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Bob Dragich
Epiphone 1963 Firebird V
Legacy-Worthy
Looking to up the ante in the market battle with Fender, in October of 1962, Gibson CEO Ted McCarty asked retired auto designer Ray Dietrich to sketch some ultra-modern guitar designs. Nine days later, Dietrich brought eight ideas, the last of which McCarty saw and exclaimed, “That’s the one!” It became the Firebird. Epiphone recently…
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Bob Dragich
Knaggs Chena A
All-Purpose Axe
Many guitars are a blend of common styles, but few have gone as far as the Knaggs Chena A, a hollowbody in the shape of a Telecaster… sort of. Sporting a hollow one-piece mahogany body with integrally braced/arched spruce top, ebony fretboard, and gold hardware, the Chena A lends a certain visual impression enhanced by…
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Bob Dragich
Crazy Tube Circuit White Whale V2
Twin Tones
Introduced in 2017, Christos Ntaifotis’ original White Whale tremolo/reverb became one of his company’s best sellers. Its success, however, didn’t breed complacency, and after years of gathering user input, they recently introduced an update. With a genuine three-spring reverb and a variety of tremolo effects, the White Whale V2 is no larger than two pedals.…
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Bob Dragich
JHS Pedals Notaklön
Given their place in the market as elite collectibles approaching $10,000 asking prices, it’s no surprise the Klon Centaur has long been copied by other builders. The best value of the bunch is JHS Pedals’ solderless DIY Notaklön kit. DIY not your thing? Fear not; a passing familiarity with Legos is all you need, as…
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Bob Dragich
Johnny A.
Beck-Ola: Johnny Plays Jeff
The passing of Jeff Beck affected few people as much as it did Johnny Antonopoulos. “It had the same impact as when I heard John Lennon died,” said the Grammy-nominated guitarist whose career included seven years as guitarist and musical director for J. Geils Band front man Peter Wolf before launching a solo act as…
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Bob Dragich
Electro-Harmonix Pico Canyon, Rerun
Spacious Sounds, Less Space
Electro-Harmonix’s Pico pedals are designed for players running out of space on their pedalboards. Each occupies just 71/3 square inches while providing features that set them apart. The digital Pico line includes two delays – the Canyon and the Rerun. Each has a control for Blend, Delay time (eight milliseconds to three seconds), and Feedback…
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Bob Dragich
Squier Paranormal Custom Nashville Stratocaster
No Choice Required
Can’t decide between a Tele and a Strat? The new Squier Paranormal Custom Nashville Stratocaster may ease your worried mind. With a double-bound/double-cut poplar body and maple neck, the guitar has the neck and bridge pickups of a standard Tele with a middle pickup borrowed from a Strat. All have Alnico polepieces and the trio…
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Bob Dragich
Epiphone Greeny Les Paul
A Legend Within Reach
Following Peter Green Collectors Edition and Custom Shop tribute models from Gibson (priced in the tens of thousands), Epiphone recently jumped into the segment with its version, the Kirk Hammett “Greeny” 1959 Les Paul Standard. Half the cost of the standard-production Gibson, it’s still one of the most-expensive instruments ever offered by Epi. And with…
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Bob Dragich
Walrus Slöer Ambient Reverb
Reverb Reimagined
Reverb is nearly omnipresent in modern music, and for those looking to add some with a twist, Walrus Audio has introduced its Slöer Stereo Ambient Reverb. The Slöer brings typical controls for Decay, Depth, and Mix, along with Filter to control high-end response. There’s also a three-way switch to select Wide, Medium, and Narrow range,…
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Bob Dragich
Prestige Guitars DC Coupe Custom T Hybrid
“Tele” Twist
The first Telecasters were so good that today they’re made almost exactly as they were 70 years ago. Working just as well for rock as they do for country and blues, there’s been very little reason to change the basic formula. But that doesn’t mean builders should shy away from applying their own twist. Prestige…
