START ME UP!

Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month…

JACKSON AUDIO EL GUAPO

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A signature overdrive / distortion pedal for a player of Mateus Asato’s calibre will automatically raise expectations, but by drawing influence from Marshall’s vintageplexiandjcm800for eachchannel,jacksonaudio couldhavesomethingspecial here for all rock players. From what we’ve heard of it, the El Guaporunsanimpressivelywide tonal gamut. Four Clipping Styles for the channels further broaden its drive horizons. £349,www.jackson.audio

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GUITAR RIG 6 PRO

2 Hadyougivenuphope? Nearlyadecadeafter Guitar Rig 5 is a very long wait in the world of software andthere’snowalotmore competition in the market. Nevertheless, a new interface, threeamps,14neweffectsand, most intriguingly, Intelligent Circuit Modelling has our digital tonesnoutstwitchingwith anticipation. It’s due on 1st Octoberaspartofthekomplete 13 production suite bundle. £179forfullpackage/ £89forupgrade, www.native-instruments.com

FENDER MOJO GRIP

3 Howmuchcanbedoneto improve the pick? Well, if you’ve ever discovered theadvantagesofchanging yourhabitswithanewdesign orgauge,youmayagreeits a hugely underrated factor in yourtoneandcomfort.fender seemtoagree,butit’sresponse isn’t an actual pick here – it’s a nitrile rubber available packagedwithavarietyofpick gauges. The idea being it will enhance grip precision and grip thickness for the player. £4.99 for three, www.fender.com

SEYMOUR DUNCAN BRAD PAISLEY SECRET AGENT

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If you like the Esquire one-pickuplookbutwant the tonal versatility, be like Brad with this neck single-coil designed to sit under a T-style guitar’s Esquire pickguard. Seymourduncanchosea medium-outputceramicbar magnettogetthismissiondone andtheresultisawarmand jazzytonetocomplementan Esquire-style bridge pickup’s edge. Paisley calls it his “favourite Tele neck pickup” and that’s high praise indeed. $130,www.customshop. seymourduncan.com

TONE CITY LIL HEAT MINI OVERDRIVE

5 Attheotherendofthe signature artist pedal price scale is Greg Koch’s collaboration with Tone City. We’vebeenimpressedbythe company’spastforaysinto bargain boutique-flavoured drives with the Golden Plexi and King Of Blues so this mini low-to-medium gain unit could prove highly usable. It’s based ontonecity’ssweetcream withaddedgainandlowas per Mr Koch’s preferences. £44.99,www.andertons.co.uk