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.
Fender Tone Master ’59 Twin-Amp JB Edition
Joe Bonamassa being won over by the digital version of one of his favorite tube amps ever is one plot twist we didn’t have in the guitar bingo card for 2026, and yet here we are, with the latest expansion of the Tone Master series a replica of a high-powered Twin.
And this beauty is a real beast. Seriously. When Fender demoed this amp for Team GW, and some idiot chose to sit in the front row, the volume was assaultively loud. They couldn’t take it past 4 on the dial. This really was a Twin, tubes or no tubes.
And it sounded incredible. Bonamassa is, of course, not going to decommission his tube amps and turn the Amp Shanty over to Silicon Valley for a refresh. He was a skeptic at first. “I wanted to hate it,” he admits. But in this game, the only thing you can trust is your ears. He stuck the Tone Master Twin in his live rig and it performed, night after night.
“We’re all in agreement that this amp was tighter, punchier, and better,” says Bonamassa. “I never thought I’d see in my lifetime the fact that I’d be sitting next to a digital amp. Sound makes you play. Sound inspires you to play. You just need to know how to unlock the sound you hear in your head and get it out.”
This high-powered combo amp runs at 85-watts full power, driving a pair of 12” Celestion JB Neodymium speakers, but there is five-way power scaling available via rotary dial, and there are some contemporary tweaks to the design. There is a Vintage/Tight switch, an effects loop, and there is an XLR output with three onboard cab sims that are editable via the app.
More info: Joe Bonamassa goes digital with the first ever Fender Tone Master signature amp
Fender John 5 Telecaster Collection
Sticking with Fender here, because this is a big one: a trio of signature Telecasters co-designed with Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5, and offering two versions at an approachable price point. There’s also a Custom Shop model at an unapproachable price point – but it is exactly the same guitar he plays live with the Crüe, and it is stunning.
If that Custom Shop Phantom is too pricey at six grand, worry not; the Indonesian version is a serious instrument. It has a nyatoh body, not two piece alder, but it has the all-important kill-switch, Floyd Rose vibrato, and the dual DiMarzio D-Activator humbuckers that make this such a wild hotrod. That’s the Phantom, all black, black anodized pickguard.
Rounding out the trio is a familiar design as the Ghost returns to haunt us once more, with its Arctic White finish and red binding, inlays, headstock logo, pickup bobbins and controls. And it asks a difficult question of anyone looking for a souped-up Tele for hard rock and metal: do you want a hardtail six-saddle bridge like the Ghost, or a Floyd like the Phantom? Well you could theoretically get both for the price of a top-of-the-line US-made Telecaster, and these sound and play great.
More info: John 5 becomes the most decorated Telecaster artist in history with three new signature Fenders
Behringer Zentara
Here’s a sweet overdrive pedal from what we could call the Lawsuit Era of stompboxes. If you will remember Behringer launched this Klon clone in 2024, branded as the Centara, didn’t have the brand name on the front, looked very much like the original, so much so that creator, Bill Finnegan, subsequently sued Behringer’s parent company, Music Tribe.
About this time last year, the case was dismissed by Finnegan himself, with Behringer having making a few adjustments to the design. Meet the Zentara.
Yes, it’s still modeled after Finnegan’s much-feted, much-cloned and now super-rare and very expensive original drive – and right about now those soft-clipping germanium diodes will be whispering sweet nothings into your ear, singing their siren song to cork-sniffers and breadboard bores who like to talk component drift at house parties.
And hell’s bells it’s only 75 bucks. They even make a small version, and offer both sizes in the classic gold enclosure or silver.
ALSO LAUNCHED THIS WEEK
Dunable Riley Pinkerton Minotaur Summoner
This signature collab for the Rat Queen was absolutely going to be my headline item this week, but alas, they’re only making four of them. Four! Now, that is a limited run. But what a cool guitar. Two cutaways, one Direwolf humbucker, a killswitch, vibes, magical. Praise, hail Riley Pinkerton!
For more: Dunable Guitars
HeadRush NAM Firmware update
Why take one NAM capture into your signal chain when you can take two? After just one wash with HeadRush’s firmware update, your tone will be brighter and shinier, or deeper and fuller, or both at same time!
Yup, HeadRush’s big bet on native NAM A2 compatibility gets extended, allowing players to run two NAM captures simultaneously. Works on all tone types. Great for turning frizz to fuzz.
For more: HeadRush
Keeley Electronics Compressor Plus Germanium
Robert Keeley celebrates 25 years of his his industry classic compressor pedal with a germanium power-up and a cool stripped-down stylistic refresh. It’ll still do the same job, but promises more warmth and touch-sensitivity. The single-coil/humbucker switch remains a super-useful feature, too.
For more: Keeley Electronics
Gibson Custom Shop 1957 L5 VOS Reissue
When Gibson goes all-in on making a high-end archtop, it goes all-in knowing it has the weight of history on its shoulders.
Here, they pull out all the stops on one of its most hallowed hollowbodies, using a dovetail neck joint for the first time on an archtop, using 3D scans on originals to make sure they nail the vibe – not to mention using some very handsome pieces of AAA figured maple for the bookmatched back and sides. Stunning work. And chef’s kiss for that tailpiece.
For more: Gibson revives one of the most influential archtops in its history
Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee Collection 2026
There’s something about Albert Lee’s signature guitar that makes us think of Adam West’s Batmobile, or if not a Lincoln Futura then maybe one of those Atomic Age golden era car builds you see cruising along in American Graffiti. Which is to say it’s ridiculously cool.
This refresh sees a limited edition (75 units, megabucks) version for the Ball Family Reserve, and a regular HSS version which is still a serious, serious instrument, and unusual for having, well, that shape, but a DiMarzio humbucker paired with Seymour Duncan single-coils. That shape, though!
For more: Ernie Ball Music Man
D’Addario XS Nickel Bronze acoustic strings
D’Addario applies its premium string coating to its premium acoustic guitar string and promise hi-fi clarity and longer-lasting freshness.
For more: D'Addario
Boss 10th Anniversary Katana
There is no reason why digital guitar amps can't look like objects of great aesthetic appeal. Just 'cos they're packing in the tones, it's not all functionality, a little style goes a long way. The Katana has always looked cool but this 10th Anniversary edition with blue figured maple cabinets is really something.
For more: Boss
DiMarzio x Phillip Knight Northern Lights humbucker
Phillip Knight has had a longstanding problem with the Northern Lights humbuckers he makes under his Blackstock Pickups brand. They’re just too damn popular. Everybody wants some, and he can’t keep up, so he’s partnered with DiMarzio to make more of them, taking them to a wider audience.
The ingredients are the same, they’re still US-made, but there have been improvements to the baseplate and potting.
For more: Know Your Gear Podcast
