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

Norse Guitar Feeds

“Tony Iommi didn’t want a song by another guitarist on a Sabbath record.I never saw the money. But hearing Dio perform my song was unforgettable”: Jimi Bell may have lost out to Zakk Wylde in his Ozzy Osbourne audition, but he has no regrets

Guitar World - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 03:54
The drummer turned guitarist remains grateful for what Sharon Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Joan Jett and Randy Rand did for him, as he preps original music from his Deep Purple tribute band
Categories: General Interest

16 BOSS Pedals In One

Sonic State - Amped - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 03:54
BOSS introduces the PX-1 Plugout FX

“Your guitar playing was on point”: 10-year-old guitar prodigy backed by Kiko Loureiro nails Joan Jett classic during America’s Got Talent quarter final

Guitar World - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 03:52
After a stunning audition, the “mini rock star” is back with a new guitar and some feisty playing
Categories: General Interest

“My father, a brilliant musician, didn’t believe in me”: Pete Townshend attributes his guitar-smashing antics to feelings of rejection from his father

Guitar.com - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 03:50

Pete Townshend of the Who smashing his guitar

Pete Townshend has long been synonymous with the violent poetry of smashing guitars on stage. But in a new interview, the Who guitarist suggests the act was perhaps less about spectacle than resentment – specifically, the sting of a father who didn’t believe he was “worthy of a decent instrument”.

“I was a geeky young kid with a big nose who wanted to be an artist or a journalist, not play in a rock band,” says Townshend in a recent chat with the New York Times. “My father, a brilliant musician, didn’t believe in me and allowed my grandmother to buy me a [expletive] old guitar that I couldn’t play.”

“Some of my guitar-smashing antics probably started because it had become a symbol for me of the way my father had not considered me worthy of a decent instrument.”

The admission also sets the tone for the rest of the conversation, where Townshend’s candor stretches beyond family wounds and into the very business of rock and roll. Asked if pop music itself is a swindle, the guitarist replies: “The swindle starts when you become a property and don’t belong to your fans anymore.”

“You belong to record companies, to promoters, to managers. The audience worships you for what you’ve done years before. They’re not interested in anything new. For Roger and I, it’s difficult to do anything other than feel like we’re a Who tribute band.”

Still, Townshend says he hopes to keep working with Roger Daltrey in some capacity, even if the Who as an entity winds down. “If he doesn’t want to do a Who album, I’d love to write songs for him for a solo project.”

That possibility hangs over the band’s farewell tour, which is set to conclude on 28 September at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Garden Arena. Beyond that, the future of the Who, Townshend admits, is “in Roger’s hands.”

“I’m 80, I don’t like being away from my family, my studios, my dogs and my friends. I’m not looking to spend the next five years of my life waiting to [expletive] drop dead on the stage,” he says. “The end of the tour could give Roger and I permission never to call each other again. I hope that doesn’t happen.”

The post “My father, a brilliant musician, didn’t believe in me”: Pete Townshend attributes his guitar-smashing antics to feelings of rejection from his father appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Categories: General Interest

“The timeless Boss experience in one versatile pedal”: Boss crams 16 beloved effects into the convertible PX-1 Plugout FX – a multi-FX that looks like the one of the firm’s standard compact pedals

Guitar World - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 03:20
Boss unveils its answer to the Line 6 HX One and TC Electronic Plethora X1 as it seeks to revolutionize the compact pedal experience
Categories: General Interest

“It has been years of unprofessional behaviour from people above us”: Cradle of Filth guitarist is the latest to quit band over “low pay” and “psychopathic” contract

Guitar.com - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 03:17

Guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda of Cradle of Filth

Cradle Of Filth guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda has quit the band, citing “low pay”, high stress and “years of unprofessional behaviour from people above us”. His wife, keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff, also announced her departure mid-tour, alleging “dishonest” and “manipulative” management practices and “psychopathic” contracts.

Šmerda, who joined Cradle in 2014, initially said he would finish the group’s current tour before leaving, but frontman Dani Filth later announced that the musician had been fired with immediate effect. He also dismissed Šmerda’s comments as an attempt “to illegally defame and derail the band”.

The split escalated quickly after Šmerda and Federoff – who had both announced their decisions within days of each other – began sharing details about life inside the band. In his statement, Šmerda said, “We simply do not feel like Cradle can provide for our future, and in fact hinders it. Among other reasons it is a lot of work for relatively low pay, the stress is quite high, and we haven’t felt for a while like this band actually prioritising/caring about members. It has been years of unprofessional behavior from people above us that led to our decision.”

Federoff, who joined in 2022, claimed management were “dishonest” and “manipulative” and alleged they attempted to withhold advance payments for the group’s new album. The keyboardist also said she was branded “cancer” and a “dead horse” and threatened with termination when she challenged them.

“Our lawyer called it the most psychopathic contract a session musician could ever be handed,” Federoff wrote alongside screenshots of her contract, noting that she and Šmerda refused to sign.

She also broke down their earnings, saying the couple made around “£150/day currently and £25K a year roughly in this band.” The pay, combined with the stress and alleged hostility, had left them disillusioned.

Please read the statement from Marek Ashok Smerda too.This is our final account of what’s happened and why.*edit* We make 150/day currently and 25K a year roughly in this band, to clarify the math.

Posted by Zoe Marie Federoff on Tuesday, August 26, 2025

“[Filth] might not get his hands dirty, but in the end, he directs them,” Federoff said. “The atmosphere he creates is threatening and abusive, and he constantly exploits us for very low wages, yet always demands exclusivity to Cradle’s schedule. It is madness to keep people locked in poverty for the ego of one person.”

 

Meanwhile, Dani Filth has hit back at the accusations against the band’s management, calling them “completely unjust and unfounded.” He added that while the rest of Cradle were “taken aback” by the couple’s departure, they would continue touring as planned.

The post “It has been years of unprofessional behaviour from people above us”: Cradle of Filth guitarist is the latest to quit band over “low pay” and “psychopathic” contract appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Categories: General Interest

The riff lord’s tone lives again: Gibson revives its first signature pickup, the Tony Iommi signature humbucker

Guitar.com - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 03:12

Gibson Tony Iommi Signature Humbucker re-release

The sound that helped define heavy metal is back. Gibson has revived the Tony Iommi Signature Humbucker, the brand’s very first signature pickup from the late 1990s, putting the Black Sabbath legend’s searing tone back within reach.

Few guitarists have left as indelible a mark on heavy music as Tony Iommi. More than just spark a genre, his pioneering riffs with Sabbath set the blueprint for metal that countless bands still chase today.

Originally released in the late ‘90s as Gibson’s first-ever signature pickup, the Tony Iommi Humbucker quickly became a cult favorite. Originals are now scarce, but the new reissue brings it back to the masses – all for the price of $229.

Inside the pickup lies a unique mix of ceramic and Alnico 2 magnets along with custom windings, delivering all the rumble you need while maintaining crystal clarity. Fully wax-potted and epoxied, the humbucker is built to resist unwanted feedback, while its 4-conductor wiring allows for series, parallel, and split coil operation.

“I’m really excited that Gibson’s bringing back my signature humbucker; they were getting pretty hard to find!” says Iommi. “This pickup came about after a lot of time spent in Nashville, just experimenting with different setups to get that perfect tone and sustain from my favorite guitars.”

“We had to make sure it worked with my light gauge strings and low tunings, but still pack a punch, and the result has got some serious output. They’re on my signature guitars too, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out.”

Gibson CEO and President Cesar Gueikian adds, “I’d personally installed these on one of my Gibson guitars 15 years ago, and I was blown away with the distinct Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath sound I was able to get out of them. They have such a great, clean look with the unique pickup cover, and we are excited to bring the Riff Lord’s signature humbucker back as we continue to pay tribute to Tony.”

The Tony Iommi Signature Humbucker is available now at the Gibson Pickup Shop.

Learn more at Gibson.

The post The riff lord’s tone lives again: Gibson revives its first signature pickup, the Tony Iommi signature humbucker appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Categories: General Interest

“It suffered a broken headstock, was completely refinished, refretted and had P-90s replaced with humbuckers”: Untangling the history of Jeff Beck’s Oxblood Les Paul, the most expensive Gibson Les Paul ever sold at auction

Guitar World - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 02:42
Will we ever know the true story of this fabled guitar? For some it’s iconic, for others it was simply a cobbled-together working tool for a master
Categories: General Interest

“Not a hair out of place... A faultless, well-tuned and well-voiced working guitar”: Manson MD-3 Mikey Demus review

Guitar World - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 02:29
This UK-made MD introduces a new pickup set that piles on the beef. But, as we find out, it’s no one-trick pony
Categories: General Interest

The Beths Pick Their Five Most Honest Guitar Records Of All Time

Guitar.com - Thu, 08/28/2025 - 01:00

The Beths, photo by Frances Carter

It takes effort to sound alive – the kind of sweat-broiled effort that’s laced throughout the Beths’ new record, Straight Line Was a Lie. Here, in the New Zealand band’s latest collection of seemingly weightless, effortless power-pop jams, you will find bare-bones honesty, both sonically and thematically, driven by real grit, graft, and intent.

While writing, guitarist-vocalist Liz Stokes pulled apart her process in the face of anxiety, medication and chronic illness, delving into life experiences that had previously been balanced on a shelf by turning to mechanical processes, whether that was clacking out pages on a typewriter, reading books on the craft, or boarding a flight from Auckland to Los Angeles in search of synapse-firing stimulation.

“It was really useful to be making something,” she says. “When I was struggling to make music, it was nice to be pulling something out of my brain and putting stuff in: books and movies and shows to feed the machine. Maybe you can’t get it to spit out what you want it to spit out, but you can hopefully spit out something else.”

Straight Line Was a Lie is home to songs that turn over living in a body that’s out to stymie you – Stokes discovered that she had Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that leads to hyperthyroidism – alongside reflections upon the complexity of her relationship with her mother and analysis of the way she navigates the world in comparison to the way she’d actually like to do it.

Every step of the way, these knotty, heavy emotional beats are carried by the sort of daring melodic work that has made the Beths such a unique proposition in indie-rock. But, more so than in the past, there’s also a keen appreciation for woody textures and a spotlight that’s always seeking out moments of chemistry and camaraderie.

The Beths, photo by pressImage: Press

While much of the record was made at guitarist-producer Jonathan Pearce’s studio in central Auckland, the band also decamped to the “winterless north” of New Zealand for a retreat that sounds pastoral and restorative. They surfed and hung out. “It was a real cheat code,” Pearce says. “I think getting everyone out of the city and making a record full time, it kind of gives you your twenties back.”

Stokes’ push for candour found a reflective surface in Pearce’s desire to stage a record that felt similarly documentarian. It isn’t an accident that you can hear the air moving as Tristan Deck’s kick drum sparks No Joy – a song about becoming washed out by antidepressants – into life, while Roundabout’s jangle feels like it’s only getting to you after it’s done a lap of the place. “Without wanting to get too intense about it, I do have the belief that these days you have to really work to put the space and the human beings in the recording,” he says.

“Music libraries, let alone AI, are getting so good. If you can’t hear people shuffling around in the room, the specific room that the performance is happening in, then it could be anything. “It could be anywhere. On previous albums, we’ve pursued that power-pop sensation that the music is happening right at the very front of the speaker. There’s nothing behind it, it’s right there in front of you. This one, it felt like there was lots more space. We really went looking for it.”

A core element of the record’s make up is Stokes’ Martin 00-15M, one of two “fancy new guitars” that became go-tos while in the studio, reflecting a greater interest in pensive pieces that play like the title track from 2020’s Jump Rope Gazers with the dream-pop dialled down in favour of something more plainly spoken. “I had always hated playing acoustic guitar because it was really hard,” she says with a laugh. “You have to be very clean and you can hear your fingers, which is a pro and a con, right? You can really hear the humanity in it.”

The Beths, photo by Frances CarterImage: Frances Carter

The other fancy new guitar was made for Stokes by Elliott Trent, the Poole-based luthier who’s also assembled instruments for Wet Leg’s Hester Chambers and California folkie Madison Cunningham. He contacted Stokes through the Beths’ Discord and was, initially, filed away as probable spam. “No one’s out here offering free guitars,” Stokes says. “That’s crazy. But Jon was like, ‘I think you should talk to him, he’s trying to help us.’”

Stokes eventually went with Trent’s M2 model, which arrived with two sets of pickups – mini humbuckers and hand-wound P90s. The original plan was to run with one of each, mirroring the G&L Fallout that had underpinned earlier Beths records, but both humbuckers are still in place. “They just sounded so good,” she says. “He makes all the hardware,” Pearce adds. “He’s not just finishing a body and sticking parts on it. He’s doing beautiful work.”

Pearce’s ‘78 Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe, meanwhile, continues to be foundational to his sound, which, as always, veers from nimble leads to sparky, fuzz-corrupted soloing. “It just shits on other guitars,” he says. “But I did get a Burns Double Six, a ‘60s one, and it slays. It’s got the Tri-Sonic pickups. It was in really rough shape, covered in mould and with a hugely bent neck. The guy who sold it to me said, ‘I think my brother played it in his punk band in the 1980s.’ That is a ridiculous story, right? What kind of punk band plays a 12 string from the 1960s? That is a band that I wish I could hear.”

The task of bringing it back from the brink fell to David Parker, whom Pearce describes as “the genius who sets up all our guitars here in New Zealand.” Parker had to get creative given the state of the Double Six and some of the more esoteric aspects of its engineering, including making his own key to adjust a truss rod that had been assumed to be pushing up daisies. “I completely stripped it down, cleaned it, and then I sent it to David,” Pearce continues. “Somehow, the truss rod was still working, it was just all the way backed off. He could straighten the neck over time. He made a new bridge for it, and it’s awesome. It’s all over Metal and Till My Heart Stops and has inspired a lot of parts.”

Next up, in the spirit of keeping things transparent, Stokes picks five records that speak to her as being particularly honest. They come from her peers in New Zealand’s indie scene and generational writers who have shaped the tastes of millions of listeners, but she was struck by one detail in making her selections. “I feel like in trying to assess other people for their authenticity or something, it makes you look for a brain that’s similar to yours,” she says. “I’ve been like, ‘Well, maybe when people are singing about being happy, they are just lying because obviously everybody is a ball of anxiety.’ I just can’t relate to that.”

The Goon Sax – We’re Not Talking (2018)

“I guess you can hear that the songwriting feels very earnest, and it’s extremely early twenties. It’s like being inside the brain of somebody that age. I feel like I thought half those thoughts and felt all those feelings. Hearing them stated so plainly, that would be a really scary thing to do. It feels like a very brave album to put out there.”

Pickle Darling – Bigness (2019)

“They’re an artist from New Zealand. All of their albums are great but Bigness is the first one I heard from them. It has extremely bedroomy, home recording vibes. It’s very lo-fi but I find Lukas [Mayo] always plays really interesting little guitar parts – the melodies really flow over each other in a way that I find really addictive. The lyrics feel a little bit stream of consciousness and the way that they string ideas together is a little bit collagey, I think. All these little thoughts feel very real, and they feel very unstudied because of that.”

Hans Pucket – No Drama (2022)

“This is a friend’s band from New Zealand. Oliver Devlin is the main songwriter. I fell in love with their first EP Jalapeño when I heard it on Bandcamp, and I was like, ‘Who is this? They’re from Wellington? Dammit!’ I’ve put down No Drama, which is their most recent album. They have a song called Kiss The Moon, which I’ve talked to Ollie about. I think it’s very brave to write about domesticity, that’s something that feels very honest. And because it’s more specific and less generic, it hits home very closely. It’s like being inside of a relationship in a very real way.”

Rilo Kiley – The Execution of All Things (2002)

Jenny Lewis is one of my all time favourite songwriters and musicians. She’s been so influential on an entire generation of millennial women, and younger. The best example on that album is A Better Son/Daughter, which I think is this iconic song. It’s so raw, and it’s extremely honest. Anything that is dealing with the relationship with your parents feels like hallowed ground. We saw them play at Just Like Heaven and I was bawling the entire time. Hearing everybody screaming, ‘Sometimes when you’re on, you’re really fucking on,’ was really great.”

Tiny Ruins – Ceremony (2023)

“It’s a beautiful record all the way through. It’s a slow burn. You keep coming back to it because there’s something about it – the feeling of it just pulls you in. It’s quite a quiet record. Hollie [Fullbrook] has a real way with words and melodies. It can feel cryptic, or like it says not a lot, but it creates a whole world. There’s a lyric that I really like from a song called Earthly Things. The line is just, ‘The weather’s been so wild this week.’ It’s a thing that you would say, put in a really beautiful song.”

The Beths’ Straight Line Was A Lie is out on August 29 through Anti-.

The post The Beths Pick Their Five Most Honest Guitar Records Of All Time appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Categories: General Interest

GEAR Finds: Stompboxes

Premier Guitar - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 10:35


Discover the magic of tone with the latest pedals! From the versatile Brothers AM to the warm Keeley Manis Overdrive, each offers unique sonic possibilities. Ready to elevate your sound? Dive into the Eventide H90's powerhouse effects or the compact CHO-mini's rich chorus. Which pedal will inspire your next masterpiece?

CHASE BLISS Brothers AM


A faithful tribute to the Analog Man King of Tone, the Brothers AM offers dual multi‑mode gain channels—boost, overdrive, or distortion—with intuitive controls, live tweakability, and four onboard custom presets. It adds a bonus treble‑booster circuit inspired by the Beano Boost, giving you extra bite and clarity. Fully MIDI, expression, and CV‑controllable, this pedal lets you save tones and stack effects while preserving the warm, transparent character of the original.

$399 street

chasebliss.com

KEELEY Manis Overdrive


The Keeley MANIS Overdrive is a bold evolution of the mythical transparent drive, blending NOS germanium transistors and diodes for unmatched warmth, compression, and grit. With switchable voicings and dynamic touch response, it’s a tone-sculpting weapon built for players who demand both clarity and rich harmonic character in one pedal.

$199 street

robertkeeley.com

EVENTIDE H90 Harmonizer


Eventide’s flagship H90 Harmonizer is a powerhouse multi-effects pedal. It features 70 effect algorithms, including reverb, delay, pitch shifting, modulation, and distortion, plus hundreds of curated programs. With comprehensive I/O and flexible routing, the H90 is built to be the heart of your rig, on stage or in the studio.

$899 street

eventide.com

NUX Amp Academy Stomp


The Amp Academy Stomp is the latest in amp modeling from NUX. Included are several legacy amps, effects, Bluetooth with an app, workflow features, and more. Most importantly, the Amp Academy Stomp includes Image, which loads NAM profiles into the Amp Academy Stomp and, with black-box algorithms, accurately reproduces the dynamics and responsiveness of any amp profile loaded into the pedal.

$299 street

nuxaudio.com

NOBELS CHO-mini


The pocket-sized and feature-packed CHO-mini pedal delivers an outstanding selection of chorus tones at a budget-friendly price. With a selection of three curated and timeless chorus effects, the CHO-mini delivers a wealth of sonic possibilities in mono or spacious stereo imaging. Includes tap-tempo, true or buffered bypass, metal housing. Available from Osiamo.

$99 street

osiamo.com

FUHRMAN Echoes


The Fuhrmann Echoes pedal is a versatile delay unit, offering digital, modulated, and analog modes. It provides clear, modulated, or degrading (analog-like) delay repetitions, adjustable with a low-pass-filter control. Featuring tap tempo and two rhythmic subdivisions, this compact pedal delivers up when one delay is not enough.

$180 street

fuhrmann.com

NOISE ENGINEERING Batverb


Batverb is the stereo reverb that dreams are made of. Less of a room simulator and more of a tail-generating pedal, Batverb is an instrument in its own right. Batverb sings in any signal chain, with dedicated controls for suboctaves and overtones, saturation, ducking behavior, and more.

$499 street

noiseengineering.us

HOTONE Ampero II


The Ampero II is the latest addition to the Ampero series, a second-generation multi-effects processor that brilliantly combines the iconic stage control of the original Ampero with the power of a new triple-core digital audio processing platform. Plus, a larger, sharper 5-inch dynamic touchscreen and newly designed system UI for smoother, and more intuitive interaction. All while maintaining the compact and lightweight design of the Ampero Series.

$599 street

hotone.com

FUHRMAN Stellar Stereo Reverb


The Fuhrmann Stellar Stereo Reverb pedal delivers a broad range of reverbs, from short early reflections to long, floating tails. Users can seamlessly transition between nine stored reverb scenes with no noticeable delay. Intuitive controls allow for precise adjustments, making it a powerful and user-friendly addition for diverse sonic needs.

$250 street

fuhrmann.com

MR. BLACK DoubleTracker Stereo


The DoubleTracker Stereo delivers lush, organic stereo doubling with adjustable delay, pitch, and spread. Featuring dual isolated paths, intuitive controls, and unique SYNC/COMP modes, it adds depth and dimension to any instrument—perfect for guitar, bass, keys, vocals, and studio work. It’s not chorus. It’s Double Tracking.

$279 street

mrblackpedals.com

ROCK N ROLL RELICS Stinger Overdrive


The Rock N Roll Relics Stinger overdrive has all the mojo of classic, yellow drive pedals, but with tonal refinements to bring it to the modern age. We use NOS construction, as you’ll come to expect with the Stinger Series, which gives it that authentic, ear-pleasing tone we all want.

$289 street

rocknrollrelics.com









Categories: General Interest

“It’s like walking in to a Walmart to see Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads politely sharing Hendrix riffs”: Underrated guitar hero Danny Gatton to be honored with release of first new album in nearly 20 years

Guitar World - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 09:52
Danny Gatton and Funhouse – Live at the Holiday Inn finds the unsung rockabilly maestro tearing through jazz standards from a gig in 1987
Categories: General Interest

"A really clever bit of kit that makes playing along with drum beats an absolute breeze": Singular Sound BeatBuddy 2 review

Guitar World - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 09:40
The BeatBuddy is back with a host of new features that might have you wondering whether it’s finally time to sack your drummer
Categories: General Interest

“There was so much negative feeling from the record company, and our management was worried, we came back full force. There was a lot of passion and anger on that record”: Alex Lifeson on the story behind Rush's longest song

Guitar World - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 09:25
The band’s 1976 record 2112 – which followed the critically panned Caress of Steel – ended up become one of Rush’s most famed albums
Categories: General Interest

"Somebody stole it from the hotel. Then Gibson made another one, and somebody stole that as well! I couldn't believe it": Tony Iommi on the time two of his prized early Gibson SGs went missing

Guitar World - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 09:08
Iommi reminisced about his long-lost Gibsons at an event celebrating the relaunch of the Tony Iommi humbucker
Categories: General Interest

EMG Pickups Announces All New E-Series Bass Pickups

Premier Guitar - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 08:45

EMG Pickups introduces the all-new E-Series lineof active bass pickups. Featuring the commonly used slim soapbar cap design, the E-Series pickups unlock a multitude of bass models for simple, drop-in EMG upgrades.


Unlike any other EMG design, the E-Series pickups feature wide aperture coils withceramic magnets. This potent combination delivers powerful low end while retaining thecutting articulation that the modern bass player requires. Designed with versatility inmind, the E-Series can excel in a wide range of genres and play styles and areavailable in 4, 5, and 6 string sizes. Just like all EMG active pickups, the E-Series arefree from hum and buzz and include solderless wiring kits for DIY installation.

For further tonal shaping, the E-Series pickups are compatible with EMG’s wide rangeof bass EQ’s and accessories, so the possibilities are virtually endless.Unlock the potential of your bass with the EMG E-Series pickups.

Individual E-Series pickups start at $109.00, with sets starting at $209.00.

EMG E4W


https://www.emgpickups.com/bass/e-series/4-string-e-series.html

EMG E5W


https://www.emgpickups.com/bass/e-series/5-string-e-series.html

EMG E6W


https://www.emgpickups.com/bass/e-series/6-string-e-series.html

Categories: General Interest

“I ended up getting three of them. I just fell in love with them”: Steve Vai on the affordable modeling amp that stole his heart

Guitar World - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 08:33
The small-but-mighty modeling amp has become a must-have travel companion
Categories: General Interest

Strymon EC-1 Review

Premier Guitar - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 07:49


Though they are maligned for their fragility, I’d put the Echoplex tape echo up there among the greatest pieces of musical instrument design. They are totally inspiring tools—certainly in terms of their sound, but also for the mechanical means by which one manipulates and mangles tones. These days, several digital sound designers replicate the Echoplex’s warm, hazy, and mysterious sonic fingerprint with startlingly good results. But just like real fingerprints, the sonic signature of every Echoplex is a little bit different, and one of the most interesting facets of the Strymon EC-1 design is the departure point they used for inspiration.


Rather than emulate the familiar and relatively common solid-state EP-3, Strymon used a tube-preamp-driven EP-2 as a launch pad—except that Strymon’s EP-2 was heavily modified by legendary amp man Cesar Diaz. In Strymon’s estimation, Diaz’ modifications added some characteristics of an EP-3 preamp to the EP-2 formula. In my experience (I’ve played EP-2s and EP-3s side by side and used the latter for comparison in this review) that could mean extra headroom or, in the worst cases, comparative brittleness. Strymon, for their part, says Diaz’ mods resulted in a warmer sort of EP-2 sound. Regardless of their design intent, the EC-1 sounds fantastic in many of the ways a great Echoplex might. The haze and degradation in each repeat sound and behave much like magnetic tape, shaving off high and high-mid spectrum detail as the echoes recede, and adding the dreamy, blurry ambience of a Gerhard Richter painting. But the EC-1 also does sound truly warmer than some of its rivals.

Punch and Foggy


The EC-1 features two preamp modes. The default or “amber” mode emulates the modded preamp Strymon discovered in their EP-2. Somewhat paradoxically for a pedal that excels at simulating tape-signal degradation, it gives the pedal a punchy, airy ambience that can make other delays sound flat and one-dimensional. You can also add up to 6dB of boost, and one thing is certain; at these hotter settings the EC-1 is not a tape-delay emulation that will go missing in an ensemble performance. The second “green” preamp mode emulates a stock EP-2, and while it sounded awesome, it felt a little less fun and dimensional—at least after ripping away with the default mode. Both modes sound great with drive and distortion, however. And in the amber mode, the extra detail you hear also makes it feel more sensitive to picking and input dynamics.

As is obligatory in most Echoplex emulations, the EC-1 offers excellent approximations of tape warble, tape wear, and recording input level effects. There is also stereo and MIDI functionality. In terms of price, the EC-1 inhabits an interesting position in a market full of top-performing Echoplex emulators. At $279, it’s $120 less than Universal Audio’s feature-rich Starlight Echo Station, $100 less than Strymon’s own El Capistan, and 80 bucks less than the Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe. There are also excellent options in less expensive ranges, like the standard Belle Epoch ($209), Dunlop’s Echoplex pedal ($199), and UA’s Orion ($169). Though some of them offer more in terms of options and versatility, I’m not sure any of them can better the sounds of the EC-1. And certainly, the EC-1’s default mode offers a unique and exciting twist on EP-2 sounds that, while not vintage-correct in a technical sense, may offer more utility as a delay than the most perfectly executed Echoplex ever could.

Categories: General Interest

“They are owed millions”: Sting sued by Police bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland over lost Every Breath You Take royalties

Guitar.com - Wed, 08/27/2025 - 07:48

[L-R] Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers of The Police

The Police frontman Sting is reportedly being sued by his former bandmates, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, over lost royalties from their biggest hit, Every Breath You Take.

The news is being reported by The Sun, while People has found documents relating to the suit in the London High Court’s database, pertaining to “general commercial contracts and arrangements”.

According to a source, per The Sun, Summers and Copeland are claiming “substantial damages”, saying “they are owed millions in lost royalties”.

The dispute has been ongoing for some time, according to the source. “Lawyers tried repeatedly to reach an out-of-court settlement but hit a stalemate,” they say. “Andy and Stewart decided there was no alternative than court, so [they] pressed the button.”

Sting is named as a defendant in the suit under his real name Gordon Matthew Sumner, as well as his publishing firm, Magnetic Publishing Limited.

According to the Daily Mail, Sting earns around £550,000 per year in royalties from Every Breath You Take alone. And per Guitar World, PRS For Music records state Sting is the sole composer and author of the song.

Formed in 1977, The Police later split in 1984 – before reuniting several times in later years – having sold over 75 million records worldwide. Every Breath You Take is by far their biggest hit, and was the best-selling single of 1983, and fifth best-selling single of the ‘80s overall.

Andy Summers hinted at legal action against Sting back in 2023 over royalties for Every Breath You Take, saying of his contributions to the track: “That song was going in the trash until I played on it.” He later said, apparently of forthcoming legal action: “Watch the press. Let’s see what happens in the next year.”

Also in 2023, Summers admitted he found Every Breath You Take corny at first, saying it felt “a million miles from The Police”.

The post “They are owed millions”: Sting sued by Police bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland over lost Every Breath You Take royalties appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

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