Category Archives: Newswire

PRS Guitars recently opened its new West Street East Museum Room and retail store at its manufacturing facility in Stevensville, Maryland. Named in tribute to founder Paul Reed Smith’s beginnings in a small shop in Annapolis, the facility serves as the base for (more…)

Mod Kits DIY’s Contortionist II is an all-analog fuzz with frequency multiplier circuitry that creates harmonics that swell and recede depending on gain setting, pick attack, neck position, and pickup. It has a Tone control and LED indicator, and operates on a 9-volt (more…)

The EHX Good Vibes is a re-creation of the classic Uni-Vibe chorus/vibrato pedal. Like the original, it uses photocells for a classic sound and response, but the company says its boosted power rails give it better provide definition and headroom. Other features include true-bypass switching, (more…)

Wampler’s Plexi-Drive Deluxe is based on the company’s Plexi-Drive, and adds an active three-band Bass/Mids/Treble EQ stack. Its bass boost is designed to help emulate the low-end thump of a 4×12″ cabinet even at lower volume, the Bright switch add highs, and its pre-gain Boost (more…)

Framus’ Legacy acoustic series includes four models made with solid spruce or solid mahogany tops, coated strings, bone saddle and nut, and inlays made of abalone and mother of pearl. Acoustic/electrics are equipped with a Fishman Isys Plus preamp and Sonicore pickup. For more, visit www.framus.de. (more…)

Vintage Guitar magazine recently played host to producers from the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) program “Antiques Roadshow” for a segment featuring Larson Brothers guitars. The episode, labeled “Bismarck, Hour 2” on program guides, will air at 8 p.m EST on Monday, February 23. Larson Brothers guitars are highly collectible acoustics made in the 1920s and […]

Origin Effects is offering versions of its Cali76 and Cali76 Parallel/Boost that use new-old-stock germanium transistors in their output stage. They combine studio-grade compression that can be adjusted to provide desired break-up with coloration that is free of negative feedback and provides fast transient recovery and (more…)

Sam Andrew, founding member of the psychedelic-rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, died February 12. He was 73, and reportedly suffered a heart attack following open-heart surgery. Big Brother was among the standard-bearers of the San Francisco acid-rock scene of (more…)

Aguilar’s Super Double bass pickups have two rows of Alnico V pole pieces and are wound with 42-gauge Formvar wire in the company’s facility in New York City. Designed as a direct replacement for many standard soap-bar sizes, they are available for four-, five- (more…)

The Blues Foundation announces the selection of three living performers to be inducted into its Blues Hall of Fame. Tommy Brown, Eric Clapton, and Little Richard join more than 130 who have been inducted since 1980. Clapton has been tapped for his many musical (more…)