START ME UP!

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

HARLEY BENTON MR-SERIES

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The german brand has revealed its Mosriteinspired models, with baritone and left-handed options, too. While the Mr-classicfeaturesp-90 pickups,themr-modernoffers humbuckers with coil-splitting and a relatively premium spec, including stainless steel frets, 12” radius mac ass are bony fretboard, Wilkinson locking tuner sand wil kin sonvs -50 ii precision tremolo. The Classic’s body is bass wood, while the Modern’s is alder. Mr-classic£209, Mr-modern£293 www.harleybenton.com

BLACKSTAR JJN 3

2 The british amp and us blues heroes form a potent partnership, even when they go mini. The JJN 3 is a limited edition take on Blackstar’s super-popular Fly 3 series, offering a two-channel, three-watt combo that can run on batteries, or mains. A Blues Power switch will get you in the tone zone, and there’s global EQ courtesy via Blackstar’s ISF control, tape-style echo and a speaker emulated output for playing with headphones. £79 www.blackstaramps.com

KMA MACHINES WURM 2

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Thegermaneffects company has slimmed down its spicy take on the Boss HM-2 recipe. In addition to Volume and Terror controls, four mini-knobs control a four-band EQ, with each band offering +/8 db of boost or cut. the wurm 2 nowoffersthree-waytoggle switch foreq options with original HM-2 style configuration, Km aeq profile allowing you toadjusttheh-midscentre frequency via an internal trim pot, and a third combining the two. £169 www.kma-machines.com

MAXON OD-9 CREAMDRIVE

4 Another pedal that adds its own take on a classic, thecreamdriveis a European exclusive edition of maxon’ s ac cl ai me dod -9 overdrive – the pedal that re imagined the ‘80 s tube Screamerts-9drivesound.a semi-gloss cream enclosure housesthesameall-analogue Jrc4558dop-ampcircuitas Maxon’sod-9reissueswith controls for Drive, Tone and Level. You can now choose between buffered or true bypass too and there’s a reduced noise-floor. £129 www.maxonfx.com

VICTORY V4 THE COPPER GUITAR AMP

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Victory’s V4 range of pedal amp snow has three new additions with The Jack (formerly Countess), Sheriff and Copper. in addition the du chess andkrakenh ave been given updates to include two notes DYNIR technology, V.R.C. and headphone output. All-in-one valve solutions for stage and recording? All-valve preamp front end,180-wattclassdpower section, digital reverb, effects loopandthree-bandeqsuggests so. the two notes element confirms it. £799 www.victoryamps.com