Gear Highlight

Gear Highlight

MESA/Boogie Introduces the JP-2C 1×12 Combo Amplifier

June 25, 2024

MESA/Boogie Celebrates 40-year Partnership With John Petrucci Legendary Guitarist, Lyricist, and Founding Member of Dream Theater Limited-Edition Run Available Now at mesaboogie.com NASHVILLE, TN (June 25, 2024) MESA/Boogie is the original boutique Home of Tone, hand-crafting amplifiers of uncompromising quality from the world’s finest materials in California, USA. Founder Randall Smith instilled basic principles into MESA, such as passion, drive, integrity, and excellence, and his insistence on making the best amplifiers has guided half a century of breakthrough innovations, elevating the amplifier into an instrument in its own right, one with the power to shape and create musical genres. Today, in celebration of a partnership that has spanned over 40 years, MESA/Boogie and John Petrucci guitarist, lyricist and founding member of the GRAMMY® Award-winning progressive metal band Dream Theater, are proud to announce the new JP-2C™ 1×12 Combo. The MESA/Boogie JP-2C 1×12 Combo is available now in a limited edition run at authorized MESA/Boogie dealers, and on www.mesaboogie.com. “When designing the JP-2C with the team at MESA/Boogie, the goal was to build an amp that covers everything while honoring the heritage of its iconic Mark IIC+ predecessor. It offers three channels of authentic Mark IIC+ tones and also includes updated features [Read More]

Gear Highlight

Gibson introduces Jason Isbell “Red Eye” collector edition

June 5, 2024

  Introducing a Collector’s Edition clone of Jason Isbell’s famous ’59 Les Paul, “Red Eye.” “Red Eye” was the long-time sidekick of Ed King of Lynyrd Skynyrd. After Ed passed away in 2018, six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Americana artist Jason Isbell purchased Red Eye and often features it in his stage and studio performances. Only 59 of these exceptional instruments have been handmade by the expert luthiers of the Gibson Custom Shop and Murphy Lab in Nashville, Tennessee, as part of this extraordinary Collector’s Edition run. An Illustrious History  Like many ’59 Les Pauls, “Red Eye” has a unique and illustrious history. Much of the red color on the top faded while displayed in a store window, except for a patch below the toggle switch that was covered by a hangtag. Ed King of Lynyrd Skynyrd purchased it in 1982 and nicknamed it “Red Eye” after its distinctive appearance.      You can watch a video where Jason Isbell talks about how he fell in love with Red Eye: Catch Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on tour now, [Read More]

Gear Highlight

Best Pedals From NAMM 2020

October 5, 2020

Every year, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) puts up the most awaited music gear and equipment promotion event in America. This year is no different. And it’s been an especially awesome year for effects pedal-hogging guitarists. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the best pedals NAMM featured at the start of 2020. Nobels ODR-1 VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcwJ94ejw_c This beloved overdrive pedal needs no introduction. As Tonebox’s Nobels ODR-1 review notes, the pedal is already world-famous for its natural, tube amp-sounding overdrive and high dynamic sensitivity. For that reason, the German makers of the now-classic effect unit improved on it in the only way they could. The overdrive pedal now comes with an internal Bass Cut switch, which gives it even more tonal range over the low end that it had before – as if guitarists needed any more reasons to put the Nobels ODR-1 on their pedalboards. As any session musician will tell you, there’s nothing better than a feature you didn’t know you needed until it was put there. It’s a useful improvement that [Read More]

Gear Highlight

NAMM NEWS: Gibson will premiere The Slash Collection at Winter NAMM

January 9, 2020

Gibson announces history making new Slash Collection to premiere at Winter NAMM later this month. Check out the news below: NASHVILLE, TN (January 9, 2020) By leveraging its iconic past and leaning into an innovative future, Gibson has set the stage for the next era of shaping sound for present and future generations. The new Gibson celebrates the iconic models of Gibson’s Golden Era while leaning into the future with instruments that nurture new players across generations, genders and genres of music. A partnership that crosses over three decades, Gibson and Slash announced today, January 9, the release of the first-ever Slash Collection. In a history-making move for the brand, the Slash Collection will feature multiple acoustic and electric guitars. The new Slash Collection will officially premiere at the Gibson experience space, 3rd Floor, Ballroom A, during Winter NAMM2020 in Anaheim, CA (January 15-19).  Slash and Gibson’s Luthiers worked in close collaboration with attention to the fine details at Gibson’s headquarters in Nashville, TN. The Gibson Slash Collection features fourLes Paul Standard electric guitarsand two J-45 Standard acoustic guitars. Inspiring multiple generations of players around the world, the Slash Collection is comprised of the most influential Gibson guitars Slash has used throughout his career and can be seen live onstage with Slash today. Each Slash Collection Les Paul Standard features a AAA maple top, a solid Mahogany body and Slash’s personal touches including [Read More]

Gear Highlight

BINX at NAMM. Learning to DJ on the Hercules Controller. By Patrick O’Heffernan

February 5, 2019

  Patrick O’Heffernan (Anaheim, CA) I have never DJ’ed nor used electronic musical instruments.  I play the Cajon – about as nonelectronic as you can get.  But, while I was at NAMM last week I  decided to take  advantage of the opportunity for a 15 min lesson at the Hercules booth on their DJ equipment.  I got to try out their new Inpulse 300 Controller, and look at the DJ starter kit. It was one of the high points of NAMM for me.   One of the Hercules staff took me through the basics – beat matching, effects, etc.  It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, with some of the tasks semi-automated so a beginner like me could do them.  At the end of the 15 minute, I understood what a DJ controller is, what it does and what you need to be an entertaining DJ.  In my case, the last part was a problem because what you need most to be a DJ is talent or at least a knack [Read More]

Gear Highlight

NAMM Spotlight: ICONIC, AMERICAN-MADE GUITAR BRAND USHERS IN NEW ERA

January 14, 2019

UNVEILS GIBSON EXPERIENCE FOR WINTER NAMM 2019 JAN. 23-27   FEATURING PERFORMANCES AND APPEARANCES FROM LEGENDARY ARTISTS AND FUTURE HITMAKERS INCLUDING BILLY GIBBONS, ROBBY KRIEGER, PETER FRAMPTON, RICK NIELSEN, NANCY WILSON, MICHAEL CLIFFORD, VIVIAN CAMPBELL, JASON HOOK, TRINI LOPEZ, DAVE AMATO, DAVE RUDE, CAM, BLACK PISTOL FIRE, JARED JAMES NICHOLS AND MORE Historical accuracy. Contemporary solutions. Limited runs and customized creations. New levels of artist and fan engagement. New energy, products and focus. Welcome to Gibson in 2019.   Since 1894, the GIBSON story has been central to the development of sound and the guitar itself. In 2019, after more than a century, GIBSON artists, players and fans will experience the all American-made instrument brand rejuvenated. GIBSON announced today, January 14 it will unveil a new era in product evolution and brand building with multiple experiences at NAMM 2019 next week in Anaheim, CA. The GIBSON NAMM 2019 experience will feature daily events from artist performances, Q&A’s and new product debuts at the GIBSON space in Room #207, (daily 11-5pm). GIBSON’s events will start with a media preview and Custom Shop preview sale on Wednesday, January 23 and an opening party will launch Thursday, January 24 at City National Grove of Anaheim with [Read More]

Gear Highlight

Guitar News: PRS Private Stock “Graveyard II” Limited Edition Guitar

December 5, 2018

Check out the latest Guitar News from PRS Private Stock: (STEVENSVILLE, MD) December 5, 2018 – PRS Private Stock is proud to announce the McCarty 594 “Graveyard II” Limited Edition model. Earlier this year, PRS announced an eighty-piece limited run of Private Stock “Graveyard” guitars based on the vintage-inspired McCarty 594 model. The Graveyard II also takes the McCarty 594 model as its platform, but adds a unique aesthetic.   The Wood   In early 2018, PRS purchased more than 150 curly maple tops from the outskirts of a Graveyard on top of a moun­tain on the East Coast of the USA. The Gravestones were dated around 1884, and the trees were clearly at least that old as they were forty feet to the first limb. The trees were logged in 2017, and the tops very closely resemble the wood used on guitars coming out of Kalamazoo in 1959.   “At first I thought the wood appeared to be some sort of sub-species of “Michigan” red maple, but with more thought it may just be the [Read More]