START ME UP!

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

STRYMON V2 PEDALS

1 Six of Strymon’s classic pedals are getting well-deserved updates with all but the Flint reverb/tremolo getting two additional control knobs to reflect some of the additional functionality here, including new algorithms. All now feature bi-directional MIDI control (for program and CC changes) via a TRS jack and JFET input for improved tone and feel, a mono/stereo input switch and an up-to-date USB-C jack. The bad news is they all cost more than before.

£359 www.strymon.net

PITCHSLAP

2 “It’s always seemed odd to me that we tend to only take two measurements when we set guitar intonation, often the open string and 12th fret,” says Pitchslap designer Simon Asker. This leaves the process open to errors and we know that if the intonation is out the guitar is never going to sound great. His new IOS app aims to address that by taking the average of all the frets.

£ Free Apple App Store

FENDER AMPERSTAND

3 How many of us have leaned our guitars on our amps at home or rehearsal? And how many times have they ended up being knocked over? Take the risk out of the equation with this handy solution, and it even holds your picks, capo or a drink, too! The micro-suction material used for the cable will attach to amplifier tolex, or most table tops. The grooves on either side can also be used to hold your guitar cable in place.

£16.99 www.fender.com

OLD BLOOD NOISE ENDEAVOURS SCREEN VIOLENCE

4 A true collaboration between artists and pedal maker that reflects the synth/guitar melding of the Scottish band’s sound, member Martin Doherty uses stompboxes for both roles, and this one reflects the sounds that became a ‘backbone’ on the album of the same name. It features distortion (the Violence side), modulation and reverb that can be blended, allowing all kinds of controlled chaos to emerge.

$279 www.oldbloodnoise.com

WAMPLER METAVERSE

5

Brian Wampler is not messing around here; this could be every delay sound you need in one box. Eleven types of classic and contemporary with full MIDI control and optional expression pedal input. From the Boss DM-2 analogue delay style algorithm to the Bucket Brigade’s Delay Memory Man Deluxe stylings alongside TC 2290 and Space Echo tributes, there’s iconic sounds to be found, but also Wampler’s own Ethereal Delay and its experimental Doctor are here, too.

£349 www.wamplerpedals.com