We’ve all been grounded at home for the past year, but now it’s 2021, and it appears (hopefully) that live shows will be returning soon. With that in mind, Guitar World parsed through some of the great new gear, from guitars to amps and beyond, that has been released this year to help you get your stage rig up to snuff.
Without further ado, here’s Guitar World’s guide to five great new piece of onstage equipment.
NUX Stageman II AC-80
NUX has released some very cool new products in 2021, from the MG-30 Versatile Modeler to the Mighty Bass 50BT amp. But if we have to focus on just one piece of gear, we’ll going to go with the rather awesome Stageman II AC-80.
Equipped with NUX's latest DSP technology, the 80-watt acoustic amplifier – the first amplifier with built-in acoustic IR on the market – boasts two channels, both of which are optimized for acoustic guitar and microphone inputs respectively. The dual-input channels provide tons of options for gigs or studio recording, and deliver pure, rich acoustic sound with incredible projection.
And while, as its name suggests, the Stageman II is great for the stage, you can use it literally anywhere. The amp is fitted with a rechargeable large-capacity lithium battery, allowing up to 4.5 hours of outdoor performing in any locale.
What else does the Stageman II offer? For starters, there’s two refined speakers (a one-inch tweeter and a 6.5-inch woofer), as well as flexible outputs for both stage and recording applications.
There’s also a built-in looper and drum, both controlled via the included NMP-2 dual footswitch, and the Stageman II mobile app allows you to operate your amp from your smartphone, including 12 effects (chorus, delay, tape echo, modulation, reverb and more), and eight IRs simulating legendary guitar sounds from Gibson, Martin and Taylor.
Best of all is the sound, capturing your acoustic guitar without sacrificing its natural organic tone.
For more information on the Stageman II AC-80, head over to Nux EFX.
Bose L1Pro16 Portable PA System
Bose recently unveiled three “new generation” models of its L1 portable PA system – the L1 Pro8, L1 Pro16 and the L1 Pro32, with a choice of two powered bass (subwoofer) modules, all of which address specific power needs from musicians to DJs.
Each model has been completely redesigned from the ground up with advanced functionality, app control (via Bose’s L1 Mix app) and Bluetooth connectivity, and streamlined for easy transport.
The L1 Pro16, the “middle child” of the three, boasts high output and extended low frequency, and offers versatile coverage with a J-shaped line array that features 16 articulated 2" neodymium drivers and delivers 180-degree horizontal coverage – making it ideal for DJs, singer-songwriters and small groups.
Among the highlights are an integrated subwoofer with a unique RaceTrack driver design for powerful bass and a built-in three-channel mixer that can accommodate a variety of audio sources and features an uncomplicated control panel.
The system boasts illuminated rotary encoders for instant access to volume, tone and reverb settings per channel, and you can add in even more instruments and other audio sources via a dedicated ToneMatch port.
There's also ToneMatch preset buttons (Mic and Inst) on channels one and two, and a System EQ button to scroll through optimized EQ presets (Live, Music and Speech). What’s more, the L1 Mix app allows for complete wireless mixer control from your smartphone or tablet.
For more information, head to Bose.
Fender American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster
Can’t decide whether to bring a range of acoustics or electrics to your next gig? Why not bring ‘em all? The new Acoustasonic Jazzmaster, like the existing Stratocaster and Telecaster Acoustasonics, combines an iconic electric guitar body shape with cutting-edge sonic and functional design – only this time Fender pushes the Acoustasonic boundaries even further.
Build-wise, the Jazzmaster features a specially tuned all-mahogany body and neck construction, including a carved heel, ebony fretboard and Fishman-designed Acoustic Engine.
The Jazzmaster’s acoustic sounds come by way of a Fishman Under-Saddle Transducer and a Fishman Enhancer, which seek to deliver up to 10 different body style and tone wood combinations, including four new settings that utilize the guitar’s large body shape to deliver warm, well-rounded tones. Also new to the fold is a Tim Shaw-designed humbucker.
Like previous Acoustasonics, the separate voices are accessed via a blend knob – a simple control layout designed for precise voice switching.
What’s more, the Jazzmaster comes in four elegant finishes: Ocean Turquoise, Natural, Tobacco Sunburst, Tungsten and Arctic White.
For more information, head to Fender.
Ernie Ball Volt
It might not be the flashiest aspect of onstage performing, but it’s certainly one of the most essential: clean, reliable pedal power. And if you want to make it happen without weighing down or cluttering up your pedalboard, Ernie Ball’s Volt might just be what you’re looking for.
The company’s first entry in the pedalboard power supply arena measures just 90 x 59 x 23mm and features five regulated 9/18V outputs, rated at 300mA apiece.
The Volt can accommodate almost any digital or analog stompbox, and boasts LED status indicators for each input and output as well as short circuit and thermal protection to safeguard your gear against damage.
Additionally, it comes with five 1 1/2 foot DC power cables, and multiple Volts can be daisy-chained together for more power.
To get powered up, head to Ernie Ball.
Eventide MicroPitch Delay
Eventide’s micro-pitch delay effects have been an essential component of legendary guitar sounds employed by Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa and more.
Now you can conjure those classic tones for youself – and in a stage-ready pedal format, no less – with the company’s new MicroPitch Delay.
Part of Eventide’s new dot9 family, the MicroPitch brings the company’s famed algorithm – as heard on the H910, H949 and H3000 Harmonizer processors – to a standalone stompbox.
Central to the MicroPitch Delay are the pedal’s two pitch shifters, which can be tweaked using “fine-resolution” de-tuning, delay and modulation – including new positive and negative envelope modulation sources. And the ability to use extremely short delays can achieve Van Halen-type effects where one guitar sounds like many, or offer up an immersive stereo spread.
There’s also the ability to load presets via MIDI or by using the Eventide Device Manager for Mac/Windows, with up to 127 able to be stored on the pedal.
Five presets can be loaded on the fly using the onboard latching/momentary Active footswitch, while aux switches can be assigned to tap tempo, or preset navigation functions. Additionally, any combination of parameters can be mapped to an expression pedal.
Other features include MIDI capability over TRS, multiple bypass options (buffered, relay, DSP+FX and kill dry) and a “catch-up” mode that helps dial in your sound when toggling between presets/parameters.
For more information on the MicroPitch Delay, head to Eventide Audio.
