SKB FootNote Amplified Pedalboard

Mar 26,2012
SKB has been manufacturing pedalboards with built-in power supplies, cable testers, and other accoutrements for years—but the FootNote is the first model to include a combo amp. The 5-watt, class A/B amplifier sports Volume, More...

5 Things About Vibrato Bridges

Mar 26,2012
1 They can be powerful performance tools Vibrato bridges—also commonly referred to as “tremolo” bridges due to errant usage of the term by Fender for many years—are a purely mechanical means of temporarily altering More...

ChordBender, FloydUpgrades.com Big Block, and Super-Vee BladeRunner Whammy Systems

Mar 26,2012
They’re called whammy bars, vibrato arms, wang bars, wiggle sticks, and tremolo systems. They have names like Vibrola, Bigsby, and Floyd. They can be floating, locking, or synchronized. They can be many things to many More...

Fifteen 12" Speakers

Mar 23,2012
Many guitar players obsess over their instruments, amps, and effects, but spend a lot less tweak time on the final element in the tone chain—the speaker. We’ve probably all been guilty of copping an attitude of “if it ain’t More...

Think You Dont Need MIDI

Jun 1,2010
MIDI Is Kind of a Four-Letter Word For Most Guitarists. It smacks of non-analog, non-old-school, and non-hip to many, but not me. I’ve used MIDI to control tube amps for years, and this application just might make you rethink More...

Avid Pro Tools 9.0.2 and Mbox

Jul 8,2011
The big recording news at the end of 2010 was the introduction of Pro Tools 9 ($599 retail)—Avid’s response to requests by native Pro Tools users for software that is compatible with non-Avid hardware and includes More...

Keith McMillen Instruments SoftStep MIDI Controller

Jul 12,2011
Whether for operations like choosing patches on early rackmounted multieffects such as the Boss GP-8, or handling synth-guitar presets, guitarists have been using MIDI foot controllers almost as long as MIDI has been around. More...

“Tortoiseshell” vs Faux Turtle Shell Picks

Jul 1,2010
“If I want a really beautiful sound, I’ll use a tortoiseshell pick,” says virtuoso guitarist John Jorgenson. “They give you a lot of volume and a really full tone that’s bright without ever getting harsh.” Problem is, More...

Fractal Audio Systems MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller

Feb 8,2012
The MFC-101 was designed as the ideal foot controller for the Fractal Audio Systems Axe-Fx Standard, Axe-Fx Ultra, and Axe-Fx II Pre-Amp/Effects Processors— or as a highly versatile controller for other MIDI devices. The More...

Wilkinson ATD HT 440 Self-Tuning Bridge

Feb 8,2012
Few things can stop a show dead in its tracks like taking the time to change your tuning. Some upscale players carry a different guitar for each tuning, along with a roadie to keep them in tune, but for most of us this is More...

Grid 1 Pedal Jeanie

Feb 8,2012
We’ve all been there: You hurry to get you gear on stage and hooked up, only to discover that you’ve forgotten the extension cord needed to run power out your pedalboard. Drag-ola, and now you have to bug your bandmates or More...

Trailer Trash Pedalboards 28"x16" Pro Series

Feb 8,2012
Under the hood, things are extraordinarily tidy. Note that the power supplies and EP Booster pedal aremounted to the underside of the board, and that the cabling is bundled and secured with screws every fewinches for maximum More...

Snap Judgments August 2010

Aug 11,2010
ARACOM POWER ROX PRX150-PRO POWER ATTENUATOR By far the largest attenuator we’ve tested, the PRX150-Pro’s Speaker Reactance Thru (SRT) technology helped deliver a satisfyingly balanced tone at reduced volume levels when More...

Guitar Gear Gone Wild! A Guide to All the Stuff You Want in 2012

Apr 19,2012
Those in the know are aware that , every January , the Winter NAMM show brings together hundreds of music-equipment manufacturers hawking their latest products. It’s madness. The never-ending cacophony of guitars, basses, amps, More...

Seymour Duncan Silver Series Zephyr Humbuckers

Apr 16,2012
Seymour Duncan has always innovated, but the Silver Series Zephyr humbucker set ($1,195 retail/$995 street) is easily their most ambitious pickup design yet, featuring bimetallic polepieces and— most obvious—cryogenically More...

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