Three Pitch Engines Running at Once, in Stereo | Hotone Freqlux Hotone’s Freqlux runs three independent pitch voices at the same time, each with its own effects and its own position in the stereo field. PG Contributor Tom Butwin details the Tri-Pitch Engine, from polyphonic tracking and key aware harmony through to the Flux footswitch that turns the pedal into something you play rather than something you switch on. Each voice gets assigned to one of five modes. ‘Poly’ handles polyphonic shifting that keeps chord structure intact. ‘Key’ generates harmonies that follow whatever key you set, though Tom makes the case for deliberately mismatching it. ‘Detune’ covers drop tunings and baritone territory, and with tracking at 4 to 5ms of latency it reads as a real tuning change rather than an effect. ‘ARP’ turns pitch into sequenced motion. ‘Mod’ steps away from pitch shifting and runs modulation instead. Every voice then carries its own effects and tone shaping, including drive, tremolo, chorus, delay, level and pan, which is where the stereo layouts come from. Tom builds one with crunch on the outer voices panned hard left and right and a clean voice down the middle. The controls stay manageable despite the depth. Side buttons handle global routing and per effect editing, a knob scrolls through 200 preset slots, and the three top knobs map to the three voices. Holding both footswitches drops into Flux, where the right switch becomes a real time pitch controller for gliding shifts and arpeggiated movement. Auto Flux does the same thing from your picking dynamics instead of your foot. Connections cover stereo in and out, USB-C, MIDI in and out, and an expression pedal input, with free desktop editing software if you’d rather not dial everything in from the screen. Hotone Freqlux Pitch-shift Stereo Pitch-shift Guitar Pedal with H1, H2, H3, Preset, Mix, Select, Alt/Menu, and FX Controls, 3 Harmonized Voices, Delay, Modulation, Arpeggiator, MIDI, and USB Street price $299.99 Buy now &width https://www.premierguitar.com/videos/pg-plays/hotone-freqlux #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Death By Audio x Rainger FX Amp Crash Review Some of you are lucky enough to avoid bouts with the guitar doldrums. Me? I get stuck in ruts more than I would like. Death By Audio’s wares have bailed me out these troughs more than once. And the company’s new Amp Crash, designed with fellow mad scientist David Rainger of Rainger FX, is yet another device, full of surprises, that can awaken jaded musical hearts. The Amp Crash is many things—none of which seem all that crazy on the surface. It can be an overdrive or a fuzz. It can be a reverb, delay, or chorus. As the grate on the pedal’s face suggests, it can be a little self-contained amplifier that will make your Pignose nervous. You can use it as an amp out in front of your DAW. And because it’s a real amplifier, it can drive an 8-ohm passive cabinet. So where’s the weird, you ask? Well, DBA and Rainger had the good (sick?) sense to wire a microphone into this circuit—one that picks up the sound from the tiny 2" speaker, as well as ambient room sound, and folds it back into the circuit, generating feedback, unexpected overtones, and sound warpage that can be mangled further with the onboard effects. This opens up a lot of possibilities. At times playing the Amp Crash was like getting locked in Lee “Scratch” Perry’s lunchbox. Other times it was like wandering a house of horrors hosted by psych-punk thugs. But the Amp Crash is also very happy making sounds that fall within the range of conventional—most notably saturation that’s redolent of a vintage low-wattage amp set anywhere from warm to boil. A Meeting of Melted Minds DBA is not afraid of building less-than-petite effects. But given how much is stuffed in the roughly 5 ½" x 3 ½" x 2" enclosure, the Amp Crash’s dimensions don't seem like an indulgence. Like many DBA pedals, it looks like it was pinched from the Space: 1999 props department, and in this case the mutant retro-futurist styling is heightened by the speaker grate, which gives the Amp Crash the look of a vintage com-link unit. The speaker works, of course, because the Amp Crash has a true power amp inside—two, actually. (This accounts for the relatively heavy 300-milliamp draw, and you’ll definitely need a dedicated power supply.) One drives the small speaker. The other, which drives an additional op-amp section along its own signal path, is routed via the output that you plug into a guitar amplifier or a DAW. (A second output is dedicated to driving an external 8-ohm cabinet if you want to go that route.) The pedal’s gain range spans surprisingly clean tones and filthy ones. But the drive it generates—particularly through a guitar amp—is uniquely flavored. The output for the speaker is shaped by the gain and tone controls. The same controls configure the gain and tone profiles of the second opamp-assisted section, where they are complemented by the DI-out level and the mic-out level controls. The last of these governs how much of the onboard microphone signal is mixed with the DI-out. Through the whole tone knob range (which is pretty extensive), the output is colored by a snorkely mid range—sometimes in hints, sometimes boldly. Living at the brightest or darkest end of the range doesn’t really eliminate this emphasis as much as it stacks something else on top of the midrange bump. I struggled to think of exact tone parallels. At various times I heard traces of DOD 250, a less screechy Tone Bender, a Way Huge Red Llama, a fixed wah pedal, and the fuzz section in a ’60s solid state Vox amplifier. More commonly, though, the midrangey-ness suggested one, or some combination, of those devices, driving a 8" speaker in a low-watt tube amp. At lower gain settings, these qualities lend the output an edgy growl. At its fuzziest settings, it is brutish and nasty but focused. “At its fuzziest settings it is brutish and nasty but focused.” Mutant Zones All of these sounds can be reshaped, both subtly and radically, by adding feedback via the mic-out control, and zest from one of the three onboard effects. The mic-out control and effects (as well as the mic gate toggle) are very interactive. The feedback from the mic can generate and emphasize various overtones in the output—to subtle, pretty ends if you’re mellow with the mic-out level and effects, or with chaotic outcomes if you lay either one on too thick. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push it, though—in true DBA and Rainger FX fashion, some of the most rewarding tones live at these nearly out-of-control extremes. While the Amp Crash is unorthodox, it is not just a studio tool. There’s no reason you can’t use the Amp Crash as a fuzz or drive in live situations without fear of unwanted surprises. The payoff in distinctive tones could be considerable. But unique sounds are just one possible studio attribute. It’s often the methods Amp Crash encourages that yield the most interesting studio dividends. The strange tone composites you hear in the combination of onboard speaker and guitar amp speaker, for instance, can be recast by varying a microphone’s position relative to the two sources—or by miking amp and pedal speaker in different spaces entirely and sending those signals to two desk inputs. Similarly, endless variations on this effect can be enabled by miking the internal speaker and sending the output to your DAW and whatever sound processing tools live downstream. The Verdict We talk a lot about sliding scales here in the “verdict” section. A pedal that is a font of inspiration for one player might confound another. And like many DBA products that commit to a genuinely different approach, the Amp Crash resides in that category. Those inclined to use its tasty drive and reverb/delay/modulation section exclusively will probably find the $395 price hard to justify. Those who delve into the fullness of the Amp Crash’s potential could end up considering that a bargain—particularly if the sounds on tap here become a foundational part of their sound palette. But that is a very plausible scenario, because the Amp Crash is as rich with distortion suited for common musical settings as it is brimming with strange, esoteric tones. For players who can make use of sounds from both sides of its flavor spectrum—and you can count me among them—the Amp Crash might merit rounding up on all the performance scores listed here. Death By Audio x Rainger FX Amp Crash Street price $395 Learn more &width https://www.premierguitar.com/reviews/amps/death-by-audio-x-rainger-fx-amp-crash-review #ampcrash #rainger #audio #davidrainger #like #death #dba #daw #mindsdba #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Boss Announces Katana-25 Guitar Amplifier Boss has introduced the Katana-25, the latest addition to the company’s popular amplifier lineup for guitar and bass. Offering the Katana sound in a compact 25-watt amp for home playing, Katana-25 is designed for new and returning guitarists. It offers six unique amp characters and over 60 onboard Boss effects provide studio-grade sounds, while onboard Bluetooth and the companion Boss Tone Studio app enhance daily sessions with support for song streaming, effects editing, playing with YouTube videos, and downloading new sounds on Boss Tone Exchange. The new Katana-25 expands on a well-established legacy. Introduced in 2016, the Katana series has become a go-to solution for guitarists with its responsive feel and versatile features. The new Katana-25 brings this technology to guitarists who want to explore different styles in practice and home use. Key to the Katana series is the Boss Tube Logic design philosophy, which delivers the authentic tube sound and feel. Like classic tube designs, Katana-25’s 8” speaker, open-back configuration and 25-watt reactive analog power section work in harmony to create a highly interactive playing experience with solid bass, high-end detail, and punchy dynamic response. Katana-25 encourages experimentation and creativity without requiring additional gear. Six unique amp characters allow players to take on any musical genre with authority, from pop, blues, and country to classic rock and high-gain metal. One amp character is tuned for acoustic-electric instruments, further increasing the amp’s versatility. Users also get access to over 60 effects from the historic Boss library (up to 5 simultaneously), with detailed sound editing available in Boss Tone Studio. The Katana-25 panel allows users to save/recall Tone Setting memories and tweak basic preamp and effect parameters without opening the app. The amp includes 20 ready-to-play presets with dialed-in pro sounds, plus 10 empty slots for storing custom setups. There’s also a tap tempo button for delay effects and a convenient built-in tuner, an essential tool for every guitarist. Inspired by stage-class Katana models, Katana-25 features a Power Control to achieve expressive, cranked-amp tone at modest volumes. With the flip of a switch, users can toggle between full power punch and a half-watt mode that produces bedroom-friendly levels without sacrificing sound quality or feel. Katana-25 is equipped with onboard Bluetooth connectivity for audio streaming and communication with Boss Tone Studio. Players can connect a mobile device and jam along to songs from their device’s library, use the app to edit tones in detail, explore additional sounds on Boss Tone Exchange, and more. Boss Tone Studio includes a powerful Session feature that lets users browse and play YouTube content in the app and set up points on a song’s timeline to trigger automatic memory changes while playing. Several hardware options are also available for controlling sounds in real time, including an FS-series wired footswitch, the FS-1-WL Wireless Footswitch, or the EV-1-WL Wireless Expression Pedal. With its user-friendly interface, versatile tones, and integrated practice tools, Katana-25 is an easy choice for players looking to explore their sound, as well as anyone shopping for a gift on their behalf. The Katana-25 is available at a street price of $199.99. For more information visit www.boss.info. https://www.premierguitar.com/boss-katana-25-amplifier #bosstone #tonestudio #toneexchange #amplifier #guitar #tonesetting #users #tube #power #bluetooth #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Elan Audio Lab Introduces the SoundBakery Reactive Load Box, Attenuator and DI Elan Audio Lab has released the SoundBakery, a passive analog reactive attenuator, load box, and DI designed to let players run tube amps at high output while controlling speaker volume. Handmade in the USA, SoundBakery builds on the design legacy of MetalHead Electronics. SoundBakery uses a reactive load designed to mimic a speaker cabinet’s changing impedance. Its attenuation knob adjusts speaker output from approximately 25 percent of full level down to silence. A dedicated Attenuator Bypass switch connects the amplifier directly to the speaker cabinet for full, unattenuated output. The balanced XLR and 1/4-inch line outputs remain connected even in bypass mode. With the reactive load engaged, SoundBakery operates without a speaker cabinet for silent recording, direct-to-PA use, and in-ear monitoring. The line outputs can also feed another amplifier. They carry the amp’s signal without cabinet simulation or EQ, allowing players to add impulse responses or cabinet simulation in their recording software. One level control adjusts both line outputs. SoundBakery requires no batteries or power supply. Features: Reactive load for tube amplifiers up to 100 watts Three dedicated 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm amplifier inputs Speaker attenuation knob Dedicated Attenuator Bypass switch One 1/4-inch speaker output Balanced XLR and unbalanced 1/4-inch line outputs Shared line-out level control Silent load-box operation Aluminum chassis, approximately 4 lb. Dimensions: 5.9 x 7.9 x 2.75 inches (150 x 200 x 70 mm) SoundBakery is available directly from Elan Audio Lab for $479. For more information, visit elanaudiolab.com. Elan Audio Lab SoundBakery Elan Audio Lab has released the SoundBakery, a passive analog reactive attenuator, load box and DI designed to let players run tube amps at high output while controlling speaker volume. Handmade in the USA, SoundBakery builds on the design legacy of MetalHead Electronics. Learn more Buy now https://www.premierguitar.com/news/elan-audio-lab-introduces-the-soundbakery-reactive-load-box-attenuator-and-di #audiolab #elanaudio #reactiveload #loadbox #soundbakery #attenuator #speaker #balancedxlr #bypass #metalheadelectronics #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Dinosaur Jr.: Back to the Noise J Mascis has so many guitars that at least one of them has no obvious job. “It’s not good for songwriting, playing live, or recording. It’s not good for any of the real things we do. That leaves just playing it,” says the Dinosaur Jr. frontman, sporting a gray beard and red-framed glasses, via Zoom from a St. Louis hotel. “That’s kind of interesting: to play, knowing nothing will come out of it.” The axe in question is a Gibson Les Paul Custom that had a broken headstock when Mascis bought it. “The guy at the shop said it was his bandmate’s,” Mascis recalls. “You could tell he just played it so much that it was somehow awesome. You could feel it was worn in just right.” Mascis had the headstock repaired, but he maintained everything else about it, including the “20th anniversary” letters stamped on the fretboard and its overall battered quality. “It’s beat up, and it’s been played at shows. It has a good feel you can only get from playing all the time. Somebody’s favorite guitar for years—it’s cool.” The guitar has almost nothing to do with the reason Mascis is on this Zoom: to promote There Near, Dinosaur Jr.’s first album in five years. For this project, Mascis mostly employed a 1959 Fender Jazzmaster, after taking a multi-year break from the model. “I’m getting back to my roots because I never seem to,” he says, “and [playing] leads with it and stuff.” He retired the Fender from touring when he realized the guitar was worth tens of thousands of dollars, which freaked him out: “I’ll just play it when I’m recording,” he says. Befitting Dinosaur Jr. since the Amherst, Mass., trio’s debut album, Dinosaur, in 1985, There Near is packed with Mascis’ solos and distinctively slacked-out voice meandering over the din. What’s slightly different about There Near, compared to the band’s previous album, 2021’s Sweep It Into Space, is a foundation of precise, Who-like power chords; the opening track “Several Got Away” has the feel of “I Can’t Explain” or “My Generation.” Mascis has zero theories about why that might be so: “Yeah, that’s just the songs I came up with,” he says. “At the time, I’m not sure where they came from.” One physical piece of inspiration for There Near: a Mesa/Boogie Mark I amp, similar to the one Mascis used for the Dinosaur album 41 years earlier. Mascis purchased the more recent one secondhand, learning that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame had once utilized it for bands onstage. It had hemp cone speakers, and he plugged it into a Marshall cabinet he miked for the recording. “It was an interesting, clean sound that I hadn’t gotten again—this thicker-than-a-Fender sound,” he says. In 1985, he “didn’t know anything about amps,” he adds. “I had a Yamaha solid-state amp, because I saw Bob Mould had one. I thought, ‘How bad could it be?’ But my friend, the good guitarist in town, told me how terrible it sounded. I just used the amp they had at the studio”—the Mesa/Boogie Mark I. The band’s core—Mascis; bassist Lou Barlow, who would go on to front acclaimed indie-rock band Sebadoh; and drummer Emmett Murphy, known as Murph—has been together off and on since 1984, following the breakup of Mascis’ and Barlow’s hardcore band, Deep Wound. The new trio developed a distorted, sludgy sound that would resonate amid the ’90s alt-rock and grunge explosion. The group put out Dinosaur on an indie label, Homestead, which employed a young Boston punk-zine publisher and show promoter named Gerard Cosloy. He had briefly managed Deep Wound and, after joining Homestead—also home to hardcore heroes Big Black and Naked Raygun—offered to release a record by Mascis’ new band. “Back then, the Minutemen were a band we liked, and they said, ‘You need an album. That’s like a flier for the gigs. It’s better to have an album than a tape if you want to get gigs,’” Mascis recalls. “It seemed more legitimate or something.” After the first album gave Dinosaur Jr. a reputation as noise-rock innovators—their concerts reinforced this perception by cranking up the volume beyond healthy human-hearing capacity—the band shifted to a new label. Mascis had always admired SST Records, which had signed Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, and the Minutemen, so he left Homestead to go there. “That kind of ruined my relationship with Gerard,” Mascis recalls. “He kind of got pissed off and jumped ship. But I had to follow my dreams.” In 1990, Cosloy went on to join Matador Records, which released landmark indie-rock albums by artists like Pavement, Guided By Voices, and Liz Phair. Did Mascis ever reconcile with him? “Yes and no,” he says. “I mean, we’re not great. We never were as good of friends after that. But we definitely hung out a little bit.” Mascis’ early professional bridge-burning had little impact on Dinosaur Jr.’s career. The band’s first SST album, 1987’s You’re Living All Over Me, was simultaneously more focused, song-wise, and more insanely packed with innovative guitar leads. The guitar-rock masterpiece was one of many crucial albums that soon revolutionized MTV and radio while helping the band become a touchstone for the Lollapalooza generation. (Dinosaur Jr. was on the storied festival’s 1993 bill with Alice In Chains, Rage Against the Machine, and others.) “As I get older, my attention span gets less and less. I can’t play guitar for eight hours straight in the studio like the old days.” The original Dinosaur Jr. lineup, though, was fraying. Mascis and Barlow were silently feuding. Mascis maintained tight control, writing almost every song, but Barlow was evolving into the band’s George Harrison, and he needed an outlet of his own. In 1987, Barlow released a four-track cassette of home recordings under the name Sentridoh, with his friend Eric Gaffney contributing percussion; that project helped lay the groundwork for Sebadoh and the lo-fi aesthetic at the core of the band’s music. Tensions within Dinosaur Jr. continued to grow: As the story goes, Mascis informed Barlow he was disbanding the lineup, but he put a new version together instead, initially with a rotating cast of bassists. Both entities kept moving forward: Dinosaur Jr. signed with a major record label, Sire, and released their Mascis-produced 1991 album, Green Mind; Sebadoh was prolific, peaking with 1994's electrifying Bakesale, and Barlow formed several other projects and collaborations, including the Folk Implosion, best known for the 1995 Kids soundtrack hit, “Natural One.” Mascis and Barlow continued on their separate trajectories until 2005: Indie label Merge Records reissued their early albums, and they reunited for a tour, which led to a 2007 record, Beyond, with the original lineup. How has the Dinosaur Jr. dynamic between Mascis, Barlow, and Murphy changed over the years? Mascis pauses for a long time before responding: “Um. It’s hard to remember. At some point, it seemed like Murph and Lou flipped. When we first started, Murph wasn’t sure he wanted to do it all the time, sometimes. He’d quit for a week, but me and Lou were super-dedicated to the band. “When we got back to the band, it seemed like they had switched the roles. Murph was way more into it than Lou,” Mascis continues. “Other than that, it seems similar. I’d write the drum parts and Murph learns them. Or, for Lou songs, me and Murph would both drum—just try to write some drum parts, because Lou doesn’t think of drums.” The band created There Near in bursts over the course of a year at Bisquiteen Studio, in Amherst. That’s a function of age, says the 60-year-old Mascis: “As I get older, my attention span gets less and less. I can’t play guitar for eight hours straight in the studio like the old days. Now we just figured—[don’t] push it at all. Record for an hour and a half, four days a week. At that schedule, it takes a while.” The approach, Mascis says, tightened the album and made it easier to focus on a unifying sound. There Near follows Dinosaur Jr.’s nearly 40-year formula—moaned and mumbled Mascis lyrics set to a stomping rhythm, which is especially pronounced on the faster songs like “Several Got Away” and “Gone Off,” but slower tracks such as “Walk Me Back” open up to sharp torrents of shredding as well. “It’s good for quality control because you have time to weed out what you don’t like and see if you still like the thing four months later,” he says. The two songs that deviate from this style are the Barlow-written “Blowin’ Up” and “No One’s Ready,” which have a softer, more melodic feel, with more space to accentuate the pointed lyrics: “You’re about as dumb as they come / and telling stupid stories every day,” he begins on “Blowin’ Up.” Mascis cedes control on Barlow’s compositions, playing guitar and bass as needed. “I just step back a bit and see what he wants me to do on the song,” he says. “Back then, the Minutemen were a band we liked, and they said, ‘You need an album. That’s like a flier for the gigs.’” In the early days, Dinosaur Jr. put out a new album every two or three years; more recently, in part due to the band members’ solo projects, the gap has expanded to four or five years. But there’s no strategy for the timing of There Near, according to Mascis: “We just kind of do ’em. There’s no rhyme or reason. It just feels like time to do a new album. You’ve played all these places already, so it feels like you need a new album so you can play all the same places again. I guess that’s the logic in our head. That’s how we grew up.” During the mixing process, Mascis adds, he wrote a couple of other songs “that were on the back burner,” and recorded them in the studio living room. Eventually, Dinosaur Jr. will release a seven-inch single as an addendum—but Mascis refuses to divulge any information about these additions. “Like what? What do you say about a song?” he asks. “Songs that didn’t quite make it. The one song sounded a lot like all the other songs. There were three that were vying for the last slot on the album, and one was just slower. It seemed to be good to have a slower song.” At one point during the half-hour interview, Mascis refers to a Fender Super Champ as his “favorite around-the-house amp,” which he uses to “just watch TV and play the guitar and hope for the best.” He adds: “It sounds really good at a low volume.” It’s one of many public references Mascis has made over the years to his lifelong passion for watching television; in 1997, he informed this reporter, for a Billboard story, of his obsession with MTV’s The Real World. The streaming-and-bingeing era hasn’t changed his habits much—including one specific and unexpected technical characteristic of his TV time. “I still watch it on my computer. I like the computer because it’s 15 inches—and that’s the size of the TV I had when I was a kid in our kitchen,” he says. “It was an odd size back then, but somehow I’m always drawn to 15-inch screens.” All this talk of TV leads Mascis to an even more passionate subject: guitars. He brings up his Gibson Les Paul Junior in TV Yellow, which, he says, “supposedly looks white on TV, because white guitars would get blown out. You wanted the look of a white guitar on TV, you get the TV model.” Did Mascis ever play the “TV Model Junior,” as he calls it, on TV? Dumb question, as it turns out. “Well, it’s black-and-white TV,” he says with a small smile. “So I don’t know if that would work now.” J Mascis’ Gear Guitars 1959 Fender Jazzmaster (leads) Gibson Les Paul Junior, TV Yellow (rhythm) Rickenbacker 620-12 12-string Amps Mesa/Boogie Mark I Marshall JCM800 Model 4104, 50-watt 2x12 vertical-input combo (All amps miked through a Marshall cabinet) Pedals Tone Bender MkI-circuit fuzz (“I’ll use that as a base and then add other fuzzes to it.”) https://www.premierguitar.com/features/artist-features/dinosaur-jr-back-to-the-noise #mascis #dinosaur #back #noise #boogiemark #zoom #gibsonles #lespaul #paulcustom #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

MXR Flanger/Doubler Review Some pieces of gear become legendary because everyone used them. Others become legendary because one person used them, relentlessly, until the sound became inseparable from the player. The original MXR Flanger/Doubler—the M-126 rack unit, a fixture of studios and touring rigs throughout the ’70s and ’80s—belongs mostly to the second category. Yes, it swept through countless studio sessions in its heyday, doing the jet-engine swoosh work flangers are built for. But its most famous devotee wasn’t chasing psychedelic swirl. Dimebag Darrell, who used the M-126 as a staple of his live rig, utilized its doubler function as an always-on thickener that let his single guitar occupy the space a fleet of overdubs would otherwise fill up. That’s a strange kind of legacy for a rack unit: famous not for a given solo, but for making one guitar sound like more than one guitar, subtly of all things, in the background of some of metal’s most iconic tracks. Of course, Dimebag’s stealth-thickener case is only one half the story this mono circuit tells. Dial the flanger mode toward more classic, chorus-style settings, and you’re squarely in the territory that defined an entirely different corner of ’80s guitar: the shimmering, liquid clean tones of Andy Summers’ work with the Police, Adrian Belew’s otherworldly textures with Bowie and King Crimson, Eddie Van Halen’s more atmospheric flourishes (think “In A Simple Rhyme”), and the deep, gothic swirl Robert Smith built entire Cure records around. It’s a testament to the original circuit’s range that it served both the gated-guitar bombast of Pantera and the shimmering clean-tone architecture of “Walking on the Moon.” And this pedal captures that split personality faithfully. Two Voices, One Bucket-Brigade Heart The new Flanger/Doubler is unambiguously analog, built around genuine bucket-brigade devices rather than a digital approximation. A dedicated doubler button toggles between the pedal’s two personalities. Flanger mode delivers that sweeping, metallic, jet-engine swoosh, all shimmering comb-filter movement and swirl. Doubler mode does something subtler and, frankly, more useful for many working guitarists. It splits your signal, delays one copy just slightly, and recombines it with the dry signal to create the illusion that you tracked the part twice. There’s no pitch drift (as long as the width control is set to zero,) no irregular pick attack like you might encounter in an actual double-tracked take—just an instant, single-pass thickening that can turn a thin single-coil strum into something that sounds like it’s already been mixed. Once you’ve picked your mode, the real sculpting happens across five very interactive controls. Manual sets your base delay time—essentially, where in the frequency spectrum the effect’s comb-filtering sweet spot sits. It works hand-in-glove with width, which determines how far that sweep travels from the manual-set center point. Speed, unsurprisingly, governs how fast that sweep oscillates back and forth, ranging from a glacial .03 Hz crawl all the way up to a frantic 18.5 Hz flutter that starts to resemble ring modulation. “There’s no pitch drift, no irregular pick attack like you might encounter in an actual double-tracked take—just an instant, single-pass thickening that can turn a thin single-coil strum into something that sounds like it’s already been mixed.” The Regen Generation Regen is where the personality really lives. It’s a feedback knob, feeding a portion of the delayed signal back into itself. Pushing it from 0 toward 100 percent takes you from a smooth, mellow coloration to aggressive, metallic resonance. And then there’s invert. Flip it, and the wet signal’s polarity reverses entirely, which sounds like a spec-sheet footnote until you actually hear it. Suddenly your settings range from open and vocal to mid-heavy and filtered using the same control settings you had before you flipped polarity. It’s a clever way to expand the pedal’s usable palette without adding a single additional knob. A mix knob blends wet and dry to taste, and MXR was smart enough to include two LEDs that visually track delay time—a small, thoughtful touch for anyone who’s ever tried to dial in a flanger sweep onstage while a screaming PA drowns you out. CV in and out jacks let the Flanger/Doubler talk to modular synths, sequencers, and CV-enabled expression pedals. And a line-level switch keeps it well-behaved when you feed it hotter studio-level signals rather than a guitar’s comparatively polite output. The Verdict At $333 street, the MXR Flanger/Doubler is priced somewhere between boutique premium and mass-market affordability. That said, it’s not strictly a “character” pedal that’s useful for just an occasional outré moment. Just as it did with the late, great Dimebag, it has the potential to become the very heart of your tone, and the pairing of the doubler and a tight gate is pure magic for riffs. If you’ve spent years chasing a “how did they get that thickness?” tone on a favorite record, there’s a significant chance that this box can provide an answer. MXR Flanger/Doubler Street price $333 Learn more &width https://www.premierguitar.com/reviews/pedals/mxr-flanger-doubler-review #mxr #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

D'Addario Introduces Artist+ Carbon Capo and Updated Artist Capo Adding to the company’s broad range of guitar accessories, D’Addario has introduced a pair of new capo models: the new Artist+ Carbon Capo, featuring the company’s first-ever carbon fiber design, and an updated black Artist Capo. Both capos feature D’Addario’s patented FlexFit Technology, which automatically adapts to different fretboard radii and string gauges, distributing pressure evenly across every string and fret. The net result? Improved tuning stability. Together, the two capos are designed to give guitar players more control and fast, one-handed operation. Both capos feature an adjustable spring tension micrometer, which allows players to achieve the exact pressure they need for clean, buzz-free fretting without pulling the strings out of tune. And both capos include a built-in pick holder that keeps a spare pick conveniently within reach. Assembled in the USA, the new Artist+ Carbon Capo pairs these features with ultra-lightweight carbon fiber construction, delivering pro-grade strength without adding unnecessary weight and bulk to the neck of the guitar. The updated Artist Capo brings the same FlexFit performance to its original design, so players have two distinct options built around the same proprietary tech. Key features include: Adjustable Spring Tension Micrometer: Allows players to achieve the ideal, specific pressure they need for clean fretting and better tuning stability. Patented FlexFit Technology: Automatically adapts to fretboard radii and string gauges, distributing even pressure across every string. One-Handed Operation: Makes capo placement and position changes fast and easy. Built-In Pick Holder: Keeps a spare pick conveniently within reach. Ultra-Lightweight Carbon Fiber Construction (Artist+): Combines durability with minimal weight. USA Assembly (Artist+): Assembled in the U.S. for long-lasting quality. D’Addario’s Artist+ Carbon Capo is available at a street price of $29.99. The updated Artist Capo carries a street price of $25.99. For more information visit Daddario.com. D'Addario Artist+ Carbon Capo Adding to the company’s broad range of guitar accessories, D’Addario has introduced a pair of new capo models: the new Artist+ Carbon Capo, featuring the company’s first-ever carbon fiber design, and an updated black Artist Capo. Learn more Buy now https://www.premierguitar.com/news/d-addario-introduces-artist-carbon-capo-and-updated-artist-capo #artistcapo #carboncapo #updatedartist #carbonfiber #pick #flexfittechnology #capoadding #tensionmicrometer #fiberconstruction #springtension #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Rig Rundown: Chelsea Wolfe PG’s Chris Kies caught up with Chelsea Wolfe and her longtime collaborator Ben Chisholm at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, where they were playing in support of Wolfe’s new record, The Dark. Have a look at some quick highlights below, and tune into the new Rig Rundown for all the details. Brought to you by D’Addario. Hollow Victory Wolfe was given this Gretsch Broadkaster years back and keeps coming back to it—she’s drifted further into hollowbodies over time, which she says is a shame given how much she likes her solidbodies. She likes the resonant feedback and the low end, and feels a bigger guitar suits her frame. Managing that feedback is a nightly adjustment depending on the room. Cold Comfort The ES-335 has long been seen as Wolfe’s signature electric, and it’s still on the road, though at the moment it comes out for one song—“Cold.” She figures every tour ends up with one guitar you play the most, and this time it isn’t this one. Dolly’s Pickguard Her Taylor 416ce sports a custom pickguard inspired by a photo of Dolly Parton with a similar one. Taylor gave her this one and sent it to a maker in Nashville to have the pickguard made. People point out she rarely uses a pick on the acoustic. She thinks it looks beautiful anyway. Grayscale Wolfe’s amp is a Fender Bassbreaker combo, which she believes is discontinued. She likes how it takes pedals, and she likes the look: slightly vintage but in grayscale rather than the usual tan. She has the head and cab as well, but it’s the combo on this tour. Chelsea Wolfe’s Pedalboard The top row of Chelsea’s board stays on all night: a JHS NOTAKLÖN for general gain, an EarthQuaker ZEQD-Pre she landed on after a long search for the right preamp, a UAFX 1176 compressor, and an EQD Dispatch Master. The heavier end runs a JHS Hard Drive for most of the newer material, an EQD Acapulco Gold that’s been on her board since the Hiss Spun era, and a Death by Audio Apocalypse. A Korg tuner and a Dunlop volume pedal round it out. Her Happy Place The left half of the floor is all vocals. Wolfe’s father gave her pedals as a kid and she ran her voice through them with an adapter she rigged for the mic cable, which is where all this started. A Radial Voco-Loco gets the mic into the chain, feeding a DigiTech DigiDelay and a Boss RV-6 she calls her ride or dies, an EQD Afterneath, a JHS Octave Reverb, and a Boss RC-20XL. Not seen here: the Third Man Troika, a Jack White and JHS design built for singers—the one piece of gear she admits to impulse-buying. Florida Man Special Chisholm found this Peavey T-40 on Reverb, sold by Drew Storcks of Shy, Low, already fitted with an Electrical Guitar Company aluminum neck by someone he’s never identified. He’d wanted a T-40 since seeing one at a session with the Armed, and wanted an aluminum neck for the sustain. It’s brighter and meaner than anything else he’s played, enough that he had to calm down his existing tones to accommodate it. The B Team The Nash bass was his main for years and he used it a lot on the new album, before the Peavey turned up. It’s the backup now, and picking it up after the T-40 is a shock—mostly because of how light it is. Quad Squad Chisholm abandoned a full pedalboard mid-rehearsal once a Neural DSP Quad Cortex arrived. It’s running Ampeg models, fuzz, overdrive, compression, and chorus, plus the modulated-delay patch behind the whale noises he makes between songs. A clean channel runs parallel at 50 percent, so the low end survives the worst of the fuzz. A Dunlop Volume (X) 8, Korg tuner, and Walrus Audio supply round things out. Two Fifteens A Quilter Bass Block 802 powers the rig, with its EQ bypassed entirely — he’s using the effects return and letting the Quad Cortex do the amp work. The cab is a Tyrant 2x15 he got from Sean at Tyrant years ago, after deciding an 8x10 wasn’t delivering the sub frequencies he wanted. https://www.premierguitar.com/videos/rig-rundown/chelsea-wolfe #chelseawolfe #rigrundown #victorywolfe #jhs #chriskies #marathonmusic #musicworks #eqd #benchisholm #guitar #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Epiphone Unveils Redesigned Prophecy High-Performance Series Epiphone has introduced a redesigned Prophecy Series, its line of performance-oriented electric guitars. The series includes five sleek-looking models: the Prophecy Les Paul, Les Paul Baritone, SG, Victory FR, and Flying V. The new models feature Hyperglide necks, stainless steel frets, and custom-voiced Fishman Fluence pickups, and each comes with a Protector Ultralite case. The Prophecy’s stealth-style visual aesthetic is a tip-off to an expansive feature set designed to enhance playability and performance. Every Prophecy guitar has a thermally aged one-piece maple neck with graphite reinforcement and a Hyperglide profile. The neck carries a bound ebony fretboard with a 10"–14" compound radius and 24 stainless steel frets. The models use extended scale lengths meant to keep lower tunings tight and defined, and each has its own hardware and ergonomic changes. Locking Grover tuners come on every model. All five have black nickel hardware and satin finishes. Each of the new models has a pair of Fishman Fluence pickups voiced specifically for the series. They offer three voices: a high-output modern active humbucker, a vintage PAF-style humbucker, and a single-coil-style sound. The switching gives players quick access to all three. The pickups are mounted using DAPS (Dual-Axis Pickup Stabilization), Epiphone’s own body-anchored mounting system. DAPS keeps the pickups aligned and parallel to the strings while still allowing height adjustment. Stabilization wings and precision-machined pockets hold string-to-magnet spacing steady. The system also does away with conventional pickup rings. “The Prophecy Series is built for players who expect more from their instruments,” said Aljon Go, Epiphone’s product development manager. “By pairing our iconic designs with modern performance features like custom-voiced Fishman Fluence pickups, Hyperglide necks, and stainless-steel frets, we’ve built a lineup that’s fast, versatile, reliable, and built for today’s players. Every detail was engineered to help musicians focus less on their gear and more on their performance.” “Heavy music comes in more than one shape, and the players pushing it forward aren’t coming from just one scene,” said Lewis McKinney III, Epiphone’s marketing manager. “The rebuilt Prophecy Series gives guitarists across metal, hardcore, and beyond an instrument they can count on gig after gig, with the range to turn the sound in their heads into something you can feel in the room.” The Prophecy models are available for a street price of $1,499 each and come with a Protector Ultralite case. Here are key details for each model. Prophecy Victory FR: Victory body shape in mahogany with a flamed maple veneer, a 25.5" scale, and an Explorer-style headstock. Hardware is a Floyd Rose 1000 Series locking tremolo, a Floyd Rose R3 locking nut, and locking Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners. Finishes are Obsidian Storm Satin and Aqua Smoke Satin. Prophecy Les Paul Baritone: 27" scale, strung at the factory with .012–.060 strings for baritone tunings such as B to B. It has an Ultra Modern weight-relieved mahogany body with a maple top and flamed maple veneer. A Modern Contoured Heel and rear belly carve make the upper frets easier to reach and the guitar more comfortable to hold. The tailpiece is a through-body design inspired by the Frequensator, meant to balance string tension and help with low-end definition and sustain. The only finish is Obsidian Storm Satin. Prophecy Les Paul: Ultra Modern weight-relieved mahogany body with a maple cap, flamed maple veneer, rear belly carve, and Modern Contoured Heel. Its 25.5" scale adds tension for drop tunings. Hardware is a LockTone Modern bridge and a through-body, Frequensator-inspired tailpiece. Finishes are Obsidian Storm Satin, Forest Phantom Satin, and Crimson Fog Satin. Prophecy SG: Mahogany SG Modern body with a maple cap, flamed maple veneer, and a 25.5" scale. It shares the series’ Hyperglide neck, compound-radius ebony fretboard, and 24 stainless steel frets. Finishes are Obsidian Storm Satin and Crimson Fog Satin. Prophecy Flying V: Flamed maple veneer, multi-ply binding, and a 25.5" scale. It has a bound ebony fretboard, locking Grover Rotomatic tuners, a Graph Tech nut, a LockTone Modern bridge, and a through-body tailpiece. Finishes are Obsidian Storm Satin and Orchid Bloom Satin. Epiphone’s Prophecy guitars are accompanied by new apparel line with two pieces: the “Fulfill the Prophecy” hoodie and a matching T-shirt. The black hoodie has a distressed Epiphone logo on the chest and a large two-color “Fulfill the Prophecy” guitar graphic on the back. The T-shirt uses the same artwork. For more information visit Epiphone.com. Epiphone Prophecy Series Epiphone has introduced a redesigned Prophecy Series, its line of performance-oriented electric guitars. The series includes five sleek-looking models: the Prophecy Les Paul, Les Paul Baritone, SG, Victory FR and Flying V. The new models feature Hyperglide necks, stainless steel frets, and custom-voiced Fishman Fluence pickups, and each comes with a Protector Ultralite case. Learn more Buy now https://www.premierguitar.com/news/epiphone-unveils-redesigned-prophecy-high-performance-series #redesignedprophecy #prophecyseries #fishmanfluence #lespaul #prophecyvictory #protectorultralite #paulbaritone #floydrose #locking #hardware #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Seymour Duncan Unveils Iron Maiden Pickup Collection It’s the company’s biggest and most expansive artist collaboration in years: Seymour Duncan has unleashed the new Iron Maiden Pickup Collection, featuring collectible packaging and new offerings from Janick Gers, Dave Murray, and Steve Harris. Showcasing the pickups used by a trio of heavy metal titans, the collection includes the Dave Murray Strat Set and Loaded Pickguard, Steve Harris P-Bass pickup, and Janick Gers Strat Set and Loaded Pickguard. Every pickup set and loaded pickguard now ships in its own individually illustrated box, each a unique twist on the band’s official artwork and featuring Eddie, Maiden’s iconic mascot. New to the collection is the Janick Gers Signature Strat Set and Loaded Pickguard, now available for the first time. The set combines a JB Jr. for Strat in the neck and bridge with a Hot Rails for Strat pickup in the middle, delivering the same searing lead tone and hard-hitting rhythm crunch Janick has brought to Maiden’s legendary performances. Since first joining Iron Maiden in 1990, Janick Gers’ guitar mastery and songwriting have powered the band’s legendary live performances and albums. On stage and in the studio, Janick has always gravitated towards Strat style guitars. But to get a heavy metal sound powerful enough for Maiden’s music, he experimented with several Seymour Duncan Strat-sized humbuckers. His favorite combination became a JB Jr. for Strat in the Neck and Bridge positions, paired with a Hot Rails for Strat pickup in the middle. The JB Jr. in the bridge delivers the classic JB humbucker sound – high output with plenty of punch for leads that sustain from here to eternity. In the neck it offers fullness for singing solos or delicate chime for rhythm and clean playing. Hot Rails in the Middle gives Janick the option of aggressive rhythm playing or more variety in his clean tones in the 2 & 4 positions. These pickups all use small ceramic magnets, 4-conductor lead wire, and are vacuum wax potted for squeal-free operation. Now packaged together as a set and a loaded pickguard, each with special Iron Maiden collectible packaging, you can access Janick Gers’ signature sound in your Strat-style guitar. Hand built in Santa Barbara, CA, this fully loaded Strat pickguard uses an 11 screw ‘USA’ pickguard pattern. Available in White or Black pickguard options - with all matching pickups or Janick’s favorite black-parchment-black pickup color scheme. Signature pickup configuration used by Iron Maiden’s Janick Gers: JB Jr. for Strat in the neck and bridge, and Hot Rails for Strat in the Middle High output humbuckers in a Strat-Sized package: Janick’s distinct distorted crunch and singing lead tones without modifying your Strat Color options: pickups all matching or black/parchment/black (Janick’s preferred look) Available in Black or White 11-hole Strat pickguards Smooth turning Volume and Tone Pots, 4 Conductor wiring Hand-built in Santa Barbara, California Special Collectible Iron Maiden Packaging The Loaded Pickguard set carries a street price of $419. The Janick Gers Strat set carries a street price of $319. The new set joins the rest of the collection, including the Dave Murray Signature Strat Set and Loaded Pickguard, capturing his iconic tone. It includes Dave Murray’s road-tested set up of a JB Jr. flanked by two Hot Rails, this Strat pickguard offers an array of classic metal and hard rock tones, all without any hum. The Hot Rails bridge delivers a fat crunch with biting harmonics. The JB Jr. in the middle lends punch and clarity in positions 2, 3 and 4. And the Hot Rails neck nails Dave’s signature expressive lead tone. Hand built in Santa Barbara, CA, the fully loaded Strat pickguard comes in special Iron Maiden collectible packaging and uses an 11 screw ‘USA’ pickguard pattern. These pickups all use small ceramic magnets, 4-conductor lead wire, and are vacuum wax potted for squeal-free operation. Available in Pearloid, White, or Black pickguard options. Signature pickup configuration used by Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray: Hot Rails for Strat in the neck and bridge, and JB Jr. for Strat in the Middle High output humbuckers in a Strat-Sized package: Dave Murray’s fluid lead tones and hard-hitting riffs, without modifying your Strat Available in Black, White, or Pearloid 11-hole Strat pickguards Smooth turning Volume and Tone Pots, 4 Conductor wiring Hand-built in Santa Barbara, California Special Collectible Iron Maiden Packaging The Loaded Pickguard set carries a street price of $419. The Dave Murray Strat pickup set carries a street price of $319. Rounding out the collection is the Steve Harris Signature P-Bass pickup, a medium output pickup originally developed in the company’s Custom Shop. The P-bass pickup possesses a low-mid boost that adds punch and body while maintaining a crisp and clear high-end attack. This design uses hand-ground Alnico 5 rod magnets and a special vintage-hot custom wind of 13k DCR to achieve its uniquely aggressive bite. “I was having some problems with the original pickups in my bass and Seymour Duncan said they could make pickups that did what I needed – and they did!” Steve said. Handcrafted in Santa Barbara, CA, the Steve Harris P-Bass pickup comes in special Iron Maiden collectible packaging and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free operation. Signature P-Bass pickup voiced for Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris – Medium Output wind with plenty of low-mid punch and high-end attack Hand-Ground Alnico 5 rod magnets Aggressive tonal character suited for Metal Bass Drop in Replacement for split coil P Bass pickups Hand-built in Santa Barbara, California and Wax Potted for reduced noise Special Collectible Iron Maiden Packaging The Steve Harris Signature P-Bass pickup carries a $99 street price. For more information about Seymour Duncan’s new Iron Maiden collection visit seymourduncan.com. Seymour Duncan Iron Maiden Pickup Collection It’s the company’s biggest and most expansive artist collaboration in years: Seymour Duncan has unleashed the new Iron Maiden Pickup Collection, featuring collectible packaging and new offerings from Janick Gers, Dave Murray, and Steve Harris. Learn more Buy now https://www.premierguitar.com/news/seymour-duncan-unveils-iron-maiden-pickup-collection #ironmaiden #seymourduncan #janickgers #strat #loadedpickguard #pickupcollection #hotrails #davemurray #steveharris #middle #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit