General Interest

Following weeks of controversy surrounding Fender’s cease-and-desist letters over alleged infringement on the Stratocaster body shape, the company’s CEO Edward “Bud” Cole has sought to clarify Fender’s position in a speech to dealers.

• READ MORE: Fender claims social media has led to “a lot of misunderstandings about the nature and the scope” of their cease and desist blitz… as PRS confirms they were one of the brands affected

The speech took place at a Fender event for dealers. It was filmed and published to YouTube last week by Bananas At Large, a musical instrument dealer based in California, and brought to wider attention in videos posted by Phillip McKnight and Rhett Shull.

Cole initially seeks to reassure the crowd that Fender has not sought active litigation against anyone, saying: “First and foremost, Fender is not suing anybody.” Referring to the cease-and-desist letters received by several companies, he adds: “What we’ve done is reach out thoughtfully and [respectfully] to a handful of companies whose guitars come extremely close to replicating the iconic Fender Stratocaster design.”

Cole then seeks to further clarify which guitars Fender views as potentially “replicating” the design, taking issue with a common piece of phraseology used when marketing double-cut guitars. “We’re talking specifically about the Stratocaster, because that’s what this is really about – calling it simply the ‘S-style’ or the ‘S-shape’ is an attempt to diminish and whitewash the immeasurable game-changing contribution that Leo and his team made to the entire industry that all of us have built so much of our success and careers around.”

In the full speech, Cole also seeks to clarify the nature of Fender’s ownership – in response to online comments that have chalked the recent cease-and-desist actions up to the brand being owned by “private equity.” He also reassures the room that this issue has been raised in the EU, and therefore will have less impact on dealers selling American brands.

It is worth noting, however, that while Fender does not seem to be engaged in active litigation over this issue, the cease-and-desist letters sent out do still contain the threat of litigation, if the request is not met. Additionally, while the cease-and-desist letters have been sent regarding instruments being sold in the EU, this still includes US-based brands such as PRS.

Cole’s intention was clearly to quash at least some of the intense controversy that has circled Fender since LsL first revealed that it had received a cease-and-desist. However, commentators seem unconvinced by the walk-back – Rhett Shull, for instance, called Cole’s speech “insulting”, and took issue with the idea that the initial threats were “thoughtful and respectful”. Phillip McKnight had similar issues with the clip, going so far as to say Cole was lying when he characterised the cease-and-desist letters as thoughtful and respectful.

While the furor over the issue rolls on (particularly in Fender’s own social media comments) it remains to be seen what the material outcome for the wider guitar market will be. While only LsL and PRS have gone on record as having received letters, one other global brand – that we cannot name due to confidentiality reasons – has received a letter, and has rebuffed Fender’s demands via its own lawyers. PRS also told the Wall Street Journal that it “disagrees” with Fender’s assessment, although it’s unclear whether the brand intends to take this disagreement to court.

The post Fender CEO responds to cease-and-desist backlash, says company is “not suing anybody” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

You’ll know him as everyone’s favourite gun-toting, knife-wielding assassin, John Wick, but when he’s not participating in high table duels and racking up ludicrous body counts, Hollywood A-lister Keanu Reeves handles bass duties in Los Angeles-based alt-rock trio Dogstar.

And this weekend, Download festival goers had the chance to see Reeves perform live on the second stage. Perhaps unsurprisingly, crowds flocked to see the Matrix star and his bandmates, drummer Robert Mailhouse and guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose.

• READ MORE: Sick of tuning issues on the road? These new guitar cases from D’Addario feature integrated humidity control

The band’s set marked their first-ever appearance at Download Festival, widely regarded as metal music’s spiritual home.

The trio performed a half-an-hour set on the Opus stage on Sunday (14 June) – later headlined by Florida pop-punk/metalcore powerhouse A Day to Remember. The stage also saw performances from Mastodon, Tom Morello, Social Distortion and more.

Watch footage of Dogstar’s set below:

This year’s Download Festival hosted headliners Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park, with sets from a who’s who of metal’s elite, including Trivium, Bad Omens, Ice Nine Kills, Pendulum, The Pretty Reckless, Architects, Behemoth, Periphery, Black Veil Brides, Hollywood Undead and many, many more.

Keanu Reeves and Dogstar are currently on tour in Europe, with dates planned in the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and more. Later this year, the trio will head back to the states for a US leg.

Tickets and tour dates are available via dogstarofficial.com.

The post Watch Keanu Reeves perform with Dogstar at Download 2026 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Ad feature with Martin Guitar.

Few bonds exist like the one between an acoustic guitar and its player. Special chemistry occurs when you find the right instrument – so much so that it can teach you more about yourself as a musician than any book, video or guitar teacher ever could.

“An acoustic steel-string guitar will faithfully reproduce the physical energy that you give it by the simple act of touching the strings, and it will turn that energy into sound. There’s a purity to this relationship – one that I have loved for many years,” explains Guitar.com’s Michael Watts, who offers some expert tips to make better music with your acoustic guitar in a new video made in partnership with Martin.

This may be true, but it’s important to take considered and intentional steps in finding your own unique voice as an acoustic guitarist, as that’s how you’ll learn the most about yourself. So, we’re here to guide you in the right direction.

Come with us as we take a deep dive into the characteristic playing styles of iconic guitar players like Johnny Marr, Jimmy Page and David Gilmour, and show you how you can adopt their sus4 and open-string embellishments to enhance your own acoustic accompaniments.

Next, we’ll take a look at how you can incorporate the techniques of some of the most revered flatpickers in the game right now, like Martin artists Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings, who find their own style in open string drones and double-stops.

Dipping your toes in the world of alternate tunings can completely transform the way you play your acoustic guitar. A simple drop of the low E string to D can open up a whole world of new textures, while favourites like DADGAD can open up entirely new soundscapes ripe for exploration.

And this is all well and good, but how do you select the right acoustic guitar in the first place? Every guitar is different, and the best way to find your perfect instrument is to “try as many guitars as you can, and don’t rush into a choice”, says Watts.

“I would advise you to take your time getting to know an instrument. Listen to how it responds to your touch. Explore the dynamic range between quiet and loud, and the different sounds you can make as you move your picking hand position.”

“It’s great to absorb the work of players that you love, and to feel inspired and learn from that,” Watts goes on. “But even more important is that aspect of your playing which makes you feel the most vulnerable – the bit that you’re least sure of because you haven’t heard anyone else do that. That’s the good stuff. That’s you. Lean into it.”

Watch the full video above.

The post “Take your time getting to know an instrument”: Top tips to find your own unique voice as an acoustic guitarist appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Ad feature with Positive Grid

If you’re a guitar player, there’s a very good chance that on more than one occasion you’ll have found yourself stumped trying to think of a guitar sound that is authentically yours. Despite the huge gamut of guitars, amps and effects available for us to play with here in 2026, sometimes the sheer wealth of choice can be overwhelming, and as such we end up leaning on accepted gear combinations and tried and true solutions.

Most of the time that’s fine, but sometimes you just want to push yourself out of your comfort zone, right? It’s no fun ploughing the same furrow forever, and unless you’re very lucky, it’s unlikely that such an approach is going to help you develop a sound or guitar style that’s truly your own.

Positive Grid has been trying to help guitarists get over this hump in a variety of ways over the last few years. First, they built an AI helper into their impressive Spark 2 practice amp that could help you find your sound with just a few words, then they built a more powerful and advanced version into the Bias X software that helped make in-the-box guitar playing less intimidating for newbies. Now however, they’re taking things to the next level.

REACTOR is PG’s brand new gig-ready amp aimed at those who want to sound good without breaking the bank. While it has all the usual impressive features and onboard sounds you’d expect from a Positive Grid amp, the most intriguing feature might be Amp Intelligence.

Amp Intelligence is, essentially, a guitar-centric intelligent tone engine designed to help you take the sound that’s in your head and make it a reality. Using the companion REACTOR smartphone app, you can interact with it in a variety of ways: whether it’s via a text-based prompt, an image or a sound sample. You can simply hand it over to Amp Intelligence and in no time at all, it’ll fire out a bunch of presets for you to audition on the amp in real time.

The useful potential of this is pretty clear from just a few minutes of using it. For starters, it’s pretty dang good at recognising a played guitar tone and reproducing it. We threw an old band demo recording into Amp Intelligence with very little clue what exactly had been used to record the original, and within a minute or two it had presented three very usable, very decent sonic approximations of what it heard. It also can do that trick with instruments, too – if you show it a picture of a certain type of guitar, it’ll pull out some classic tonal pairings to go with them, and they’re very impressive.

The amp can also act as a really interesting creative tool, creating tones based on pretty much anything that can be typed, photographers or captured via audio.

With something as broad and powerful as Amp Intelligence, there’s also the potential to get rather silly, and well… that’s where we’re going today. Let’s take the most leftfield nonsense we can come up with and see how Amp Intelligence handles the task. It’s time to get weird.

Cat’s Entertainment

Image: Positive Grid

The logical place to start, if we’re really going to try and get weird, is to pick something that really has got absolutely nothing to do with music and see what happens. It’s convenient then, that a rather handsome and entirely unknown interloper of the feline variety decides to wander through an ajar kitchen door and into the house just as we’re mulling over exactly what kind of flora or fauna to choose.

A quick photo of this incredibly majestic creature is duly snapped wandering around the kitchen like he owns the place – how will REACTOR’s Amp Intelligence handle a picture of a cat?

Well, pretty amusingly well actually. “You wanted a ‘pur-fect’ jazz’ tone inspired by a playful Balinese or Siamese cat,” it responds, before handing me a bunch of warm, soft and smooth jazzy tones with names like “Playful Jazz Cat” – they all sound good, especially when I start pulling out the ninth chords and switch on my Jazzmaster’s rhythm circuit.

Interestingly, when I put the same prompt in a second time it offered me something completely different – this time offering me ‘Meow-y’ wah-based sounds instead – showing the potential for Amp Intelligence to offer so many unique options no matter what you ask it – and of course you can then tweak these tones to taste in the apps conventional tone editor.

Orange You Glad I Called?

Right, we’ve done animals, it’s time to take something even weirder – food. We did contemplate giving Amp Intelligence a delicious burger or even a perfectly stuffed gyros to work with, but quite frankly nobody should have such things to hand in the middle of a working day, and so we had to work with what was at hand instead… Hmm, what about the fruit bowl?

I half wish I’d made the oranges a little more prominent in the photo in the hope that it would really go route one, but instead the image of fruit sent Amp Intelligence to sunny climbs and tropical paradises, offering me a “fruity bossa” tone in various flavours.

Of these, the mellow, mid-boosted Apple Jazz was very fun for more of those comped chords, while Tropical Fruit Clean gave a strident but enjoyable fruit punch (sorry) to proceedings.

Chapter and Verse

Image: Adam Gasson

Okay, it’s done a pretty impressive job with the first two weird things, but let’s push things really outside the box. We wanted to give the Amp Intelligence something truly odd – like say, this writer reciting William Blake’s seminal 1794 poem The Tyger?

Now Positive Grid is pretty clear that this function is designed for you to play actual music into in order to generate the tone. We don’t expect that they ever expected Amp Intelligence to have to make a tone present based on someone theatrically reciting an early-Romantic verse on the duality of beauty and ferocity in their spare bedroom.

So despite not missing a beat in terms of actually crafting the sounds, the created presets don’t exactly feel hugely grounded in the subject matter. Perhaps the amp’s generation of four “sledgehammer high-output lead” tones speaks to the potent metaphor of the tyger, burning bright in the forest of the night? It’s pretty metal, you have to say. Either way, all the tones sounded good, even if they were working with some suitably unhelpful subject matter.

Real World Benefits

Over the course of our little experiment, it has become abundantly clear that not only can Amp Intelligence handle the weirdest stuff you can throw at and turn that into some surprisingly usable and logical guitar tones. If you’re really struggling to find a new sound for a song, or just feeling creatively underwhelmed, there’s an element of Brian Eno’s legendary Oblique Strategies to chucking random objects at Amp Intelligence and seeing what it spits out.

What’s more, it’s worth remembering that the REACTOR is an amp priced in the realms of beginners who are moving into playing live and taking the instrument seriously. It’s so easy to imagine Amp Intelligence helping them discover how different amps and effects work together by creating presets that they can then edit and dig into – without having to build from the ground up. It can even create wholly original amps using its component-level modelling and understanding of hundreds of classic circuits. The sky’s the limit.

Maybe you’ve never thought about whether you might need an amp that you can have a conversation with before, but Amp Intelligence and the Positive Grid REACTOR makes a case that you should start asking questions…

Find out more about the REACTOR at positivegrid.com

The post I used an animal, a fruit and a poem to make guitar tones using Positive Grid’s REACTOR… but which one sounded the best? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

D’Addario has unveiled a new line of “climate-smart” guitar cases designed to keep the environment around your guitar stable, even when on the move.

Aimed at guitarists and bassists taking their instrument on the move – to rehearsals, gigs, and sessions, for example – D’Addario’s new Backline Electric Guitar and Bass Cases feature a host of storage compartments in a streamlined gig-bag-style design, but the USP has to be the Humidpak Climate-Control Neck Cradle.

Humidity can have a big effect on the way your guitar plays. The porous wood that makes up the instrument naturally expands and contracts in varying humidity levels, leading to playability and tuning issues if not kept stable. The Humidpak Climate-Control Neck Cradle features a two-way humidity control to keep humidity – and your instrument – stable.

• READ MORE: This new range of guitar cleaning products has everything you need to keep your instrument in pristine condition

The Backline cases – made of water-resistant materials and reinforced construction with shock-absorbent padding – also feature a detachable Breakaway Bag with Auto Lock security to keep accessories organised and moveable to and from the stage.

They also sport balanced ergonomic straps as well as a cushioned back panel to ensure maximum comfort while in transit.

D’Addario’s new Backline cases are “premium transport solutions designed to deliver superior instrument protection, user comfort and accessory organisation, all without the bulk of a traditional hard case”.

While no concrete information is available yet, D’Addario says an acoustic guitar version “is expected to follow”.

Learn more at D’Addario.

The post Sick of tuning issues on the road? These new guitar cases from D’Addario feature integrated humidity control appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Try these musician-tested ideas for making your guitar room more efficient, comfortable, and creatively inspiring.



Today’s podcast episode is with songwriter and guitarist Alex Amen, who has a new album out today on ATO Records.

https://alexamen.com

In this conversation, we talk about Alex’s Texan roots, mountaineering, living on a California commune, and the musical influences found on his new album.

Above image: Jackie Domi

Join us at our 2026 Fretboard Summit in Chicago (August 20-22, 2026) for three days of guitar demos, concerts, workshops and live podcasts with some of our favorite artists: https://fretboardsummit.org

This year’s Summit has over 80 luthiers and brands showcasing their new and prototype gear! 2026 speakers include Josh Scott (JHS), Mark Stutman (Folkway Music), Chris Martin IV (Martin Guitars), Fender historian Terry Foster, and many other fretted instrument luminaries.

Join us at our 2026 Fretboard Summit in Chicago for three days of guitar demos, concerts, workshops and podcast tapings with some of our favorite artists: www.fretboardsummit.org.

This year’s Summit has over 80 luthiers and brands showcasing their new and prototype gear!

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal’s quarterly print magazine: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com
(Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout).

Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com

The post Podcast 554: Alex Amen first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

From the Summer 2026 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine There’s a certain kind of guitarist whose influence becomes so embedded in the acoustic guitar world that it can be easy to forget how fresh and unusual they once sounded. Jorma Kaukonen is one of those players. Long before stylistic openness became commonplace in acoustic guitar […]

Death Angel guitarist Ted Aguilar believes that modern metal has an identity problem. He argues that while today’s players are more technically gifted than ever, many bands struggle to stand out from one another.

Speaking in a new interview with Pipeman, Aguilar says that unlike bands of the past, contemporary bands often lack the distinct identities that once defined the genre, even if the scene itself is more active than ever.

“There’s nothing against the metal bands of today, and the good thing about it is there’s a lot of them – maybe a little too much sometimes. It’s oversaturated. And they’re keeping it alive. They’re carrying the torch,” he says [via Blabbermouth]. “But I grew up in a time where thrash metal, Anthrax sounded different from Overkill, Death Angel sounded different from Testament.”

• READ MORE: Converge’s Kurt Ballou on “disappointing the gear heads” by choosing digital gear live: “It makes it about the songs”

“They had their own sound, but it was thrash. Of course, they were all influenced by the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and punk rock, and, of course, Metallica; everyone was influenced by Metallica and Exodus, ‘cause they were in the forefront.”

“But everyone just said, ‘We want that aggression, but our style.’ For example, [Death Angel singer] Mark [Osegueda] doesn’t sound like [Testament singer] Chuck Billy. Chuck Billy doesn’t sound like [Vio-Lence frontman] Sean Killian, and no one sounds like [former Exodus vocalist Steve Souza] Zetro.”

According to Aguilar, the difference isn’t a lack of talent. If anything, he says the technical ability of today’s musicians is “next level” compared to previous generations.

“My gripe about today’s metal, and this is just me and it’s no diss to these bands, I can’t tell who from who,” he says. “And I think metal nowadays, there’s some incredible players – like, oh my God, they could run circles around us, and they’re very talented.”

Unlike in the past where members of a band were often “figuring it out together”, many modern players arrive already fully formed individually, shaped by online learning and solo practice.

“[Back] then it’s just, like, you figured out your instrument together as a band: ‘Let’s write songs. Let’s do covers,’” he says. “In this day and age, and, again, there is no diss, ‘cause there’s amazing musicians out there. Incredible, like, oh, man, I wish I could do it. What’s in the water today that you could run circles around everyone? But it’s just the YouTubers and the influencers or whatnot, where then it’s just, like, you had to figure out, you had to be a band together.”

“There’s something about being in a room together, with everyone learning from each other, bouncing ideas,” says Aguilar, as opposed to players today who “are so used to being by yourself, you don’t know how to click with another musician.”

“That’s the organic way back then,” he continues. “It’s just, like, you get in a room, ‘let’s play’, and you go home and you kept playing. You write, you come back, ‘Hey, guys, I got this idea,’ and you work on it together.”

“Now… There’s pros and cons to everything. Like anything in life. You have the technology where you could write riffs and send it to somebody, they learn it, and you could record. But you still gotta get in a room… There’s a synergy where a human contact – you get to see someone’s face, how they feel about it, what they contribute, and maybe the disagreements or whatever.”

The post “I can’t tell who from who”: Death Angel guitarist on the problem with metal bands today appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Sammy Hagar has said that Eddie Van Halen “saved guitar players”, and was, in his view, a “music god” whose talents extended far beyond the guitar.

The comments come as Hagar prepares to bring his Best of All Worlds tour – featuring Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Kenny Aronoff – back for a limited summer run.

In a recent chat with Guitar Player, the singer reflects on his years working with Van Halen and the guitarist’s enduring influence on rock music and his own musicianship.

“I can’t imagine where guitar players would be without Eddie,” Hagar begins. “He just took a fuckin’ hard left, man, and we’re going to outer space. There were great guitar players before him: Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix.”

• READ MORE: “Eddie Van Halen ruined rock guitar”: The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Jim and William Reid think “guitar players should never learn scales” because it gets in the way of making music

“I mean, Hendrix kind of did the same thing – he got that whammy bar in there and changed everything. But Eddie took the whammy bar and the hammer and the frickin’ tapping.”

“But it wasn’t just the innovation of what he did; he was a great musician. He was a master. He was fuckin’ Beethoven – he was that unique. He belongs in that category.”

Hagar also argues that Van Halen’s impact wasn’t limited to his guitar playing alone.

“People call him a rock god – he’s a music god, in my opinion,” says Hagar. “When I bring keyboard players into the band now and they have to learn Right Now and some of his keyboard parts, they’re holding their heads in their hands and saying, ‘Fuck! This guy played keyboards just as unique as he played guitar.’ And on guitar, Joe [Satriani]’s going, ‘Wow, this chording!’”

“So I can’t imagine where guitar players would be without Eddie,” he continues. “I think they probably would’ve come and gone and we’d be listening to electronic music. I think Eddie saved guitar players – he saved us so we could continue and compete with those damn keyboards and electronic instruments and Pro Tools and all that crap.”

The singer also credits Van Halen for making him a “better musician” and expanding his “lyrical abilities”.

“I just loved working with him,” Hagar says. “Like when he was playing Love Walks In on piano – stuff came out of my mouth I would never have sung. The way his playing inspired a lyric and the words that fit melodically, rhythmically within the song, just writing with him was crazy.”

“I remember when we wrote Black and Blue – it’s the most syncopated lyric/guitar thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I would never write a song like that without Eddie.”

While early Van Halen records are often cited as the guitarist’s defining work, Hagar believes some of Eddie’s most ambitious writing came later.

“So many people think the early stuff was his best stuff,” he says. “Well, no, that was just the first time you heard him. It was so fresh and new when you heard Eruption or Spanish Fly or these intros on these songs.”

“Was that the best stuff? It was his simplest stuff.”

Pointing to Can’t Stop Loving You from 1995’s Balance as an example of Van Halen’s later writing, Hagar adds, “When we play that song now, Joe looks at me and goes, ‘Wow, what a piece of music! Every single bar is different. It just keeps changing.’ And this is Joe Satriani. This isn’t some kid that’s just learning how to play guitar.”

“It was an honour being able to play with Eddie,” he concludes. “It made me a better musician. It made me a better writer. It made me a better singer, without a doubt. I did my best vocals ever with Van Halen.”

The post “I can’t imagine where guitar players would be without Eddie. We’d be listening to electronic music”: Sammy Hagar says Eddie Van Halen “saved” guitar players appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

From £1,800 (£2,200 as reviewed), madocguitars.com

All the way back in 2012, I reviewed the Fender FSR Thinline Jaguar for this very publication. It was gorgeous, and left me asking myself why there weren’t more offset-type guitars with semi-acoustic bodies.

• READ MORE: Eastman Fullertone Offset ’62 review – “it has a unique sonic voice and retro feel all of its own”

Now I’m reviewing the Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow, it’s even more gorgeous, and I’m no longer asking myself that question – I’m yelling it at the sky like a maniac demanding answers from God.

Strictly speaking, this isn’t even an offset – the waist of the body is more or less symmetrical, rather than being swept forward on the top side like a Jaguar or Jazzmaster – but it is a two-pickup guitar with Fender-style construction and a Mastery vibrato, so that’ll do for me.

What really matters, semantics aside, is the ‘even more gorgeous’ bit – because that’s pretty good going for a new UK maker that most people have probably never heard of.

Image: Adam Gasson

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – what is it?

Come with me to the beautiful English county of Worcestershire, famed for its gently rolling hills and unpronounceable (if you’re American) sauce. This is where Luke Roberts builds his guitars under the Madoc name.

The Wyre is his only model for now, but it’s all about custom orders and the spec options are wide open – starting at an undeniably reasonable £1,500 for a one-pickup solidbody with a hardtail bridge.

Not everyone is going to love the distinctive body shape, which has a hint of “Look what the shark did to my surfboard”, but I find it strangely appealing… aided by the fact that my review instrument is finished in the king of all guitar colours: burgundy mist.

That’s just the ash top, though – the sides and back of the chambered mahogany body have been left with a natural oiled finish, along with the roasted maple neck. Completing the main specs in timber terms is an unbound ebony fretboard with a 25.5-inch scale and 12-inch radius.

But it’s in the hardware that this premium-specced sample really stands out – the Mastery tailpiece/bridge combo is a mighty expensive indulgence, adding £400 to the price. Still, it is a proven game changer in terms of tuning stability and reliability.

And that just leaves the pickups, which have the unmistakable look of Filter’Tron types. These are made by Manchester-based Green Pickups – another fairly new name but already one with a certain amount of pedigree, as the Tele pups fitted to the Ancoats Granada I reviewed last year were excellent. These humbuckers promise “definition, dynamics, and that classic Gretsch sparkle” – and who doesn’t want that?

Image: Adam Gasson

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – build and playability

One spec detail I didn’t mention above is the compound neck profile: the Madoc site says it morphs from a modern V at the 1st fret to a modern C at the 12th. The effect is subtle, but what you’re getting is a moderately rounded neck that feels slimmer on the upper frets even though it isn’t.

That might be one reason why this guitar is so luxuriously playable; the other is its impeccably high standard of fret work and general build quality.

There are a couple of cosmetic details that could be considered imperfections – a visible join in the binding just above the bridge pickup, and a headstock decal that looks greyly opaque when it catches the light – but you might just as easily call those evidence of authentic artisan construction.

The important thing is that it’s a pleasure to hold and even more of a pleasure to play. Now all it needs to do is sound good.

Image: Adam Gasson

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – sounds

There are two build factors pulling this guitar in opposite tonal directions: on the one hand, you’ve got the inefficient bridge design that gives offsets their fast, twinkly response; and on the other, you’ve got a semi-hollow body slowing everything down and adding airy warmth.

I’m pretty sure that combination was the secret of the Thinline Jaguar, and here the longer scale length and beefier pickups just make the tone even fuller and smoother.

Mind you, ‘smooth’ is hardly the word for the bridge pickup through a clean amp. I’ve got a Godin hollowbody with TV Jones Filter’Trons and the Wyre actually out-twangs it – the tone is unashamedly bright, with oodles of surfy character.

The neck pickup, in contrast, is pure jazz – albeit still with more treble than most humbuckers in this position – while the middle setting does a sterling job of combining the best of both, and sweetens the whole thing up with some classic phasey chime. The responsiveness to playing dynamics, with either pickup or both, is sublime.

The tone control doesn’t do much until it’s down to at least halfway – which is about as close to a disappointment as I can find in this guitar – but not to worry, because knocking back the volume a notch or two instead is extremely effective at softening down the edges when required.

That’s unlikely to be on your mind once you stomp on the nearest overdrive pedal, though: with high gain, that trebly response translates to a nicely articulate attack for expressive lead work… which is made all the more appealing by the speedy smoothness of the neck.

And of course, a chambered body with humbuckers plus a supremely well-behaved whammy bar is the perfect recipe for controlled feedback. Wannabe alt-rock guitar heroes will be in heaven with this thing – and yes, that is coming from a wannabe alt-rock guitar hero.

Image: Adam Gasson

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – should I buy it?

For readers in the UK at least, it’s hard to think of many reasons not to buy a Wyre Semi Hollow – because even if there’s something about the specifications of this one that you don’t like, all you have to do is change it.

Personally I’d love to try a guitar exactly like this – including the burgundy mist finish, obviously – but with slightly less feisty pickups.

If the price is out of your range, the hardtail and solidbody options will bring it down… but then you’re talking about a quite different guitar. Mind you, if all Madocs are put together as well as this example, then you’re still going to be getting a pretty fantastic instrument.

Image: Adam Gasson

Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow – alternatives

You’ll notice that the prices below all start with the word ‘from’ – bear in mind that the numbers will go up once you specify semi-hollow construction and a whammy bar. British alternatives include the Trent Model 1 (from £2,095) and Ancoats NQ (from £1,099), while a highly rated American contender is the Jennings Voyager (from $2,845/£2,399). Or you could just go for a factory standard model like the Duesenberg Starplayer TV (€2,599/£2,399).

The post Madoc Guitars Wyre Semi Hollow review – “wannabe alt-rock guitar heroes will be in heaven with this thing” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.



Before talking amps, we talk life! Longtime friend of the show John Vanderslice (Tiny Telephone) joins us to talk about moving to the Netherlands, the life of an expat, the equipment that he moved to Europe (and didn’t), staying curious with your gear, and so much more.

Around 50 minutes in, we get the answer to last episode’s Baffler, field various questions and do the usual TAVA amp troubleshooting.

Thank our sponsors: Grez Guitars; Emerald City Guitars; and Amplified Parts / Mod Electronics.

Some of the topics discussed this week:

:00 Special guest: John Vanderslice!

50:28 Our sponsors!

51:47 What’s on Skip’s bench: A Supro Galaxy

1:01:19 The O.W. Appleton guitar (link)

1:02:33 The answer to episode 155’s baffler: Two types of hum

1:07:03 The high and low power switch on a Music Man HD150

1:10:34 How can I swap the speaker on my 1949 Spiegel 79-C, pre-heating cast iron

1:14:35 Ranch Style beans, Herdez guacamole salsa, Electro-Harmonix 12AY7 mic-pre, Peavey Valverb, using an iso cabinet, using both jacks in a Princeton

1:24:37 Terry Foster at the 2026 Fretboard Summit 

1:26:11 How many speakers can a Silverface Champ drive safely? Why did Fender keep changing the Princeton schematic?

1:31:13 Skip at the Fretboard Summit?

Above and below: Listener Bernie’s Spiegel amplifier. 

Want amp tech Skip Simmons’ advice on your DIY guitar amp projects? Want to share your top secret family recipe? Need relationship advice? Join us by sending your voice memo or written questions to podcast@fretboardjournal.com! Include a photo, too.

Want to support the show? Join our Patreon page to get to the front of the advice line, see exclusive pics, the occasional video and more.

Hosted by amp tech Skip Simmons and co-hosted/produced by Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal.

The post The Truth About Vintage Amps, Ep. 166 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Charvel has unveiled the American Neo-Classic San Dimas series, comprising two guitars based on the brand’s classic San Dimas blueprint, and built in Corona, California.

First introduced in 1979 after Jackson founder Grover Jackson bought out Wayne Charvel’s guitar business in the late ‘70s, the San Dimas later became a defining guitar of the ‘80s hard rock and heavy metal scenes. 

Now, Charvel’s new American Neo-Classic San Dimas series pays homage to one of heavy metal’s most enduring guitars, while bringing a number of performance upgrades for the modern player.

• READ MORE: This new range of guitar cleaning products has everything you need to keep your instrument in pristine condition

The American Neo-Classic San Dimas series features two guitars: San Dimas SD1 HH FR MPL, and the San Dimas SD1 HH HT MPL. The naming convention of electric guitars is notoriously difficult to follow, but there’s actually pretty little that separates the guitars in this case.

Credit: Charvel

Both models sport a classic versatile Seymour Duncan JB/59 double-humbucker pickup configuration – for a warm tone in the neck position with the ‘59 and a high-output in the bridge position courtesy of the JB. Controls are kept streamlined, with a singular volume control and a five-way blade switch.

They also feature stainless steel jumbo frets for a smooth playing experience across the length of the neck.

Crucially, what sets both guitars apart is the bridge; as the keen-eyed amongst you may have noticed, the SD1 HH FR MPL features a Floyd Rose bridge, while the SD1 HH HT MPL sports a Charvel Hardtail bridge.

Each guitar comes in four distinct colourways: the SD1 HH FR comes in Robin’s Egg Blue, Ivory Blitz, Gloss Black and Racing Red; while the SD1 HH HT comes in Gloss Black, Racing Red, Velvet Midnight and Ivory Blitz.

To celebrate the launch, Charvel has tapped Dweezil Zappa – son of the legendary Frank Zappa – to take the American Neo-Classic San Dimas for a spin in a California skate park. Check it out below:

“Charvel was born in California and so was this guitar,” says Jon Romanowski, VP of Product at Charvel. “The American Neo-Classic San Dimas is a direct line back to where it all started, the shop, the craft, the obsession with making instruments that players actually want to play.

“Building it in Corona feels like coming full circle. The JB/59 pickup pairing delivers on every level, and the finishes feel as iconic as the guitar itself.”

Go behind the scenes at the Charvel factory to see how the new American Neo-Classic San Dimas is built:

Price-wise, the American Neo-Classic San Dimas Style 1 SD1 HH FR MPL clocks in at $2,799.99 / £2,399, while the San Dimas SD1 HH HT MPL is priced at $2,749 / £2,249.

Learn more at Charvel.

Credit: Charvel

The post San Dimas returns to its roots: Charvel introduces the made-in-California American Neo-Classic San Dimas series appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Nashville-based string manufacturer Stringjoy has unveiled a sprawling new line of guitar cleaning and care products, designed to keep your instrument in tip-top condition.

After its founding in 2014, Stringjoy has become a big player in the guitar strings market, and its String Conditioner has for years been a choice for guitarists looking to maximise the longevity of their strings. Now, the brand expands into a full range of guitar care products, including a fretboard conditioner, guitar polish, all-in-one instrument cleaner, and a cloth for wiping away all that stubborn fingerboard grime.

• READ MORE: Epiphone celebrates Rush’s return to the stage with a faithful recreation of Alex Lifeson’s legendary 1976 ES-355

 “For years, customers have trusted our String Conditioner to help extend the life and performance of their strings,” says Scott Marquart at Stringjoy.

“Expanding into complete instrument care was a natural next step, but we knew we had to do it the right way. From the beginning, we weren’t interested in taking an existing automotive polish or generic cleaner and simply putting a guitar on the label. We wanted to create products specifically for guitars, from the ground up.”

Marquart reveals the team at Stringjoy “worked closely” with guitar techs, repair shops, and working musicians to land on a range of guitar care products they’d use themselves.

“The result is a complete care lineup designed to clean, protect, and maintain guitars without compromise. We’re excited to finally share it with players everywhere.”

You can view details and prices for all the products in Stringjoy’s new guitar care range below:

• All-in-One Instrument Cleaner ($13.99): Erases fingerprints, dust, sweat and other buildup
• Guitar Polish ($11.99): Deep-cleans and restores clarity to finishes and hardware
• Fretboard Conditioner ($11.99): Cleans, restores, and rejuvenates unfinished fretboards
• String Conditioner ($14.99): Cleans, protects, and prolongs strings’ vibrance and playability
• Microfiber String Cleaning Cloth ($4.99): Instantly removes oil, grime, and buildup

Learn more at Stringjoy.

The post This new range of guitar cleaning products has everything you need to keep your instrument in pristine condition appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Kurt Ballou of Converge has opened up about his use of digital modelling gear on stage and the reaction it sometimes gets from gear enthusiasts expecting more traditional rigs.

Speaking on the Garza podcast with host Chris Garza, the metalcore guitarist discusses his use of the Line 6 Helix Stadium, explaining how it helps streamline his approach to tone and keep the focus on the band’s performance.

• READ MORE: Outlowd by Ed Sheeran: Orange officially partners with Ed Sheeran on the megastar’s first-ever line of signature amps

“I kind of love it when people show up expecting me to have JMPs and V4s and other vintage stuff, or boutique amps,” he says. “I played Bad Cat for a long time. I still do play the cabinets. I love that company.”

While he acknowledges the appeal of traditional amp setups, Ballou says going digital helps remove distractions and keep the focus where he wants it: on the song itself.

“There’s something about disappointing the gear heads with using this modeler, “ says the guitarist. “I don’t necessarily want to disappoint them, but it’s cool that it makes it about the songs, is what I’m getting at.”

“I think this thing sounds sick. It lets me focus on the song,” Ballou continues. “All the gear in the world – that’s cool and stuff, but how many times have you gone to see a band and watched them set up their full stacks and massive pedalboards, and then they just suck? Or everything is breaking all the time and it’s detracting from the show?”

“Let’s just get to the songs, because that’s the thing that I really care about,” says Ballou. “This lets me do that.”

He adds that using a modeller also brings practical benefits when touring, particularly in maintaining consistency across different venues.

“This thing lets me go to a festival and plug into whatever they have as house backline and get my stage volume that way,” he explains. “I can have my sound that I’ve worked hard to craft in my studio every single night. It’s consistent.”

Ballou is far from alone in his support for digital gear. While once seen as a divisive alternative to traditional tube setups, digital modelling is now increasingly finding its way into the arsenals of players who built their reputations on analogue gear.

Vintage amp and gear collector Joe Bonamassa is one such example. Known for housing one of the largest private collections of classic tube amps across his Nerdville East and West studios in Nashville and Los Angeles, the blues guitarist might not seem like an obvious candidate for digital adoption.

But Bonamassa has recently been exploring Fender’s Tone Master range on tour – a fully digital line designed to replicate classic tube amp tones.

“It’s honestly really amazing what they did digitally,” he said, revealing in April that he has been “beta testing” the amps on the road.

The post Converge’s Kurt Ballou on “disappointing the gear heads” by choosing digital gear live: “It makes it about the songs” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

For every musician who can’t wait to dust off a forgotten deep cut, there’s a fan who just wants to hear the song that changed their life.

Paul Stanley has little patience for bands who grow tired of their most famous songs, arguing that live shows should prioritise audience expectations over an artist’s desire to reinvent familiar material.

In a new interview with Vulture, the Kiss frontman dismisses the idea that playing a band’s biggest hits should ever feel like a burden.

Asked to name a song his guitar has a “love-hate relationship” with, Stanley replies: “This may sound corny, but I’ve never, ever found playing any of those songs a chore. They made me what I am and I love them all dearly.”

• READ MORE: Answered: Even More Technical Guitar Questions You Were Too Afraid To Ask

Stanley’s latest comments feed into a long-running debate over what fans should expect from live shows. While some artists use concerts as an opportunity to reinvent older material or spotlight deep cuts, others argue audiences are primarily there to hear the songs that defined a band’s career.

For Stanley, moving too far from those original versions risks undermining the experience.

“When I would go see a band and they were bored and would rearrange a heavy rock song and do it as a reggae tune, I was terribly disappointed and felt minimised,” he says. “I paid to hear the song that I loved, the way I loved it.”

He adds that personal boredom should never take precedence over the expectations of a paying audience, particularly when it comes to the songs that built an artist’s career.

“The idea of going up on stage with a sold-out audience and showing disrespect by fulfilling some need in me, or boredom, is unimaginable,” Stanley says. “Play it the way people know it, the way it became famous, and show the respect you had for it when you wrote it.”

“You’re only deviating because you’re bored and that’s irrelevant as far as I’m concerned. The worst I can say is if you win the lottery, you shouldn’t complain about taxes.”

That said, not everyone agrees with the sentiment. Metallica frontman James Hetfield has previously spoke about the importance of “challenging” fans with deeper cuts from the band’s catalogue, while Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows has argued that leaning too heavily on hits can leave artists feeling creatively stagnant.

“There’s bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden that continually play new stuff and reinvent themselves,” Shadows said. “And it pisses people off, but it allows them to be interested in what they’re doing.”

By contrast, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx has voiced support for hit-heavy setlists as a way of meeting audience expectations. Speaking to Utah’s 103.5 The Arrow, he explained that audiences generally want to hear the songs they already know.

“I hate it when a band goes out and doesn’t play their hits,” Sixx said. “I just remember [David] Bowie doing that, and I was like, ‘He’s one of my favourite artists. I don’t want to go hear a bunch of C and D tracks off of records that I love. I want to hear songs like Rebel Rebel.”

The post Kiss’s Paul Stanley says bands should play hits “the way it became famous” and not ‘minimise’ fans: “The idea of going on stage with a sold-out audience and showing disrespect by fulfilling some need in me is unimaginable” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Armadillo Enterprises, parent company of Dean Guitars, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, following a turbulent few years for the company.

• READ MORE: Gibson denied opportunity to appeal court ruling that its ES body shape is generic – but the final terms of its legal victory over Dean have been laid down

Court filings made yesterday (9 June 2026) reveal that both Armadillo and its investment partner Concordia have filed jointly. Armadillo has estimated its assets to be between $1 million and $10 million, however its liabilities range up to $50 million. The bankruptcy petition indicates that Valley National Bank – which had previously threatened Armadillo with foreclosure over millions in unpaid debt – now holds an unsecured claim of around $3.3 million – the largest claim held by a creditor.

The filings come after several years of legal trouble for Dean and Armadillo, most notably a high-profile and lengthy trademark lawsuit brought by Gibson regarding several guitar shapes. Armadillo was found to have sold infringing guitar designs, and was ordered to stop marketing and selling its V and Z instruments. After a lengthy appeal, a similar verdict was found.

Given the scope of the gulf between Armadillo’s assets and liabilities, the future of Dean Guitars again is unclear. It has already been hit with a string of losses and internal challenges. Following the legal loss to Gibson, the jury found that Dean must pay Gibson just $1 in damages – but also around $170,000 in legal fees. On top of this, the ruling also stated that “all costs of court spent or incurred in this cause are adjudged against Armadillo” – it’s unclear just how much this second figure could be, or what the full effect of yesterday’s bankruptcy filing may be on the final stages of this case.

In a statement released today, Armadillo CEO Pamela Keris-Rubinson remains optimistic, saying: “This is a proactive step to strengthen our financial foundation and position these iconic brands for long-term success. Resolving the financial pressures of recent years allows us to focus fully on growing what we’ve built. We remain fully committed to our customers, our dealer network, and our employees. Dean, Luna, and ddrum are strong brands, and this process will allow us to emerge as a more resilient organisation.”

The statement also notes that “Armadillo wishes to assure both its retail and consumer partners that all existing orders, dealer relationships, and customer commitments will continue to be honored without interruption.”

In other news,  Dean was awarded a victory in a trademark filing from the estate of late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, relating to the alleged unlawful use of guitar designs Darrell made in collaboration with Dean. Darrell’s estate announced its intention to appeal the ruling just this week.

The post Dean Guitars’ parent company Armadillo files for bankruptcy appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Epiphone has partnered with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson on an Inspired by Gibson reissue of his Alpine White 1976 ES-355.

Described as a “stage-ready, Custom Shop-inspired recreation” of the prog rock legend’s famous white guitar – which appeared on every Rush record and during countless Rush shows, before being sold at auction in 2022 for $384,000 – the Alex Lifeson 1976 ES-355 Reissue arrives right on time for Rush’s highly anticipated Fifty Something reunion tour, which kicked off Sunday, 7 June at LA’s Kia Forum. 

• READ MORE: Outlowd by Ed Sheeran: Orange officially partners with Ed Sheeran on the megastar’s first-ever line of signature amps

Featuring a five-ply semi-hollow body constructed from layers of maple and poplar, along with a multi-ply binding on the top and back, the guitar also sports a solid maple centerblock for enhanced sustain the reduction of unwanted feedback.

Credit: Epiphone

Meanwhile, the instrument boasts a three-piece maple neck which mirrors Lifeson’s original ‘76 ES-355, with a Slim C neck profile, 22-fret ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl large block inlays, and a Gibson-style open book headstock with premium die-cast tuners and a Graph Tech nut. A stylish aesthetic touch comes via a truss rod cover engraved with Alex Lifeson’s name.

Elsewhere, the guitar features gold-finished hardware, a Tune-O-Matic bridge and gold pickup covers, which cover a pair of USA-made Gibson T-Type humbucker pickups, wired to individual volume and tone controls with CTS potentiometers and Mallory capacitors, and a three-way toggle switch.

The tonal palette is further expanded by a mono Varitone switch, while a dedicated mini toggle allows the Varitone circuit to be engaged or bypassed as desired.

The guitar ships in a custom hardshell case with a black exterior and a reproduction of Alex Lifeson’s signature, with a plush red interior and gold hardware.

Credit: Epiphone

“The ES-355 has always been a really special guitar for me – it’s got this incredible balance of elegance and power,” says Alex Lifeson. 

“What I love about this Epiphone ‘Whitey’ recreation is how faithfully it captures that original spirit while still feeling fresh and alive in your hands. It’s a guitar that invites you to explore, to take chances, and to find your own voice. I’m genuinely thrilled that players everywhere will have the chance to experience it and make it part of their own musical journey.”

The Inspired by Gibson Alex Lifeson 1976 ES-355 Reissue is available now for £1,199.

For more information, head to Epiphone.

The post Epiphone celebrates Rush’s return to the stage with a faithful recreation of Alex Lifeson’s legendary 1976 ES-355 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

After teasing his brand-new signature Orange amp during an impromptu busking gig in his hometown of Ipswich last week, Ed Sheeran has officially launched his new Outlowd by Ed Sheeran ES Series range of guitar amps and Bluetooth speakers.

The launch arrives as part of Play It Home, a new global initiative by Sheeran and Orange to celebrate grassroots musicians, emerging talent, and giving something back to the communities from which they hail.

Ed Sheeran busked a six-track setlist at the Ipswich harbour on Friday 5 June to a crowd of around 2,000, alongside local musician and songwriter Lianne Kaye. The megastar teased the gig just a day before by posting a Google Maps pin for location on Instagram, tagging Orange Amps in the post.

• READ MORE: Höfner has reportedly been saved from bankruptcy by Thomann and GEWA music

A heartwarming moment came when Sheeran gifted a nine-year-old boy named Felix the signature Orange amp he used during the set. Orange also reveals Felix’s next 12 months of music lessons will be fully funded as part of the initiative.

Credit: Orange

The Play It Home initiative will now travel globally via a series of sessions hosted by Orange Amps and a selection of their retail partners, with towns and cities including Guildford, Toronto, Paris, Sydney, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Bamberg. Each city will enjoy local music initiatives through equipment donations, youth music programmes, rehearsal space support and other direct funding for community projects.

So what about the new Outlowd by Ed Sheeran amp line? It consists of three models in total, the flagship 100W ES100, the 60W ES60 and the smaller, practice amp-sized 3W ES3.

The ES3 is, as you’d expect, the smallest and most portable model in the lineup, with a USB-C rechargeable battery, reverb control, full-range 4″ speaker, Bluetooth playback and a leather carry strap.

At the other end of the spectrum sits the ES100, a “fully professional acoustic solution” made for “larger performances and demanding live environments”. It features a 12″ Celestion full-range neodymium driver paired with a neodymium Celestion HF tweeter.

“Music doesn’t start in arenas or on streaming platforms,” says Ed Sheeran. “It starts in bedrooms, youth clubs, pubs, schools, parks, living rooms and street corners. That’s where I found my voice. I think tiny venues are super important to learn how to perform and busking teaches you not to sweat the big stuff.”

He goes on: “I wanted this project with Orange to feel honest to that – celebrating local musicians, local communities, and the idea that anyone can start somewhere.

“Playing music is a really fun thing to do and it should always be fun. It should feel like an escape. Now I’m in my 30s, I just want to do things that I enjoy and get excited by. With this collaboration, it was like, would I use this? Is this something that I need in my life as a musician? And the answer was yes.”

Credit: Orange

“What made this collaboration feel right from the beginning was that it came from a very real place,” says Sarah Yule, Managing Director of Orange Amplification.

“Before streaming numbers and stadium tours, Ed’s music started in community spaces and street corners. That’s still true for others today and is an important beginning – that with nurture – feeds the whole music ecosystem. The ES Series was designed around that journey; products that feel approachable, inspiring and genuinely useful for musicians at different stages of their musical lives.”

“It’s a real pleasure to work with Ed,” adds Cliff Cooper, Founder and CEO of Orange Amps. “He is such a talented and caring person who does so much to introduce people into music.”

Pricing for the Outlowd by Ed Sheeran ES Series is as follows:

• ES3 – £149 / €179 / $199
• ES60 – £499 / €599 / $699
• ES100 – £1,099 / €1,299 / $1,499

Both the ES3 and ES60 are available now, while the ES100 is available now for preorder, and will ship from 10 September.

All three amps are available directly from Orange and from selected retail partners.

Learn more at Orange Amps.

The post Outlowd by Ed Sheeran: Orange officially partners with Ed Sheeran on the megastar’s first-ever line of signature amps appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

In this lesson, you’ll learn to make creative choices in reharmonizing a simple eight-bar melody, discovering methods that may open new doors in your own songwriting.