Headroom
New gear and guitar arcana you need to know about. This month: Under The Influence
1 PRS McCarty SC 594 £3,835
The clue’s in the name – Gibson’s scale length for Les Pauls in the 1950s was actually 24.594 inches and not the commonly stated 24.75 inches. In using this scale for the 594, PRS has made this new model a little longer than its usual Singlecut 24.5 inches and Gibson players should feel right at home. Coupled with the lower output and vintage-voiced PRS 58/15 LT (Low Turns) humbuckers – which offer exceptional versatility, from singing lead sustain to cleaning up effectively with the volume control (the control layout reverts back to Gibson tradition, too) – you have an exquisitely built modern take on classicism. www.prsguitar.com
2 Raymond Weil Freelancer Gibson Les Paul Watch £2,895
Wear your love of Gibson on your sleeve, admittedly for a higher price than a Les Paul Standard, but time is money. There will be a limited edition of 300 Les Paul watches, featuring the RW-5010 Swiss Automatic Chronograph movement that’s visible through the case back. The nods to its namesake come from the black PVD bezel, apparently inspired by the lacquer on the Black Beauty, while the watch’s chapter track echoes the fretboard on a six-string. More overtly, it’s signed with the Les Paul and Gibson logos at the 12 o’clock mark, with the company logo on the back. www.watchshop.com
3 Martin Pryce Replica David Gilmour Guitar Strap £79
Ludlow-based leather tailor Martin Pryce was commissioned to carry out restoration work on Gilmour’s original strap, which was previously owned by Jimi Hendrix and was a present for the lucky Pink Floyd legend’s 60th birthday from his wife, Polly Samson. So who better to craft the replica? Made from suede and leather, it features eight white crosses on the front and five on the back, with a useful plectrum pocket near the top at the back. You can specify length when you order and Pryce even offers a Hendrix version (£85) with added subtle Electric Ladyland design. www.martinpryceleather.co.uk
4 Walrus Audio 385 Overdrive £179
The 385 draws its inspiration from an unusual source – a vintage Bell & Howell 385 Filmosound projector and the valve-powered audio sections have been converted and used by some tone aficionados as guitar amps. Most of us won’t be able to A/B and compare how close it gets to the real thing, but the 385 offers an impressively transparent valve-like overdrive in its own right. www.walrusaudio.com
5 Dunlop Echoplex Delay £189
Page, May, John Martyn and Andy Summers all favoured the Echoplex tape delay back in the day, and now Dunlop has brought it into the 21st century in the form of two units: the Echoplex Preamp (focused on the FET Preamp of the 1970 Solid State third incarnation EP-3) and the Echoplex delay unit we have here. The usual Time, Feedback and Volume controls of a delay are joined by an Age parameter, and this throws plenty of authentic variations into the mix, emulating the unpredictable magic of tape echo, with the wow and flutter of tape mechanisms when turned up, with saturated character. www.jimdunlop.com
6 Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini combo £1,799
Dave Friedman is on quite a roll, and the latest chapter sees his modded Marshall Bluesbreaker-inspired creation shrunk into a 20-watt combo housing a pair of EL84 power valves. A three-position gain structure switch, gain and master controls are at your disposal, but Friedman encourages the oldschool approach of cleaning up with your guitar’s volume, too. For pedal lovers, there’s an ‘ultra transparent’ effects loops for your delays, reverbs and rack units. Big tone, small chassis… and big price. Unfortunately, the UK seems to be getting stung with a straight dollar-to-pound conversion here. www.friedmanamplification.com