitch is this: some more high-end acoustics, and the first 12-string 12-fret Grand Concert model ever released.
For more: Taylor
ESP September 2026 drop
ESP has completely overhauled its Black Metal series as part of a release that’s rolled out nine new models. There’s a lot to unpack. Baritones, sleek finishes, Seymour Duncan pickups, Floyd Rose bridges… you name it. A vintage drop from ESP.
For more: ESP
Fender John Osborne Telecaster pickups
Loved the sound of John Osborne’s signature Telecaster but didn’t like the B-Bender? Well, firstly, are you okay? Secondly, you can now equip your own Tele with the same tonal goodness sans the string-bending gadget: Fender has dropped some aftermarket Osborne single-coils.
For more: Fender
Solar Guitars Chug Plug
Fender, Blackstar, IK Multimedia and Boss have a new unlikely rival in Solar Guitars, which has entered the headphone amp game for the first time.
For more: Solar Guitars
