NEWS: Caparison Michael Romeo signature

Caparison's signature model for Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo, the Dellinger-MJR Pro.White, arrives in stores this month. It's based on Caparison's Dellinger model, with a few custom touches. It includes a Dimarzio Tone Zone humbucker in the neck, and a Dimarzio X2N humbucker in the bridge.

The tuners are cosmo black Gotohs, while the bridge is a black Schaller Floyd Rose-type locking unit. The body is made of mahogany, and the maple neck is carved to Romeo's specs. The guitar's only available in 'Pro.White,' with a black headstock. Caparison says the finish is the company's original process which helps emphasise mid and low range frequencies. The control layout is pretty simple: A single volume pot, and a 3 way pickup selector switch. 

Romeo used the guitar on Symphony X's latest album, Paradise Lost. While the build quality, playability and sound are no doubt top level, the mismatched hardware colours and non-matching humbucker bobbins kinda make this one look like a parts guitar to my eyes. It's kinda surprising that Romeo didn't take the opportunity to go all out with a more distinctive design. What do I Heart Guitar readers think?

CLICK HERE to buy the latest Symphony X album, Paradise Lost

NEWS: New Charvel custom colours

Charvel has released the second batch of custom colours for its USA So Cal Style 1 and San Dimas Style 1 and Style 2 solidbodies.

 

In addition to standard black versions of each model, the So-Cal Style 1 2H is available in Candy Green. The San Dimas Style 2 is in Candy Blue, and the San Dimas Style 2 is in Candy Red.

The San Dimas models have Seymour Duncan pickups - a JB in the bridge and a '59 in the neck. The So Cal has a Dimarzio Evolution in the neck position, and a Dimarzio Tone Zone in the bridge. Each guitar has a Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge and mini Schaller tuners.

Here's Charvel's official announcement of the new colours:

GEAR: Strociek TurboTrem

Check out this wacky little innovation. Ever busted a string on a guitar with a Floyd Rose trem, and been unable to locate an allen wrench to fix it? A company called Strociek has designed the TurboTrem series of replacement whammy bars based on several popular models, with a hidden feature: a 3mm allen wrench built into the base of the bar. Now if you pop a string, just remove the whammy bar and use the screw/push-in end as an allen wrench. Genius!

Strociek currently offers 3 models of TurboTrem: threaded, collared, and pop-in. The company says the TurboTrem is compatible with any Kahler tremolo system and all original and licensed Floyd Rose single and double locking tremolo systems, such as the Ibanez Edge series, Schaller, Gotoh, ESP, Peavey, Jackson and Charvel and more.