Wampler Pedals release Low Blow bass overdrive and Latitude Standard Tremolo
The boutique(ish) builder unveils their first bass pedal.
Wampler Pedals have announced two new stompboxes, the Low Blow bass overdrive and Latitude Standard tremolo.
In the works for several years, Wampler's first bass pedal features two clipping modes - Smooth and Jagged. Smooth mode acts as an overdrive with the jagged being more distorted. The addition of a 3 band EQ (Bass, Mids, and Treble) allows a player to have more tonal control no matter what the gig calls for. With the he Notch Filter switch, you can help tighten/clean up common cabinet “woof” without having to turn down.
Check out Wampler's demo of the Low Blow below:
The new Latitude standard has the same “blackface” inspired tremolo as its big brother, the Latitude Deluxe, but in a smaller, stripped down package. This compact trem features the same volume control option as the Latitude Deluxe so your tremolo effect will never get lost in the mix. A constant tremolo speed indicator light, shows exactly where your tremolo will be before you even engage it.
View Wampler's demo of the Latitude Standard below:
Suhr Guitars Sold For $11 Million
The boutique builder has been sold to Avalanche International Corp.
LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwired - June 17, 2015) - Avalanche International, Corp (OTC PINK: AVLP), announced today that it has agreed to purchase JS Technologies, Inc., maker of the world renowned Suhr and other branded musical instruments and electronics for $11 million in stock and cash. The 18-year old U.S. manufacturer of high-end musical instruments and electronics, based in Lake Elsinore, California, has annual revenues of over $10 million with great growth opportunities domestically and worldwide, driven by over 175 dealers in 49 countries and phenomenal brand loyalty and consumer popularity. Suhr is famed for its product craftsmanship, exotic fine woods and unique designs that provide each customer a very personalized experience. Numerous top artists have used and supported the Suhr brand for over a decade. Upon close of this transaction, JS Technologies, Inc. will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company with its own independent management team responsible to its new parent.
John Suhr and Steve Smith, co-founders of JS Technologies, Inc., stated, "We are proud to become a part of the Avalanche International family and look forward to this new chapter in the company's growth. As we pursue our vision, we are committed to provide great instruments and honored to provide such remarkable guitars, musical equipment and components to a very loyal and expanding customer base worldwide. We are proud to be apart of Avalanche International and apart of this incredible legacy."
Avalanche International, Corp., the holding company that specializes in consumer products, signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on June 12, 2015 to purchase all the shares of JS Technologies, Inc. and anticipates the transaction to close over the next several weeks as it finalizes the financing of the acquisition. In connection with the deal, the Company intends to provide new working capital for increased manufacturing capacity and for potential strategic acquisitions that will provide new products, customers and/or distribution globally. The Company will work with its founders and current management through this transitional period as the manufacturer continues business as usual. The Company and JS Technologies is dedicated to maintaining the famous Suhr design, innovation and product quality while expanding consumer choices and service in the future.
Phil Mansour, President and CEO of AVLP, said, "We are very pleased and excited for our shareholders and the Company's future to be acquiring such a high quality product line, management team and state of the art U.S. manufacturing facility. We look forward to providing the necessary resources to help JS Technologies on its mission to expand and grow the company and its products."
Line 6 Announce Helix Multi-Effects Pedal
The new flagship multi-effect features touch sensitive footswitches and a large LCD screen.
Line 6 have unveiled a brand new flagship multi-effects pedal, the Helix. Available as a pedalboard or rack mounted (with optional footswitch), Line 6 claim that the Helix "represents a giant leap forward in guitar processing, as well as a new way of thinking about guitarists and their relationship to technology."
Utilising touch-sensitive footswitches, the Helix allows the player to edit sounds on the fly, without needing to take their hands off the guitar. Each footswitch features a multi-coloured LED ring, and a large LCD screen enables the user to view patch names, effect parameters and the customisable signal chain. Check out a demo of the Helix below:
Expect to see the Helix at the end of summer 2015. Both floor and rack versions have an MSRP of $1499.
J. Rockett Announce Boing Reverb
The Nashville-based brand add to their Tour Series.
J. Rockett Audio Designs have announced the newest addition to their Tour Series lineup. The Boing reverb is a single knob that emulates classic amp reverbs of the past. Simple controls and minimalist design complement a spring reverb that really cuts through the mix.
The Boing has a street price of $159. Find out more at the J. Rockett website.
Win A Bigfoot Engineering King Fuzz
Sign up to the Guitar Nerds mailing list for a chance to win this awesome yellow fuzz.
The good folks at Bigfoot Engineering are giving Guitar Nerds readers the chance to win one of their incredible King Fuzz pedals. Used by the Black Crowes, The Raconteurs and Blur, this yellow box has been has been making some serious waves in the UK and US. Check out Bigfoot's own Rhys Stubbs showing off exactly what the pedal can do:
To win this awesome prize, all you have to do is sign up to the Guitar Nerds mailing list before 9th June 2015. A winner will be picked from the list at random.
Use this handy form to sign up:
Strymon announce DIG Dual Digital Delay
The US company add a versatile 80s style delay to their lineup.
Strymon have announced a brand new dual digital delay pedal, the DIG. With two simultaneous, integrated delays, the DIG offers three different delay characteristics, with one modelled on early '80s adaptive delta modulated delays, one modelling mid-'80s 12 bit pulse code modulation and the third a modern high-resolution 24/96 delay. The two delays can be set to run in series, parallel or ping pong modes and tap tempo is available via an onboard footswitch.
For more information, check the Strymon website.
Maxon Release BD10 Hybrid Bass Driver
A clean/drive blend and two band EQ make the BD10 a bass driver to look out for.
Maxon have announced the BD10 Hybrid Bass Driver. This new model draws on Maxon's 40 years of experience in building overdrive pedals and is aimed squarely at bass players. Drive and clean level controls allow the player to blend in clean signal to retain low end and clarity, and a two band EQ offers a range of driven tones.
Features:
Symmetrical clipping circuit yields heavy yet articulate distortion
Dedicated Clean Level knob with +6 dB max Boost
Dedicated Drive Level knob with +14 dB max Boost
Individual Bass and Treble knobs for precise tonal control
Buffered Bypass Switching
3-Year limited warranty
Made in Japan
For more information, check Maxon's website.
Line 6 Announce AMPLIFi Remote for Apple Watch
Line 6's latest update lets you search for tones using your wrist.
Hot on the heels of the AK Multimedia UltraTuner, Line 6 have announced that their AMPLIFi Remote is now compatible with the Apple Watch. The app, which acts as a controller for the AMPLIFi amps plus desktop and floor units, now allows you to view a tuner, access your preset tones, set master and instrument levels and search for new tones via speech dictation.
For more information, check the Line 6 website.
IK Multimedia Announce UltraTuner for Apple Watch
Accurate tuning with the flick of your wrist...
IK Multimedia have announced that their UltraTuner iOS app is now compatible with the Apple Watch.
The app, which has been available for some time on other Apple devices, provides precision down to .01 of a cent, and claims to be ten times more precise than mechanical strobe tuners. WIth this latest update, users can now use the Apple Watch to display the app's "STAGE" mode or switch to a simpler, note-only, readout.
Music Group Acquires TC Electronic
The Philippines-based company add to a portfolio that already includes Behringer, Bugera and Turbosound.
MUSIC Group has announced their acquisition of TC Electronic. The company, based in Philippines, already owns Bugera, Behringer, Midas, Klark Teknik and Turbosound, and the addition of the TC Group will see them add TC Electronic, TC-Helicon, Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake to their portfolio.
MUSIC Group founder and CEO Uli Behringer commented, "MUSIC Group stands for relentless focus on innovation, business transformation and overall IP creation. Since the acquisition of Midas, Klark Teknik and Turbosound, we have been continuously pursuing brands that complement the mixing console, processing and loudspeaker excellence offered by these historic brands. Throughout our search, TC Group has clearly stood out as the ideal match because of their world-class brands, impressive intellectual property, sterling reputation and first-class team of people. I am very proud to welcome the TC Group team into our family."
TC Group's CEO Anders Fauerskov responded, "We are very honored that during the acquisition process, some of the largest industry players were bidding for TC Group; however we have selected MUSIC Group as they represent the perfect fit in terms of strategic direction, overall synergies and company culture. Our team is thrilled to join MUSIC Group and open a new chapter for TC Group and its prestigious brands. With the incredibly talented people and massive resources of the MUSIC Group behind us, the team is excited to enter a new era of unprecedented innovation and growth."
Earthquaker Devices Launch Levitation Reverb
The pedal wizards team up with Austin's legendary psych festival for a brand new reverb.
The mad scientists at Earthquaker Devices have teamed up with Austin, Texas' Levitation Festival to produce the Levitation reverb. Founded as Austin Psych Fest in 2008, Leviation Festival has become a way to preserve Austin’s psychedelic rock heritage, and with that in mind, Earthquaker have created a variation of the Ghost Echo to honor the reverb-drenched tones of classic psych rock.
With four knobs and a mini-toggle to switch between short and long reverb trails, the Levitation is able of producing everything from small-room slap back tones to reverb drenched infinite spatial oscillations.
Watch Earthquaker's own demo here:
The Levitation ships at the end of May 2015 for around $185.
MUSIKMESSE 2015: Orange Bax Bangeetar Preamp Pedal
The Bax Bangeetar is Orange's first pedal since the 1960s.
For the first time since the 1960s, Orange Amplification have revealed a brand new stompbox. The Bax Bangeetar is a preamp and EQ pedal with a built-in CabSim output for direct recording. Produced in the Orange UK Custom Shop, the Bax Bangeetar is a brand new circuit designed to be used as a pure clean boost or a low gain drive to be used in front of an amplifier. Orange claim that by not using diode clipping the pedal "distorts and behaves just like our amps, with natural-sounding and controllable breakup, and delivers serious punch with no stifling compression."
Available in black or white, the Bax Bangeetar features a parametric EQ, transparent buffered bypass and an internal charge pump that doubles the internal voltage from 9 to 18 volts allowing for a wider dynamic range and higher output volume. The CabSim output models a mic'd up Orange PPC412 and can be used independently or simultaneously to the regular output.
MUSIKMESSE 2015: Boss SY-300 Guitar Synth and PW-3 Wah
The granddaddys of pedals release a compact wah and synth powerhouse.
With Roland mainly focusing on new pro audio tech (and some additions to the Blues Cube lineup), Boss' MUSIKMESSE guitar lineup is slim but rather intriguing. The granddaddys of the pedal market are showing off two brand new products, the SY-300 Guitar Synthesizer and PW-3 Wah Pedal.
The SY-300 is billed as a "true analogue-style synth for guitar" and, crucially, does not require any special pickup to operate. Taking a regular 1/4" jack input, the SY-300 delivers latency free response and comes pre-loaded with 70 ready-to-play patches. It is also compatible with Boss' Tone Studio software, allowing the user to create, edit, store and transfer up to 99 custom patches via the USB. Boss claim that the SY-300 also works with bass, making it a possible competitor for the Mark Bass Super Synth, which uses similar USB edit technology.
The SY-300 is listed at £499.
Boss also unveiled the new PW-3, an all-analogue wah in rugged housing. Designed to save precious pedalboard real estate, the PW-3 has a compact form factor and is build out of die-cast aluminium. Interestingly, the PW-3 also gives you some different sonic options by including Rich and Vintage modes, switchable on the back panel. Rich gives a fuller tone and avoids some of the low end roll-off present with many wahs, while switching to Vintage puts you back in familiar traditional territory.
The PW-3 is listed at £95.
MUSIKMESSE 2015: Marshall Astoria Series
A brand new all-valve series from the UK legend.
British amplification legends Marshall have unveiled a brand new, all valve line. Constructed in the Marshall factory in Bletchley, England, the Astoria range features three all-valve, 30 watt models with each available as a combo or head and matching 1x12 cabinet.
Marshall's website describes the three distinct models:
"The Astoria Classic is a single channel amplifier that will appeal to purists who want loud, clean valve tone, and to boutique pedal enthusiasts who will find it the perfect pure-valve foundation for their sound.
The Astoria Custom is a single channel amplifier for tone seekers who want it vintage but with the convenience of contemporary features and switching: footswitchable valve driven FX Loop, tone shaping pull switches and footswitchable gain boost.
The Astoria Dual, with two footswitchable channels, goes from vintage pure-valve cleans, to dirty-sweet overdrive, to higher gain harmonic distortion. Combine this with footswitchable FX Loop and extended tonal shaping for added performance flexibility."
The boutique styling and UK build make the Astoria series a very promising proposition. With availability listed as Summer 2015, these are certainly an Amp Of The Year contender.
MUSIKMESSE 2015: TC Electronic Ditto Stereo Looper
TC Electronic have announced the Ditto Stereo Looper, an evolution of their wildly successful Ditto Looper. This new iteration adds stereo inputs and outputs, plus an import/export function for getting loops in and out of the pedal for editing or storage on your Mac or PC. Launched alongside the Stereo Ditto, TC's new Star Jam library provides backing tracks from Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Greg Koch and more, all of which can be imported to the pedal via the USB connection.
Top 10 Weirdest Gibson Guitars Ever - PART TWO
Which Gibson is going to make it to the top of our list?
In this video, Mark completes his rundown of the weirdest Gibson guitars ever produced.
Visual Sound Becomes Truetone
The US manufacturer announces name change and new products.
After 20 years of producing high quality guitar pedals, Visual Sound have changed their name to Truetone. In a statement on the company's website, company president Bob Weil explains:
“The name of the company was derived from the first product I invented, Visual Volume;
the volume pedal with a 10 LED scale to indicate volume level. That was the product that
launched Visual Sound at the beginning of 1995. While Visual Volume was the
cornerstone of the company back then, it became a secondary product over the past 20-
years. Now, we are best known for our effects pedals, including Jekyll & Hyde, Route 66
and H2O. In addition, our 1 SPOT power supplies and accessories have become the
industry standard. Our company motto has always been Real Tone for Real People,
which underscores our approach to making reliable, high-quality products, at a fair price.
With this in mind, we feel that our new name, Truetone, clearly states our vision in one
word.”
The site goes on to explain that the first Truetone branded products will be new Jekyll & Hyde V3 Overdrive and Distortion, and the as-yet-unseen 1 Spot Pro power supply.
Line 6 Announce Relay G70 Wireless Guitar System
The Calabasas-based manufacturer expand their digital wireless offering.
In the past few years, Line 6 have been making great strides into the digital wireless market. Their Relay G30 and G50 have become one of the go-to systems for semi-pro and professional guitars since their launch. However, with stiff competition from the like of Shure's GLX16D, the Calabasas-based brand have had to work hard to keep up.
Introducing the Relay G70...
Line 6's latest entry into the Relay series features a receiver packed into a pedal-sized housing, making it perfect for guitarists with an established pedalboard setup, and supports connection to multiple transmitters, allowing for seamless switching between instruments. These instruments can then be routed to two different outputs, meaning that an acoustic instrument could be sent to a PA system and eliminating the need for an A/B switch. At under 1.5 milliseconds, Line 6 claim the G70 to have the lowest latency of any digital wireless system available today.
For more information, check out the Line 6 website.
The Pedal Papers #1 - Ibanez Tone Lok LF-7 Lo Fi
In the first of a new feature series, we look at the Ibanez Tone Lok LF-7 Lo Fi filter pedal.
In this semi-regular feature, the Guitar Nerds give you the lowdown some of weird and wonderful stompboxes from the past.
THE PEDAL PAPERS #1 - IBANEZ TONE LOK LF-7 LO FI
Cast your mind back to 2001. Nu-metal was in full swing, red baseball caps were all the rage and making your guitar sound like a payphone was something that people desperately wanted to do. Step forward, the Ibanez LF-7 Lo Fi...
Released as part of the Tone-Lok series, the LF-7 was essentially a glorified EQ pedal that allowed the user to cut high or low frequencies to simulate telephone effects. Two EQ filters were paired with drive and volume controls on push-push knobs that could be pressed in and recessed inside of the pedal. This unique "Tone-Lok" design was implemented to stop the player from moving the controls with their feet mid-gig.
Not only designed for use with guitar, the LF-7 also featured drum and microphone modes, and Ibanez themselves even described it as being useful in "any mixdown context". Three early adopters of the LF-7 were Dino Cazares of Fear Factory and Head and Munkey of Korn.
While it may not be the most useful pedal in the World, I still think that the LF-7 would be a great addition for a player with a pedal board that already features an EQ for tone shaping and needs the occasional filter effect. If you can find one, they are usually reasonably priced at around £40-60.
To hear the LF-7 in action, check out this demo from Youtuber Tim Diederich: