NAMM 2017: Ibanez 30th Anniversary JEM
The iconic Ibanez gets a celebratory model for 2017.
Ibanez have announced a brand new JEM model to celebrate 30 years of the iconic axe.
Originally announced at the summer NAMM show of 1987, the JEM has evolved into one of the few iconic superstrat-style electric guitars. Steve Vai's signature model has become so legendary, that it is has become an icon for the Japanese brand.
Now, Ibanez is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of their relationship with Steve Vai, and the creation of the legendary JEM guitar, with the release of the new JEM777. The JEM777 is crafted with a basswood body, for a fat, well-balanced tone, and is fitted with a slim, 5pc JEM maple/walnut neck. It also includes Prestige fret edge treatment for a smooth, professional feel, traditional Disappearing Pyramid inlays, jumbo frets (scalloped from the 21st – 24th) and Vai’s signature DiMarzio Evolution pickups.
Features:
- JEM 5pc maple/walnut neck
- Basswood body
- Maple fretboard w/ Disappearing Pyramid inlay
- W/6105 frets w/ Prestige fret edge treatment
- Edge tremolo bridge
- Back Stop equipped
- DiMarzio Evolution (H) neck pickup
- DiMarzio Evolution (S) middle pickup
- DiMarzio Evolution (H) bridge pickup
- Cosmo black hardware
- Ultralite Tremolo Arm™ included
- Certificate of Authenticity (Tour Pass) included
- Special picks included
- Hardshell case included
- Finishes: Desert Sun Yellow (DY), Loch Ness Green (LG), Shocking Pink (SK)
NAMM 2017: New Reverend signature models
Three new Reverend models for three great players.
Reverend Guitars have announced a whole bunch of new signature models for 2017.
First up is the Shade Balderose model (above). Shade is the guitar player in Code Orange and has been playing an original Reverend Bayonet for years, and his signature model is sleek, yet sturdy, with a solid neck joint that still maintains good upper register access. The included Railhammer Pickups offer aggressive tones and the Ebony fretboard is tight and focused. Available in Shade’s original Satin Army Green or Midnight Burst, the guitar is topped off with a black reverse headstock.
As the guitarist in The Sword, Kyle Shutt has become known for playing a Reverend Manta Ray with Railhammer pickups. So, Reverend Guitars founder and designer Joe Naylor started thinking about creating a Signature Model for him, and the new Kyle Shutt Signature (above) is the product of their design work. The resulting guitar is a sealed semi-hollow complete with diagonal “diver down” block inlays, Kyle Shutt Signature Railhammer pickups, and a Reverend first 4-knob control layout to deliver a broad range of sounds.
Rounding out is batch of great new signature models is the Mike Watt Wattplower. The Wattplower is the result of a four-year exploratory between Watt and Reverend to produce a bass guitar with the perfect balance of sonic explosiveness, supreme playability, and ultimately looks uniquely Watt. The bass player in the Minutemen, Watt is always modifying his vintage basses, so Joe Naylor built the Wattplower with all of his favorite mods on board, some of which are: an adjustable Hipshot A Style bridge, a brass bridge spacer for sustain and balance, and a front mounted output jack with an oversized, heavy-duty jackplate. On the fretboard, there are extra dots at the fifth and twelfth frets for increased positional visibility, with an anchor inlay at the first fret and “Wattplower” at the seventeenth. Luminlay dots are on the side of the neck that glow in the dark to help with excellent visibility on poorly lit stages.
As with all Reverend Guitars, these three new models feature a Boneite nut and locking tuners, Reverend’s Bass Contour Control, and a dual-action truss rod – all for maximum performance.
NAMM 2017: Supro Americana and Island series guitars
Supro's 14 new models seek to recapture their 60s glory.
Following the successful reintroduction of their classic amplifier range, Supro have announced a new line of electric guitars.
Supro’s Dave Koltai, master-designer Trev Wilkinson and virtuoso luthier Glenn Sweetwood have teamed with vintage pickup expert Ken Calvet to produce 14 new instruments with period correct electronics and the unique construction details of the original Chicago-made models.
With two lines distinct new lines - the Island Series and the Americana Series - the Supro guitar range takes 21st century playability and performance and mates it perfectly with retro looks and iconic tones.
Based on the Vintage 1962 Supro Ozark body design, the Island Series guitars offer the player a choice of three pickup configurations - the single pickup Jamesport, the twin pickup Westbury and the triple pickup Hampton model. All three models have solid alder bodies, with set maple necks. Each sport Gold Foil pickups based on the units designed in the 1950s and are found in many desirable vintage Supro, National and Airline models. Since there are no pole pieces, this is a “field coil” pickup. It provides a huge, wide-open sound that is best-described as broadband, due to the rather wide frequency response, with big fat bottom and crystal-clear treble. These pickups work very well with overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals, as well as vintage-voiced amplifiers.
Meanwhile the Americana Series employ the vintage Supro body design with Acousti-Glass top matched to a semi-hollow mahogany back and uses a redesigned two bolt neck joint for the mahogany neck. Featuring the single pickup Sahara, Dual-Tone and Belmont models, and the Holiday, Coronado II and Martinique twin pickup models, the vintage-correct Vistatone pickups accurately replicate those sought-after tones often found in Supro, National and Airline guitars of the period. The 50’s wiring captures the design developed for Valco by Ralph Keller in the 1950’s whilst the Coronado II, Martinique Deluxe and Belmont Vibrato guitars all feature a period correct fulcrum vibrato tailpiece.
Also included in the new Supro Guitar collection is the Jet Airliner Lapsteel. Using a vintage Supro body design, the Jet Airliner has air deco fingerboard design with a string through body hardtail bridge and features vintage Gold Foil pickups with authentic 50’s wiring and volume and tone controls.
Supro Island and Americana Series guitars will be available across Europe in January and February 2017 respectively. Check out the Supro demo playlist here below:
PRS Release LTD Edition CE24 Satin guitars for UK and Europe
PRS announce some incredible limited edition finishes for their revered CE24 series!
The CE24 has been a welcome addition to the PRS line up since its introduction in 1988, offering 'Fender' enthusiasts a bolt-on version of the classic PRS body shape and build quality. The CE series brought that snap and sparkle to the traditional PRS double cut, and it has continued to be a popular model year after, receiving constant tweaks and upgrades to keep the series moving forward.
This year PRS have taken this one step further by granting the CE24 Satin three separate, mesmerising finishes unique to the UK and European market. These finishes come in the complicatedly named, Grey Cherryburst, Grey Purpleburst, and Grey Blueburst. Each instrument features a beautiful maple cap, elegantly capturing the nuances of the fading burst, gorgeously satin nitro finished mahogany body, slim and comfortably tapered maple neck, and thick wedge of deep chocolate brown rosewood fingerboard.
Topped off with the PRS 85/15 humbucking pick-ups to capture all the sparkle of a bolt-on instrument with extended low end response to maintain the instruments classic PRS tonal girth, and of course PRS' legendary and revered trem system.
Hitting the UK shelves at less than £1,800 these are surely contenders for guitar of the year!
Gretsch release loads of new Players models for NAMM 2017!
Victory's new models are natural evolutions of their award-winning amplifiers.
There's cool, and then there's Tony Iommi cool...
PRS unveil the new and totally incredible sounding J-MOD, John Mayer signature amplifier!
Announcing The Reverend Sensei HB 2016
Flame Maple, Lots of Colours, and a Bigsby!
Each Fall, Reverend Guitars releases a Limited Edition model. This year, the Reverend Sensei HB got the all-star treatment with the addition of a Bigsby and coloured flame maple tops on Reverend’s classic Korina body. Loaded with the company’s Special H pickups, the Reverend Sensei HB LE also features a bound headstock and a 2016 LE Medallion on the back. Reverend CEO, Ken Haas, calls the guitar “the sexiest Sensei ever built.”
On all Reverend Guitars, there is a graphite nut and locking tuners, Reverend’s unique and innovative Bass Contour Control, and a dual-action truss rod – all for maximum performance. You can’t be different if you’re playing what everyone else is.
