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Guitar Center Honors PRS Guitars Founder Paul Reed Smith with Rockwalk Induction
Guitar Center honored Paul Reed Smith, founder and managing general partner of PRS Guitars, with an induction into the famed Guitar Center Rockwalk on Saturday, September 26, during Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2026 in Austin, Texas. The honor recognizes Smith’s five decades of craftsmanship and innovation as a guitar maker, from his early work building instruments for artists including Carlos Santana and Peter Frampton to founding PRS Guitars in 1985 and building it into one of the world’s leading guitar manufacturers.
Founded in 1985, PRS Guitars has grown from Smith’s one-man pursuit into the third-largest electric guitar manufacturer in the United States, establishing a modern guitar company with its own unmistakable identity, design philosophy and following. Along the way, PRS instruments have become part of the musical identities of influential players across generations and genres, including Carlos Santana, John Mayer and Mark Tremonti. Smith remains actively involved in designing and developing instruments today, continuing to experiment and challenge assumptions about what a guitar can be.
Smith’s journey embodies what Guitar Center’s Rockwalk was created to celebrate: musicians, innovators and industry pioneers whose talent, ingenuity and contributions have changed the trajectory of music and made a lasting impact on music culture.
“Paul is obsessive about building the perfect guitar—and I mean that as the highest compliment. He has spent his life questioning every assumption about how a guitar should sound, feel and perform, and then doing the hard work to make it better. That obsession has materially moved the electric guitar forward and raised the bar for the entire industry,” said Gabe Dalporto, CEO of Guitar Center. “Paul is a living legend whose influence spans generations of musicians and instrument makers, and we’re proud to honor him with a place in Guitar Center’s Rockwalk.”
The induction took place at the Dell West Plaza on the Rockwalk Stage during Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2026, beginning with a live performance by Isaac Holmes. Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto opened the ceremony before John Mayer introduced Smith for his induction. Smith then addressed the audience and commemorated the honor by placing his hands in cement as part of Guitar Center’s traditional Rockwalk ceremony. Smith’s handprints will travel back to Hollywood, where they will be permanently installed in Guitar Center’s Rockwalk outside its flagship store on Sunset Boulevard.
Holding the induction during Crossroads celebrated the full ecosystem of guitar culture, bringing together builders, players and fans around a shared appreciation for the guitar and the people shaping its future. Smith’s career has been deeply connected to working musicians, from Carlos Santana’s early support of PRS to his longstanding collaboration with John Mayer and other influential players. Mayer’s role in the induction reflected that relationship and Smith’s approach to guitar making: listening closely to musicians and working with them to rethink what an instrument can be.
“This is a truly special day. I am thankful to Gabe and the entire team at Guitar Center for presenting this. The Rockwalk is an iconic part of our industry, and to be part of that history is an honor,” said Paul Reed Smith. “There are many hands that have been involved in the journey. I’d like to thank everyone at PRS Guitars, past and present, along with the extraordinary musicians that continue to inspire and drive us every day. To have our longtime collaborator John (Mayer) give such a moving speech just made it all the more exceptional."
Smith’s induction continues Rockwalk’s tradition of honoring not only performers, but pioneering builders and innovators including Les Paul, Jim Marshall and Robert Moog, whose innovations gave musicians new ways to create, alongside legendary artists such as Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash.
Founded in 1985, Guitar Center’s Rockwalk is dedicated to honoring the musicians and industry pioneers whose exceptional talent, innovation and creative ingenuity have shaped the evolution of music. Located at Guitar Center’s flagship Hollywood store, Rockwalk has recognized more than 150 legendary artists and innovators.
“It’s something I never wanted to do”: Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood admits he was a “lazy” guitar player in the band’s early days
As a guitarist, have you ever felt not particularly motivated to practice? You’re not alone – in fact, you’re in the company of Radiohead lead guitarist and all-round six-string legend Jonny Greenwood, who confesses in a new interview that he hasn’t always been totally disciplined when it comes to guitar practice.
Greenwood – who also plays guitar in The Smile, a three-piece also featuring his Radiohead bandmate Thom Yorke – tells The Independent [via NME] that while he’s now “hooked” on guitar practice, that wasn’t always the case in the early days of Radiohead.
“I will sit and play guitar every day now,” he explains. “It’s funny. It’s something I kind of never wanted to do. I used to distrust any sort of fluidity and think that was somehow part of that thing of technical playing. But now I just feel different about it. And it feels lucky that my fingers do these things.
“I’ve got a certain facility with it, so I’ve decided to accept it, and have realised that I really love playing the guitar.”
Despite helping pen some of British rock music’s most enduring hits alongside Radiohead, Greenwood admits he “always felt like a clumsy guitar player” who was “always lazy”.
“Now, just through repetition, I’ve got hooked,” he adds. “I’ve just got addicted and want to play all the time.”
Radiohead reunited last year to embark on a tour of the UK and Europe, their first shows since 2018. While the reunion led some fans to speculate about new material from the Oxfordshire five-piece, we’ve not heard anything to suggest new music is planned or on the way.
Speaking to The Times in February, Jonny Greenwood reflected that “it was great to revisit songs” on tour, but that he “found it strange not to be doing anything new”.
“I guess we are all doing new music elsewhere now so that’s where our creative energies are going.”
Asked about the possibility of a new album from the band, he replied, “I’ve no idea. I mean, I’m surprised that the tour actually happened and that we all enjoyed it so much. But venues get booked so far in advance. To do another we would have to decide now, and even then it wouldn’t happen for 18 months.”
Well, they’ve agreed to continue performing shows, and are scheduled to play 21 shows in 2027 across Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia and Saitama, Japan.
Learn more at Radiohead.com.
The post “It’s something I never wanted to do”: Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood admits he was a “lazy” guitar player in the band’s early days appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
The Edge's Sound Without the Edge's Rig: Amps, Delay, Drive & Pick Tricks
You don't need a stadium rack to sound like the Edge. PG Contributor @TomButwin breaks U2's guitarist down to the pillars of his sound: a cranked Vox, dual delays running into the amp's front end, a transparent overdrive, a Gibson Explorer, and a right hand that doesn't miss.
Instead of trying to clone The Edge's rig, which changes constantly and is far bigger than most of us will ever run, he builds the foundation.
The Vox AC15 Hand-Wired does most of the work, set to the top boost channel. The Eventide H9 Harmonizer Gen 2 handles both delays and runs into the amp's front end, the way the Edge does it. A Mr. Black Deuce Coupe drives the amp without coloring the tone, and it cleans up off the guitar's volume knob. Then Tom gets to the '70s Explorer, (thanks @sweetwater !) the accuracy the Edge's parts demand from your picking hand, and a pick trick you'll want to steal.
AC15HWR1X
Few amplifiers have shaped music history like the VOX AC15. With the AC15 Hand-Wired, that legacy lives on – reborn with painstaking attention to vintage accuracy and updated with modern refinements that make it stage- and studio-ready.
This is more than a reissue. It's a complete reconstruction of a vintage legend – hand-wired and fine-tuned to bring the '60s sound back to life. Featuring hand-wired circuitry, custom transformers, and vintage-accurate cabinet construction, this amplifier aligns classic British tone with modern necessities including bypass-able master volume, a transparent effects loop, and custom-voiced spring reverb.
Now, the unmistakable sound of a vintage VOX is finally within reach. Built for vintage enthusiasts, aficionados, and modern players alike. The AC15 Hand-Wired delivers the unmistakable voice of VOX!
H9 Harmonizer® Gen 2
The H9 Harmonizer Gen 2 brings Eventide’s iconic multi-effects pedal into a new era, delivering studio-quality sound and creative flexibility in a compact, performance-ready format. Building on everything players loved about H9 Max, it expands the platform with the full H90 algorithm lineup, modern ARM processing, and a faster, more intuitive workflow for stage and studio rigs. It includes the full 74 algorithm lineup found in the H90, including all 5 2 original H9 Max algorithms, spanning delay, modulation, reverb, pitch shifting, granular, Harmonizer+ vocal FX, looping, and much more.
Deuce Coupe
From its initial release in late-2011, the Deuce Coupe shattered what was to be expected in an overdrive pedal, fully delivering on the promises of “amp-like response”, “incredible dynamic content”, “detailed articulation”, “high head-room”, and “uncolored tone.”
Unique and novel topology, meticulous tuning and calculated, deliberate electronic design practices granted Jack Deville the ability to create and deliver what became a true cult-classic. While many overdrive pedals sound good, and some even great, very few offer the astonishing clarity, natural feel, and dynamic response that the Deuce Coupe so effortlessly delivers.
70s Explorer
Armed with an iconic angular body and eye-grabbing hockey-stick headstock, this Gibson ’70s Explorer re-creates the trail-blazing axe that rocked a million stadiums. The Explorer’s resonant mahogany body and comfortable rosewood-topped SlimTaper mahogany neck offer a memorable playing experience night after night. Under the hood, twin ’70s Tribute Burstbucker pickups deliver a tight low end, complex midrange, and sweet highs to cater to rock and well beyond. To top it off, small touches like black speed knobs and chrome hardware give this solidbody electric guitar an arena-ready look. Add in the beautiful Classic White finish, and this Gibson '70s Explorer will be a great addition to any guitar collection!
Nexadyne 5
The Shure NXN5 guitar amp microphone is poised to change not only how engineeers mic guitar amps onstage, but how performers hear themselves in the mix. The secret? Shure's patented Revonic dual-engine transducer technology. This inventive technology utilizes two precisely matched transducers that provide an enormous range of acoustic optimization, maximizing specific frequencies and minimizing handling noise and mechanical vibration. This is how your amp was always meant to sound onstage! To boot, the integrated signal processing of the NXN5 produces a stronger output than traditional single transducer designs, thus eliminating the need for a traditional shockmount and corrective audio editing. It all equates to an ingeniously designed guitar amp mic that puts the playing characteristics of the performer first — a strategy that guitarists here at Sweetwater fully appreciate.
“Tripled and quadrupled guitars? Let’s keep it f**king real a little bit”: Mudvayne frontman slams bands who use backing tracks live
Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray has taken aim at bands who lean on backing and click tracks on stage, arguing that pre-recorded guitars and vocals drain the spontaneity from a live show.
In an interview with Metal Hammer, Gray says Mudvayne have never played to a click, and while he doesn’t call out any specific bands, he does singles out stacked guitars and layered backing vocals as his main gripes.
He says bands that sound exactly like their studio records because of backing tracks need to “keep it f**king real a little bit”.
His argument centres first on tempo. Without a click, he explains, a band drifts naturally, giving live music a sense of movement and life not achievable if using a click or backing tracks on a rigid musical grid.
“When you’re live, there’s an actual push and a pull that happens,” Gray says. “Say you’re playing a mellow verse and a heavy chorus is coming – by the third or fourth measure of that verse, the tempo naturally starts to speed up right before the chorus hits.
“It slowly slides into what’s coming. That builds anticipation and excitement for the crowd because they know what’s coming, and then bam! that shit hits.
“When you’ve got a click, you can’t create momentum because you’ve got a bunch of backing tracks running along with you.”
Gray isn’t calling for a blanket ban on backing tracks, though. He doesn’t expect a band with an orchestral bridge to tour with a full orchestra. His issue is with stacked guitars and backing vocals, elements which a band could already play or sing themselves.
This orchestral exception echoes a line drawn by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, who admitted to using orchestral tracks while performing some tracks from Stone Sour’s 2012/2013 double album House of Gold & Bones. He wasn’t a fan of the experience, though.
“Obviously, all the guitars were real, the drums were real, vocals were real, bass was real, but we used track for some of the orchestral stuff and some of the connector pieces,” he said. “‘Cause we were playing some of the stuff that would connect. And being a slave to that felt so stifling that I was like losing my… I was, like, ‘We’ve gotta get off this fucking shit.’”
Wolfgang Van Halen took a comparable stance that year, arguing that backing tracks should be kept to a minimum live and that he never does anything in the studio that he can’t do live.
The post “Tripled and quadrupled guitars? Let’s keep it f**king real a little bit”: Mudvayne frontman slams bands who use backing tracks live appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
How Jackson and Charvel broke new ground for Sleep Token’s double signature models: and created 2026’s biggest artist launch
The biggest signature guitar launch of 2026 was for two musicians who have never said a word publicly, have never given an interview, and whose faces have never been seen. And yet within days of their Charvel and Jackson instruments being revealed to the world, they had completely sold out – despite the four figure price tag. Strange? Well…
Sleep Token signatures on the Guitar.com Cover. Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com
And in truth, nobody was really surprised. The masked collective known as Sleep Token are, to put it mildly, a phenomenon – their huge, ever-growing presence has seen them bring death growls and djent-inflected riffs to staggering arena-sized shows, and become one of the newest bands to headline Download festival.
As well as a formidable listenership they’ve also crafted a whole universe of intricate mythology from behind their masks and bodypaint that has built a remarkably devoted and passionate following. This was never going to be a normal set of signature instruments, or a normal launch.
For starters, it was the first ever joint launch for Jackson and Charvel – with guitarist IV opting for a signature Jackson, and bassist III creating his own Charvel bass. The two brands have been under the wider Fender Musical Instrument Corporation brand for a long time now, but they’d never collabed like this before. But here’s where it gets really tricky…
Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com
Within their music, Sleep Token offer up cryptic storytelling, hinting at but never overstating a deeply-imagined lore. But, remarkably for a band of their size, everything else is a mystery. Outside of their songs and their other “offerings”, the band maintain an anonymous, enigmatic presence – an approach that’s hardly forthcoming to the usual cycle of interviews and demos that would usually accompany a launch like this.
The total number of words said by bandleader Vessel in his extremely rare interviews could fit on about six post-it notes, and even then he presents the project pretty cryptically. Drummer II did a video with Drumeo in 2023. But for III and IV? Nothing – no rig rundowns, no tour diaries, no get-ready-with-me TikToks. The band members don’t even appear in music videos anymore.
So how do you go about launching not one but two signature instruments for Sleep Token, when the band’s non-music communication mostly consists of mysterious lore and runic symbolism? Tim Hillier-Brook is the artist marketing manager for Fender’s specialty brands, and helmed the collaboration between Sleep Token, Jackson and Charvel – and it was up to him and his team to find out.
“Guitar is one of the most exciting places it’s been in for a long time, Sleep Token are a really important part of that”
Old friends, new connections
Since he started in his role, a Sleep Token collaboration was always a goal for Hillier-Brook. Then a few years ago, the former Architects guitarist crossed paths with an old friend.
“By complete coincidence, their guitar tech is an old mate of mine from back when I played in bands,” he says. “He reached out to us, saying, ‘Hey, Sleep Token is growing, and we’re looking to get some more instruments’. I was delighted to hear that, particularly as it came through a friend – there’s a level of trust there.”
Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com
“It quickly became all about getting them the perfect guitars for what they do,” Hillier-Brook adds. Things started with existing production models, such as Gretsch Baritones, but after around a year of discussions, it was time for some custom instruments. “We made an eight-string for IV, and there’s a four-string non-multi-scale for III – those let us troubleshoot some things, and find what was going to be the main instrument for both of them.”
Given how broad the Sleep Token sound is – going from expansive, cinematic pop to pummelling, brutal metal – it was going to be impossible for the signatures alone to cover everything III and IV needed. But the team took aim at the instrument that could work for the bulk of a given set. “It was about looking for something that would be what they needed for the most amount of time. So we landed on the specs from a lot of trial and error. III and IV are both exceptionally knowledgeable about gear and what sounds they need – they were very much like this is how it has to sound’, and it was always in a very positive, creative way.”
“Artists are not only being more creative with blending genres, they’re also being more creative with signature guitars”
A double offering
The collaboration has netted some truly singular guitars. “They’re both extremely bespoke to the music that the band makes and performs live,” Hillier-Brook says. “IV’s guitar is a 30-inch baritone, fitted with an EverTune and custom tension modules – tuned E-E an octave down, all wound strings. Essentially it’s a Bass VI designed for metal, and pretty much the first-ever production 30” baritone with those specs. There are other 30” guitars out there that players like to mod for metal, but this one is unique.”
III’s bass marks some firsts too – “it’s the first ever production reverse headstock Charvel has done, and it’s the only multi-scale Charvel bass, too – including custom. The prototype was literally the first time we’d done that. from has ever done,” Hillier-Brook says. “It’s a more gradual multi-scale, too – Sleep Token use a load of different tunings, and both of these instruments reflect the ability to switch between them. The way we’ve done the multi-scale helps with that.”
Those tunings are, as a rule, extremely low, and obviously a 30” scale helps keep things tight and percussive on the guitar side, particularly when tuning more than an octave lower than E standard. But it’s about more than sheer string length:
“For both of them, I think the main word is clarity,” Hillier-Brook says. “It’s obviously very easy when tuning that low for it to be an inaudible mess. So with the bass, it’s got the multi-scale, and the active Fishman pickups in it with multiple voicings which help things stay controlled.”
Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com
“And for the guitar, it’s got a mahogany body, but with a maple cap on top alongside its quilted veneer. That’s a tonal choice to add a bit of that snappiness and brightness to things. It’s all about how those notes are going to cut through live. If you’re playing a big arena in those kinds of tunings, with those impactful and dynamic moments in the music, you need to hear every note.”
And despite those arena-ready sounds and specs, the guitars don’t sport custom-shop price tags. “That was really important to me, and the wider team, and to Sleep Token too,” Tim says.
“It can be a difficult thing when developing a signature model with an artist, to hit the specs where it’s something they will genuinely use live, especially in venues of that size, but still to make it attainable. That was definitely top of mind – getting the right specs while staying at a price-point where they’re obviously not cheap guitars, but they’re not an impossible thing for a fan to purchase.”
“III and IV are exceptionally knowledgeable about gear and what sounds they need”
Unmasking the signatures
“Anonymous” and “signature” may seem like antonyms, but that tension was something that ended up helping the designs have, weirdly, more personality. There are some literal signatures on the guitars, with a IV on the guitar’s headstock, a III on the bass’ fretboard – but for Hillier-Brook, the identity present within them comes from Sleep Token having “complete creative control” – something masked personas don’t really get in the way of.
So you don’t need to peruse their wild spec-sheets to have them stand out – these guitars will remain pretty recognisable even through a haze of fog and stage lights. “Obviously we do the Monarkh, and we do the San Dimas bass but there are little details about these that make them so unique,” Hillier-Brook adds.
“It’s not quite the same as doing a Soloist with a signature on the back of the headstock. That can be really cool, but these are something else. No matter where you see them, you’ll know exactly whose signatures they are straight away, without needing a big name on the headstock. And that all came from III and IV – they were really smart about the aesthetics as well as the specs.”
Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com
A unique moment
The fact that the Sleep Token collection of guitars are so singular for Hillier-Brook reflects on where the wider world of guitars is at right now. “It’s in one of the most exciting places it’s been in for a long time,” he says, “and because of that, people are trying new things. One of the benefits of streaming is that every genre ever is in everyone’s phone – which has made people approach guitar very differently. Sleep Token are a really important part of that, where players are doing things sonically and stylistically that haven’t really been done before.”
When it comes to guitar themselves, we can see that approach reflected in other recent releases. Jack Antonoff and Lee Malia’s recent signatures, for instance, certainly garnered attention from beyond their respective fanbases thanks to their cool, genre-agnostic mashup vibes.
Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com
“The name is the stamp of approval,” Hillier-Brook notes. “But it isn’t the thing about it. Lee [Malia]’s guitar doesn’t have ‘Bring Me the Horizon’ across the fretboard, and these don’t say ‘Sleep Token’ across theirs – and I think it’s linked to that trend. Artists are not only being more creative with how they’re blending genres, they’re also being more creative with guitars when the opportunity of a signature arises.”
Cynicism about signatures as a whole has also declined. “Some people used to be like, ‘I don’t want to play a guitar with someone else’s name on it’,” Hillier-Brook says. “I had it myself, years ago, when I played a Jim Root Tele in Architects! Like, ‘Oh, that’s someone else’s guitar, why are you playing it?’ – but I love Telecasters, and they’re designed for metal. Why wouldn’t I? – but there’s less of that.”
More players – particularly within the heavy world, seem keen to embrace the unique potential within the world of other artists’ signatures. “And I think we’ll see so much of that with these instruments,” Hillier-Brook notes. “Just because they do such a unique thing, and again that attitude of, ‘I’m not playing so-and-so’s guitar’ is less common. Some people might get annoyed about it, but if you are… don’t buy one. That’s fine too!”
“A lot of the positive response isn’t from Sleep Token fans – people are just excited about the guitars!”
Ready for launch
From the start it was pretty clear to the whole team that these guitars would land with a splash, no matter what happened. “Working on the whole campaign was very exciting, just because of all of the firsts,” Hillier-Brook notes, “so we had to work out how to make this the biggest thing. The run would have sold out anyway, really, because the guitars are incredible and Sleep Token are who they are, but it was so important for us to really amp it up to 11.”
The fan response to the guitars speaks for itself, and, yes, as predicted, the first wave of guitars sold out extremely quickly. But the impact went beyond units sold, particularly thanks to the fact that for the launch III and IV had finally appeared in a music video of sorts, performing a never-before heard instrumental version of Vore. For a band in such clear control of their audiovisual presence across, getting to contribute to a bonafide capital-O Offering is a pretty big deal.
Tim points towards the flipside of this, too. “A lot of the positive response isn’t just from Sleep Token fans – a lot of people are just excited about the guitars! Really, I’ve just been embarrassingly glued to my phone since the launch. The response has been unbelievable, more so than you might expect – and that’s extremely validating for us as a company, and for them as musicians.”
Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com
Building worlds
In talking about these two instruments it’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of specs – but it’s good to remember that their uniqueness doesn’t just come from ultra-low tunings or any given set of pickups. It’s a reflection of the totally singular approach that’s made Sleep Token the band they are.
“In terms of artists that build worlds, whether you like them or not, they’re the best at it,” Hillier-Brook says. “And these guitars are just a symptom of them being so at the top of the game in terms of everything they do, from that world they’ve created, their aesthetic, down to every last tiny little detail of spec of these guitars.”
And for Hillier-Brook there’s one main takeaway from the craziness of the launch. “The way they’ve been received, the reaction from fans, artists and influencers to all of the things we tried to do with them – to see that come to fruition, as, really, just a positive thing for the whole guitar community? That’s the biggest success of these.”
Words: Cillian Breathnach
Photography: Joseph Bishop
The post How Jackson and Charvel broke new ground for Sleep Token’s double signature models: and created 2026’s biggest artist launch appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Graph Tech Introduces Two New 7-String Un-Lock Nuts
Graph Tech Guitar Labs has expanded its innovative Un-Lock Nut line with two new models designed specifically for 7-string electric guitars. The new Un-Lock Nuts replace traditional metal locking nuts with a pre-slotted, triple-lubricated Black TUSQ XL nut, eliminating the clamps, hex keys, added weight and everyday hassles associated with a conventional locking nut.
Designed for guitars equipped with double-locking tremolo systems, the 7-string Un-Lock Nut gives players excellent tuning stability while keeping the machine heads fully accessible. Players can tune normally, make quick tuning tweaks, and change a broken string quickly without unlocking clamps or reaching for an Allen key.
“Seven-string players often use different tunings and string gauges, so being able to tune at the machine heads and change strings quickly is a real advantage if they are using a tremolo stabilizer,” said Dave Dunwoodie, founder of Graph Tech Guitar Labs. “The Un-Lock Nut removes the unnecessary hardware and hassle at the headstock while giving players the tuning performance, tone and playability they expect from Graph Tech.”
The weight reduction is substantial: a traditional metal locking nut weighs roughly the same as four AAA batteries, while the Un-Lock Nut weighs about the same as one AAA battery.
Made from Graph Tech’s triple-lubricated Black TUSQ XL, the Un-Lock Nut features advanced slot geometry that helps the strings move smoothly through the nut. Its extended ramps distribute string stress more evenly, while the accurately matched radius and individually adjustable string heights allow for a precise setup. Players also benefit from smoother, easier string bending in the lower fret positions.
Both models are pre-slotted, accommodate most common string gauges and install without permanent modification to the guitar. As with any replacement nut, minor fitting and height adjustment may be required for the individual instrument.
The new Graph Tech 7-string Un-Lock Nuts are available now for $24.95 USD each through Graph Tech and authorized Graph Tech dealers.
King Buffalo Releases "Doomsayer" On December 4
King Buffalo releases Doomsayer, the Rochester-based band’s seventh album, on Dec. 4. via King Buffalo (North America)/Stickman Records (UK/EU).
A preview of the seven-song album arrives with today’s release of “The Slick and The Dead”
“Doomsayer originated in early 2026 out of many hours of jam sessions in our new studio space, playing around and seeing where it took us,” explains guitarist/vocalist Sean Roa, who also produced and mixed the album. “We didn’t really have an end goal in mind of what we were going for. We were simply exploring ideas and seeing what ended up speaking to us the most. So much has happened, both as a band and in our personal lives since our last record, that ended up becoming the inspiration to many of the lyrics on Doomsayer. I think as a result, this is some of our most upfront, direct and riff-driven work to date. We are incredibly proud of it and can’t wait for it to get out into the world.”
Four years on from Regenerator, King Buffalo returns with a record shaped by years of international touring and a deepening confidence in their own sound. Recorded in the new studio the band built themselves, Doomsayer finds the trio continuing to reach into the unknown, while bringing a greater sense of focus and intention to their sound. The experience they have gained on the road is evident throughout the album, both in the poise of the material and the confidence of their delivery. Like the pandemic trilogy that preceded it, Doomsayer was made at home, but the band’s new surroundings have given them the freedom to continue exploring and finding new ground, with a maturity they have earned one stage at a time.
Album pre-orders begin Friday, Sept. 25 at 12 noon eastern via Kingbuffalo.com. 50 test pressings of the 43-plus minute collection will be available, as well as a Deluxe Edition, limited to 750 copies on translucent emerald vinyl and including a hand-numbered insert, download code and polybag. The standard edition, limited to 1750 copies, arrives on purple opaque vinyl and includes a download code and polybag.
The band had previously announced a North American tour, kicking off on Oct. 29 in Boulder with support from L.A. Witch (Oct. 29 to Nov. 21, except Los Angeles), Doom Gong (Dec. 3 to 5 and Dec. 18), and Handsome Jack (Dec. 8 to 12). A European trek was announced this morning with Spirit Mother opening on all dates. The EU/UK leg is on-sale this Friday at 10 a.m. local time. Ticket links are available at Kingbuffalo.com/tour.
October 29 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
October 30 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
October 31 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
November 2 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre
November 3 Vancouver, BC The Pearl
November 4 Seattle, WA Neumo’s
November 6 San Francisco, CA The Independent
November 7 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
November 9 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up
November 10 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
November 11 Albuquerque, NM Sister
November 13 Dallas, TX AM/FM
November 14 Austin, TX Mohawk
November 17 Houston, TX Bad Astronaut
November 19 Nashville, TN Basement East
November 20 Asheville, NC The Grey Eagle
November 21 Cincinnati, OH Woodward Theatre
December 3 Detroit, MI El Club
December 4 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
December 5 Cleveland, OH The Roxy
December 8 Toronto, ON The Mod Club
December 9 Montreal, QC Theatre Fairmount
December 10 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
December 11 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
December 12 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts
December 15 Richmond, VA The Broadberry
December 16 Durham, NC Motorco
December 17 Washington, DC Black Cat
December 18 Columbus, OH Skully’s
Doomsayer cover featuring artwork by See Machine
1.Battling The Mystagogues
3.Vagabond
4.Hell or High Water
5.Into the Foundry
6.Ether on the Dark Side
7.Doomsayer
PRS Guitars Introduces Silver Sky Defender Color Collection Limited Editions
PRS Guitars today announced the Silver Sky Defender Color Collection, a series of eight limited-edition guitars designed in collaboration between PRS Signature Artist John Mayer and the British 4x4 brand. The lineup includes four classic Land Rover Defender colorways on the US-made Silver Sky and four contemporary Defender colorways on the SE Silver Sky. The US-made guitars will be limited to 500 of each color. The SE guitars will only be available during a limited order window, ending midyear 2027. These guitars can be preordered now through Authorized PRS Dealers.
“Teaming up with Defender to offer the Silver Sky guitar in their legendary 4x4 colors is a dream come true. I’ve always chosen colorways based on objects and materials that inspire me in the world, and as a collector and lover of Defenders, this collaboration is the perfect crossover between two great passions of mine,” said John Mayer.
The idea began with Mayer’s own Defender in the heritage color Arles Blue, which he has owned for nearly two decades. His appreciation for the distinctive colors offered by the brand has grown over the years. That inspiration has now found its way onto the Silver Sky in some unexpected details. The guitars’ plastics were chosen to complement two Defender configurations, with contrasting black or white roofs. The result is a collection of Silver Skys with a distinctly Defender-inspired point of view, bringing together two designs in a way that feels natural to both.
The PRS Silver Sky and the Defender are made to inspire exploration, whether through music or through terrain. They are also meant to demonstrate that design and color can combine to be a powerful expression of identity, individuality and personal taste.
“Defender’s iconic color palette, spanning both heritage and contemporary finishes, translates beautifully to the PRS Silver Sky Defender Limited Edition guitars. I have no doubt that collectors, musicians and Defender fans alike will be eager to get their hands on one of these highly desirable instruments,” said Paula Gharizi, Brand Director for JLR North America.
The Silver Sky Defender Limited Edition is offered in Defender’s heritage colors (with white pickguards and control knobs), celebrating the brand's rich heritage and the optimism, individuality, and character that has defined generations of classic vehicles. This set comprises four classic Defender finishes, starting with Mayer’s own Arles Blue Land Rover Defender. These guitars will have exclusive hard cases boasting the Defender wordmark, neckplates with the brand logo and that instrument’s color name called out, and matching painted headstocks. Only 500 of each color will be available worldwide.
- Arles Blue is inspired by open skies, coastal roads, and the freedom to take the long way home. A color to match the horizon, it harkens back to when adventure in a Defender became a destination in its own right
- Willow Green is a nod to Defender's rural beginnings, where muddy lanes and stone walls were part of the daily landscape, reflecting the fields, hedgerows, and muddy lanes where Defender earned its reputation.
- Portofino Red is warm, confident, and full of character; a reminder that utility and personality have never been mutually exclusive. It is a statement color reflecting a generation of owners who chose Defender as much for its bold character as its capability
- Sandglow Yellow is the color of adventure, desert dust and distant horizons. It is inspired by iconic Trophy and Challenge events of the past and the spirit of expedition travel that helped define Defender for a generation.
The SE Silver Sky Defender Limited Edition is offered in four Defender contemporary colors (with black pickguards and control knobs – a first for any Silver Sky model) inspired by landscapes and destinations that embody the spirit of exploration. Like the US-made versions, this set of colorways will have neckplates with the Defender logo and the color called out on them. These guitars will also have an exclusive PRS/Defender gig bag. Although the number of the SE instruments made will not be capped, they will only be available for order until midyear of 2027.
- Petra Copper takes its name from the ancient Jordanian city carved into rose-colored rock, translating natural stone hues into a refined metallic finish.
- Sedona Red draws inspiration from Arizona's dramatic sandstone formations, combining rich earthy reds with warm copper undertones.
- Carpathian Grey references the Carpathian Mountains, conveying ruggedness, scale and sophistication through a deep, sparkling grey.
- Woolstone Green connects modern Defender to both place and heritage, named after the Oxfordshire village while reinterpreting Defender's iconic green color space through a contemporary metallic finish.
Introducing the guitars in the automotive world ahead of the official launch, Defender hosted a preview of the guitars for select owners of the 4x4 during their September 11- 13, 2026 Destination Defender event in Temecula, Calif., a weekend of curated outdoor activities, drive experiences, live music, and a vehicle museum.
In addition to these runs, PRS will produce a small run of Silver Sky Defender Limited Editions in classic British Racing Green. Not available for purchase, these will be used as part of fundraising efforts for both the Defender Service Awards and John Mayer’s charity focused on veterans’ health, The Heart and Armor Foundation.
For all of the latest news, visit www.prsguitars.com and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
BOSS XS-100 Poly Shifter Review
For over a decade, the DigiTech Whammy has, more or less, owned foot-controlled pitch-shifting outright. There have been challengers. There have been contenders for the crown. But when the dust settles, in the imaginations of most, what one hears are Tom Morello’s dive-bombs, Dimebag’s squeals, and Jack White reminding everyone that a guitar pedal can also be a weapon. Boss, a company that can similarly dominate a category, is now dancing at the Whammy’s party. And it’s not messing around.
The XS-100 splits its personality in two. There’s a treadle-operated pitch bender that handles the Floyd-Rose-style dives and impossible upward screams, and a footswitch-operated transposer for down-tuning and virtual-capo duty. That’s a smart division of labor. You get expressive, real-time pitch-mangling under your toe, and instant, glitch-free re-tuning in an immediately adjacent position, without needing to choose which personality and functionality make the grade on your board.
When you add up the possible tones the XS-100 can span, the numbers are impressive. You can shift up to four octaves up or down via the rocker treadle. That’s eight octaves of total range, which I’d venture is more pitch-shifting range than most players will ever need. But if you’re inclined to experiment with the outer limits of your guitar, you’ll love having it. There are so many unusual, unexpected sounds here, in addition to scads of very musical, practical harmonizing and re-tuning capabilities too.
The sounds you can keep in memory are a huge asset too. Thirty slots are available, and can be scanned via the compact but practical LCD screen. MIDI and USB-C capabilities, meanwhile, extend the pedal’s possibilities for studio rats and committed pitch-shifting nerds to take the XS-100 to its furthest reaches.
Pitch in Practice
Here’s the thing about pitch shifters—the spec sheet is basically theater until you ask the real question: Does it track cleanly on chords? Polyphonic pitch-shifting has almost always demanded some kind of tone sacrifice in the shape of digital artifacts, and sustained leads and complex voicings tend to expose every weakness in an algorithm. Boss does its bit to solve the problem with what it calls Adaptive Focus—a fast processing method that uses high-resolution 24-bit conversion. In practice the payoff is pretty clear. The XS-100 preserves attack and tonal characteristics, even on full chords, without the warbly, seasick artifacts that plague lesser shifters. Whether you’re layering a full-step-up harmony under a lead line or dropping an entire chord progression down an octave for that “did the room just get bigger?” effect, the tracking stays glassy-smooth.
“The XS-100 preserves attack and tonal characteristics, even on full chords, without the warbly, seasick artifacts that plague lesser shifters.”
Does it top the Whammy? That depends what you’re after. The XS-100’s shifting often sounds cleaner and its range is wider. But it trades away some of the Whammy’s beloved knack for chaos and unpredictability. After all, the Whammy’s slight wildness is for many players a feature, not a bug. The XS-100’s detailed menu system also demands a bit more patience than the Whammy’s dead-simple stomp-and-go approach. The Boss is definitely a deeper tool, but that depth can come at the cost of intuitiveness. How you relate to those tradeoffs probably makes a trial run at your local shop a good idea. But with 30 presets, a genuinely sculptable balance control for blending dry and shifted signals, and that eight-octave range, the XS-100 gives serious players a lot more to work with once they’ve climbed the learning curve. With so much to explore, diving in blind could be a lot of fun for a lot of folks.
The Verdict
At $349, the XS-100 isn’t inexpensive. But it’s certainly not a novelty. It’s a legitimate, well-engineered challenger in a category where the Whammy stubbornly remains the standard. If you long for expressive dive-bombs, on-the-fly drop tuning, or harmonized leads that need to survive contact with a full chord voicing, the XS-100 can earn its keep. The Whammy cult is nothing if not loyal; the throne hasn’t necessarily changed hands. But for the first time in a long while, there’s a pitch pedal that can put up a real fight for it.
XS-100
Polyphonic Pitch-shift Guitar Pedal with LCD Screen, 30 Memory Slots, MIDI I/O, Dry-through, Expression Pedal, and Effect and Tune Down Controls
Mad Professor Launches Milestone Germanium Fuzz
Mad Professor Amplification has released the Milestone, a new germanium fuzz pedal inspired by vintage mixing consoles, reimagining the earliest fuzz sounds for the modern player.
The Milestone pedal is designed to stack well with other effects, with a dynamic and touch sensitive fuzz circuit and two band EQ for fine tuning your guitar tone. With its versatile EQ, the Milestone is also designed to sound great on bass guitar.
Milestone features a transformer circuit allowing the pedal to be placed after buffers or other pedals without changing the character of the fuzz or losing the touch sensitivity of the effect. This makes the Milestone the perfect fuzz for stacking with other pedals and opens the door for experimentation with unconventional pedal order.
- Germanium transistor fuzz pedal
- Dynamic and touch sensitive effect
- Two band EQ with Bass and Treble controls
- Transformer circuit to allow use after buffers or other pedals
- True-bypass switching
- 9-volt operation by external power supply (no battery compartment)
- Handmade in Finland
Milestone is part of Mad Professor’s handwired series handmade in Finland. The Milestone carries a street price of $370. For more information visit www.mpamp.com.
Why Queens of the Stone Age Still Matter
The longtime QOTSA multi-instrumentalist details and demos his new signature Squier Paranormal Troy Telecaster XII that's modeled after a Paul Waller Masterbuilt 12 he's had for a decade. In addition to recounting how a prototype survived a delivery truck rollover and riffing some of the quintessential 12-string Queens' songs, TVL explores the band's evolution resulting in their 9th album, Perfecth, releasing 10/30. Troy even dishes on the quintet's mission to age gracefully like Iggy Pop and share his surpringsly pragmatic reason for dressing dapper.
Why Queens of the Stone Age Still Matter
The longtime QOTSA multi-instrumentalist details and demos his new signature Squier Paranormal Troy Telecaster XII that's modeled after a Paul Waller Masterbuilt 12 he's had for a decade. In addition to recounting how a prototype survived a delivery truck rollover and riffing some of the quintessential 12-string Queens' songs, TVL explores the band's evolution resulting in their 9th album, Perfecth, releasing 10/30. Troy even dishes on the quintet's mission to age gracefully like Iggy Pop and share his surpringsly pragmatic reason for dressing dapper.
Cort Guitars Announces the Retro 304 Short-Scale Bass
Cort Guitars has officially unveiled the Retro 304, a new short-scale bass guitar scheduled for June 2026 production. Developed for players seeking the specific feel and tonal character of a 30-inch scale instrument, the Retro 304 combines traditional material choices with streamlined controls. By focusing on reduced string tension and a deliberate vintage-voiced output, Cort aims to provide a serious tool for both long recording sessions and live performances where ease of playability is paramount.
The Retro 304 is built with a solid alder body, a choice intended to bring warmth and resonance to the instrument's fundamental character. The body is finished in a high-gloss coating available in two classic color options: Seafoam Green (SFG) and Candy Apple Red (CAR). This construction serves as the foundation for a bass designed to deliver a warm low-end and defined attack, ensuring the instrument holds up across a variety of playing situations.
The bolt-on neck is constructed from hard maple, featuring a comfortable "U" shape and a matte finish for a smooth feel. With a 30-inch (762mm) scale length, the instrument provides less string tension, helping reduce player fatigue during long practices or performances. The rosewood fingerboard has a 9.5-inch radius and houses 20 nickel silver frets, which are selected for their durability and wear resistance. Other neck specifications include a PPS nut with a width of 1 5/8” (41mm) and white dot position inlays.
At the heart of the Retro 304’s electronics is the Cort Voiced Tone VTB-TB pickup. This passive humbucker pickup is specifically voiced to avoid a generic sound, instead offering a deliberate vintage character that emphasizes a defined attack. To keep the player’s focus on performance rather than complex signal management, the control layout is intentionally minimal, featuring a single volume knob and a single tone knob.
Rounding out the specifications is a suite of chrome hardware, including the Cort Retro Bridge, which anchors the instruments sustain while keeping a consistent vintage aesthetic. Keeping with the retro vibe, the bass is equipped with open-gear tuners and features a 2-way adjustable truss rod with a spoke nut for easy maintenance. The Retro 304 comes factory-strung with D'Addario EXL170S strings.
For more information on the Retro 304 and to view more images, please visit www.CortGuitars.com
Letter from the Editor | Acoustic Guitar, Fall 2026 Issue 359
“There should be a star in front of three clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu over the set list!”: David Lee Roth jokes about his tumultuous relationship with Alex Van Halen
![[L-R] David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/David-Lee-Roth-Alex-Van-Halen@2000x1500.jpg)
Though one of the most influential rock bands of all time, the Van Halen camp hasn’t been without its conflict through the years. Following the death of guitarist Eddie Van Halen in 2020, much talk was made about a potential Van Halen tribute tour. But in 2024, drummer Alex Van Halen claimed plans fell apart after David Lee Roth objected to an overt acknowledgement of Eddie during the shows. “The moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave fuckin’ popped a fuse…” he said.
But tensions seem to have settled as of late, with both Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth putting aside their differences to sit down for a conversation thanks to TEDxFargo. The conversation itself actually took place on 30 July this year in Fargo, North Dakota, but has just been uploaded to YouTube.
As David Lee Roth explains, during the Van Halen years, what seemed like a harmonious performance onstage would often mean chaos backstage.
“We never showed behind the kitchen,” Roth says. “These are the first times Al and I are discussing Hell’s Kitchen in the back…”
He continues, elaborating on the times he and Alex have come to blows behind the scenes: “There should be a star in front of three different clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over the setlist!”
Elsewhere, Sammy Hagar, who took over from David Lee Roth as Van Halen frontman in 1985, recently spoke of his desire to stop “being the Van Halen guy”, after years of touring his Best of All Worlds tour alongside Joe Satriani and Michael Anthony.
“I’m kinda done with being the Van Halen guy,” he said. While he vowed to “always keep some [Van Halen tracks]” in his show, he reflected on how the Best of All Worlds trek evolved into a bigger thing than he had originally planned.
“Originally, the Best of All Worlds tour with Joe Satriani was supposed to only be once in 2024,” he said.
Watch the full TEDxFargo conversation between Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth below:
The post “There should be a star in front of three clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu over the set list!”: David Lee Roth jokes about his tumultuous relationship with Alex Van Halen appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Two Notes Introduces Captor X Pro
T-Rex RoomMate D’Luxe review – a trusty all-round reverb pedal is reborn for the modern era
$299/£249/€299/, t-rex-effects.com
Nobody really needs a reverb pedal – for authentic ambience, simply do all your guitar playing in an empty swimming pool or disused cathedral. There is, however, an obvious advantage to harnessing the power of digital processing to make reverb more practical, and one of the first pedals to do that successfully was the T-Rex Room-Mate.
This tube-driven unit first came out around 20 years ago, but it’s been out of production for a while. Is that because it was struggling to keep up with rivals that came along later offering more modes, more controls and more dreamy epicness? Quite possibly… and so here, on a mission to fix those shortcomings (and remove a hyphen), comes the RoomMate D’Luxe.
What is it?
The hyphen has gone and the enclosure has changed from white to blue, but in some ways the D’Luxe model picks up right where the second version of the original Room-Mate left off. It’s still a fairly compact reverb pedal with stereo output and a full-size preamp valve at its heart. But the main difference is a significant one: a doubling of effect modes, from four to eight.
So you’re getting long and short springs, a plate, two rooms, two halls and – replacing the old ‘reverb plus chorus’ sound – a hall with octave-up shimmer. You’re also getting a new knob, marked ‘optional’, that does different things in different modes: it controls low-end damping for the two spring effects, adds a pre-delay in the next five, and sets the level of the octave in shimmer mode – something that can also be controlled using an expression pedal.
The other knobs are standard fare – decay time, reverb level, master volume and tone – plus input gain, for making sure you don’t overload the unit when it’s plugged in at the end of a mile-long chain of overdrives, fuzzes and boosters. Mind you, since when was overloading a tube something to be avoided?
Oh, one more point to note before we enter the virtual cathedral: while most T-Rex pedals these days are manufactured in China, this one – like newcomer the TwinBlaze that I’ve already reviewed and the FuzzTopia – is made in the company’s home country of Denmark. That doesn’t necessarily make it a better product, but it’s good news for the purists and anyone who’s not keen on outsourcing in principle.
Image: Adam Gasson
Usability and build quality
When a pedal has eight modes and six control knobs, the first thing you might be looking for is some sort of preset switch. With the RoomMate D’Luxe, you might as well look for a bottle opener, because this thing is strictly manual. Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, as it’s a simple device at heart – and how many different reverb sounds does the average guitarist need to have at hand?
The control markers glow yellow when the unit is engaged, which will be easy to spot even on the darkest of stages, and the one above input gain turns orange when it’s overloaded. There’s also a warm glow from the JJ ECC83S valve, even in bypass, but this is actually coming from an LED at its base. Now, that might make you think it’s only there for show – not least as T-Rex doesn’t quote an operating voltage – but the pedal runs on a 12v power supply (included) and draws over 600mA of current according to the manual, so my guess is it’s cooking at the same 250v as the original.
Image: Adam Gasson
Sounds
Here’s a sizzlingly hot take for you: lots of people like to play guitar in stereo, but nobody likes to listen to guitar in stereo. I don’t know if there’s a solution to that paradox, but I am glad the RoomMate D’Luxe is stereo if only for the self-indulgent joy of plugging into two amps and basking in the gigantic space between them. And besides, it also has stereo inputs so it’s not limited to us guitarists and our silly little monophonic plink-sticks.
So let’s just get this out of the way: it sounds great in stereo, but I’ll be doing most of my testing in a one-amp setup because that’s how most people are likely to end up using the pedal. And luckily, it also sounds great in mono.
The spring algorithms are up first, and they’re both totally convincing. At matched settings there’s actually no obvious difference in decay time between the two, but the ‘long’ version is a little smoother and mellower. The plate is smoother still, as you’d expect, and this might be your first port of call if you’re not actively seeking the wobbliness of a spring: it’s just a really nice reverb, nuff said.
I’ve never really seen the appeal of room reverbs – who wants to emulate bad acoustics? – but the two here are certainly realistic. It’s in the three hall modes, though, that the fun really begins – and where you might well want to wheel out that second amp for stereo immersion. There’s no audible modulation on offer, so it never goes as richly celestial as something like the OBNE Dark Star Stereo or Strymon NightSky, but for pure hugeness this is all the reverb you’ll ever need.
The shimmer effect is on the assertive side, and can get shrill at times, but that’s easily fixed by dialling down the mix and/or the tone… and that brings us to the real strength of this pedal: its tweakability. T-Rex has put that high knob count to smart use, bringing total control over every aspect of the effect so you can get it sitting exactly where you want it in every mode.
That’s most strikingly true of the input gain. Keep this down around 11 o’clock for textbook clean effects, but if you slam it towards maximum the reverbs take on a pushy intensity that makes everything feel that much more exciting. And no, I never did get it to distort – but you can use the output volume for a nice boost on the way out.
Image: Adam Gasson
Should I buy one?
T-Rex has done what it needed to do to bring the RoomMate up to date with the 2026 reverb market. The result is a strong contender that covers all the key varieties while offering excellent audio quality and, above all, supreme tonal versatility.
This is not a dedicated ambient soundscaping tool – its heart lies somewhere more traditional than that – but it is a fine all-rounder, at a good price for something that’s been made in Europe by a company with real pedigree. If T-Rex really is going back to boutique, this is a very encouraging sign of what’s to come.
Alternatives
At the top of this review I mentioned rival reverb pedals with “more modes, more controls and more ethereal epicness” than the old Room-Mate. Well, let’s run through some of them. Among your most obvious options are the Boss RV-6 ($153.99/£169), Neunaber Immerse ($269/£269) and Strymon BlueSky V2 ($379/£359), while a relatively newer contender offering pristine audio quality is the UAFX Golden Reverberator ($399/£379).
The post T-Rex RoomMate D’Luxe review – a trusty all-round reverb pedal is reborn for the modern era appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
BOSS Announces The EX-4 Effects Expander
Vox Amplification Introduces the AC Mini Amplifier
Vox Amplification announces the release of the AC MINI, a compact and affordable 10-watt guitar amplifier designed to bring the feel, look, and tone of the iconic AC Series into smaller playing environments. Developed by the same engineering team behind the acclaimed Vox AC Hand-Wired Series, the AC MINI addresses the needs of home players, practicing musicians, and songwriters who require authentic amp response at manageable volumes without navigating complex digital menus.
At the heart of the AC MINI is an all-analog, 10-watt solid-state architecture powered by the newly developed Vox Dynamic Response Circuit. Pushing sound through a single 3-inch Vox original 8-ohm speaker, the amplifier is engineered to replicate the dynamic response, natural compression, and rich harmonic characteristics typically associated with classic tube amps. The all-analog design ensures that the amplifier delivers sound with real body and presence.
The tone-shaping section centers on an intuitive, two-channel control panel modeled after traditional Vox AC layouts. The analog circuit is designed to preserve the natural character of different pickups, from single coils to humbuckers, and responds dynamically to pick attack and guitar volume adjustments. For additional gain and sustain, an onboard BOOST switch pushes the preamp into expressive overdrive, introducing harmonic overtones while maintaining musicality across the full sweep of the controls.
For spatial effects, the AC MINI features an onboard digital reverb specifically developed and voiced by the Vox engineering team. Designed after extensive analysis and critical listening, the reverb emulates the warmth, subtle movement, and character of a classic spring reverb tank, adding natural depth and sustain to the signal.
The top control panel provides a direct 6.35 mm (1/4 Inch) instrument input jack alongside a 3.5 mm stereo mini-phone AUX input and a 3.5 mm stereo mini-phone headphone output. The AUX input allows players to connect to a smartphone, tablet, or external audio device to play along with backing tracks, while the dedicated headphone output enables quiet practice sessions. The unit operates via an included DC 12V AC adapter (1A current consumption, 12 Watts power consumption).
Housed in a wood cabinet with a bass-reflex porting design, the enclosure leverages the material’s balanced mass and natural resonance to optimize low-end response and overall frequency balance. Measuring 221 × 125 × 180 mm (8.70˝ × 4.92˝ × 7.09˝) and weighing 1.8 kg (3.97 lbs.), the amplifier sports classic Vox aesthetic hallmarks, including a traditional split-front cabinet design, diamond grille cloth, and a gold Vox logo.
Street Price: $99.99 USD
For more information, please visit www.voxamps.com
Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 171
Skip is back from a long-overdue road trip and has tales to tell and amps to fix. We also hear about the Fretboard Summit’s vintage amp room (watch that baby Leslie video), Christopher Guest in the new Fretboard Journal and so much more.
New Truth About Vintage Amps discount from Amplified Parts on all Apex matched-tube products: TAVAAPEX10 gets you a one-time discount of 10% off Apex products now through October 31, 2026. Stock up! https://www.apexmatching.com
Thank you to our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.
Some of the topics discussed this week:
2:21 Skip hits the road to Pendleton, Oregon and Spokane, Washington: White’s Boots (link); the Pendleton Roundup (link); Kirishian rug cleaning (Instagram)
17:22 Why do DC-powered amps need a vibrator, explained!
21:37 Summit recap from Brian McAllister (follow him on Instagram); more Skip road trip highlights
27:01 Figuring out the taper on NOS pots, how does the hum control work on my Bell Pacemaker PM10?, and jalapeno salsa
34:00 I want a tweed 5F1 Champ: Should I build one or buy one?
37:59 What should I do with this Peavey Classic? Ludwig, the TV series
44:54 A wild K&F pickup restoration story (find it on our Patreon)
45:33 Putting a harmonica mic into a guitar?
48:53 Amp tech knowledge gaps; Uncle Doug and cheap solder (YouTube video), Solder Smoke Remover (Amazon link)
56:02 Vintage Sound 50; a potential guest Peter Miller?
1:02:23 Help for my Harmony H306A; 7408 power tubes
1:07:40 Paul Simon guitarist Mark Stewart (Wikipedia); more roadtrip talk (Hwy 395); Christopher Guest in the Fretboard Journal 60 (order it here)
Want to be a part of the show? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.
Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.
Above: Listener Bernie’s Bogen Pacemaker PM10.
The post Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 171 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
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