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Norse Guitar Feeds
Ernie Ball Music Man Introduces DarkRay II Bass
Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced the DarkRay II bass, expanding on the aggressive, modern foundation of the original DarkRay with fully integrated, polyphonic octave-up and octave-down effects. Pairing a true 4-string Music Man bass with two built-in distortion voices and a fast-tracking octave, the DarkRay II is available in Black, Showtime, Spectralite, and Mean Green Burst.
At its heart, the DarkRay II is unmistakably Music Man. A single neodymium humbucker is paired with a custom Darkglass active two-band preamp, and with the effects disengaged, the instrument behaves just like a two-band StingRay, with bass and treble controls that both boost and cut. The DarkRay grew out of Music Man's desire to bring the distortions from the Darkglass Alpha·Omega pedal into a StingRay Special, and the DarkRay II continues that legacy: A push/push function on the gain control switches between two distinct distortion voices, Alpha and Omega.
The new octave section is fully polyphonic, tracking chords, intervals, and multiple strings at once with fast, seamless response. A push/push function on the octave control selects one octave up or one octave down, while the same knob doubles as a wet/dry blend for anything from a touch of sub underneath the core tone to a fully saturated octave. Both the distortion and octave knobs feature LED rings that illuminate when engaged and change color to indicate the selected mode, providing instant visual feedback. A three-way switch selects the core tone, octave only (middle position), or octave combined with distortion (neck position), making it easy to move from tight, punchy bass tones to massive, harmonically rich textures.
View an exclusive DarkRay II demo video with bassist Josh Paul below:
Available in 4-string format, the DarkRay II is built on a solid ash body with a high-gloss polyester finish, paired with a five-bolt roasted maple neck in a comfortable "C" profile. An ebony fretboard with an 11" radius, white dot inlays, and 22 stainless steel frets sits on a 34" scale, with the neck and fretboard finished in a gunstock oil and hand-rubbed wax blend for a fast, broken-in feel. Black hardware, a black-plated vintage Music Man bridge, and custom lightweight tuners complete the look. The preamp runs on two 9-volt batteries, and each DarkRay II ships with Ernie Ball rechargeable batteries and a mono case.
DarkRay II features include:
- Fully polyphonic octave-up and octave-down effects with wet/dry blend
- Alpha and Omega DarkRay distortions
- LED rings indicate when (and which) effects are engaged
- Active custom Darkglass two-band EQ preamp with single neodymium humbucker
- Three-way switch: core tone, octave, or octave + distortion
- Solid ash body, roasted maple neck, ebony fretboard, 22 stainless steel frets
- Available in Black, Showtime, Spectralite, and Mean Green Burst
The Ernie Ball Music Man DarkRay II Bass is available for a street price of $3,299. For more information, visit music-man.com
DarkRay II
Ernie Ball Music Man has introduced the DarkRay II bass, expanding on the aggressive, modern foundation of the original DarkRay with fully integrated, polyphonic octave-up and octave-down effects. Pairing a true 4-string Music Man bass with two built-in distortion voices and a fast-tracking octave, the DarkRay II is available in Black, Showtime, Spectralite and Mean Green Burst.
Bad Cat Unleash V3 Amp Utility Interface
Bad Cat Amplifiers has unveiled Unleash V3, the latest evolution of its innovative amplifier utility platform. Designed to give guitarists control over their amplifier's volume without compromising on sound or feel, the Unleash V3 combines a 150-watt reactive load attenuator with a 100-watt, ultra-transparent solid-state power amplifier.
Unlike conventional attenuators, which are designed primarily to reduce volume, the Unleash V3 works in both directions, allowing players to turn high-powered amplifiers down to bedroom levels or take the fully saturated sound of a low-wattage amplifier to the biggest stages. It can absorb the output of a cranked amplifier or take that same saturated signal and amplify it with 100 watts of clean power. Throughout the process, the player's amplifier remains the source of the tone. The Unleash V3 simply gives that tone the freedom to go wherever it's needed.
Transparent Reactive Attenuation
When pushed, tube amplifiers can deliver a delicious blend of warmth, compression, and harmonic richness. The Unleash V3 allows players to achieve that sound without being limited by the resulting volume.
Its 150-watt reactive load attenuator absorbs the output of a cranked amplifier after the power tubes have reached saturation, preserving the feel and dynamics of the amplifier while bringing its volume down to a manageable level. From a 100-watt head in the bedroom to a cranked boutique amplifier in the studio, the Unleash V3 makes it possible to play at the volume the situation demands.
100-Watt Re-Amplification
The Unleash V3 also solves the opposite problem. Low-wattage amplifiers are capable of producing extraordinary tones, but their limited output can make them unsuited for larger venues. The integrated 100-watt solid-state power amplifier takes the saturated output of a small amplifier and brings it to the stage with substantial clean headroom. Players can enjoy the character and responsiveness of a fully cranked 5-watt amplifier while delivering the volume and authority required for a full band.
For recording and live applications, the Unleash V3 features Bad Cat's Purepath balanced analog XLR direct output. Designed to deliver an authentic, consistent signal to the mixing console or recording interface, Purepath provides cabinet-response voicing without latency or digital conversion.
Beyond its core attenuation and re-amplification capabilities, the Unleash V3 incorporates a collection of practical features designed around the needs of working guitarists.
Cabinet Dynamics controls allow players to shape the low- and high-frequency response to replicate the way a speaker cabinet behaves as it is driven harder. A post-power-amp serial effects loop places delays, reverbs, and modulation effects after the amplifier's power section, even when the amplifier itself does not have an effects loop.
Dual foot switchable channels provide independent volume and tonal controls, making it easy to move between rhythm and lead levels without changing the character of the amplifier. The Purepath XLR output includes selectable Edge/Center cabinet voicing, while a dedicated headphone output with independent volume control makes silent practice possible.
With multi-impedance compatibility and dual speaker outputs, the Unleash V3 is designed to integrate seamlessly into virtually any amplifier and cabinet setup.
Key features include:
- Dual-Function Design: Reactive load attenuator and 100-watt solid-state power amplifier in one unit.
- 150-Watt Reactive Load: Multi-impedance compatibility for 4, 8, and 16-ohm amplifiers.
- 100-Watt Re-Amplification: Ultra-transparent solid-state power stage with clean headroom.
- Dual Channels: Independent Volume, Low, and High controls, with included footswitch.
- Post-Power-Amp Serial Effects Loop: Instrument/Line level selection for flexible effects integration.
- Purepath Analog Direct Output: Balanced XLR output with selectable Edge/Center cabinet voicing.
- Dedicated Headphone Output: Independent volume control for silent practice.
- Flexible Speaker Connectivity: Dual 1/4-inch speaker outputs.
- Automatically Adjusted Output Impedance: Output to speaker cab automatically adjusts to impedance levels between 4 and 16 ohms.
Bad Cat’s Unleash V3 carries a $799 street price. For more information, visit badcatamps.com.
Unleash
Bad Cat has introduced their newest iteration of the Unleash amp utility interface.
Recording King Introduces Standard Series All-Solid Acoustic Guitars
Recording King has unveiled a new line of all-solid acoustic guitars designed to evoke iconic instruments of the "Golden Era" through traditional pre-war stylings. The RK Standard Series guitars are open, resonant, and responsive to each playing style, built to handle a heavy pick attack or lighter fingerstyle touch.
Every RK Standard model is thermo-cured to improve stability, clarity, and tone. Polished bullet-end frets, hand-selected rosewood fingerboards, and slim tapered necks aim to provide easy playability. The instruments have a “low-gloss” finish, a flat, super-thin coat that sits between satin and gloss, with a subtle silk-like sheen. Slim bindings, small pre-war-style tuner bushings, and real abalone inlays give the instruments a classic vibe.
Available in Dreadnought, OM, L-00, and 000 12-fret body shapes, key features include:
- Solid AA North American Sitka, Solid African Mahogany, and Solid East Indian Rosewood Construction
- Low Gloss Natural and Burst Finishes
- Tapered C-Shape Neck Profile
- VFA1 Bracing, Forward Shifted/Scalloped
- Ships with a deluxe 25mm gig bag with embroidered logos
Dreadnought models include the D60, D60 Burst, D70H, and D70H Burst, each with 25.39” (645mm) scale length neck.
See the D60 Dreadnought in Vintage Burst demo video below:
Orchestra Model highlights models include the OM60, OM60 Burst, OM70H, OM70H Burst, each with 25.39” (645mm) scale length neck.
000 12-Fret models include the 00060, 00066 (All Mahogany), 0070H, each with 25.39” (645mm) scale length neck.
L-00 Bluesmaster models include the BM60, BM60 Burst, BM60 Marmalade Burst, BM60 Sepia Burst, BM70, BM70 Blacktop, each with 24.80” (630mm) scale length neck.
See the BM70 00 Bluesmaster Blacktop demo video below:
The RK Standard Series continues the revitalization of the Recording King brand under the direction of St. Louis Music.
Recording King’s Standard Series models carry street prices ranging from $749.99 to $999.99 depending on tonewood and finish. Burst finishes cost an additional $50 and Rosewood construction costs an additional $200 for all models. For more information, visit recordingking.co.
RK Standard Series
Recording King has unveiled a new line of all-solid acoustic guitars designed to evoke iconic instruments of the ‘Golden Era’ through traditional pre-war stylings. The RK Standard Series guitars are open, resonant and responsive to each playing style, built to handle a heavy pick attack or lighter fingerstyle touch.
Positive Grid Spark PEDAL Review
Positive Grid’s Spark 40 amp did a lot to make digital amps more accessible and approachable in the minds of value-minded players. In fact, the Spark 40 amp was the best-selling guitar amp of 2023 on Reverb, which says much about how effectively this formula resonates with consumers. Although Positive Grid amps like Spark 40 and its successor, the 50-watt Spark 2, are very capable of being employed in concert settings, many players primarily use them at home as practice amps, perhaps because of their small form factor.
But the new Spark PEDAL takes Positive Grid’s technology and shrinks it into a package optimized for the stage. It’s essentially a complete rig, with 33 amps, 43 effects, and a looper. It can also be used as a recording interface. Better still, it weighs just under 1.25 pounds. You can store six presets across two banks. And you can plug it straight into an amp, PA, powered speakers, or DAW. It even has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can last up to seven hours. And for deep divers, there are more than 100,000 downloadable tones available via the Spark app’s ToneCloud. Pretty impressive for a piece of kit that takes up the same amount of room as a few pedals.
Quick Tones on the Go
It’s pretty easy to get around the Spark PEDAL at the purely physical level. The interface has five knobs, and each has secondary functions that switch depending on whether you use amp or FX mode. Amp mode defines your core sound via six basic amp types: clean, glassy, crunch, hi-gain, metal, and bass, and within these amp types, four knobs control gain, bass, mid, and treble. In FX mode the five knobs control drive, modulation, output volume, delay, and reverb, and each knob also activates a sub-menu with more specific options for each effect category—for example, digital, vintage, multi-head, or reverse delay types.
Although there is no onboard display, a color-coded LED that encircles the output volume knob lets you know the level of the effect you adjust. The control panel also has a built-in tuner, which is accessed by holding down the center volume knob. Because the knobs have multiple functions—and some functions, like engaging the looper or preset mode, or switching preset banks, require pushing two footswitches—it helps to keep the manual nearby as you get to know the unit. But once you figure out the lay of the land, navigating the pedal’s intricacies tends to be second nature.
That said, if you only use the Spark PEDAL’s onboard interface to control things, you miss out on the much greater possibilities afforded by the Spark app. Even those new to using an app with an amp or effect are likely to be struck by the ease with which you can pull up and manipulate the seemingly endless array of rigs, as well as the ability to transition between presets without latency.
Sparks of Inspiration
With an Ernie Ball Music Man in hand, I listened to the Spark PEDAL through headphones first—just to hear it in an uncolored state. I know the Spark app pretty well, but I wanted to see if I could use the pedal’s knobs exclusively to create my tones. I selected the glassy amp, added a touch of vintage delay and hall reverb and saved it to preset 1 as a base tone. I then chose the clean amp with a modest amount of multi-head delay and studio reverb for preset 2. Both sounds were fantastic and did the trick for a basic lead and rhythm setup that I could switch between.
When using just the pedal, parameters like delay time and feedback are fixed at settings that work across many musical applications. Though I liked what I heard, these fixed settings could frustrate users that want to work with the hardware side of the Spark PEDAL exclusively. Like I said, fine-tuning these parameters using the Spark app is pretty easy. But you still need the app to pull it off, and for some users this will be a step too far outside the realm of physical interface with the unit itself.
The Spark PEDAL also works great with amps. I hooked up a vintage silver panel Fender Musicmaster Bass amp and was pleasantly surprised. Using the app, I pulled up the “Silver Ship” preset, which is a clean sound based on a Roland JC-120, with compression, chorus, and reverb. I bypassed the amp model to use the effects exclusively and added a vintage delay. The sound was lush, warm, and very JC-120-like—perfect for jangle pop, dyad 10ths riffs, and even metal power-ballad, open-string, broken-chord figures.
One thing led to another, and I found myself dabbling with the “Crazy Train” preset—this time with its Mesa/Boogie Rectifier-inspired amp model activated. After a few slight tweaks to better match the Musicmaster amp, I got a bone-crunching sound with massive bottom end and great definition in my palm-muted low-string chugs. The little vintage Fender sounded like a modern metal machine! The preset’s noise gate worked remarkably well, but even with my guitar volume up at 10, there was little noise to contend with.
“Once you figure out the lay of the land, navigating the pedal’s intricacies becomes second nature.”
Simple Grooves
There are many overlapping features between the Spark PEDAL and its Spark Amp siblings. But one major advantage the Pedal has—apart from its small size—is having three footswitches to control the functions for the pedal’s 60-second looper.
For me, though, the groove looper option, which lets you select the parameters of the loop—number of measures, tempo, and drumbeats—and starts the loop after a count-off is more than enough for my basic needs. It’s a really foolproof way to get rhythmically clean loops.
The Verdict
I’m a big fan of Positive Grid’s Spark amps, and also own one. So naturally, I wondered if I needed the pedal. On the surface, the Spark PEDAL seems to simply be a Spark amp without a speaker. But while they share many features, the Spark Pedal fills a different need. I recalled a time I had to play a jam straight into the house amp dry. It was not fun at all. But the simple, compact, and self-contained Spark Pedal would have saved the day. It puts much of the best Positive Grid technology into a performance-ready, ultra-portable rig that you can transport in a gig bag compartment, use at Madison Square Garden, and ride home with on the subway. That’s about as convenient as it gets.
Positive Grid Spark Pedal
“I was mad about that”: J Mascis is jealous of his friends Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore for their Gilmore Girls cameo
![[L-R] J Mascis and Kim Gordon](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/J-Mascis-and-Kim-Gordon@2000x1500.jpg)
Turns out Dinosaur Jr.’s lead singer and guitarist J Mascis has spent a lot of time in Stars Hollow, the small Connecticut town where Lorelai and Rory Gilmore lived out the ups and downs of mother/daughter life in Gilmore Girls.
On a recent episode of the Bandsplain podcast, Mascis and host Yasi Salek go into their shared fandom of the show. It first comes up when they discuss shirts for the Dinosaur Jr. album, Green Mind. Salek puts the figure for a vintage print at $3,000. This reminds Mascis of when that shirt was seen on Gilmore Girls.
“Somehow the shirt’s making me sad. It’s making me think of Gilmore Girls, which I love. There was an episode where the boyfriend wore that shirt, but it didn’t have the band name on it. It just had the girl bigger,” Mascis says. “I felt so ripped off.”
- EDITOR’S PICK: We speak to bass sensation Blu DeTiger on embracing her roots and inventing new genres
Jess Mariano, played by Milo Ventimiglia, wore a shirt on the show that featured the cover of Green Mind. But the text was obscured by his jacket, so all the viewers could see was the legendary image of a young girl with a cigarette in her mouth.
They stayed on the topic for a bit longer as Salek mentioned Mascis’s good friends and fellow alt idols, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, who made a cameo on the show. Salek believes Mascis should have been given a cameo as well, but he never was.
“I was mad about that, too,” Mascis says.
However, the producers must have known he was a big fan. When the show came to its conclusion in 2007 after 153 episodes, Mascis received a gift even though a Dinosaur Jr. song was never synced:
“I remember getting these Gilmore Girls sweatpants that they gave away to everyone on the last episode,” Mascis tells Salik, which he can only recall came into his possession because he loved the show.
Dinosaur Jr. released their 13th studio album, There Near, on 28 August, 2026, and have a number of tour dates planned in 2027. For a full list of dates, head to their official website.
The post “I was mad about that”: J Mascis is jealous of his friends Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore for their Gilmore Girls cameo appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“Your instrument is your tool for self expression” Blu DeTiger on embracing her roots and inventing new genres to follow her musical muse
On N.Y. Baby, Blu DeTiger introduces you to your new favourite genre: boogie sleaze. It’s the affectionate name she’s given the sonic world of her second record, one filled with buoyant beats, disco and funk bounce, and slinky bass lines courtesy of DeTiger’s virtuosic playing.
“I like making genres up,” Blu says with a smile, chatting to Guitar.com ahead of her recently released second record. “It’s a combination of a few things… this funk, soul, boogie, disco sound, and the sleaze is for the New York edge, and the edginess that some of the songs have.”
DeTiger is video calling from her home in New York, the city at the core of her second album. “My whole musical journey started here and still is woven into the city,” the 28-year-old reflects. The iconic city that never sleeps has a major influence not only on the record’s name, but also the way it sounds.
“I wanted the music to feel like what New York represented to me,” she continues. “Which is independence and freedom, potential and possibility. A little chaos, a little desire, a little sexiness, a little main character vibes, and I think all of those themes are what the city brings out in me specifically”. With N.Y. Baby, that mission has been accomplished.
Image: Press
State Of Mind
Born and raised in the city that never sleeps, Blu grew up with a love of NYC icons like Chloë Sevigny, Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Talking Heads’ Tina Weymouth. Picking up the bass in her early years, Blu immersed herself in music – even playing the iconic venue CBGB before she turned ten.
Gigging around the city and playing bass for other artists while she was in middle and high school, as well as DJing, Blu’s name spread via word of mouth. “All these opportunities were coming from me saying yes to things, then being at the next gig and someone there seeing me and booking me for the next thing,” she adds.
In 2019, Blu started releasing music under her own name, racking up listeners with her euphoric funky sonics – and garnering huge viral success for bass covers of tunes by Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion and Prince during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Excellent projects like 2021’s EP How Did We Get Here?, and 2024’s debut album All I Ever Want Is Everything followed; and along the way there’ve been a succession of starry gigs and side quests.
For starters there was a memorable guest appearance in Olivia Rodrigo’s concert film Driving Home 2 U, then she joined Bleachers on Saturday Night Live in 2022 (later this year she’ll join Jack Antonoff on their UK tour), and in 2024 she became the first woman and youngest bassist to release a Fender signature model.
Image: Press
Changing Lanes
N.Y. Baby comes after at a time of change, though; with a period of time with no label or management. Blu reflects that she “really had to go back to [her] roots, go back to New York, and really think about what I wanted to make; and make that without anyone telling me what to make.”
“I think it took a lot of trust within myself and self confidence,” she continues. “To just be like: ‘No, this is what it’s going to be, and I’m making it because I like this type of music. So if I like it, hopefully other people do too.’”
One way Blu kept her creative vision on-track in the studio was with a PowerPoint presentation that she could always refer back to. It outlined how the music should sound (“I was like: I want it to make people dance, I want to be able to play it in DJ sets, I want it to feel sexy and slick,” she explains), as well as ideas for visuals, notes on how it should be produced and beyond. The results are a whip-smart collection of funk and disco fuelled pop.
From the cowbell groove of Makeup, to the psych-flecked flourishes on Rize; the Flavor Flav-featuring sunshine of the record’s title track (an incredibly supportive pal of Blu’s, who reflects that “everything he says feels so iconic”) and house beats of Heat, it’s elegantly crafted and endlessly catchy. It’s a record that sounds effortless, but take a peak behind the curtain and there’s hugely intricate production and instrumental lines that make up each tune.
Bass In The Place
Throughout, DeTiger’s distinctive bass lines bolster each track. “Most of these songs started with the basslines,” she explains. There was a particular focus going into making sure the bass lines could really shine and be the driving force of each song. “To me, good basslines are basslines that can be sung back as much as a vocal melody,” she muses. Each bassline had to check the boxes of “holding the groove down, being memorable as much as a vocal melody, and being catchy enough, and having a driving force and move the song along, and support the song structure.”
“And it had to be fun to play,” she adds with a laugh, and this infectious fun is a thread throughout N.Y. Baby. In the studio, Blu was mostly playing her signature Fender. “I was playing on the back pickup, which is more of a Bernard Edwards type of tone, a little bit more midrangey and punchy,” she says.
It’s now been two years since Blu first released her Fender sig, but the joy at knowing other people can play the instrument hasn’t worn off. “Oh my god, it’s so cool,” she grins, when asked about how it feels to know other people are playing the instrument. “Your instrument is your tool for self expression, so the fact that someone is using something that I made and created to express themselves, is the coolest thing ever.”
Being a prolific player, Blu also receives messages from young people, and especially women, sharing that she inspired them to pick up the bass (and sometimes, that bass is her signature model!) “It feels really cool,” she reflects, adding that Fender have been hugely receptive to working collaboratively on the instrument, with a new colourway in the works for this record.
The instrument is the perfect addition to the sonic sunshine of N.Y. Baby, a dreamy record that’ll be just at home during late nights at clubs, to sun-drenched festival sets. As Blu prepares to take the record on tour, how would she like punters to feel when they see the album live? “I want them to dance, I want them to get out of their head into their body. I want them to feel joy, and to feel good!” With boogie sleaze, it’d be hard not to.
Blu DeTiger’s N.Y. Baby is out now on Warner Bros, she supports Bleachers on their UK tour in November/December 2026.
The post “Your instrument is your tool for self expression” Blu DeTiger on embracing her roots and inventing new genres to follow her musical muse appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Holiday Gift Guide 2026!
From under-$50 stocking stuffers to big-ticket amps and guitars, here are 44 gift ideas for every player on your list.
Rig Rundown: Mastodon [2026]
PG’s Chris Kies took a field trip from Nashville to Memphis to catch Mastodon, where Bill Kelliher walked us through a rack that programs his amps for him and new guitarist Nick Johnston explained why he runs his guitar into an amp… and little else. Have a look at some quick highlights below, and tune into the new Rig Rundown for all the details.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Hand-Drawn
Kelliher drew the Sparrowhawk himself. He describes the shape as an RD meeting a Firebird, and he kept it away from anything pointy because he wanted something that suited the organic side of what Mastodon does. The first prototypes “felt like butter.” Volume and tone are per-pickup with push-pulls for coil splitting, and the input jack moved to the side after he set the first one down on the floor.
Patina Match
The second Sparrowhawk is finished to match one of Kelliher’s silverburst Les Paul Customs—he picked the one with the best patina, where the silver had turned green, and sent it to ESP so they could photograph it and get the color exact.
Heavy Lifting
The LTD Royal Shiva is seriously heavy—enough that Kelliher swaps guitars through the set rather than wear it all night. He won’t hear about having anything chambered, though.
Georgia Built
Kelliher’s Banker is built by Matthew Hughes, a friend from Georgia who’s also made guitars for Marcus King and Brent Hinds. Kelliher calls it the finest hand-built guitar he’s played; Hughes does his own binding and painting.
Chris’s Custom
A 1987 Les Paul Custom that belonged to a friend, who left it with him before he died. Kelliher had always told him he wanted the guitar if he ever sold it. He keeps it and thinks of him.
The Father’s Son
A gunmetal-gray Les Paul Custom loaded with Seymour Duncan Distortions, which Kelliher introduces as the younger sibling of the ’87.
Seattle Find
A ’77 or ’78 Les Paul Custom Kelliher bought in Seattle’s U District about 20 years ago. It hadn’t been on tour in years, mostly living at home, and he brought it back out because it’s a workhorse.
Butterslax
The Friedman Butterslax is a three-channel head Kelliher helped design with Dave Friedman, and it’s been out about a dozen years now. He calls it one of his favorite-sounding amps in the world. He lives on the clean and channel two, with the third there for pushing solos with a lot of gain. Each channel has its own volume and EQ.
The Operating System
A Line 6 Helix Rack holds Kelliher’s effects and MIDI-programs everything else—he describes it as telling the amps what to do. He’s tried the Axe-Fx and a Kemper and found the Helix easier to get his head around. Friedman cab IRs go to front of house, and hearing his own isolated tracks through the PA at virtual soundcheck is what convinced him the sound out there is covered.
The Future
Synergy modules cover fly gigs where the heads can’t travel, and Kelliher has them in the rack too—an Orange RD for gain and a JCM800 that handles his cleans and a dirtier channel both, all MIDI-switched from the Helix song by song.
Sausage Making
A Boss RC-600 runs clicks, samples, and backing tracks. Kelliher programs it in Pro Tools and dumps it in. The band has been on clicks since Crack the Skye in 2009; now there’s a video wall to stay locked to. Four stereo outputs mean front of house can mix the tracks like separate instruments, and songs can start cold without a count-off. A Radial JX-44 handles guitar switching.
The Masterpiece
Johnston’s signature Schecter V came about when drummer Brann Dailor suggested he needed a pointy guitar in this band. He designed it last year, with a purpleheart and wenge neck and an ebony board, master volume, master tone, and a five-way he never touches in Mastodon; it stays on the bridge, and he only uses the other positions on his own material. It’s spec’d like his S-model otherwise, and it exists in a couple of other colors, including purple.
Nothing to Hide Behind
Johnston plugs a custom-shop Bad Cat Hot Cat 50, basically straight in. He grew up on guitar-into-amp and says it keeps everything tighter and forces him to own his mistakes.
Marla Amplification Introduces the Nargle18 Combo Amp
Marla Amplification has launched the Nargle18, an 18-watt British-voiced 1x10 tube combo built in the U.S.
The two-channel amp offers a pair of distinctive tonal options. The Standard channel delivers moderate cold-clipper breakup similar to Marshall’s JCM800 Series. A second JMP-inspired channel has its own gain knob and more aggressive voicing. Blending it in works like jumping the channels on a Super Lead, adding depth, gain, and volume.
See the demo video below:
The amp also offers a “Raw” switch that bypasses the EQ section entirely. A typical tone stack uses resistors that pull the signal down to ground. The Raw switch skips that stage and sends the guitar straight to the power section for a more open, less compressed overdrive.
The Nargle18 comes with a footswitch to control both channel jumping and the Raw switch.
Under the hood, the Nargle18 runs two ECC83 preamp tubes and two EL84 power tubes with a solid-state rectifier, like many classic British amps. It also uses a less common cathodyne phase inverter and fixed-bias EL84 power tubes that run louder with less compression.
The amp is loaded with a 10" Celestion Greenback and housed in a solid-pine cabinet for added bass tone, clarity, and durability.
Key features include:
- Two-channel design—foot-switchable channel jumping
- 18–20-watt output, two ECC83 and two EL84 tubes
- 10” Celestion Greenback speaker, solid pine cabinet
- Classic 3-Band Tone Stack
- Raw Switch / EQ Bypass via Foot Switch—especially useful for solo boost
Marla’s Nargle 18 combo amp carries a street price of $1,199. For more information, visit marlaamplification.com.
Nargle18
Marla Amplification has launched the Nargle18, an 18-watt British-voiced 1x10 tube combo built in the U.S.
Shredders and heavy riffers: Fender’s Player Fusion series has officially arrived
“These guitars strip away everything that doesn’t serve the riff.”
That’s what Fender said when it unveiled its new line of hard rock and metal-focused Player Fusion guitars back in June. The series comprises a quartet of Mexican-made instruments boasting classic Fender designs, while offering something a little different to players of a heavier persuasion.
Shredders and heavy riff purveyors have no doubt been waiting to get their hands on the Player Fusion series, and as of now, they’ve finally arrived, and are now available…
- EDITOR’S PICK: Shopping for Christmas presents for the little ones in your life? These new Fender x Loog guitars might just be the ticket…
If you need a recap, the Player Fusion series features four instruments: an HSS Stratocaster, Baritone Jaguar, Floyd Rose-equipped, double-humbucker Telecaster, and a dual-humbucker Precision Bass.
Let’s take a closer look at each model’s individual specs to whet your appetite…
Player Fusion Stratocaster HSS – $1,149.99 / £1,049
Credit: Fender
Aiming to strike the balance between “surgical single-coil clarity and full humbucker weight”, the HSS Strat features a high-output humbucker in the bridge position, paired with noiseless single coils in the middle and neck positions. Elsewhere, the guitar features a 12” radius ebony fingerboard, along with a two-point trem with black hardware, and a choice of Black or Olympic Pearl colourways.
Player Fusion Telecaster HH Floyd Rose – $1,399.99 / £1,149
Credit: Fender
Next up, the Player Fusion HH Floyd Rose trades out the standard Telecaster double single-coil blueprint for a pair of riff-ready high-output humbuckers. The all-black Floyd Rose tremolo system also marks this instrument as a more contemporary Telecaster model. This one comes in either Black or Aura Metallic.
Player Fusion Jaguar Baritone – $1,299.99 / £1,049
Credit: Fender
Perhaps the most mouth-watering instrument in the Player Fusion lineup, this guitar sports a 27” scale length for comfortable B-to-B tuning. In other words, this one’s made for drop tunings…
It features an upgraded Jaguar rhythm circuit control, now with a “Spin-a-Split” wiring via Fender roller pots that “progressively transform the humbuckers into single coils” for a leaner tone. Additionally, a TBX Tone circuit offers even more tone sculpting options.
The Player Fusion Jaguar Baritone is available in Black and Silverburst.
Player Fusion Precision Bass HH – $1,149.99 / £1,149
Credit: Fender
And finally, not to leave the bassists feeling left out, the Player Fusion lineup is completed by a double-humbucker-loaded, hard-rock-ready Precision Bass. In addition to two high-output humbuckers, this bass features a thin Jazz Bass neck profile, and a 12” radius ebony fingerboard, and comes in two colour options: Black and Halo Metallic.
You can learn more about the Limited Edition Player Fusion series at Fender.
The post Shredders and heavy riffers: Fender’s Player Fusion series has officially arrived appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“I’d rather stay and stack the dishwasher”: Liam Gallagher explains why Oasis won’t be attending their Rock Hall induction
![[L-R] Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Liam-Gallagher-Noel-Gallagher-Oasis@2000x1500.jpg)
Over the years, Liam Gallagher has made his feelings on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame pretty clear; back in 2021, the singer insisted he wasn’t “interested” in that form of recognition, and in 2024 he eloquently branded the institution “a load of bollocks”. However, has his tune changed now Oasis are set to be inducted into the hallowed hall?
…Of course it hasn’t. While Oasis will be joining the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on 14 November, Gallagher won’t be in attendance. His reasoning? Well, in his own words, he’d rather “stack the dishwasher” than fly out to LA. “Everyone’s a soft cunt these days,” Gallagher explains in an X post. “[Award shows are] boring as fuck. Everyone’s up their own arse and far too sensitive. I’d rather stay and stack the dishwasher”
Back in April, Gallagher fooled fans with a rather sarcastic “thank you” to everyone who had voted for Oasis to join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “I wanna thank all the people who voted for us it’s a real honour… ever since I was a little kid and singing in the shower I’d dream about 1 day being in the RnR Hall of Fame,” he joked.
“It’s true what they say: anything is possible if you have a dream,” he concluded.
While some didn’t clock the sarcasm, he followed up with another post that made it scathingly clear: “I was speaking to my mummy last night when the news broke, and she thinks I may have been a little hasty with my perception of the organisation. She’s told me to stop being a dick and go to the awards and ‘behave… you never know you might enjoy it.’”
Well I was speaking to my mummy last night when the news broke and she thinks I may have been a little hasty with my perception of the organization she’s told me to stop being a dick and go to the awards and behave and you never know you might enjoy it
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) April 14, 2026
True to his word, the mardy Manc’s refusal to attend is pretty in line with his 2024 rant against the institution. Just like then, Gallagher doesn’t feel like he needs to be awarded a “wank award” from “some geriatric in a cowboy hat”.
Gallagher also officially confirmed these thoughts with The Sunday Times that same year, claiming the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame seemed to be arbitrarily chosen, thus making any recognition from the institution pointless. He honed in on Mariah Carey’s inclusion as a case in point: “As much as I love Mariah Carey and all that, I want to say: do me a favour and fuck off. It’s like putting me in the rap hall of fame, and I don’t want to be part of anything that mentally disturbed. Besides, I’ve done more for rock n’ roll than half of them clowns on that board.”
Of course, Gallagher does admit he might have been more inclined to attend had the ceremony not been in LA. “If it was in the UK I’d be there,” he admits on X. “For some reason it’s in LA and that’s miles away.”
“It’s too far to be going for the night,” he adds in another tweet. “I got shit to do – it’s Christmas.”
It’s too far to be going for the night I got shit to do it’s Christmas
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) November 10, 2026
Replying to one fan who felt saddened by Gallagher’s apparent change in attitude, pointing back to Gallagher’s sarcastically ‘enthusiastic’ tweets back in April, Gallagher has some sage advice for anyone gutted that we wont witness the Gallagher brothers swaggering up to accept their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction: “Stop crying your heart out and go put the kettle on.”
Oasis will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on 14 November.
Lucy you do know your allowed to change your mind stop crying your heart out and go put the kettle on
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) November 10, 2026
The post “I’d rather stay and stack the dishwasher”: Liam Gallagher explains why Oasis won’t be attending their Rock Hall induction appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Friedman Introduces VX-30 Series Amps
Friedman Amplification has introduced the VX Series, part of Dave Friedman’s Vintage Series. It’s inspired by the British EL84 amplifiers of the early 1960s and includes three products: the VX-30 30-watt all-tube head, the VX-30 2x12 combo, and the matching VX-212 extension cabinet.
The VX-30 runs on four EL84 power tubes. It’s based on a rare 1963 copper-panel amplifier fitted with a Top Boost circuit.
Two Blendable Channels
Handcrafted in Los Angeles, the VX-30 Head and Combo each have two independent channels. The Brilliant channel has Treble, Bass, and Volume controls and covers clean through edge-of-breakup tones. The Normal channel has a Volume control and a three-position Voice switch that recreates the three factory voicings of the vintage originals. Treble gives open cleans, Bass adds low end and body, and Normal is warmer.
The original amps didn’t run their channels in phase. The VX-30 does, so the channels can be blended, similar to jumping the inputs on a Plexi. Players can also use each channel on its own. Friedman suggests running a treble booster into the Normal channel and blending in the Brilliant channel for added definition.
A Cut control shapes the power amp’s high-frequency response. The M.V.C. (Master Volume Control) lets players push the cathode-biased EL84 output stage at lower volumes.
Response and Reliability
The VX-30 uses cathode bias, a 5AR4 tube rectifier, and zero negative feedback, so it cleans up as the guitar’s volume is rolled back. There’s no standby switch because the 5AR4 rectifier warms up gradually, which gives the amp a natural soft start. Friedman says the amp also includes modern protection features and conservatively rated components.
Combo and Cabinet
The VX-30 Combo is loaded with two Celestion Alnico Blue speakers. The open-back VX-212 cabinet is designed to pair with the VX-30 Head. It’s built from tongue-and-groove Baltic birch, has two Celestion Alnico Blue 12" speakers, and is wired with oversized 12-gauge speaker wire.
All three products are available in Black or Vintage Ivory, are handcrafted in the USA, and are backed by Friedman’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.
VX-30 Head and Combo Features Include:
- 30-watt all-tube design
- 4 x EL84 power tubes
- 3 x ECC83 preamp tubes
- 5AR4 tube rectifier
- Cathode-biased power section with zero negative feedback
- Two independent channels operating in phase for blending
- Brilliant channel: Volume, Treble, and Bass
- Normal channel: Volume and three-position Voice switch (Treble, Normal, Bass)
- High and Low sensitivity inputs
- Cut control for power-amp high-frequency shaping
- M.V.C. (Master Volume Control)
- Three speaker outputs: 1 x 16 Ω, plus paired outputs for 1 x 8 Ω or 2 x 16 Ω cabinets
- Custom-made transformers
- Combo: 2 x Celestion Alnico Blue speakers
- Head dimensions: 8.5" (D) x 24" (W) x 9.5" (H)
- VX-212 Extension Cabinet Features Include:
- Open-back 2x12 design
- Tongue-and-groove Baltic birch construction
- 2 x Celestion Alnico Blue 12" speakers
- Oversized 12-gauge speaker wire
- Nominal impedance: 16 Ω
The Friedman VX-30 combo is available for a street price of $3,599.99. The VX-30 head carries a street price of $2,799.99. The VX-212 extension cabinet is priced at $1,499.99. For more information, visit https://friedmanamplification.com/.
VX-30
Friedman Amplification has introduced the VX Series, part of Dave Friedman’s Vintage Series. It’s inspired by the British EL84 amplifiers of the early 1960s and includes three products: the VX-30 30-watt all-tube head, the VX-30 2x12 combo, and the matching VX-212 extension cabinet.
Intrepid Jazz Guitarist Brandon Ross on Intervallic Thinking, Creating in Real Time, and His Klein Steel-String
“Drink a beer and plug into an amp: grow up!”: Joyce Manor guitarist on why it’s “not cool” when bands don’t use real amps on stage
Slowly but surely, amp modellers like the Kemper Profiler are winning guitarists over. From AFI’s Jade Puget calling tube amps “constraining” to Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi claiming it’s “hard to tell the difference” between a modeller and a real amplifier, artists from every genre are becoming converts. However, if you’re considering making the switch, Joyce Manor are here to knock some sense into you.
In a new interview with Marshall, punk rock emo revivalists Joyce Manor admit they “judge” anyone that prefers modeller over a real amp. “I’m judging you – get an amp!” lead vocalist, Barry Johnson, laughs. “It’s so un-rock-n-roll. It’s so not cool!”
He even goes so far as to liken a modeller to vaping; it’s a modern shortcut that takes any ‘cool’ factor out of what you’re actually doing. “You’ve got to get cabs – or you’re, like, vaping, y’know?” he laughs. “Just rip a cig! What are you doing?! Plug into an amplifier! Drink a beer and plug into an amp. Grow up already!”
He closes off his short, humorous rant with a short: “Modelling amp!! Jesus Christ!”
The frustration was spurred on by Johnson and his bandmate, Chase Knobbe, reminiscing about their first amps. “The first amp I bought for myself was a Marshall JCM800,” Johnson recalls. “I bought it from my friend, Eric, and it belonged to a guitar player of Thrice and it was actually modded to be a little more high gain…”
“My first Marshall was a 1987X – the Yngwie Malmsteen one,” Knobbe chimes in. “That was in my era when I did not know what any knob did… and that it still sounded awesome. I’d just kind of turn everything up…”
The experimental approach is how Joyce Manor’s guitarists found their sound – and the conversation is reminiscent of what Analog Man founder Mike Pierra said in a February interview. In his mind, the joy of discovering your personal guitar tone comes from the hands-on experience. If you jump in with a modeller from the get-go, you could be doing yourself a massive disservice.
Appearing on Products of Music, Pierra said: “I don’t personally try out the digital modelling things. I have no interest in them. Because to me, it’s not any fun…I want to play my guitar. I want it to go through real pedals, real amps and real speakers.”
And, to hone in on Joyce Manor’s argument once again – a clean, stackless stage set up is just “not cool”. Even Joe Bonamassa agrees; last year, the legendary guitarist appeared on the No Cover Charge podcast, and he also said that modellers aren’t as “cool” as the real deal. Being a rockstar is about great tone, but it’s also about looking the part with some vintage, rugged gear by your side.
“Imagine if Eddie Van Halen showed up with a Neural [Quad Cortex] and a Suhr.” he said. “Is it as cool? I’m not knocking John Suhr, I’m not knocking Neural… Great invention, but I just pose the question. People hear with their eyes. It’s the whole thing!”
The post “Drink a beer and plug into an amp: grow up!”: Joyce Manor guitarist on why it’s “not cool” when bands don’t use real amps on stage appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Death By Audio x Rainger FX Amp Crash review – an amplifier, a speaker, a microphone and multiple effects… all inside one pedal
$395/£425, deathbyaudio.com / raingerfx.com
Sometimes, as a Brit, I find myself looking at Death By Audio’s freakiest pedals and thinking, “These Yanks are crazy!” But equally, I can well imagine American guitarists look at Rainger FX’s freakiest pedals and thinking, “These Limeys are crazy!” So… what if we’re both right?
The Amp Crash is what happens if the universe is reckless enough to let two of the most eccentric stompbox makers from either side of the Atlantic work together. It’s an ambitious product, with a whole range of uses at home, in the studio and even on stage, but that doesn’t mean it’s some sort of problem-solving utility pedal. In fact, this thing is about as utilitarian as a pet crocodile.
Image: Richard Purvis
What is it?
Where to even start? I suppose the most obvious use of the Amp Crash is as a 3W analogue practice amplifier, complete with two-inch speaker and built-in digital effects. You get controls for gain and tone, with two mini-knobs for adjusting the ‘SFX’ section according to whether you have it set to chorus, delay or reverb.
The next step from there might be to plug it into an external speaker cabinet (minimum eight ohms) for a considerable upgrade in sonic scale, turning a cutesy bedroom gadget into a viable gigging solution. Or you could use the line output to run the pedal into a standard amp, at which point it becomes a sort of maverick multi-effects unit.
But here’s where things get really fruity. Yes, there really is a little microphone inside this pedal, pointing at the speaker, so you can also use it as an amp and cab sim – but without the ‘sim’ – for direct recording. Naturally this is unlikely to sound like a perfect digital recreation of a top-class studio mic pointing at a pre-CBS Fender Deluxe Reverb, but that was never going to be the point – these Yanks and Limeys are crazy, remember?
All of this functionality is delivered in a stompbox that won’t take up an inordinate amount of pedalboard space, and will run off a standard pedal power supply with at least 300mA of current.
Image: Richard Purvis
Build quality and usability
DBA and Rainger have done a sterling job of keeping the interface as simple as possible given the number of features on offer here. Plug in a guitar, add nine volts and you’ve got the most basic of practice combos – maybe a master volume control would have been nice, but there is an old-school purity about going gain-only. Likewise there’s no bypass switch for the effects – to turn that section off you simply set the depth to minimum.
Worried about the mic picking up your seismic flatulence and general background chatter? It’s got a noise gate, which has an on/off toggle switch but nothing so fancy as a threshold control; and if you want to mute the speaker entirely – which most people will surely want to do when running into a ‘proper’ amp – you just have to plug something into the speaker output (an unconnected patch cable will do).
These connectivity options can get a tiny bit confusing at the beginning. But it’s all easily mastered with practice, and – as you have every right to demand from two companies with this kind of pedigree – it feels like a solid, well-built piece of gear.
Image: Richard Purvis
Sounds
The practice combo is first up. I’m expecting lo-fi larks here, in the ultra-punky tradition of those old Smokey amps built into cigarette packets, and that’s very much what the Amp Crash spits out… with two key differences. Firstly, it’s a much more grown-up sound with a decent gain range, from light crunch to sagging splat-fuzz; and secondly, it’s a whole lot louder. If you plan to crank it into the rawk zone, you might want to warn your housemates first.
What you don’t get is any kind of warmth or three-dimensionality, but that’s hardly surprising with a two-inch speaker. So don’t bother playing tasteful chords through this thing – it was born to frighten people, not read them bedtime stories.
The effects section offers up some interesting options for going in a more wild and experimental direction. The reverb and delay both get extremely dense, while the chorus is very wobbly indeed and tends towards the flangey zone. It’s all highly entertaining, and only in delay mode might you wish for a third knob to let you adjust the level and feedback separately.
All of the above applies equally when you plug into an external cab: it’s still ragged and raucous, but now with a far less boxy frequency spread and, above all, a hell of a lot more volume. This will be more than adequate for gigging, though the clean tones remain flat and unrefined so we’re really talking heavy stuff only.
Next up is the ‘normal stompbox’ scenario, and it’s probably the Amp Crash’s strongest suit – letting you enjoy all the gnarliness but now in more well-rounded form, complete with independent control over fuzziness and output level. As a medium-gain overdrive it’s great, as a high-gain fuzz it’s even greater, and as a brutally overloading splurge-beast it’s greatest of all.
The direct recording function is more complicated. Use the DI output on its own and it sounds… well, like a DI: bright and plasticky. Stick with the mic output, however, and you might find you’ve gone too far in the other direction, as it’s oh so scuzzy and dark. But blend the two together, and suddenly you’ve got the best of both worlds and the worst of neither: the DI gives you clarity and edge, while the mic provides natural colour to round it out. It’s far from hi-fi, but there are some surprisingly pleasant and well-balanced tones available here.
The only snag is that, in order to record the mic’s output, you’ll obviously need to leave the speaker unmuted – and as I’ve already mentioned, it can get awfully loud. This is not a problem you have to deal with when using a sim, but at least – unlike a traditional amp and mic setup – the Amp Crash can be hidden away in a cupboard or smothered with cushions.
Image: Richard Purvis
Should I buy one?
Oh dear, it’s time to get sensible. Because while the Amp Crash is a wondrous piece of work and I love it to bits, this is not the kind of product I’d recommend as a must-have for every guitarist’s arsenal. If you normally play clean, or you’re the kind of tonehound who demands warmly rounded smoothness in everything, it probably isn’t going to make much sense for you.
To be clear, though, this isn’t just about garage-rock shoutiness – the usable sounds range from Screamer-style drive to hyper-compressed filth, the three digital effects are all worthy additions, and above all it’s a genuine multi-purpose device that’s ready to impose its big personality pretty much anywhere in your music-making life.
Alternatives
Acorn Amplifiers Solid State ($299/£289) – good luck finding a true alternative to this thing… but you could have a look at the a Peavey-inspired preamp pedal with a built-in power amp so it can be plugged straight into a speaker cab. I reviewed the preamp-only version ($179/£169) and it was a retro riot.
The MXR Rockman X100 ($245/£229) – this is more of a standard distortion pedal, but it has that compression-heavy 80s thing going on and includes a chorus effect.
Positive Grid Spark GO ($99/£95) – right at the other end of the fidelity spectrum, there’s this thoroughly modern portable amp.
Specs
- NAME: Death By Audio x Rainger FX Amp Crash
- PRICE: $395/£425
- TYPE: Hybrid multi-effects and practice/direct amp
- POWER: 3W
- SPEAKER: 1×2” (internal)
- CONTROLS: DI out level, mic out level, gain, tone, mic gate toggle, effects select toggle, depth, time, power on/off
- INPUTS: 1x standard instrument input
- OUTPUTS: Hybrid DI/mic output (footswitchable), ext speaker out (8-ohm minimum, 3w or greater)
- POWER: 9V centre-negative DC only (300mA current draw)
- WEIGHT: 1.44lbs/0.65kg
The post Death By Audio x Rainger FX Amp Crash review – an amplifier, a speaker, a microphone and multiple effects… all inside one pedal appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Pop-Rocker Lex Bauman Talks About His Music, his Gear and The Dangerous Game
By: Rick Landers
Lex Bauman – photo credit: Matt Phillips @ Moshpros
Guitar International is mixing it up with music legends, music industry leaders and a new generation of young guitarists, and other musicians to present to our readers. So, we’ve been siphoning off several new generation artists from a project co-founded by the legendary rock photogapher, Robert M. Knight, called the Brotherhood of the Guitar.
The Brotherhood has assembled an impressive array of guitarists from around the world, as well as developed an equally impressive array of young percussionists for a second Brotherhood.
Today, we’re featuring a hot new guitarist, Lex Bauman, from the heartland of America, Columbus, Ohio, a stone’s throw from the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. His passion for a career in music began early, but enough of the youth focus, the guy’s a solid guitar player, songwriter and he’s focused and strategic. And those are great combinations for any successful pursuits. And, with a well-connected management team to support him, he’s made great progress building a fan base.
At 16, Lex is moving along smartly, working with a another songwriter to craft songs with hooks that stick and by independently releasing his debut album, The Dangerous Game, to gain production skills and to earn lessons learned for future releases. So, all the right ingredients to grow a terrific career are in place, Bauman is level headed and with the support of his mentors, there are good reasons why his pursuit of success will be realized.
His music falls into the classic styles of pop stars like Rick Springfield, The Cars and other melodic, but oftentimes hard hitting riff driven tunesmiths.
Guitar International is pleased and honored to have reached out to Lex Bauman and we look forward to getting back together with him in the future as his pop-rock star rises.
******
Rick Landers: Are you based in California, and what kinds of music and musicians did you listen to growing up? And although popular music drifted away from guitars for some time, it seems to be making a solid comeback. How did you develop as a guitarist and what tools did you use to grasp the challenges of the fretboard?
Lex Bauman: I’m currently based out of Columbus, Ohio, but my drummer and management are in California. My producer and co-writer is in Nashville. So, I am all over the place all the time.
I listened to a lot of Queen, KISS, Guns ‘n Roses, Cheap Trick, Otis Redding, White Stripes, Motley Crue when I was really young and getting into music. As I got a little older I discovered Marvelous 3, Brian Fallon, The Cars, Thin Lizzy, American Hi Fi, Buck Owens, George Strait, All American Rejects, I even like a lot of radio friendly pop music. Lots of influences.
I had two guitar teachers for several years, as I progressed I kept taking lessons with those two, but when I started seriously writing and recording, my producer and co-writer, Tuk Smith, really took me under his wing to be a great studio musician as well.
Lex Bauman – photo credit: Photo credit – Mark Peters
Rick: Beyond guitar have you any aspirations that go beyond guitar in music, as well as in another career field? Is college in your plan, where and areas of study?
Lex Bauman: Beyond guitar and the writing and recording I am doing now, I would like to build my songwriting skills to the point that other artists would want me to write for or with them.
College isn’t in the plan right now, but I am keeping my options open. I am currently wrapping up my senior year of high school with a fairly high GPA (Grade Point Average).
Rick: Are you working with a manager or management team and do you get involved in the business side of music to help ensure you protect your interests?
Lex Bauman: Yes, I work with Zuma Live’s Nate Arling and Bryan Wilkinson. They are my current management and have been great! We have weekly meetings about my career. My parents are also pretty involved to make sure I am always making the best decisions possible.
Rick: What about production? Have you been inclined to learn recording gear, studio logistics, to at minimum learn the production side of getting “radio ready” songs?
Lex Bauman: Yes, I have my own gear at home and spend time working and learning how to do things on my own. I record my demos at my producer’s studio and when we record songs for actual releases, I am always studying what the engineer is doing at Sonic Lounge.
Rick: One of the areas that a lot of musicians are interested in, but figuring out is getting into the sync arena, music libraries, in order to try to nail down the commercial media market, like movie scores, commercials that can offer you a solid public outreach, as well as to get into the realm of where the big bucks seem to be these day?
Lex Bauman: It’s definitely a goal. My management has been working on that. Several of my songs, like “Taylor Swift,” “While We’re Still Young,” “Nights Like These,” “My Girlfriend’s Best Friend,”etcetera, seem to be perfect for commercial use. Yes, I want the big bucks! (Laughs)
Click here to view the embedded video.
Rick: What guitars did you start out with, what do you have now and do you have any favorites?
Lex Bauman: I started out learning on some of my dad’s guitars. My first real guitar of my own was an Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent. I actually have a really large collection now between my own and what my dad has since given me.
I have several Ernie Ball Music Man’s, a few Rock ‘n Roll Relics and really cool Kauer and, of course, some Fender’s and Gibson’s, but as far as my favorites I would have to say my Ernie Ball Music Man Axis, my Rock ‘n Roll Relics Revenge and, of course, my St. Vincent.
Rick: Have you migrated from performing cover songs to writing and producing originals? If so, what are the challenges of both and have you found an emotional difference or feel for how you sing or play them?
Lex Bauman: I still play a few covers in my shows when time allows, but I focus on my original songs. Playing covers are always fun but doing my originals are much more rewarding and meaningful.
Rick: We all have artists who have influenced us, but typically we discover a few that lodge into our senses and work on their techniques and song structures…how about you? An example is as simple as song length, back in the ‘50s a two-minute song was typical although some artists had songs that extended more than twice that length by the ‘70s, including a few running over six minutes; and today some have songs that are only a minute long – probably more with the intent to get them in music libraries.
Lex Bauman: I try to stay right around three minutes for each song. That is pretty standard for power pop, the genre I consider myself but most people don’t know what that is anymore. It is a tight structure, as opposed to something like a jam band. The parts are all meant to be catchy and meaningful.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Rick: Have you found your “perfect” amp and effects to get you the sounds the places you want to reach with your music, what are they?
Lex Bauman: For recording, I use a Friedman Dirty Shirley and an Orange Rockerverb, mostly. However, for live shows, to make set up and travel better, I use a Fender Tone Master. I have those amps and some chorus effects dialed in on.
Rick: Given the current trends in music, do you have any ambitions to join a traditional label or do you think you’d like to build your brand without things getting too complicated, as well as to not get drawn into a contract deal that exploits your reasonable ambitions and sense of fair-mindedness with nuanced terms and conditions that might not work into your long range interests?
Lex Bauman: Well, my first album, The Dangerous Game, was released independently. For the next record, which I am currently working on, I am looking for a label to help with distribution and a little support.
I am not interested in giving up my creative control but I’m open to hearing suggestions. I know I had to turn down a deal a while ago because the label head wanted to change everything…which I thought was confusing, like, if you like what I’m doing, why change it…? So yeah, I’m being very careful with offers, but would love to get the right one…
Lex Bauman – photo credit: Photo credit – Mike Markowitz
Rick: Any on-stage performance experiences that surprised you and thrilled you? What was it about them that boosted your spirits and do you find that you could influence an audience to feel the same way that would also make you feel your own heightened sense of fun?
Lex Bauman: I recently opened for Buckcherry a few times, I truly didn’t know that the audience would like me as much as they did because our music is pretty different. So, that was a thrill.
On stage, my goal for the audience is kinda like, we are trying to throw a party, playing some poppy rock ‘n roll that the audience can sing and dance too.
Rick: Are there any songs you’ve written that while developing them that you felt were “hits” even before you finished them based on a riff, a melody or story line?
Lex Bauman: When I’m writing with my co-writer, Tuck Smith, we put a lot of thought into what we are going to do next. We throw around a bunch of ideas before we start spending too much time on an idea that won’t be a hit. Honestly, we try to make all the songs hits. We stick as many hooks and catchy lyrics into a song as we can.
Rick: What’s happening now as far as projects, touring, as well as finding the time to write more?
Lex Bauman: I’m working on the second record right now and trying to find the right label to release it. I want to be touring as much as possible next year. I want a support tour with a pop rock artist, someone like Avril Lavigne, Jonas Brothers, Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls, etcetera…so, if they are reading this, give me a call! [Laughs]
Rick: When writing have you found you experience special moments when you come up with some great musical phrase, melody, etcetera that seemed to come out of nowhere; if so, are they special moments that you think you’ll remember when you become an elder statesman of the guitar?
Lex Bauman: I really remember more of the challenges or mental blocks. When you are trying to write these great big hit songs, sometimes you get really stubborn mental blocks. It can be discouraging, but then one person in the room says one thing and all the sudden, the flood gates open. So, I guess what I mean is, seeing how the sausage is made isn’t pretty, but it’s definitely memorable. My song “So Long, Goodbye” was definitely like that, but I love the result.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Rick: How did you become a member of the Brotherhood of the Guitar and how has it helped you develop as a musician, as well, has it opened up great opportunities for you?
Lex Bauman: When I was really young, I wrote to Gibson. I thought those guitars were really awesome but, of course, they never wrote me back. When I got my Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent, that guitar was perfect! I loved it so much, my mom helped me reach out to Ernie Ball, kind of expecting the same result as what Gibson had given.
Much to our surprise, Tim Dove from Ernie Ball wrote us back and sent be straps and shirts and hats and all kinds of swag. My relationship with Tim grew over the years and Tim thought that Robert Knight would be a good contact for me. Robert got me the Brotherhood of the Guitar endorsement.
Robert and that endorsement have been great. I get awesome discounts on strings and guitars through multiple retailers or brands. Actually at NAMM last year, Tim Dove let me borrow some guitars from Ernie Ball to play a couple shows while I was in California and I ended up buying one of them with my Brotherhood of the Guitar discount. The endorsement has meant the world to me and been so helpful.
Rick: Do you have some kind of strategy plan to get you to where you want to be as an artist?
Lex Bauman: Releasing new music, getting appropriate support tours to get in front of the right audience. Getting a label to help with marketing. My management, Zuma Live, and my booking agent (TKO) are working constantly to get those opportunities to fulfill my plans.
Rick: Anyone so far who has helped you reach for your dreams that you’d like to mention and how they helped?
Lex Bauman: My band, past and present, has meant the world to me. Jackson Daw, my drummer has been the musical partner I’ve always wanted. Tristan Woodruff has been killing it on bass but has even subbed in on drums when Jackson hasn’t been able to make a show. Preston French and Angelina Petticord are not really playing with me anymore, but I am eternally grateful for what they were able to contribute for as long as they could and I love them both.
Tuk Smith, or as he has become known, Uncle Tuk. He is my producer, co-writer and partner in crime. Tuk and I work really well together. He is my musical mentor. I couldn’t love him more.
Nate Arling and Bryan Wilkinson bust there butts for me and I am so grateful. I know there job isn’t easy, but they have been an incredible management team.
Andrew Daw has been in the background helping me and my family with all the things that we don’t know that we don’t know. So I will always be so thankful for him.
Music Royale, specifically Phil Smith and Scott Gorsuch, for teaching me how to do this thing.
TKO, my booking agency, they took me on as a project that they knew would be challenging. I’m very grateful for all they have been able to accomplish so far.
Lex Bauman Links:
Fender Introduces Limited-Edition Player Fusion Series
Fender has launched the Fusion Series, a limited-edition line aimed at heavier styles. The series debuts with four models that pair high-output humbuckers with noiseless single-coils: the LE Player Fusion Stratocaster HSS, LE Player Fusion Telecaster HH Floyd Rose, LE Player Fusion Baritone Jaguar, and LE Player Fusion Precision Bass HH. Each model has sleek all-black hardware and a 12"-radius ebony fingerboard for clean note bending.
- Limited Edition Player Fusion Stratocaster HSS ($1,149.99 USD, £1,049 GBP, €1,249 EUR, $1,999.00 AUD, ¥176,000 JPY)
The Fusion Stratocaster HSS pairs a high-output bridge humbucker with noiseless single-coils in the middle and neck positions. It also has a 12"-radius ebony fingerboard and a 2-point tremolo with black hardware. Available in Black and Olympic Pearl.
- Limited Edition Player Fusion Telecaster HH Floyd Rose ($1,399.99 USD, £1,149 GBP, €1,349 EUR, $2,299.00 AUD, ¥192,500 JPY)
The Fusion Telecaster HH Floyd Rose has two high-output humbuckers, an all-black Floyd Rose tremolo system, and a 12"-radius ebony fingerboard. Available in Black and Aura Metallic.
- Limited Edition Player Fusion Jaguar Baritone ($1,299.99 USD, £1,049 GBP, €1,249 EUR, $2,199.00 AUD, ¥181,500 JPY)
The Fusion Baritone Jaguar has a 27" scale and is tuned B to B for drop tunings and extended-range playing. Its Jaguar rhythm-circuit control section adds Spin-a-Split wiring via Fender roller pots, which gradually turns the humbuckers into single-coils, along with a TBX tone circuit. It also has high-output humbuckers and a 12"-radius ebony fingerboard. Available in Black and Silverburst.
- Limited Edition Player Fusion Precision Bass HH ($1,149.99 USD, £1,149 GBP, €1,349 EUR, $1,999.00 AUD, ¥176,000 JPY)
The Fusion Precision Bass HH has two high-output humbuckers, a thin Jazz Bass neck profile, and a 12"-radius ebony fingerboard. Available in Black and Halo Metallic.
For more information visit fender.com.
Limited Edition Player Fusion Series
Fender has launched the Fusion Series, a limited-edition line aimed at heavier styles. The series debuts with four models that pair high-output humbuckers with noiseless single-coils: the LE Player Fusion Stratocaster HSS, LE Player Fusion Telecaster HH Floyd Rose, LE Player Fusion Baritone Jaguar, and LE Player Fusion Precision Bass HH. Each model has sleek all-black hardware and a 12"-radius ebony fingerboard for clean note-bending.
Reader Guitar of the Month: A Playable Heirloom That Honors a Family History
Reader: Eddie Heinzelman
Hometown: West Harrison, IN Guitar: Barncaster
This month, our reader is Americana musician, luthier, and guitar tech Eddie Heinzelman, who toured with Radney Foster and fronts his own trio, the Rebellious Sons.
My family bought our West Harrison, Indiana farm in 1917. It was a working family farm for decades that belonged to my grandparents when I was a kid. I spent every Saturday morning at their house watching TV westerns and every Saturday night watching Hee Haw. My grandma got me my first guitar, from Sears, when I was eight years old, and we listened to the Grand Ole Opry and WSM AM radio every time we milked cows or worked in that barn. The farm had been in our family 100 years, but after my grandfather passed away a few years ago, we couldn’t continue to farm it ourselves. We sold it to a neighbor that I went to school with who kept on farming it.
I moved to Nashville after college and became a musician, songwriter, and luthier. I got the idea to build a Barncaster guitar so I’d have something from the farm that I could keep and pass down to family. I went back to the farm and pulled some boards from the old barn, which has been standing since at least the ’30s. Impressively, it was built with wooden pegs in the beams, rather than nails or bolts.
A friend of mine in Murfreesboro, Patrick Johnson, planed and cut the boards to make the body. The barn wood is poplar, which he used for the top, while a piece of striped sassafras makes up the back. This combination results in a very light guitar—in fact, my Barncaster has many of the qualities of a pine T-style instrument. We decided to also cut a wood pickguard from the barn wood (which includes all of the original worm holes), and then applied a light finish to seal the guitar, without laying it on too thick.
“The old barn has been standing since at least the ’30s. Impressively, it was built with wooden pegs in the beams, rather than nails or bolts.”
I didn’t have a vintage-style Telecaster, so I went with a Fender vintage-spec maple neck. It has an Oak Grigsby 4-way switch, Bourns 250k pots with a treble bleed circuit, an .047 uF Emerson Paper In Oil tone capacitor, compensated brass saddles, and Porter Vintage Tele pickups. It’s a really special heirloom that plays and sounds so good! In 2022, I used it on tour with Radney Foster for his Del Rio, TX 1959 30th anniversary tour, and in a tribute to my grandparents, I played it on the Grand Ole Opry, which sort of brings the story full circle.
Anthrax Unlocks Boss Level
Forty-five years after their formation, Anthrax continues to be one of the most influential and beloved bands in heavy music. Coming together in New York City, the group released a pair of albums—1984’s Fistful of Metal and the following year’s Spreading the Disease—that, along with a ferocious live show (they supported Black Sabbath and Metallica early on), established the five-piece as one of the forefathers of thrash metal.
Anthrax’s third album, 1987’s Among the Living, was the breakthrough that put them in the pantheon of thrash greats. The critically acclaimed record, which eventually went gold, helped the band graduate from clubs to arena stages and cemented their place in the Big Four of American thrash alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.
“It's been the fucking privilege of a lifetime to get to do this,” guitarist and co-founder Scott Ian tells PG. “We connected deep enough into the planet with Among the Living that essentially we’ve been able to have a career for 40 years since.”
In the years that followed, Anthrax zagged when other bands zigged. But remaining true to their own musical ideals is what allowed them to stand out from the metal pack. After being name-checked by Public Enemy on 1987’s “Bring the Noise,” Anthrax eventually recorded a version of that song with the Long Islanders in 1991 and followed with a joint tour, one of the landmark early metal-rap crossover pairings. In 1992, the band appeared on the Fox sitcom Married… with Children, playing a show at the Bundy residence, which replicated a 1989 MTV stunt where they trashed a contest winner’s (if you want to call them that) own house.
Those years alone would secure Anthrax’s legacy. But the band is nowhere near the nostalgia circuit. Now, a decade after For All Kings, their 11th and most recent studio album, Anthrax have finally followed it up, with the new Cursum Perficio.
Bringing Cursum Perficio to life took nearly six years. Anthrax wrapped the three-year touring cycle for For All Kings in November 2019, a run that included shows celebrating the 30th anniversary of Among the Living. Over dinner after their final show, at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, the band agreed to take some time off before starting on the follow-up. Drummer Charlie Benante had some rough demos, and the plan was for him, Ian, and bassist Frank Bello to get together in early 2020 and jam out instrumentals. First, Ian was going to finish a new album with Motor Sister, his side project with Joey Vera of Armored Saint, Jim Wilson of Mother Superior, John Tempesta (White Zombie, The Cult) and his wife, vocalist Pearl Aday. Instead, Covid hit, and like nearly everyone else in the world, he was stuck at home. For the next few years, the band worked remotely, zapping files and parts back and forth online.
“Not since the band started touring in 1984 have I ever been literally in one place for that long, let alone my house with my wife and my son,” Ian says. “Nobody knew anything. Nobody knew if we were ever going to play again.”
There was also plenty of anxiety about the unknown, the horrors of school shootings, partisan division, and cutthroat capitalism, as well as the tragedy of losing his father-in-law, the artist known as Meat Loaf, who passed away in 2022. All of it informed Ian’s lyrics.
“If you want to put it in gamer speak, we beat some final boss and we got to the next level of who we are as songwriters." —Scott Ian”
“So much of that is certainly where I was at the time when I was writing lyrics for the record and my energy making the record, and I would have to think the same as for Charlie,” Ian says. “About 90 percent of the music is from his demos, and Frankie came in with fully realized stuff as well, and is also amazing at writing melody ideas. But most of it starts with Charlie.”
In early 2022, the trio finally got together at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in the San Fernando Valley. Immediately, they realized they were onto something bigger than just another late-career album. They’d begin with one of Benante’s riffs or rough arrangements, which would quickly turn into a skeleton of a song.
“I remember that demo for ‘The Edge of Perfection,’” Ian says, “and I was thinking, ‘Holy fuck!’ If this is all we have, we're in good shape.’”
He’s not wrong. The song, built on Benante’s original demo, Bello’s chorus melody and groove-heavy bass line, and Ian’s words, runs for nearly seven minutes, with an atmospheric instrumental opening that explodes in a blast of metal riffing, aided by Joey Belladonna’s towering vocals. Benante has compared the song to Anthrax classics like “Only” and “Indians,” and Ian agrees with that sentiment, saying it ranks among the top tunes in the Anthrax catalog.
“I think it's the best song we've ever written,” he says. “That's my hot take on my own song that I'm a part of. When people ask, ‘What's your favorite Anthrax song?’ I usually say "Caught in a Mosh,’ based on the fact that it’s the one that's never been out of our set since that record [Among the Living] came out. But I just think on ‘Edge of Perfection’ we got to some other level, you know? Or, if you want to put it in gamer speak, we beat some final boss and we got to the next level of who we are as songwriters.”
Once the trio had the songs where they wanted them, they sent them to lead guitarist Jon Donais. Stuck at his home in Massachusetts, away from his bandmates, Donais had used the downtime to practice, and he says it made him a better player. When it came time to cut his parts, he’d get the tracks back with timestamps marking where the others wanted him to play. He’d cut a demo, take notes from Benante and Ian, then record a final version. Because the songs were already so strong, he says, he had room to get creative. “Right off the bat, I knew it was going to be great and I had to have something great cooking,” Donias recalls.
Far from cramping his creativity, the isolation felt familiar to Donais. He says the process was much the same on For All Kings, his first album with the band. Now 13 years in, making him the longest-tenured lead guitarist in Anthrax history, he was at ease with the setup, and he quickly heard how the new songs connected to the band’s classic material.
“It has some old-school Anthrax vibes to it, and is a well-rounded record,” he says, then adds, “It’s got some curveballs too.” One he didn't see coming: the black metal influence on “The Edge of Perfection.”
“It has some old-school Anthrax vibes to it, and is a well-rounded record. It’s got some curveballs, too." —Jon Donais”
One early fan of that song was Dave Grohl. After mixing it at Grohl’s Studio 606, and with Grohl having played Ian the new Foo Fighters album before its release, Ian returned the favor.
“I sent him ‘The Edge of Perfection’ and ‘It’s for the Kids,’ which is a love letter to Anthrax fans,” Ian says. “He wrote me back the next day—I'm paraphrasing—‘Dude, like, holy shit! Oh my God, ‘Kids’ is classic Anthrax.” And about ‘Edge,’ he said, ‘It’s so you guys, and so new at the same time.’”
The reception has proved Grohl right. On social media, fans hailed the song as unmistakably Anthrax, and some called it one of the best releases from any of the Big Four in years. Benante’s pulsating drums, Ian and Donais’ guitars, and Belladonna’s vocals all contribute, but what seems to be connecting most is Ian’s lyric. The song, he says, is about choosing to live by love rather than fear, and sticking with that choice for the long haul. It also argues that perfection is boring and that real beauty is in facing life’s challenges, having empathy, and constantly working to keep yourself in a good place.
Navigating the intricacies of that song gave Anthrax confidence, fueling a heavy and urgent sound that permeates the entire album.
“Listening to it, I know where we were mentally when we were working on the demos,” Ian says. “How happy we were with the material we had… it’s all over the record. We've never had a moment like that, ever, in the history of the band. This is bigger than us. This one is special.”
The album’s title, when translated from Latin, has several meanings: My journey has come to an end; My journey is over; I complete my journey. But have no fear—it’s not a sign that Anthrax is ready to call it quits.
“We're not necessarily coy about it because we answer the question,” Ian says. “When people ask us, ‘Is it the last record?’ ‘Are you saying goodbye?’ I don't sit there and go, ‘Well, maybe…’ That’s not us.”
In fact, the title came from an unexpected place.
“Nobody knew anything. Nobody knew if we were ever going to play again.” —Scott Ian”
“Charlie came up with the idea after he read that a stone at Marilyn Monroe’s [home] had it,” Ian says. “He found out what it meant, and he just really loved the meaning and the feeling of the phrase. So much of it has to do with the journey to make this record.”
If you need more proof that the band isn’t done, the music makes the case. The 11-song album packs as powerful a punch as any Anthrax album in recent memory. In addition to previously released tracks, the tone-setting instrumental “Persistence of Memory” and the ferocious “Everybody’s Got a Plan” are sonically adventurous indicators of a group that isn’t ready to take a victory lap quite yet.
The response so far has been incredibly strong. Anthrax played a small club gig at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus ahead of a stadium show with Iron Maiden and Megadeth, and on the band’s European run this past summer, Donais says, “It's for the Kids” went over big with crowds.
At a time when they could be winding down, Anthrax continue to play hard and loud. "Their journey to Cursum Perficio hasn't been easy, but as Ian considers where they've arrived after 45 years, he's very aware of the payoff."
“Nobody hands you this,” Ian says of the band’s career. “I wasn't this person in another life. I wasn't this person in two other lives. Growing up in my life, it's been a road to get here.”
Anthrax Gear
Scott Ian
Guitars
- Jackson X Series Signature Scott Ian King V (primary guitar, for rhythm parts; “white, the first one they built me”)
Overdubs done with
- Gretsch Malcolm Young “Salute” Jet
- Jackson American Series soloist (pink)
- Gibson Les Paul Custom
Amps
- Marshall JCM800
- EVH 5150IIIS EL34 100W
Effects
- KHDK Scott Ian Sgt D
- TC Electronic Booster + Distortion
- Gamechanger Audio Plasma
- Strymon Cloudburst
- MXR EVH Phase 90
- Beetronics Zzombee Filtremulator
“The KHDK and the TC Electronic were used in front of a Marshall JCM800 as part of my main rhythm tone. That was combined with the EVH EL34. The rest of the pedals were used for sounds and overdubs.”
Picks
- Dunlop
Jon Donais
Guitar
- Dean Exile Jon Donais
Amp
- Kemper Profiler
Effects
- Dunlop Cry Baby switchless wah
Strings
- DR
Sundragon Dragonette Review
I don’t have many pleasant memories from the early months of the 2020 pandemic, but one bright spot was blowing the doors off my lockdown hideout with Sundragon’s stellar Standard combo. A collaboration between amp Jedi Mitch Colby, noted guitar collector and producer Perry Margouleff, and none other than Jimmy Page, the Sundragon was designed to replicate every design facet and idiosyncrasy of the heavily modified late-’50s Supro Coronado that Page used as a session player and on the entirety of Led Zeppelin’s epochal 1969 debut.
Both the prohibitively priced and Page-signed Limited version, as well as the Standard iteration of the amp, sold out almost immediately (the Standard is available again). Sundragon followed the success of the Standard with short runs of the Super Dragon, a recreation of Page’s go-to modified 1968 Marshall Super Bass, and the Nymph, a one-watt, 1x8 combo.
Enter the Dragonette
The partnership’s newest offering, the Dragonette, recasts the Nymph as a more muscular 6-watt, 1x10 combo. A limited, Page-signed edition featuring all new-old-stock tubes will be available. But we reviewed the slightly more accessible standard edition, which still features the same super-swanky solid phenolic knobs and grey and white vinyl wrap (inspired by vintage Supro amp style) that make the Limited edition such a looker.
The handsome enclosure is home to a pair of 12AX7 tubes in the preamp section and a duet of 6V6s that drive the 10" Celestion Alnico Gold speaker—all of which can be seen clearly via the port in the open-back cabinet. The control panel is simple—featuring just volume and tone controls and a 3-way rotary switch that moves between attenuated mode, full power mode, and full power with a treble booster. Mode 1 is the cleanest, while mode 2, which is structured like the original Sundragon’s input stage, is significantly hotter. The attenuated mode, at four watts, is just two watts less than full power—but it’s much cleaner and gets dirty at more neighbor-friendly volumes.
Colby’s design means the amp always sees a speaker load, too, so the amp functions safely when the internal speaker is disconnected. And by using the line-out jack and dedicated volume control, you could run the Dragonette silently into a mixer or DAW with speaker simulation or an IR plugin.
“There’s no fizz, no midrange slop, no flabby lows, and not a sign of mechanical noise or cabinet rattle, even when the amp is dimed.”
Bring It On Home
In the spirit of Mr. Page, I hooked up the Dragonette with a Gibson Murphy Lab 1957 Les Paul and a T-style equipped with DiMarzio Area T noiseless pickups. In attenuated mode, with the amp’s volume set just below the 11-o’clock position, the Dragonette produces glassy, almost three-dimensional clean sounds. Pushing the volume to 1 o’clock and beyond brings equally delicious edge-of-breakup tones that can be shaped extensively using guitar volume and tone controls. In full-power mode, the Dragonette begins to breathe fire, delivering tight classic-rock crunch at low amp-volume settings. Pushing the volume past the 2 o’clock position, meanwhile, yields a wide array of saturated high-gain tones that are modern, tight, and rich—there’s no fizz, no midrange slop, no flabby lows, and perhaps most importantly for recording applications, not a sign of mechanical noise or cabinet rattle, even when the amp is dimed.
Given the range of sounds available from the attenuated and full-power modes, the treble boost circuit seemed almost superfluous. It yields groovy Yardbirdsian sustain and Sabbathian sludge, but it’s probably a fair supposition that players who gravitate towards this amp will also have curated arsenals of boutique boosts and fuzzes to throw at it. The treble booster sounds fantastic, nonetheless. And minimalists will love having the option to use it without adding pedals to the mix.
Just for good measure, I also connected the Dragonette’s speaker output to an early-’70s Marshall 4x12 cabinet with “black back” 30-watt Celestions (the manual states that you can run the amp into 4-, 8- or 16-ohm loads without harming it). While the big cabinet moved more air, I preferred the focus and texture delivered by the Dragonette’s single Celestion.
The Verdict
Unless dead-clean, high-headroom Bakersfield country twang is your primary goal, the Dragonette is an amp that anyone with the means should investigate—especially if recording rock and blues is on the agenda. It performs well with single-coils and humbuckers, and this agreeability, plus the amp’s simple, intuitive controls, mean that you have to work really hard to make the Dragonette sound bad. The line out, meanwhile, creates possibilities for silent recording if you have a good speaker simulation on the other end. Obviously, a price-pushing $4K is an awful lot for a 6-watt amp. But if Jimmy Page signs off on it, who are we mere mortals to argue the price? And if you’re a studio hound, it might just be the only amp you'll ever need.
Sundragon Dragonette
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