Fender Johnny Marr signature Jaguar
Highly distinctive variation on classic model honors modern-era U.K. guitar great
Marr is best known, of course, as the strikingly dynamic and influential anti-hero guitarist-arranger-all-around-musical-wunderkind behind Manchester quartet the Smiths, which virtually redefined and ruled U.K. pop throughout the 1980s. A master of melody, layering and texture, Marr has always brought his own instantly identifiable ringing, jangling genius to the proceedings, as he has done in post-Smiths stints with The The, Electronic, the Pretenders and Johnny Marr and the Healers, and right up to the present with Modest Mouse, the Cribs and innumerable guest appearances.
COOL GEAR ALERT: Boss BC-2 Combo Drive
Classic British Combo Amp Tone in a Stompbox
Los Angeles, CA, December 21, 2011 — The new BOSS BC-2 Combo Drive, the latest addition to the overdrive/distortion category of its legendary lineup of compact pedals, is now shipping. Just as the ST-2 Power Stack brought the sound of a raging stack amp to pedalboards everywhere, the BC-2 now gives players classic British combo amp tone in a convenient stompbox.
The dual-speaker “top boost” combo amp drove the sound of the British Invasion in the 1960s, and remained a favorite of many prominent rock guitarists throughout the 1970s. Rediscovered by a new generation in the ‘80s, the amp’s sweet, wide-ranging tones—which fall squarely between vintage American combos and high-gain British stacks—continue to be an essential part of music styles from indie rock to country.
COOL GEAR ALERT: Boss FB-2 Feedbacker/Booster
Unique, Expressive Guitar Pedal Offers Variable Booster Types,
Natural Feedback Function
Los Angeles, CA, December 21, 2011 — The powerful new BOSSFB-2 Feedbacker/Booster, the latest addition to its famous lineup of compact pedals, is now shipping. Combining an adjustable tone/gain boost with the ability to kick in a natural cranked-amp feedback sound at will, the FB-2 is a unique stompbox that gives guitarists a world of new expressive possibilities.
Booster pedals have become extremely popular with guitar players in recent years. Many different types are available, ranging from straight-up gain boosters to tone enhancers that boost treble or midrange frequencies. Using the latest BOSS technology, the FB-2 incorporates the most sought-after booster types—as well as their unique sound characteristics and sensitivity to playing dynamics—all in one convenient and affordable pedal.
COOL GEAR ALERT: Way Huge Red Llama Overdrive
PRESS RELEASE
PRESENTING THE WAY HUGE RED LLAMA OVERDRIVE
The often imitated but never duplicated thunder of the Red Llama is back! This is not a reproduction, but a continuation of where the groundbreaking archetype left off in 1999. Every single feature that made the Red Llama so mighty is still in place, right where Mr. Huge left them.
COOL GEAR ALERT: SHREDDER Synth for Guitar
Oh now this is bitchen. Ever wanted to turn your guitar into a synth but couldn’t afford or figure out MIDI pickups and the like? Well if you own an iPad, you’re in luck!
For immediate release
Yonac Software Releases SHREDDER – Synth for Guitar
Yonac creates the first professional iOS synthesizer designed for the guitar.
(Durham, NC – December 14, 2011) Yonac Software is pleased to announce the release of
SHREDDER, now available on the iTunes App Store. SHREDDER is a synthesizer/MIDI interface specially designed and developed for guitar players. It allows guitarists to play a true analog modeling synth by simply plugging in – no special pickups needed! SHEDDER’s synth engine is a powerful, fully configurable FM/Subtractive design including:
• Dual oscillators
• Three custom-designed filters
• Three dedicated envelopes
• Dual LFOs
• Many more sonic features to empower the musician!
COOL GEAR ALERT: Jim Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Crybaby
Check it out! Jim Dunlop is going to release a Joe Bonamassa Crybaby. It’s designed to fit in with Joe’s rig both sonically and visually, and it has vintage-style ‘thru-hole’ components, a Halo inductor, a true bypass switch and an extended vocal sweep range. You can preorder it from Joe’s website, which I suggest you do promptly to cheer him up after that unfortunate Grammy snub.
COOL GEAR ALERT: MXR Custom Badass Modified Overdrive
YES! One of my favourite pedals this year – earning itself an instant place in my live rig as the heart of my lead sound – is the MXR Custom Badass ’78 Distortion. You can see my review here. Well that little red monster now has a slightly tamer but no less rockworthy brother in the form of the Modified Overdrive. Check it out!
PRESS RELEASE
Last year, we unveiled the MXR Custom Badass line of classic circuits fine-tuned to deliver a wider tonal spectrum, more versatility and increased dynamic range. The ’78 Distortion debuted as the first Custom Badass offering and was an instant hit. Guitar World Magazine said it was “as wild and raunchy as music was back in hard rock’s glory days,” offering “the versatility and low-noise performance that today’s players demand.”
This year, the Custom Badass team brings you the MXR Custom Badass line is the Modified Overdrive—a classic overdrive circuit with modern modifications for improved performance and versatility.
FEATURED REVIEW
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I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat and The Brag. I started I Heart Guitar in 2008. I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18 (I'm 33 now). I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week) and a setup tech. I live in Melbourne, Australia. You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube.
You can email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com