review

  Aside from maybe distortion and overdrive, reverb and delay are easily two of the most often used and recognizable effects in rock. From the old school tape echo machines of yore or the modern digital delays and their countless voicings, there are a ton of flavors to choose from between the two. But pedalboard real estate is scarce so having more than one type of effect isn't something most us are comfortable with. Enter the Wampler Ethereal, a highly versatile pedal that not only combines reverb and delay into one box but does so with powerful settings that let you dial up a ton of highly useful sounds. From huge swaths of dreamy ambiance to no nonsense meat and potatoes reverb and delay, the Wampler Ethereal delivers.   Continue reading →

  As a huge fan of Xotic Effects guitar pedals, I was excited to finally get my hands on the new Soul Driven Boost. Released late last year in collaboration with Allen Hines, the Soul Driven is based on Xotic's highly popular AC-Comp Booster, albeit with enough tweaks to give it an entirely different feel. After putting the Soul Driven for a long drive, I can say that this is a unique little guitar pedal, made to deliver a customized experience that you won't get from a typical booster, compressor or overdrive.   Continue reading →

  In 2011, Godin introduced the MultiAc Encore Nylon acoustic electric guitar. Compared to traditional classical nylon guitars, the Encore featured a narrower nut width and a longer fret length, similar to what you’d expect to find on a typical steel string acoustic. This made the Encore an enticing acoustic for players looking to finally dip their toes in the nylon guitar waters. Now Godin is back with the MultiAc Encore Nylon 7 -- a nylon acoustic-electric guitar that is essentially a 7-string version of the 2011 Encore. And if you’re familiar with the original, you’d know that’s definitely not a bad thing. Read on for our impressions on the Godin MultiAc Encore 7 Nylon acoustic-electric guitar.   Continue reading →

  When the original SansAmp “speaker in a box” was released in 1989, it opened a world of rich, warm, tube amp tone that could fit in the palm of your hand. Over a quarter of a decade and dozens of products later, Tech 21 continues creating gear that delivers authentic, analog sound and powerful controls. And of all of their products, few are as intriguing as their Fly Rig series -- a combination of Tech 21 pedals in the form of a compact board. While it might look like your average multi-effects unit, that would be doing the Fly Rig a disservice, as Tech 21’s aim here is clearly quality over quantity. Read on to see what the Tech 21 Fly Rig Series is all about, specifically the Fly Rig 5, Fly Rig Cali and Fly Rig Brit.   Continue reading →

  In commemoration of their 40th anniversary, Seymour Duncan has decided to scrounge their archive of early designs in order to reintroduce a few sets of pickups that could best convey their founder’s ingenuity and innovation. One such design buried beneath miles of broken coils, hundreds of dust ridden schematics and years of product knowledge are the Jimi Hendrix Signature Stratocaster set -- three single-coil pickups that are as much a product of Seymour Duncan the man as they are of Hendrix himself.     Continue reading →