General Interest

Introduced in 2018, Marshall’s Studio Series amps are U.K.-made, compact, low-wattage renditions of past classics. They’re smart designs in light of the market’s turn to quieter, smaller amps, and they’ve earned Marshall kudos. Earlier Studio Series amps, like the SV20C and ST20C, were 20-watt mini versions of the original late-’60s Plexi and JTM45 models, respectively. Marshall also built Studio versions of the JCM800 and Silver Jubilee. Now, the JCM 900 Studio head and 1x12 combo captures the essence of the company’s high-gain sound of the ’90s.

Replicating the experience and sound of the 900s—the 50- and 100-watt, trouser-leg-flapping monsters from the golden age of grunge and metal—with a 20-watt output stage isn’t easy. As with the previous Studio models, one key to success is the use of large 5881 tubes, but in a cathode-biased output stage driven by lower plate voltages than in the big-bottle amps of old. Along with the ability to retain the beefy, full-throated sound of the originals, this approach yields longer life from tubes that are built to withstand much harder use. And, since the output stage is cathode-biased, a tube change means simply popping in a new pair of 5881s and off you go, with no re-biasing necessary.

Marshall aficionados will note that the JCM900 series amps were originally made with EL34 output tubes, and later 6L6s (which are direct substitutions for the 5881s used here). It was also fixed-bias rather than cathode-biased in both cases. In a circuit like this, though, the high-gain tone is driven much more by the preamp circuit, which is built around two 12AX7 tubes (plus another in the phase inverter). The Studio version also uses diode clipping to increase saturation levels in the style of the high-gain stage in the original 900 Series.

Ground Control

The JCM 900 Studio’s control layout follows a basic footswitchable two-channel topology with a shared EQ stage. Channel A is rhythm and channel B is lead. The knobs are for gain (the channel A preamp), lead gain (the channel B preamp), treble, middle, bass, presence, master reverb, plus master reverb and volume for channel A and master reverb and volume for channel B. There’s a push-button switch to engage the lead channel, but the included 2-button footswitch delivers that function plus reverb on/off. As part of Marshall’s mid-priced PCB-built range, the Studio Series might not fly with the top-shelf, hand-wired crowd, but inside, the construction is good-quality stuff.

The robustly built combo cabinet measures 21"x18"x10" and weighs 39.5 pounds and is dressed up in recognizably ’90s-era Marshall styling. The Celestion G12T-75 speaker within is shrouded by a ported back that’s much more closed than open, which should boost low-end girth relative to a more open-backed design. In addition to the 3-way output level switch, the rear panel includes two line outs (one standard, one recording compensated) with level control, effects loop send and return, one 16-ohm output for the onboard speaker, and outs for either 1x4-ohm, 2x8-ohm, 1x8-ohm, or 2x16-ohm speaker configurations.

Expansively English

Tested with a Gibson ES-355 and a Fender Telecaster, the JCM 900 Studio worked in perfect time-capsule-authentic ’90s fashion. Some players denigrate original 900 models for the fizz and sizzle that the solid-state, diode clipping adds to the lead tone. But 900s were used to make plenty of great heavy rock, grunge, and metal for decades, and by now, they are regarded as modern classics, especially for a certain set of ’90s-era tones. If you want those sounds, the JCM 900 Studio does the job very, very well. In fact, apart from the lower output making it less ideal for super-loud bands on big stages, it’s hard to hear how this new, smaller rendition suffers alongside an actual Model 4100.

“The Studio 900 is a petite, 20-watt Marshall that punches like its ’90s heavyweight inspiration, the JCM900.”

Channel A’s clean tones are useful, if not particularly characterful until you push the gain to edge-of-breakup territory. But it’s pedal-to-the-metal, guitar-god glory from the moment you stomp on the channel B switch. The key elements of 900 sounds—searing high-end bite, aggressive midrange, and low-end wallop— are all there in abundance. The dual master setup, lacking on much of the channel-switching competition, is a real bonus here, too. It enables you to rein in the rhythm channel independently to set up a broad spectrum of channel-to-channel dichotomies from smooth to jarring.

Channel switching makes the JCM 900 a surprisingly versatile amp, and the three output levels (20 watts, 5 watts, and 1 watt) selectable from the back panel make it even more so. No, the 1-watt setting won’t sound exactly like the 20-watt mode with the masters maxed, because 1 watt of output power simply doesn’t push the speaker or fill a room with sound in the same way. But with so much of this circuit’s tone coming from the preamp anyway, it will churn out surprisingly heavy doom riffs at bedroom volumes. The inclusion of reverb was also a standard feature of the original 900 Series amps, and while it is generally unacclaimed in those amps, the effect acquits itself quite well in the Studio 900. And between the reverb and the effects loop, the Studio 900 is a handy little package for adding atmospherics to clean or heavy tones.

The Verdict

As a real Marshall doing real ’90s-era tones in a compact, lower-output package, the JCM 900 Studio is a total success. For players keen to explore the widest range of sounds, I’d argue it’s more versatile than the Studio Jubilee, and it’s an interesting alternative to the JCM800-style Studio Classic. But used as a vehicle for strictly ’90s heaviness, it checks all the boxes at a fair and accessible price—especially when you consider the quality and extra versatility it delivers. . For players keen to explore the widest range of sounds, I’d argue it’s more versatile than the Studio Jubilee, and it’s an interesting alternative to the JCM800-style Studio Classic. But used as a vehicle for strictly ’90s heaviness, it checks all the boxes at a fair and accessible price—especially when you consider the quality and extra versatility it delivers.

King Crimson’s 1980s catalogue has long been revered for its rhythmic complexity, and as Adrian Belew now reveals, it can be physically punishing too.

So much so that after performing the band’s material night after night on tour with BEAT – the all-star tribute to Crimson’s ‘80s era – the guitarist needed surgery on his left hand.

The tour, which saw Belew reunite with bassist Tony Levin and join forces with Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey, paid homage to the prog legends’ trio of wildly intricate albums: Discipline (1981), Beat (1982), and Three of a Perfect Pair (1984). Between the interlocking guitar lines, polyrhythms and relentless odd time signatures, the setlist was far from a stroll in the park.

• READ MORE: Steve Vai calls one of his BEAT tour bandmates a “marvel”, explains why he’s “underrated in the echelons of guitar”

“It would get numb,” Belew tells Guitar World. “And during part of the tour, it would stay numb from the moment that I woke up, all the way until sometime during soundcheck.”

“It was a little scary,” he adds. “I’d be like, ‘Oh, boy, you better wake up soon!’”

As the musician explains, the culprit was carpal tunnel syndrome, which plagued his left hand as the group toured its way across the US. The injury also happened to be one Belew’s guitar partner on tour knew a thing or two about.

“Steve Vai was able to walk me through the process since he’s had it done twice,” he says. “He reassured me that it was a simple operation and that it was not something that was going to go wrong. And on top of that, he introduced me to one of the best surgeons in the United States, who had done this work.”

The procedure went smoothly as Vai assured. “It’s perfect,” Belew says of his hand now. “This was an easy recovery and an easy operation.”

He continues: “I’m back to full use of my left hand. While recovering, you can’t do much with it, and it’s a little tender. And then, you finally work back up to tempo. Now, I’m playing as I always did, except that there’s no more pain.”

Elsewhere, Vai himself has also spoken about the difficulties of playing King Crimson music, saying: “If you come to see Steve Vai in BEAT, you get to see Steve Vai working! You come to my solo shows, it’s another thing entirely.”

“Robert [Fripp] wrote beautiful parts, but the techniques didn’t come naturally [to me]. It’s different [from] what I do,” he admitted. “Some of this BEAT stuff took months to get under my fingers.”

The post “My hand would stay numb from the moment I woke up till soundcheck”: Adrian Belew reveals he needed hand surgery after playing King Crimson guitar parts on BEAT tour appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

System Of A Down’s 2006 hiatus marked a major turning point for the band. In the years since, various members have shared their take on what went down, and what never quite came back together.

Most recently, guitarist Daron Malakian has opened up about the break, admitting it wasn’t a decision he ever fully stood behind. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the guitarist reflects on how the break impacted him personally and how Scars On Broadway became both an outlet and a lifeline for his creative energy at the time.

• READ MORE: “What the f**k is an Armenian to someone who lives in Kentucky?! We looked like aliens to people”: Daron Malakian on how System Of A Down cracked America to become “the biggest band on the sunset strip” in the mid ’90s

“When System took the hiatus, I’m not gonna lie, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted,” Malakian admits. “But I can’t force other people to do something just because I wanted it. But my first thing was, ‘OK, if I release music, I need an outlet for that’, and Scars became that outlet.”

“I’ll be honest with you, man, I’m just as proud of the Scars stuff as anything I’ve done. I think some of my best shit is on Scars.”

Asked how much unreleased material he’s sitting on, Malakian jokes, “I don’t know about thousands, but I’ve got a few.” Writing music, he explains, is an “itch” he simply has to scratch.

“If I had a nine to five job, I would probably still come back home and write music for myself,” Malakian continues. “But even though we’re not making records with System after all these years, I still do write because it’s an itch and I just got to itch it. It’s like a child plays with his toys. You don’t play with your toys because you’re playing for somebody else, right? You’re playing for your own amusement.”

The guitarist adds that much as he’s well aware of fans’ demands for new SOAD music – the band released just two singles in the last two decades and their last full length album dropped in 2005 – he’s also “kind of lazy” when it comes to actually making a new record.

“Look, I’m very aware that there’s an audience out there and there’s people that want to hear from me and that’s amazing. Honestly, I’m very blessed, my life is fucking like… I got to pinch myself. But I’m also kind of lazy too when it comes to making an album,” says Malakian.

“I tell myself, ‘Dude, you really need to start releasing more music’. I even tell my guitar player in Scars On Broadway, ‘Remind me that I need to start recording, man!’ I just wish that was my motivation, because if that was my motivation, then I would. I get caught up in my own head, in my own world, and it’s not a priority to me. So, I got to make it a priority and start recording my shit. I just need to motivate myself to do it.”

Meanwhile, Scars On Broadway’s new album Addicted to the Violence is now out. Check out the single Killing Spree below.

The post “When System took the hiatus, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted”: Daron Malakian on System Of A Down’s 2006 hiatus appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you’ve ever tried to copy Frank Zappa’s playing and ended up looking like a confused poultry wrangler, you’re not alone. According to his son Dweezil Zappa, the late icon’s technique was as eccentric as his compositions, and just as tough to replicate.

In a recent conversation with Marshall, the guitarist shares what made Frank’s playing style so unique and why despite growing up around it, he still struggles to nail it.

• READ MORE: “He had very specific-looking hands – they looked different to other people’s”: Dweezil Zappa recalls the time Eddie Van Halen visited his family home and taught him guitar

“I always described it as the battle between the chicken and the spider,” Dweezil begins [via Ultimate Guitar]. “Because he had this real plucky way of playing, which I still can’t emulate, because it’s not a comfortable way to play. And he would play up close to the neck a lot, and then it would look like this: real plucky stuff happening. But this always looked like the chicken, that was like, trying to get some seeds or whatever.”

“So I would look at that stuff, and I would somehow make a mental note of what was going on. And then I would think, ‘One day I’ll learn to play this stuff. But not yet.’”

While one might assume growing up with Frank Zappa meant being force-fed experimental guitar licks at the dinner table, Dweezil reveals that on the contrary, his father didn’t think his own playing would be helpful for a young guitarist.

“When it was my own guitar playing, and he saw that I was interested in sticking with it, he played in such an idiosyncratic way, he didn’t really think that his playing style or technique was necessarily going to be helpful,” Dweezil says. “Because he played in such a quirky way.”

“So he thought, ‘Well, with the stuff that you’re interested in, maybe you should have Steve show you some stuff. And so Steve Vai [who was a member of Frank’s band at the time] showed me some stuff. Wrote down some pentatonic scales and some stuff like that, which – I still have that notebook. It has, like, four or five exercises and stuff. But he was only 21 or 22 at the time.”

Watch the full interview below.

The post “I always described it as the battle between the chicken and the spider. It’s not a comfortable way to play”: Dweezil Zappa on his father’s strange guitar playing style appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The K’s frontman Jamie Boyle believes guitar music is having a moment again, and it’s all thanks to the long-awaited Oasis reunion.

Speaking to the Daily Star’s Wired column, Boyle says the return of the Britpop legends has reignited the live music scene, sparking a new wave of excitement and momentum for guitar-driven bands.

• READ MORE: “Get back together. Stop f**king around,” Matty Healy told Oasis in 2023 – now he’s been spotted in the crowd at their Heaton Park gig

“The resurgence of bands is really, really strong and prominent at the minute,” Boyle explains. “We see it ourselves, in ticket sales, the support at gigs, and the buzz whenever we announce something to our ever-growing fan base. People are genuinely chomping at the bit to get into venues and watch bands again.”

The K’s recently caught Oasis live on their reunion tour in Cardiff and will soon be heading to Wembley to catch them again.

“We went to Cardiff and were like, ‘This is amazing’. Then Heaton Park was even better and we’re heading to Wembley too,” he says.

“It’s impossible to ignore the buzz that’s been created for guitar music and it’s no secret that they’re one of the best to ever do it, but the buzz that Oasis has created not just for themselves but for everybody is real.”

“All the excitement, all the press, all everything is back on guitar for the first time in a long time,” Boyle adds.

The frontman also shares how much he’s learned just by watching the Gallagher brothers perform.

“There’s 80,000 people there and every single one of them is just stood not being able to take their eyes off them on stage,” he says. “To get to that level is what everybody dreams about.”

Elsewhere, Liam Gallagher’s son, Gene, has also commented on how the Oasis reunion has accelerated the resurgence of guitar music.

“People have been deprived of guitar music,” the 23-year-old, who fronts his own indie band Villanelle, told W Magazine. “But now it’s coming back, and everyone’s getting excited about it.”

You can view the full list of Oasis Live ‘25 tour dates via their official website.

The post “Everything is back on guitar for the first time in a long time”: The K’s frontman credits Oasis reunion for rescuing guitar music appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Editor’s note: Heritage Guitars and Guitar.com are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.

$699/£599, heritageguitars.com

If you read my review of the stunning H-150 last month, you’ll be aware the Heritage’s new Ascent+ collection is an attempt by the Kalamazoo-based guitar brand to offer a more modern proposition for the brand’s Asian-made affordable models.

• READ MORE: Heritage Ascent+ H-150 review: “if you’re looking for your first serious Les Paul-style guitar, you need to try this”

The regular Ascent electric guitars – and indeed the bulk of Heritage’s excellent USA-made instruments – are generally evoking the vibe of the guitars made at 225 Parson’s St when Gibson’s name was still above the door, but the Ascent+ is a little different.

With interesting colours and a whole lot of heavily figured wood tops, the Ascent+ in some ways sits closer to the traditional PRS vibe in terms of visuals – for good or for ill. It’s something that’s even more evident on the full-size semi-hollow H-535 we have here.

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – what is it?

No prizes will be given for working out the lineage of this particular guitar, but beyond the visual similarities to Gibson’s most famous semi-hollow design, a close examination of the spec sheet is worthwhile.

So for starters we have a good-looking laminated curly maple top, sides and back – here accentuated by a classic golden sunburst that looks right at home. If burst ain’t your bag however, you’re outta luck as the only other finish options are the rather garish Scarlet Red and Royal Blue bursts. It fits in with the ‘modern’ stipulation of the Ascent+ range, perhaps, but I wonder how much more of these guitars Heritage would shift if they borrowed the black and cherry options from the vanilla Ascent range?

The neck is mahogany and comes with a two-way truss rod, a genuine rosewood fingerboard that’s nicely bound and a 12-16” compound radius. It’s also nice to see a more traditional heel design than the H-150’s contoured go-faster take, and the premium feel is further enhanced by pearloid dot inlays, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut and jumbo frets.

The pickups are a pair of the same Heritage own-brand units found in the H-150, and again they’re paired with Alpha Split Shaft 500K push-pull pots for coil-splitting purposes. It’s also nice to see a side-access jack input, which should help protect the guitar from the oft-seen mishaps on guitars of this type where a cable gets trodden on and pulled sideways, often damaging the valuable and delicate top of the instrument.

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – feel and sounds

Unboxing the H-535 I once again find myself double-checking the price, as this is one unquestionably good-looking guitar. Removing it from the box I’m struck by the lightweight and nimble feel. Many budget-conscious guitars of this type can feel a bit bulky and unrefined, particularly if they are quite heavy, combined with the design’s considerable dimensions. This H-535 features a correct full-length internal centre block, yet still feels light and resonates well with my first unplugged strum.

The setup is great out of the box and the jumbo frets and Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut combine with that compound radius to create a very inviting playing experience, let’s plug in…

You often hear ES-lovers refer to semis as solidbody killers – and with good cause. In my experience, a good 335 or similar is more than capable of out-punching and out-sustaining its airless brethren – and with a broader range of tones on tap.

This H-535 is no exception, exhibiting many of the virtues that make this type of guitar such a versatile instrument. The unplugged tone is wider and richer than a solidbody, the air inside working in tandem with the solid centre section to give a slightly softer attack to notes and a rounder low end. The H-535 also exhibits none of the boxy midrange you can sometimes get with an all-solid guitar, making it more versatile across a range of genres as a result.

Plugged in to my Deluxe Reverb, the bridge pickup exhibits a sweeter, more rounded tone than found on the solid-body H-150, still with plenty of snap for lead lines, and turning up your treble on a good valve amp really will get you into Freddie King territory if biting blues is your thing.

With the pickup selector set in the middle for both pickups together, careful balancing of the volume pots gives the widest tonal smorgasbords. With both pots set about halfway I’m treated to a warm, sweet tone with hints of hollow midrange that is perfect for rhythmic funk or chordal comping or when hit with a bit of overdrive and winding up the bridge pickup along with neck set to about seven, a rich full rock voice perfect for anything from Foos-esque rock to Cream riffs.

The neck humbucker on its own is warmer and jazzier, and with some of the tone rolled down excels at the classic ‘Woman’ tone – a flutey vocal sound, perfect for blues soloing.

As with the H-150, the coil splits prove to again be the stars of the show, offering a slimline version of the above tones and adding to the myriad of sonic options by combining with the humbucker modes. A standout is both pickups together set to single coil mode, which treats you to a beautiful airy sound with not a hint of mud. It’s an almost-perfect 60s jangle, combined with better sustain than many guitars that are typically blessed with that voice.

This really would be a very versatile guitar in the studio or at a covers gig.

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – should I buy one?

Great looks, decent build quality and superb specs combined with a broad range of tones make the H-535 a superb all-rounder in anyone’s arsenal of guitars – whether it’s as a main guitar or a rock-solid gigging backup.

The presence of a genuine rosewood fingerboard, and mahogany/maple construction is time-honoured for this type of design, and it’s not always seen on similar instruments at this price point from other brands.

Sonically, its semi-acoustic nature delivers a balanced, polished voice that belies its price. It would make a superb studio or live tool with easy access to a huge range of tones.

The only drawbacks are the limited finish options, and the lack of a supplied case – which is always an annoyance when you’re dealing with an instrument that doesn’t conform to the standard electric guitar dimensions, but it’s in line with most Asian-made electrics at this price point.

With many players from Noel Gallagher to Dave Grohl favouring classic semi-acoustic guitars live, there’s no reason why you couldn’t rock up with this at the latest blues jam or covers gig down your local and handle anything thrown at you with ease. It punches far above its weight and offers truly exceptional value for money.

Heritage Ascent+ H-535 – alternatives

You can’t escape the spectre of Epiphone in this argument, and the Inspired By Gibson Custom 1962 ES-335 ($1,149/£1,099) reissue certainly ticks all the boxes that you’d want from an ES-335 – this one even has the correct shaped headstock, but you’ll pay a hefty premium for all that. The standard Epi ES-335 ($599/£599) is a well-sorted alternative but it’s a laurel fretboard not rosewood. Threading the needle is the new Marty Schwartz signature Epiphone ES-335 ($899/£899), which offers a similarly upgraded feel to the Ascent+ including rosewood board and even Grover tuners. Away from the Gibson stable, Gretsch also knows a thing or two about making quality vintage-inspired budget semi-hollows, and you should definitely check out the G2622T Streamliner Center block DC ($629/£499) – it’s even got a Bigsby.

The post Heritage Ascent+ H-535 review: “this could easily become your new main guitar” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.