Music is the universal language
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14
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Gear Radar: 15 Pro-Grade Tools to Refine Your Rig
This month's roundup features 15 essential releases, including EarthQuaker Devices’ all-analog tube preamp, Red Panda’s new pitch delay, and a studio-grade line isolator from Lehle. Whether you need vintage grit or modern precision, we’ve got the highlights.
Fender Player II Lavender Haze Collection
Chicago Music Exchange and Andertons introduce their latest exclusive: Lavender Haze—a Player II collection that looks like a lost custom color from Fender’s golden era and sounds bigger, warmer, and more powerful than ever. Each instrument is loaded with exclusive “Full Dip” pickups, upgraded wiring mods, and thoughtful vintage-inspired details.
MOD-mini, CHO-mini, and DEL-mini
Nobels’ new mini pedals all feature tap tempo, mono or stereo (TRS), and true- or buffered-bypass switching. Each model offers 3 modes: MOD-mini has tremolo, phase, and u-vibe; CHO-mini has chorus 1, chorus 2, and flanger; DEL-mini tape, analog, and digital. Lots of features, great value!
StroboVUE
Building on the legacy of the StroboStomp HD, the view-only StroboVUE delivers Peterson’s renowned strobe accuracy in an always-on pedalboard format. Its angled, high-visibility display and fully top-mounted jacks keep setups clean. Featuring pure buffered output, continuous tuning feedback, and no mute switch, StroboVUE is built for players who demand precision.
Aqueous Chorus
Dial in the past with the tilt EQ to create vintage bucket brigade tones, or dial it the opposite way to achieve classic ’80s sounds. The Aqueous features a preamp for gain makeup to limit the input and brings the circuit to life.
ZEQD-Pre
This all-analog tube preamp, designed with Dr. Z Amplification, features a real EF86 pentode tube to deliver authentic warmth and touch-sensitive response. This end-of-chain solution includes a three-band EQ, independent boost, analog cabinet simulation, and XLR/headphone outputs—perfect for direct recording or pedalboard-based rigs.
RIDGE
Do you want complete control of your overdrive? Kernom Ridge preserves your pure analog tone while unlocking the power of digital control. Its patented Analog Morphing Core sweeps smoothly from edge-of-breakup to saturated lead and every drive tone in between. Save presets, use MIDI or expression, and command your tone.
P-ISO TRS XLR Stereo
This stereo line isolator brings you closer to the main system. Passively, it converts your stereo audio signal not only to balanced XLR but lifts the ground so there’s no chance of noise or hum. Perfect for pedalboards or modeler, live or studio—all fitted into a handy size.
RD-1 Pitch Delay
This focused digital delay features integrated pitch and frequency shifting designed for immediate, hands-on control. Shift repeats once or endlessly in the feedback loop, from clean delays to subtly twisted textures and out-there sounds.
Dirt Dog Overdrive Pedal
The Dirt Dog Overdrive—developed with Joey Landreth—delivers expressive, amp-like breakup with outstanding touch sensitivity. Simple gain, level, bite, and tone controls make it easy to shape everything from warm grit to rich, sustaining drive.
Smoking in the Boys Room
This bold cross-border collab takes Summer School Electronics’ DS-1-inspired buzzsaw distortion and smashes into Supercool Pedals’ watery Small Clone chorus to create unmistakable grunge tones. With a chain-order switch in tow and art soaked in ’90s lore, it’s a blistering love letter to an iconic sound.
Ghost Drive Transparent Overdrive
This boutique, Klon-style overdrive pedal is now fully built and ready to play. Get rich, transparent drive, smooth sustain, and dynamic response without building the kit yourself. Perfect for adding warm grit or pushing your amp into singing lead tones.
Two Kings Boost Dual Overdrive
The StewMac Two Kings, based on the Analog Man King of Tone, packs two legendary overdrive circuits into one fully built pedal, no soldering required. From transparent boost to rich mid-gain crunch, stack the drives for endless tonal options. Perfect for shaping your rhythm tone or adding singing sustain to solos.
Lightcycle Phasor II
This fully assembled, board-ready analog phaser pedal was inspired by the legendary Mu-Tron Phasor II. Featuring lush, sweeping modulation, rich vintage tone, and three intuitive controls for rate, depth, and feedback, it effortlessly delivers anything from subtle movement to deep, psychedelic swirls—no assembly required.
Sun Fuzz
A boutique-style pedal inspired by the Analog Man Sun Face, fully built and board-ready. The Sun Fuzz delivers rich, touch-sensitive fuzz tones with warmth, clarity, and adjustability. Featuring silicon-based circuitry with internal bias and clean blend controls for tonal finesse, it handles thick chords and saturated leads equally well.
Reader Pedalboards 2026
Pedalboards tell stories, and this year's submissions prove it! From the minimalist who ditched the road case and went back to a One Spot on the floor, to the collector building a “Starboard” entirely from famous guitarists’ gear, to the neurosurgery videographer crafting soundscapes for the nervous system—these rigs reflect real lives and real gigs. Bass players with bamboo builds, experimentalists with dual boards, and portable warriors powering entire rigs from USB banks all made the cut. Here are seven boards with stories to tell.
New Wave Happy Place
Reader: Stephen JacksonI’m a pretty ordinary guitar player, but I’ve loaded up on ten pedals that make me sound halfway decent. For me, my happy-place sonics are from the diffuse new wave genre of the late 1970s to mid-1980s. I just can’t get enough.
I prefer keyboard-dominated new wave that’s generally kind to enthusiastic but ordinary guitarists. I like it nice and dark—the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, or the Cocteau Twins—or more pop-ish with some grit, like the Psychedelic Furs. I also love what I call “skinny guitar rock new wave”—earlier Talking Heads or Elvis Costello.
My pedals are powered by a Fender Engine Room LVL12, which is great for cutting down amp hum. Yes, there are battery packs that power pedals and may even help reduce cord hum, but they make me nervous—I forget to charge my phone or my vacuum stick, let alone a battery pack.
The first port-of-call from guitar to amp on my rig is a Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner. Next is an always-on MXR Dyna Comp compressor. Following that is a new wave synth staple, an Electro-Harmonix Synth9. Then the overdrive pedals: a newly-released entry in the Tube Screamer lineage, the TWA SC-01 Source Code, which is commonly on and dialed up relatively mellow; a kicked-up MXR Timmy; and a seething and spitting Electro-Harmonix Op Amp Big Muff Pi. My skinny rock songs get the SC-01 treatment or a Timmy on occasion. Oddly enough, the Big Muff is at home when turned down to backing some electronica—Berlin, for instance—as well as noisy new wave.
Next up is an MXR Smart Gate. Before I added that—and the Fender Engine Room—my Fender Jazz Bass had an annoying hum. Not anymore.
Finally, there are three stomps that, along with the Synth9, get my sound to the electronica and pop new wave happy place: an Electro-Harmonix Lester K stereo rotary speaker pedal, a Boss CE-2W Waza Craft Chorus, and a Boss DD-8 Digital Delay. My advice: never fear a chorus pedal.
Portable Power
Reader: Adam ThomasThe board itself has a Li’l-moXie power supply hiding underneath. The red USB cable plugs into any USB power bank and powers the whole rig. The guitar output plugs straight into the [TC Electronic] Sub ’N’ Up [Octaver] pedal for the creation of bass lines and general low-frequency ambience. From there the signal travels to the Spark GO to be given a thorough going-over before it heads into the Lekato Looper. The second layer of the loop probably needs a true bypass from the Sub ’N’ Up and a different preset on the GO—no problem if you have the Spark Control X.
Next I send the signal into the [TC Electronic] Iron Curtain noise gate to get rid of any little imperfections created by the looper, and off we go to the Mooer Drummer X2 to provide some rhythmic accompaniment. I send the final output to a SubZero 15" portable PA (battery powered) via a stereo splitter line, giving me more options than you can shake a stick at for the entertainment of your fellow man, no matter where you may find them.
Experimental Lab
Reader: Kurt NolenI’m the Medical Photographer/Videographer for the University of North Carolina School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery, and frequently need to produce educational/academic or communications-related videos. Sometimes this material can use more narrative styles of music, but frequently it needs textural soundscapes that reference the subject matter in the video and drive viewer interest without being distracting. Want to evoke the sound of your globus pallidus? What does your nervous system sound like? What would high-intensity, focused ultrasound treatment sound like if you could hear it? This rig does it. I’m also an experimental composer and noise artist in my free time and needed something that could serve that purpose—or for sitting in with my friend’s Oingo Boingo cover band.
Board #1 (front of amp): guitar into Ernie Ball VPJR, DigiTech Whammy 4, Morley Bad Horsie, Xotic SP Compressor, Boss FT-2 Dynamic Filter, EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things—loop 1 out to MXR Duke of Tone, Electrofoods Ultd Pigpile fuzz, EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander, EarthQuaker Devices Time Shadows V1, Boss JB-2 (with JHS Red Remote), JHS Bonsai, JHS PackRat, Boss DM-2W to loop 1 return.
Board #2 (amp FX loop or loop 2 on EQD Swiss Things if running direct): FX out to EarthQuaker Devices Rainbow Machine, MXR EVH117 Flanger, MXR EVH Phase 90, Boss DC-3, Walrus Mako D1 Delay V2, Red Panda Bitmap, EarthQuaker Devices Arpanoid, Chase Bliss Audio MOOD, Red Panda Tensor, Pigtronix Infinity 2, Walrus Audio Slö Multi Texture Reverb to FX return (or Swiss Things loop 2 return if direct).
Legendary Pedals
Reader: Paul MartinThis is my “Starboard.” I call it that because it’s made up of pedals previously owned by famous guitarists. I mostly bought them from artist sales on Reverb, with a couple from Techno Empire and Pedal Pawn in the U.K. I was randomly collecting artist-owned pedals for a while, but when I bought [Deftones bassist] Sergio Vega’s pedalboard I decided to put a board together. The line selector switches between the top row for soloing and bottom row for clean. The board itself was owned by Sergio.
Top row: Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter, owned by Andy Taylor (Duran Duran and the Power Station); 1980s Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay, owned by Mitch Holder, a go-to session guitarist for Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, and Lionel Richie; Boss DD-2, owned by Kiko Loureiro (Megadeth); signed MXR EG74 Eric Gales Raw Dawg Overdrive (limited to 250); vintage MXR MX-102 Dyna Comp, owned by producer and musician Dennis Herring; Boss LS-2 Line Selector, owned by Evanescence; Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner, owned and signed by Tommy Emmanuel.
Bottom row: Walrus Audio Lillian Analog Phaser; Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper, owned by Malcolm Cecil, who invented the TONTO analog synthesizer and was responsible for the sounds on Stevie Wonder’s first three albums; JHS Artificial Blonde Madison Cunningham Signature Vibrato, signed by Madison when she was in Dublin supporting John Mayer; Friday Club ED-450b Echo Machine, owned by Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse); Boss CH-1 SUPER Chorus, owned by Daryl Stuermer (Genesis and Phil Collins); Boss HF-2 Hi Band Flanger, owned by Tad Kubler (the Hold Steady); and Goodrich Model 122 Volume Pedal, owned by Steve Lukather (Toto). From soloing on Stevie Nicks’ “Stand Back” to virtually all of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, it doesn’t get much cooler than that.Bamboo Bass Rig
Reader: Dino von WintersdorffMy bass pedalboard: Starting with a TC Electronic PolyTune 2 tuner, the signal goes into a Seymour Duncan 805 Overdrive, then a Seymour Duncan Forza Overdrive, an Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff, and finally a Donner Noise Killer. [An EBS MultiComp sits top right as well.] All on a board made out of bamboo and plywood, giving a fresh vibe on the stage!
First I got the Seymour Duncan Forza to have some nice controllable overdrive for the bass—the 3-band EQ helps get a nice tone. Then I found the clean signal was too boring and I added the SD 805 to have an always-on slight crunch and tone shape, and I love it! Sometimes the Muff and Forza are on at the same time, but the 805 isn't. So switching back to only 805 mode can be wild—there are times onstage that I would hit not only those three pedals, but also the tuner, instantly killing my signal!
No Board Required
Reader: Sam PaigeSo obviously, yeah, there’s no board. It’s on the floor. In the 20-plus years I’ve been playing—starting with a few daisy-chained pedals to a fully-loaded [Pedaltrain] Novo 24 and nearly doing my back in taking the case offstage—I’ve got back to the pick-and-mix life of a [Truetone] 1 Spot and whatever I fancy.
Recently a band I fronted for six years or so fell apart, and as one door closed another opened. Starting in a new project, this was the first few weeks of bringing some old pedals and the 1 Spot to a new adventure and finding a new footing again.
Chain: Defects Super Super Super, something of a clone of the rare Death By Audio Super Fuzz War. Fuzz on one side, then boost. Inside there are dip switches for each side to shape EQ, add gain, add mids—usual setup is “full Fuzz War” with added mids, and currently a full-range boost on the other side. Second, the Electro-Harmonix Mel9, a sort of impulse buy based on seeing one of my favorite guitarists, Mr. John Dwyer, use it. It’s janky, has trouble with certain power supplies, and seems to have no built-in compression. So your effect out is either too quiet, just right, or blows your head off. I love it. It hasn’t left a setup since I bought it. Next, the Boss TU-2—god knows how old it was when it got to me (I rarely buy new), but I’ve had it for at least a good 15 years. A bit hard to see in the direct sunlight, but at least it won’t break. And a Boss RE-20 [Space Echo]—the more I use it, the more I’ve grown to love it—the perfect amount of bounce for echo effects. It’s forever inspiring and reliable. I keep thinking of trading in for one of the newer models, either to downsize or expand, but I can’t relegate this pedal to the shelf, or the draft listings on Reverb or eBay.
Double Trouble
Reader: Randall BrownI spent years as an “only use the amp’s drive channel” guy, then started looking at EHX pedals out of nostalgia for a long-lost Muff Fuzz. Over the last 15 years or so, I’ve collected this batch of circuit friends with the idea of building wide tonal flexibility. I’m influenced equally by classic riff lords like Black Sabbath, contemporary psychedelic outfits like Osees and King Gizzard, and the ultra-modern trips of St. Vincent.
One of my favorite recent discoveries is a parallel mix of the EHX Cock Fight and the Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser—a slow-modulated buzz that really straddles the synth/buzz-guitar fence. I still pay the most attention to the magic that Electro-Harmonix puts out. In my drive to build the mega-board I have now, I started with the Freeze first. I also keep an eye out for additions to what I call the “fake bored keyboardist” section. The Freeze, Canyon, Key9, and Mel9 are the cornerstones of that. There are some days when I think I should go back to a single overdrive or go straight into the amp. But all the sounds are just too much fun!
My guitar goes into a PRS Mary Cries compressor, then a Boss TU-2, then into an Electro-Harmonix Switchblade Plus. From the Switchblade, two signal chains go to two different amplifiers.
Roland JC-120 signal chain: Electro-Harmonix Ravish Sitar, Tonebutcher WeeWah auto wah, TC Electronic Sub ’N’ Up, Electro-Harmonix Intelligent Harmony Machine, Electro-Harmonix Cock Fight, Eastwood BB-01 Manalishi Drive, Way Huge Stone Burner, Catalinbread Bicycle Delay, Boss DD-2 Digital Delay, Walrus Audio Fundamental Series Ambient, Electro-Harmonix Freeze.
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe signal chain: Electro-Harmonix Mel9, Electro-Harmonix Key9, DOD Gonkulator, Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff Pi, PRS Horsemeat Transparent Overdrive, Boss SL-2 Slicer, Electro-Harmonix Canyon, Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser, Way Huge Atreides Analog Weirding Module.
The Lowdown: The Noiseless Pedals That Changed Everything
After three decades of owning, borrowing, returning, and exchanging every kind of pedal known to the world of bass and guitar, I think I’m finally getting somewhere with something I wish I hadn’t ignored for so long.
I have always struggled with the balance of sound on my pedalboard, generally running everything in series and basically rolling the dice on my clean tone every time I build a new board. There are only a handful of times over the past five or six years where I’ve thought to myself, “Wow! When I switch off all the pedals, I still sound like me.” It wasn’t until I started playing a passive bass, running my board in stereo, and really caring about having the option of a pristine clean sound whenever I wanted it that light bulbs started coming on in terms of preamps, parallel loop paths, and buffering.
I’m not here to shill gear. I just like making cool sounds with cool pedals. Some were sent to me by the makers, some were purchased, and some were gifted by friends. I only talk about specific brands and models to help you understand exactly what I’m doing, and how you might go about creating a similar sound if you so desire.
“I have always struggled with the balance of sound on my pedalboard.”
In fact, let’s start out with my most recent revelation in the world of parallel loop paths, with a unit that I paid full price for from GigRig. It’s the Wetter Box, and it facilitated taking two of my most beloved (but absolute pain-in-the-arse-to-control) pedals in series—the Meris Ottobit Jr. and the Chase Bliss Mood MkII. It gave me incredible control over not only both of those pedals individually, but my clean tone as it passes through that section of the chain. Suddenly, I have the option to have total chaos one second, and a heavenly, natural sound of the bass the next.
I should add that the reason for my newfound excitement over pedals that don’t actually make any sound is that I’m no longer at the mercy of the wide spectrum of true-bypass and buffer claims made by so many companies—which in reality range from almost acceptable to totally unusable, and suck all the life out of your tone.
With the recent shift to a passive bass as my main instrument, I’ve been trying a ton of different preamps and EQs at the front of the signal chain. The main reason for this is that it’s nice to have some EQ control when a room you’re performing in doesn’t play nice with your sound. The Colour Box V2 from JHS was incredible on tour last year, and the EQ saved my bacon several times in challenging venues.
I switched to the Caveman Audio BP-1 Compact this month for a tour with Mike Stern, and even without the EQ options of the Colour Box, it was still incredible to have control over the preamp and the output stages of my clean sound.
We then come to something I’ve seen on amps, multi-effects units, and preamps for years and have totally ignored—the effects loop! What was I thinking? I threw the three mono pedals on my board (Mantic Hulk, Iron Ether Frantabit, and MXR Vintage Bass Octave) into the effects loop of the BP-1 Compact and, once again, shortened the signal chain and improved my clean tone when those pedals weren’t engaged.
I know a lot of you reading this are going to be facepalming and saying, “Duh!” But if you're like me—someone who made it this far into a career without figuring this out—or if you're just starting and don't know what you don't know yet, this might help.
Go out and research buffers. Take a look at loop switchers from people like Morningstar or GigRig. And while you’re going nuts, like I have for so many years, over the incredible sounds pedals can bring to your playing, spare a few minutes’ thought for your clean tone. Even someone like me, who's fortunate enough to play a lot of shows and actually use all that weird gear you see me demo on YouTube, still needs a great clean tone most of the time.
The preamp/DI at the front of my signal chain is perfect for recording, and the Walrus Audio Canvas Stereo DI at the end is ideal for sending everything to FOH at shows. Now I can take both concepts anywhere and always have the option to be completely myself, with no compromise on effects or clean tone.
Zakk Wylde Breaks Down Riffs, Gear, and Heavy Guitar Lineage
First things first. In case you’ve ever wondered, Zakk Wylde… hard case or gig bag? The answer is, “Neither, motherf—ers, I carry my guitar around sub-freezing New York City in proper Bezerker fashion, like a norse, warrior’s cudgel, exposed to the elements and ready for combat.” This is only one of the many questions that are answered when the Black Label Society, Zakk Sabbath, Pantera, and of course, Ozzy Osbourne guitarist visits the Axe Lords keep for some tough talk and hand-to hand-tomfoolery.
And while he’s ostensibly doing the rounds to promote Black Label Society’s forthcoming Engines of Demolition album, this is conversation that is delightfully far reaching: First guitars and why not to sell them, the meaning of the mysterious rune fretboard inlays on his Wylde Audio guitars, why Tony Iommi is the Henry Ford of hard rock, and how Ozzy Osbourne liked his ham sandwiches prepared. It’s a season-closer that feels like a hang—equal parts reverent, ridiculous, and obsessively specific.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
Follow Zakk @zakkwyldebls
Follow @axelordspod for news, updates, and cool stuff!
One-Chord Vamps and the Truth
Improvising over one chord for long stretches of time can be a musician's best friend or worst nightmare. With no harmonic variation, we are left to generate interest through our lines, phrasing, and creativity. When I started learning to improvise, a minor 7 chord and a Dorian mode were the only sounds that I wanted to hear at the time. I found it tremendously helpful to have the harmony stay in one spot while I mined for new ideas to play. Playing over a static chord was crucial in developing my sense of time and phrasing.
The following is the first improvisational device I ever came across. I want to say I got it from a Frank Gambale book. The idea is that there are three minor pentatonic scales "hiding" in any given major scale. If we're in the key of C (C–D–E–F–G–A–B) we can pluck out the D, E, and A minor pentatonic scales. If we frame them over a Dm7 chord, they give us different five-note combinations of the D Dorian mode. In short, we are building minor pentatonic scales off the 2, 3, and 6 of the C major scale.
Viewing this through the lens of D minor (a sibling of C major and the tonal center for this lesson), D minor pentatonic gives us the 1–b3–4–5–b7, E minor pentatonic gives us 2–4–5–6–1, and A minor pentatonic gives us 5–b7–1–2–4. This means you can use your favorite pentatonic licks in three different locations and there are three different sounds we can tap into from the same structure.
If you smashed all of them together, you would get the D Dorian scale (D–E–F–G–A–B–C) with notes in common between the D, E, and A minor pentatonic scales. Ex. 1 uses all three scales, so you can hear the different colors each one creates over the chord.
Ex. 1
Ex. 2 is how I improvise with them, usually weaving in and out using different positional shapes.
Ex. 2
The next idea is one I stole from a guitarist who often came into a music store I worked at. On the surface, it's very easy: Just take two triads (in our example it will be Dm and C) and ping-pong between them. The D minor triad (D–F–A) gives us 1–b3–5, which is very much rooted in the chord, and the C major triad (C–E–G) gives us the b7–9–4, which is much floatier. Also, if you smash these two triads together, you get 1–2–b3–4–5–b7, which is a minor pentatonic scale with an added 2 (or 9). Eric Johnson uses this sound all the time. Ex. 3 is the lick I stole years ago.
Ex. 3
Ex. 4 is how I would improvise with this concept. Many different fingerings work with these, so experiment until you find a layout that's comfortable for your own playing.
Ex. 4
If two triads work, why not seven? This next approach will take all the triads in the key of C (C–Dm–Em–F–G–Am–Bdim) and use them over a Dm7 chord (Ex. 5). Each triad highlights different three-note combinations from the Dorian scale, and all of them sound different. Triads are clear structures that sound strong to our ears, and they can generate nice linear interest when played over one chord. Once again, all of this is 100% inside the scale. Ex. 5 is how each triad sounds over the track, and Ex. 6 is my attempt to improvise with them.
Ex. 5
Ex. 6
If we could find all these possibilities with triads, it's logical to make the structure a little bigger and take a similar approach with 7 chords, or in this case, arpeggios. Naturally, all the diatonic chords will work, but I'll limit this next idea to just Dm7, Fmaj7, Am7, and Cmaj7. I love this approach because as you move further away from the Dm7 shape, each new structure takes out a chord tone and replaces it with an extension. I notice that I usually come up with different lines when I'm thinking about different chord shapes, and this approach is a decent way to facilitate that. Ex. 7 is a good way to get these under your fingers. Just ascend one shape, shift into the next shape on the highest string, then descend and shift to the next on the lowest string.
Ex. 7
Ex. 8 is my improvisation using all four shapes and sounds, but I lean pretty heavily on the Am7.
Ex. 8
This last concept has kept me busy on the fretboard for the last five years or so. Check it out: You can take any idea that works over Dm7 and move the other diatonic chords. The result is six variations of your original lick. In Ex. 9 I play a line that is 4–1–b3–5 over Dm7 and then walk it through the other chords in the key. These notes are still in the key of C, but it sounds drastically different from playing a scale.
Ex. 9
In Ex. 10, I try to think about the shapes from the previous example, but I break up the note order in a random but fun way. The ending line is random but felt good, so I left it in.
Ex. 10
While all these concepts have been presented over a minor chord, you can just as easily apply them to any chord quality, and they work just as well in harmonic or melodic minor. Rewarding sounds are available right inside the harmony, and I am still discovering new ideas through these concepts after many years.
Though the above ideas won't necessarily be appropriate for every style or situation, they will work in quite a few. Developing any approach to the point that it becomes a natural extension of your playing takes considerable work and patience, so just enjoy the process, experiment, and let your ear guide you to the sounds you like. Even over just one chord, there is always something new to find.
Faith Guitars Introduces Updated FX Series Acoustics
Faith Guitars has launched their updated FX Series of guitars with two new handmade, all-solid-wood electric-acoustic models offering striking exotic tonewoods, enhanced playing comfort, and upgraded cosmetic detailing.
Originally conceived as an exploration of exotic wood colouration techniques, the Faith FX Series has become known for visually remarkable, tonally rich instruments crafted from Solid Figured Javanese Mango. The two newly updated FX models – the FX Dark Natural Gold and FX Moondust Grey – retain their all-solid Mango construction, ebony fittings, and ‘Neptune’ Baby-Jumbo Cutaway design, while introducing significant new features designed to enhance player comfort and visual appeal.
Each updated FX model now features a beautifully sculpted Figured Maple ergonomic forearm contour, introduced to maximise long-playing comfort both on stage and at home. This new contour is paired with upgraded Figured Maple binding and a matching Figured Maple soundhole rosette.
• Faith FX Neptune Cutaway Electro Dark Natural Gold [FNCEDNG]: Finished in a warm, deep golden-brown transparent stain that highlights the natural grain complexity of the figured Mango, ensuring each guitar remains a unique piece.
• Faith FX Neptune Cutaway Electro Moondust Grey [FNCEMD]: A dramatic onyx-black, grey-washed finish that allows the Mango figuring to shine through with subtle depth and dimension.
FX Exotic Series | 2026 | Faith Guitars
Here's the newly upgraded Faith FX Series! New for 2026, a beautiful, Figured Maple ergonomic forearm contour has been introduced to the guitar body to maxim...
Both FX models feature:
– Solid Figured Javanese Mango top, back & sides
– Indonesian Ebony fingerboard & bridge
– Grover Rotomatic machineheads with Ebony buttons
– Graphtech TUSQ nut & saddle
Faith FX models come equipped with the Fishman INK3 preamp system, offering 3-band EQ, an onboard tuner, and a low-profile design paired with a Fishman Sonicore undersaddle pickup. This ensures the FX Series delivers the same tonal richness and clarity amplified as it does acoustically.
The Faith FX models each carry a $1,569 street price. For more information visit faithguitars.com.
Elixir Unveils Attune Strings — A New Era of Acoustic Guitar Tone and Feel
Elixir®, the brand that revolutionized the industry with breakthroughs in extended tone life and enhanced playability, announces the arrival of Elixir® Attune™, the next generation of acoustic guitar strings designed to give new voice to your guitar.
Building on decades of innovation, Elixir Attune Strings deliver a crisp, clear sound, an incredibly natural feel, and the longest-lasting tone of any string today. The secret lies in a groundbreaking new technology—engineered to be almost unnoticeable to the touch yet unmistakable to the ear. It’s a difference you can barely feel but clearly hear.
“Players experience a full voice for their guitars, many for the first time. Their instruments spring to life with the new Elixir Attune Strings,” said Justin Fogleman, Business Leader for Elixir, a W. L. Gore & Associates business. “Some players assume that a coated string is destined to sound mellow or dark and have an especially plastic-like feel. Over the years, Elixir has pushed that perception providing strings that deliver a range of playing experiences from warm with a slick feel to bright with a smooth touch —all with the added benefit of long tone life. Attune goes even further delivering our most uncoated coated string yet. Now acoustic players regardless of playing style have an incredibly durable, long tone life string without compromising tone and feel.”
Elixir Attune Strings: Key Benefits
- Crisp & Clear Tone
- Natural Feel
- Firm grip that puts players in control of bends and vibrato
- Exceptionally durable construction, engineered to withstand even the most aggressive playing styles
- The longest-lasting tone of any guitar string on the market today
A Contemporary Brand
“Elixir Attune Strings debut in a new gold-foil package that commands attention--- distinctive, modern and unmistakably Elixir,” said Bill Fabiszewski, Global Marketing Leader for Elixir. “The sharpened logo system, dynamic soundwave architecture, and high-tech typography suite build on the brand evolution we reignited last year and align with what today’s players expect from an authentic category leader.”
For Elixir technological leadership isn’t a moment—it’s a mindset. The company’s R&D team is constantly testing, refining, and retesting prototypes, often evaluating more than 100 variations before approving a candidate for further development.
That relentless pursuit of performance is what brought Attune Strings to life.
With its lively, crisp sound profile and naturally intuitive feel, Attune introduces a new tone and feel option within Elixir Strings acoustic lineup. It’s not just another string—it’s a new creative tool. One that inspires players to explore deeper, play longer, and get lost in the music with the renowned tone life of Elixir Strings.
Availability
Elixir Attune Strings are available currently in Phosphor Bronze Extra Light (10-47), Custom Light (11-52), Light (12-53), and Medium (13-56) gauge sets.
Elixir Attune — Feel the difference. Hear the revolution.
Gibson Marks 100 Years with the Return of the Original Collection
This year marks a milestone in music history as Gibson celebrates 100 years of crafting its world-famous flat-top acoustic guitars. From front porches to festival stages, from early folk pioneers to boundary-pushing modern artists, Gibson acoustics have shaped the sound of generations. To honor a century of craftsmanship and innovation, Gibson proudly unveils the latest chapter in its storied acoustic legacy with the return of the Original Collection, featuring the SJ-200 60s Original, LG-2 50s Original, and the J-160E Original. Each model captures the timeless character, unmistakable tone, and handcrafted excellence that have defined Gibson flat-tops since 1926. The Gibson Original Collection is available worldwide at authorized Gibson dealers, at Gibson Garage locations, and on Gibson.com.
Gibson’s tradition of acoustic mastery began with instruments that quickly became the bedrock of American music. Over the decades, these guitars became inseparable from cultural moments and the artists who defined them. From the introspective songwriters of the 1940s to the global icons of the 1960s and 1970s, Gibson flat-tops have been heard on countless historic records and carried on countless shoulders. Today, they continue to resonate with players seeking unmatched expression, enduring quality, and the authentic voice of a century old craft tops have been heard on countless historic records and carried on countless shoulders.
Gibson Original Collection featuring the LG-2 50s, SJ-200 60s, and the J-160E.
At the forefront of this anniversary celebration is the SJ-200 60s Original, a tribute to the era that cemented the guitar’s status as the “King of the Flat-Tops.” First introduced in 1937 and immortalized by artists such as Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Jimmy Page, the SJ-200 became synonymous with power, presence, and unmistakable style. The new 60s SJ-200 Original honors that heritage with a AAA figured maple body, a solid AAA Sitka spruce top, vintage correct 1960s nitrocellulose lacquer, and the iconic no-border pickguard. Every detail—from the graduated mother-of-pearl crown inlays to the rosewood Moustache™ bridge—evokes the golden age of acoustic design while offering the reliability and performance needed by today’s artists.
Gibson Original Collection SJ-200 60s in Vintage Sunburst and Heritage Cherry Sunburst.
Gibson also revisits one of its most beloved small body acoustics with the LG-2 50s Original. First launched in 1942, the LG-2 quickly became a favorite for its balanced voice, compact size, and surprising projection. The new 50s Original revives this classic with era accurate character and craftsmanship, pairing a solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped X-bracing and solid mahogany back and sides. Its comfortable Rounded neck profile, rosewood fretboard, and vintage inspired aesthetic details recapture the charm of the 1950s models that remain highly sought after by collectors and players alike. The guitar’s intimate size and warm, articulate voice make it an ideal companion for songwriting, recording, or everyday playing, while the L.R. Baggs™ VTC pickup ensures it’s ready for any stage.
Gibson Original Collection LG-2 50s in Vintage Sunburst and Antique Natural.
Rounding out the Original Collection is the return of the iconic J-160E Original, a guitar forever linked to the early days of The Beatles and the electrifying shift of youth culture in the 1960s. Introduced in 1954 as one of Gibson’s earliest acoustic electric hybrids, the J-160E blended acoustic tradition with electric innovation. The new J-160E Original retains the guitar’s unmistakable character while elevating it for modern musicians. A solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped X-bracing replaces the laminated top of earlier models, delivering richer acoustic resonance, while the P90 DC pickup offers the classic tone with none of the hum. With its SlimTaper™ neck, trapezoid inlays, gold Top Hat knobs, and belly-up rosewood bridge, the J-160E Original preserves everything players have always loved while offering enhanced performance for contemporary music-making.
Gibson Original Collection J-160E in Vintage Sunburst.
All three Original Collection models are handcrafted in Bozeman, Montana, where Gibson’s team of world class luthiers continues the tradition of meticulous acoustic craftsmanship begun a century ago. From the careful selection of tonewoods to the hand applied finishes and precision shaped necks, each instrument carries forward the legacy of Gibson’s pioneering designs and the artists who made them iconic.
This year, Gibson invites players everywhere to celebrate 100 years of flat‑top excellence. Whether rediscovering a beloved classic, discovering a new favorite, or simply appreciating the soundtracks these instruments have defined, the Original Collection honors the past while inspiring the next century of music. With the SJ‑200 60s Original, LG‑2 50s Original, and J‑160E Original, the Golden Era of acoustics returns—ready to be played, cherished, and passed on for generations to come.
Rig Rundown: Heart
Classic-rock legends Heart, led by iconic sibling duo Nancy and Ann Wilson, tore across the United States last year on the Royal Flush tour. The show touched down at the Pinnacle in Nashville on December 21, and prior to the festivities, PG’s John Bohlinger met up with lead shredder Nancy Wilson and her tech/“guitar butler” Nathan McMurdo, plus guitarists Ryan Wariner and Ryan Waters. Check out some highlights from their rigs below, and tune in to the full Rundown for more!
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Stunner From ’63
On the advice of a former roadie, Wilson picked up this Lake Placid blue 1963 Telecaster when she was “nouveau riche” in the early ’80s, thanks to Heart’s success. Some encourage her to leave it at home, but Wilson insists she “can’t live without it.” Its neck pickup was changed to a PAF humbucker. Most of Wilson’s electrics use D’Addario NYXL strings (.010–.046).
Here, Fishy, Fishy
After retiring a ’60s SG, Wilson now brings this early-’80s model on the road. It sees use on “Barracuda.”
Sisters’ Signature
This custom-built acoustic was brainstormed by Nancy and the folks at Martin as a signature gift for her sister, Ann. Adorned with interstellar artwork, it’s one of only two ever made—one for each sister. All of Nancy’s acoustics use Go Acoustic pickups.
Buddhist Temple
Nancy’s electrics run through a Budda Superdrive 30 head, with a second on hand as a backup, and out to an Orange 412 cabinet with Celestion Gold speakers.
Nancy Wilson’s Pedalboard
McMurdo handles effect changes backstage throughout the show. Nancy’s board has a Line 6 HX Stomp, T.E.A. Barracuda, Revv G2, Keeley El Rey Dorado, MXR Studio Compressor, DigiTech Drop, Revv Tilt, and a channel switch pedal for the Budda. There are also Radial Big Shot ABY and Headshot utility boxes, and an Endorphines Plus 3 expression pedal.
Classic ’Caster
Ryan Waters bought this 1972 Telecaster Thinline in a New York City guitar shop in the mid-’90s. Loaded with Lindy Fralin pickups, it’s his top pick.
Thin Lindy
This thinline Telecaster serves as a loyal backup, with the same Lindy Fralins that are in his number-one, plus a Bigsby system.
… And Don’t Call Me Dirty Shirley!
Waters’ Friedman Dirty Shirley is his main amp, with an 18-watt Marshall plexi-style head as a backup. An Orange 412 pumps out the sound.
Ryan Waters’ Pedalboard
Waters’ board includes a TC Electric PolyTune Mini, TC Electronic Sub ‘N’ Up, MXR Phase 90, Mr. Black Tremolo, Keeley Super Rodent, Revv G2, Strymon Deco, Recovery Effects Moonstruck, and a Dunlop Volume Pedal.
MI6-String
This 2014 Les Paul is from Gibson’s Collector’s Choice series, and thanks to its serial number 007, it’s earned the nickname “Bondburst.” It has a Tom Holmes bridge pickup, and comes out for “Magic Man,” as well as Led Zeppelin covers in the set. Like Wilson, he uses D’Addario NYXLs (.010–.046) and D'Addario Nickel Bronze strings on his acoustics.
Double the Fun
Wariner acquired this lightweight double-neck from Gibson when he joined up with Heart for this tour. It has a Seymour Duncan Jimmy Page pickup in the bridge, and is used for a cover of Zeppelin’s “Rain Song,” as well as the title track off of 1977’s Little Queen.
Bringing Plexi Back
Wariner’s top dog is his 1973 100-watt Marshall head, modded by Dave Friedman. Another 1970 Marshall JMP head with the same mod is on deck as a spare. The heads run through a Friedman cab with a mix of Celestion Greenbacks and Vintage 30s.
Ryan Wariner’s Pedalboard
To the left of Wariner’s main board sits a smaller rig with a Peterson StoboStomp Tuner, a UAFX Heavenly, and a Grace Design ALiX Preamp. On the motherboard, there’s an Ernie Ball volume pedal, a second StroboStomp, MXR Phase 95, MXR Super Badass, DigiTech Drop, Klon clone, Pete Cornish NB-3, T.E.A. Barracuda, Analog Man GE-7, Crowther Hot Cake, Strymon Volante, EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master, and Strymon Cloudburst.
1963 Telecaster (Lake Placid Blue)
EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master
D'Addario Nickel Bronze Strings
Wren and Cuff Fade Font ’94 Review
Few effects delivered as much aura and musically transformative power per buck as Electro-Harmonix’s Sovtek Big Muffs from the mid ’90s. Mine set me back probably $50. But man, I might as well have stolen Excalibur from the clutches of King Arthur.
Up to that moment, my piggyback Fender Tremolux, Tube Screamer, and Rickenbacker was perfect for thrashing out ’60s Kinks riffs. But with the Big Muff in the mix, my little rig became a monster—a wrecking ball capable of the potency I savored in Black Sabbath and Dinosaur Jr. From that moment on, my amplifier would be intolerable to the public outside the confines of a rented jam space. I suspect I went to bed that night pondering, like Robert Oppenheimer, tales of Prometheus and the Bhagavad Gita. The Big Muff had unleashed a horrible new power.
“The Fade Font ’94 possesses all the signature qualities of a Big Muff—sustain, mass, and megatonnage.”
Today the Big Muff’s might is legendary, and thanks to a couple of decades of cloning and reissues its power has proliferated among players. But Big Muffs sing many songs. Like their human creators, they are full of quirks, and Wren and Cuff’s Matt Holl and protégé Ray Rosas study these oddities and irregularities fastidiously. The newest product of Holl’s obsession is the Fade Font ’94—a beautiful homage to a ’90s “Tall Font” Sovtek Big Muff in Holl’s sizable collection built with unusual components that shifted its personality to brasher ends. The Fade Font ’94 possesses all the signature qualities of a Big Muff—sustain, mass, and megatonnage. But it’s also nastier and illuminated at the edges by a ripping high-mid ferocity that counterbalances the creaminess that is the signature of most ’90s Big Muffs.
Built to Bruise
The charms of the Fade Font ’94’s olive drab, steel-slab design will no doubt elude some. But as someone who keeps their Sovtek Big Muff on a sort of informal mantle in my studio, I was genuinely thrilled to see how Wren and Cuff reproduced the original’s enclosure with such exactitude and quality. The dimensions are, save for very minor deviations, identical. At a few paces, you’d never suspect you were looking at anything other than an original Sovtek. The difference in quality, however, between Wren and Cuff’s unit and an original Sovtek is easy to see and feel. There’s a proper footswitch. The knobs (near-perfect replicas of the originals) turn with a smooth secure sense absent in Sovteks. And on the inside, the relatively simple circuit is executed masterfully on a through-hole circuit board. I also suspect the paint on the Wren and Cuff won’t flake off within weeks, and I won’t miss the Sovtek’s plastic jacks. So, yes, on the quality and craft side of the equation, Wren and Cuff deliver.
But it’s the sound that puts the Fade Font ’94 over the top. And Matt Holl was right to be excited by the sonic signature of the Muff that inspired this one. The primary design difference in that Big Muff is its use of 150k pots rather than the 100k pots most Muffs use. Holl found several component values elsewhere in the circuit that didn’t match Big Muff design norms. The sonic sum is what you hear here, and in Muff terms it’s something special.
Side by side, five Big Muff circuits can sound equally great for five different reasons. But the Tall Font conveys a sense of balance and playing to strengths—like a top-notch analog desk mix of a record, or a great mastering job. And it makes the Fade Font ’94 sound quite like listening to a Big Muff greatest hits record. It’s plenty bassy, just like a Sovtek should be. But the airy lower-midrange seems to siphon away excess low-end energy that might make a bass trap and convert it to low-mid purr. The high-mid, too, is very activated and detailed without flirting with brick-wall midrange. The top end is full of air, while the low-mid purr becomes a growl. It’s just really balanced across its gain structure and feels exceptionally alive as a result.
The Verdict
If you played the Fade Font ’94 without the benefit of side-by-side comparison with other ’90s or ’90s-style Big Muffs you might be hard-pressed to recognize the differences. If you have the ability to do so, though, it becomes hard to un-hear the shift in accent that makes it sound so much more sonorous, well-rounded, and at times, extra aggressive.
Obviously, there are practical downsides to the Fade Font ’94’s lovingly, exactingly executed big-enclosure format. Any player with more than a few additional pedals will struggle to accommodate the big footprint without scaling up to a bigger pedalboard. On the other hand, the Fade Font’s flexibility gives you justification to pare back your fuzz collection. Maybe, like I did over the course of this test, you’ll succumb to the Fade Font ’94’s brutish charms so completely that you’ll find everything but a delay pedal superfluous. For such minimalists, well-heeled maximalists with roadies, pedal aesthetes, or studio rats more concerned with delicious sounds than pedalboard space, the Fade Font ’94’s size won’t get in the way of putting it to use.
Reflecting on my $50 Big Muff purchase back in the ’90s—and the many times I put it back together with a cheap Radio Shack soldering kit and gaffer’s tape—it’s hard to imagine that such a close relative could be elevated to this level of luxury. But once again, Wren and Cuff has shaped magnificence from merely modest perfection. And any player who loves the Big Muff owes it to themselves to experience this intriguing, engaging variation on the theme.
Carondelet Introduces OTB Ultimates Vintage-Style PAF Pickups
Carondelet Pickups has introduced their newest vintage-style humbuckers: the company’s OTB Ultimates provide a sound and feel that are stunningly close to great examples of original 1957-61 Gibson “Patent Applied For”-sticker humbuckers.
Louisiana-based Carondelet -- pronounced “kuh-RON-da-let” -- teamed up with artist Owen Barry in developing the OTB with the specific goal of “cracking the code” of vintage Gibson PAF humbuckers, but at a fraction of the cost of actual vintage PAFs.
The bridge position Carondelet OTB Ultimate reads 8.2k DCR and the neck position 7.0k DCR. Both positions feature rough-cast Alnico V magnets; historically accurate coil wire, plastics and metallurgy; two-conductor braided shield leads; and are unpotted like original PAFs.
Carondelet OTB Ultimates come with permanent and period-correct American-made raw German nickel silver covers. The “standard” version featuring modern covers with etched Carondelet logo carry a street price of $249 each and $498 per set. The “grail” version features no-logo vintage correct covers created from a 3D scan of an actual 1959 Gibson PAF, and carry a street price of $279 each and $558 per set.
The OTB Bridge position pickup is available in either Gibson-spacing or Fender-spacing, while the Neck position is available in a single vintage Gibson-spacing format.
The OTB in the product name is based on the initials of Owen Timothy Barry, a Nashville-based session and touring player whose resume includes The Chicks, Jackson Browne, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani and Tal Wilkenfeld, among many others. Carondelet’s owner Jeff Richard (REE-shard, Cajun French) hand-winds all Carondelet pickups one at a time in his workshop in Baton Rouge. Barry and Richard met at the Amigo Nasvillle guitar show in 2025 and R&D on the OTB Ultimates began shortly thereafter, involving multiple trips between Tennessee and Louisiana and well over 50 pickup prototypes that directly contributed to the final recipe, Richard said.
“Even the simplest guitar pickup has so many variables which forge overall tone and feel,” Richard said. “In the case of a vintage PAF, however, you’re trying to recreate pickups wound 70 years ago by primitive machines, using inconsistent to outright changing techniques, components and materials, in a process overseen by common factory workers who aren’t around today to field how-to questions.”
Said Barry: “In order to create my perfect PAF set with Jeff, I had to fully understand the original recipe. It was an incredibly intensive deep dive, but I knew we had to try and test every variable. This would be the only way to find what created the original PAF magic.”
Carondelet OTB Ultimates are available direct via CarondeletPickups.com; and select vintage/boutique dealers including Carter’s Vintage Guitars in Nashville (cartervintage.com) and LA Vintage Gear in Los Angeles (lavintagegear.com).
The Coolest Room in Any Guitar Store?
How do you improve one of the coolest guitar stores? Well, at Chicago Music Exchange Andrew Yonke (CEO) & Daniel Escauriza (Vintage Inventory & Purchasing Manager) created an area where players can not only experience the best vintage guitars and holy grails available, but the Vault also celebrates player-grade, stone-cold tone stars at any price point. And the best part of this room is that it's open to even us gear mortals.
Converge’s Kurt Ballou: Heavy by Design
Few players have been more instrumental in shaping the sound of modern metalcore than Converge’s Kurt Ballou. But to hear the producer and guitarist tell it, the 6-string was originally a consolation prize, not a calling. “My buddy Rob and I had this pact to start a band together, but we both wanted to play bass because we were both really into Rush and Iron Maiden at the time,” he says, calling in from his God City recording studio in Salem, Massachusetts. “And those bands have fantastic guitar playing, but they also have these bass heroes in Geddy Lee and Steve Harris, respectively. So, we decided that whoever could save up money for a bass first got to be the bass player, and the other one had to play guitar. I obviously lost.”
It’s a good thing the chips fell where they did. Since Converge formed in 1990, Ballou’s chugging-yet-sinuous brand of guitar brutalism has proved to be the perfect foil for vocalist Jacob Bannon’s throat-rending forays into emotional catharsis. It’s a sound that has evolved exponentially since the band’s early days, though never lacking ferocity. “The music that I was making was about trying to find a voice that was true to me and to what my influences were, but wasn’t parroting something that I was a fan of,” Ballou says of the band’s earlier work. “You start out by emulating, and you either emulate poorly and come up with something original, or you just find your own voice and get to something that’s original. I think that’s what we got to eventually, but it took a while.”
A decade into their career, Converge had already solidly established themselves in the extreme music world. But with release of the album Jane Doe in 2001—the band’s first to feature the almost supernaturally kinetic rhythm section of drummer Ben Koller and bassist Nate Newton—Converge demonstrated their ability to challenge, and sometimes even transcend, genre tropes with a deft balance of fury and finesse. Their new album, the bleakly titled Love Is Not Enough, is their first in nearly a decade (Bloodmoon: I, a 2021 collaboration with doom metallist Chelsea Wolfe and Stephen Brodsky of Cave In, notwithstanding). “Converge is basically our side hustle,” explains Ballou, who spends most of his time producing and mixing other artists. “So, it’s not like we’re beholden to an 18-month album cycle. But there was definitely a feeling that like, ‘Oh yeah, it's been too long.’”
Love Is Not Enough was well worth the wait. Songs like the album-opening title track are relentless blasts of aggression, replete with riffs and half-time breakdowns sure to incite circle pits the world over, while brooding, delay-and-reverb-drenched midtempo numbers like “Gilded Cage” continue to expand and refine Converge’s palette. Throughout the album, a compositional discipline reigns that never allows the listener’s attention to drift. “It’s a good idea in anything creative to leave people wanting more rather than giving them too much, and if you try to limit how many ideas are in one song, you can increase the impact that that song has by keeping it tight and memorable,” Ballou says. “It’s like when you listen to newer Metallica. I actually think there's a lot of cool shit on St. Anger, but they just beat every idea into the ground. Instead of doing something four times, they do it 32. And if they’re like, ‘Well, part A sounds good going into part B, but part A also sounds good going into part C, and part C sounds good going back to A, but part C also sounds good going to B, then they do it every possible way in the song. These are all cool ideas, but I think it’s better to just find the best ones, tighten up your arrangements, and give people the best version of the thing rather than every version of the thing.”
Converge’s economical arrangements are certainly integral to what gives their songs an instantly recognizable contour, but the bespoke alternate tunings that the band have explored since Jane Doe are perhaps what distinguishes them most. “There were only a few songs in the first 10 years of Converge that had any alternate tunings because I was always really against them,” Ballou says. “Every time I tried drop D, I felt like what I was coming up with was really generic and basic. It took a while before I cracked the code to making something that felt like me.” Ballou credits Neil Young’s soundtrack to the 1995 Jim Jarmusch film Dead Man with finally opening his ears to the possibilities of alternate tunings. “It was atmospheric, vibe-y stuff that really spoke to me,” he says. “There was also a guy named Alex Dunham, who was in the bands Hoover and then Regulator Watts and Abilene, who had a similar vibe but also played slide. And so, I started experimenting with slides. But then you realize, like, ‘Oh, I don’t want this major third here. Let me get that out of there.’ And so, you start changing the guitar’s tuning to get the chord shapes you want. Eventually, I just stopped using the slide but stayed with those open tunings.” Ballou also cites other heavy bands like Cave In, Melvins, and Neurosis with providing him with inspiration, as well as indie rock legends (and alternate tuning icons) Sonic Youth.
“You start out by emulating, and you either emulate poorly and come up with something original, or you just find your own voice and get to something that’s original.”
“I feel like if you really boil it down, Converge is sort of like Sonic Youth meets Slayer meets New York hardcore,” Ballou says. “And I actually have a tuning I call ‘Open Slayer.’ It’s C–F#–C–F#–C–F#, which is a take on Sonic Youth’s C–F–C–F–C–F.” Ballou’s favorite tuning, however, is one that he and the band refer to as “Wacky Tuning.” And while the internet will tell you that it’s C–G–C–F–G#–C, the guitarist will neither confirm nor deny this. “For whatever reason, I’ve put my foot down,” he says, smiling. “I’m not going to say what it is. It’s a challenge for people to figure it out. But we’ve used it almost half the time on every record since Jane Doe.”
For the recording of Love Is Not Enough, Ballou auditioned many of the amps in his studio’s collection, only to return to his stalwarts. “It's funny, when I have a record where there’s a little more time in the budget to experiment, like we have with Converge, I will tend to set up more amps and do shootouts,” Ballou says. “And a lot of times I’m just like, ‘Oh yeah, the shit I use all the time I’m using all the time for a reason—this is the best shit that I have!’ There are a few amps that really are the best at everything.”
He continues, “On this record, for the main rhythm guitars, the left side is this uncommon amp from Belarus made by Sparrows Sons. There’s a handful of them that are out there. I own two, and they don’t sound the same as each other. My purple one has a very “home brew” kind of vibe. And it’s just really great sounding. I don’t know what kind of circuit it’s based on. And then the right side is a 100-watt HMW, which stands for ‘Heavy Metal Warfare,’ by Dean Costello Audio. Both amps ran through Marshall 1960 cabinets that have a mix of Celestion Classic Lead 80s and Amperian speakers, miked with Shure Unidyne SM57s and Soyuz 1973s.”
Instead of relying exclusively on his amplifiers’ preamp sections to produce crushing gain levels, Ballou prefers to hit the amp’s front end with a pedal. It’s a practice he adopted early on in Converge’s career, when he primarily employed a ’70s-era Traynor YRM-1 45-watt head, which he still owns and used for many of the clean and semi-clean sounds on Love Is Not Enough. “There’s something about starving the low end and tightening things up with a pedal that I still like,” he says. “The Traynor is somewhere between a Fender Twin and a Marshall JMP kind of circuit, so it wasn’t designed to go ‘chug, chug, chug.’ I was forcing it to do that against its will by hitting the front end with a Boss OS-2 [Overdrive/Distortion], which has a really good midrange push to it.”
When pressed to unpack the concept of “starving the low end” a little more thoroughly, Ballou, who has a degree in aerospace engineering, is more than happy to expound. “In any negative-feedback-based op-amp overdrive, there’s always this sort of shunt to ground that happens in the negative feedback circuit in order to get gain. And basically, you have to high pass that—meaning cutting the lows—because low end tends to overdrive before high end, and you can end up with a signal where the low end is distorted but the highs are clean,” he explains. “So, to get that searing tone with high end and mids compressed and overdriven, you have to starve the bottom end going into the overdrive circuit. To do that, a lot of pedals—like, say, the Boss Metal Zone—have a bunch of EQ stages working under the hood that precondition the signal before the drive section by cutting lows, and then post-condition after the drive section to add it back in. So, you’re starving the bottom end going into it to tighten it up and make it more responsive, and then you’re boosting the bottom end at the output to restore what you’ve lost. The same theory applies when you’re hitting the front of an amp.”
Ballou eventually graduated from the OS-2 to using a Boss GE-7 graphic equalizer pedal “set to a frowny-face EQ with the output gain jacked up,” and now favors the Onslaught, a pedal that he designed for his own God City Instruments brand of stompboxes, guitars, and basses. Although he also used a Wild Customs electric, a pine T-style partscaster with Lindy Fralin pickups, and a First Act Sheena with EMGs, the bulk of the guitar parts on Love Is Not Enough were in fact tracked using GCI guitars that Ballou designed himself.
“My father’s a machinist and owns a machine shop and has CNC mills and stuff, so making shit was always just sort of normal to me,” Ballou says. “There was a summer where the studio was slow and my dad’s shop was slow as well, and I went down the rabbit hole and built about 30 guitars. I was making the bodies that I had designed on the CNC machines, and having Warmoth make the necks with a custom headstock.”
The guitarist would assemble and set up the instruments himself, a process that he found less satisfying than dialing in the design and specifications of the instruments. “I am definitely better at the design aspect of it than I am at the craftsman aspect,” he says. “Now I’ve got a relationship with this fantastic factory in South Korea that’s doing the building for me, but I still do all the quality control of each instrument myself when they get here.”
“I feel like if you really boil it down, Converge is sort of like Sonic Youth meets Slayer meets New York hardcore.”
Kurt Ballou’s Gear
Guitars
God City Instruments Craftsman
God City Instruments Constructivist
God City Instruments Deconstructivist baritone
Amps
Studio:
Dean Costello Audio 100-Watt HMW
Sparrows Son
Traynor YRM-1
Marshall 1960 4x12 cabinets with Celestion and Amperian speakers
Live:
Line 6 Helix into Quilter Labs Tone Block 202 heads
Picks, Strings, & Cables
D’Addario Duralin Standard Light/Medium Gauge (.70mm) picks
D’Addario NYXL (.011–.056) and NYXL Players Choice (.013–.064) custom set for baritone strings
D’Addario cables
While his production runs often sell out—as of this writing, there are no guitars available for sale on the God City Instruments website—one thing that never fails to bedevil Ballou (as surely it must his peers) is the mercurial and unpredictable taste of the guitar-buying community. “I am always amazed at the things that people are particular and not particular about,” he admits. “And people are very, very particular about colorways. Sometimes, I order guitars in a color where I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever, it’s white,’ and, boom, they sell out. Then sometimes I order a colorway, and I just think like, ‘Oh my God, this color looks fucking awesome!’ And then it’s slow to sell.”
He continues. “I love doing it, but I get really scared because none of this is done through pre-order. So it’s all out of pocket to me. Twice a year, I have to wire half my life savings halfway around the world to get a batch of guitars. And then when they come in, I’m just crossing my fingers that they’ll sell!”
Warm Audio Tube Squealer Review
Guitar effects fall in and out of fashion. But I never quite understood the moment when Tube Screamers ceased to be cool. Players would complain about the midrange bump. Fair enough, mid bumps can suck air out of a signal. But then I’d watch the same players buy some other mid-pumping drive or distortion and rave about it. Perhaps it was the TS’s association with blues rock—an occasional punching bag among guitar’s leading edge. Perhaps it was the rise of the Klon Centaur, the affordable “klones” that followed in its wake, and the resulting chatter about “transparency.” Never mind that the Klon Centaur’s design shares much of its basic architecture with the TS, or as my esteemed former PG editor Joe Gore pointed out, that the sonic differences between the pedals are not always as different as they seem.
The collective conversation confirmed one thing for me: Guitarists are a weird, fickle bunch. Because for me, Tube Screamers have always been a reliable, forgiving source of overdrive that pair well with fuzz, distortion, and other drives, and amps across the Fender, Vox, and Marshall spectrum (though it really loves the first of these). Warm Audio’s Tube Squealer is a kind of super TS. It combines switchable TS-808, TS-9, and TS-10-style circuitry, a mix control that blends in clean signal (a touch of Klon), a humbucker/single-coil switch that shifts the midrange emphasis from the 800Hz range to the 2kHz range, and a voltage boost switch that engages a voltage doubler (another touch of Klon). It adds up to a very adaptable overdrive.
A Scream Across the Ages
Fundamentally, the Tube Squealer is a really satisfying TS-style overdrive. As a test, I situated it alongside a 1981 Ibanez TS-9 that was my primary overdrive for ages and always sounded excellent to my ears. Compared to the original Tube Screamer, the Tube Squealer in the TS-9 setting, and no clean signal in the overdriven/clean mix, is discernibly more compressed and less oxygenated in the high-end than the Ibanez. But is that better? That depends. Paired with a 16-watt, EL84-powered Carr Bel-Ray in its Vox-style setting, the Tube Squealer’s low-to-mid gain overdrive settings could seem redundant, while the TS-9 added a little more sparkle. On the other hand, the Tube Squealer’s more compressed profile lent a creamy cohesiveness to the Bel-Ray’s output that sounded fantastic with chords, and added a touch of anger to Peter Buck-ish arpeggios in the more aggro Lifes Rich Pageant vein—one of my favorite applications of the effect.
“The wet-dry mix control may be the most valuable feature on the Tube Squealer. It opens up a lot of fine tuning possibilities.”
With a late-’60s Fender Bassman, the Tube Squealer’s more compressed output illuminated the difference between the pedals more starkly. I enjoyed the warm, growly nature of the Tube Squealer’s basic distortion voice. And while the pedal felt more grafted to the amp rather than seamlessly integrated with it, I was reminded of an old J Mascis quote. To paraphrase: “What’s the point of using an effect if it’s transparent?”
There is a way that I was able to close the difference between the more compressed Tube Squealer voice and the more open TS-9, and that was by using the clean signal mix control. By dialing that knob up to noon (give or take, depending on the gain level), I could make the two pedals sound identical enough that most folks would be hard-pressed to tell them apart in a blind test. What that revealed to me is that the mix control may be the most valuable feature on the Tube Squealer. It opens up a lot of fine tuning possibilities.
Do Screamers Squeal Equally?
Though it’s nice to have the three TS voicings, the differences among them can be subtle. At low gain settings, in fact, they can be pretty difficult to tell apart. Higher gain settings make the contrasts more apparent, but even then the variations can sound really minimal. In general, they are evident as subtle EQ shifts. The TS-9 comes off as the most balanced of the three, the 808 seems to bloom a bit more, and the TS-10 has a bump in the low midrange that results in a smoothing effect. These voices are useful and fun to work with if you’re moving between guitars and amps in a studio, but I’d venture that they’d be nearly impossible to discern in a live setting.
The control that makes a big difference is the pickup voicing switch. The shift from the 800Hz peak to the 2kHz peak in the midrange is transformative enough to rip your face off if you’re not careful. With single-coils it’s spiky enough that your bandmates may ask you to take a time out. But the PAF-equipped SG I used in this evaluation became smooth and vicious in the 2k mode. In fact, I’ve rarely heard my Bassman sound so much like a JCM800. And it not only genuinely extends the utility of the Tube Squealer, it’s also raucous, rowdy fun.
The Verdict
Though the Tube Squealer’s three voices may be subtle to the point of a letdown for some potential buyers, the interactive power of the controls, when taken together, is impressive. The clean/dirty blend control adds considerable flexibility and tone shaping potential, and while I preferred the more compressed, classic TS sounds with the pedal in 9V mode, the voltage doubling switch adds a lot to the sound tapestry within. Given the extra utility here—and how close to vintage TS sounds these voices are in their most basic modes—the $149 price is quite reasonable, even when considering that new, basic Ibanez TS-9s are just $99. Even if you use the Tube Squealer to even half of its potential, it’s most certainly not your average pig.
State of the Stomp: Find Your Pedal Knob’s “Sweep” Spot
Let’s talk about the range of a pedal control knob—its potential versatility, perceived value, real-world implementation, and creative inspiration. That’s a lot of fancy words to impose upon a 300-degree rotating potentiometer with a knob affixed to it, but here we go!
I’ve had this topic in mind since starting my writing career, but it crystallized while I was watching a recent episode of That Pedal Show featuring a CopperSound-loaded pedalboard. Co-host Mick Taylor made a comment about amp control knobs, positing that a knob should live between 3 and 8. A lot of players can relate to this—the idea that the core sounds in this range cover almost everything needed, while still leaving headroom on either side of the dial. This ties into versatility. It feels like the designer tuned it properly.
I’d counter that if a knob does too much—like a digital single-knob EQ—the “usable” range feels diminished. Which circles back to the same idea: The designer needs to tune the control properly.
Let’s talk about first impressions. Whether it’s a demo video or an in-person audition, the first engagement with a pedal almost always starts with “everything at noon.” This feels like a natural, logical starting point, and it ties back to the philosophy that control knobs should be flexible at both ends of their range.
When designing products, manufacturers try to consider all types of rigs. While not everything will work for everyone, the goal is to create products that perform well across different scenarios and setups.
Now let’s consider the outermost ranges of a knob. A reasonable question: “Why do I have to max this knob?” When a control only works at its extreme setting, I immediately wonder if I’m doing something wrong or if the pedal is designed for a more specific application than I realized. Both are plausible.
Here’s a firsthand example. I won’t name the pedal, but there’s a particular dirt box I keep coming back to—it has a great overdrive sound, wide gain range, and a pretty unique circuit. Those qualities make it memorable. But so does its shortcoming: The tone knob always has to be maxed. Any other setting made it too dark. I should mention that I play Telecasters almost exclusively, so it’s not like my guitar was on the darker side of the spectrum.
“When a control only works at its extreme setting, I immediately wonder if I’m doing something wrong.”
Was the tone control an afterthought? Was it only tested with a super bright guitar and amp? What happened here? At this point, the knob may as well not have been there—or it could’ve been hardwired internally to the max position. It’s scenarios like this that call versatility into question.
To counter that—and circle back to the digital EQ knob I mentioned earlier—a knob can have too wide a range. Let’s say this EQ control sweeps from 500 Hz at minimum to 1 kHz at maximum. That’s a fairly wide range covering a prominent part of the guitar’s frequency spectrum. For this hypothetical, let’s assume the entire dial is usable.
Now, let’s say we want to expand the range and add value. What do we do? We make the knob sweep from 250 Hz to 2 kHz. Better, right?
Well … there’s technically a wider range that covers more ground, but two significant problems emerge. First, the extremes become less useful. The low end gets too bass-heavy and conflicts with the bass guitar, while the upper end becomes shrill and unpleasant. Okay, so we just avoid the outermost parts of the dial. Don’t we like having that range available? Sure—but we still want everything outside of 3 and 8 to be friendly and usable. If the first and last 20% of the knob are unusable, then by doubling the frequency range, we’ve actually cut the knob’s usability in half.
The second issue is how the knob feels. At 500 Hz to 1 kHz, there’s a 1.6 Hz difference per degree of rotation. But if we’re only using half the dial’s range, that becomes a 3.3 Hz difference per degree. This often makes the knob feel overly sensitive.
Do you agree, disagree, or find yourself somewhere in between? Try this: Go to your pedalboard and amplifier and count how many knobs you have at your disposal. Then, without turning them, note how many are currently set at maximum or minimum. Any of them?
Spector Announces Doug Wimbish Euro 4 Aged White Signature Bass
Spector Bass, in collaboration with pioneering bassist Doug Wimbish, announces the Doug Wimbish Euro 4 Aged White Signature Bass, a new addition to the Doug Wimbish Euro line for 2026. Available worldwide through authorized Spector retailers and online, the new model continues Spector’s exploration of lightly aged instruments inspired by Wimbish’s personal collection, recreating one of his lesser-known vintage basses, his white NS-2, while delivering a familiar, broken-in feel and sound for modern players.
The Doug Wimbish Euro 4 Aged White Signature Model features a light aged white nitro finish, offering the look and feel of a well-loved instrument straight out of the case. The body is constructed with maple body wings and is paired with Spector’s slim Doug Wimbish neck carve. A narrow 1.5" nut width and 34" scale length contribute to a fast, comfortable playing experience. The rosewood fingerboard features mother-of-pearl crown inlays, completing the instrument’s classic Spector aesthetic.
Electronics on the DW Euro 4 Aged White Signature Bass reflect a unique configuration within the Euro line. The bass is loaded with EMG Jazz pickups, delivering a responsive and articulate tonal foundation. These pickups are paired with Spector’s Legacy onboard preamp, developed in collaboration with Darkglass Electronics, and designed around a classic, 1980s-inspired two-band EQ.
Additional features include gold Spector hardware, which complements the aged white finish and reinforces the instrument’s premium presentation. Together with its distinctive electronics package and historically inspired design, the Doug Wimbish Euro 4 Aged White Signature Bass represents a deeply personal chapter of Wimbish’s musical legacy brought forward for today’s players.
Reflecting on the instrument, Doug Wimbish states, “This bass is a piece of my history. The original 1987 Spector that helped shape my sound—now ready for the next generation.”
For more information about the Doug Wimbish Euro 4 Aged White Signature Bass and the full Spector lineup, visit NAMM Booth #6802 or online at www.spectorbass.com.
Street Price: $3699.99 USD
Purposeful Pentatonics with Caitlin Caggiano
It’s a familiar problem: You know your pentatonic scale patterns, but they’re only getting you so far. In this lesson, instructor Caitlin Caggiano breaks down the pentatonic scale and helps you elevate you patterns and deepen your playing. Want to learn how to make your pentatonics feel less boxy and more musical? How to use multiple pentatonic scales to emphasize chord tones? How to add certain notes to add more dimension and color to your playing? This lesson is for you.
Aguilar Introduces the Octamizer DLX
Aguilar has announced the Octamizer DLX, an expanded evolution of its long-running Octamizer bass octave pedal. Designed to preserve the musical feel and tone that made the original a staple for over a decade, the DLX adds new voices, enhanced performance, and greater flexibility for modern bass players.
Rather than reworking the Octamizer’s foundation, Aguilar focused on extending it. Powered by the company’s in-house DSP engine, the Octamizer DLX delivers faster, more natural tracking that responds directly to playing dynamics and remains stable even on extended-range basses.
“When we set out to design the Octamizer DLX, the goal wasn’t to fix the original Octamizer — it was already doing what bass players needed,” says Aguilar Amplification. “We wanted to keep that familiar feel intact while giving players more creative space, better tracking, and new voices they could access instantly in real musical situations.”
The octave-down section retains the familiar Octamizer control set—Octave Volume, Octave Filter, Clean Level, and Clean EQ—while introducing new flexibility. The clean signal can now be fully muted for pure sub-octave tones, and two distinct filter modes expand the sonic range. A Mode delivers the classic Octamizer sweep, from smooth and round to sharper, more synth-forward textures, while B Mode draws inspiration from vintage octave divider circuits, offering added grit and character.
For the first time in the Octamizer lineup, the DLX introduces a dedicated octave-up engine. Tuned specifically for bass, this new voice avoids the harshness and latency often associated with octave-up effects. Simple volume and filter controls allow players to shape tones ranging from subtle octave doubling to a more pronounced, guitar-like presence.
Three independent footswitches provide direct control over the clean signal, octave down, and octave up, allowing players to stack voices instantly without adjusting controls. This layout makes it easy to move between foundational octave tones, harmonic layering, and more synth-like textures in both live and studio settings.
For more information, visit NAMM Booth #6802 or online at www.aguilaramp.com
The Aguilar Octamizer DLX is available with a street price of $329.99.
Signal Chain Audio Labs Launches Tie-Dyed Guitar Cables Honoring Bob Weir
Signal Chain Audio Labs, maker of professional tour-grade instrument and microphone cables, today announced a limited edition Tie-Dyed Braided Guitar Cable honoring the legacy of Bob Weir, legendary guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, who passed away earlier this year.
All proceeds from the cable sales will go to the Furthur Foundation a non-profit founded by Bob Weir that provides funding for environmental and social change initiatives in the San Francisco Bay area and around the world. To learn more about the Furthur Foundation and the many programs it supports, visit https://furthur.org.
Each cable features a hand-dyed multifilament nylon overbraid in vibrant tie-dye patterns - no two are alike. Beneath the distinctive exterior lies tour-proven Mogami 2524 instrument cable terminated with G&H High Clarity Profile plugs and protected by SignalCoat®, the company's dielectric seal that guards against moisture and oxidation. Every cable is individually numbered and soldered and assembled by hand in Alexandria, VA. Only 500 cables will be produced for this series.
The cables are available in four colors options:
- Spectrum: Blue, Purple, Red, Orange, Yellow
- Red/Purple
- Blue/Purple
- Red/Blue
The cables are available in three different lengths and street prices:
- 10ft - $79.00 street price
- 15ft - $89.00 street price
- 20ft - $99.00 street price
"Bob Weir's artistry and innovation shaped generations of musicians," said Rob Haralson, Founder of Signal Chain Audio Labs. "Creating something as unique and handcrafted as his music felt like the right way to honor his legacy - and directing proceeds to the Furthur Foundation ensures this tribute supports the causes he championed throughout his life."
Haralson added, "We've engineered these cables to be as distinctive as the music that inspired them. Each one is truly one-of-a-kind and built with the same premium components our professional clients depend on. To our knowledge, this is the only hand-dyed professional guitar cable currently offered by any company. It's a functional work of art that musicians can actually use."
The Signal Chain Audio Labs Tie-Dyed Braided Instrument Cable is available at https://www.signalchainaudio.com.
John Bohlinger's Favorites from NAMM 2026!
NAMM 2026 is a wrap, and this year's show offered no shortage of gear to discuss. Tom Butwin sits down with longtime industry vet John Bohlinger and PG Editorial Director Richard Bienstock to trade stories and name the products they’re most excited about from the year's biggest gear event. Check out ALL of PG's NAMM coverage here