START ME UP!
Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month…
LINE 6 HX STOMP XL
1 The new hx stomp goes big with five extra foot switches to bring the total to eight. That’s the only difference between this and the wildly popular original but it’s going to be a big one for many players, opening the amp and effects processor up to new levels of usability onstage. It’s packing all the modelling goodness you’ d expect inside a Helix family product, with more than 300 amps, cabs, and effects. £817, www.line6.com
MXR ERIC GALES SIGNATURE RAW DAWG
2 Mxr and one of the greatest guitar players on the planet? sounds great already! This signature mini overdrive pedal features a new custom circuit and streamlined Output, Tone and Drive controls. It’s based on the circuit of a classic overdrive pedal but is voiced here for more balanced mid sand a boosted gain to create organic tones with sweet er notes when you turn up the heat. £127.99, www.jimdunlop.com
GAMECHANGER AUDIO LIGHT PEDAL
3 The early version wowed us atnamm 2020 and now it’s finally available through dealers after sending out 1,000 preorder units; the world’s first analogue Optical Spring Reverb. The Light uses Infra-red optical sensors to “harvest the full tim bra land harmonic range of a spring reverb unit” - which means the detail of texture, harmonics and overtones...
All the good stuff. Oh, and it looks amazing, too. £319, www.gamechangeraudio.com
FENDER BEN GIBBARD MUSTANG
4 When we met up with Death cab for cu tie’ s main man for a rig tour back in 2019, he showed us his modified 70 sm us tangs, and now they’ve inspired his first ever Fender signature model. A chambered ash body( now a rarely used tone wood for Fender), hardtail bridge that looks like a vintage tremolo at first glance, and rotary three-way pickup selector make it distinct in the catalogue. Custom ‘vintage-inspired’ single-coils feature here. £979 www.fender.com
WAY HUGE PENNY SAVER ROYALE
5 Another blues signature stomp box;jeorg et ripps and joe bona mass a have joined forces again on this Modulation& over drive to integrate their previous Over rated special and am odd ed Blue Hippo chorus in one pedal. The former is itself based on the Green rhino with enhanced mid range, while the chorus has a custom delay time as per joe’ s specifications. You can run each effect independently or have funcombiningthem. $299, www.jbonamassa.com