The week in gear, ft. Castle Rat’s medieval signature model, Joe Bonamassa’s digital Twin and much, much more

Joe Bonamassa being won over by the digital variation of among his preferred tube amps ever is one plot twist we didn’t have in the guitar bingo card for 2026, and yet here we are, with the current growth of the Tone Master series a reproduction of a high-powered Twin.

And this charm is a genuine monster. Seriously. When Fender demoed this amp for Team GWand some moron selected to being in the front row, the volume was assaultively loud. They could not take it previous 4 on the dial. This actually was a Twin, tubes or no tubes.

And it sounded amazing. Bonamassa is, naturally, not going to decommission his tube amps and turn the Amp Shanty over to Silicon Valley for a refresh. He was a doubter at. “I wished to dislike it,” he confesses. In this video game, the only thing you can rely on is your ears. He stuck the Tone Master Twin in his live rig and it carried out, night after night.

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” We’re all in contract that this amp was tighter, punchier, and much better,” states Bonamassa. “I never ever believed I ‘d see in my life time the reality that I ‘d be sitting beside a digital amp. Sound makes you play. Noise influences you to play. You simply require to understand how to open the noise you hear in your head and get it out.”

This high-powered combination amp performs at 85-watts complete power, driving a set of 12″ Celestion JB Neodymium speakers, however there is five-way power scaling readily available through rotary dial, and there are some modern tweaks to the style. There is a Vintage/Tight switch, an impacts loop, and there is an XLR output with 3 onboard taxi sims that are editable by means of the app.

More information: Joe Bonamassa goes digital with the very first Fender Tone Master signature amp

Fender John 5 Telecaster Collection

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Sticking to Fender here, since this is a huge one: a trio of signature Telecasters co-designed with Mötley Crüe guitar player John 5, and using 2 variations at a friendly rate point. There’s likewise a Custom Shop design at an unapproachable cost point– however it is precisely the exact same guitar he plays deal with the Crüe, and it is spectacular.

If that Custom Shop Phantom is too costly at 6 grand, fret not; the Indonesian variation is a major instrument. It has a nyatoh body, not 2 piece alder, however it has the critical kill-switch, Floyd Rose vibrato, and the double DiMarzio D-Activator humbuckers that make this such a wild hotrod. That’s the Phantom, all black, black anodized pickguard.

Completing the trio is a familiar style as the Ghost go back to haunt us again, with its Arctic White surface and red binding, inlays, headstock logo design, pickup bobbins and controls. And it asks a tough concern of anybody searching for a souped-up Tele for acid rock and metal: do you desire a hardtail six-saddle bridge like the Ghost, or a Floyd like the Phantom? Well you might in theory get both for the rate of a state-of-the-art US-made Telecaster, and these noise and play terrific.

More details: John 5 ends up being the most embellished Telecaster artist in history with 3 brand-new signature Fenders

Behringer Zentara

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Here’s a sweet overdrive pedal from what we might call the Lawsuit Era of stompboxes. If you will keep in mind Behringer introduced this Klon clone in 2024, branded as the Centara, didn’t have the trademark name on the front, looked quite like the initial, a lot so that developer, Bill Finnegan, consequently took legal action against Behringer’s moms and dad business, Music Tribe.

About this time in 2015, the case was dismissed by Finnegan himself, with Behringer having making a couple of modifications to the style. Satisfy the Zentara.

Yes, it’s still imitated Finnegan’s much-feted, much-cloned and now super-rare and really costly initial drive– and ideal about now those soft-clipping germanium diodes will be whispering sweet absolutely nothings into your ear, singing their siren tune to cork-sniffers and breadboard bores who like to talk part drift at houseparty.

And hell’s bells it’s just 75 dollars. They even make a little variation, and use both sizes in the timeless gold enclosure or silver.

More details: Behringer got taken legal action against over its Klon Centaur clone. Now it’s back with 4 various variations– all priced under $76

INTRODUCED THIS WEEKDunable Riley Pinkerton Minotaur Summoner This signature collab for the Rat Queen was definitely going to be my heading product today, however alas, they’re just making 4 of them. 4! Now, that is a restricted run. What a cool guitar. 2 cutaways, one Direwolf humbucker, a killswitch, vibes, wonderful. Appreciation, hail Riley Pinkerton!

For more: Dunable Guitars

HeadRush NAM Firmware upgrade

Why take one NAM capture into your signal chain when you can take 2? After simply one wash with HeadRush’s firmware upgrade, your tone will be brighter and shinier, or much deeper and fuller, or both at exact same time!

Yup, HeadRush’s huge bet on native NAM A2 compatibility gets extended, permitting gamers to run 2 NAM records concurrently. Functions on all tone types. Great for turning frizz to fuzz.

For more: HeadRush

Keeley Electronics Compressor Plus Germanium

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Robert Keeley commemorates 25 years of his market timeless compressor pedal with a germanium power-up and a cool stripped-down stylistic refresh. It’ll still do the very same task, however guarantees more heat and touch-sensitivity. The single-coil/humbucker switch stays a super-useful function, too.

For more: Keeley Electronics

Gibson Custom Shop 1957 L5 VOS Reissue

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When Gibson goes all-in on making a high-end archtop, it goes all-in understanding it has

the weight of history on its shoulders.

Here, they take out all the stops on among its most hallowed hollowbodies, utilizing a dovetail neck joint for the very first time on an archtop, utilizing 3D scans on originals to make certain they nail the ambiance– not to discuss utilizing some extremely good-looking pieces of AAA figured maple for the bookmatched back and sides. Sensational work. And chef’s kiss for that tailpiece.

For more: Gibson restores among the most prominent archtops in its history

Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee Collection 2026

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There’s something about Albert Lee’s signature guitar that makes us think about Adam West’s Batmobile, or if not a Lincoln Futura then perhaps among those Atomic Age golden age cars and truck develops you see travelling along in American GraffitiWhich is to state it’s extremely cool.

This refresh sees a restricted edition (75 systems, megabucks)variation for the Ball Family Reserve, and a

routine HSS variation which is still a major, severe instrument, and uncommon for having, well, that shape, however a DiMarzio humbucker coupled with Seymour Duncan single-coils.

That shape!

For more: Ernie Ball Music Man

D’Addario XS Nickel Bronze acoustic strings

D’Addario uses its premium string covering to its premium acoustic guitar string and guarantee hi-fi clearness and longer-lasting freshness.

For more: D’Addario

Manager 10th Anniversary Katana

There is no reason digital guitar amps can’t appear like items of terrific visual appeal. Simply’cos they’re cramming in the tones, it’s not all performance, a little design goes a long method. The Katana has actually constantly looked cool however this 10th Anniversary edition with blue figured maple cabinets is actually something.

For more: Boss

DiMarzio x Phillip Knight Northern Lights humbuckerPhillip Knight has actually had a longstanding issue with the Northern Lights humbuckers he makes under his Blackstock Pickups brand name. They’re simply too damn popular. Everyone desires some, and he can’t maintain, so he’s partnered with DiMarzio to make more of them, taking them to a broader audience.

The active ingredients are the exact same, they’re still US-made, however there have actually been enhancements to the baseplate and potting.

For more: Know Your Gear Podcast