START ME UP!

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

FENDER SQUIER 40TH ANNIVERSARY VINTAGE SERIES

1 We’ ve already had one half of the anniversary celebration with the Gold Editions, this time its satin finishes and aged chrome hardware. a subtle but played-in look that may hit the sweet spot for many on look and price. Sound-wise these are standardfender-designed pickups across the Tele, Strat and jazz master with poplar body for the latter and nyatoh for the former. All have 9.5” radius maple fretboards, narrow-tall frets and C-shapednecks. £499 www.fender.com

OLD BLOOD NOISE ENDEAVOURS FLOAT

2 You thought filter pedals were boring? you haven’ t heard this in action then! A Dual Moving Filter, its pair of independent filters are capable of stereo effect sounds, with the Cut off frequency able to beset can be set to move via six different lfo shapes or through dynamic Envelope triggering. Things can get very sci-fi as a result, or subtle too, with everything from quack, squelch, bubble, to phaser, tremolo andsynthys weep. £299 www.oldbloodnoise.com

MONTY’S GUITARS UNDERSPUN PAF HUMBUCKER

3 Monty’ spafhumbu ck ers are already high on the list of the world’s best options when it come store creations of the finest Gibson originals, and this new flavour acknowledges not all of them were created equally when it came to winds. Lower than average examples can have ‘increase clarity, sparkle and depth, with a less aggressive, sweeter midrange’, according to Monty’s. Think fat single-coil from these 6.8k (bridge) and 6.1k (neck, approx) humbuckers.

SOUNDLAD LIVERPOOL HUNGRY BEAVER

4 We’ ve taken a look at marc Dunn’s Scran pedal in reviews this issue and this is his other design. The cheeky name nod stoehx inspiration but the hungry beaver actually combines over 30db of boost with its wild fuzzy thrills. You need to spend time experimenting with the controls to understand the dynamic relationships and frequency range before you can unlock its feast of versatility, but once you do there’s plenty to get your teeth into here. £99 www.soundladliverpool.co.uk

DUNLOP HEAVY CORE KORN GUITAR STRINGS

5 A seven-string salute to extended range pioneers James‘ munky’ shaffer and Brian ‘Head’ Welch, the Korn duo used their experience of playing over two decades of down-tuned metal to help create a set to utilise Heavy Core’s ‘dynamic range, optimal tension when drop-tuned, and incredible tuning stability’. The set consists of .010, .013, .017, .028, .038, .048 and .065 strings and joins a new Jim Root signature set in the Dunlop line. $24 www.jimdunlop.com