Over his half century leading King Crimson, Robert Fripp has built a reputation as a steely dictator. But former frontman Jakko Jakszyk says he nearly ruined that image with just one sentence.

A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Jakko got to know Fripp through his musical connections with former King Crimson members. Their friendship eventually resulted in the 2011 album A Scarcity of Miracles , created with British saxophonist and flautist Mel Collins and credited to Jakszyk Fripp & Collins. Jakko joined Fripp's revised King Crimson lineup in 2013, replacing long-standing guitarist Adrian Belew.

But as Jakko tells Classic Album Review, he nearly got off on the wrong foot with Fripp after Classic Rock magazine asked him if he found the band leader difficult to work with.

“I said, 'Look, all you can do is speak as you find,'” Jakko recalled. “And I said, 'I gotta tell you that Robert has been incredibly supportive and encouraging. He hasn't been difficult at all. It's been amazing.'"

“Months went by, and we started rehearsing,” he continued. “In the first week of rehearsal, the magazine in which I did this interview came out. And at the end of one rehearsal, Robert said, 'Jakko, can I have a word, please?'

"And I thought, Oh, fuck…

“He called me over and said, 'Jakko, I just read your interview with Classic Rock magazine.’ I went ‘Right.' He said, 'Yes. In the future, can you stop saying nice things about me? It's ruining my reputation.’”

The exchange may have been tongue in cheek, but it underscores an important point about King Crimson's leader. As Jakko explains, there's a divide between Fripp the character and Fripp the man. "It isn't black and white," he says.

Jakko has also worked with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, who shares a similarly authoritarian reputation. Anderson gave an example of this himself when he recently revealed to Guitar Player that he could only rely on himself to fix "Locomotive Breath" when recording Tull's classic Aqualung record. But here again, Jakko says, his experience differs from the perception.

“It's like all of these things,” he says, “they're much more complicated and nuanced. Sometimes people are arseholes, I get [it]. And sometimes, it says more about the person that’s slagging the other person off than it does that person, too."

He addds, "Robert's a pretty unique bloke. He created his own universe. He lives in a world of his own creation. And some of the things he objects to and doesn't want to tolerate, well that's his thing. Luckily, I've not really been at the sharp end of some of that stuff. I've seen him be, what would he call it? Direct.”

As time goes on, Fripp does seem to be softening his public image, as noted by the successful Sunday Lunch project he created with his wife, Toyah. He even jokingly launched an OnlyFans account for April Fool’s Day.

Still, Fripp's brusqueness remains, as when he said in 2022 that he “doesn’t give a fuck” what King Crimson fans think of his YouTube covers.

While Sunday Lunch remains his priority, he’s given his blessing for former bandmates Belew and Tony Levin to continue flying King Crimson’s flag with Beat.

That tour, which is currently ongoing, sees Steve Vai having to master Fripp’s parts, which he’s talked about in great length. Belew too faced similar challenges when he first joined the band, admitting he only locked in with Fripp after he showed him a new way to hold his pick.

It’s also seen Belew pick up his signature Parker Fly guitar, a MIDI synth guitar he begged Ken Parker and Larry Fishman to make for him.

Boss has announced the first firmware update for its affordable GX-100 floor modeler since its release in 2022.

A slimmed-down version of its flagship GT-1000 multi-effects unit, which is pitched to rival amp modelers like Fender’s Tone Master Pro, the GX-100 has been given “a bevy of enhancements,” to bolster its offering amid fierce competition.

In total the update brings 10 new amps, seven new effects, and some important feature tweaks to GX-100 users, while also improving its partner desktop app.

Suitable for guitar and bass players alike, bassists may get a little more mileage out of the free update with six new amps brought to the table, marrying “vintage classics and modern favorites.”

The Studio Bass, Silver Tube, and Classic Blue amps are models of Markbass' Little Mark III head, a Fender Bassman 100 head, and the Acoustic 360 head, respectively.

The Solid Stack, Fat Tube, and Dark DRV, meanwhile, channel the magic of a Gallien-Krueger 800RB head, an Orange AD200B MKII head, and the Mmicrotubes B7K preamp by Darkglass.

For guitarists, Boss has extracted its “innovative MDP technology” found in its X Series of pedals and instilled them into three new digital amps. Standing for Multi-Dimensional Processing, Boss says the tech optimizes each element of a guitar's sound, including pitch, loudness, and timbre, to retain as much character as possible.

That fancy tech has given extra personality to the trio of new amps it's added to the GT-100, called the X-Ultra, X-Optima, and X-Titan. All high gain amps, seemingly catering more towards metal-inclined players, the Ultra boasts “an extended dynamic response that’s not possible with traditional analog designs.” The Optima is said to sit “perfectly in every mix,” while the Titan focuses on tight articulation in aggressive settings.

The new effects are all replications of classic Boss stompboxes. The SD-1 Super Overdrive and DS-1 Distortion have been added for players wanting a little more grit. There's also a sitar simulator (Sitar Sim), an Auto Wah, and a Feedbacker for generating natural harmonic feedback.

The Slicer and Humanizer effects are the most curious additions. The Slicer chops the instrument signal with different rhythmical patterns, which Boss says is ideal for distinctive tempo-synced backing, and the Humanizer adds vocal vowel sounds to the note attack.

Improvements to the unit itself equate to greater options for the onboard speaker cabinets, and a streamlined workflow. The GX-100 2.0 exhibits its new features via eight newly added presets.

Lastly, the Boss Tone Studio app for MacOS/Windows has also been updated. New features include the ability to download Livesets and share patches with other Boss modeler users.

The GX-100 offers 32 amplifier types with tube amp-like touch and response thanks to Boss' signature Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics (AIRD) wizardry, and over 170 Boss effects.

It comes with a send/return loop to partner it up with external pedals, and a control jack for remote channel switching if used in conjunction with an amp.

Says Boss: “The GX-100 Version 2.0 system program update brings a bevy of new features and enhancements that let you dial in exceptional tones in seconds.”

Head to Boss to learn more about the GX-100 and its update.

Boss’ new SDE-3 Dual Delay pedal condenses the vintage digital personality of the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay into a stompbox primed for pedalboards.

With “comprehensive delay and modulation controls” available with mono and stereo outputs, and some new features, it looks set to be an interesting new addition to the firm’s compact pedal collection.

Entering the market in 1983, the original Roland SDE-3000 quickly became a staple effects unit for its blend of rich analog and digital sounds. Last year, to mark its 40th anniversary, Boss relaunched the unit as the SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH (the latter made in collaboration with EVH Gear), two wide-format, feature-laden pedals.

Here, its tonal character has been further condensed into the standard Boss housing, and bolstered with an Offset function that, its makers promise, “unlocks an array of colorful dual-delay textures.”

In this classic format, a streamlined control panel consists of dials for Level/Depth, Feedback/Rate, and Time/Hi Cut. These sit alongside the all-important Offset dial, “to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays.”

That means a second delay can be layered over the primary effect, differing the SDE-3 from other delay pedals. That leaves doubled, sounded, and timed dual delays to hand (or foot) via tap tempo that is activated with a press and hold of the pedal switch.

“A wide range of tones are available,” says Boss, “from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music.”

As the SDE-3000 proved invaluable on stage and in the studio, Boss is aiming for the same benefits here. Two stereo modes offer discrete left/right delays, and it also comes wielding a panning option for “ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field.”

As such, dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two different amps for wet/dry setups a la Steve Morse. Additionally, the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs.

A TRS MIDI input has been loaded in to sync with clock signals from DAWs, keeping its effects focused and freeing players to focus on their playing when performing live.

There’s also a hold function for on-the-fly-looping, and it can partner up with an expression pedal to allow for more dynamic control of its Level, Feedback, and Time knobs.

The Boss SDE-3 Dual Delay is available today for $219.

Head over to Boss to learn more.

I had my mind blown watching Biréli Lagrène conjure a believable bass tone for lower notes along with a pure guitar tone for the higher register as he played what appeared to be straightforward stuff on the fretboard. How the hell was he doing that? I asked him in an interview earlier this year and his answer also blew my mind. 

“I use a Boss OC-3 Super Octave pedal, on which they have this great trick called Poly mode,” Lagrène told me. “You can set that so it only adds the lower octave effect to the lower notes you play on the fifth and sixth strings, while the top four remain free of the effect. It’s miraculous for a player like myself who loves bass. It’s been around for a while, but many guitar players are unaware that the Super Octave has this option. Suddenly it provides that dimension, and everything becomes bigger.”

Get poly amorous

The OC-3 was the first octave pedal to feature Poly mode, which has been available on all subsequent Boss Octave pedals, including the latest, the OC-5, which I’ve been using. Vintage mode simulates the classic OC-2 and tracks far better for single notes, but it can’t deal with more than one note. To enter Poly mode, flick the Vintage/Poly switch to the right. Octave tones can now be applied to multiple notes, even a chord.

How to apply

To get the best results, make these tweaks. First, be sure the toggle switch on the back face is set to Guitar. Set the four control knobs across the top panel as follows: direct level at noon, +1 Oct hard left, and -1 Oct hard right. The control for -2 Oct/Range is the tricky part in Poly mode, as it adjusts the bandwidth of the -1 Oct effect. The knob’s marker point sets the line of demarcation on a filter that leaves notes above the corresponding frequency pure while it adds lower octaves to those below. 

If you simply want to octave the lowest note in a chord, ping the knob far left. See the little line above the letter “L” that points up to a thicker, curved line covering about 5 to 4 o’clock on the dial? That’s the moneymaker range for splitting your pure guitar tone from the octave bass. 

I usually want notes on the sixth and fifth strings to be the bass. Sometimes I can get that just right, and sometimes I must compromise. Variables include the guitar’s scale length, strings, and pickup type, as well as the technique applied: plectrum or fingerstyle, straightforward or percussive. Sometimes the tracking seems better than others, but the tone is always huge and cool in some way. 

The bass-ics

The easiest thing to do is set range to lowest and strum a full barre, such as in the fifth position for a huge A chord. Next, try hybrid picking, either fingerstyle or with a pick. Pluck down on the root note while pulling up on the top strings with fingers. Move on to some different chords and positions. Experiment with different range settings and chords with a fifth-string root. Finally, try getting a simple bass pattern or walking line going while finger-plucking double- and triple-stops above.

I love percussive slapping for bass, but you must be extra precise because the truer the strike of the note, the better the octave effect will track. 

Your playing affects the effect, which in turn will affect your playing by making you think about the bass and guitar separately, which will help you develop part independence. Plus, it’s just so great to make your own bass parts. Playing solo becomes a duo, and so on.

Hip tip: Use the direct output to send the pure signal to a second amp while the main output becomes dedicated to the octave effect. The best part of being your own bassist is that you can play anything and everything without worrying about what the bass player is going to do. Because now, the bass player is you. 

With the unveiling of the third generation of its best-selling Katana modeling amp series, Boss is promising to “take guitar ambitions to the next level.”

Refreshed with some updated sounds and features, the series features seven amps, comprising 50- and 100-watt combo amps, and two 100-watt heads. 

The first generation of Katanas took the guitar modeling world by storm in 2016, with a second iteration following three years later. In the face of what is now a far more competitive modeling amp market, Boss has taken its time to ensure the third-gen series can elevate its flagship amp line.     

Core enhancements to its Tube Logic technology aim to “enrich the core platform with even greater sound, feel, and response.” 

That sees a new Pushed amp character added to its existing five amp characters – Acoustic, Clean, Crunch, Lead, and Brown. The new channel delivers a touch-sensitive, edge-of-breakup sound akin to the gain of a clean combo driven into harmonic saturation.

This amp architecture, sitting alongside Boss' reactive Class AB power, has helped set the standard for modeling amps by offering tube-inspired sounds in a digital context. That means those sought-after tones can be paired with the benefits of digital amps, including a huge scope of tweakable onboard effects, one-touch memory recall, and variable power control. 

The Katana's five amp characters have all been refined, and include selectable variations, resulting in 12 distinctive and diverse tones. A newly introduced Bloom circuit has been added to several Katana models – notably its high-end models only – revoicing their feel and response. 

There are five onboard effects categories to explore: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay, and Reverb. All effects benefit from refined wizardry from the Boss boffins, and grab-and-go parameter controls, with each effect served up in three different forms.  

Key updates have also been made to the Boss Tone Studio app – available for PC and Mac – to make remote tone tweaking and editing workflows more intuitive. 

The update makes 60 different effect types available to players for detailed customization that cannot be made on the amp alone. 

It's also possible to stream audio from a mobile device and wirelessly edit sounds using the app on iOS and Android when connecting via Bluetooth. It must be noted that a $60 Boss BT-Dual Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adapter needs to be installed to access those capabilities.  

As with previous generations, it’s possible to store Tone Settings, which can be recalled via a single button, with rear-panel jacks supporting footswitch controls and expression pedals. 

All the Gen 3 amps, apart from the Katana-50, are compatible with Boss' stage-ready GA-FC and GA-FC EX Foot Controllers.

The series features two 50-watt combos, each with 1x12 speakers. The Katana-50 Gen 3 is the entry-level model, while the Katana-50 EX offers an upgraded speaker and foot control compatibility.

Of the 100-watt models, the Katana-100 features a 1x12 speaker, and the Katana-100/212 doubles its speaker count. The Katana Head, meanwhile, boasts a Bloom voicing option and a five-inch onboard speaker for low-volume practices. 

The range is completed with the Katana Artist, its flagship combo model, which delivers 100 watts of power, a custom 12-inch Waza speaker, Bloom voicing, and advanced tone tools. As the name suggests, the Katana Artist Head is the head version of the amp. 

The series will be released in stages, with the Katana-50, Katana-100, and Katana-100/212 now available to purchase, starting at $299.99. The rest of the series will be released later this year. 

Head to Boss for more information about the highly-anticipated Katana Gen 3 series. 

Though the series was only introduced in 2016, Boss's Katana amps have quickly risen to the top of the market. Indeed, we rate the Katana 100 MkII as not only one of the best guitar amps under $1,000, but one of the best guitar amps on the market, full stop.

Now, the Japanese firm has taken the Katana series to the next level with the unveiling of the pocket-sized Katana:GO headphone amp.

In Boss's words, the Katana:GO “puts authentic sounds from the stage-class Boss Katana amp series at the instrument’s output jack, paired with wireless music streaming, sound editing, and learning tools on the user’s smartphone,” and delivers “premium sound for everyday playing without the hassle of amps, pedals, and computer interfaces.”

Tone choice-wise, the Katana:GO features an even 10 amp models – among them clean, crunch, and the higher-gain Boss Brown type – along with a trio of bass-specific models. Both the guitar and bass modes provide access to Boss's formidable effects library, with further tweakability available via Boss's Tone Studio app.

Despite its small size, the Katana:GO doesn't slack in the controls department, offering a built-in tuner, a trio of memory bank functions, a “stage feel” control that itself features a trio of modes that allow the user to position the amp's sound in different places in the sound field, “giving the impression of playing with a backline on stage or jamming in a room with friends.”

Features and effects – wah, volume, and memory selection among them – can also be controlled via Boss's V-1-WL Wireless MIDI expression pedal and FS-1-WL wireless footswitch.

The Boss Tone Studio app allows Katana:GO users to create new presets, adjust preset memories, or import Tone Setting memories straight from full-size Katana amps, with more sounds accessible via access to the Boss Tone Exchange.

The app also gives users the ability to stream YouTube clips, and build loop sections, songlists, and set timestamps to have the amp switch memories automatically while playing with YouTube backing tracks.

The Boss Katana:GO features a rechargeable battery that boasts up to five hours of continuous playing time. It's set for a full release later this month, and will retail for $119.

For more info, visit Boss.

Amid all the exotic, vintage bucket-brigade delays and germanium-transistor fuzzes that qualify as classic pedals, one humble three-knob overdrive has been doing the job for 42 years with little romance or acclaim, and probably juicing the tones of more rigs and recordings than any other single pedal on the planet. 

Introduced in 1981, the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive represented the OD pedal come of age — a just-right circuit for guitarists requiring pushed-amp tone in situations where an amp can’t easily be pushed, or providing just a little poke to take a lead from satisfactory to luscious.

Worth exploring in and of itself, the SD-1 is also worth considering in light of the many boutique and vintage reissue overdrives that cost two, three or even four times the price. For all the countless pedals that have made attaining a natural, tube-like overdriven amp tone their MO (many of which have been based closely or roughly on the SD-1 itself, or on its Ibanez rival, the Tube Screamer), this simple Boss pedal just gets the job done, and in a way that still comes as a breath of fresh air to many 21st century guitarists now discovering its charms for themselves.

Parent company Roland was making inroads in the effects market in the early to mid ’70s before the Boss lineup came along. The first promising sign came with the release of the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble under the Boss brand in 1976. Just a year later, the company hit the scene in a big way with what was arguably the most modern-leaning and thoughtfully designed pedal range on the market at the time. 

Forever after known as the “compact pedal series,” these brightly colored units displayed a number of next-gen performance features: a big and unmissable stomp switch that covered two-thirds of the pedal’s top and doubled as a hinged battery door with thumbscrew access, an LED indicator and a quality buffered bypass.

It says a lot that the pedals have never gone out of fashion. With all the esoteric, small-shop, hand-wired pedals on the market today, Boss pedals appear on more professional boards than those of any other single maker out there, and tens of millions have been sold since the range was launched in 1977. 

Along with the PH-1 Phaser and SP-1 Spectrum (kind of an enhancer and parametricEQ combined), the OD-1 OverDrive was among the first three pedals in the range, and it is commonly acknowledged as the first-ever overdrive pedal, a notion that might be difficult to grasp amid the glut of such effects today. (The Maxon/Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer didn’t hit the street until 1979.) 

This debutante of drive won plenty of fans and proved a revelation for those trying to achieve edge-of-breakup tone into a relatively clean amp, but it also had its limitations. 

Taking the concept further, Boss brought out the SD-1 Super OverDrive in 1981, refining the circuit for more gain and aggression and adding a tone knob to the existing two-knob complement of drive and level. 

What had been billed as a “soft overdrive” with the SD-1 was now something a little closer to distortion by the standards of 1981, if not today. The original OD-1 was discontinued in 1985 but has since been reissued.

The adjectives smooth, sweet and symmetrical might appear to be inherent positives when guitar tone is discussed, but many players have long been aware that a slight asymmetricality in a tube amp’s response, induced when slightly mismatched output tubes amplify each side of the sound wave a little differently, can enhance character and cutting power.

The SD-1 goes there by design. By using an unequal number of diodes in its positive and negative clipping rails — two in one, one in the other — the SD-1 induces asymmetrical clipping relatively early in the signal chain, producing a slightly jagged, granular drive tone that slices through the mix and really perks up the ear. 

Aided by the enhanced harmonic overtones of the circuit and an appealing level of saturation in general, it’s a pedal that’s easy to love. Into a tube amp set clean-ish or just past the edge of overdrive, the SD-1 can evoke an instant rock vibe or provide the perfect solo gain and voicing boost.

Into a heavier amp, such as the Marshall JCM800, which the SD-1 frequently accompanied in the ’80s, it can help to eviscerate the roll and take your tone totally rock. 

Players who have leaned on the SD-1 are almost too numerous to mention, but their range — from Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Josh Homme and Kirk Hammett to Robert Smith, Mark Knopfler, Prince and The Edge — goes a long way toward declaring its versatility. The SD-1 has remained in production ever since it’s release.

In 2015, the SD-1w Waza Craft version joined the lineup, offering a voicing switch to flip between Standard and Custom, and in 2021 Boss released a 40th Anniversary SD-1 in a black finish. 

Meanwhile, original examples from the early ’80s have attained a certain collectability, but they’re plentiful enough that prices are nowhere near those of many other iconic pedals of the era.

Essential ingredients

• All-analog circuit 
• Asymmetrical clipping diodes 
• Pale-yellow enclosure 
• Timeless Boss compact pedal format

For more info on Boss pedals and other items, please visit the official website

Amazon Prime Day deals are coming around once again, and that means big price drops on popular products from leading brands and that's music to our ears. The online retail giant has just launched their Prime Big Deals Days event, which runs from 10th-11th October, and thankfully it includes some tasty discounts on musical goodies well ahead of the Black Friday guitar deals landing next month. 

Now, we’ll be the first to admit that we were ready to write off this sales event, expecting money off toasters and smart home devices but nothing for guitar players. Luckily, that’s not the case as you can score sizable discounts on a range of Roland and Boss products. 

The Boss Katana-50 MkII EX is arguably one of the most respected practice amps of the last few years. Loaded with world-famous effects, leading amp models and a trio of power settings, this really is one of the best practice solutions on the market. Right now you can save 15% at Amazon.

Pedal fanatics will be glad to see a couple of Boss compact pedals amongst the sales items, with the BC-1X bass compressor and CP-1X compressor receiving 15% off for a limited time. 

Of course, there is plenty more available with digital pianos, synths and drum kits all included so we encourage you to take a look for yourself. 

“I’m not a rock star type; I’m a support musician,” begins Kevin Armstrong. “It’s about enjoying the whole thing and trying to bring something valuable to it. That’s why I’ve managed to survive this long, I guess.”

Kevin Armstrong may not be a household name, but the “sideman to rock royalty” has lent his talents to the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop whom he served as bandleader, not to mention Morrissey, Paul McCartney and Grace Jones.

Hailing from London’s punk/pub-rock scene, the self-taught guitarist and solo artist signed to EMI in the early 1980s, although his musical career took an unexpected turn when he received a call from the firm’s A&R man Hugh Stanley-Clarke asking him to attend a session at Abbey Road for a “mystery artist.”

The unnamed musician turned out to be none other than David Bowie, and during that afternoon’s session they developed a lasting rapport that saw Kevin later appear onstage at the historic 1985 Live Aid performance. Bowie then introduced Kevin to his friend Iggy Pop who promptly recruited the guitarist for his 1986 album Blah Blah Blah.

Beyond his association with David Bowie and Iggy Pop, Kevin has also had the pleasure of working with such legends as Sinéad O’Connor, Thomas Dolby and Brian Eno. Now, with over four decades' experience at the frontline of the music business, he is sharing some of his hard-earned wisdom about what it takes to survive in his new book, Absolute Beginner: Memoirs of the World's Best Least-Known Guitarist.

Guitar Player caught up with Kevin who gave us a rundown of his current rig before dishing out some essential advice for fellow guitarists.

How do you keep your chops up between gigs? Do you practice a lot?

“I just play free every day. I’m sure a lot of virtuosic musicians would say I waste my time, but it’s about the connection with the instrument and keeping my chops up. As you get older, if you don’t play for four or five weeks you can lose things physically. Or mentally, even. So I make sure I switch on an amp and play for a couple of hours a day. Even if I’m playing the same s**t I’ve always played, I just need to keep the connection going.”

Is there such a thing as too much practice?

“I have an array of electric guitars, plus amps and a pedalboard always ready to go, but I don’t think it’s good to become so obsessed with practicing guitar that you’re not relating to real life. But there’s a big spectrum of guitar players. You’ve got Keith Richards at one end and guitarists like Yngwie Malmsteen at the other. All of it’s valid. Whether you enjoy the sound of technical virtuosity or the sound of someone struggling manfully with one note, it says something if their whole life has gone into it.”

Having instant, easy access to your gear can make things so much easier…

"I just need to be able to pick something up and plug in straight away. I also have mics and recording equipment set up at all times. I didn’t always, however. And I would waste half a day hunting for a plectrum. But now I keep my gear to hand so I can always have an easy connection with it. If I wake up at two o’clock in the morning with an idea, I like to be able to noodle away immediately. Even if it’s just a Strymon Iridium and headphones.”

What amps do you prefer to use?

“The digital stuff is clever and convenient and a great way forward for some people, but I love my Hamstead Artist 60 tube amps. I met Peter Hamstead a long while back when he first started making amps and I’ve used them ever since. They also make nice pedals. I gave a Hamstead overdrive to Josh Homme.”

What pedals do you currently use and has it changed much over the years?

“Effects pedals have been a labor of love. I used mostly Boss pedals with Bowie and Iggy as a session man in the ‘80s. I had one of those plastic molded [BCB-6] Boss pedalboards and used a Boss Digital Delay, an overdrive, a compressor and some others. I also like the green [Boss PN-2 Tremolo/Pan] which is a very good stereo and tremolo effect.

“It’s only in the last 20 years that I’ve become a pedal geek. In fact, I’ve just had a new pedalboard built by Daniel Steinhardt’s the GigRig. My old ‘board was much bigger and heavier and the new one is about half the size in terms of real estate, which suits me better.”

What’s on your new pedalboard?

“It has a GigRig G3 Atom [switching system]. There’s a Wampler Tumnus Deluxe which is a Klon-type pedal, an Xotic EP-Booster and a Fulltone OCD for a little more saturation. In my one-man shows, I also use a Boss OC-2 [Octave] (which is a very clean octave pedal and nice for making basslines) and a Boss RC-30 Loop Station.” [Kevin’s new GigRig pedalboard also features the MXR M109 Six Band EQ, plus Strymon’s BigSky reverb, TimeLine delay and Mobius modulation units]

What guitars do you use?

“For most of the famous things I’ve been involved with I’ve used my 1954 Blackguard Fender Telecaster. It’s player grade because it’s got different tuners and the pickups are rewound, but it’s just a very nice Tele.

“When it became more difficult to transport guitars on airplanes, I bought a mid ‘00s ’52 RI Tele for about a thousand quid and spent another few hundred customizing it. It has a Seymour Duncan humbucker with a coil split switch (so you can switch between a single- and double-coil) and Trevor Wilkinson compensated saddles. That’s a nice Tele too. It’s starting to get some age and stank on it now because I play it a lot.

“I’ve also got a Gibson Custom Shop R8 [1958 Les Paul Standard reissue] which is nice. I’ve tried to make average ones into good ones in the past by swapping out pickups, but in the end, I wanted one with no weight relief and that had all the Custom Shop touches like hide glue and all that good stuff. These ‘58s can have chunky necks but I don’t mind that at all as I have big hands.

“I also have an Ernie Ball Music Man [Armada MM90] which I’ve used with Iggy Pop a lot. That’s a one-piece through-neck design with P-90s, which is pretty interesting. And I have an American Stratocaster that I’ve modded with Seymour Duncan pickups and a Trev Wilkinson bridge. I stripped the black finish off. It’s just a good workhorse Strat that I can carry on modding if I need to.”

Kevin Armstrong’s Top Tips for Guitarists

• Turn up on time reasonably sober and smelling good.
• Communicate. Start a WhatsApp group and use it.
• Learn the songs before you get to rehearsal. (I’ve actually met people who don’t do that!)
• Help others load and unload their gear. As opposed to the singer who says, “I’d like to help you with that but I’ve got a hole in my arse."
• Make sure your gear works and bring all your own cables, picks, strings, batteries et cetera. I can’t count the number of times I’ve turned up with professional guitarists who badger the soundman for a cable. You know, have one in your bag!
• If you’re the bandleader, listen. Also, if you’re not the bandleader, listen. Sometimes, the best way you can contribute to the music is by shutting the f**k up.
• Don’t upstage or play louder than the singer. When it’s your solo, turn it up! I’ve seen both of these things: guitarists who overpower the singer all the time, and guitarists who aren’t loud enough when it’s their solo.
• Don’t overplay. Nobody cares about your amazing technique but you.
• Enjoy it – it’s only music.
• Keep some money in your pocket for some lunch and enough for the c**t who’s forgotten.
• Don’t get fu**ed up until after the gig. I don’t have any position to take about people getting fu**ed up, as long as it’s not before the gig.
• Roadies and techs are people. Love them and they will love you back.
• Don’t be a twat to other bands – give respect.
• Dress sharp.

Read these tips and more in Kevin’s new book, Absolute Beginner: Memoirs of the World's Best Least-Known Guitarist.

Order Kevin’s 2019 solo album, Run, here.

Catch Kevin on the Lust For Life tour featuring fellow Iggy Pop band members Glen Matlock (the Sex Pistols) and Clem Burke (Blondie), plus Katie Puckrik (Pet Shop Boys, Sparks), Luis Correia (Earl Slick) and Florence Sabeva (Heaven 17).

Visit the Kevin Armstrong website for more information.

While there are plenty of great pickup systems out there, most players will agree the natural sound of an acoustic guitar is best captured in a studio environment using top-quality microphones. And as anybody who has ever recorded acoustic guitar knows, microphone placement is crucial.

Done well, the results can be stunningly good. But recreating the same thing on stage is a different beast. Battling with volume and feedback while attempting to retain the guitar’s natural tone can be difficult and often leads to compromises.

So wouldn’t it be great if you could just plug in and instantly get those lush stereo sounds you heard in the studio?

The new Boss AC-22LX acoustic guitar amp is designed just for that. Whether practicing, performing or recording, this 10-watt 2x5 combo recreates those classy studio sonics while offering a plethora of other exciting options such as a built-in looper, customizable Rhythm Box, reverb and chorus effects, XLR mic input, and EQ.

A revolutionary approach in acoustic guitar amplification, the AC-22LX features a variety of modes offering super-realistic and immersive microphone placement simulations.

With their open, airy sound, these Air Feel options recreate tried-and-tested methods used by professional studio engineers for decades, including the XY, AB, ORTF, and mid-side microphone techniques.

Utilizing advanced spatial technology, the Boss AC-22LX’s Air Feel modes take a dull, dry pickup signal and instantly transform it into a world-class stereo sound.

Handling a variety of playing techniques from gentle fingerstyle to heavily strummed chord work, the AC-22LX delivers clear, pristine tones while retaining the character and nuances of your instrument and performance.

Sporting 1/4-inch mono and stereo line outs, users can directly hook up the AC-22LX to front-of-house, an audio interface/recorder, or a livestreaming device, all while taking advantage of the Air Feel’s spacious sound.

A further 1/4-inch rear-panel jack supports up to two footswitches for access to rhythm start/stop and control of the onboard looper. Other functions can be assigned using the AC-22LX Editor app (macOS/Windows/iOS/Android) such as the ability to change reverb types, effect parameters, and more.

In terms of digital connectivity, the AC-22LX’s USB section offers a handy Loopback function for monitoring sounds from a computer, while Bluetooth support is included by way of a Boss BT-Dual Adaptor.

Visit Boss for more information.

Boss has unveiled the latest addition to its decades-old ME multi-effects range. Touted as “the most advanced ME model to date,” the new ME-90 Guitar Multiple Effects offers 24-bit AD/DA and 32-bit floating point processing along with Boss's AIRD (Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics) technology.

These impressive tube amp-style models are derived from Boss’s flagship GT-1000 Guitar Effects Processor, as are the ME-90’s expansive choice of effects. Comprising seven distinct sections – namely, Preamp, EQ/FX2, Reverb, Comp/FX1, OD/DS, Mod and Delay – the unit allows guitarists to store their favorite settings across 36 patches using an intuitive, hands-on interface that is reminiscent of a pedalboard.

The ME-90 boasts eleven Preamp selections augmented by standard guitar amp knobs (gain, treble, middle, bass and level). A variety of amp sounds from clean to heavily saturated can be selected along with classic Vox-, Marshall-, and Fender-style tones.

There are 60 effect types in total, and Boss says users are able to access over 20 more using their Tone Studio software (available for macOS and Windows).

Reverbs range from Room to Hall to Spring, while the OD/DS (overdrive/distortion) palette includes some familiar Boss dirtbox favorites like Blues OD, Distortion and Turbo DS in addition to classics such as T-Scream, Rat DS and Muff Fuzz.

Elsewhere, Boss has leaned further into its rich legacy of guitar effects with the Slow Gear, T. Wah Up, and Octave in the Comp/FX1 section (also contains a Compressor). Mod (modulation) effects include Vibrato, Chorus, Tremolo, Flanger and Phaser while the Delay section is adequately loaded with choices such as Reverse, Tape and Tera Echo.

Foot switches provide a variety of functions across two modes, Manual and Memory. The mode can be selected using the switch positioned in the upper row on the far right (this switch also activates the ME-90’s handy tuner function when held down).

In Manual mode, foot switches can be used to turn the effects (COMP, OD/DS, MOD, DELAY, AMP, EQ, and REV) on and off, much like you would when using individual stompboxes on a pedalboard.

In Memory mode, users can move up and down banks while selecting patches (four per bank). Additionally in this mode, a foot switch labelled CTL allows multiple effects to be turned on and off simultaneously. CTL can also be set to instantly switch the value of a specified parameter.

Priced $349.99, the Boss ME-90 is available now.

Visit Boss for more information.

One of my standout New York City experiences was sitting right next to the stage at the Village Vanguard, just a few feet away from Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano and Paul Motian while they played their set.

I’d found myself there through serendipitous circumstances. The night before, Bill had come to hear me play at the Living Room. During a break, I heard he might need an amp for his Vanguard gig the next night. I immediately offered my amp to Bill, one of the all-time great guitarists and a super-nice person.

I can’t recall if he ended up using my amp, but either way, he put me on the guest list with a seat at the coveted table next to the band. I could’ve reached out and touched Bill’s guitar.

What I was about to witness was a performance I’ve never forgotten. The players exhibited a telepathic communicative chemistry. It wasn’t jazz; it wasn’t free music. It was simply amazing and beautiful. All the time, their music transcended musical category.

I might say Motian, Lovano and Frisell were the greatest trio I’ve ever heard. All this is evident on Motian’s On Broadway Vol. 1, which features the late drummer with Bill, Joe and the great Charlie Haden on bass.

Released in 1989, On Broadway was recorded the year before, when Frisell’s rig included a Boss Compressor, probably a DeArmond volume pedal and a Boss DD-2 Digital Delay, giving him an almost pedal-steel sound. His lines and chord voicings would majestically flow in and out, creating an ethereal, innovative sound.

Frisell is a musical alchemist. Lovano’s saxophone lines could lead the pack, or follow intuitively while playing reactively to almost every musical statement Motian and Frisell testify. One feels like they are listening to a small community, or a sound collage of a town hall meeting.

Paul Motian was the musical chieftain, playing rhythms that were more like ancient, tribal musical statements. Even when his rhythms are delightfully herky-jerky, they remain poignant, and honest.

Paul Motian was a genius. It would be difficult to name my favorite tracks from On Broadway, since each of the nine is vital and a continuation of a larger picture.

“Liza” has a Lovano-Frisell unison that sounds almost futuristic, going quickly into a classic Motian drum break before Joe and Bill shred creatively.

“Over the Rainbow” is simply a masterpiece, while “They Didn’t Believe Me” is the trio’s midtempo sweet spot, redefining traditional Jazz with personal-sounding harmonic choices.

“What Is This Thing Called Love” sounds cutting-edge modern while feeling introspective. It swings hard, yet lilts drippingly.

Cole Porter’s “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” has a bossa feel with traditional folk music changes that Frisell, Lovano, Haden and Motian bring to an amazing place. It’s a marvel to hear.

“Last Night When We Were Young” is beautiful beyond words, and “I Concentrate on You,” “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Still in Love” are all equally timeless performances that seem like synchronized parts in a continuing opus.

Sometimes when listening to contemporary jazz with a narrow “rule book,” I feel like a dutiful listener. I appreciate the craftsmanship, but it doesn’t hit my heart. Paul Motian On Broadway Vol. 1 is music that was very easy for me to fall in love with.

After the trio played their set, I tagged along with the group to the Green Room. I thought Paul, Joe and Bill might revisit the set and pick things apart. The only single commentary I heard was from Paul, who looked at Bill and said, “You’re too much!”

On nights like that I feel that everything is all right. Thank you Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano and Paul Motian.

On this day in 1984, Prince released his iconic soundtrack LP Purple Rain. This era-defining R&B funk-pop rocker soon hit the Billboard 200 top spot and remained in the charts for well over two years. The artist’s sixth studio effort is one of the best-selling albums of all time and spawned several top-ten singles, including "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy" (both number-one smashes), “I Would Die 4 U” and “Purple Rain.”

As Billboard noted: “In 1984, there was only one man in America more popular than Ronald Reagan. His name was Prince, and he was funky.”

Prince has graced the cover of Guitar Player for two exclusive interviews: once in January 2000 and again in July 2004. On both occasions he was interviewed by GP senior editor Art Thompson. 

Here, we take a look at The Artist’s insightful interview from 2000, shortly after the release of the Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic album in November 1999.

The following was originally published in the January 2000 issue of Guitar Player…

The Artist looks wizard-like in the soft glow of Paisley Park’s Studio A. Clad in red satin and seated behind the mammoth SSL console, he cues up some cuts from his new album, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. “There’s guitar madness all over this,” he warns, firing up the title track at ear-splitting volume. Destined to be one of the album’s sing-along hits, it features grinding guitar work and a lead melody that sounds as if a snake charmer is playing through a pair of flanged Marshalls.

“I recorded that in 1988,” he quips, pulling down the volume. “It has two guitars going through Leslies. One was the Auerswald [the custom symbol guitar shaped like his unpronounceable name]. It’s made of one piece of wood – and doesn’t have much guts – but if you crank it, it sounds like a car is running over it!”

The preview continues. On “So Far, So Pleased” and “Baby Knows,” I’m pinned to my chair by hurricane-force guitars over pounding rhythms. On “Tangerine,” The Artist deftly picks fingerstyle acoustic over a trippy kick and fretless-bass figure. As the songs unfold, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic proves to be full of contrasts and revivals for the 41-year-old Artist Formerly Known As Prince. 

It’s the hardest-edged guitar record he has ever made, he performed all of the tracks by himself (something he hasn’t done since the 1982 smash 1999), and it’s his first major-label release since he jettisoned his Warner Bros. contract in 1995 (which involved legally changing his name to a symbol).

There’s more: Production credit on the new album goes to the now returned Prince (apparently The Artist’s fave producer), and there are cameo performances by Sheryl Crow, Ani DiFranco, Chuck D, Gwen Stefani, and Maceo Parker. Explaining why his former personality nixed guest appearances, The Artist revealed, “I’m competitive, and I’ve definitely let my ego control me. But I’ve discovered that when it comes to music, ego has to sit down.” Rave punctuates this collaborative spirit with a cover of Crow’s “Everyday Is a Winding Road” – a track that finds The Artist riffing over hip-hop beats with a stinging attack worthy of Albert King.

Is the notoriously sly funkster really the “brand new kid” he now claims to be? Perhaps. After all, a lot has changed in his world over the last few years. The split with Warner initiated a four-year span in which his only major-label affiliation was a distribution deal with EMI for the album Emancipation. Subsequent releases on his own NPG label – including the five-disc Crystal Ball (which sold more than 250,000 copies at $50 a pop), the EP The New Master (which features seven fresh versions of the hit) and the New Power Generation album Newpower Soul – have been marketed via the Internet.

By all accounts, The Artist has been successful at managing his own affairs. In fact, he talks of owning his masters (the original recordings) with the zeal of someone who’s discovered the secret of eternal youth. But with all the complexities of running an operation the size of Paisley Park, who could blame him for inking a saccharine-sweet deal with a major record company and getting back to doing what he does best – writing and producing cutting-edge funk-rock, and playing awfully good guitar.

As if to underscore this last point, The Artist played a video clip from a recent live performance that showed him shredding like a madman. When the solo ended, he flicked off the VCR and said with a grin, “I just wanted you to see that I can do it live, too.”

Why did you decide to play the majority of instruments on Rave?

I had always planned to revisit my sound. This year felt like the time to do it.

You mentioned coming full circle with your guitar playing. What is exciting you most about guitar now?

Habibe [a custom Schecter guitar], and the doors that metal has opened for harder-edged records.

Do you conceive songs and arrangements in their entirety, or do you play around with the music and lyrics until you get what you want?

I always know what the whole thing is going to sound like. It’s all in here [taps his head], but it’s here, too [points at the console].

Recording hardware is part of the songwriting process?

I use punch-ins and spot-erasing as a compositional style – that’s how I build and edit arrangements and performances. I’m quick enough with the Record button that I can shave a letter off a word. But that’s because I’ve been doing it for 20 years.

How do you create rhythm tracks?

I generally build my tracks one at a time, but sometimes I use the band to get the rhythm down. In a way, it’s more fun to get it out of people. You know, an idea is still yours even if you give it to someone.

Is it easier for you to play all the instruments?

It’s not easier, but when I play all the instruments I’m not as greedy. I’m more greedy when we play live. [laughs]

I like your solo on “Baby Knows.”

I tried to go after Chuck Berry for that one. I think I used my Tele through a small amp. Sheryl Crow played harp on that song – she nailed it in one take.

Who’s playing guitar on “I Love You, But I Don’t Trust You Anymore”?

That’s Ani DiFranco. I showed her the chords to the song, but I didn’t tell her how it actually went. If I’d told her too much, then silence wouldn’t have been one of the sounds.

How did you get such a massive tone on “So Far, So Pleased”?

I ran my guitar through a Boss Vibrato and Flanger. The octave and delay effects are from the Zoom 9030.

Do you double your guitar lines?

A lot of times, I’ll sample a guitar that I’ve recorded, and then overdub the same part with a keyboard. The attack of the keyboard gives guitar lines more impact and punch.

Did you do that on “Man O’ War”?

Yeah. I also had my Cry Baby cracked halfway open for that one.

Do you have any special ways of recording acoustic guitar?

Sometimes I record the guitar and vocals live – just sitting here at the console. That’s how I recorded The Truth [the acoustic-only disc on Crystal Ball].

Speaking of Crystal Ball, how did you get that eerie lead tone in “Animal Kingdom” and the incredible rhythm guitar sound in “Da Bang”?

If I told you, you’d have to die.

Are you still playing the Cloud guitar?

Yeah, but it’s painted blue now.

Who built that guitar?

It was made by David Rusan.

Do some instruments have a more spiritual vibe than others?

I’m spiritual by nature, and I appreciate the time it took someone to make an instrument. It doesn’t matter if it’s a guitar or a synthesizer, someone still had to take the time to make it.

What’s one of the most important qualities for a musician to have?

You have to respect your spiritual base. You have to respect the instrument. The volume and tone of an instrument is so important.

You’ve recently produced albums by Chaka Khan and Larry Graham. Are there any guitarists that you’d like to produce?

Carlos Santana. I love his playing – especially on his early albums.

What guitarists have most influenced your funk rhythm style?

Sonny T. [one of the early members of The Artist’s backup band, New Power Generation], Freddie Stone [Sly Stone’s brother], and Tony Maiden [of Rufus].

How do you create such freedom in your songs without sacrificing the groove?

God gives you everything, and one of those things is freedom.

Following up the release of the RE-202 Space Echo and SDE-3000D/SDE-3000EVH units, guitar effects pioneer Boss has unveiled their latest big-box delay, the DM-101 Delay Machine.

Billed as “the ultimate analog delay pedal” this smorgasbord of echo is packed with 12 distinctive modes that include complex stereo effects, old school delay sounds, rhythmic patterns, expansive modulation and more (see below for a detailed list).

In addition to the standard delay parameters of Delay Time, Intensity (feedback) and Delay Volume, the unit boasts modulation Rate and Depth controls along with a multi-function/mode-dependent Variation knob.

A trio of stomp switches allow bypass (effect tail optional), memory/preset selection, and tap tempo. Up to four presets can be chosen using the switch, although this is expandable up to 127 if using an external MIDI device. Nine tap division options comprise half-, quarter- and eighth-note selections (each with dotted and triplet choices).

Here’ a rundown of each of the DM-101 Delay Machine’s six mono modes…

• Classic Up to a whopping 1200ms of classic analog delay with tape-like wow and flutter-style modulation controlled by a generous range of waveforms
• Vintage Simulates the singular tone of the legendary Boss DM-2 Delay (now available as the DM-2w Delay in Boss’s Waza Craft series). Delay time settings range from 10-300ms and, as per the Classic setting, a variety of waveforms modulate the signal for a more complex sound
• Modern While the Classic and Vintage modes offer traditional warm analog delays, the Modern setting provides clear, sparkling repeats ranging from 40-840ms. As above, modulation can be controlled using the Variation knob
• Multi-Head Reminiscent of Space Echo effects, albeit with an idiosyncratic BBD flavor, this setting allows 10 selectable variations of multi-head tape-style delay
• Non-Linear Produces an interesting reverse-style effect via a series of short delays that increase in volume consecutively. Can be adjusted from 35-190ms using the Variation knob
• Ambience Great for some short reflections that mimic the sound of a smaller space

The remaining six modes exploit the DM-101 Delay Machine’s powerful stereo function. These include…

• Reflect Produces a reverb-like stereo sound (adjustable from 90-320ms) with a pre-delay parameter ranging from 40–290ms courtesy of the Variation knob
• Doubling+Delay This setting is like having two analog delays in your chain; one creates a doubling effect (10–20ms) while the other adds distinct repeats in a similar range to the DM-2 (10–310ms)
• Wide Whether used subtly with short delay times (min 25ms) or more overtly using longer delay times (max 590ms), this setting produces a rich, expanded stereo image. Great for mixing and dual amp setups
• Dual Mod Adjustable between 110-600ms, this unique setting is described as a “stereo delay with different modulation phase settings on the left and right outputs.” In this mode, the Variation knob adjusts the stereo output phase amount (up to fully inverted)
• Pan Ranging from 20-450ms, this tap delay outputs repeats with different timings at the stereo jacks (labeled “A/Mono” and “B”)
• Pattern Using the Variation knob, ten different stereo delays can be chosen, each with a unique rhythmic pattern

The latest guitar effects unit from Boss proves the Japanese brand is committed to moving the industry forward with exciting new products while leaning into their rich heritage of innovation.

Taking inspiration from their first delay unit, the DM-1 Delay Machine launched in 1978, the DM-101 features a similar form factor and color scheme. However, unlike their latest offering that showcases eight bucket-brigade device (BBD) microchips, the DM-1 was based on charge-coupled device (CCD) technology.

Appearing in 1981, the DM-2 Delay employed a BBD circuit and became a bona fide vintage classic of Boss’s compact pedal range that debuted in 1977 with the SP-1 Spectrum, PH-1 Phaser and OD-1 Over Drive.

The DM-2 Delay was supplanted by the DM-3 in 1984 following the release of the groundbreaking DD-2 Digital Delay compact pedal (the world’s first digital delay in pedal form). While digital delay continues to inspire, many guitarists enjoy the classic tones of analog delay.

Marrying the time-honored sounds of BBD circuit design with the modern flexibility of CPU control, the Boss DM-101 Delay Machine makes the best of both the analog and digital worlds while setting a new benchmark in stompbox design.

Visit Boss for more information.

The 1970s was a boom time for gear innovation and evolution, during which modulation pedals, in particular, advanced by leaps and bounds. Boss, who would become one of the era’s long-running effects makers, bowed in 1976 with the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, the most legendary and lushest-sounding chorus pedal.

But before Boss was Boss, parent company Roland delivered one of its earliest effects pedals with 1974’s AP-5 Phaser, followed in ’75 by the wild and wonderful Jet Phaser AP-7, featured here.

The phrase “greater than the sum of its parts” certainly describes the Jet Phaser. It combined a fuzz-like gain stage with a phaser – in that order – to create a sound attainable from nothing else, unless you include latter-day copies of the AP-7 circuit. Prior to its arrival, many guitarists placed their phase pedals before their fuzz, for a more subtle distortion effect.

With the Jet Phaser, Roland put the fuzz circuit ahead of the phaser to kick out a raw, raucous, perpetual motion-type effect that virtually takes over your instrument. At higher depth and intensity settings, the AP-7 almost sounds as if it’s talking to you and pretty much starts “playing” before you even hit the strings.

The Jet Phaser’s controls can be rather enigmatic without some form of translation, so it helps to define Roland’s terminology. “Jet,” in the Roland lexicon of the day, means fuzz – and indeed this thing can sound like a jet taking off.

Its control set comprises, from left to right, Jet Level (also the power-off switch), mode, resonance and slow rate, with foot switches for effect/normal (on/off) and fast/slow. Jet Level sets the gain, intensity and volume, kind of all at once, while the six-way mode switch provides four fuzz-phaser voicings and two phaser-only settings.

There is no fuzz-only option to be had here. The resonance control essentially sets the depth of the phase-shifting effect, as found on many more advanced phasers, and the slow rate determines the speed of the modulation when switched down via the fast/slow foot switch, as well as the fast rate relative to it.

As a cool bonus, the effect rate actually ramps up and down when you press the foot switch, just like a real Leslie cabinet with its rotary speaker.

The entire thing is housed in a large, rugged, die-cast metal enclosure that’s a clear sibling to the case used by the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble the following year. It’s interesting that Roland didn’t simply recycle the Jet Phaser mold for the CE-1 enclosure but instead devised an original box, which tells us they intended to produce distinctive-and rather custom-looking pedals.

The Jet Phaser’s circuit displays a degree of transition-era tech, marrying a wealth of discrete components and large op-amps on its rugged PCB. The Jet side is arguably as much an early distortion unit as a fuzz, and it packed a lot of potential gain from a combination of semiconductors and op-amps.

The phaser itself was a complex eight-stage FET-driven circuit capable of a deep, chewy swirl. Consider that the most common smaller phasers hitting the market about this time used two- and four-stage circuits, and you’ll understand why the AP-7 sounded so unique.

Roland itself was on a run through the mid to late ’70s, heading an innovation revolution that went beyond effects pedals. The company’s legendary chorus circuit would arrive in the Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus amplifier of 1975, then in the standalone Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble the following year.

In 1977, the brightly colored Boss pedal series launched in its iconic compact housing. Among its offerings was the green two-knob PH-1 phaser. The Roland Jet Phaser AP-7 was discontinued the year after.

So many classic fuzz-phaser combinations (in whichever order) were being laid down in the mid to late ’70s that it’s difficult to point conclusively to rock-solid examples of the Jet Phaser in action. Ernie Isley’s outrageously cool guitar solo on the Isley Brothers’ “That Lady” has often been cited as one such example, but that song was recorded two years before the Jet Phaser came out. Isley himself later recalled in a 1981 GP interview that he tracked his part with an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff fuzz into a Maestro PS-1 phaser, possibly the only phaser available at that time.

More verifiable uses of the AP-7 include various tracks by guitarist Uli John Roth with the Scorpions and funk-bassist-supreme Larry Graham Jr., both in his later Sly & the Family Stone days, and afterward.

Today, guitarists who don’t boast collector-deep pockets can avail themselves of one of the several decent reproductions of the original Jet Phaser produced by other makers. 

The PastFX JFET Fuzz Phaser and Warm Audio Jet Phaser both go to some lengths to sort of replicate the look and basic enclosure shape of the original (while neither is by any means a straight-up clone), and the Make Sounds Loudly the Night Witch fuzz and ramping phaser somewhat adapts the form and function and houses it in a more modern enclosure, with separate on/off access to the fuzz.

Of course you can always simply jack your favorite aggressive fuzz pedal into your thickest, gnarliest phaser!

Essential Ingredients

• Rugged die-cast metal housing
• Controls for Jet (fuzz) level, mode, resonance and slow rate
• Foot switches for effect on/off and speed fast/slow
• High-gain fuzz/distortion circuit into eight-stage FET-driven phaser circuit

The Katana series amps from Boss recently expanded with the introduction of three new MkII models: a 50-watt 1x12, a 100-watt head and a 2x12 cabinet with Boss Waza speakers. The Katana-50 Mk II EX on review here features a compact open-back cabinet with corner protectors that carries a 12-inch ceramic-magnet speaker. The top mounted controls are clearly labeled and make for easy viewing when standing above the amp.

Starting on the left side is the amp type knob, with five settings (clean, crunch, lead, brown and acoustic), along with a variation button that provides an alternate tone option for each. Clean becomes brighter and more “American” sounding; crunch goes from Plexi-style grind to a higher-gain JCM 800 response; lead becomes tighter and more modern sounding; brown goes from Plexi-with-Variac, à la EVH, to a tighter, more overdriven 5150 response; and acoustic goes from an open, natural sound to a punchier, small-body tone.

In all, variation is a useful feature that helps get you into the ballpark of the sounds needed, and from there it’s easy to dial everything in with the gain and volume knobs and the EQ section’s bass, middle and treble controls.

A big reason for the Katana’s player friendliness is the Tube Logic amp concept, which takes into account the preamp and power tubes, transformers and other components. Connected to a solid-state Class-A/B power section and speaker to inject an analog component into the mix, it provides realistic emulations of tube amps.

The amp selections all have good feel, and whether going for clean, medium grind or highly overdriven tones, they respond to picking and guitar volume changes in very satisfying ways. The Katana-50 EX is quite loud in full-power mode through its single 12. Although an external speaker jack would definitely be handy in some situations, unfortunately it’s only available on the Katana-100 head.

Using a Strat, Tele and a PRS SE McCarty 594, the Katana MkII sounded good for live playing using mainly the clean, crunch and brown models, almost always with reverb on the spring setting and delay on the tape setting. I also liked using the acoustic model with a Takamine TSP 138C, which sounded great with variation activated to give it more punch-through presence onstage.

After landing on a few sounds I wanted to use, the tone setting buttons (labeled Ch1 and Ch2) facilitated saving them as presets. You can store and recall a total of four presets on this amp: two in bank A and two in bank B. The Ch1 and Ch2 buttons capture all the top panel knob/button settings (except master) when you press and hold either one for about a second. Pressing the panel button toggles between banks A and B. Note that “secret” access to Ch3 and Ch4 is available by connecting the optional Boss GA-FC ($124) or GA-FC EX ($149) foot controllers.

The effects section has two concentric controls – booster/mod and FX/delay – and a dedicated reverb knob. The MkII amps all have 60-plus Boss effects onboard, and you can use five types of effects simultaneously. Operation is straightforward: Press the booster, mod, delay, FX or reverb button located above each knob to select the desired effect type, then turn the respective knob to adjust the depth.

The factory effects configurations are as follows: For the six booster selections (blues drive, clean boost, overdrive, mid boost, distortion, treble boost), depth is the outer ring. On the six mod selections (chorus, DC-30, phaser 90E, comp, flanger 117E, limiter), depth is the inner ring. With each press of the button, a corresponding LED changes color, from green to red to orange, to indicate the active effects. From there, pressing the panel button selects bank A or B.

It works the same for the FX selections (tremolo, phaser 90E, T.Wah, flanger 117E, heavy octave, pitch shifter), the delays (digital delay, SDE-3000, analog delay, tape echo, modulated) and the reverbs, which include three plate, two hall and one spring simulation.

Obviously it’s helpful to set up a few presets for amp/effects pairings, and it’s pretty much essential to have a foot controller to manage things onstage. While it adds significantly to the cost of the Katana, the advantages of the GA-FC EX include instant access to presets via the four lighted channel switches, the ability to adjust effects in real-time and use multiple expression pedals, and more.

It’s a worthy investment for an amplifier that has so much to offer in a small, powerful and affordable package.

Specifications

• CHANNELS: 4, expandable to 8 channels
• CONTROLS: Amplifier section: gain, volume, bass, middle, treble. Effects section: booster button/knob, mod button/knob, FX button/ knob, delay button/knob, reverb button/knob. Master, power control switch. Tone Setting buttons: Ch1-Ch2 (bank A), Ch1-Ch2 (bank B). Panel button for current knob configuration or for switching banks A/B
• I/O: ¼” input, ¼” line-out, USB, 1/8” aux-in, ¼” jack for GA-FC EX foot-controller, ¼” jack for optional expression-pedal (to control volume. wah-wah, pitch shift), ¼” headphone jack, ¼” power-amp in
• POWER: 50/25/.5 watts
• EXTRAS: Handy power-scaling switch allows for power-stage saturation at reduced volume. USB for connecting to a computer to edit effects settings, download effects at bosstonecentral.com or bosstoneexchange.com, use the amp as a USB audio interface for recording, and backup/restore effects and other internal settings
• SPEAKER: 12”
• DIMENSIONS: 18 9/16” x 15 11/16” x 9 3/8”
• WEIGHT: 25.6 lbs
• BUILT: Malaysia

Visit the Boss website for more information.

Boss has unveiled a pair of new dual digital delay pedals, the SDE-3000EVH and SDE-3000D.

Both effects boxes are exacting re-imaginations of the '80s-era Roland SDE-3000 rack delay unit that served as a mainstay in Eddie Van Halen's live rig for decades, and essentially combine two of the SDE-3000s into a single pedal, a tip of the cap to how the electric guitar hero used two of the mono rack units to get a sweeping stereo delay sound onstage.

Made in collaboration with EVH Gear, the SDE-3000EVH is loaded with eight dedicated EVH presets. The first four are lifted straight from Van Halen's rig, and are tailored for the guitarist's favored Wet/Dry/Wet setup, while the latter four provide the same sounds, tailored for a more typical stereo guitar amp setup.

The SDE-3000EVH features a pair of independent delays – each boasting its own set of parameters and panning options, mono/stereo modulation, plus 92 additional user memory slots.  

There are a host of controls to be found, including a dedicated EVH panel for toggling between the EVH presets, Time, Feedback, Out, Rate, and Depth controls, two main footswitches – one for each delay – and a tap tempo footswitch. 

Elsewhere, there are Filter, Modulation, and Feedback controls, and outputs for four footswitches, two expression pedals, MIDI ins and outs, plus an external loop. There are also three ground-lift cables for hum elimination purposes. 

While similar to its Eddie Van Halen-based sibling, the more affordable SDE-3000D is a touch more streamlined.

Obviously, there are no EVH presets to be found, but that lack of EVH presets also means more room for user memory slots for storing and recalling settings, with the count being upped to 100 from the SDE-3000EVH's 92.

Sans the EVH panel, the controls are fairly similar on the surface, with the same trio of footswitches, a pair of extra parameter panels for switching between presets and additional functions, and a host of buttons with which to shape the effect.

Differences between the SDE-3000D and its big brother are most notable at the rear, with a much simpler layout of just two inputs, two outputs, MIDI, and a pair of jacks for expression pedals or footswitches.

The Boss SDE-3000EVH and SDE-3000D pedals are both available now, for $599 and $499, respectively.

For more info on the pedals, visit boss.info.

So many guitarists of the late ’70s and ’80s were using the Roland stereo chorus in the studio that it’s sometimes difficult to parse if the sound was coming from an amp (such as the JC-120), a pedal (like the CE-1, CE-2 or CE-3 Chorus Ensemble) or a Dimension D rack unit.

Regardless, “that sound” is all over countless classic recordings from the era.

When used in the studio, the JC-120 provided a meatier rendition of the tone that players had previously achieved by DI’ing their tracks.

As noted by Steve Levine, producer for Culture Club, China Crisis and others, “In the right hands it’s quite a tone palette, you can do a lot with it. It does bridge the gap between being a regular amplifier and a kind of DI’d monster.”

Billy Duffy of the Cult and other projects derived the clean, chorused element of his signature tone from a JC-120, often used in combination with a Marshall JCM800 or other tube amp.

Although the Cult hit “She Sells Sanctuary” has a heavy feel that helped lodge it as a classic rocker amid the British New Wave boom of the mid ’80s, the guitar tone on the song is clear and clean, and slathered with JC-120 chorus.

“The signature sound of the first two Cult albums was the Gretsch and a Roland JC-120,” Duffy explains on BillyDuffy.Com. “The Roland is great for the early, chimey stuff, because of that chorus sound – which I can really only get out of the combos. Some guys get a great sound with just one amp, but I’ve never been able to do it.”

Johnny Marr’s use of chorus with the Smiths was generally pretty subtle, but also an essential ingredient of his sound on many classic tracks.

“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” and “I Don’t Owe You Anything” from the Smiths’ self-titled debut album reveal a nuanced chorus tone that might have been JC-120, CE-1 or Boss CE-2, while the swirl is a little thicker on songs like “The Headmaster Ritual” and “I Want the One I Can’t Have” from the 1985 follow-up, Meat Is Murder.

Marr turned to that sound again for his latest solo album, 2022’s Fever Dreams, where we hear it prominently on “Receiver,” “Ariel” and other tracks, shining through what is otherwise a denser mix than heard on early Smiths records.

“For this album, I also dug out my old Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus amp,” he told Rod Brakes in Total Guitar magazine. “Transistor amps have a sonic presence that puts the sound right in your face. It’s sort of an Ennio Morricone sound.”

While Andy Summers’ seminal swirl on early Police hit “Message in a Bottle” is purported to be a combination of pedals, he is also a long-time devotee of the JC-120, and often had one in his touring rig with the band.

“The Roland JC-120 has been a staple in my collection of amplifiers for as long as I can remember,” he told Roland.com, “probably from the day it came out! I have used it on many recordings for its distinctive clarity of sound and always-superior chorus. If I am playing away from home and amps have to be supplied, my first choice is always the JC-120. It is a no-fail amp in just about every situation.”

While it might sound counter-intuitive, heavy metal icons Metallica have often turned to the JC-120 for the clean tones tracked by guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett.

Several songs on 1988’s …And Justice for All feature the amp, likely heard most prominently on “To Live Is to Die,” but also apparent in the mellower passages of “One” and the intro to the title track.

It’s no surprise, however, that a creative sonic sculptor like Adrian Belew might have fallen in love with the JC-120’s sound, as he did from the very first listen. “I first heard a JC-120 at a casual party in L.A. in 1977,” he told Roland. com. “Someone was playing some chords and noodling around – not very well in fact – but the sound mesmerized me.

“I had never heard an amp sound so pristine and beautiful. There was a shimmering clarity to every note. Then the player turned on the actual stereo chorusing. Wow! What an incredible sound. I nearly fell off my chair! I sat there speechless until I finally asked if I could play through it. Within the first two notes I played, I was madly in love with the JC-120.

“To me, the stereo chorusing and vibrato were the single most beautiful guitar sounds I’d ever heard an amp produce. I was in L.A. at the time rehearsing with Frank Zappa, my first big break in the music business. I told Frank about the amp, and the next day one showed up for us to investigate.

“Frank liked it enough to advance me the money to buy my first JC-120. I still have it ensconced in my studio. I still love it and still record with it.”

Belew’s first prominent use of the JC-120 appeared on the 1978 Zappa classic Sheik Yerbouti, but he also plastered the amp – with and without chorus and vibrato effects – on several tracks of David Bowie’s 1979 album, Lodger, the seminal Talking Heads super-group affair Remain in Light from 1980 and King Crimson’s 1981 smash, Discipline, which reveals that crystal-clear shimmer on Belew’s tour de force “Elephant Talk,” “Frame by Frame,” “Thela Hun Ginjeet,” “The Sheltering Sky” and others.

Visit the Roland website for more information on Jazz Chorus amps.

Click here for info on Boss chorus pedals.

For massive clean power and hypnotic chorus and vibrato effects in a relatively compact package, the Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus is hard to beat. But we take its existence too much for granted these days. Before its arrival in 1975, most guitarists had given the cold shoulder to the first wave of solid-state amplifiers.

From the mid 1960s onward, major makers in the industry such as Vox, Fender and Gibson tried their damnedest to convince players that tube amps were the way of the past. Their promotional efforts declared they were too fragile, hot, temperamental, heavy and expensive to maintain.

They even insisted the old glowing glass bottles should be abandoned for the way of the future: solid-state transistors. And this was in spite of the fact that each of them already made great tube-based models pro players loved.

The problem was, the efforts of these makers and others to replicate the tube-amp tones that rockers had fallen in love with failed abysmally, and guitarists just weren’t buying it.

Roland approached things differently, and in retrospect that’s no surprise. The Japanese company was new, and it took a novel approach to product development that continues to this day.

Rather than attempting to emulate the sounds of existing tube amps, Roland designed a high-quality, dual-60-watt stereo solid-state output stage fed by a relatively high-fidelity solid-state preamp, with built-in stereo chorus/vibrato, reverb and distortion.

As this feature set suggests, the JC-120 was intended to serve as an all-in-one amplification solution, clearly with hopes that the onboard distortion option would lure some rockers who would otherwise be turned off by the model name’s jazz-certified intentions.

As it happened, the distortion effect didn’t launch many hits, but the modulation effects and the JC-120’s rich, clear core sound certainly did, making it a mainstay of professional guitar tone right from its arrival on the scene.

And not only did the JC-120 Jazz Chorus and its sibling amps create countless classic tones on their own – they also established a sound guitarists would continue to chase through the use of other Roland and Boss gear with roots in the JC-120, right up to this day.

Roland Roars In

Given the rousing success of the JC-120 and other Roland products introduced shortly before and after (not to mention the myriad hits to come from its subsidiary Boss), it’s incredible to think that this company was established only three years earlier, in 1972.

Founder Ikutaro Kakehashi already had a decade of experience marketing rhythm machines with his former company, Ace Tone, and indeed the TR-33, TR-55 and TR-77 beat boxes were among the very first products released by his new Osaka-based company.

The following year brought the SH-1000 monophonic analog synthesizer, arguably the first affordable compact keyboard synth produced in Japan, with both the groundbreaking EP-30 electric piano and legendary RE-201 Space Echo landing the year after that.

The JC-120 kept the hits coming in 1975, followed by the mammoth System-700 Modular Synthesizer and Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble chorus pedal in 1976, and the GR-77 Guitar Synthesizer and first trio of Boss compact effects pedals in 1977. The ’80s brought the TR-808 drum machine; Jupiter 8, JX-3P and DR-50 synths; the RD-1000 electric piano, and… well, you get the picture.

Suffice it to say the Roland name no longer needs any introduction in the world of music electronics, but guitarists encountering the JC-120 for the first time are still likely to declare, “What, they made a guitar amp, too?” Indeed. And in fact, they made several.

The first lineup included the 60-watt JC-60 1x12 alongside the JC-120, with the 160- watt JC-160 4x10 combo and JC-80 1x15 following in 1976. Meanwhile, modern descendants both of the Jazz Chorus itself and the effect within it continue to set the standards for the tones these designs established nearly five decades ago.

Anti-Hero Amp

Aside from the robust and atmospheric sounds themselves, the JC-120’s early success is owed partly to how well it was pitched to the market of the day, and even more so to that of the decade that followed.

It was introduced in an era when guitarists were surprisingly receptive to new technology – even in the wake of what was arguably the failure of the first few waves of solid-state guitar amps – and it landed at a time when many musicians perceived their bigger, more powerful modern amplifiers as rather workmanlike tools, expecting them to appear as such.

The Jazz Chorus lineup’s business-like black livery and riveted corner and edge protectors lent it a flight-case-like look that might have sunk a new product in a more stylish age. And indeed it was tour-ready right out of the box, constructed inside and out to withstand the rigors of the road.

Much of Andy Summers’ tones with the Police epitomized the JC-120’s atmospheric power, and the amp similarly became the core of the sounds of players like Steve Hackett of Genesis, John McGeoch of Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Joe Strummer, Robert Smith of the Cure (who used the rare JC-160 4x10 variant) and many others, all within the first decade or so of the model’s existence, with a plethora of future artists to follow in their wake.

The amp’s quick uptake was also thanks in part to the enthusiasm with which it was embraced by many guitar anti-heroes in an age when punk, new-wave and other alternative-minded guitarists were rebelling against the arena-rock norms of poodle haircuts, Marshall stacks and Spandex slacks.

And while the JC-120 excelled in an age when clean was the cool new sound, and was even hipper with lush stereo chorus engaged, the amp’s power and projection would appeal to a host of guitarists who discovered its ability to deliver stage-rumbling overdrive amid a dense rock mix.

Witness the onslaught of Billy Duffy of the Cult, Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü and Sugar, or Wes Borland with Limp Bizkit for examples of what this creation can do with some oomph applied to the front end.

Pedal Points

The Jazz Chorus range is significant not only for the music made by the amp itself but also for the seminal chorus sound it introduced to the world.

Granted, the JC-120’s clean, rich, 120-watt  stereo output through a robust 2x12 cab presents a stunning soundstage for the textured, emotive shimmer delivered by Roland’s groundbreaking chorus effect. But the company’s transmutation of this circuit in 1976 into the first Boss pedal ever released, the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, made the sound available through other eager guitarists’ rigs of choice.

Deep, thick, spatial and multi-dimensional, the CE-1 sounded great in mono, but otherworldly in stereo, whether through two guitar amps or one JC-120.

In addition to being the first of the line of legendary chorus pedals, and an inspiration for countless others from rival manufacturers, the CE-1 was also the first chorus pedal from any maker and is often said to be the first effect to use bucket brigade device (BBD) chips in its circuit.

It was housed in a much larger and heavier enclosure than most of the more common pedals today, but so were many of the more complex effects of the ’70s.

It carried two foot switches – one for effect on/off and another to switch between its vibrato and chorus effects – along with a level control, a control for chorus intensity, two knobs for vibrato depth and rate, a power switch to engage its hard-wired AC power and a high-/low-input switch.

As the industry exploded with chorus effects, and the sound virtually engulfed the pop and rock airwaves, Roland and Boss continued to set the standard. Boss unveiled its ubiquitous compact pedal line in 1977, and the company’s brightly colored renditions of just about every effect under the sun rolled out continually thereafter.

In 1979, the CE-2 Chorus joined the ranks, taking a similar sound into a compact format that sacrificed the vibrato effect and the stereo outputs. 

Stereo chorus and vibrato did arrive in compact pedal form in 1982, however, with the updated Boss CE-3.

Even so, the CE-1 itself remained in production until around 1984, while an ever-evolving range of both analog and digital chorus pedals joined the lineup in the years to follow.

Another Dimension

With the demand for chorus effects exploding in the late ’70s, Roland released the SDD-320 Dimension D stereo analog chorus rack unit in 1979 to take a high-quality version of the effect to the studio world.

Quite different from the CE-1 and its descendants, the Dimension D was considered a subtler effect, intended more for enhancing the spatial dimension and stereo width of just about any instrument or vocal, rather than producing the more obvious modulation and movement of traditional chorus pedals.

Major artists like Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Talking Heads and Kate Bush quickly put it to work on many recordings, but plenty of guitarists also tapped into its lush sound both live and in the studio.

Alan Murphy, guitarist with Kate Bush and Go West, frequently recorded through the SDD-320, and Andy Summers added one to his touring rack for the Police’s Ghost in the Machine tour of 1981-’82.

The Dimension D was also different from existing chorus pedals in its use of four push buttons and no control knobs, allowing for increasing depths of the effect, and bypass.

The circuit itself used BBDs in two independent delay lines, out of phase, blended with a dry signal, to create a sound that was less motion and more dimension, totally avoiding the more obvious and occasionally obtrusive wobble of chorus effects designed more for depth and speed.

In 1985, the Boss DC-2 Dimension C pedal presented the same sound and functionality in a traditional compact floor enclosure that guitarists could include on their boards. Both the original rack-mounted Dimension D and the Dimension C pedal have become highly collectible effects in recent years.

Boss chorus went digital in 1988 with the DC-3, and this new technology dominated much of the modulation and delay world well into the ’90s.

Often considered cleaner and more precise than analog chorus, with what some players hear as a modern “metallic” edge to it, digital chorus was sometimes derided by others as being colder and more sterile than the variety produced by BBD chips.

Several Boss digital chorus pedals can, of course, sound fantastic when used to their strengths, but the resultant clamor for new analog releases in the ’90s and early ’00s was partly a result of what turned off many guitarists regarding digital units.

Current Issue

Both Roland and Boss fill guitarists’ myriad chorus needs with present-day renditions of the classics that established the sound 48 years ago. The JC-120 is still available in its original form, with the contemporary bonus of a stereo FX loop to incorporate outboard effects into the amp’s natural spatiality.

At the end of 2022, the company announced a Limited Edition 50th Anniversary JC-120 to mark the occasion. And, although mono sibling combos like the JC-60 and JC-80 have been discontinued, the recent-issue JC-40 and JC-22 are truer to original form by offering the full stereo effects in dual-speaker formats.

Delivering 20 watts per-side into two 10-inch speakers, the JC-40 further compacts the format by including only a single channel with the original Jazz Chorus control layout, but the addition of stereo inputs accommodates stereo instruments and front-of-amp effects pedals.

In addition, it has a stereo FX loop to further enhance the left-right soundstage as desired.

The even smaller JC-22 offers 30 watts of power (15 watts per side) into two six-and-a-half-inch speakers, with the same stereo connectivity but a little more savings with the inclusion of a chorus effect only in the modulation section, and no vibrato.

For current-issue, state-of-the-art stereo chorus in pedal form, the CE-2W from Boss’s Waza Craft line combines the essential elements of both the CE-1 and CE-2 sound via true analog BBD delay lines with added functionality to both modes, all in stereo.

Released in 2018 in the face of climbing prices for original DC-2 Dimension C pedals made between 1985-’89, the DC-2W is another Boss Waza Craft pedal that combines enhanced functionality with the sounds of past classics.

With a switch to flick between DC-2 and SDD-320 modes, its four push-button selectors can be used two at a time rather than singly, enabling a full 20 possible settings.

Having developed from hot new things to celebrated pieces of gear whose sound defined an era, the JC-120 Jazz Chorus amplifier and CE-1 Chorus Ensemble pedal have become essential ingredients for guitarists in nearly every genre, and it’s hard to imagine them disappearing from our boards any time soon.

Visit the Roland and Boss websites for more information.

Introduced in 1978, the Boss DS-1 Distortion was the first such pedal released by Boss, arriving just two years after the release of the company’s debut pedal, the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble. For this reason, it was many players’ first distortion pedal.

Like the ProCo Rat that arrived the same year, the DS-1 used two hard-clipping diodes for an aggressive edge. 

This became known as distortion, rather than the smoother overdrive of soft-clipping stompboxes.

The DS-1 was not op-amp based. Instead, it used the Toshiba TA7136AP preamplifier, for a gritty and warm overdrive tone. When the Toshiba preamp became harder to source, the circuit was redesigned in 1994. All three post-1994 DS-1 models would share the same circuit, and in turn, the same trio of quirks.

First, they were not very loud, a problem most noticeable in the 1994 block.

Second, they had significant noise at higher gain settings.

And third, fizzy top-end frequencies were not filtered out, resulting in an unpleasant “waspy” edge to the distortion tone.

This led many players, as well as companies like Analog Man, to modify the stock unit. Boss has now given the DS-1 the boutique treatment with the new DS-1W Waza Craft unit shown here.

And while you might assume it hews to the specs of the original DS-1 pedal, the answer is somewhat more complicated. As you would expect, the DS-1W has controls for tone, level and distortion, but there is also a switch to select between Standard and Custom modes.

The great irony is that the pedal’s Standard setting is a faithful replication of the post-1994 DS-1 rather than the DS-1 with the Toshiba TA7136AP.

The Custom setting, on the other hand, feels like an attempt to fix all the inherent artifacts that come with the post-1994 design. Happily, it succeeds. There’s better filtering, no fizz and a more stable high-gain distortion tone.

The pedal is more mid-forward, punching through a busy mix far better than in Standard mode.

Finally, it’s 6dB louder, meaning that turning on the pedal no longer results in a volume drop. At higher settings, the clipping is a square-wave, thanks to the hard-clipping diodes, but it cleans up surprisingly well.

With humbuckers rather than single-coils it runs hotter, but there are some lower-gain tones there at a push.

The real question is why Roland engineers didn’t take the opportunity to make this mode Standard when it is so superior to the actual Standard mode. They could then have pushed the boat out even further with the Custom mode. 

It feels like a slightly missed opportunity, but with that said, there are doubtless some players who have grown accustomed to the post-’94 DS-1 tone, which remains intact here.

For those who prefer the true original, the DS-1W is a two-mode pedal with only one usable mode, and at a price point where it’s outclassed by both other Boss pedals and competitors.

While the Custom mode is a vindication of the post-1994 unit, it rectifies rather than progresses the DS-1 story.

The modding and DIY community have already shown there’s a good pedal in there, and electric guitar players now have the chance to buy a Boss-approved modded DS-1 Distortion.

Specifications

• CONTROLS: Tone, level, distortion. Switch to select Standard or Custom modes
• I/O: Input, output, power
• EXTRAS: LED indicator. Pedal runs on 9V DC center-negative or 9V battery (neither included)
• SIZE: 2 3/8” x 2 7/8” x 5-1/8” (HxWxD)
• BUILT: Japan

Visit Boss for more information.

Roland launched the Cube in 1978, and since then, the compact amp has been offered in more than 50 different models that deliver great sound and features in durable enclosures.

As many guitarists know, Cube amps are great for practice as well as performance on the go and onstage, either on their own for intimate settings or connected to a PA.

Since the introduction of the Cube Street in 2021, the line has been offered by Boss, which has introduced the two latest desktop models: the Dual Cube Bass LX, and the Dual Cube LX, which I’ll be looking at here.

In addition, there are modes for Mic, when using a microphone, and Stereo In for connecting stereo devices.

As the name suggests, the Dual Cube LX is a stereo amp, one that features a pair of custom-designed four-inch speakers, stereo line outputs for connecting to PA systems and DAWs, and a stereo input mode for use with stereo pedals and modelers.

Boasting an output of 10 watts (five watts per channel) from its stereo power amp, it’s plenty loud.

The enclosure is compact, measuring just 13 7/16 x 6 7/16 x 8 1 /2 inches, but it packs some sizable guitar tones as well as useful features like a 45-second stereo looper, a headphone/record out and facility for the optional BT-DUAL Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor (sold separately).

The Dual Cube LX offers seven newly developed amp types: Acoustic Sim, JC Clean, US Combo, Brit Combo, Hi-Gain Stack, Metal Stack and Extreme.

Turning the effects knob lets you select from four modulation effects – chorus, flanger, phaser and tremolo – and heavy octave, which adds a simulated note one octave lower to both single notes and chords for a thicker sound. In addition, as you turn the knob through each modulation effects’ range, the effect becomes faster.

The delay/reverb knob works in similar fashion. It has settings for delay, reverb and spring, with the delay rate slowing as you turn the knob clockwise, and the reverb effects growing deeper as you continue spinning the control.

Setting the control to its most extreme clockwise position engages a spring reverb effect with a set depth. In addition, delay has a tap button for setting the time.

Continuing right on the panel, there are three status LEDs – record, play and dub – for the built-in looper. 

There are no onboard controls for the looper; to use it, you’ll need to connect a foot switch (such as Boss’s FS-5U, FS-6 or FS-7 units, sold separately) to the foot switch input on the amp’s back.

Below the looper indicators is the headphones/record output. A mini control here can be used to set the mic volume for headsets equipped with one.

Finally, there is a master output volume.

The back panel contains the power switch and DC power input (the amp also runs on eight AA batteries), Bluetooth adaptor jack and a full complement of I/Os – USB, foot switch, stereo line out, and an iCube link/aux-in jack.

This latter I/O is an audio interface built into the Roland amplifiers that lets you connect to the audio jack of your iOS device with a single cable, then blend your instrument’s tones and iOS audio together on the amp.

In addition to all of the above, Boss offers the Dual Cube LX Editor app for Apple and Android, which lets you use your mobile device to control the amp, provided it has the optional Bluetooth adaptor installed.

Right out of the box, the Dual Cube LX was an impressive piece of equipment, sporting attractive black vinyl covering, a silver metal grille and controls knobs that are easy to grip and move precisely.

I tested the amp with a few electric guitars, including a Gibson ES-345 stereo and a Fender 60th Anniversary Triple Jazzmaster – both of which provide a broad range of tones – as well as a Malden Mozak with a pair of Alnico V single-coil pickups and a Gibson J-160E acoustic-electric.

Suffice it to say, the new amp models are detailed and pretty tightly dialed in, making the playing experience very much plug-and-play, with adjustments to the three-band EQ made as needed.

The Dual Cube LX’s range of amp models meant there was something for everything I threw at it, although in general I found the JC Clean and US Combo settings best suited to my tonal preferences.

The Acoustic Sim sounded great with the J-160E and worked quite nicely as an acoustic simulator with the electrics.

But of course the Dual Cube LX’s big selling point is its stereo functionality, and I was especially curious to put it to the test. Plugging in my stereo ES-345, setting the Dual Cube LX to Stereo In and adding a generous amount of reverb, I found the results were immersive, although it took a mix of volume level, amp height and distance to get the best results.

The amp’s soundstage is wide enough that I didn’t have to worry about being too exact with my positioning, and the stereo experience was impressive. In fact, it made going back to any of my single-speaker mini amps a bit of a disappointment.

The Mic mode was certainly up to snuff for vocals, but I found it provided a useful “blank slate” platform for guitars as well, delivering tone relatively free of coloration.

The Dual Cube LX Editor app is useful for more precise effects settings, but thanks to the Dual Cube LX’s full complement of controls, you don’t have to be tied to the app.

At the end of the day, the Boss Dual Cube LX is the solid performer we’ve come to expect from the Cube lineup over all these many years.

The new amp types sound terrific, the range of models and effects is satisfying, and the I/Os and extra features are handy, depending on your needs and setup.

Whether you need a stereo desktop amp is up to you. But if you have stereo outboard effects, want another DAW interface or simply desire a more spatially immersive experience, the Dual Cube LX delivers, and it merits serious consideration.

Specifications

• CONTROLS: Amp type (Acoustic Sim, JC Clean, US Combo, Brit Combo, Hi-Gain Stack, Metal Stack, Extreme, Mic, Stereo In), memory button, gain, volume, bass, middle, treble, effects (chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, heavy octave), delay/reverb (delay, reverb, spring), mic volume, master volume. Memory button, tap button. Power switch, loopback switch (i-CUBE link/aux in), loopback switch (USB)
• POWER OUTPUT: 10 W (5 W+5 W) I/O 1/4-inch guitar input, 1/4-inch stereo inputs, stereo 1/8-inch/rec out jack, stereo 1/8-inch i-Cube Link/aux in, 1/4-inch stereo outputs, 1/4-inch TRS footswitch in, Bluetooth adaptor connector, USB B port, DC in jack
• SIZE: 13 7/16” x 6 7/16” x 8 1 /2” (WxDxH)
• WEIGHT: 7 lbs 5 oz
• POWER: 9v AC adaptor and power cord (included), 8 AA batteries
• EXTRAS: 4-pole miniature phone cable
• BUILT: China

Visit Boss for more information.

Sweetwater has slashed prices on a big selection of Boss products, including effects pedals, multi-effects units, pedalboard gear, guitar amps and more.

Right now, you can get $92 off the Boss IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet as well as $50 off the Boss HM-2W Waza Craft Heavy Metal and $20 off the Boss FZ-1W Waza Craft Fuzz.

Alongside these great stompbox deals, Sweetwater is also offering $106 off the Boss Katana-Air wireless amp, $102 off the Boss GT-1000 Core Guitar Effects Processor, and $50 off the Boss Waza-Air wireless headphones/guitar amp.

These incredible deals and many more besides are live on the Sweetwater website now. But don’t delay – these offers are available for a limited time!             

Boss IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet

Boss HM-2W Waza Craft Heavy Metal

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When you’re playing guitar, trying to simultaneously control software can be tricky. Luckily, the engineers at Boss have come up with a solution that provides an extra pair of hands.

The new Boss FS-1-WL Wireless Footswitch is a cable-free Bluetooth device that can be utilized in any number of situations, such as when using a music score app (for page turning), playing along with YouTube videos (start/stop/skip back) or working on a DAW (record/stop/play.)

With the ability to connect to smartphones, tablets, computers, electronic instruments and various MIDI devices, the infinitely useful Boss FS-1-WL Wireless Footswitch has been cleverly designed for silent use (very handy for intimate performances or when recording.)

The FS-1-WL can be powered by an AC adaptor, but if you want to go truly cable-free then a pair of AAA batteries will provide around 14 hours of continuous use.

Operation for each button is fully customizable via a dedicated editor/librarian app (you can even change the corresponding switch LED color for easy visual reference.)

The FS-1-WL editor/librarian app is available for Mac/Windows and iOS/Android mobile devices and can be used to assign specific keyboard commands to the footswitches, whether single keystrokes or combinations using shift or control, for example.

Furthermore, the app software allows you to save and organize different configurations, so you don’t have to reprogram it every time you switch devices, say from your DAW to a Waza-Air headphone amp (pictured below.)

It’s worth noting that if you wish to control MIDI hardware devices and computers without built-in Bluetooth support, the FS-1-WL supports communication using Roland’s WM-1 Wireless MIDI Adaptor and WM-1D Wireless MIDI Dongle.

For added versatility, the FS-1-WL allows up to two external footswitches to be connected using a 1/4-inch TRS jack labelled CTL 1,2 (for both MIDI messages and keyboard commands.)

Utilizing the 1/4-inch TRS EXP jack, an external expression pedal can also be connected for continuous parameter control of any device that responds to MIDI CC messages.

A stereo miniature TRS jack labelled MIDI Out provides wired operation of MIDI hardware devices.

USB connectivity is available via a USB B port.

The Boss FS-1-WL Wireless Footswitch is currently priced $129.99.

Visit the Boss website for more information.

Making its debut in the 2008 Boss catalog, the SL-20 Slicer Audio Pattern Processor promised to “instantly transform a guitar, bass, keyboard, or vocal into a pulsating groove instrument.”

With 50 onboard Slice patterns, a 40-second loop function, 3D Panning and more, this Twin Pedal series stompbox was said to “inject a shot of high-octane fuel into your music,” though it was eventually dropped from production several years ago.

However, as is so often the case with discontinued products, the SL-20 subsequently picked up a bit of a cult following. Guitarists as well as keyboardists, loop performers, DJs and producers all wanted their own slice of the SL-20.

With prices of used SL-20s continuously on the rise (they’ve been going for upwards of $300 lately) and following innumerable requests from music makers for Boss to update this sought-after effect, the firm has finally responded with the new SL-2 Slicer.

Evolving directly from the larger SL-20 Twin Pedal, the SL-2 appears in Boss’s iconic compact pedal format and takes the distinctive Slicer sound forward with expanded capabilities.

DSP has come a long way since the ‘00s, and with a $169.99 price tag the upgraded SL-2 Slicer will no doubt be giving the old SL-20 a run for its money on the used market.

Chopping your signal into unique percussive patterns, Boss says the new pedalboard-friendly SL-2 Slicer delivers “rich, animated sounds using single and dual paths chained with multiple internal effects.”

Now with 88 patterns to choose from (comprising eight types and 11 variations) plus additional patterns via the BOSS Tone Studio app, the SL-2 offers an original style of effect that works equally as well in the studio as it does on stage.

Utilizing the SL-2 Slicer’s two outputs and seven output modes, guitar players can experiment with the stereo field using a variety of processing options.

Furthermore, with MIDI CC message and clock sync functions, tap tempo, momentary switching and multiple parameter expression control, the new Boss SL-2 takes the Slicer’s creative potential to a whole new level.

Visit Boss for more information.

Right now, Guitar Center is offering over a third off the regular price of Boss DS-1 Distortion Kits in this incredible deal that also includes two six-inch patch cables.

Dubbed "the greatest guitar event on Earth,” the firm’s Guitar-A-Thon sale sees the price of this package slashed from $89.99 to just $58.99 – that’s a huge saving of $31!

With over 1.5 million units sold, the DS-1 Distortion is Boss’s best-selling effects pedal – and for good reason.

Seen on the pedalboards of countless pro guitarists over the decades, this tried and trusted dirtbox is a benchmark of tone.

Boss DS-1 Distortion

The Boss DS-1 Distortion is a king among distortion pedals and is one of the most popular effects units of all time.

Unveiled in 1978 following the launch of Boss’s iconic compact pedal series the previous year, the flexible DS-1 Distortion set a standard for all that followed.

Great for rhythm and lead sounds, this Boss classic features three simple controls – tone, level and distortion – with which to dial in your perfect settings.

Known for its edgy voice, the DS-1 Distortion allows electric guitar players to cut through a band mix. Whether on stage or in the studio, this Boss staple can be relied on for world class tone every time.

Popular with beginners and pros alike, it’s a great pedal to have in the toolbox and is built to withstand decades of use.

Long sold with a five-year warranty, Boss pedals are famously tough and are frequently cited as modern classics (just ask Joe Satriani or Steve Vai!)

Boss has unveiled the most recent addition to their acclaimed Waza Craft line: the DS-1W Distortion.

Officially described as a “complete redesigning of the original circuits by the original developers,” Waza stompboxes are refined versions of classic Boss compact pedals, representing the apex of the Japanese firm’s world-renowned ingenuity and craftsmanship.

Easily differentiated by a ‘W’ suffix and kanji logo, the Boss Waza Craft range now comprises the DS-1W Distortion; BD-2W Blues Driver; SD-1W Super Overdrive; DM-2W Delay; CE-2W Chorus; VB-2W Vibrato; TU-3W Chromatic Tuner; MT-2W Metal Zone; DC-2W Dimension C; HM-2W Heavy Metal and FZ-1W Fuzz.

So what new features does the Boss DS-1W Distortion have?

Featuring a revised two-stage gain circuit this analog dirtbox now boasts two modes: Standard and Custom.

In Standard mode, the DS-1W incorporates a discrete circuit version of the original DS-1, delivering legendary tone that ranges from a light boost to heavy gain.

In Custom mode, a thicker, more midrange-focused variation can be explored – something Boss describes as “an evolution of the iconic sound that retains the essence of the DS-1.”

The original DS-1 Distortion – Boss’s first bespoke distortion pedal – was released in 1978, the year after the brand’s now iconic compact pedal format made its debut with the OD-1 Over Drive, PH-1 Phaser and SP-1 Spectrum.

Over the decades since its release the DS-1 Distortion has been spotted on the pedalboards of some of the guitar world’s most influential players, including Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Kurt Cobain.

Boss’s best-selling pedal of all time (over 1.5 million units and counting!) the DS-1 Distortion was superseded by the DS-2 Turbo Distortion in 1987 – itself a modern classic.

A collectible version known as the DS-1-4A Distortion was released in limited quantities in a black finish in order to commemorate the pedal’s 40th anniversary.

Visit Boss for more information.

The Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble is widely regarded as the pioneering chorus box, and to this day one of the greatest pedals in its category. 

Though Boss would – eight years after introducing the CE-1 in 1976 – discontinue the pedal in 1984 due to the sales of its smaller successor, the CE-2, the CE-1 remains a classic stompbox, and fetches a pretty penny on the secondary market. 

A "pretty penny" would also be one way to describe the price of the "holy grail" Boss CE-1 that was listed last week on Reverb.com. Sporting the serial number S000001, this particular CE-1 – said to be the first of its kind ever to roll off the production line – has been put up for sale via Reverb for a cool $999,999.99.

Listed by the Los Angeles-based seller Pedal Palace, the pedal is said to be in "good" condition, and – according to its seller – "oozes mojo," with "legendary," "truly magical" tone.

"This is it," writes the seller in the listing for the pedal. "You won't find a more special piece of gear. This is as rare as it gets. More rare than the $500k Klon [Centaur] Serial #2, more rare than your uncle’s old guitar with 7 pickups and wierd vibrato. This is it. This is the one. Nothing can compare." 

"No, I won't accept your offer of 50k," they continue, "and no I'm not going to open it up and show you the guts. I don't want to release the old mojo air that still lives inside. That air can only be smelled by people that give me 1 million dollars."

Pedal Palace even writes that, in their view, this magical CE-1 will probably be worth $10 million in 20 years. We'll let you decide if it's the investment opportunity of a lifetime...

As of today, 12 offers have been made for the "holy grail" CE-1. We can't confirm if any of them were made by – as Pedal Palace wonders at the beginning of the listing – Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Paul McCartney, or a boozed-up John Mayer, but we'll keep our ears open.

To see the listing for yourself, visit reverb.com.

Back when magnetic tape was the main way to create delay, the Roland RE-201 Space Echo ruled the tape delay domain.

Introduced in 1974, the 201 was an advance over the RE-100 delay and RE-200 reverb/delay units released the previous year.

It boasted three tape heads that could be combined as you wished, a three-spring reverb, and single-, double- and triple-head modes.

A selector let you choose from seven delay/reverb modes, four delay-only modes and a 12th mode for reverb alone.

With independent controls for delay and reverb volume, repeat rate, intensity, bass and treble, the RE-201 was a dream machine.

Tape delay remains desirable for its natural compression and richly saturated sound, and the Roland units have likewise retained their popularity on the vintage market, and for good reason.

They were quiet, high-quality units that were built for the road.

Furthermore, the 201 preamp added its own harmonic richness and distortion to the input signal, resulting in a fatter sound that made the unit useful even without producing effects.

Boss had previously captured the delay and reverb magic of the 201 in its RE-20 Space Echo Twin Pedal. Now the company has introduced the latest incarnation of its Space Echo pedals with the RE-2 and RE-202, a pair that provide an uncanny emulation of the original tape units while they model the sound of the RE-201’s preamp.

Let’s dig in.

The RE-2 is the smaller of the two. It delivers the original’s three-head configuration with 11 modes and a spring reverb emulation.

Three concentric knobs provide control over echo and reverb volume, intensity and tone, and repeat rate and wow and flutter.

This last control goes a long way toward re-creating the fluctuations of a motor-driven tape assembly, adding to the effect’s realism.

The unit offers true stereo inputs and outputs, as well as tap tempo and effect carryover functions, plus control can be expanded with external foot switches or an expression pedal.

As for the modeled RE-201 preamp tone, it delivers all the fatness and harmonic richness of the original tape units.

You can choose to have the preamp on the dry and wet signal path, or only on the wet signal path, leaving the dry signal unaffected.

A novel addition here is what Boss calls the Twist effect, which ramps up the pitch of the delay signal into a swirling maelstrom when you press down on the pedal, then ramps it down again when you release it.

While it’s not exactly musical, it’s a cool effect that will get a reaction at your gig.

The RE-202 delivers all of the RE-2’s features and more, including a fourth tape head not found on the original RE-201.

In addition to individual controls for echo and reverb volume, repeat rate, intensity, and wow and flutter, the RE-202 has a two-band EQ, with knobs for bass and treble, as well as a saturation control to add varying amounts of tape-like compression and preamp coloration.

There’s also a switch to choose between new and aged tape conditions, with the latter sounding slightly darker and more lo-fi.

Yet another switch lets you select between guitar- and line-level signals, allowing you to connect everything from keyboards to mixers.

Like the original RE-201, the RE-202 provides 12 modes, but in yet another update, its reverb effect can be used on all 12 modes.

Furthermore, the preamp effect is also available on the dry signal path, so you can use it as a distortion/boost pedal even while the delay/reverb is turned off.

Down at the pedal’s front are three foot switches. The left switch turns the delay and reverb effects on and off, while holding it down produces a Warp effect that adds endless feedback for as long as the switch is depressed.

The center switch lets you choose among the four user presets, and giving it a longer press turns the reverb on or off independent of the delay.

The right switch is for setting the tap-tempo rate, while holding it down engages the same Twist effect included on the RE-2.

Like the RE-2, the RE-202 has true stereo inputs and outputs and expandable control via external foot switches and an expression pedal.

In addition, it has MIDI in and out via Boss’s TRS/MIDI cables (sold separately), giving you access to a broader palette of 127 presets that can be saved in the pedal.

Suffice to say, both pedals sound fantastic. I thought Boss had already nailed the RE-201’s sound with the RE-20 Twin Pedal, but the company has added even greater depth and realism to the effect.

The wow and flutter control has a lot to do with that, adding the sort of random fluctuations that lend natural-sounding oscillations to the effect, ranging from subtle to strong.

The modeled preamp also sounds excellent, and I could see using the pedal without the effect engaged just for the tonal thickening and mild distortion that it adds.

As to which pedal you should get, it depends entirely on your needs.

Gigging guitarists will find the RE-2 fits all their needs without taking up a lot of pedalboard real estate; you’re also unlikely to miss the additional reverbs and tape-condition options offered on the larger RE-202.

For studio work, the RE-202 can’t be beat. In addition to giving guitarists more bells and whistles, it works great with keyboards, drum machines and the like, and its line-level input option made it suitable for effects processing with my mixer.

As a satisfied RE-20 owner, I didn’t think Boss could significantly improve upon its earlier update of the RE-201, but these new pedals – from their wow and flutter effects to their modeled preamps – are game changers that both earn Editors’ Picks Awards.

Specifications:

RE-202 Space Echo

• CONTROLS: Saturation, wow & flutter, mode, bass, treble, reverb volume, repeat rate, intensity, echo volume
• FOOT SWITCHES: On-off/Warp, memory/ reverb on-off, tap tempo/Twist
• BUTTONS: Memory, input, tape
• I/O: Input A (mono), input B, output A (mono), output B, all ¼”. Control 1, 2/expression ¼” TRS. MIDI in and out on stereo miniature phone type. USB micro B-type (program update only)
• POWER: AC adaptor (included)
• DIMENSIONS: 7 9/16” x 5 15/64” x 2 3/32” (WxDxH)
• BUILT: Malaysia

RE-2 Space Echo

• CONTROLS: Repeat rate, wow & flutter, intensity, tone, echo volume, reverb volume, all on concentric knobs
• FOOT SWITCHES: Carryover, pedal
• I/O: Input A (mono), input B, output A (mono), output B, all ¼”. Control/expression ¼” TRS
• POWER: 9-volt or AC adaptor (sold separately)
• DIMENSIONS: 2 7 /8” x 5 1 /8” x 2 3/8” (WxDxH)
• BUILT: Malaysia

Visit Boss for further details.

Boss has unveiled the next evolution in its Cube series of practice amps, the Dual Cube LX for electric guitar and Dual Cube Bass LX for bass. 

The Dual Cube LX is built to be perfectly at home on your desktop but is really the sort of amp you can take anywhere, requiring eight AA batteries or an AC adaptor to power it. Harnessing the power of digital technology, the Dual Cube LX series offers players a wide array of sounds and all manner of modern connectivity options.

Housing a pair of 4” drivers in a compact combo that weighs under seven and a half pounds, the Dual Cube LX is described by Boss as “a desktop powerhouse” offering 10-watts, and eight guitar amp models that cover all the main tone groups. 

There’s an Acoustic Sim, JC Clean, US Combo, Brit Combo, Hi-Gain Stack, Metal Stack, Extreme, a Mic preamp for using the amp as a vocal PA, and a Stereo In amp type for incorporating amp modeling units and pedalboards. The spatial signal processing is designed to endow the amp with a voice that belies its size.

The amp types are selected via rotary dial, with each amp including three user programmable memories so you can save and recall your favorite sounds, with a total of 27 memory slots available. 

There is a lot going on with the Dual Cube LX but the front panel looks welcoming enough. After selecting amp type, there are dials for Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle and Treble. 

The seven onboard effects are shared across two dials. The Effects dial controls chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo and Heavy Octave effects, while delay and reverb are nested on the adjacent dial, with a button on-hand for setting tap tempo.

There is an onboard looper – though this requires a footswitch, sold separately – a headphones output for silent practice, a mic volume mini dial and a master volume control.

But Boss is encouraging players to look beyond the front panel when dialing in sounds, offering deep edits made easy via the Dual Cube LX Editor app (smartphone/Mac/PC).

These amps might be ideal for practice but with the USB outputs they make handy tools for livestreaming or recording, while the stereo line output is equipped with mic’d cab emulation so you can send the signal direct to the PA when performing live. 

You can hook up to two control footswitches, and there is of course Bluetooth for streaming audio, and an aux-in for external audio sources.

The Dual Cube Bass LX offers a similar set of features from a slightly larger 2x5” format. 

Bassists have five amps to choose from, with options comprising Rock, Modern, Vintage, Flat and Super Flat, and there are five onboard effects, with chorus, flanger and T-Wah housed on the Effects dial, and delay and reverb offered similarly to its guitar amp sibling. Again, there are three memory slots per amp type.

The Dual Cube Bass LX is equipped with a rhythm engine that offers three variations on nine different rhythms, ranging from a metronome to rock, jazz, metal and Latin drum grooves. 

Altogether there are 91 rhythms when using the Dual Cube LX Editor app. The Dual Cube Bass LX has a balanced stereo XLR output, and if you have a EV-1-WL Wireless MIDI expression pedal to hand you can ditch the cables and control the onboard wah remotely.

The Dual Cube LX is priced $299, while the Dual Cube Bass LX is priced $359. Both are expected to ship September. See Boss for more details.

Along with an abundance of hooky grooves and catchy vocal lines Warpaint’s signature sound is defined by six-string twins Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman, whose ethereal guitar tones render the band immediately identifiable.

The pair are known for using mainly Fender offset electric guitars – Kokal a ’66 Olympic White Jaguar gifted to her by John Frusciante, and Wayman a '66 Dakota Red Mustang. 

Recently, however, Wayman has also taken to using a Jaguar, something she says she hopes will expand her sound even further.

Earlier this month, Guitar Player caught up with the co-frontwoman while the band was on the road in Europe promoting their new album, Radiate Like This.

Here, Wayman gives us the scoop on her current touring rig as she continues to evolve her unique sound…

Guitars

Usually, I’d play with my Fender Mustang, but I started playing this Jaguar and it’s been really interesting. There’s just so much you can do with the different pickup options and the tone switch. 

I basically decided to go with a Jaguar because I have a lot of single note lines and I was thinking it would have a more rounded sound than the Mustang, but also the ability to get a stronger attack in the high end.

I miss the Mustang, so maybe I’ll bring that out as well for the next tour.

I want to try experimenting with thicker strings on the Jaguar. Maybe a set of .011s would be a really good way to go. We got it set up, but this one doesn’t have the Mastery Bridge [Kokal's has been fitted with a Mastery Bridge.] 

I've realized I don’t like having the whammy bar there because if I want to jump around the thing just starts moving about and it’s really annoying.

Also, there were a few dead frets that needed sorting out. Emily said she had the same thing with her Jaguar.

Amps

I’m splitting my signal using a Radial unit into two different amps to try and broaden the tones. There’s been a lot to wrangle but it’s been really fun.

Having that versatility is great because there’s more I can do, although I feel like I’m just scratching the surface. At first it took more concentration to be dialed in but once I got into the flow of it it’s been so much more satisfying.

I’m excited to keep honing the tone. I’ve been finessing the combination of the amps. I wanted to create a really thick sound that has a lot of layers of character, but also definition.

The idea was to have a decent attack along with some length with the reverb, and a little bit of a delay too, so it almost sounds like there are two guitar players playing the same part.

I wanted to use a Fender Princeton Reverb as my second amp along with a Vox AC30, but I ended up with a Deluxe Reverb instead. And it’s actually really nice. I’ve always liked the tone of those Fender amps and I’m really enjoying what’s happening there. I have more effects hitting that amp. It seems to handle the pedals really well.

Pedals

I have a couple of pedals – a compressor and a distortion – that hit both of the amps (placed before I split the signal.) It’s an old peach colored Ibanez compressor. I was looking for something to help with sustain and I found that in a shop in Manchester [U.K.] 

That Ibanez compressor pedal works really well in combination with the [Electro-Harmonix] Holy Grail reverb, which I love. Right now, I’m thinking I might want one on both sides, but I don’t want to be too reverbed out.

My Boss [DS-1] Distortion pedal is really, really cool. I use that with the Jaguar bridge pickup to get a cool kind of wiry sound. 

I’m also using an EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master. You can use it in a subtle way or you can go really extreme with it but it always sounds good.

I’ve also got a couple of Boss Digital Delay pedals – a DD-6 and a DD-7. One I use to extend the sound and the other [the DD-6] I use for a reverse effect. 

One of my favorite pedals at the moment is a hand-built fuzz called the Classy Jen [by GlenCo] that was made by a guy from L.A. I use that on “Hips.” It’s so powerful. But I use it in a subtle way because Warpaint’s not really a crazy fuzz pedal band. [laughs]

Order Warpaint's latest album, Radiate Like This, here.

90 years ago, Rickenbacker launched the world’s first commercially available electric guitar following the introduction of the game-changing ‘horseshoe’ pickup in 1931. And though much has changed over the years in terms of technology and musical styles, the basic principle of the electric guitar remains the same to this day.

It was a watershed moment for the music industry and pop culture as a whole. Over the decades, Rickenbacker continued to evolve their designs, producing a huge range of instruments including acoustic guitars, jazz guitars, semi-hollowbodies, solidbodies, bass guitars, laps steels, pedal steels, amplifiers and more.

Now, for the first time ever, Rickenbacker’s conclusive history has been captured in fine photographic detail, from the earliest days of the 1930s up to the turn of the millennium.

Created by the Kelly brothers – author Martin Kelly and photographer Paul Kelly – Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo provides readers with a full and detailed account of Rickenbacker guitar evolution that is finally rendered accessible by an easy-to-follow chronological layout.

Much like their previous book, The Golden Age of Fender: 1946-1970 (Cassell Illustrated), The Kelly brothers’ quest to nail the ultimate history of Rickenbacker took them on a journey around the world photographing collections of rare instruments and conducting countless hours of interview.

The result is indeed “definitive,” according to Rickenbacker Chairman and CEO John Hall. A family-run business for many years, his father – F.C. Hall – acquired the firm from Adolph Rickenbacher in 1953 at the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll.

Celebrating the launch of Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo, a special exhibition is being held at Shapero Rare Books in London. Earlier this month, Guitar Player caught up with Hall at a Q&A event held at the prestigious Mayfair bookshop.

“It was a big undertaking for Martin and Paul Kelly,” Hall told us. “Naturally, I was careful about who I would permit access to. The project was initially arranged via Alan Rogan. (The late Alan Rogan was a respected guitar collector/expert who famously worked as Pete Townshend’s guitar tech.)

"He was the one who came to me and said, ‘John, I know these guys. Do you want to do a book? I think they’d be good.’ So I felt comfortable that Martin and Paul were the right people to do the job.

“There’s some amazing information in the book. It fleshed out a lot of details, including some of the stories I knew.”

One such story included in the new Rickenbacker book concerns a young John Lennon who, in 1960, stumbled across what would later be revealed as the first Capri model ever made. Needless to say, the young Beatle’s purchase was a turning point in guitar history.

This truly remarkable tale that bounces back and forth across the pond is told in authoritative detail along with many others in Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo.

Other influential electric guitar players and a bassists featured in the Kelly brothers’ new book include Pete Townshend, Roger McGuinn, Brian Jones, Tom Petty, John Fogerty, Dee Dee Ramone, Paul Weller, Peter Buck, Johnny Marr, Susanna Hoffs, Chris Squire, Lemmy, Geddy Lee and others.

You can order a copy of Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fireglo directly from Phantom Books here.

Boss has released two pro-level effects pedals based on the legendary Roland RE-201 Space Echo spring reverb/tape delay unit.

The Boss RE-2 Space Echo incorporates the familiar compact pedal design while the triple-footswitch Boss RE-202 Space Echo takes on a vintage-style enclosure similar to Boss's 1976 debut pedal, the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble.

Building upon decades of research, these advanced DSP stompboxes accurately replicate the unique sounds, character and behavior of the original Roland RE-201 Space Echo machines in stunning detail.

Formed in 1972, the Roland Corporation celebrates their 50th anniversary this year. Roland’s iconic Boss guitar pedal brand was launched in 1976 with the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble and has led the market ever since with innovation after innovation.

The first Space Echo units – the RE-100 delay and RE-200 reverb/delay – appeared in 1973, but these were quickly superseded by the enhanced RE-101 and RE-201 Space Echo devices the following year.

Boasting three-head tape delay and triple-spring reverb, the feature-laden Roland RE-201 Space Echo became an indispensable tool of artists across a broad range of styles, from dub and trip hop to post-punk and experimental rock.

Many of the Roland RE-201 Space Echo’s quirks – such as preamp/tape saturation and tape ageing – were fully embraced by musicians for their unique musical qualities.

Hence Boss’s new RE-2 and RE-202 Space Echo pedals both feature a Wow & Flutter control that adjusts the character of the subtle chorusing effect produced by aged tape. 

The RE-202 also includes a Saturation knob for adjusting signature Space Echo harmonics/distortion and compression.

As per the original Roland units, the RE-202 Space Echo is endowed with Bass and Treble EQ controls to adjust the delay tone. 

Meanwhile, the pedalboard-friendly RE-2 Space Echo compact pedal sports a single Tone control among its three stacked/concentric knobs.

These new pedals effectively replace the Boss RE-20 Space Echo twin pedal that first appeared in 2007.

While this COSM unit is still adored by musicians worldwide, advances in DSP technology have enabled the Boss engineers to bring an unprecedented level of realism to the Space Echo experience.

Analyzing the complex mechanical and electronic component interactions of numerous original vintage analog Roland RE-201 Space Echoes, Boss has been able to provide musicians with the most accurate and authentic recreation to date.

With expanded features such as stereo in/out, tap tempo, expression control, and two second max repeat, these maintenance-free pedals are built like bullets in true Boss style.

For many electric guitar and acoustic guitar players, the compact Boss RE-2 Space Echo is probably more than enough in terms of features and sounds. But for those wishing to branch out with MIDI connectivity, real-time control and expanded tonal options then the Boss RE-202 Space Echo may be the preferred option.

For more details on these awesome pedals head on over to Boss.

While Mike Stern was very capable of delivering the kind of post-Hendrixian six-string assaults that Miles Davis was looking for in his eagerly awaited “comeback” band (with bassist Marcus Miller, saxophonist Bill Evans, percussionist Mino Cinelu and drummer Al Foster), the guitarist was also someone who loved the warmth, harmonic sophistication and sheer swing of Jim Hall, one of his preeminent role models.

Stern has successfully combined both aesthetics throughout his own career, which included appearances in Billy Cobham’s group, Jaco Pastorius’ group, Steve Smith’s Vital Information and Harvie Swartz’s Urban Earth before he finally released his 1986 Atlantic Records debut, Upside Downside.

He subsequently played with Steps Ahead, Vital Information, Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Joe Henderson, the Brecker Brothers and the all-star Four Generations of Miles band.

To date, Stern has released 18 albums as a leader or co-leader, including collaborations with fellow guitar hero Eric Johnson (2014’s Electric) and keyboardist fusion pioneer Jeff Lorber (2019’s Eleven).

But Stern’s career was put in serious jeopardy on July 3, 2016, when he was hailing a cab in front of his Manhattan apartment and tripped over some concealed construction debris, fracturing both humerus bones in his arms. He required multiple surgeries to repair significant nerve damage in his right hand that prevented him from holding a guitar pick.

Stern emerged in late October that year to perform at the Blue Note nightclub in Manhattan with Chick Corea, playing seated and wearing a black glove outfitted with Velcro attached to a Velcro-fitted pick.

Following a second surgery, he gained more control of his nerve-damaged right hand by gluing and taping his fingers to a pick.

In January of 2017, six months after his accident, Stern began recording his next album, the ironically titled Trip. Some of the song titles on that comeback album including “Screws” and “Scotch Tape and Glue” were tongue-in-cheek references to his new procedure of having to “strap in and glue up” in order to hold a pick.

Despite the debilitating injuries, Stern’s signature speed and “chops of doom” are still very much in evidence on that 2017 album.

After persevering through Covid-19 and the complete lockdown of nightclubs in New York City from March 2020 to July 1, 2021, Stern is back playing every Monday and Wednesday night at his beloved 55 Bar (affectionately known as The Dump) in the West Village.

And after lengthy tenures with Atlantic Records, Heads Up and Concord, he is now preparing new material for an upcoming recording for Shanachie.

Meanwhile, the guitarist has a prominent role on Going For It, an archival recording by the Harvie S Trio featuring legendary drummer Alan Dawson. 

Recorded at the 1369 club in 1985, it’s a classic example of Stern at the peak of his game, playing jazz guitar standards in an intimate club setting, just as he continues to do every Monday and Wednesday night at the 55 Bar in New York City.

You mentioned that you recently had another surgery that has improved matters for your right hand, in terms of holding the pick.

Yeah, it’s very rare to get permanent nerve damage from something like that accident I had, where I broke both bones in my shoulders. I’m lucky I got a great orthopedist, Dr. Alton Barron, a shoulder-elbow-hand specialist in New York City. He’s worked with a lot of musicians, including Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen. They had issues and he helped them out, and a whole bunch of classical musicians as well.

He got me playing right away, which was really difficult because he went very slowly, step by step. He wasn’t able to give me back too much right away, but gradually it got better and better. And now the fourth surgery on my hand helped a lot with my thumb. It’s just in a better position now.

The procedure is a weird tendon transfer, where they just kind of rewire you. Apparently, you have extra tendons in your hand that are either redundant – where there’s two doing the job of one – or they sit around unemployed until such time as something like this happens.

So Dr. Barron was able to put me back together in a very satisfactory way, even though now I’m feeling like FrankenStern – kind of rewired and half bionic.

Did you have nerve damage in both hands?

No, thank god. The left hand is totally cool, so I can still do all that stuff on the fretboard. My right hand with the pick has been the problem, so I have to use glue to be able to hold the pick now. That hasn’t changed. Probably never will. I just can’t grip it in the same way.

There’s just not enough strength there, but it’s better. I still have to use the glue, but I don’t lean on it 100 percent. I’ve got some strength to really grip now.

From listening to your last two records – Trip and Eleven – it’s hard to hear that you suffered any setbacks at all. You’re still killing it.

Yeah. This accident happened five years ago and over the past four years or so, no one’s even mentioned it. People hear me play and they say, “Wow, what injury?” Or if people know about it, they say, “I can’t tell the difference.”

I notice, of course. It’s a use of different muscles that feels different in certain things I play. And it’s hard. There’s stuff that I used to be able to do that I can’t do in the same exact way anymore. But the idea is you learn and you compensate. You figure out a way around it.

The one thing I used to do a little bit more is play with my fingers. I was more a pick guy, but sometimes I would put the pick in the palm of my hand and use my fingers for chording. And I can’t do that anymore. But there’s a way my doctor can fix that too, sometime down the road.

How soon after your first surgery did you begin playing again in public?

I went on a long tour about two months after the accident, and I continued playing on the road up until the pandemic. Sometimes if I had some time off, I would do another little surgery, and it helped matters.

Every time the doctor did something, it would help. He didn’t want to jump in and do everything all at once. I’m just glad I’m able to keep playing. I certainly wasn’t going to give this stuff up, and I’m never going to give it up, until I drop.

That’s interesting what you said about playing with fingers, because on that new Harvie S Trio live album, documenting that gig from 1985 at the 1369 Club in Boston, you’re playing beautiful chord melodies on Horace Silver’s “Peace” and on John Coltrane’s “Moment's Notice.” There’s a lot of fingerstyle playing on that record.

Yeah, there’s more of that going on. And some of that is with the pick also; it’s just lightly played. But it’s kind of a combination.

That record was just a really special night. I’ve done a ton of that kind of stuff over the years. Since the early ’80s I’ve been playing at the 55 Bar in New York, just stretching out over standards with different really great musicians that just want to play.

You know, no one’s getting rich at those little clubs, but it’s really fun to play there. You can do what you want, with no pressure. It just feels like those are the places where you can really find some new stuff. 

Even if you play the same tunes, you kind of change them up a little bit and you end up finding new stuff on everything, whether it’s a blues or a ballad or just swinging on a standard.

This gig with Harvie S and Alan Dawson was a similar thing. And I had never played with Alan Dawson before. I certainly had known about him, and I might have met him once when I was going to school at Berklee.

He was the main percussion teacher there, the head of the drum department; an amazing player and an amazing teacher who also wrote some instructional books that are kind of like a Bible for drummers.

And so we hit it without a rehearsal. We had three nights there and someone had taped it on a reel-to-reel recorder. We weren’t in a studio situation or even a remote trailer for live recording, but it just came out really good.

And it documented a kind of thing that I’ve been doing for years – that little club gig that I never really recorded before. Just kind of caught in the act, so to speak. My chops were really 100 percent, and it was a good night just generally.

The rhythm section, man! Those guys just hooked up so well together.

And you really linked up with Alan Dawson, even though you say it was the first time you ever played together. There was a moment in “Like Someone in Love” where you both kick it into double time simultaneously. There’s some kind of telepathy going on there.

Alan is something else, man. There’s a video on YouTube of him and Sonny Rollins that is so swinging it’s ridiculous. It was really a pleasure to play with him. You know, he was sitting there in his suit and tie, and I turn on the distortion pedal occasionally, and he’d say, “Whichever way you wanna go.”

And when the rhythm section is that supportive, it really feels so inspiring that it’s effortless. So this record is just a really good example of an incredibly sensitive, supportive, strong rhythm section. It was really a nice hookup for the whole three nights. I just remember feeling so comfortable.

And Harvie, I had played with him a bunch at that point. He’s just such a solid, supportive bass player and also a very creative soloist. He’s done so much with so many different cats – Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Thad Jones, Jim Hall, Sheila Jordan. He’s been around forever, and he’s wonderful to play with.

And Harvie and Alan Dawson really hooked up well together. It’s very inspiring when that happens – all three of us at once. I love that trio setting, and I don’t go far away from it. When I play my own tunes with my band, I usually add a saxophone, so it’s really still a trio when it’s time for me to solo.

With a trio there’s a flexibility that doesn’t exist with anything else. And just playing standards is something I’ve done so much before. 

On that Harvie S Trio album, we did one original of mine, “Bruze,” which I wrote a long time ago for Tiger Okoshi, the Japanese trumpeter [it was later recorded on the 1988 Bob Berg album, Cycles]. Everything else was standards. And those guys just amazingly do what they do, which is follow the music.

When you listen to this document from 35 years ago, is your guitar sound different from what it is now?

Things have changed some. I’m using a different guitar, for one thing. But in a basic way, I’ve always stuck with what works. I’ve always liked a very vocal kind of sound, but clear, where you can hear every note.

But I don’t want every note necessarily to be articulated in the same way. I like it to feel like the way we talk or the way we sing. When you talk, you don’t accent every syllable. So I like that in terms of how I try to play. You don’t hit every note the same way; you’ve got dynamics within each note of each phrase.

I go for more of that flow. I’ve always had that, and I try to keep it. I always tell students, “If you use pedals, if you use a certain kind of a sound with the amp in terms of adding more treble or taking the treble off... Whatever works for you, try to get your heart out there. Because that’s what it’s about. Don’t get in the way of what you want to communicate.”

Do you remember what your setup might have been on those three nights in Boston back in 1985?

It’s similar to what I’m using now. I’m always using Boss pedals. I think I used a Boss DS-1 Distortion and a Boss DD-3 Digital Delay on that gig, and I used two amps for that stereo sound.

And I had this [Yamaha] SPX90 [multi-effects processor] that I really liked. It has a harmonizer patch, not a chorus, for a slightly different effect. And it’s balanced to be more or less 50-50 with the straight sound and the chorus effect, which adds a bit more body. It has that kind of flow where you don’t hear it in your face. And you can play in a small place and it still sounds kind of big because of that.

So I’ve always used that kind of setup, and it’s also worked in the much bigger festivals.

You’ve always favored that slight touch of chorus.

Yeah, the very first chorus thing I had was called the Rotosound, which produced a Leslie kind of effect. It was a pedal I got from Nils Lofgren, who was a friend of mine in Washington, D.C., where I grew up. I was already very much into jazz, but I was also doing some rock gigs, some blues gigs. 

Nils was well known in the Washington, D.C. area, and then later on he started playing with Bruce Springsteen. But he used to play this Rotosound pedal and I really liked that.

And I also liked when Hendrix played with a Leslie. When I hear Jimi Hendrix, he has that vocal kind of sound that I emulated, obviously to a more extreme level. But I grew up checking that stuff out, so I kind of kept that kind of vibe through the years.

And, of course, I liked Pat Metheny's stereo sound when he first came out, and he had all that stuff to make his guitar more vocal [including a Lexicon PCM 60 reverb]. I used to hear Pat play in little places in Boston with Jaco and Bob Moses before they did Pat's first ECM record together, and I loved his sound.

And I always loved Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery for their legato sound. Wes did it with his thumb. He got a very vocal, round kind of sound.

For me, a lot of getting that legato sound has to do with the way that I pick. It’s not real loud, not really hard. It’s really light, because that’s the way I like to hear it – more like a horn player, in some ways – unless I need it to be stronger.

If I really want a stinging note, then I have the option of doing that. But fundamentally, I’m playing as smooth as possible, but not without dynamics. It’s more difficult to get that kind of roundness and warmth with a solidbody electric guitar.

I used to play a Gibson ES-175 through just one amp, but then I couldn’t crank it if I wanted to play the blues and rock a little bit. And rather than schlep a bunch of different guitars around to use different things on different tunes on the road – that’s really next to impossible, especially nowadays – I just had one guitar that kind of worked for every situation.

Originally, it was Roy Buchanan’s Telecaster, which I bought from Danny Gatton. That got stolen from me at gunpoint in Boston, and then somebody made a copy of that, which I used for years. I still have that guitar.

But then Yamaha wanted to make a Mike Stern signature model, so they took that copy of the Roy Buchanan guitar and made something similar and did a great job. I’ve been using that ever since. But it’s always been a Tele-style guitar for me. And I’m still going for that kind of a warmer sound that’s more vocal or horn-like.

In recent years, Pat has taken some of the treble off his guitar, so it’s very warm now. I don’t want to take that much treble off. I still like a little bit more of that just to give it some clarity. But I still want that roundness at the same time.

Are you still using Boss pedals?

Yeah, that’s basically what I’ve always used. I have two Boss DD-3 Digital Delay pedals [one on a short delay for reverb effects, the other on a longer delay]. And instead of a Boss DS-1, which is the distortion pedal I used to use, I’m using a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive pedal now. The Boss pedals really work. And I have a chorus effect in the Yamaha SPX as well.

I had just been playing again with Miles for the second time. I had played with Jaco, then I went into rehab. I had to clean up because I was a mess. So I had just gotten clean and everything was really coming more into focus for me.

I was getting high from the music more so than before, when there was other stuff I was getting high from. There was still plenty of good stuff that kind of got through during those days, but it was less consistent.

And this gig with Harvie was a really special night, where everything was clicking with the whole band. I was in the process of recording that first record I did for Atlantic Records, Upside Downside, and I was beginning to play with Bob Berg in that band that we had for a long time, with Dennis Chambers on drums and Jeff Andrews and then later Lincoln Goines on bass. But we kept it together for a number of years, and that was really fun.

So at the time of this 1369 gig, had you already started playing at the 55 Bar?

Yeah, I’d been playing there even before I went into rehab. I was still playing with Miles when Jeff Andrews found the 55 Bar on Christopher Street. And I was still living above 55 Grand Street at the time.

There’s no correlation between those two places; one’s in the West Village, the other’s in SoHo. It just happened that the addresses of both places were 55.

My wife, Leni, and I moved above the 55 Grand Street when I first started playing with Miles in 1980. I played with him for about three years off and on and then joined Jaco’s group after that. And we were still living in that place above the club at 55 Grand Street. During the time I was playing with Miles, Jeff Andrews said, “There’s a guy who wants to start music at this bar that’s been around forever.”

So we started playing there around 1984. We started off playing duo and then later on we got a really good drummer named Yves Gerard, who played with brushes and chopsticks because we were scared we were going to get kicked out for playing too loud.

So we started to play there with the drums, and when no one complained, we realized that we could play at different dynamic levels. And then a lot of people started playing down there after that, and it kept happening.

Ownership of the club changed a couple of times over the years, and 37 years later I’m still playing there. It’s a really cool scene, and we’re really working hard to keep it happening. It looks like it survived the pandemic, so I guess we'll see what happens next there.

You no doubt canceled a lot of touring in 2020 because of the pandemic. Do you have any plans to resume touring?

I’ve got some gigs in March with Randy Brecker and Dennis Chambers. Other than that, I’m playing at the 55 Bar every Monday and Wednesday night.

Purchase Going for It by the Harvie S Trio here.

Boss has announced the release of a powerful new electric guitar and bass amp-cum-effects unit called the GX-100 Guitar Effects Processor.

Featuring Boss’s groundbreaking AIRD (Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics) technology that debuted with the highly acclaimed GT-1000 in 2018, the GX-100 is fitted with an intuitive color graphic LCD touchscreen, making programming a cinch.

Boasting over 150 effects and 23 AIRD amplifiers originating from Boss’s flagship GT-1000 unit, the new GX-100 offers a huge range of sound packed into a modern, durable design that effectively condenses a vanload of gear into a single floor device measuring little more than a foot-and-a-half in width.

Designed to be used in virtually any situation, the Boss GX-100 is primed for hooking up to regular amps, FRFR (full range, flat response) monitors, or a PA. 

A selection of speaker sim options are available to choose from, and you can import WAV speaker IRs via USB if desired.

The GX-100’s exciting library of 154 guitar effects types includes some classic Boss stompboxes you would hope to see, such as the Slow Gear, Octave, Tera Echo and Harmonist.

There are, of course, a plethora of gain sounds to choose – from Booster and Over Drive to Metal Distortion and Fuzz – while modulation effects incorporate phasing, flanging, chorus, vibrato, tremolo and more.

Among various other options, delays and reverbs include Analog Delay, Twist, Warp, Shimmer Reverb and Space Echo.

Sporting eight footswitches along with an expression pedal, the GX-100’s controls can be customized to suit your playing needs.

While the GX-100 can seamlessly change from one of 300 memory presets to another using either the touchscreen or footswitches, Manual mode allows a more traditional stompbox-style interaction if preferred. External controls are also supported (including MIDI).

Among various other handy functions the GX-100 features a USB audio interface; an effects loop; a stereo headphone jack; a tuner (accurate to +/-0.1 per cent); and a 38-second looper (19 seconds stereo).

Visit Boss for more information.

Despite the ongoing pandemic 2021 was a fabulous year for gear. With many exciting and innovative products appearing over the last 12 months we guitar players have been spoilt for choice. 

Here are some of the top picks from team GP…

Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab Les Paul, ES-335 and ES-355 Guitars

A revitalized Gibson introduced its Murphy Lab extension of the Custom Shop early in 2021, and that thrillingly accurate backward glance proved one of the more exciting new developments from a big-name maker in quite some time.

Tom Murphy has long been recognized as a leading practitioner of the art of aging Gibson guitars, and if someone had told us the 1959 Les Paul Heavy Aged, 1959 ES-355 Light Aged, and 1961 ES-335 Ultra-Light Aged we were sent for testing were rare under-the-bed vintage finds we wouldn’t have thought twice.

And not only did they look great, but Custom Shop build quality ensure they also played superbly and sounded authentic. Stellar stuff. DH

Orange Acoustic Pedal

This is an ideal preamp and flexible D.I. for acoustic guitar rockers after an amp-like tone. It simply makes any acoustic-electric guitar sound bigger and bolder without having to fuss with a bunch of complicated controls.

The main event is the very sculptable midrange along with the requisite bass and treble controls. Tweak them a bit for different applications or instruments, but most players can probably pretty much set ’em and forget ’em.

I was miffed about no mute or bypass button at first but needed a mutable tuner in line anyway. Once the ample-sounding Orange Acoustic Pedal tone colors the signal chain, going without it sounds black and white. JL

Reverend Gristle 90

Guitarist Greg Koch went off-road when creating a follow-up to his signature Tele-centric Gristlemaste, and the result is the Gristle 90, a mashup of Fender and Gibson attributes that features a korina body that’s chambered under the pickguard and has a Firebird-style raised center section, and a three-piece korina set-neck topped with a 24 3/4-inch scale, 22-fret ebony fingerboard.

Steering things further into Gibson territory, the Gristle 90 has a Bigsby vibrato and a Tune-o-matic bridge, and it sports a pair of P-90 pickups – specifically, Fishman Fluence Gristle 90s, which were voiced by Koch and crew for this guitar. They feed volume and tone controls – the latter with a push-pull switch for a Peter Green-type out-of-phase sound – along with a pushbutton midrange boost and a three-way selector.

The Gristle 90 is a great playing and superb sounding guitar that combines classic and cutting-edge technologies to create a T-styler like no other. AT

Mesa Badlander

Derived from a long line of high-gain Mesa Rectifier amplifiers, this EL34-powered two-channel 100-watt head (also available in combo, rack-mount and 50-watt versions) delivers an astounding range of tones courtesy of Mesa’s 3 Mode Channel Cloning system that provides independent switching of the Clean, Crunch and Crush modes on each channel, each of which offers different gain and voicing options.

Dialing in righteous clean and overdriven tones is facilitated by the independent gain, master and EQ controls, and there’s a front-panel switch to select 100-, 50- or 20-watt operation (all class A/B), a tube-buffered series FX loop, a trio of speaker jacks and a bias switch to configure the amp for EL34 or 6L6 power tubes.

The features are extensive, but one of the most significant is the Cab Clone IR, a cab-simulator/reactive load with eight Mesa miked-cabinet IRs that can also be loaded with IRs of your choice. It adds up to a magnificently well-endowed amp that’s also an amazing deal. AT

Epiphone USA Casino

This updated and revitalized USA Casino – the first built in the U.S. since 1971 – absolutely nails what makes the iconic hollow-body Casino great: from big, bold British jangle and punch to sexy, syrupy P-90 jazz guitar and blues guitar tones.

The solid mahogany, 22-fret, rounded-C neck is topped with an Indian rosewood fingerboard, and with its three-ply maple/poplar/maple top, Gibson ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge and thinline trapeze tailpiece, it’s a contoured classic in either Royal Tan or Vintage Sunburst nitro finishes.

While it may cost a pretty penny compared to the Asia-made Epiphone Casinos of even a few years ago, the USA Casino is worth the investment, bringing the model back to the premium U.S.-made dream machine it was always meant to be. JVR

Boss OC-5 Octave

The OC-5 builds on the legacy of the OC-2, introduced 40 years ago, with a spot-on re-creation of the original monophonic pedal as well as a Poly mode that delivers the OC-3’s chord-loving goodness.

It ups the ante with a +1 octave control that adds definition and chime to guitar lines, and a -2 octave that in Poly mode becomes a range control for the -1 octave, allowing you to place the sub on just the root of the chord or over all the notes being played.

Boss’s latest tracking technology delivers lightning-fast, glitch-free performance, producing a natural sound and feel even on bends and vibrato. Better still, its suboctave sounds more natural than that of its predecessors. CS

Eventide Micropitch Delay

The MicroPitch Delay is a stereo delay with controls to independently adjust pitch for the left and right channels, as well as pitch-modulation capabilities courtesy of an LFO, and an envelope that responds dynamically to your playing.

The little red box is awesome for delay, chorus and doubling effects, but that is just the tip of this iceberg. The secondary mod parameter lets you choose from three types of pitch modulation: via LFO, via envelope to raise pitch, and via envelope to lower pitch. These last two methods are great for creating dynamically responsive pitch shifts.

It’s also terrific for creating syrupy chorus and ascending and descending delays via picking dynamics. I found that, at its core, the MicroPitch Delay is a fantastic “always-on” sonic enhancer in my signal chain. CS

Fender American Professional Jazzmaster II

If you’re like us, you’ve wanted a Jazzmaster for years. What held you back was those notoriously wonky vibrato tailpieces and the humpy 7.5-inch neck radius. Well, the American Professional II is for you, with a redesigned Panorama tremolo system that gives you all the bending room of a Strat, updated V-Mod II pickups, and – finally! – a more comfortable rounded-C neck shape, with a modern 9.5-inch neck radius. Hallelujah!

The V-Mod II single-coil pickups kick indie ass, too: clear, punchy and articulate, with a coil-tap option for a beefier sound out of that previously thin bridge pup in most Jazzers. With the American Professional II, Fender has given us all the Jazzmaster’s cool character, with absolutely zero trade-offs. JVR

Epiphone “Inspired by Gibson” Hummingbird

Comparable in nearly every detail to its much-pricier U.S.-made Gibson counterpart, the new made-in-China Epiphone Hummingbird features that classic square-shouldered dreadnought shape, a solid Sitka Spruce top, solid-mahogany back and sides, Indian Laurel reverse-belly bridge with bone saddle, tortoise shell pickguard with Hummingbird and floral graphics, a glued-in, tapered dovetail neck joint, quarter-sawn spruce bracing, ivory-and-black six- and four-ply binding and an Aged Gloss finish.

Specs aside, it just plays and sounds great, with a 24.72-inch-scale mahogany neck with rounded-C profile, a 12-inch radius, and a lovely Indian laurel fingerboard. Finally, a Hummingbird for the rest of us. JVR

ESP MH-1000 Deluxe Evertune

An Editors’ Pick Award mysteriously went missing from this review when it appeared in the November 2021 issue, but the MH-1000 Deluxe Evertune certainly earned one.

This beautifully made guitar offers righteous playability thanks to its three-piece set-thru maple neck with a thin U shape and a 25.5-inch-scale Macassar ebony fingerboard carrying 24 mirror-polished, stainless-steel frets. The guitar swings a pair of active EMG pickups – a 60T W-R in the neck position and an 81 in the bridge slot – and the tone knob pulls for split-coil action.

As the name denotes, this version of the MH-1000 Deluxe features an Evertune bridge that provides rock-solid tuning stability and unprecedented intonation accuracy, and can be easily adjusted for the desired string-bending response. The Evertune is a game changer and the MH-1000 Deluxe an ideal platform to showcase its abilities. AT

Orange Terror Stamp

Perfect for mounting on a pedalboard, this potent little amplifier is a hybrid design that uses a 12AX7 tube in the preamp driving a 20-watt solid-state power section. A single foot-switch toggles between volume 1 and volume 2 controls, and there’s a Shape knob for EQ-ing sounds and a master gain control. The speaker output can handle 8- and 16-ohm loads, and there’s an FX loop and a cab-simulated output for recording, headphones or feeding a FOH mixer.

The Terror Stamp has a wide gain range and its British-flavored distortion is killer for everything from blues guitar to hard rock. It’s a great pedal to keep in the gig-bag in case your main amp goes down, or as a full-time amplifier for players who want to reduce the amount of gear they carry to the gig. AT

Neural DSP Quad Cortex Floor Modeler

When it comes to the industry-leading amp modelers, guitarists have stopped debating whether they sound like the real thing and just started using them. In doing so, many have developed strong loyalties to their DSP delivery unit of choice, which led to some ruffled feathers and muddied waters when plug-in designer Neural DSP unveiled this Quad Cortex floor unit.

Boasting an extremely intuitive interface with touch screen and combination rotary-knob-foot-switch gizmos and the ability to capture and reproduce any amp, drive pedal or cab you throw at it, the main takeaway is that the Quad Cortex simply sounds astoundingly good, immediately establishing it as a serious contender for anything out there. DH

Origin Effects RevivalDrive Compact

When you notice that your pals have the same new overdrive pedal on their boards, you know something is up. With its amp-like circuit design and chewy, touch-responsive sag and bloom, the original RevivalDrive caused a massive stir a few years back, but it’s a big pedal. The RevivalDrive Compact packs that same spongy saturation into a fly-rig-approved form factor, and does it sound good.

Is it the “tube amp-style signal path with Class A preamp”? Or maybe the “long-tail pair phase inverter” or the “reactive overdrive design”? It’s those things, plus EQ options for single-coil or double-coil pickups and a wet/dry control so you can blend your amp’s preamp gain with the RevivalDrive’s tailored gain structure.

Put away your ideas about what an overdrive pedal sounds like, and pull out your wallet. JVR

EarthQuaker Devices Astral Destiny Reverb

EarthQuaker’s line of out-of-this-world ambience pedals grew this year with Astral Destiny, a mind-blowing box that serves up eight types of ambience with and some without octave effects. These huge-sounding reverbs include chorus modulation that makes them sound ethereal or haunting, shimmer effects for upper and lower octaves, and high and low octave effects.

All this, plus a regenerating tail for creating reverbs of extended length at pitch or fifth above, as well as upward and downward pitch bending. Astral Destiny is a welcome new tone enhancer and an inspiring effect for guitarists who seek uncommon reverbs. CS

K-Line Springfield

Just when you concluded that everyone and his or her second cousin is making reproduction S-style, bolt-neck, 25.5-inch-scale guitars, along comes one to remind you how magical this 67-year-old recipe can still be when cooked up very, very well.

Chris Kroenlein’s Springfield model wowed us for its superb playability, authentically played-in feel, resonant and lightweight woods, lusciously aged nitro Lake Placid Blue finish (non-aged available), and trenchant tones.

From the archetypally Stratty mix of bright, glassy, snappy, and quacky, to muscular, rich, and multi-dimensional, it’s the compelling and inspiring performer many players believe they’ll find only in a vintage example costing much, much more. DH

L.R. Baggs Voiceprint Acoustic D.I.

Released in fall 2020 with a significant firmware update in 2021, the Voiceprint D.I. is one of the most innovative products released during the pandemic era. Using Impulse Response signal processing and harnessing the power of an iPhone or Apple Watch via the AcousticLive app, Voiceprint conjures a custom filter designed to augment/replace the pickup signal based on a quick demo performance, essentially creating the best version of your favorite instrument for amplification.

That “Voiceprint” then lives in the pedal and can be further sculpted using the app to adjust EQ or volume, reduce feedback or vary the blend. Store up to 99 Voiceprints for an entire acoustic guitar arsenal. JL

Fender Acoustic Junior GO

This little bugger sounds surprisingly toneful and does pretty much anything a troubadour might imagine. The GO’s got a bevy of effects including a built-in looper, plus Bluetooth connectivity that comes in handy for pumping backing tracks or simply rocking out to tunes sent over from a phone.

Dual guitar/vocal channels with identical setups are easy to understand and operate. A perfectly portable compact brown box housing a powerful rechargeable lithium-ion battery is the GO’s coup de grace.

Robust enough to turn any patch of nature into a stage, it was even the main amplifier for all of the acoustic instruments and even some of the electric ones at our Burning Man camp! JL

Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Standard Access

Here’s an all-around axe if there ever was one, and it’s attainable to practically anyone serious about acquiring a total tone machine. First, it’s a gorgeous, utterly playable and ergonomically excellent Les Paul with push/pull coil-tap capability on both humbuckers. Second, it’s got a piezo pickup in the Floyd Rose-style, whammy-friendly locking Graph Tech Ghost Tremolo Bridge, and that signal can either be separated via a second output jack, or summed with the magnetic signal in the primary output.

Remarkably, Epiphone and Lifeson realized this dream machine for under a grand. AT

Matchless Laurel Canyon Reverb 1x12

California amp maker Matchless has been at the forefront of the boutique scene since 1989, but the Laurel Canyon and its sibling Coldwater Canyon are the first production models it has released with 6V6 output tubes – to which we say it’s about time!

Announced prior to this past year but put on hold review-wise due to pandemic-related constraints, the Laurel Canyon quickly proved that the high-quality, point-to-point Matchless formula applies equally well to American-voiced designs, while also establishing a new 20-watt club combo to beat.

 From lush blooming chime, to biting mid-rich twang to snarling lead tones, all with outstanding reverb slathered over, it’s impressively versatile and a real joy to play. DH

Way Huge Atreides Analog Weirding Module

Atreides is a stellar reimagination of the short-lived but influential 1980 Electro-Harmonix Mini Synthesizer that Eddie Van Halen used to great effect on Fair Warning tracks like “Sunday Afternoon in the Park” and “One Foot Out the Door.”

A guitar synth, envelope filter, fuzz circuit, phaser, and sub-octave device all in one, pimped out with seven satisfying sliders for sensitivity, brightness, phaser rate, and more, it’s sure to help evoke the hallucinogenic “spice” that brings visions and messianic dreams to its Dune namesake, Paul Atreides. JVR

Carr Super Bee

Dressed in natty two-tone covering and designed to deliver three different flavors of blackface-Fender tone, the Super Bee has a rotary Sting switch that selects “64” (based on Steve Carr’s personal ’64 Deluxe Reverb), “68” (a classic Super Reverb) and “72” (a blackface circuit modded for extra overdrive).

Powering this point-to-point wired amp is a pair of 6BM8 tubes that combine a high-gain triode and a power pentode in one glass package. The pair produce 10 watts, which can be throttled down to two watts via the attenuator switch or all the way down to a whisper with the attenuator knob. Two 12AX7s and a 12AT7 handle the EQ (treble, bass, middle) and drive/recovery duties for the lush and enveloping reverb.

The Super Bee offers a cool selection of sounds that range from rich Deluxe Reverb flavors to midrange-forward Super Reverb clean and overdriven tones to gnarly distortion from the 72 setting that’s so dynamic and touch responsive you could play an entire gig on this mode alone. AT

Taylor Grand Theater 811E & K21E

Depending on your perspective, these are either two of the best little big guitars or big little guitars of 2021. Taylor notched out a nice niche between a short scale travel-sized axe and a full scale small-bodied instrument, then made it super playable by lowering the string tension for a remarkably relaxed feel that’s perfect for the beach, the boat or the back porch. C-Class cantilevered bracing helps the Grand Theater’s tone belie its diminutive box, and onboard ES2 electronics make it truly gig-worthy. JL

Damian Probett SG-Teor Guitar

With a diverse background in carpentry and joinery, aircraft tool making and the building of engines for racing motorcycles, London-based luthier Damian Probett shouldn’t have much trouble pulling off a meticulously well-crafted electric guitar – and he most definitely did not on evidence of the SG-Teor that graced GP’s New & Cool pages early in 2021.

Partly inspired by a “what if?” wish list from American guitarist Matte Henderson, Probett captured the spirit and overall sound of a vintage SG in a single-cutaway design that improved balance, eliminated neck-dive and “rubber neck” tuning-wobble issues, and enhanced sonic stability and sustain in the process. The result is a stunning performance tool that’s all the more versatile thanks to stealthy split-coil pickup switching. DH

Amp modeling isn’t new territory for Boss. The company has plied those waters for many years and to popular effect with latter-day products like the GT-1000 floor controller and Katana amp series. But this compact and truly stompbox-sized offering somehow feels like a step in a new and entirely natural direction. 

The IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet presents an impressive features-to-size ratio and might be one of the boldest efforts yet to squeeze an entire rig into the smallest space possible, while still offering a comprehensive menu of amp types, cab sims, room reverbs and bountiful user-programmable preset slots.

In naming the IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet, Boss has overtly recognized the explosion in credence given to an impulse response (IR) technology and its ability to accurately replicate the sounds of speaker cabinets in the digital realm, while potentially confusing the issue a little. The feature is just a small fraction of what this little box can do. It also packs eight guitar amps (the usual classics from clean, to jangle, to crunch, to singing lead), three bass amps, dual IR slots for genuine stereo processing (with 154 IRs from Boss and Celestion and 128 user-loadable slots), and EQ and spatial processing. All this, plus a full and intuitive amp-like interface, bountiful connectivity, and easy access and edit functions. 

So, deep breath… let’s dive in.

Controls in the amp section include the self-explanatory gain, level, bass, middle and treble knobs. Call up a preset using the memory rotary selector in the top-right of the unit (which doubles as headphone volume when pushed) or the up/down foot switches and these parameters will all be fixed per preset. But turn the gain control, for example, and the display shows the change in setting, along with the current preset settings of the other knobs. The amp and cabinet controls dial alternatives for each of those within any selected preset (push either one to enter and tweak their parameters), and the ambience knob determines the reverb depth while it accesses the three main types: Hall, Room and Studio. 

All changes can be saved as new presets in any of 128 user memory slots.

Connectivity is impressive for a box this size. There’s a single input, FX loop send with stereo return, stereo outputs, MIDI in and out on mini jacks, aux in, stereo headphone out, connection for control or expression pedals, and a USB port that lets you use the pedal as an interface for recording on Mac, Windows, and iOS devices. Some naysayers will point out the lack of XLR outputs, but those would be a tough fit on this 5 by 4 by 1.75-inch box. The available stereo ¼-inch outs should adapt to any conceivable requirement – although they’re unbalanced TS, and balanced TRS would have been a nice touch.

Tech-wise, it’s all backed up by 32-bit AD/DA conversion using Roland/Boss’s Adaptive Focus method, at a sampling frequency of 96 kHz, with 32-bit floating-point processing. If you’re noting a lack of pedal-style effects, that’s what the loop is for. Rare in a unit this size, the mono send and stereo return are intended for full integration with your pedalboard, which is where Boss sees this box putting down roots. Drive pedals in front, delay and modulation in the loop, and Bob’s your uncle.

We tested the IR-200 in stereo with studio monitors and headphones, and in mono with a Tech 21 Power Engine Deuce Deluxe, using a Les Paul and a Stratocaster, and found it both easy to come to grips with and a lot of fun. Although the guitar amp models seem a bit generic – a clean original Boss platform, a JC-120, a Twin Reverb, an AC30, a tweed Bassman, a Boss X-Hi Gain, a Marshall Super Lead and a Bogner Uberschall – they’re each well-judged renditions of the archetype and won’t likely befuddle the average user. Each is broadly tweakable with respect to speaker cabinet, miking and room ambience options, as well as the usual gain and EQ parameters, and it’s easy to find usable, enjoyable and fully personalizable sounds.

If anything, the cleaner options are a little sterile, without the tubey edge-of-breakup tone some would like to attain when dialing in the real thing at the sweet spot. But as part of a floor-based fly rig with a selection of pedals for dirt, they proved entirely adequate and played nicely with a TS9 Tube Screamer, an Angry Charlie and a Wampler Tumnus Deluxe, for starters. Crank up the crunch and high-gain-intended models, though, dial them in to taste, and it’s difficult not to find yourself smiling, especially with a little volume going in the room to aid touch sensitivity and sustain, or a nice ambient stereo mix in the cans.

The IR-200 will find some natural rivals in the Strymon Iridium and Atomic Ampli FireBox, both of which are in a similar price range and excel at their basic amp sounds, if falling a little short on presets, deep-dive programmability and LCD displays. (Though the IR-200’s screen may look outdated, it’s very readable in most lights.)

All in all, this is a fun and powerful pedal that is likely to be extremely popular.

Specifications:

• CONTROLS Memory knob, menu and exit buttons; amp, cab and ambience knobs; gain, level, bass, middle, treble knobs; up and down footswitches
• DSP 32-bit, 96 kHz
• CONNECTIVITY Input, FX loop send/return, mono/stereo outputs, MIDI in/out, Aux in, headphone out, USB Micro-B port, Ctl 1, 2/ Exp. Out, DC in
• WEIGHT 1.5 lbs
• BUILT Malaysia

Boss have today unveiled another of their now iconic silver machines. The FZ-1W Fuzz follows up the Japanese effects behemoth’s highly anticipated TB-2W Tone Bender fuzz unit released earlier this year. However, unlike the limited run of immediately collectible Boss/Sola Sound TB-2W pedals the new FZ-1W Fuzz is a regular production model that, in traditional Boss style, simply ‘does what it says on the tin’ .

While vintage fuzzes can be notoriously temperamental little gizmos the new Fuzz pedal from Boss seeks to limit those frustrations by introducing a rock-solid circuit coupled with a virtually bullet proof enclosure. No more worries about mid-20th century component tolerances, archaic battery type or surrounding air temperature – the FZ-1W gives you authentic vintage fuzz sounds along with the benefits of high-quality modern day effects building.

In line with a number of their existing Waza Craft pedals such as the DM-2W Delay and CE-2 Chorus, the FZ-1W Fuzz features a mode selection switch – in this case offering either Vintage or Modern functions (labelled "V" and "M" respectively.)

In today’s press release, Boss described the FZ-1W Fuzz’s Vintage mode as “the classic fuzz voice with more gain and wider expressive range… raspy and assertive without being harsh.” Much like an old Fuzz Face the FZ-1W interacts with the guitar's volume control providing an extensive palette of tonal options.

Meanwhile, the FZ-1W Fuzz’s Modern mode “delivers a more refined and versatile fuzz voice with focused midrange and fatter tone, making it ideal for all types of current music styles.” 

Along with its standard control knobs – Fuzz, Level and Tone – the Boss FZ-1W Fuzz promises to deliver an awesome range of fuzzed out electric guitar tones.

Priced $199 it is expected the Boss FZ-1W will be available in the U.S. within days. Pre-order yours now from Sweetwater here.

Stompbox titans Boss have unveiled a new flagship looper pedal. Advancing their renowned Loop Station line-up, the footswitch-laden RC-600 features flexible controls and functions which can be tailored to suit to the electric guitar and/or acoustic guitar player’s individual requirements.

Boasting high-quality 44.1 kHz/32-bit sampling and nine footswitches the Boss RC-600 Loop Station faithfully preserves your tone while opening up a host of new possibilities for guitarists. Players are able to capture and play back six stereo WAV tracks, while a substantial bank of quality effects along with a wide variety of rhythms offers further creative scope.

Advanced analog connectivity includes 2 balanced XLR inputs with phantom power and 2 stereo (dual TS ¼-inch) instrument input sections with selectable 1M/25K ohms impedance. Similarly, the Main Output and 2 Sub Output sections each comprise dual TS ¼-inch jacks (left side mono). Further footswitch and/or expression pedal control is available via 2 separate TRS ¼-inch jacks while a handy headphone output (TRS ¼-inch) has also been included.

On the digital side, the Boss RC-600 Loop Station features MIDI in and out, along with USB connectivity for WAV transfer, data backup, DAW integration etc.

Using the Boss RC-600’s 49 Input FX and 53 Track FX types, performances can be enhanced by treating loops during and after capture. This dynamic palette of effects thoughtfully includes a guitar-to-bass simulator and vocal effects. Along with over 200 built-in rhythms and 16 different kits to choose from the RC-600 Loop Station is Boss’ most powerful guitar player-friendly looper to date.

The Boss RC-600 Loop Station will be available in the U.S. in December 2021 priced $599.99. Visit the Boss website for more information.

Japanese effects innovators Boss have just announced the release of two cutting edge pedals for guitarists. The new IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet (amp and impulse response/cab simulator) and SY-200 Synthesizer join Boss’s 200 series effects pedal range which also currently comprises the DD-200 Digital Delay, EQ-200 Graphic Equalizer, MD-200 Modulation, and OD-200 Hybrid Drive.

SY-200 Synthesizer

Boss’s 200 series SY-200 Synthesizer takes their popular SY-1 Synthesizer compact pedal into the future with even more analog synth-inspired sounds and 128 memory slots. An expanded array of real-time tone sculpting possibilities has been made available including two onboard footswitches plus external footswitch, expression pedal and MIDI options.

Here’s a brief rundown of the SY-200’s features and specs…

• 171 total sounds
• 12 analog-style synth categories including Lead, Pad, String, and Organ
• 3 adjustable parameters per sound
• Requires no instrument modification or pickup change
• Latency free
• Blend wet/synth and dry/guitar signals using independent level controls
• Parallel send/return loop
• Supports up to two external footswitches or expression pedal
• Full MIDI I/O (3.5 mm TRS jacks)
• Micro USB jack for firmware updates

IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet

With performance, recording, and practice in mind Boss promises the IR-200 to be “the most advanced compact amp/IR solution available.” And with the DSP-based electric guitar pedal market going from strength to strength in recent years we’re expecting great things from this unit.

Here’s a brief rundown of the IR-200’s features and specs…

• 32-bit AD/DA, 32-bit floating-point processing, and 96 kHz sampling rate (for comparison, CDs are 16-bit/44.1 kHz)
• Cabinet library features 144 Boss and 10 Celestion Digital impulse responses (IRs)
• 128 user IR slots (mono and stereo WAV files supported)
• 128 user setup memories with dual EQs
• Two global EQs (parametric or graphic)
• Run two IRs simultaneously in mono or stereo
• 8 guitar and 3 bass amp types
• USB audio interface for recording & playback with music software on Mac/iOS/Windows
• Supports control via footswitches, expression pedal, and TRS MIDI
• Bespoke software enables easy IR and backup management

Click here for more information on the IR-200.

Click here for more information on the SY-200.

Throughout the development of the electric guitar and gear related to it, the first iterations of new designs haven’t always been the best. Gibson improved the Les Paul throughout the 1950s, Fender perfected the Bassman amplifier only with the final version of the tweed combo, and Vox arguably introduced the most classic AC30 when it added Top Boost several years after the first rendition arrived. Turn to the humble chorus pedal, though, and that pattern falls down entirely.

Few guitarists and collectors would disagree that the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble of 1976 was the greatest such pedal amid a flood of effects that followed over the next decade and a half. And it’s still the source for many of the lushest, richest examples of the sound ever recorded.

Effects designers laid a path for the chorus pedal in the late ’60s when Japanese company Shin-ei introduced the Univox Uni-Vibe, an attempt to electronically recreate the sound of a Leslie rotary-speaker cabinet in a compact unit. The Uni-Vibe was more phaser-meets-vibrato than chorus, despite its dual-mode Vibrato/Chorus switch, but it helped popularize a sibling sound in the realm of analog modulation effects.

Boss’s parent company, Roland, first issued its stereo chorus circuit in the Roland JC-120 and JC-60 Jazz Chorus amplifiers of 1975, and countless electric guitar players swooned over the sound (as did the keyboard players for whom the amplifiers’ dual use was intended). The following year, the same effect was packaged into an outboard box in the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, and a legend was born.

Thick, spatial and multidimensional it sounded great in mono and otherworldly in stereo through two guitar amps. In addition to being the first in a line of legendary chorus pedals, and an inspiration for countless others from rival manufacturers, the CE-1 is often said to be the first effect to use a bucket-brigade device (BBD) in its circuit. This might seem dubious when you note that the BBD-loaded Electro-Harmonix Memory Man was also released in 1976, but it takes on more validity when you consider that the CE-1’s circuit was contained in the JC-120 and JC-60 amps prior to the pedal’s arrival.

The CE-1 was housed in a larger and heavier enclosure than most common pedals today, but so were many of the more complex effects of the ’70s. It carried two foot switches – one to turn the effect on and off and another to switch between its vibrato and chorus effects – along with a level control, a control for chorus intensity, two knobs for vibrato depth and rate, a power switch to engage its hardwired AC power and a high/low input switch.

Boss unveiled its ubiquitous compact pedal line in 1977, and the company’s brightly colored renditions of just about every effect under the sun rolled out continually thereafter. In 1979, the CE-2 Chorus joined the ranks, taking the same sound into a compact format that sacrificed the vibrato effect and the stereo outputs. Even so, the CE-1 itself remained in production until around 1984.

Ask for classic examples of the CE-1 on record and most guitarists will point to Andy Summers of the Police, who laid down that evocative modulation on many of the band’s tracks, including “Message in a Bottle,” “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and “Walking on the Moon.”

Soon, though, the sound of a chorused guitar was busting out all over the place, often as delivered by the more compact CE-2, Electro-Harmonix’s Small Clone and the more deluxe renditions that would follow from Boss and many other makers.

If the feature-laden digital chorus effects of the late ’80s and ’90s didn’t entirely kill off the analog chorus, they did push it underground for a few yearS while ushering in an arguably cheesier use of the effect on some occasions.

Eventually, guitarists who hadn’t chucked their original analog boxes into the dumpster, and others who wondered why so many of the earlier recordings sounded so good, were rediscovering the glories of the BBD chip, which have now been firmly re-established.

Essential Ingredients

• All-analog circuit using bucket-brigade device (BBD) chips
• Large die-cast metal enclosure
• Dual foot switches for Normal/Effect and Vibrato/Chorus modes
• Stereo outputs
• Hardwired for AC power

Visit the Boss website to check out the CE-2W featuring CE-1 Chorus Ensemble Chorus and Vibrato modes

Since 1976, Boss have remained global leaders in the effects market with a string of ‘world firsts’ to their name, including the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble BBD-based pedal and the DD-2 Digital Delay compact delay pedal. In recent years, the Boss line has expanded considerably to include not only more accessories, but also amps (as per the ex-Roland Cube Street model). And with the arrival of the EURUS GS-1 Electronic Guitar Boss have branched out even further from their humble stompbox roots.

Featuring wireless Bluetooth connectivity for easy editing, the new Japanese-built EURUS GS-1 Electronic Guitar combines regular electric guitar appointments with Boss’ long-established analog-style polyphonic synthesizer technology. Sporting six customizable pre-programmed memory slots and a parameter-assignable synth control knob for dynamic expression “Every synth sound seamlessly responds to normal guitar techniques,” according to Boss.

Along with the promise of no latency or triggering issues we’re expecting great things from the EURUS GS-1. Though it has the potential to appear nothing like a ‘normal’ guitar to the ears, its splittable dual humbuckers and five-way switch make it sound like one if called for. Its high-performance specs – including a compound radius 24-fret fingerboard, two-point fulcrum bridge, and locking machine heads – will no doubt prove a familiar comfort for many.

Even more exciting is the optional EV-1-WL Wireless MIDI Expression Pedal. Expanding the creative potential of the EURUS GS-1 even further it can be assigned to enable dynamic parameter movements or ‘effects performances’ such as filter sweeps and pitch bends.

For more details visit Boss' website.

With its tough ABS injection-molded monitor-like wedge design and impressive battery life the Boss Cube Street II is built to project high-quality stereo sound in virtually any location. Rated at 10 watts total (or 5 watts in battery-friendly Eco mode) it can either run on eight AA batteries or the included AC mains adaptor. Featuring two channels and loaded with effects (including vocal effects) it can easily cut down on the amount of gear needed. Great news if you don't yet have your own team of roadies!

While the Guitar/Mic channel boasts nine different guitar amp types and the Mic/Instrument channel features a three-mode harmony control, both of the unit’s channels include separate volume, three-band EQ and reverb. Along with a 45-second stereo looper Boss have cleverly condensed the needs of the solo performer into one box weighing well under ten pounds (about the same weight as a Les Paul).

Touted as a “grab-and-go PA for everyone” Boss’ new Cube Street II amp has been designed for the musician on the move. Equipped with high-quality playback functionality, including auxiliary input and wireless Bluetooth connectivity, it serves as the ultimate portable toolkit for anything from presentations and public speaking to karaoke and street entertainment. Plus, via the Cube Street II’s i-CUBE Link and USB users can record and livestream their audio, opening up even more possibilities for the modern guitarist.

With high-tech compatibility in mind, the Cube Street II pairs up with Boss’ Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor (BT-DUAL) meaning you can use a smartphone or tablet to communicate wirelessly with the amp. In addition to being able to control backing tracks, the free CUBE Street II Editor app allows more detailed adjustment of the unit’s effects, looper, routing, and footswitch options.

Visit the Boss website here for more information

Having created an enormous wave of buzz with the announcement of the project last November, Boss has finally unveiled the HM-2W Heavy Metal Waza Craft pedal.

The HM-2W is an enhanced reissue of the legendary HM-2 pedal, which was in production from 1983 to 1991 and featured a legendary "chainsaw" tone that made it a favorite not only of Swedish death metallers, but shoegaze guitarists and even David Gilmour as well.

The reissue was created with the help of a Boss HM-2W Facebook group, where fans discussed what they'd like to see in the new version of the pedal, and shared feedback with the company.

For starters, the HM-2W features a premium craft buffer – which aims to improve bypass performance – a reduced noise floor, and a maximum output level that's been increased by +3dB.

The pedal also features a mode selector switch, which allows users to choose between a Standard or Custom voice. Boss promises that the Standard mode will deliver the tones and feel of the HM-2 with “100-percent authenticity," while the Custom mode features a drive stage with increased gain, and tweaked low and high-mids, for extra sharpness, fullness, and depth.

Elsewhere, the control setup is faithful to the pedal's HM-2 roots, with Level and Distortion controls, and a Color Mix EQ section. The latter's H knob helps users tame tones at around the 1kHz frequency range, while the L knob does the same in the 100kHz range.

The Boss HM-2W Heavy Metal Waza Craft pedal will be available in the US starting in August for $179, with preorders going live across the brand's dealership network today.

For more info on the pedal, stop by boss.info.

Boss has added a new amplifier stand, the BAS-1, to its line of accessories.

Compatible with most Boss and Roland amplifiers – plus a wide variety of other combos – the sturdy, collapsible stand is made of steel, and features telescopic arms that allow it to support amplifiers that weigh up to 46 pounds.

Its quick-release lever and locking cam make it both easy to transport and set up, while its adjustable feet aim to give your guitar amp a rock-solid foundation.

The stand's tilt-back design, meanwhile, aims to improve projection and allow users get a better sense of their tone. It also features cushioning pads, for added sound control and protection.

A price and release date for the Boss BAS-1 amp stand have yet to be revealed as of press time.

For more on the stand, stop by boss.info.

Boss introduced the the OC-2 Octave pedal in 1982, allowing guitarists and bassists to add tones one and two octaves below the original note played. 

With volume controls for each of the three resulting signals, the OC-2 made it possible to mix the pitches as players desired, and with its clear tones and reliable pitch following, it became an enduring classic.  

Boss continued to build upon the original with the OC-3 Super Octave, adding a Poly mode that allowed octave effects on full chords. 

In that mode, the -2 octave knob becomes a control to limit the suboctave range, letting you place it, for example, on just the root note for bass guitar–style accompaniment. The OC-3 also introduced a Drive mode that adds distortion to the octave effect for fatter, aggressive tones.   

The new OC-5 aims to give users the best of its predecessors. Its Vintage mode is a virtually spot-on re-creation of the original OC-2 monophonic pedal, while its Poly mode delivers the OC-3’s chord-loving goodness, including its suboctave range control.

And though it doesn’t feature a Drive mode, the OC-5’s suboctave volume controls do produce slightly thicker, gnarlier tones as you turn them to their maximum. While I imagine some OC-3 users may miss the Drive mode, most will be happy to use the dirt box they already own.

So what’s new on the OC-5? For a start, it complements its suboctave range with a +1 octave-up control, available either on its own or in conjunction with the suboctaves. 

What’s more, the OC-5 features Boss’s latest tracking technology for a remarkably accurate response and feel. The pedal also has a cleaner layout. Whereas the OC-3 had separate guitar and bass inputs, the OC-5 sports a guitar/bass switch on its backside that optimizes its performance for each instrument.

It still has a mono output, which combines your original guitar signal with the octave effects, and a direct output that splits the original signal off from the octave signals for individual processing. The OC5’s new tracking technology definitely deserves praise. It not only delivered glitch-free performance but was also lightning fast, producing a natural sound and feel even on bends and vibrato.

Dialing up the -1 octave volume, I tried out my best Wes Montgomery licks and was thrilled by the OC-5’s ability to slip that lower octave note under my original, with zero latency. But it was the new +1 octave feature that most intrigued me. To be fair, it can be rather subtle when used on its own, both in Vintage and Poly mode.

Adding the -1 octave helped it stand out by accentuating the contrast between the lower and higher octave ranges. The +1 octave really shines with a fuzz pedal placed after the OC-5, where its nuances are revealed. In practice, I found the higher octave added definition to my original guitar lines and kept them from getting swamped when the suboctaves were cranked up.

At the other end of the spectrum, the -2 octave was perfect in Vintage mode for adding meat to lines played high on the fretboard, shadowing the notes and adding dimension that helped them sound more substantial.

Here again, the OC-5’s tracking was flawless, and the low notes never glitched or were pitched inaccurately. Like the +1 octave, the -2 octave got a nice ratty boost with a fuzz pedal placed after the OC-5.

As mentioned above, in Poly mode the -2 octave knob becomes a range control for the -1 octave, and this works as advertised, allowing you to place the sub on just the root of the chord or wind the control clockwise to apply the suboctave over all the notes being played.

All in all, the OC-5 is a worthy new entry in Boss’s octave pedal lineup, with its +1 octave control and improved tracking technology. I also think its suboctave tones sound more guitar-like and less synthetic than those of its predecessors. Well done, Boss.

Specifications

• PRICE: $129 street
• CONTROLS: Direct level, +1 octave level, 1 octave level, 2 octave level/1 octave range. Vintage/Poly mode switch, guitar/bass input selector switch. On/off pedal switch
• I/O: Input, output and direct output
• POWER: 9-volt battery or DC power adaptor (not included)
• BUILT: Malaysia
• CONTACT: Boss

Though 5G technology and the coronavirus have absolutely nothing to do with one another, that hasn't stopped conspiracy theorists around the world from falsely linking the two.

One of these debunked theories is that the recently rolled out COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips with 5G technology, designed supposedly to track our every movement. To that end, what was promoted as a leaked photo of the top-secret schematic of this microchip recently began going viral. 

Of course though, the schematic in question doesn't actually display a top-secret 5G chip. In fact, what it shows is the reworked circuit of a Boss Metal Zone distortion pedal.

The discrepancy was first spotted by Mario Fusco, a senior software engineer at Redhat, who took to Twitter to point it out.

“Here in Italy people started to share this figure claiming that this is the diagram of the 5G chip that has been inserted in the COVID vaccine,” Fusco said. “In reality it is the electric circuit of a guitar pedal.”

Indeed, a closer look at the schematic reveals "Bass," "Treble," and "Volume" labels, among other dead giveaways that this circuit will not, in fact, be put into your bloodstream upon receiving the vaccine.

If you're really craving some of those classic, high-powered Boss distortion tones in the meantime though, maybe wait for the upcoming Waza Craft version of the company's legendary HM-2 Heavy Metal pedal. 

Hot on the heels of announcing a reissue of its legendary HM-2 Heavy Metal pedal, Boss has unveiled the Waza Craft TB-2W Tone Bender, a new fuzz pedal the company developed in collaboration with Sola Sound.

Housed in the instantly recognizable Boss chassis, the TB-2W aims to recreate Sola Sound's legendary late-'60s MK II Tone Bender fuzz unit. A favorite of the likes of Mick Ronson, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, the Sola MKII Tone Bender also served as the basis for the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, Dallas Rangemaster, Vox Tone Bender and other popular fuzz units.

The TB-2W was modeled, in exacting detail, after a “masterpiece” Tone Bender MK II (serial number 500) from Sola Sound’s archives, and features rare germanium transistors, a three-way voltage selector, selectable true/buffered bypass operation and a refined circuit design for more consistent pedal-to-pedal performance.

Visually, the Waza Craft TB-2W Tone Bender also pays homage to its predecessor, with the same knob designs and textured enclosure as Sola's Tone Bender.

The Boss Waza Craft TB-2W Tone Bender will be available in Q2 2021 in a limited production run, due to the availability of the components used for the pedal. A price for the pedal has yet to be announced.

For more info on the pedal, stop by boss.info.

Between its new Pocket GT unit, GT-1000CORE multi-effects pedal, RC-5 & RC-500 Loop Station pedals, and Nextone Special combo amp, Boss has had an incredibly busy couple of months.

The storied company isn't stopping there however, revealing – via an interview with Boss president Yoshi Ikegami on an episode of the company's Talk with Boss series – that the company will soon be issuing a Waza Craft version of its legendary HM-2 Heavy Metal pedal.

Boss has set up a Boss HM-2W Facebook group, where fans can discuss what they'd like to see in the new version of the pedal, and share feedback. Boss says it will incorporate the feedback and comments into the final product.

First released in 1983, the HM-2 was the bedrock of the tone on Entombed’s 1990 death-metal landmark, Left Hand Path. That said, the pedal was also a favorite of tone king David Gilmour, who used it prominently on his 1984 solo album, About Face, and Pink Floyd's 1987 comeback effort, A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

Among distortion pedals, the HM-2 stands out for its sonically versatile low and high ‘Color Mix’ EQ controls, which offer +/- 20dB of boost/cut.

Though there's no official release date for the new pedal (we do know it's arriving sometime in 2021), Boss, in a first, is promising to update fans on the pedal's design as it's developed. We'll be sure to share those updates when we have them.

Boss has unveiled its new Nextone Special guitar amplifier.

The latest addition to the company's Nextone series, this 1x12 combo features Boss’s Tube Logic technology, which helps it emulate the tones and responses of the classic tube amps of yore. It's assisted in this task by BOSS’s new Waza B12W 12-inch speaker, which seeks to merge the tone of '60s “blue bell” speakers with more modern power handling capacity. 

EL84, EL34, 6V6, and 6L6 class AB circuits, two fully independent channels, and a choice of British or American tone stacks are accessible from the amp's control panel. Users have the ability to set switchable solo levels on both channels, and activate an Extra Headroom switch on the clean channel.

Also aboard the amp are more standard boost, delay, tremolo and reverb effects.

Other features include MIDI compatibility, three selectable mic’d cab IR voicings, footswitch support, 1/4” and XLR line outputs, and Air Feel. Users can also store and recall patches with Boss’s Nextone Editor software, which can accessed via USB. 

The Boss Nextone Special amp will be available in December for $899.

For more info on the amp, stop by boss.info.

Boss has unveiled its new RC-5 and RC-500 Loop Station pedals.

Both the RC-5 and RC-500 feature 32-bit AD/DA and 32-bit floating-point processing, onboard rhythms, phrase memories for storing loops, backlit displays, 13 hours of stereo recording and external control support options via footswitches, an expression pedal or MIDI.

The RC-5 features full stereo I/O, an LCD backlight that changes color to indicate recording, overdub and playback states, and a multi-function parameter knob for navigating system settings, rhythms and more.

Direct control of many of the RC-5's assignable functions can be attained with the pedal's two external footswitches, while continuous adjustments can be made with an expression pedal. The RC-5 is also MIDI-compatible, via included TRS jacks.

The RC-500 offers two tracks, the same color-changing LCD backlight as the RC-5, plus track faders and a mic level knob for easy access to volume control while performing. Three built-in footswitches - configured for basic operations by default, but capable of being reassigned to other tasks - also come aboard.

Users can connect mono/stereo instruments, pedal effects or a mic via the RC-500's dedicated XLR input, which also comes with a phantom power switch for condenser microphones.

The RC-500 also features a variety of Loop FX, such as scatter, shift, repeat and vinyl flick.

Both pedals feature a reverse function and 57 rhythms, each with A/B variations, plus a number of drum kits - 7 in the RC-5 and 16 in the RC-500.

The RC-5 and RC-500 also both feature 99 phrase memories for loop storage. These can then be backed up to a computer via USB.

The Boss RC-5 and RC-500 Loop Station pedals are available now for $199 and $349, respectively.

For more info on the pedals, stop by boss.info.