NEWS: My playing on GuitarToyz.com.au - Roger Mayer pedal demo

Hey, here's something you might wanna check out. While you're over at GuitarToyz.com.au listening to all the awesome sound clips and videos of James Ryan shredding up a storm through Roger Mayer pedals, look down in the corner of the X Series page and you'll stumble across a clip of me playing the Mongoose X. It's just a little demo I whipped up in the process of reviewing the pedal for Australian Guitar magazine. Thanks to Jay from Guitar Toyz for thinking enough of the clip to post it, and thanks of course to Roger for making awesome pedals!

Here's the link: Guitartoyz.com.au

There are also links to a whole bunch of my reviews for Roger Mayer pedals for Australian Guitar magazine. You can see those here.

NAMM 2010: More pics of the Ibanez Universe swirl reissue

Now that I'm back home in Australia I'm sorting through my NAMM photos. Here are some more pics and a press release about the UV77REMC, the new 20th anniversary reissue of the UV77MC.

First up are my pics from the display:

New Ibanez Universe 7-String Re-Issue Rockets 20 Years Back to The Future
January 29, 2010

It was 20 years ago when Steve Vai joined forces with Ibanez to produce his ultimate weapon, the 7-string Universe, the first production 7-string solid-body electric guitar. The groundbreaking Universe was quickly recognized as the "Most Innovative Guitar of the Year" by music retailers at the 1990 Music and Sound Awards.


Originally designed as a virtuoso shred machine, the guitar would have a new life later in the '90s with its extended low-end range making possible the new breed of rhythmic metal of heavy music players such as Korn and Dino Cazares. Ibanez is proud to recognize Steve Vai's achievement with the release of the new UV77RE Universe 20th Anniversary edition.


Like the original, the solid body UV77RE reissue is seven strings of fire, ready-made for maximum shred and some of the meanest riffing on the planet. The multi-color swirl motif arrives once again from the original Universe artist, Darren Johansen. Because of the swirl paint process each Universe guitar is uniquely individual in appearance. As with Ibanez's other Limited Edition Reissues such as the famous Bob Weir model, all UV77RE models are crafted in Japan by the same luthiers who created the originals.


1990 not only brought the Ibanez Universe guitar to the world, it also debuted Steve Vai's groundbreaking, earth shattering album, "Passion and Warfare," and each U77RE comes with a commemorative poster of this sonic masterpiece.


Only 100 UV77RE reissues will be available worldwide.

NAMM 2010: Ibanez Joe Satriani acoustics, JS2400

Perhaps one of the more surprising Ibanez offerings at NAMM this year was the pair of Joe Satriani signature acoustics. While he's used acoustic guitars in the studio for years, Joe's not exactly the first name that comes to mind when you think 'acoustic,' but he's been playing a prototype of this new model on stage with Chickenfoot lately, and the guitar is now in production. Here are my pics from NAMM (that's the JSA10 on top and JSA5 on the bottom).

Ibanez Unleashes New Joe Satriani Signature Acoustic Guitars
January 28, 2010

Already world famous for its JS line of Joe Satriani signature electric guitars, Ibanez this year embarks on a shimmering new acoustic adventure with Joe, with the new JSA acoustic guitar. Joe says his JSA acoustic "feels great, plays great and sounds wonderful. And, in all black, it looks so cool! It has outstanding projection and an impressive dynamic range too, with a powerful clear tone essential for live performance. The JSA acoustic has a full and balanced sound that's perfect for strumming, soloing, or delicate finger picking. It has good access to the upper frets, and the electronics make anything you play sound clear and natural."

JSA signature acoustics arrive in two models, the all-solid construction JSA10BK and its more affordable version, the JSA5BK. JSA10BK features a solid Engelmann spruce top and solid rosewood back and sides. The JSA5BK combines a solid Engelmann spruce top with mahogany back and sides.

Both JSA models feature fine Fishman pickup/preamp electronics, chrome Grover tuners and black high gloss finish and come equipped with D'Addario® EXP™ coated strings.

Ibanez also launched the 24-fret JS2400 which Joe mentioned in my interview with him back in June. Here's what Joe had to say about it at the time.

"It’s a really cool thing. I’ve always liked the idea of having those frets up there but I never wanted to move the humbucking pickup. That’s always been the problem because the humbucking neck pickup really only works where Gibson stuck it on the Les Paul. To me, that’s the spot, and once you start moving it back towards the bridge it starts to become horrible-sounding. Other guitars that have had the 24 frets and they move that pickup, it’s like, you may as well get rid of it, you know? So I was determined to solve this. And what saved us was the DiMarzio Pro Track. Ibanez got this thing right up against the last fret. It’s amazing how they were able to do it. It’s got a little bit more generous cutaway to the body so you can get up there and play up there. We’re still experimenting with the bridge pickup. I’m thinking it might be a Norton, one of the pickups I designed along with the FRED and the Mo’Jo with DiMarzio. Steve Blucher at DiMarzio is a wizard, so when I say I designed the pickups, that’s a euphemism for me requesting something (laughs). I say “Steve, can you just give me something that goes, like, ‘KKRRR-RURRRR’?” and he goes “Okay. Gimmie a couple of days.”

Specs include basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, original Edge bridge (by the way, the Edge is now standard on all Prestige JS models - woohoo!), DiMarzio Mo' Joe bridge pickup and DiMarzio Pro Track neck pickup.

Here's Ibanez's page about the JS2400, while this page includes a video featuring Joe talking about the new axe.

NAMM 2010: Performance Guitar booth visit

One of my favourite stops during NAMM was at the Performance Guitar booth in Hall E. I’ve heard of Performance for many years and I know that both Frank Zappa and Steve Vai were early fans of the company, but apart from playing one for about 30 seconds at a guitar clinic by Aussie shredder Joe Cool when I was about 16, I’d never seen one close up. A recent Premier Guitar feature on the company piqued my interest further, so when I saw them at NAMM I zoomed right over to say hello and check out their gear.

I knew about Performance’s guitars, but let’s face it, their guitars come with a price tag which is as high as their quality level (ie: you get what you pay for, which is a good thing!). But what really surprised me was their pedal mods under their TTL (Top of the Line) brand. At NAMM, Performance had set up a rig where you could A/B the modified and unmodified versions of various pedals. I was particularly taken by their Boss DS-1 mod. Performance’s website says:

DS-1 Distortion
$254.00

Original Characteristics:
The original DS-1 has a simple, yet well designed circuitry. It has the right amount of gain and the symmetrical distortion produced by diodes.

What has been Modified and Improved:
The input impedance has been changed to the tube amp standard of 1MΩ. Improvements have been made in the area of picking nuance, quicker response time, and overall sound definition. The even harmonics, especially the second harmonic, have been emphasized to recreate the sound of a fully-driven tube pre-amp. This resulted in the thin sound becoming eliminated completely and the overall sound becoming much richer. The gain factor has been re-evaluated at various frequencies to achieve great distortion, even with a single coil pick up. With respect to the original design principle, no switches were added and overall modifications were kept simple.

The company makes a couple of its own pedals too, including the FZ-85, a filter modulation pedal designed in collaboration with Frank Zappa in the 80s. The site says:

FZ-85( F.Zappa Filter Modulation)
$675.00

There’s an early ’80, Frank Zappa wanted special his own sound. Frank and we collaborate each other to make special effect for Frank. It control and emphasize the particular frequency. This effects pedal has 3 mode select SW. There are low pass mode, band pass mode, high pass mode.

*Low pass mode position cut the higher frequency above the frequency you set up.
*Band pass mode position cut the frequency without the frequency you set up.
*High pass mode position cut the lower frequency below the frequency you set up.

And then you can set up the frequency that you want to make it peak point with “F” control knob. And also you can set up the resonant peak with “Q” control knob. For example, you can have the sound like an eccentric “Wah Wah” with moving the “F” control knob. This effects pedal is different from other effects pedals. Because this effects pedal boosts up the inner voltage. That’s why this effects pedal can get wider dynamic range and works more extremely. You can’t find any other effects pedal like this. You can get this sound only from this one. Frank couldn’t make his sound without this effects pedal. Now this effects is used by Dweezil Zappa, Steve-Vai, Warren-Cuccurullo and many more musicians and they Loved it!!

I was also blown away by the Snake Skin guitar (autographed by Warren DiMartini of RATT) which I used when testing out the pedals. It was very responsive to pick attack and despite the hard rock vibe of the snake skin finish I found it great for bluesier, Hendrixy riffing.

Here are my photos from the Performance booth. Check out that Vai-style flame guitar!

LINK: Performanceguitar.com

NAMM 2010: Way Huge Aqua-Puss, Dunlop Volume Pedal, Heavy Core Strings

Remember my recent post about the new stuff from Jim Dunlop/MXR? Well here's a little more info direct from the company themselves, including some more info about the awesome new Way Huge Aqua-Puss MkII analog delay. John Mayer's all about this pedal and it sounded great at NAMM. Before we get to the Dunlop info, check out this video from Premier Guitar at NAMM, which includes Uli Jon Roth giving the Aqua-Puss a run-through at the booth.

WAY HUGE RELEASES THE AQUA PUSS MKII ANALOG DELAY

The Aqua-Puss MkII is making its triumphant return, ready to bathe a tone thirsty world in gorgeously smooth delay. One twist of the Delay knob takes you from a tight 20ms delay to a cavernous 300ms. The Feedback control regulates delay duration and intensity. But watch out. Extreme settings can send the Aqua-Puss MkII into self-oscillating psycho-freak-out mode! Meanwhile the Blend knob lets you set a balance between dry and delayed signal—from mild to wild. The Aqua-Puss MkII delivers all the spooky mystery of vintage analog delay and tape-based echo, with none of the hassle of creaky, ancient gear.

INTRODUCING DUNLOP’S REVOLUTIONARY VOLUME PEDAL

Control your volume levels with exacting precision with the new Dunlop Volume Pedal. The Dunlop Volume Pedal features a patent pending Steel Band Drive that creates a low-friction environment with no strings or ratchet gears attached - allowing you to achieve thick, luscious volume swells in one smooth motion without the fear of breaking. With fully adjustable tension and high-quality low-noise electronic components, the sound is as clean and transparent as the feel is smooth. Housed in a lightweight but durable aluminum chassis, the pedal features a rocker pedal that is slightly curved for ergonomics, with an aggressive non-slip tread that keeps your foot firmly in place. Great features, smooth, hassle-free performance and crystalline tone make the Dunlop Volume Pedal the smart choice for every musician.

DUNLOP INTRODUCES HEAVY CORE GUITAR STRINGS FOR DROP TUNING

Heavy Core® Strings are uniquely designed for the player that enjoys higher tension at standard tuning or normal tension at dropped tunings. Our proprietary core-to-wrap ratios are meticulously calculated so the player can really “dig in” while retaining sound fundamentals. Heavy Core® Strings, like all Dunlop Strings are manufactured with the highest quality of materials and engineered for great tone, balance, and feel.

NEWS: Dave Weiner sells his Ibanezes, joins PRS

Now this is interesting. Finding his guitar needs shifting in new directions and no longer feeling that Ibanez reflected his personality, Dave Weiner is selling off a bunch of his Ibanezes and is hooking up with PRS under a non-exlusive agreement which will allow him to play other brands when he feels like it, while also developing 6 and 7 string models. Cool!

Dave talks about his sweet new PRS 513 in this video here:

You can read more, including comments from Dave, on this thread on Jemsite.

As for Dave's garage sale, check out the guitars he's saying goodbye to here. Currently he's selling an Ibanez LACS (LA Custom Shop) 7 string, an Ibanez AF207 7-string jazz guitar with one-of-a-kind 5-way high frequency filter, an Ibanez AJ30ECE acoustic guitar used on Steve Vai's recent 'Where The Wild Things Are' live CD and DVD, and an Ibanez SR485 5-string bass.

LINK: Daveweiner.com

NEWS: Rotosound Double Decker Rotos string sets

I'm currently rocking Rotosound strings on almost all of my 6-string guitars, and I really like how lively the tone is. I'm also a bit of a tightass, so Rotosound's new Double Decker sets, which save you up to 20% by packaging two sets together, has gotta be a good thing.

Here's the press release.

Rotosounds launch Double Decker Rotos string sets


Rotosound’s best selling R9 and R10 Rotos nickel on steel guitar strings are now available in superb value twin set packaging. Called ‘Double Deckers’ the new packs of Rotos offer greater value for money and are up to 20% cheaper than buying two single sets.

Rotos are used by many of the world’s top artists and range from Guthrie Govan to Franz Ferdinand; they are the first choice guitar strings for amateurs and professionals alike. With a brilliance in tone, Rotos are made using the finest quality nickel on steel and manufactured with the strictest of quality control to ensure consistency, strength and durability.

The new double decker packs are coded R9-2 and R10-2 and reduce packaging by approx 70% compared to buying two separate packs. They will be available in the shops from March 2010.

For further information on the new sets and other Rotosound products see http://www.rotosound.com/

NEWS: Megadeth to play Rust In Peace live

Here's one I didn't see coming. Megadeth are going to play the entirety of Rust In Peace live during their forthcoming tour with Testament and Exodus. Why exactly didn't I see it coming? Well, cos Dave Mustaine seemed to shrug off that the very idea just a few months ago when I interviewed him:

Here’s a question from the Megadeth forum: Are you planning anything to mark the 20th anniversary of Rust In Peace?


Well if they’re asking about me playing with those guys again I think I’ve made it pretty clear.


Well even something like a special commemorative release, or playing the album start-to-finish live.

Yeah, I’ve heard that, but my answer is pretty simple: If it was gonna happen it would have. I don’t think it’ll ever happen. I don’t dislike any of those guys. We did have some very difficult periods together but I was just as difficult to be around as they were. And all I want to do right now is just bless them and just let them know I’m a fan of theirs. Even the ones I had a hard time with, I’m a fan of theirs. They were part of my life and I look to those times together with great fondness.

But wait, if you read closely, Dave seems to be a bit evasive when I bring up the idea of a 'play all of Rust in Peace' tour, instead shifting the focus to whether he'd reform the line-up of that era. Did Dave plan to do this all along? Or was it a recent decision based on needing to do something spectacular to compensate for the fact that Slayer had to reschedule their tour plans with Megadeth due to Tom Araya's back operation? Or is this decision simply a 'Dave decided he wanted to do it, so here it is' thing? Whatever the reason, there are gonna be some very happy metal fans out there this year, and a very sad guitar blogger who won't even be on the same continent. :(

Here's the press release

The mighty Megadeth will join forces with Testament and Exodus for a month-long jaunt that will find these thrash titans crisscrossing the nation on the 'Rust in Peace' 20th anniversary tour. These will be incredibly special shows that will delight Megadeth fans, as the band will be playing their landmark, genre-defining album, 1990's Rust in Peace, in its entirety, in addition to other Megadeth set list favorites.

Megadeth's latest, ENDGAME, was released in September 2009 and received some of the highest critical accolades of the band's career. The band performed on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and was nominated for yet another Grammy - the eight nomination of their storied career- for "Head Crusher." Megadeth also enjoyed heaps of praise in the press, from outlets as varied as New Yorkto Revolver to VH1's "That Metal Show" to PopMatters. With ENDGAME, Megadeth have once again ascended to the top of the metal world.

The tour will kick off on March 1 in Spokane, WA and will run through the end of the month.

MegaFanClub tickets presale will be held on Thursday, January 28th from 10AM to 10PM. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, January 29th.
http://megafanclub.megadeth.com

Dates are as follows:

3/1 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
3/2 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
3/3 - Medford, OR - Medford Armory
3/6 - Calgary, AB - Big Four (Testament with Special Guests)
3/7 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Centre (Testament with Special Guests)
3/8 - Saskatoon, SK - Prairieland Exhibition Hall
3/11 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theater
3/12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Palace Theater
3/13 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
3/15 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
3/16 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
3/18 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center
3/19 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
3/21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
3/22 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
3/23 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
3/25 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
3/26 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Amphitheater
3/27 - Lubbock, TX - The Pavilion
3/28 - El Paso, TX - Club 101
3/30 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
3/31 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium (Testament with Special Guests)

Stay tuned for more information next week on the rescheduling of the "American Carnage" tour dates, as well.

NAMM 2010: Devin Townsend answers my question

While performing for Alvarez at NAMM, Devin Townsend opened the floor up to questions, so I jumped in with a 'Where are you at with the next 2 CDs?' (referring to his 4-CD Devin Townsend Project). Well someone happened to be filming and I just found this video on YouTube, complete with my overly Australian blurting of the question. Devin's answer is hilarious, so enjoy!

NAMM 2010: IK Multimedia AmpliTube 3

I've long been a big user of IK Multimedia's AmpliTube series - while I use quite a lot of different amp sims, I definitely return to AmpliTube the most often, and no less a discriminating pair of ears than Steve Vai's complimented me on the tones I pulled from AmpliTube 2. (Well, the mouth part of Steve Vai said that, not his ears... but I kinda backed myself into a corner with that sentence and the only way to get out again was to write this sentence...). Well now IK Multimedia is launching AmpliTube 3, and it looks like it's going to be absolutely killer, adding some monster sounds from AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix and Metal, as well as quite a few other additions and improvements. The addition I'm most excited about is the freely movable microphone placement. Awesome!

Take it away, press release:

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IK Multimedia Announces AmpliTube 3,
Meet the New King of Tone
More Gear, More Feel, More Power, More Tone

January 2010, Modena, Italy – IK Multimedia is proud to present AmpliTube 3, a massive upgrade
of the leading guitar and bass tone gear-modeling software. AmpliTube 3 raises the industry standard of sound variety, realism and creative power - with over 160 precisely modeled pieces of vintage and modern gear available in one package, it is the ultimate tone gear collection for players, producers, engineers.

More Gear — Infinite Combinations:
AmpliTube 3 contains over 160 pieces of gear, more than double the amount of other packages,
including models from the most sought-after vintage collections and modern day workhorses. You’ll get 51 individual stompboxes and effects, 31 amplifier, preamp & power sections, 46 speaker cabinet models, 15 high-end stage and studio mics, and 17 post-amp rack effects. Plus, with the new AmpliTube 3 open architecture, you can add more packages as you need them, like AmpliTube Fender™ and Ampeg® SVX.

More Feel — True Dynamic Response:
AmpliTube 3 gear models give you THE most realistic playing feel — not just the tones — but the actual dynamic response of their hardware counterparts. Nothing comes closer to the feel and touch of playing through a real rig than AmpliTube 3. Plus, with IK’s proprietary VRM™ (Volumetric Response Modeling) technology, you can add ultra-accurate rotating speaker effects, free dual mic placements, plus room ambience and response to customize and craft your tone.

More Power — Creative Inspiration:
Face it — the better you sound, the better you play. AmpliTube 3 unleashes more creative power than ever, helping you to easily carve new, truly unique voices for your guitar, bass, keyboard, drum and vocals. Our new creative effects let you create sounds you’ve never heard before, and the new “drag & drop” effects’ configuration feature lets you quickly experiment with effects in the signal chain to get that totally unique sound.

More Tone — Every Sound You Can Imagine:
AmpliTube 3 is the voice for your soul. With the largest collection of ultra-accurately modeled gear, creative effects and flexible routing features, you’ll never run out of sonic possibilities. Every sound you’ve heard before, and even ones you haven’t dreamed of yet…find them here in AmpliTube 3.

More Gear. In fact, twice as much gear!
- Over 160 gear models included (with nearly 100 added models), more than double the amount
of other packages, from the most sought-after vintage collections to modern day workhorses
- 51 Stompbox effects, 31 Amps, 46 Cabinets, 15 Studio Mics and 17 Rack effects
- 30 brand new models for the most complete anthology of gear, ever
- 70 re-worked and superior sounding models from packages like AmpliTube Metal™ and
AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix™
- A new collection of bass gear models makes it also the most complete package for any bass recording or performance needs’ musician or engineer
- Can be directly expanded with packages like AmpliTube Fender™, Ampeg® SVX™ and future packages
- New preset management and keyword system allows you to organize and quickly recall the massive library of included and custom preset tones

More Feel. Nothing even comes close to AmpliTube 3…
- New cabinet module inside now provides double miking per cabinet, with freely movable microphones thanks to IK’s VRM™ (Volumetric Response Modeling) technology, giving you a level of control and sound accuracy never before experienced in software
- New impulse-based reverbs are now used in the entire chain, from spring reverb to room ambience, which ensures the most realistic possible representation of your recording environment
- New rotary speaker module sets the new standard for accurate emulation of these types of cabinets – until now, there had never been such a great sounding rotary cabinet in software
- All models in AmpliTube 3 have been ultra-accurately “remastered” with our new 3rd generation modeling technology (the same found in AmpliTube Fender™), using IK’s exclusive DSM™ technology (Dynamic Saturation Modeling), then painstakingly “A/B” compared with the originals to ensure that the sound you hear from the software is the same sound you hear from the gear

More Power. Unleash more creative power.
- New creative Effects featuring the new StepFilter, StepSLicer, TapDelay, Rezo and Swell stomp
and rack effects that allow you to sculpt your sound and create inspiring rhythmic patterns or
amazing drone and pad-like effects
- New full-stereo path allows you to use the huge collection of analog and digital effects on your
vocal tracks, keyboards and drums
- New Drag & Drop function in the stomp and rack modules now makes experimenting with
effects’ combinations a breeze
- New “MIDI Learn” feature allows you to assign any software control or parameter to an
external controller with a simple click on the parameter’s knob
- New, integrated 4-track recorder/player allows you to capture and layer your ideas quickly and easily right at the moment of inspiration.

Pricing and Availability:
AmpliTube 3 will ship within February 2010 as VST, RTAS and Audio Unit plug-in formats and as standalone software for Mac OSX® and Windows®, and will be available in the following versions and MSRP prices*:
• AmpliTube 3 $349.99/€269.99
• AmpliTube 3 Crossgrade $269.99/€199.99 (available to any IK registered users)
• AmpliTube 3 Upgrade $199.99/€149.99 (available to all previous AmpliTube 2, AmpliTube
Metal, AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix™, AmpliTube Fender™ or Ampeg® SVX™ registered users)
Additionally, AmpliTube 3 will also be available as a complete software + hardware solution for playing and recording in a bundle with the StealthPedal – IK’s innovative, wah-style interface and controller for guitar and bass players:
• AmpliTube 3 + StealthPedal $399.99/€299.99

Preorders are already available in the IK Online Store and in our network of selected dealers and distributors worldwide.

* All prices excluding taxes.

For more information on AmpliTube 3, please visit:
www.amplitube.com

NAMM 2010: Way Huge Aqua-Puss MKII

Here's something cool from the Dunlop blog: the official announcement of the Way Huge Aqua-Puss MKII analog delay pedal. This one caused a bit of a frenzy on Twitter a few weeks ago when John Mayer tweeted about it - he's long been a fan of the original Aqua-Puss - and I got to hear it in person at NAMM last week. It sounds more subtle and soft to my ears compared to the excellent MXR Carbon Copy analog delay (which has a very proud place on my pedalboard). It's really a gorgeous sounding delay and although I'm still in the US at the moment and my guitars are half a world away back home in Australia, I can already hear in my head just how awesome this pedal would be in combination with my Ibanez Talman.

Here's some info from the Dunlop blog:

The Aqua-Puss MkII is making its triumphant return, ready to bathe a tone thirsty world in gorgeously smooth delay. One twist of the Delay knob takes you from a tight 20ms delay to a cavernous 300ms. The Feedback control regulates delay duration and intensity. But watch out. Extreme settings can send the Aqua-Puss MkII into self-oscillating psycho-freak-out mode! Meanwhile the Blend knob lets you set a balance between dry and delayed signal—from mild to wild. The Aqua-Puss MkII delivers all the spooky mystery of vintage analog delay and tape-based echo, with none of the hassle of creaky, ancient gear.

NAMM 2010: Jerry Cantrell's G&L Rampages

I took these shots at the G&L booth at NAMM. You'll see the Tribute series Jerry Cantrell Rampage, along with some other tasty Rampage models, including the forthcoming Blue Dress reissue and, sweet lord, is that Jerry's own actual Rampage on display? Y'know, the one that recorded dozens of classic Alice In Chains tracks? Or is it a replica? The whole relicing thing has become so well-honed these days that it's kinda hard to tell! And check out the other models on display too. Can't seem to dig up any info on if all of these will be available, or if they're Jerry's stage guitars on display, but they're nice to look at, aren't they?

Check out this G&L Rampage tour at NAMM by Premier Guitar. To be honest I haven't even watched this myself yet cos I just found it and right now I'm trying to be mega quiet cos my son is trying to sleep a few feet away (I'm at a hotel in San Francisco right now) and I can't get to my headphones without waking him up, but Premier Guitar always do awesome videos, and hey, maybe they answer the questions I asked earlier in the post! Bring on morning so I can find out for myself!

NEWS: Ibanez launches 12-string RG!

Huge thanks to Daniel for emailing me about this!

Hoshino has given in after many years of requests from German Ibanez distributor Meinl to build a 12-string Ibanez RG! Now, I suppose this will only be available in Germany for now, but who knows, if it's popular enough and if word spreads far enough online, maybe it'll prove to be profitable enough for Ibanez to make it into worldwide distribution.

Structurally the guitar appears to be based on the RG570 (albeit with a fixed bridge), with a humbucker/single/humbucker (Ibanez V7, S1, V8) configuration, 5-way switching, volume and tone controls, 24 frets and no pickguard. If the body wood is anything other than basswood I'll eat my hat.

More info here.

NAMM 2010: Suhr booth photo special

I had an awesome time strolling around the Suhr booth at NAMM, and since I got so many killer pics of the display I thought this might best be presented as a photo special. As always, you can order your Suhr with pretty much any appointments you desire, so check out their site for more info, after you've wiped the drool from your keyboard.

NAMM 2010: Peavey PXD Vicious Devin Townsend signature 7-string

I certainly make no secret about my Devin Townsend geekiness, and as you may remember I've been excited about the forthcoming Peavey Devin Townsend signature model for some time. The extreme awesomeness of Devin's current album Addicted has only increased my gearlust, and I finally got my hands on the new model at NAMM. Here's a photo I took at NAMM - note that the version on display has a different bridge and a neck pickup that aren't present on Devin's original one as seen on the display behind the guitar.

Let's zoom in to the guitar itself, shall we? Note the cool DTP (Devin Townsend Project) logo at the 12th fret.

And here's the press release:


'V' is for Vicious: Peavey Launches Latest PXD™ Guitar Design with Devin Townsend Signature Model
January 18, 2010

Peavey proudly introduces the new PXD™ Vicious™ Series and the PXD Vicious Devin Townsend Signature Model, a 7-string baritone metal guitar designed to his demanding specifications.

"When Peavey and I decided to collaborate on this project, I knew that I wanted an instrument that could crush everything while maintaining a high level of quality and elegance," said Townsend, the renowned producer and mastermind of The Devin Townsend Project and Strapping Young Lad. "This quest has redefined how I view the guitar. To have a company that knows how to get things done behind me with a metal axe like this is a real sense of power."

The PXD Vicious Devin Townsend Signature Model has a 28" baritone scale, seven strings and a maple neck-through-body design that gives the instrument incredible sustain. A pair of EMG pickups—including a custom EMG 81 7-string humbucker in the bridge position and an EMG 7-string single coil at the neck—give Devin's Vicious guitar menacing rhythm and lead tones, as well as striking clean tones in the neck position. This gun-metal gray guitar is appointed with locking Sperzel® tuners and an ebony fretboard with jumbo frets.

The Peavey PXD Vicious™ is available in two additional models with a range of feature options, including an adjustable bridge with a string-through design and Coffin Case® hard cases or gig bags. PXD guitars feature high-output Peavey VFL™ active pickups or EMG® 60 and 81 pickups with the EMG Afterburner™ tone circuit, which boosts input gain up to 20 dB for the highest levels of saturation anywhere. See below for full feature options in the Peavey PXD Vicious guitar line.

The Peavey PXD Series is a new breed of extreme electric guitars that captures the aggression and attitude of modern metal players. With supercharged active pickups coupled to menacing slabs of tone-sustaining mahogany, the Peavey PXD Series is the sound of aggression and the perfect complement to the legendary Peavey 6505® Series guitar amplifiers. True to the music that inspired them, PXD Series guitars are built for speed, slicing leads and razor-sharp riffs.

Devin Townsend's illustrious body of work includes The Devin Townsend Project, Strapping Young Lad, Steve Vai and numerous other projects, as well as production credits for Lamb of God, Bleeding Through, Darkest Hour, A Life Once Lost, and Soilwork. His latest release is "The Devin Townsend Project's Addicted," the second in a four-part album series.

Peavey PXD Vicious Series guitars will be available in Q1 2010 from authorized Peavey retailers.

PXD Vicious Devin Townsend Signature Model

Designed with Devin Townsend
7-string baritone instrument with 28" scale
Maple neck-through-body design for incredible sustain
Alder body wings
Locking Sperzel® tuners
Adjustable bridge with string-through design
EMG® 7-string active neck pickup
EMG® 81 7-string active humbucking bridge pickup
Volume control
Three-way pickup toggle switch
Ebony fretboard with 24 jumbo frets
Glow-in-the-dark side fret markers for dark stages
Gun metal gray finish with black accents
U.S. MSRP $1199.99

PXD Vicious II

6-string guitar with 24.75" scale and 24 frets
Set mahogany neck and body
EMG® 60 and 81 pickups
Two Volume and one Afterburner controls with 3-way toggle switch
Adjustable bridge with string-through design
Rosewood fretboard
Available in Matte Black, Gloss black, Gloss red, or Gloss white
Matte black model features brushed aluminum finish pickguard
Specially designed Coffin Case® case included
U.S. MSRP $799.99

PXD Vicious I

6-string guitar with 24.75" scale and 24 frets
Set mahogany neck and body
Two Peavey VFL™ active pickups
Two Volume and one tone controls with 3-way toggle switch
Adjustable bridge with string-through design
Rosewood fretboard
Available in Matte Black, Gloss black, Gloss red, or Gloss white
Matte Black model features brushed aluminum finish pickguard
Specially designed Coffin Case® gig bag included
U.S. MSRP $499.99

LINK: Peavey

NAMM 2010: Randall NB15 Nuno Bettencourt practice amp

Aside from the official release of the NB King 112 30 watt Nuno Bettencourt signature combo amp, Randall was also showcasing the forthcoming (release date TBA) NB15 combo amp.

Look at that dear little thing. Seeing them all stacked up like that reminds me of Brian May's famous AC30 wall.

Oh and for some context, here's the rest of the wall:

And here's the press release about the NB King 112:

Following the release of the award-winning NBKing head and cab, Randall Amplifiers announces the new Nuno Bettencourt signature combo amplifier, the NBKing 112.

The NBKing 112 is an all tube 30 watt combo amplifier powered by 4 EL84 tubes. It utilizes the same 3 channel preamp found on the 100 watt Randall NBKing head. The top facing gold control panel contains 2 full featured channels, clean and overdrive. The third channel is a dedicated solo channel containing drive and volume controls.

An oversized volume control and analog VU metre contribute to a vintage and boutique vibe. Two top mounted carrying handles make transport effortless. An effects loop and MIDI in/thru footswitch connections add versatility.

The front two-tone grill cloth contains Nuno's logo and is both surrounded and divided by classy white piping. The cabinet houses a Celestion® Greenback speaker.

NAMM 2010: Taylor Baritone 8-string acoustic

I spent quite a bit of time geeking out over Taylor at NAMM (look for a photo special soon, and I'm taking the factory tour tomorrow!), and one of the coolest products I saw was this incredible Baritone 8-string acoustic. Tuned B to B, the middle two strings are doubled an octave higher for subtle 12-string effects. I spent a bit of time playing it and I found it quite intuitive: because only two strings are doubled, you don't get that same 'I'm playing on a cheese grater ... I prolly shouldn't be doing this' feel you get from a full 12-string. Now, as someone who plays a lot of 7-string, I can really see this guitar fitting quite nicely indeed into my recordings, adding some punch to the low end and some zing to the top at the same time.

Another awesome thing about this guitar is that while I was playing it, John Petrucci strolled in to the Taylor booth. He remembered me from our recent interview (at least he said he did - maybe he was just being polite. Man that dude's nice), and I showed him the guitar and told him how freaking awesome it is. Who knows, maybe he'll pick one up and work it into some future music?

Anyway, here's the press release:

Taylor Guitars Introduces the Baritone 8-String Guitar

ANAHEIM, Calif. - January 14, 2010 - Born from a love of tone and a passion for innovation, Taylor Guitars has expanded the possibilities of guitar voicing in its new model, the Baritone 8-String. With a bold, fresh sound, the Baritone 8-String broadens the tonal spectrum, giving players a rich musical palette that promises to uncork new inspiration of musical harmony.


Featuring a Grand Symphony body with a richly hued back and sides of Indian rosewood topped with Sitka spruce, the Baritone 8-String embodies the spirit of a traditional baritone guitar paired with Taylor's quality craftsmanship and product innovation. The model features a longer-scaled 27-inch neck and Taylor-designed baritone bracing. The guitar is tuned from B to B and features additional octave strings paired along with the third and fourth (D and A) strings. This feature gives players an extended range of sounds, without compromising tonal integrity or playability.


The Baritone 8-String came to be as Taylor's product development team was deep in the throes of designing several series of 35th Anniversary guitars, including a 6-string baritone (XXXV-B) and a 9-string guitar (XXXV-9). The team decided to experiment by creating a hybrid of the two, as Bob Taylor explains. "We loved the traditional baritone, but missed having some of that upper register. We thought, what if we turned it into a 9-string baritone? So, we made one. But after deciding it was a little too jangly, we pulled off the [doubled second] string, leaving the third and fourth octave strings. It sounded awesome."


Adding the two octave strings, Taylor says, transformed the baritone. "It's a whole new ballgame. It's really, really cool because you can either accentuate those octaves or stay away from them. The beauty of this guitar is that it goes low and those two strings brighten it up, but they don't sound too 'octave-y'. It doesn't give you that 12-string effect as much as it really just extends the range because, as a baritone, the octaves aren't really high. It fills the guitar out and gives it a nice (tonal) spread."


The Baritone 8-String is tuned a fourth below standard guitar tuning, allowing the player to play songs in a lower register. In terms of the playing experience, Taylor's David Hosler, a member of the product development team, compares the tonal properties of the 8-string baritone to a blend of three different instruments. "When I hear it, I feel like I'm hearing a 6-string, a bass, and a bit of 12-string all in one guitar," he says. "In giving it a good listen, it sounds like standard and alternate tuning at the same time."


The product development team at Taylor isn't the only group excited about the new model. Taylor-strumming dealers, from metal players to singer-songwriters, are lining up to play and share the experience with their customers. Matt Clancy, from Craig's Music in Weatherford, Texas sampled the 8-string during a fall Taylor Road Show event. As a heavy metal musician, he was blown away with the "bigness of the tone." In fact, he says his favorite thing about the guitar is the tonal fullness he gets from a single strum. "When you're playing regular chords on the 8-string, there's so much more body, especially with octave strings," he elaborates. "It opens up the way minor chords sound, and they sound huge on it. It's a great guitar for guys who do metal and some acoustic rock, as it's perfect for power chords, and for some jazz too, especially if they like playing in low B. It's a guitar that's filled with big, tonal goodness. It adds a depth that you can't get from any other guitar on the market right now."


Evan Carmen, a Taylor dealer from Morgan Music in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, had the chance to play an 8-string prototype during a recent visit to the Taylor factory. As an acoustic singer-songwriter, Carmen is sure this guitar will be an addition to his collection. "There is practical application in nearly every style and genre I can think of," he says. "It's only a matter of time before it starts changing music forever. I can't wait to see how people react to it right out of the gate. No doubt, we'll be hearing it used frequently after people catch wind of what it's capable of. I can't wait to have one of my own."


As enchanting as the guitar is to play and listen to, it's equally attractive visually. The model's appointments include a mother-of-pearl peghead inlay and delicate diamond-shaped fretboard inlays, a three-ring abalone rosette, and abalone-dotted bridge pins. Premium features include Indian rosewood binding, a bone nut and saddle, and an all-gloss finish. Amplified with the Taylor Expression System® pickup and strung with ELIXIR® Baritone strings, the model is also offered in a standard 6-string version.


Available at authorized domestic and international Taylor dealers in mid-winter, the Baritone 8-String will be offered at a suggested retail price of $3,998 and the Baritone 6-String at $3,798. Players looking to keep their baritone guitar equipped with ELIXIR strings® can purchase them through TaylorWare, the company's online store of Taylor-branded clothing, accessories and gear.


To experience the company's new guitars, artist performances, or to learn more about Taylor Guitars, please visit the Taylor Guitars booth on the second floor of the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 213.


For additional information about the Baritone guitars, please visit
www.taylorguitars.com


For Taylor Guitars news, please visit
www.taylorguitars.com/news