2025 Ibanez AZ Standard | The new $549 workhorse vs the Premium and Prestige versions with Henning Rich. Words. Music. 2025-01-10 | Today, we’re taking an exclusive first look at the brand new 2025 Ibanez AZ Standard lineup of HH and HSS double cutaway electric guitars – and shooting them out against their more expensive Premium and Prestige counterparts too!-----Get these guitars at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/rbsb61tz38Or at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/4Gd7En-----These affordable do-it-all modern Stratocaster-types are made in China, and they really fill a budget hole in the AZ catalogue. Previously, you went from the (excellent) Ibanez AZES models – which cost between $300 and $400 depending on model – straight to the Premium guitars at around $1,200-1,300.High time, then, to add in a model at around the $549 mark – and this is exactly where the AZ Standard comes in! The HH model is named AZ24S1F and the HSS model is the AZ22S1F, and both offer various flamed maple top finishes. Both have alder bodies and 25.5” scale roasted maple necks, topped with jatoba fingerboards that feature jumbo stainless steel frets.The pickups are Ibanez – Modern Custom humbuckers on the HH, and a Classic Custom set in the HSS – and the Alter Switch gives you all manner of coil splits and extra pickup configurations. You also get locking tuners and Ibanez’s T106 vibrato bridge.All in all, then, the AZ Standard looks like an excellent new offering in the world of the Super Strat – but how good are they really? And are they worth it over the other options out there? Here, Henning Pauly and I check out the AZ Standards, and we also compare them to the rest of the AZ range, from the budget AZES line to the more expensive Premium and made-in-Japan Prestige models.Hopefully, by the end of the video you’ll know which AZ model is going to be the right choice for you. Let me know your thoughts on the AZ Standard in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today03:51 First specs and info07:54 HSS model sounds and discussion (with a bit of theory thrown in)10:54 Clean tones11:37 Overdriven tones15:00 Who is the AZ Standard for?17:30 HH model sounds and discussion21:24 Comparison vs the AZES Essentials 24:15 Comparison vs the AZ Premium27:18 Comparison vs the AZ Prestige31:36 Why Henning loves the Prestige so much35:22 A brief argument about Taylor Swift37:54 Thank you and goodbyeEnjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezAZ #AZStandard #IbanezAZStandard #Ibanez2025 #IbanezAZSeries #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@EytschPi42 @IbanezOfficial @IbanezGermany
Hartwood Guitars Charger, Drifter, Speedway, Revival + Deytona! How good are they with Krenar Cilku! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-09-26 | Today I’m joined by guitar virtuoso and all-round top guy Krenar Cilku to check out the affordable Hartwood Guitars range by Gear4music!Hartwood Guitars at G4M: tidd.ly/4mAO0SSHartwood Guitars have been around for a few years now, but recently they’ve upped their game, with a series of new and improved models that seem – at least on paper – to rival the big boys like Squier by Fender, and Harley Benton (the Thomann in-house guitar brand) while also offering a few original design tweaks.At the 42 Gear Street 7 event in summer 2025, Hartwood brought their entire stable of electrics. And, as Krenar was totally new to them, and I’ve only tried the Deytona before, this was the perfect chance to try out these budget guitars.First up is the €199 Drifter, a P90-loaded Metallic Blue offset that looks like a cross between a Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster offset, and the iconic Harmony Silhouette. For a guitar this cheap, it has some pretty cool touches, like a satin roasted maple neck… but how good can it be for that price? Time to find out!Next is the Revival, a Gibson 335-esque semi-acoustic guitar, complete with a Bigsby-style vibrato! The Revival is a more expensive guitar than the Drifter, at around €340, but you still get plenty for your money here (like a bone nut) – and this specific model is finished in a wonderful Tealburst colorway.Up next is the Charger, an Italian vintage-inspired offset with bundles of mojo and a beautiful Peppermint finish! The Charger simply looks like loads of fun and, with its alder body and set roasted maple neck, locking tuners and a bone nut, you’re getting plenty of guitar for your €280. What’s more, the humbuckers on the Charger feature a coil tap, so you’ve got a huge range of tones to play with here too. You can also choose a Charger with a hardtail bridge, or a Bigsby-style option for the same price.Also very much Italy-inspired – or perhaps Italia Maranello inspired – is the semi-hollow Speedway model, which is a Lipstick Red single cut with a racing stripe, lashings of pearloid binding, and a Bigsby-style bridge. This lavish beast of a guitar is also €340, but you get coil splits here too, so it’s another great – and different – option.The final guitar is the Gibson Firebird-inspired Deytona II. I loved this guitar when I had it for a few weeks – it’s a true rock and roll instrument, and its mini humbuckers (with phase switch!), ebony fingerboard and bone nut make it a great option for the €280 asking price.This Hartwood quintet are great value for money on paper, then, but how good are they really? Well, join Krenar and me as we find out (supported by some wonderful Mad Professor pedals and an exquisite Tube WorkShop amp!), and do let us know which is your favorite Hartwood guitar in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Introduction and what we’re doing today02:24 Drifter: tones and discussion08:56 Drifter price reveal09:45 Revival: tones and discussion14:44 Revival price reveal16:22 Charger: tones and discussion23:17 Charger price reveal24:11 Why it’s great to learn how to set up guitars yourself25:42 Speedway: tones and discussion31:13 Speedway price reveal33:41 Deytona: tones and discussion39:52 Deytona price reveal40:20 Which is Krenar’s favorite?41:30 Rich’s favoriteBe sure to check out Krenar’s channel here:youtube.com/@KrenarCilkuGuitarEnjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Controlled Distress – Biz Baz Studio.#Hartwood #HartwoodGuitars #Gear4music #KrenarCilku #KrenarCilkuGuitar #RichWordsMusic #42GSSeven #MadProfessor*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@KrenarCilkuGuitar @gear4musicguitars @EytschPi42 @MadProfessorAmplification @tubeworkshop
Rating the best Harley Benton guitars ever with Jake Leigh! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-09-19 | Today I’m joined by the mighty Jake Leigh Guitar to rate and rank our favorite Harley Benton guitars we’ve ever played in a homemade game of Top Trumps for guitarists!The best Harley Benton guitars at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/t0qckyuvbbJake and I have both had the pleasure of playing myriad Harley Benton guitars over the years, and we both have very different ideas about which ones are the best value for money.So, with that in mind, we decided to devise a game where we could pit those guitars against each other! Here, we have 16 cards – each representing a Harley Benton electric guitar at least one of us has either owned or played for a significant period of time – and we’ve scored them out of 10 in various categories: Sound, Playability, Versatility, Value For Money, Mod Potential, and Cool Factor.In each round, we each have a random card, and one of us picks a category. The player with the highest scoring guitar wins! Which guitars will come out on top?!The 16 guitars we featured are the ST-62, CST-24, Aeolus, Fusion III, JA-60CC, Amarok, ST-182, TE-69TL, HB-35, SC DLX Gotoh, ST-Modern, Agufish Baritone Signature Model, ST-80, SC-550, SC Custom II, and the Max Fusion signature model.Let us know if you agree with our choices and our ratings in the comments below!And thanks Henning as ever for intruding on a 42 Gear Street video… it’s always much appreciated!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Introduction and what we’re doing today00:55 ROUND 104:11 ROUND 207:12 ROUND 310:02 Henning interrupts10:44 ROUND 413:59 Henning’s best Harley Benton guitar is…15:32 ROUND 520:09 ROUND 622:41 ROUND 724:26 ROUND 827:50 And the winner is…Be sure to check out Jake’s video here: youtube.com/watch?v=dk1YDzm2lUYEnjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Controlled Distress – Biz Baz Studio.#HarleyBenton #Thomann #HarleyBentonGuitars #ThomannMusic #42GSSeven #RichWordsMusic #JakeLeigh #JakeLeighGuitar #42GearStreet #42GS*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@JakeLeighGuitar @EytschPi42 @HarleyBentonOfficial @ThomannsGuitarsBasses
Henry’s Fury FS-1 Fever | The best sub $1000 Super Strat in 2025?! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-09-12 | This is the Henry’s Guitars Fury FS-1 Fever: a new sub $1000 take on the iconic Super Strat electric guitar shape… with a few unique twists up its golden sleeves!-----Get the Henry’s Fury here: henrysmusic.com/henry-s-fury-fs-1-fever-gold/?a_box=sfrn95hd-----Henry’s have only been building guitars since 2023, but they’re already making waves in the music world. This Prague, Czech Republic-based company is closely connected to the Czech Music Center chain of stores, which almost makes Henry’s a house brand, but it’s a brand that’s really growing with its own distinct identity.Many of you will know Henry’s for their Snake and Space guitars – these affordable, factory reliced Strat and Tele-inspired designs are already winning the hearts of guitarists across Europe and beyond.But the Fury is another thing entirely. A Super Strat by nature, it reminds you visually a bit of a hot-rodded Stratocaster, but also of something like a Music Man Luke, while also very much being its own instrument.The semi-sparkly Gold finish (you can also get the Fury in Silver or Black) is one reason for this – it’s a stunning looking guitar in every way, and even more impressive in person.Read the spec sheet, though, and it almost seems too good to be true. For €899, you get a mahogany body, a roasted maple neck (with a matte nitro lacquer finish) and a rosewood board. The two Henry’s HC-8 Carbonado humbuckers are extremely high output, but both can be coil split down to single coil mode for tamer tones.The C-shaped neck features 22 jumbo stainless steel frets, a 25.5” scale length, and a 13.78” fingerboard radius, and there’s a bone nut and Henry’s locking tuners up at the top end. The guitar also comes with a Henry’s vintage tremolo vibrato bridge, and a wide range of accessories: strap locks, a strap, picks, an arm sleeve (for faster shredding, presumably!) and fret wraps.That’s a lot of guitar for the money, then… but just how good is the Fury? Can it match the legions of Charvel, Schecter, Jackson, ESP, Ibanez, Harley Benton, and other Super Strats at this competitive price point? It’s time to find out!In this video, I put the Fury to the test in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it!Let me know your thoughts on the Fury in the comments.Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:17 Introduction to Henry’s Guitars and the Fury01:36 Specs and features06:47 Today’s rig and plan07:14 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings07:47 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)10:22 Tone control test11:25 Indie and alt rock tones14:32 Volume control roll off test14:55 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)16:39 Hard rock tones18:42 Alternative rock tones19:19 Punk rock tones20:14 Progressive and modern rock tones21:41 Metal/chugging/heavy distortion tones23:18 My thoughts23:54 First impressions, looks, feel25:19 Weight25:40 Price25:55 Build quality and hardware26:46 Playability and neck27:47 Sounds and pickups30:45 What other similar guitars are out there?31:44 My conclusions on the Fury and why you should buy itCheck out Henning’s Fury vid here: youtube.com/watch?v=cQe2JQgUqC4Or Andy’s: youtube.com/watch?v=95J_Tg42ZK0My setup was as follows: I ran the Fury into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, Friedman BE-OD Deluxe and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Henrys #HenrysMusic #HenrysGuitars #HenrysGuitar #SuperStrat #GoldGuitar #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@henrysmusicglobal
Orange Tour Baby, Gain Baby and Dual Baby + Friedman Vintage-T | All the tones w/Carsten Stepanowicz Rich. Words. Music. 2025-09-05 | Today I’m joined by German guitar and vocal virtuoso Carsten Stepanowicz to check out three tiny – yet massively loud – affordable solid state amps by Orange: it’s the Tour Baby, Gain Baby and Dual Baby trio!----- At Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/607304?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/je3ZKv-----You’ll all know Orange Amps – they’re legendary for their tones as much as they are for the players who’ve used them to carve up stages all over the world for the past 50+ years!Well, for 2025, they’ve released what is (for me, at least) one of their most exciting series ever: the Baby Range! The Tour Baby, Gain Baby and Dual Baby are all twin channel 100-watt Class A/B solid state amp designs that weigh in at just over 3kg each (that’s under 7 lbs.!) and are ready to rock out for a variety of different uses.The Tour Baby is the most sedate of the bunch, taking you from pristine cleans to crunchy, punchy rock sounds. The clean channel has a studio-grade VCA compressor built in, while the dirty channel delivers the grit, crunch and classic saturation Orange for which Orange is beloved.The Gain Baby has the same compressor-loaded clean channel as the Tour Baby, but its dirty channel ups the ante somewhat, with four distinct gain stages, a Tight control and a three-band EQ to sculpt your tones.Meanwhile, the Dual Baby offers two filthy channels (and cleans if you want them!). Channel A is based on the iconic Orange Rockerverb amps and goes from clean to mean, while Channel B has four stages of oomph, just like the Gain Baby’s dirty channel.The three Baby amps are all designed for onstage use, and they’ll all easily drive a 4x12 cab too. They also feature FX Loops, DI outs and footswitching options, making them incredibly flexible little things!And, what do you pay for these specs, tones and general musical privileges? Well, as of time of writing (September 2025), each Baby will set you back $599/€529 – so these are very much affordable gigging options.So, join Carsten and me as we discover these amps together (neither of us had played one before being in the room with them here) and let us know which one you think is best in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Introduction and what we’re doing today01:23 GAIN BABY: first tones02:57 This amp has a built-in compressor?!04:46 The Gain Baby’s Dirty Channel06:34 Tweaking the Dirty Channel to Carsten’s tastes09:50 A classic rock tone with the Gain Baby?12:38 TOUR BABY: first clean tones13:32 Tour Baby Dirty Channel tones and discussion14:49 Low gain indie rock on the Tour Baby?19:31 Classic rock tones for Rich21:02 DUAL BABY: specs and tones23:31 Max Gain!25:18 Tweaking the Dual Baby to Carsten’s tastes: Treble vs Presence32:16 Which one would Carsten use live?33:02 Carsten guesses how much these amps cost!34:05 Which one would Rich use?34:18 ConclusionsBe sure to check out Carsten’s channel here: youtube.com/@CarstenStepanowicz-----The guitar we used in the video is a STUNNING Silverburst Friedman Vintage-T model in the Fender Telecaster style!-----Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Controlled Distress – Biz Baz Studio.#Orange #OrangeAmplifiers #OrangeAmps #CarstenStepanowicz #RichWordsMusic #42GSSeven #Friedman*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@EytschPi42
10 Reasons why every guitarist needs to try the Sonicake Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-08-29 | This is the Sonicake Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar QGT-01: an affordable, silent instrument you can take anywhere!Sonicake Travel Guitar: sonicake.com/collections/guitar/products/guitar-qgt-01Silent acoustic guitars aren’t a new thing: Yamaha, for example, has been making them for years. But Sonicake’s new Travel Guitar takes the niche to new, budget heights.This is a guitar that, on paper, should be useful for so many people: new and experienced guitarists, and electric and acoustic players alike will have room for something like this in their life. With its long-life battery, headphones and Aux In options, its wide range of tones and sound-sculpting options, and its well fitted and padded gigbag, the Travel Guitar certainly seems to tick all the right boxes.And, at around $299, it’s very competitively priced too. You get decent specs here: the guitar’s body and neck is mahogany, the fingerboard and bridge are rosewood, and you even get a bone nut.The neck is a lovely smooth satin affair, and it’s nice and slim for an acoustic, so electric and beginner players will feel at home immediately. Once you’re done playing, everything folds down nicely into the supplied gigbag for transport and storage. For the sounds, you get Sonicake’s in-house-developed preamp system, which offers 8 acoustic guitar body shape simulations (dreadnoughts, jumbos, OM and parlor guitars are all covered, alongside a basic piezo mode and more). There’s also a Volume control, a 2-band EQ (Bass and Treble) and built-in Reverb and Chorus effects to further elevate your tones.You can play this guitar anywhere too. It has a headphone out, making it ideal for silent practice, but you can also plug it into a guitar amp, a PA, or your computer/recording software. This makes it ideal for jamming, practicing, recording, performing live gigs, and more. And, being only 1.7 kgs (3.75 lbs.) and 2.72 kg (6 lbs.) when aged up, it’s a dream to carry round with you wherever you go.How good is it, though? With a guitar like this, often it’s the sounds, feel and playability that can let things down. But, I’m pleased to say that the Sonicake Travel Guitar has been an excellent and inspiring acquisition for me, and in this video, I want to give you 10 reasons why I think every guitar player should give it a try!Let me know your thoughts on the Travel Guitar in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Introduction and what we’re doing today01:51 REASON 1: It’s great for beginners or electric players02:53 REASON 2: The price03:49 REASON 3: Build quality and specs04:59 REASON 4: It’s super compact and incredibly portable05:18 Unboxing and building the Travel Guitar07:16 REASON 5: The sounds07:54 The eight different acoustic body types09:32 Reverb and chorus FX sound samples10:25 Extended playing and tone samples section14:55 REASON 6: It plays great15:52 REASON 7: Connectivity and Flexibility17:37 REASON 8: Quiet practice made easy18:10 REASON 9: The inspiration factor19:39 REASON 10: You probably don’t own anything like this… yet!21:04 A few reasons why you might NOT want this21:57 My conclusions on the Travel Guitar and why you should buy itMy recording setup was as follows: I ran the Travel Guitar straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---My gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---#Sonicake #TravelGuitar #AcousticGuitar #SilentGuitar #SonicakeTravelGuitar*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@SONICAKE
Tone City Holy Aura | The best value for money high gain drive pedal in 2025? In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-08-22 | This is the Tone City Holy Aura: an affordable high-gain overdrive/distortion pedal (with boost) based on legendary USA amplifier designs!Grab yourself a Holy Aura here: thmn.to/thoprod/579815?offid=1&affid=1250The Holy Aura is an amp in a box style pedal, and Tone City say it’ll turn your clean amplifier into an American-flavored distortion monster! By USA amps, we can assume they’re referring to amps by the likes of Soldano or MESA Boogie, or possibly even the legendary 5150.And, being a Tone City product, the Holy Aura does this for little money: as of summer 2025, it’s around $115/€115/£99, making it a massively tempting option for guitarists on a budget.There are 8 controls on this pedal, but the Boost side – it’s a clean boost, by the way – only gets a single one: the imaginatively-named Boost. On the drive side, though, you have seven controls with which to sculpt and shape your tones.You get a three-band EQ (Bass, Mid and High), Volume, Gain, and mini knobs for Presence and Tight. Tight will control the response and pick attack of the pedal, and Presence your high mids and treble frequencies.You can run both sides of the pedal together, or on their own, and Tone City say the Holy Aura will give you anything from a subtle clean boost all the way through to huge walls of thick, distorted goodness.Well, it’s time to put that to the test and see how good the Holy Aura really is! In this video, I use my Fender Telecaster (for single coil tones) and my humbucker-equipped Epiphone Les Paul to put the pedal through its paces in as many musical styles as possible, from country, folk, blues and pop to rock, punk, indie and metal, to hear how it versatile it truly is. Let me know your thoughts on the Holy Aura in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Introduction to the Holy Aura00:55 Pedal controls, features and info02:33 Today’s rig and plan03:40 Clean reference tone and turning on the Holy Aura (both guitars)Epiphone Les Paul/Humbucker Tones04:15 Pushed clean and drive tones with the Boost side of the pedal06:06 From the Boost to the Drive side of the pedal: classic rock tones07:10 Hard rock tones08:31 Punk rock tones09:22 Metal and chugging tonesFender Telecaster/Single Coil Tones10:48 Pushed clean and drive tones with the Boost side of the pedal12:13 From the Boost to the Drive side of the pedal: indie rock tones12:39 Classic rock tones13:30 Hard rock tones14:41 Punk rock tones15:08 Modern progressive and heavy rock tones16:41 Metal and chugging tones18:07 Heavy modern rock loop (w/Les Paul) – tone tweaking 24:34 My thoughts: tones and versatility25:55 There’s a gap in the gain levels here26:45 Price, value for money, build quality, looks27:07 Things I don’t like28:31 What other similar pedals are out there you should consider?29:19 My conclusions on the Holy Aura and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the Holy Aura into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#ToneCity #ToneCityPedals #HolyAura #DistortionPedal #Andertons #AndertonsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@tonecityaudio7641 @andertons
King Of Tone vs Morning Glory vs Timmy vs Lightspeed | Transparent overdrive pedal blind test! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-08-15 | Today we’re comparing the four modern-day iconic transparent overdrive pedals – the Analogman King Of Tone, the JHS Morning Glory V4, the Greer Lightspeed Organic Overdrive, and the Paul Cochrane Timmy!-----At Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/6hm8w73obfAt Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/K03X1n-----Oh, and we’re doing the comparison as a blind test too – so your challenge is to see if you can work out which one is which. Place your guesses in the comments and we’ll see how many you all get right… but this won’t be easy!This video came about after I recently got the JHS Morning Glory V4. It’s a fantastic and versatile overdrive, but it’s famed for its transparent response too, so the next natural step for me was to test it out against my other favorite drives: the Greer Lightspeed, the Paul Cochrane Timmy, and the Analogman King Of Tone!These are all made in the USA to the highest quality thresholds, so none of them are super cheap. The Timmy is the most affordable (unless you’re in Europe, like me, and you’re having to pay the used prices), while the King Of Tone – if you can hack the 6+ year waiting list – starts at $335. The Lightspeed and Morning Glory are, thankfully, more readily available.Now, being transparent overdrives, this awesome foursome will all sound fairly similar for some things – that’s what transparent is, after all! But, start to tweak them a bit, change up the guitars, pickups and genres you’re playing, and they start to react differently. That’s what we’re going to hear (and not see!) in this video.Here are the rules of the blind overdrive challenge: I play a succession of riffs with each of the four pedals. Each pedal has a letter: A, B, C or D. Your challenge is to guess which is which!I’m using my Fender Telecaster for single coil tones here, and my Epiphone Les Paul for some humbucker sounds, and I’m running the pedals into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 amplifier. That’s it!Can you guess which is which? Leave me your guesses in the comments, let me know how many you got right, and also tell me which of the pedals you think sounds best!Here are some links to the various parts of the video (Note: all riff descriptions, and which guitar and pickups are used where, etc., are in the first comment on the video as they didn't fit here!):00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today00:31 The rules of the blind test challenge01:27 Greer Lightspeed specs and info02:13 Paul Cochrane Timmy specs and info03:44 Analogman King Of Tone specs and info04:59 JHS Morning Glory V4 specs and info05:54 Today’s rig and plan06:54 Amp’s clean and crunch tones without pedals07:24 Grungey arpeggios08:04 EVH 80s rock riff08:37 Chunky Drop D power chords09:01 Country strummed chords09:20 Indie rock riff09:46 Alt rock octaves10:11 Classic metal riff10:33 Funk rhythms10:57 Groovy classic rock riff11:25 Pop punk riff12:09 Blues rock riff12:39 Jangly indie chords13:11 Glam rock riff13:31 Ascending droning indie riff13:57 AC/DC inspired riff14:11 Hendrix inspired riff14:28 Indie pop barre chords14:47 Progressive rock riff15:16 Hendrix quacky riff15:33 Hard rock riff15:50 Poppy barre chords16:20 Alt rock riff16:42 Skate punk riff17:07 Airbourne inspired riff17:29 Rockabilly double stops17:43 Hard rock boost18:17 The big reveal19:29 Lightspeed opinions20:08 Timmy opinions21:00 King Of Tone opinions21:54 Morning Glory opinions22:37 Which one should you buy? Which is best?23:07 Conclusions and goodbyeMy setup was as follows: I ran the pedals into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 amp, then went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#OverdrivePedal #OverdrivePedals #TransparentOverdrive #GreerAmps #GreerLightspeed #PaulCochraneTimmy #TimmyPedal #JHS #JHSPedals #MorningGlory #JHSMorningGlory #KingOfTone # Analogman #AnalogmanKingOfTone #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@jhspedals @GreerAmpsInfo
Has the Revv G3 finally got competition?! The world’s new best high gain distortion pedal is… Rich. Words. Music. 2025-08-08 | Today, I’m having my first playing experience with the brand new Revv G3 V2 pedal – but can it replace my G3 V1 as my favorite high gain overdrive/distortion pedal of all time?!Revv G3 V2 at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/617304?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/JKdZ6aThe original Revv G3 has been my go-to high gain drive since it came out in 2018. It’s simply a monster of a pedal, and its huge gain reserves and powerful tone shaping controls have meant it’s a ubiquitous presence on my pedalboard – and in my YouTube videos!But now, in 2025, Revv have released the V2 – and they say it’s better than the original! Apparently, the V2 has more tonal clarity and crispness, a more clear and cutting midrange, and a more amp-like playing feel.So, the circuit’s been tweaked, then, but the controls on the G3 V2 are the same as its predecessor. You get a three-band EQ – Bass, Middle, and Treble – plus Volume and Gain controls, and a three-way Aggression switch. You start at Off, which has the least aggression and gain, then up the ante to Blue… and finally Red, which is effectively everything turned up to 11!The G3 V2 has also had an aesthetic overhaul. The metal chassis is a slightly deeper, richer purple, and the logo – now smaller overall – is on a chic looking plate, as opposed to being directly printed on the pedal. It looks like a more expensive pedal, for sure – and it is. The G3 V2 will set you back around $229/€259, so it’s not cheap by any means.However, it’s made in Canada (like everything Revv does) to the highest quality levels, and if it’s half as good as the original G3 pedal, it’ll be 100% worth it!And, in this video, I’m taking the first steps in finding out if this is really the case. Is the G3 V2 worth the money, and if you already own the V1, do you need to ‘upgrade’? Well, have a listen. Here, we’re running a nice heavy loop into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 amplifier, giving me the chance to really tweak the tones of the two G3 versions. That’ll let us hear how similar – and how different – they sound, and to what extent the V2 has improved upon the original’s incredible tonal performance.Let me know what you think of the G3 V2 in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Intro and what we're doing today03:08 THE LOOP09:32 My thoughts12:43 Final thoughts and goodbyeMy setup was as follows: I ran the two G3 pedals into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#RevvAmps #RevvG3 #RevvPedals #DistortionPedal #OverdrivePedal*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@RevvAmps
Greer Amps Southland Harmonic Overdrive | An underrated OD masterpiece? In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-08-01 | Today, we’re looking at an underrated and overlooked gem of the overdrive pedal world: it’s the Greer Southland Harmonic Overdrive!Get the Southland here: thmn.to/thoprod/480955?offid=1&affid=1250Everyone knows Greer Amps – and most of us these days (me included!) are in love with their Lightspeed Organic Overdrive. The Lightspeed is probably my favorite pedal of all time, because its dynamic and transparent low to medium gain drives just suit any kind of music I play – and I even feel like I play better when it’s on!But the Lightspeed’s success has arguably meant that certain other Greer masterpieces have gone undeservedly under the radar. I would include the Southland in this category.Despite being billed as the perfect higher gain brother to the Lightspeed – and an ideal stacking partner to boot – you won’t see the Southland on nearly as many pedalboards as the Lightspeed. In fact, it’s been out over 10 years now, and I’ve only just picked one up.But the Southland, at least on paper, should’ve been in my rig years ago. It’s a Greer, and I know Greer make wonderful pedals (besides the Lightspeed, I also own and love their awesome modded Marshall-inspired Black Mountain Crunch Drive and their humongous take on the legendary ProCo Rat, the Gorilla Warfare).And because it’s billed as being such a great companion to the Lightspeed, I know I should’ve tried it earlier. But hey, in this part of the world, it’s not easy to come by, and it’s not cheap either – as of mid 2025, you’ll pay €269/$249 for the privilege.But hey, now I have the Southland, and it’s time to see what it can do! It’s a remarkably simple pedal – just like the other three Greer drives I own – in that it has just three knobs: Volume, Drive, and Range.Greer say the Southland is the next logical step for the Lightspeed platform, giving your more gain on tap, a focused midrange, and some extra high-end presence to help cut through a mix. Like the Lightspeed, the Southland should be dynamic, responsive, and touch sensitive.So, just how good is it? And can it live up to the Lightspeed in any way, shape or form? It’s time to find out! In the video, I put the Southland through its paces in as many musical styles as possible, from country, folk, blues and pop to rock, punk, indie and even some metal, to hear how it versatile it truly is. I also test it out against the Lightspeed (I had to!), and all of this in single coil – courtesy of my Fender Telecaster – and humbucking goodness (via my Epiphone Les Paul).Let me know your thoughts on the Southland in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Introduction to the Southland01:52 Pedal controls, features and info03:21 Today’s rig and plan04:31 Clean reference tone and turning on the Southland (both guitars)Epiphone Les Paul/Humbucker Tones05:04 Pushed clean tones (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)06:23 Indie and alt rock tones08:21 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)09:51 Hard rock tones11:31 Punk rock tones11:44 Modern progressive and heavy rock tones12:11 Metal and chugging tones13:18 Stacking the Southland and the Lightspeed14:03 Southland as a boost into an overdriven ampFender Telecaster/Single Coil Tones14:26 Pushed clean tones 16:10 Indie and alt rock tones17:34 Classic rock tones19:03 Hard rock tones20:28 Punk rock tones20:53 Modern progressive and heavy rock tones21:48 Metal and chugging tones22:46 Stacking the Southland and the Lightspeed23:17 Southland as a boost into an overdriven amp23:42 Alt rock loop (w/Fender Telecaster) – tone tweaking and Lightspeed shootout27:51 Greer Lightspeed vs Southland comparison loop (w/Les Paul)31:08 My thoughts31:46 First impressions against the Lightspeed32:16 Tones and versatility33:38 What else I like: build quality and simplicity33:48 Things I don’t like34:10 What other similar pedals are out there?35:52 Final thoughts and goodbyeMy setup was as follows: I ran the Southland into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#GreerAmps #GreerSouthland #GreerLightspeed #OverdrivePedal #TransparentOverdrive #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@GreerAmpsInfo
Who makes the best Telecaster in 2025? Fender vs Jet vs Ibanez vs Paoletti | Comparison & Shootout! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-07-25 | Today, we’re comparing four excellent modern Fender Telecaster-style guitars – from Jet Guitars, Fender themselves, Ibanez and Paoletti, ranging from $400 to a whopping $4,000+ – to see which is the best Tele around in 2025!-----The best Telecasters at Thomann: https://www.thomann.de/intl/t_models.html?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/6yRG7E-----These four guitars might share the same overall body shape, but they’re very different beasts in many ways – as you might expect, given the price differences.The $350/€350 Jet JT-350 is the budget offering here, but you get excellent specs on paper: a basswood body – with tummy cut – roasted maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, for starters. Then you get a set of Jet pickups, a Wilkinson bridge, and Jet locking tuners. The 9.5” radius neck is a modern feeling Modern C shape, with a sleek satin feel.The Fender in today’s comparison is my personal pride and joy: a 2014 Fender FSR Standard Satin Telecaster, made in Mexico, with mods. The guitar, which cost me about €500 back in the day but would probably be around $800/€800 nowadays, features an alder body – covered in a beautiful satin Ocean Blue Candy finish – with a maple neck and rosewood board.I kept the stock ceramic Fender Tele bridge pickup, but added a The Creamery wide range humbucker in the neck, alongside a three-saddle Wilkinson bridge. I also got a bone nut fitted, but the stock Fender tuners have been rock solid for over 10 years of heavy playing.Going into the more professional price range and we have the Ibanez Prestige AZS2209H, which is Ibanez’s made-in-Japan take on the Tele, and part of their AZ Series. The AZS features an ash body, alongside a roasted maple neck and fingerboard. The pickups are by Seymour Duncan – with plenty of extra switching options – and the bridge and locking tuners are from Gotoh. The neck has a bone nut and 22 jumbo stainless steel frets, and the fingerboard radius is 12”.And finally, we have the truly boutique Paoletti Nancy Loft SP90. This €4,200 Italian-made masterpiece is a superlative guitar in every way. It starts with the body, which is 150-year-old aged chestnut wood, in this case covered with a nitro Butterscotch Black over Sunburst finish.The neck is Canadian roasted maple, and the fingerboard is extra dark Pau Ferro. The pickups (we have a P90 in the neck here) and hardware are Paoletti’s own, apart from the Kluson Deluxe tuners. Can a Telecaster-type guitar ever be worth this much money? That’s a very good question, and in this video we’re testing the four guitars out against one another to see how they perform. Here, I play a series of riffs on all four guitars in a variety of different styles, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more. This lets us really hear the differences and the similarities between them, and hopefully you’ll be able to decide which one would be your top choice!Let me know which one you prefer in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Introduction and what we’re doing today02:32 Fender Telecaster specs and info04:45 Jet JT-350 specs and info06:13 Ibanez AZS2209 specs and info08:23 Paoletti Nancy Loft SP90 specs and info11:02 Today’s rig and planQuick Timestamps11:37 Clean tone reference chords on all guitars/pickup settings13:05 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.) 16:30 Indie and alt rock tones19:56 Classic rock tones22:04 Hard rock tones24:09 Alternative rock tones24:32 Punk rock tones25:58 Progressive and modern rock tones26:50 Metal tones29:33 My thoughts30:08 Jet JT-350 discussion and opinions31:04 Fender Tele discussion and opinions32:49 Ibanez AZS discussion and opinions33:46 Paoletti discussion and opinions34:58 Which guitar is best? Which should you buy?My setup was as follows: I ran the four Teles into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, Marshall 1959 Super Lead and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Telecaster #FenderTelecaster #JetGuitars #JetGuitar #CheapGuitars #Ibanez #IbanezGuitars #IbanezAZS #Paoletti #PaolettiGuitar #PaolettiGuitars #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@fender @jet_guitars @IbanezGermany @IbanezOfficial @paolettiguitars
Tone City Double Durple | The best value for money dual overdrive pedal in 2025? Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-07-18 | This is the Tone City Double Durple: an affordable dual overdrive pedal designed in collaboration with none other than Danish Pete of Andertons fame!Grab yourself a Double Durple here:thmn.to/thoprod/619976?offid=1&affid=1250A genuine analog double-sided overdrive for around $100/€109/£89, the Double Durple is – on paper, at least – a hugely tempting option for guitarists on a budget.You don’t ‘just’ get two Durples in this package, though. Sure, you get one, and it’s as excellent as the original mini pedal, its Volume, Tone, Gain and Mid controls giving you a wide range of sparkly, transparent and thick mid-pushed drive tones with ease. (The Durple, by the way, is based on the Tone City Mandragora, which itself took its inspiration from the cult Lovepedal Kalamazoo overdrive.)The other side of the pedal, running into the Durple side, is the Double. This is a modded version of Tone City’s Blues Man pedal, which is based on the iconic Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal circuit. Here, you can expect warm clean boosts, transparent overdrives and some gnarly, grainy drive tones too. You can run both sides of the Double Durple stacked together, or independently, and this gives you a massive range of tones to play with. The one slight shame is that fact that you can’t change the order of the two sides and run the Durple into the Double, as this would’ve boosted the pedal’s versatility even more.Either way, it’s a lot of Danish Pete-approved pedal for the money… but how good is the Double Durple really? There’s a lot of great, affordable overdrives out there, so where does this one fit in? That’s what we’re about to find out!In this video, I use my 2025 Ibanez AZ Standard HSS guitar to put the Double Durple through its paces in as many musical styles as possible, from country, folk, blues and pop to rock, punk, indie and even some metal, to hear how it versatile it truly is. Let me know your thoughts on the Double Durple in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Introduction to the Double Durple01:29 Pedal controls, features and info03:16 Today’s rig and plan03:56 Clean reference tone and turning on the Double Durple04:32 Pushed Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)07:06 Indie and alt rock tones09:59 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)11:53 Hard rock tones14:31 Punk rock tones15:11 Modern progressive and heavy rock tones15:40 Metal and chugging tones17:39 My thoughts18:15 Things I like: tones and versatility20:06 Price, value for money, build quality20:37 Things I don’t like21:29 What other similar pedals are out there?22:33 My conclusions on the Double Durple and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the Double Durple into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#ToneCity #Durple #DoubleDurple #DanishPete #ToneCityPedals #Andertons #AndertonsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@tonecityaudio7641 @andertons @danishpete
Ibanez AZS2209 | The ultimate Telecaster is NOT a Fender?! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-07-11 | This is the Ibanez AZS2209 Prestige: a premium, made-in-Japan single cut that takes the DNA of an Ibanez AZ and a Fender Telecaster and mixes them together into a unique guitar proposition!-----Get an Ibanez AZS at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/546532?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/YRK29r-----The AZS2209 is, to my mind, Ibanez’s take on the Telecaster – and I love Teles, so I was really excited to try this one!This specific model is the AZS2209H (H for the hardtail bridge; you can get an AZS with a trem as well, if that’s your thing) in Antique Turquoise. Priced at around $1,999/€1,666 as of June 2025, they’re comparable to a USA-built Fender in that sense, but the AZS’s specs are fantastic on paper.Under that beautiful blue finish – which also has binding on the top side – you get an ash body with a sizeable tummy cut on the back, and Ibanez’s Super All Access Neck Joint, which great improves upper fret access.Pickups-wise, we have a pair of Seymour Duncans here: an Alnico II Pro Custom Tele-style in the bridge, and a Magic Touch-mini humbucker in the neck. With Ibanez’s dyna-MIX5 switching system and the Alter Switch, you get a number of extra pickup splitting/phase options too. The bridge is a three-saddle Gotoh F1803, and the control plate is where Ibanez have made sure your eyes don’t fool you into thinking you’re looking at a Fender: it’s the same layout as a Tele, but bent down at a rather interesting angle, and presumably to make the guitar more ergonomic too. Definitely an interesting visual addition!The AZS2209 features a roasted maple neck and fingerboard along with some pretty modern-leaning specs – similar to many AZ guitars, in fact – and this is where the guitar differs compared to more traditional Fenders too. First off, the profile is the AZ Oval C – not too fat, not super thin.You also get 22 jumbo stainless steel frets here (which have been given Ibanez’s Prestige fret edge treatment), a bone nut, and a 25.5” scale length, while the fingerboard radius is 12”, so pretty flat. At the headstock, you get a set of Gotoh Magnum locking tuners.All this is pretty premium stuff, as the price tag would suggest – so how good is the AZS2209? Can it live up to my lofty expectations of it being like a cross between an Ibanez AZ and a Telecaster? Or is it just another Ibanez without any Tele personality?Time to find out! In this video, I put the AZS2209 to the test in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it!Let me know your thoughts on the AZS2209 in the comments.Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:18 Introduction to the AZS220901:49 Specs and features08:31 Today’s rig and plan09:18 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings09:55 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)12:18 Tone control test13:39 Indie and alt rock tones15:58 Volume control roll off test16:21 Ambient rock tones + tremolo and plate reverb (Fender Tre-Verb)17:25 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)19:14 Hard rock tones20:19 Alternative rock tones21:13 Punk rock tones21:54 Progressive and modern rock tones23:03 Metal/chugging/heavy distortion tones25:01 My thoughts25:46 First impressions, looks, hard case26:39 Weight27:20 Build quality and hardware28:09 Playability and neck29:00 Sounds and pickups31:34 What other similar guitars are out there?33:29 My conclusions on the AZS2209H and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the AZS2209 into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, Marshall 1959 Super Lead, Friedman BE-OD Deluxe and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds, plus my Fender Tre-Verb for some extra reverb and tremolo tones. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezGuitars #IbanezAZS #IbanezPrestige #IbanezTelecaster #Telecaster #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@IbanezGermany @IbanezOfficial
Kris Barocsi: the story of his new album Ego Town + why he released it on vinyl in 2025! Interview Rich. Words. Music. 2025-07-04 | Today, I chat with the guitar legend that is Kris Barocsi – you’ll know him from his own excellent YouTube channel, as well as Thomann’s Guitars & Basses – about his new album, Ego Town!The product of over two years of work, Ego Town is Kris’s debut solo album in a way… and he’s even chosen to release it on vinyl! Featuring nine tracks – where Kris takes lead guitars, vocals, and bass duties – the album also features a number of incredible guest musicians (including Kris’s Thomann partner in crime, Guillaume Chenin, bass monsters Nate Navarro and Julia Hofer, drummer Jan Hees, and more!) as it veers between rock, pop, blues rock, and even some funky Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque moments!I knew this was a massive passion project for Kris, but I really wanted to know about the process of making an album from scratch in 2025: where the song ideas came from, how it was recorded, what guitars and gear he used, the biggest challenges during production, how to release a record in 2025, and so on.Here, Kris discusses all of that, and more! We also chat a bit about Kris’s life in general, and the other bits of guitar gear that are making him tick at the moment.Enjoy the interview, and please give Ego Town a listen if you get the chance! It’s an awesome album, and you can listen for free at all the usual streaming sites. All the info is on Kris’s site: krisbarocsi.comYou can also buy Ego Town on vinyl here: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Ego-Town-Kris-Barocsi/dp/B0F8J86CJY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RVQ712O8MIFG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iQWRG75fa5kEQrsa34IJqz2u5vLr-NkPPEfZn5vaT4dRTRgX3B3uD2SIoh39_LoEdK6S7N_fL6XjcGhTxm8n8wBDPheHnTclviTb3g1cr_UXIxIJQD6_eo2Iz-4dzTOHsT6Tar7xX8sEoVvo80amKz1zB2xnLhIldoj-XtY61E8.l3t7Jzy0GkaXU9k2JfHdtMyL2mQ-9LeCG21rfZMZUM0&dib_tag=se&keywords=kris+barocsi&qid=1751459358&sprefix=kris+barocsi%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1Here are the links to the different parts of the conversation:00:00 Hello and intro01:36 Where did the Ego Town title come from?07:27 How did Kris know that now was the time to make a record?11:49 How Kris collected musical ideas for the album14:56 Kris’s challenge of doing all the vocals on Ego Town21:46 Writing songs on acoustic vs electric guitar24:57 What was the hardest thing about making the record?28:00 How do you know when a song is truly finished?29:42 The guest musicians on Ego Town: the recording process31:27 Recording vocals for the album35:10 Getting emotion into the vocals37:43 Choosing the 9 tracks that made it on to the album39:10 Going from 9 recorded songs to actually releasing the album43:02 Why vinyl records are the best – it’s all in the experience!49:17 Kris’s favorite songs on Ego Town51:02 If Kris was to make another record in future, what would he do differently?55:44 Modern songwriting and hooks every four seconds?!57:06 Any live shows planned around the record?59:13 Who would Kris’s dream guest musicians be for his next album?01:01:24 For the gear nerds: Kris’s guitar equipment for Ego Town!01:06:28 New guitar gear Kris is excited about: Crazy Tube Circuits Mirage (Kris’ video here: youtube.com/watch?v=p1vwdzvwq9I), modding/refinishing his Gibson Les Paul Junior (youtube.com/watch?v=JUy4X3S1Vko), and more!01:08:30 Final thoughts, links to Kris, and goodbyeDon’t forget to sub to Kris here: youtube.com/@KrisBarocsiCheck out the guitar gear I use in my videos here:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#KrisBarocsi #EgoTown #Thomann #RichWordsMusic #GuitarPlayer*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@KrisBarocsi @ThomannsGuitarsBasses @ThomannMusic
Jet Guitars JT-350 | The new leader in the sub $500 Tele category?! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-06-27 | This is the Jet Guitars JT-350 SB R: an affordable take on the classic Fender Telecaster style of guitar, but equipped with a humbucker pickup and a modern-feeling neck!-----Get the Jet JT-350 here: tidd.ly/40uFIDNJT-350 at Jet Guitars: jetguitars.com/guitars/350-series/jet-jt-350-sb-r-----Jet Guitars have been under the radar for me for a long time. I’ve seen them around at shows and in a few stores, but the JT-350 is the first Jet I’ve been able to properly spend some time with, and my expectations were sky high.Why? Well, because – on paper, at least – Jet Guitars seem to have out of this world specs. The JT-350 can currently (time of writing: June 2025) be had for around $350/€350, pricing it well below something like a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster.However, just take a look at these specs. Under a beautiful sunburst finish (which is complemented by binding and a tortoiseshell scratch plate) we have a basswood body. Teles are normally solid slabs of wood, but the JT-350 has a big tummy cut on the back, plus a much deeper cutaway on the lower bout side than on a standard Fender/Squier model, giving us much improved upper fret access.The pickups are Jet’s own alnico models, and we get a Tele-style bridge single coil and a neck humbucker with a coil split option. The bridge is a Wilkinson chrome affair, in the modern style with six saddles. The neck is satin Canadian roasted maple, and is topped with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. The scale length is 25.5” (like a Fender Tele, then) and the fingerboard radius is 9.5”. The neck shape is Jet’s Modern C profile, not too thick and not too fat, and all this gives the JT-350 a pleasantly modern playing feel that should be comfy for any hand size. Finally, the guitar is topped off with a set of Jet-branded locking tuners.All this for $350 seems like great value for money… but how good is the JT-350 really? Can it match the trusted quality of a Squier Classic Vibe? Or does it feel more like a cheaper (albeit excellent value for money) Harley Benton? Could the JT-350 be the best Telecaster on the market for sub $500?! It’s time to find out!In the video, I put the JT-350 through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it!Let me know your thoughts on the JT-350 in the comments.Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:14 Introduction to Jet Guitars and the JT-35002:20 Specs and features05:13 Today’s rig and plan05:54 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings06:16 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)08:13 Tone control test09:15 Ambient clean tones + tremolo and plate reverb (Fender Tre-Verb)10:04 Indie and alt rock tones12:33 Volume control roll off test12:54 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)14:34 Hard rock tones15:43 Alternative rock tones16:06 Punk rock tones16:58 Progressive rock tones17:55 Metal/chugging/heavy distortion tones20:02 My thoughts21:09 First impressions, looks22:19 Weight22:38 Build quality and hardware23:30 Playability and neck24:03 Sounds and pickups27:37 What other similar guitars are out there?29:18 My conclusions on the JT-350 and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the JT-350 into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, Marshall 1959 Super Lead, Friedman BE-OD Deluxe and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds, plus my Fender Tre-Verb for some extra reverb and tremolo tones. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#JetGuitars #JetGuitar #Telecaster #JetJT350 #CheapGuitars #GuitarGear*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@jet_guitars @iMusicnetworkTV
Sonicake Pocket Master | The best $65 you can spend on guitar gear in 2025?! Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-06-20 | Today we’re looking at a super cheap ($65, anyone?!), super tiny all-in-one digital modeler that’s stacked with a bunch of tones and features, including being able to load NAM profiles and captures: it’s the Sonicake Pocket Master!Sonicake Pocket Master: sonicake.com/collections/multi-effects/products/pocket-masterDigital modelers are forever getting smaller, cheaper, and more feature-rich. The Pocket Master – and yes, it will fit in your pocket, if you have big pockets! – is another level for me, though.At $65, it’s going to be an option whatever your budget is. And it’s chock full of sounds too: you get 20 amps (including models of famous Fender, Marshall, Vox, MESA Boogie, Soldano and other rigs) and a bunch of IRs as cabinets to play with. You can even load your own IRs! You also get over 100 FX (stereo where relevant) that you can place in your chain, from recreations of iconic overdrives, distortions and fuzzes, to compressors, reverbs, delays, modulations, and more.On top of that, the Pocket Master has a built-in tuner, drum machine/metronome and looper. You can play it silently with headphones, use it as your audio interface for recording, or stick it somewhere else in your signal chain or on your pedalboard.It’s battery powered (although of course you can plug it in too), and you can also connect it via Bluetooth to a free App for Apple/Android/Mac/PC to manage your sounds and control everything more easily. You can also do everything via the unit itself, but the Pocket Master’s size means it only has a couple of buttons, so the App gives you more of an overview when you’re dialing in tones.So, that’s a LOT of stuff for $65! The key question is, then: how good is it really? Does the Pocket Master sound and feel like a $65 cheap unit? Or does it excel as a Portable Multi Effects Processor? And what kind of guitar player is it for, anyway? I’ve heard quite a few people saying this is the best $65 you can spend on guitar gear in 2025, so I’m keen to put that to the test here.In the video, I go through my favorite 10 sounds/presets I’ve made with the Pocket Master so far, from pristine cleans and lower gain drive tones to heavier rock and metal sounds and some more ambient and atmospheric tones. My guitar for today is the stunning 2025 Ibanez AZ Standard HSS for all my single coil and humbucking needs in one!Let me know what you think of the Pocket Master in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:15 Intro to the Sonicake Pocket Master02:16 Today’s rig and plan02:40 Tone 1: Classic rock (AC/DC, Airbourne, etc.)03:10 Dialing in tones with the Pocket Master App04:34 Classic rock tones06:17 Tone 2: Americana (Jason Isbell, Ariel Posen, Fratellis, etc.)08:29 Tone 3: Hard rock (EVH, NWOBHM, etc.)10:43 Tone 4: Pristine clean tones (Country, Blues, Folk, etc.)12:43 Tone 5: Indie/Alternative Rock14:55 Tone 6: Metal17:14 Tone 7: Fuzzy Garage Rock (White Stripes, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.)19:31 Tone 8: Clean Garage Rock (Black Keys, etc.)21:58 Tone 9: Punk Rock (Green Day, Blink-182, etc.) 23:51 Tone 10: Post Rock/Ambient (Explosions In The Sky, Mogwai, etc.)25:56 Tone 11: “Sam Fender” Clean (duh 😉)28:16 My thoughts29:23 No more option paralysis and building tones30:37 My top tip on preset building with the Pocket Master31:04 Who is the Pocket Master intended for? Is it right for you?31:50 And the bad stuff?32:28 Final thoughts and goodbyeCheck pout Shane @intheblues great detailed video of everything the Pocket Master can do here: youtube.com/watch?v=mirrSSZ0yuw My setup was as follows: I ran the Pocket Master via a TRS cable into two inputs of my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 audio interface (for the stereo effects!), which went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Sonicake #SonicakePocketMaster #PocketMaster #SonicakePedals #MultiEffects #MultiFX*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@SONICAKE
Paoletti Nancy Loft SP90 | The best Tele-style guitar Ive ever played?! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-06-13 | This is the 2025 Paoletti Guitars Nancy Loft SP90: a boutique, sustainable made-in-Italy take on the classic Telecaster DNA – with many unique twists along the way!Check out Paoletti Guitars here: paolettiguitars.comThe Paoletti family have been making guitars since 2008. Every step of their guitar making process is meticulous and to the highest standards, as well as being conscious of the planet: they’re a carbon neutral company, and also keep the plastics in their guitars to the very minimum, among other measures.And their guitars are built to be the very best of the best, with no expenses spared, and enough personal time spent with every instrument to make sure it’s a superlative experience for the guitar player in every way.Today, I’m checking out the Nany Loft SP90. Nancy is their Fender Telecaster shaped model; the Loft Series includes guitars with spectacular paintjobs like this one here: Butterscotch Black over Sunburst (in nitrocellulose lacquer, of course!).The guitar’s body is made of the Paoletti staple of 150-year-old aged chestnut wood. The family has a history in wine making, and they found their old Chianti barrels to be the ultimate in terms of tone wood. This is coupled to a Canadian roasted maple neck with a Pau Ferro fingerboard.At the body, we have a Paoletti P90 pickup in the neck, and a Tele-style single coil in the bridge. The volume and tone controls are made of recycled shotgun shells. Yes, shotgun shells. The only plastic in this guitar is found in the pickup covers and the selector switch tip (and you can order these in wood to be 100% plastic free, if you wish). The bridge is a custom Paoletti ashtray Tele-style with three brass saddles, and the uniquely shaped scratch plate is nickel-covered brass too.The satin neck has a comfortable Medium C profile. You get 22 jumbo frets on that Pau Ferro board, which has a 12” radius and a 25.5” scale length. Meanwhile, at the headstock you get six Kluson Deluxe tuners.The guitar comes in a wooden Paoletti hard case with plenty of case candy (a strap, strap locks, setup tools, certificate of authenticity, user manual, etc.).All this comes at a premium price, of course: this specific guitar has an RRP of €4,220. Can the Nancy Loft SP90 be worth it? We’re about to find out! In the video, I put the guitar through its paces in as many musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it! Let me know your thoughts on the Nancy Loft SP90in the comments.Oh, and don’t forget to check out Paoletti’s great Factory Tour documentary series where they take you through the process of building one of their guitars: youtube.com/watch?v=vQZEZw4FAgo&list=PL8mOLyAuPieQnSy7nmJY9a4bn2yduz_SZHere are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:23 Introduction to the Nancy Loft SP9001:34 All about Paoletti Guitars02:48 Specs and info06:19 Today’s rig and plan06:56 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings07:11 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)09:16 Tone control test10:30 Indie and alt rock tones13:08 Volume control roll off test13:35 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)16:00 Hard rock tones17:31 Alternative rock tones18:02 Punk rock tones18:54 Progressive and modern rock tones19:45 Metal and chugging tones21:42 My thoughts22:28 First impressions, case, looks24:12 Weight24:45 Build quality and hardware25:21 Playability and neck26:15 A Pau Ferro board?!27:15 Sounds and pickups30:13 What other similar guitars are out there?32:25 My conclusions on the Nancy Loft SP90 and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the guitar into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Marshall 1959 Super Lead and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. I recorded it all into my Zoom H6, and then edited it all together in Final Cut Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Paoletti #PaolettiGuitar #PaolettiGuitars #BoutiqueGuitars #BoutiqueGuitar #Telecaster #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@paolettiguitars @musikwein
Tone City Golden Plexi 3 | The best budget Marshall In A Box got even better? In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-06-06 | This is the Tone City Golden Plexi 3: the latest version of the brand’s iconic budget Marshall In A Box mini overdrive pedal!Grab yourself a Tone City Golden Plexi: thmn.to/thoprod/539564?offid=1&affid=1250Golden Plexi 3 at Tone City: tonecityaudio.com/Products/info.aspx?itemid=39&parentid=9&lcid=15The Golden Plexi has become something of a legend in the guitar world: when the original first came out, over 10 years ago now, Rob Chapman and Captain Lee Anderton helped push this unassuming pedal to the masses with some incredible videos on the Andertons YouTube channel.The Golden Plexi did make it easy: plug it in, switch it on, and your amp becomes a snarling Marshall stack turned up to 11! And it cost less than $50 back in the day too.Then, in 2022, Tone City released the Golden Plexi 2. This took the original pedal’s DNA and made a couple of key tweaks, offering an easier to use gain control, and a lower noise floor.Now, for 2025, we have the Golden Plexi V3! Still super cheap, at around $65 this time, the third iteration of this pedal also has a few new tricks up its sleeve. The basics are the same as the last versions, though: you get Volume, Tone and Gain knobs to sculpt your sound, which will take you from pushed cleans to really gnarly classic metal tones, and everything in-between.New to the Golden Plexi 3 is a Mod switch. This two-way mini switch offers you two gain modes: switch it to the right for lower gain mode, and to the left for higher gain mode. Tone City also say on their website that these two modes give you faithful recreations of the original Golden Plexi and Golden Plexi 2 sounds. They also say that the tonal high frequencies in the new pedal have been tweaked to make it even quieter in operation.We all know what this pedal is going to do, then… bit just how good is the Golden Plexi 3? Is it the new king of the affordable Marshall In A Box pedals? Is it the new Plexi pedal we all must have in 2025? And, is it the best budget overdrive out there? It’s time to find out! In this video, I put the Golden Plexi 3 through its paces in as many musical styles as possible, from country, folk, blues and pop to rock, punk, indie and even some metal, to hear how it versatile it truly is.Let me know your thoughts on the Golden Plexi 3 in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:14 Introduction to the Golden Plexi 301:06 Pedal controls, features and info02:46 Today’s rig and plan03:38 Clean reference tone and turning on the Golden Plexi 304:01 Pushed Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)05:46 Indie and alt rock tones07:37 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)09:52 Hard rock tones11:37 Alternative rock tones12:09 Punk rock tones12:48 Modern progressive and heavy rock tones13:56 Metal and chugging tones15:07 Epiphone Les Paul classic rock loop – tone tweaking and Golden Plexi 2 shootout19:27 My thoughts19:50 Things I like: tones21:31 Size, price, build quality22:23 Things I don’t like23:26 What other similar pedals are out there?24:59 My conclusions on the Golden Plexi 3 and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the Golden Plexi 3 into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#ToneCity #GoldenPlexi #MarshallInABox #ToneCityPedals #PlexiPedal #MIAB*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*
Mad Professor Simble Mk2 | The ultimate Dumble In A Box pedal in 2025? In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-06-02 | This is the Mad Professor Simble Mk2: a new, improved take on the Dumble In A Box overdrive pedal type!Get the Simble Mk2 at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/618770?offid=1&affid=1250At Mad Professor: mpamp.com/product/62/simble-overdrive-mk2The original Simble pedal came out in 2014, and it’s gone down as being one of the best Dumble In A Box style overdrives around. Natural sounding, dynamic and open, the Simble has become something of a standard for achieving the iconic Dumble sound in an affordable, pedal format.And now, Mad Professor is back with a new take on the classic! The Simble Mk2 was designed by Lassi Ukkonen – who designed the original Simble, and many other Mad Professor classics – and he’s made this new version more open sounding with more headroom, as well as giving the Contour (i.e. the tone control) more brightness.This should ensure that the Simble Mk2 responds ideally to any guitar, pickup type, pedal or amp situation you throw at it. Coming in at €199, the Simble Mk2 is certainly not the cheapest overdrive out there, but if the original Simble was anything to go by, it’ll be well worth it.Controlling this beast is a simple affair: you get a Level control for your volume, Sensitivity (this controls the amount of distortion and compression), Contour )that’s your tone, with unity at 12 o’clock) and Accent. The Accent knob controls the tonal range of the distortion and your pick attack. All the way down, it doesn’t do anything, and it becomes more pronounced the more you wind it up.Being a Dumble type pedal, then, the Simble Mk2 should excel at anything from a sparkly clean boost to lower gain transparent overdrives, some mid-pushed rock tones, and even some throaty harder rock sounds. Of course, the list of top class players who’ve used Dumble amps over the years is impressive, taking in the likes of John Mayer, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana and more – so the Simble Mk2 should cover a whole lot of tonal ground.How good is it really, though? That’s what we’re about to find out! In this video, I put the Simble Mk2 through its paces in as many musical styles as possible, from country, folk, blues and pop to rock, punk, indie and even some metal, to hear how it handles it all.Let me know your thoughts on the Simble Mk2 in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:14 Introduction to the Simble Mk201:11 Pedal controls, features and info03:26 What is the Dumble sound anyway?03:52 Today’s rig and plan04:35 Clean reference tone and turning on the Simble Mk204:51 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)07:18 Indie and alt rock tones09:49 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)11:48 Hard rock tones13:12 Alternative rock tones13:35 Punk rock tones14:28 Progressive rock tones15:25 Metal tones16:59 Fender Telecaster indie rock loop – tone tweaking20:46 My thoughts21:17 Things I like: tones and versatility23:56 Build quality, looks24:14 Things I don’t like24:44 What other similar pedals are out there?25:42 My conclusions on the Simble Mk2 and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the Simble Mk2 into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#MadProfessor #MadProfessorPedals #Dumble #Simble #DumblePedal #TransparentOverdrive #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@MadProfessorAmplification@IbanezGermany @IbanezOfficial
Ibanez Guitar Festival 2025: Picking The Top 3 Vintage Guitars with Andy the Guitar Geek! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-05-30 | I was lucky enough to be a guest at the Ibanez Guitar Festival 2025 in Gutenstetten, Germany! While there Andy The Guitar Geek and me perused the museum of vintage Ibanez guitars on display and picked out the three models we’d each take home if we could…It was an amazing experience to be up close to all these vintage Ibanez guitars in one room – the only improvement would have been the chance to actually try a few out! But we really got to see a who’s who of the best Ibanez electric guitars and basses from the past 50+ years here, which was a huge privilege.The collection started in the 1960s, with a few proper semi-hollow garage rock looking rarities in the vein of ancient Framus, Teisco and Yamaha guitars (one model in particular was modeled after the Yamaha SA 30).It then moved to the 1970s – when Ibanez was freely making its own versions of Gibson classics like the Les Paul, Flying V, and Firebird – and the 1980s, when neon colored Steve Vai Pia models were all the rage.Moving into the 1990s and 2000s, you started to see more streamlined models, and a few tasty George Benson signature guitars. But things also got weirder, in the form of the crazy double neck Xiphos, and a couple of one-off NAMM Show and Frankfurt Musikmesse oddities. Designed to draw the punters’ eyes to the Ibanez booth, they surely got the job done!In the 2010s, we’re getting more into familiar territory with the Ibanez guitars we know now, although there’s a few really exotic wood choices, and a couple of special signature models for the likes of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Paul Gilbert.Like I mention at the start of the video, the wonderful Dr. Dan from Ibanez Germany took the Thomann video crew round the entire collection in detail. You can see that video here: youtu.be/YLI5lgnTm5U?si=rYOaADKpkE1hqbczI hope you enjoy this little tour of the Ibanez museum! Do you agree with the choices Andy and I made? Let me know which guitar was your favorite in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Rich picks his top three02:35 Andy picks his top three04:40 Late 1960s semi hollows04:56 1980s neon Steve Vai JEM 777 signature quartet05:26 1997 RGKB4 NAMM Show special06:00 Steve Vai 2000 swirly JEM goodness 06:14 Xiphos double neck from 201006:46 2016 Satch signature model07:14 2018 JCRG1801 with blue resin on a buckeye burl top07:35 2022 Custom Line JCRG2204 with exotic woods07:45 2023 Limited Edition Pia08:15 USA Custom Models and Paul Gilbert signature modelsI want to send out a massive thanks to Ibanez Germany and everyone from their wonderful team for inviting me to the 2025 festival - I had a blast and can't wait for the next one.And cheers to the awesome @STEVEROXXMUSIC for filming me here! Make sure you check out Steve’s channel for some incredible guitar videos (in German!).Here’s the gear I use to make my videos:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezGuitars #IbanezGermany #IbanezGuitarFestival #IGF25 #VintageGuitars #VintageGuitar #VintageIbanez *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@IbanezGermany @IbanezOfficial @TheGuitarGeek@SteveVaiHimself @JoeSatriani @officialgeorgebenson
Hartwood Pedals | Just how good can this $30 Fuzz, Overdrive, Distortion + Chorus be?! Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-05-23 | Today we’re looking at an extremely affordable set of pedals from Hartwood: we’ve got the Santa Fe Fuzz, the Blue Ridge Overdrive, the Beartooth Distortion and the Collinsville Chorus!Hartwood Pedals at Gear4music: tidd.ly/44SbbDaHartwood is the Gear4Music house brand, and when they contacted me and asked if I wanted to check out these pedals, it was a quick ‘yes’. You can buy the four pedals on their own – each costs around $30/€30/£29 individually – or in a pack, which also includes a Hartwood Multi Power Supply and a set of six patch cables.Don’t be fooled by the budget nature of these pedals, though. While you can’t expect the world’s best build quality for this price, they’re all housed in nice, solid metal enclosures and the pots and jacks all feel fairly solid and roadworthy. The most exciting of the four pedals on paper (at least for me!) is the Beartooth, which is clone of the legendary ProCo Rat. You get the same three controls as the original Rat here – Volume, Filter (that’s your tone) and Distortion, but the Beartooth has three modes too: Normal, Turbo and Solo. Three Rat-types in one for $30? Sounds like a bargain to me!Next up is the Santa Fe fuzz. This is a vintage 60s fuzz face-style fuzz, and it just has two knobs: Volume and Fuzz. Being a fuzz face, though, we can expect it to deliver fuzz styles from classic Hendrix and Gilmour tones, up to 21st century garage sounds a la Jack White and The White Stripes, The Black Keys, and so on.The third drive on the menu is the Blue Ridge Overdrive, and this is based on the iconic Marshall Bluesbreaker. That means it should serve up a wide range of low and medium gain tones, and some of that much hyped transparent overdrive too! The Blue Ridge has three main controls – Volume, Gain and Tone – plus a two-way mini switch where you can choose between Normal and right modes.Finally, we have the Collinsville Chorus. Most likely based on the Boss CE-2, the Collinsville features Volume, Speed and Depth controls to set the amount of lush chorus in your tone.If you buy these pedals in the set, you also get Hartwood’s 12-output power supply. The power supply is made of steel and each output is individually isolated, so it should give us quiet operation at all times. You get 2.2A of power overall, and 10 9V outputs, 1 x 12V output, 1 x 18V output, plus a bonus 5V USB A output that you can use to charge your phone or power a MIDI keyboard or similar.Finally, the set comes with six colorful patch cables to hook the pedals up.Coming in at $163/€180/£149, this set offers a whole lot of FX pedal goodness for the money… but just how good can gear this cheap be? That’s what we’re about to find out! In the video, I put each of the four pedals through its paces in a variety of musical styles, and I also stack them together to see how they handle it.Let me know which of the pedals you like best in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:17 Hartwood Pedals Set info02:08 Santa Fe Fuzz info02:40 Blue Ridge Overdrive info03:20 Beartooth Distortion info04:04 Collinsville Chorus info04:21 Hartwood Power Supply info05:50 Today’s rig and plan07:00 Santa Fe Fuzz tones10:17 Blue Ridge Overdrive tones13:52 Beartooth Distortion tones17:45 Collinsville Chorus tones20:29 Stacking the pedals: more tones24:38 My thoughts25:19 Price and build quality25:54 Santa Fe Fuzz opinions26:43 Blue Ridge Overdrive opinions27:46 Beartooth Distortion opinions28:25 Collinsville Chorus opinions29:20 Stacking pedals is always worth it30:31 Power Supply opinions31:34 Is the whole set worth it?31:55 Which of these pedals should you buy?My setup was as follows: I ran the pedals into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head – the drive pedals in the front end, and the chorus in the FX Loop. Then I went from the amp’s Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Hartwood #HartwoodGuitars #Gear4music #HartwoodPedals *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@gear4musicguitars
I made 250 videos about guitars, amps and pedals. These are the 5 best things I played. Rich. Words. Music. 2025-05-16 | I’ve been making videos about guitar gear and the music equipment industry on this channel since 2020… and this video marks my 250th!That’s a surprisingly large number (and one I had no clue I’d ever reach when beginning this channel) and it got me thinking… what are the best guitars, amps, pedals and other pieces of gear I’ve had the fortune to try in that time?Well, these are they! I’ve gone through all of my videos to date and made a list of the Top 5 products I’ve played on the channel since day one. Have a watch and tell me if you agree with my choices!There’s also a number of products that almost made the list, and I’ve included them in the shortlist sections here. Plus I talk about the reliable guitar rig that’s got me through the past 250 videos unscathed, and future plans for this channel in 2025 and beyond!I would love it if you guys could give me some feedback about that too, so please leave your thoughts in the comments as usual. I’m super happy to have had you all along for the ride for the past 250 videos, and naturally I want to make the next 250 even better 😉 Cheers!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today01:57 NUMBER 103:30 NUMBER 204:50 NUMBER 305:44 NUMBER 407:07 NUMBER 508:30 The shortlist: the guitars that almost made it!11:45 Pedal shortlist13:56 Amp shortlist14:31 Newer gear that might make a future list15:25 Shoutout to my rig for the past 250 videos!15:57 What I’ve learned from making 250 gear videos: LESSON 116:46 LESSON 217:35 The future of my YouTube channelGrab yourself some of the gear mentioned in this video:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#GuitarGear #RichWordsMusic #GuitarPlayer #Guitarist #Guitars*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@Pjdguitars. @ikmultimedia @IbanezGermany @IbanezOfficial @GreerAmpsInfo @HarleyBentonOfficial
Flattley DG Fuzz V2 | The ultimate boutique Fuzz Face pedal?! Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-05-09 | This is the Flattley Pedals DG Fuzz V2 – a boutique, UK-made David Gilmour-inspired fuzz face-style fuzz with a unique look and some awesome special tricks up its sleeve!More info at Flattley pedals: flattleyguitarpedals.com/shop/platinum-range/fuzz-platinum-range/dg-fuzz-fuzzThe first thing you notice about the DG Fuzz V2 is that it’s a stunning thing to look at. The sparkly, skull-embossed enclosure design is – like everything else about the pedal – painstakingly crafted by the small Flattley team in their workshop in England.If it looks expensive, that’s because it is: £259 (about $340/€300 at time of writing, May 2025). But Flattley only use the best of the best parts in all their pedals, and you can pay far more for fuzzes in this day and age. And far less, of course.The DG Fuzz is based on a fuzz face circuit, but has a simplified version of Flattley’s Ace Tone Booster built in to give us some extra magic. It’s a silicon fuzz, and it features a buffer (although the pedal itself is true bypass), so you can put it anywhere you want in your signal chain without any problems. (Fuzz Face pedals can be notoriously picky in this regard!)You get four controls on the pedal: Tone, Fuzz, Volume, and Grunt. The first three are pretty self-explanatory. The Grunt controls sits before the fuzz part of the circuit and injects bass frequencies into your signal which really lets you fatten up the fuzz tones. Balancing the Grunt and the Tone, and adding Volume and Fuzz to taste, should offer up a huge variety of fuzzy sounds!There’s a couple of little extra touches that elevate the DG Fuzz above the ordinary: a halo ring LED On/Off light – not one of those tiny, blinding LED lights that so many pedals suffer from – and an aluminum foot topper, to make the DG Fuzz easier to turn on and off in a hurry!All this said, it’s still an high-priced pedal… but is it worth it? That’s what we’re about to find out! In the video, I put the DG Fuzz through its paces in as many different fuzzy musical styles as possible – from Hendrix-infused rock to blues, garage punk, doom, metal and more – to see how good it truly sounds.I also run it into my beloved Paul Cochrane Timmy overdrive pedal as a boost, and we’ll stick my Boss OC-5 octave pedal into the front end for some killer octave down fuzz tones too! Finally, I run a loop into the DG Fuzz where we really get to twist the pedal’s knobs and see how versatile and extreme we can get it to sound.Let me know your thoughts on the DG Fuzz V2 in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello!00:16 Introduction to the DG Fuzz V201:22 Pedal controls and features03:55 Today’s rig and plan05:13 Clean reference tone and turning on the DG Fuzz V205:30 Fuzzy tones ahoy!10:34 DG Fuzz + Boost (Paul Cochrane Timmy V2)14:09 DG Fuzz + Octave Pedal (Boss OC-5) and Timmy16:53 Classic rock guitar loop with pedal tweaking20:49 My thoughts21:24 Things I like: tones and versatility23:03 Boost and Octave are awesome with it24:28 Looks, build quality25:27 Anything I don’t like?26:23 What other similar fuzz pedals are out there?27:38 My conclusions on the DG Fuzz V2 and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the DG Fuzz straight into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using the Timmy pedal and the Boss OC-5 at times. They went from the amp’s Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to play the loop.---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#FlattleyPedals #FuzzFace #FuzzPedal #Fuzz #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@flattleyguitarpedals4694
Nobels CHO-Mini | €99 three-mode stereo mini chorus with tap tempo! | In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-05-02 | This is the Nobels CHO-Mini – a new $99/€99 stereo multi-chorus pedal with tap tempo and more from the ODR-1 overdrive legends themselves!-----Get the CHO-mini at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/608871?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/zxRqNx-----And the full lowdown at the Nobels site: https://nobels.de/produkte/?lang=enWe all know Nobels for the mighty ODR-1 overdrive pedal, but the cult German brand goes way beyond that. Back in the day they put out numerous delay and modulation pedals, and now we’re seeing an awesome new range of Nobels mini pedals forming in 2025.After the incredible ODR-mini (and ODR-mini 2) pedals came the $99/€99 DEL-mini, a fantastic mini, 3-mode stereo delay. And now we have the CHO-mini too!This mini chorus pedal boasts incredible features and specs considering its price and size. You get three Chorus modes here, for starters. Chorus 1 and 2 are both based on vintage analog chorus pedals of yore – think the Boss CE-1, CE-2, maybe an EHX Small Clone and others and you’re in the right ballpark – while the Flanging mode gives you, well, a chorus and a flanger mixed together!You control the tones via Rate, Width and Mix controls (the Mix goes from full Dry to full Wet, allowing you to use the pedal as a vibrato rather than a chorus too). The On/Off footswitch also doubles as a Tap Tempo switch, which you can use to set your Rate – and it also gives you much faster or slower speed settings than the Rate knob.The CHO-mini also features stereo In and Out jacks – and I’m running it in stereo today, so get your headphones on for this video! – and mini switches on the top to move between Stereo and Mono mode, and True Bypass or Buffered Bypass mode.All in all, for $99/€99 this looks like an awful lot of chorus pedal! But how good is it really? Will it nail classic chorus tones, as heard on the likes of Nirvana’s Come As You Are, and Guns N’ Roses’ Paradise City, as well as more modern sounds as utilized by the likes of Sam Fender and Tame Impala?Will it give us subtle chorus tones to thicken up our guitar sound, as well as more intense, warbly and throbbing tones, almost like a rotary speaker? We’re about to find out! In the video, I put the CHO-mini through its paces in as many different musical styles and settings as I can to see just how good and versatile it really is.I’ll also run a loop where we really get to twist the knobs and test out the extremes to which you can get the pedal to go, and I’ll do a comparison stereo/mono loop where you really get to hear the difference between a chorus pedal in stereo and mono.Let me know your thoughts on the CHO-mini in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello!00:11 Introduction to the CHO-mini01:29 Pedal controls and features03:58 Today’s rig and plan05:52 Clean reference tone and turning on the CHO-mini06:35 Chorus 1 mode tones10:25 Chorus 2 mode tones14:14 Flanging mode tones18:42 Overdrive + chorus tones20:21 Ambient chorus tones + delay and reverb21:54 Indie rock guitar loop with pedal tweaking27:48 Stereo comparison loop29:35 Mono comparison loop31:18 My thoughts32:22 Things I like: tones, stereo, versatility, easy to dial in33:54 Tap Tempo switch extra options34:32 Size, price, build quality35:05 Anything I don’t like?36:22 What other similar chorus pedals are out there?37:55 My conclusions on the CHO-mini and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran my ToneX One pedal into the CHO-mini. That went in stereo directly into two channels simultaneously on my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which in turn went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. I then added the Nobels ODR-mini 2 overdrive, the Nobels DEL-mini delay and the TC Electronic Hall Of Fame reverb for the drive and ambient sections too. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to record and play the loops. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#NobelsOfficial #CHOmini #NobelsCHOmini #ChorusPedal #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@nobelsofficial5766
ENGL Fireball IR | Not just for metal?! In depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-04-25 | This is the ENGL Fireball IR Pedal: a brand new digital preamp “amp in a box” pedal based on the German brand’s legendary Fireball tube amp!Get the Fireball IR at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/613350?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/bOjnA6The Fireball IR is an all-digital, all-in-one solution for guitar players: it’s a preamp pedal with a built-in IR loader and cab sims, and it has a headphones output too. This means it really can be the one box you use for silent home practice, recording, and playing live – with consistent tones each time.And tones are what ENGL is known for! Especially high gain ones. The Fireball (which you can currently get in 100-watt and 25-watt versions) is one of the company’s most well-known metal and hard rock amps, with copious amounts of gain on tap. It has a clean channel too, of course, for when you need it, but even the clean channel crunches up nicely.The Fireball IR Preamp Pedal replicates the two channels and has a decent control set for them too. You get a three-band EQ (Bass, Middle and Treble), Volume, Gain, Presence and Noise Gate controls, and there’s also a switchable Mid Boost. When you switch channels or turn off the Fireball IR, the pedal remembers your knob positions for next time – which is almost like having a preset for the clean and dirty channels.On the IR and cab sim side, you can load up to three IRs of your choice into the Fireball IR. The pedal comes stock with three ENGL IRs: the ENGL E212VHB V30 (a 2x12 cab), the ENGL E412VSB V30 (a 4x12), and the ENGL E412XXL V30 (ENGL’s iconic oversized XXL 4x12!). The Fireball IR has a USB-C Out, which you can use to connect to your Mac or PC to hook up the software and load up your own favorite IRs.Being an ENGL product, the Fireball IR – which is designed and engineered in Germany, but built in China – is built like a tank, and it should set you back around $249/€249 at time of launch.Is it worth it, though? There’s certainly a lot of preamp pedal competition out there these days from the likes of Strymon, Universal Audio, Friedman Amps, Victory Amps, and so on.With this video, we’re going to see how the Fireball IR performs. Of course, we’ll wrangle all the heavy tones out of the pedal that we can, but I’m not an exclusively metal player, so we’ll dive into lower gain tones – and the Clean channel – too. I’ll also use the Fireball IR as a pedal platform and see how it handles external overdrive pedals and reverb.We’ll play riffs in as many genres as I can with the Fireball IR, from metal, hard rock and progressive rock to classic rock, indie and alternative rock, and even some clean blues, folk and pop stuff. I’m using the excellent and versatile 2025 Ibanez AZ Standard HH AZ24 model for the playing here.After the riffs, I play some loops into the pedal and really get to twist the knobs to hear all the different tones you can get from it. Here, we’ll use my Epiphone Les Paul and my Fender Telecaster to check out the Fireball IR’s two channels in as much depth as we can.Then, we’ll try the Fireball IR in its alternative usage scenarios: running it into the front end of an amplifier as a standard overdrive/distortion pedal, and then running it into the amp’s FX Loop to act as a preamp.Let me know your thoughts on the Fireball IR in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:11 Introduction to the Fireball IR02:20 Specs and features04:58 Today’s rig and plan07:23 Clean tone reference and turning on the Fireball IR08:01 Metal tones10:46 Hard rock tones13:43 Punk and alternative rock tones15:57 Clean tones18:16 Clean ambient tones with the TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Reverb19:33 Indie rock tones20:36 Indie rock tones with the Greer Lightspeed overdrive pedal22:28 Classic rock tones24:04 Classic rock tones with the Greer Lightspeed25:31 Lead Channel loop31:59 Clean Channel loop37:04 Fireball IR into front end of amp loop40:16 Fireball IR as preamp into another amp loop43:02 My thoughts44:14 Things I like: tones and versatility45:05 How good is the Clean channel?45:49 Tones the Fireball IR can’t do46:36 Am I bothered that this is a digital pedal?47:01 The Fireball IR as a drive pedal and as a preamp47:42 Price, build quality, looks48:10 Things I don’t like50:47 What other similar products are out there that you should consider?53:23 My conclusions on the Fireball IR and why you should buy itBacking music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#ENGL #ENGLAmps #ENGLFireball #FireballIR #ENGLFireballIR*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@ENGLampstv
EHX Big Muff vs JHS Crimson vs Tone City Matcha Cream vs Joyo vs Ibanez vs Sonicake | Fuzz Shootout Rich. Words. Music. 2025-04-18 | Today we’re comparing four affordable Big Muff style pedals – the Tone City Matcha Cream, the Joyo Tiny Huge Fuzz, the Ibanez 850 Mini Fuzz, and the Sonicake Fazy Cream – and the boutique JHS Crimson against the real thing: the iconic EHX Big Muff Nano fuzz! -----Get these pedals at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/iw03ud5k0eAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXbvzL-----Every guitar player needs a Big Muff in their setup. It's an awesome and cheap way to start making walls of noisy fuzz distortion with any rig, and also a fantastic option to instantly get tones like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Smashing Pumpkins, The Black Keys, Jack White and The White Stripes, David Gilmour, John Frusciante, Muse’s Matt Bellamy, and so many more!Muffs come in all shapes and sizes too, and in this video I really want to showcase how good some of the cheaper Muffs are. To that end, we’ve got four of my favorites on the board today.First up is the Tone City Matcha Cream, which is based on the legendary Green Russian Big Muff fuzz. Coming in at around $50/€55, the Matcha Cream is a mini pedal – so it’ll save you space on your board – and it has the standard trio of Big Muff controls: Volume, Sustain (that’s your amount of fuzz/distortion) and Tone. Secondly, we have the Joyo Tiny Huge Fuzz. Resplendent and eye-catching in pink and yellow, the Tiny Huge Fuzz comes in at around $40/€40, so it’s a very affordable way to get into the Muff game.Third is the cheapest of the bunch: it’s the budget Sonicake Fazy Cream, which is mini both in size and in price – it only costs about $29/€29!Fourth is the Ibanez 850 Mini Fuzz, which is a reissue of the Ibanez OD850 Overdrive - which was a Big Muff circuit! Or so say MusicRadar: “Originally a re-badged Maxon clone of a 1973 ‘violet’ era Ram’s Head Big Muff made for Ibanez with a couple of tweaks, the OD850 had a slightly more useful tone stack and crunchier character that set it apart from its muffy cousins, making it a collector’s piece.” (Source link: musicradar.com/reviews/ibanez-850-fuzz) The 850 Mini Fuzz shrinks this awesome package of fuzzy fun down into mini format, and it comes with a price tag of around $89/€89.For reference, of course, we’re shooting out the four budget Muffs against the modern-day flagship: the Electro Harmonix Nano Big Muff. Legendary and iconic among guitar players, it’s the one everyone knows, and the one after which all the other Muff pedals came! Coming it at about $80/€80, it’s pretty darn affordable too (and actually cheaper than the Ibanez!).But what I also wanted to do today was add a boutique flavor into the mix, and that comes in form of the JHS Pedals Crimson, from the brand’s highly respected Legends Of Fuzz series. The Crimson is a replica of JHS main man Josh Scott’s rare Red Army Overdrive.So, with all that said, it’s time to hear the six Big Muffs in action, and hopefully this video will help you decide which one might be the best fit for your pedalboard. In the video, I play two fuzzy loops – one on my Epiphone Les Paul’s bridge humbucker, and the other on the bridge single coil pickup of my Fender Telecaster – and this gives me the chance to really tweak the knobs and settings on all six pedals to hear how they compare.Let me know which one you think sounds best in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today01:18 Electro Harmonix Nano Big Muff specs and info01:34 Tone City Matcha Cream Fuzz specs and info02:03 Joyo Tiny-Huge Fuzz specs and info02:23 Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini specs and info02:56 Sonicake Fazy Cream specs and info03:20 JHS Crimson specs and info04:43 Today’s rig and plan06:08 Epiphone Les Paul rock loop17:56 Fender Telecaster alternative rock loop My setup was as follows: I ran the pedals into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner AmpMan Classic pedal amp, then went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to record and play the loops. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:-----AmpMan Classic at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/512777?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/q4vkVOBoss RC-10R at Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/470055?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/daq4J2-----Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#BigMuff #ElectroHarmonix #FuzzPedal #EHX #Fuzz #Joyo #JoyoPedals #Sonicake #Ibanez #JHSPedals*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@EHX @JoyoPedals1 @jhspedals @IbanezOfficial @IbanezGermany @SONICAKE @tonecityaudio7641
Slick SL 56 | A unique and affordable semi-hollow offset with tones for days! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-04-11 | This is the Slick Guitars SL 56: an eye-catching, affordable semi-hollow take on the Jazzmaster/Jaguar style of offset electric guitar… with more than a few twists up its sleeve!Slick Guitars: http://www.slickguitars.com/index.php/slick-guitarsEver since I first came across Slick Guitars, I’ve wanted to try the whole family. My first experience with the brand came when I tested out the wonderful Cabronita Tele-esque SL 55 (video here, if you’ve not seen that yet: youtube.com/watch?v=KKCDbEtjM1M) and, as a natural fan of the offset guitar, I was totally drawn to the SL 56.This is another unique guitar from Earl Slick (yes, the same Earl Slick who played guitar for David Bowie, John Lennon, and others) and his team. Similar to a Fender or Squier offering on first glance, once you look past the body shape you start to see the quirks and idiosyncrasies that really make this guitar different.It starts with the stunning Aged Indigo Ash finish on the swamp ash body. Eye-catching in pictures, it’s spectacular in person, and the body’s textured finish really draws you in too – it feels pure and organic to the touch, and I love the fact that the satin finish is kept as thin and unobtrusive as possible throughout. (Note: you can get the SL 56 in a more timeless aged sunburst finish, should you so desire!)It's also semi-hollow, and you get two f-holes here as well, which really add to the guitar’s visual vibes.The pickups are also something you’d not expect on a guitar of this nature. In the neck, you get a classic 50s voiced Slick Junior P90, which is contrasted massively in the bridge by an overwound Slick Fullerton Lead Telecaster-style job, for all your biting and twangy Tele goodness.Meanwhile, the hardware is mostly brass and bronze: the wraparound bridge is milled from a single brass billet, and the knobs (you get one Volume and one Tone) and selector switch are made to match. Up at the headstock, the Slick tuners feature a bronze crown gear and bronze pinion gear and solid brass knobs. The satin neck is solid Canadian hard rock maple, and it’s topped with a 22-fret jatoba fingerboard. The scale length is 25.5”, and the fingerboard radius is 12”, while the neck is fitted with a 43mm graphite nut.When you realize that all this comes in at a mere $309/€450 (yes, all Slicks are much cheaper in the USA than anywhere else!) you start to see that we’ve got a serious contender on our hands in the world of the budget offset.But just how good is the SL 56? Can it match the competition from the likes of Squier, Harley Benton, Vintage Guitars, and more? Or is it simply too different to be compared to any of the others? That’s what we’re about to find out!In this video, I try the SL 56 in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it!Let me know your thoughts on the SL 56 in the comments.Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:14 Introduction to the Slick SL 5601:07 Specs and features04:40 Today’s rig and plan05:22 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings05:38 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)08:10 Tone control test09:13 Indie and alt rock tones12:45 Volume control roll off test13:06 Classic rock tones (AC/DC, Hendrix, Airbourne, etc.)15:30 Hard rock tones17:30 Alternative rock tones18:05 Punk rock tones18:58 Progressive rock tones19:55 Metal tones22:11 My thoughts22:59 First impressions, looks23:26 Weight23:51 Build quality and hardware24:35 Playability and neck25:56 Sounds and pickups29:18 What other similar guitars are out there?32:02 My conclusions on the SL 56 and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the SL 56 into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, Marshall 1959 Super Lead, Friedman BE-OD Deluxe and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#SlickGuitars #OffsetGuitars #OffsetGuitar #BudgetGuitars *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@musikwein @GuitarfetishTV
Ibanez AZ Standard Shootout | Should you buy the HSS or the HH model? In-depth Guitar Comparison Rich. Words. Music. 2025-04-04 | Today, we’re comparing the two models in the 2025 Ibanez AZ Standard range to find out which one could be the best affordable workhorse guitar for you and me!-----Get an AZ Standard at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/rbsb61tz38Or at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/4Gd7En-----Ibanez unleashed the AZ Standard in January 2025, and it was about time. Until this year, you couldn’t pick up an AZ guitar between the sub $400 budget entry level guitar AZES (ES = Essentials) and the $1000+ Premium models.But now, the China-made AZ Standards guitars complete the Ibanez AZ family and, at $549/€549, they’re at a pricepoint that makes them achievable to almost every player.There are two AZ Standard models: an HSS version (also known as the AZ22), and a double humbucker-equipped HH (aka the AZ24). The guitars share most of their specs, but there are a couple of key differences that will make one more suited to you than the other depending on your personal tastes.Both AZ Standards feature an alder body with a flame maple top. They also both have a roasted maple neck with a jatoba fingerboard and jumbo stainless steel frets, with locking tuners at the headstock. However, the HH model has 24 frets, whereas the HSS model has 22.The other big difference is going to be in the tones, as these guitars feature different pickup layouts and types. The HH model has a pair if Ibanez’s Modern Custom alnico humbuckers. The HSS model, on the other hand, features an Ibanez Classic Custom set: these are lower output than the humbuckers in the HH model, and here you get a ceramic bridge humbucker alongside alnico single coil pickups in the middle and neck positions.Thanks to Ibanez’s dyna-MIX switching system and Alter Switch, you get a whopping 10 different sounds to play with on the HH model, and 9 on the HSS. This lets you split the humbuckers on both guitars, and generally combine pickups in ways you simply couldn’t on more standard instruments.Being Ibanez guitars, you can expect a top level fit and finish here too, so the AZ Standards look like being an awful lot of guitar for the money. But just how good are they. And, crucially: which model is going to be the best guitar for you? And for me, of course 😉 That’s what we’re about to find out! In the video, I put the two AZ Standards through their paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more. This lets us really hear the differences and the similarities between the two guitars, and hopefully you’ll be able to decide which one would be your top choice.Let me know if you prefer the HSS or the HH AZ Standard in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:17 Introduction to the AZ Standard range01:24 HH model specs and info04:48 HSS model specs and info07:42 Today’s rig and plan08:45 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings10:10 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)13:14 Indie and alt rock tones16:52 Classic rock tones18:44 Hard rock tones20:34 Alternative rock tones20:56 Punk rock tones22:20 Progressive rock tones23:00 Metal tones24:51 My thoughts25:26 Looks and first impressions26:21 Price26:31 Build quality and hardware27:00 Playability and necks – 22 vs 24 frets27:50 Weight28:47 Sounds and pickups discussion33:45 What other similar guitars are out there?35:09 My conclusions on the AZ Standard range35:48 Which AZ Standard model is best? Which should you (and I) buy?My setup was as follows: I ran the guitars into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, Marshall 1959 Super Lead and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezAZ #AZStandard #IbanezAZStandard #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@IbanezOfficial @IbanezGermany
Hartwood Deytona II | Great specs, unique looks and mini humbuckers for $300? In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-03-28 | This is the Hartwood Deytona II: a rather unique looking budget offset guitar with a vibe all its own and a pair of mini humbuckers!Hartwood Deytona II at Gear4music: tidd.ly/43uebowHartwood is a house brand of the Gear4music store, and the Deytona II is the first Hartwood model I’ve ever played. (Note: Gear4music reached out to me to make this video, so consider it sponsored!)The Deytona II appealed to me instantly. It’s cheap, and looks fantastic – like nothing else out there. This specific guitar is finished in a lovely, sparkly New England Green, but you can also pick up a Deytona II in Tobacco Burst or Solana Bay Gold.The Deytona has excellent specs on paper considering its $300/€350/£299 price tag. For the money, you get a mahogany body which, with its center block and wings on the sides, is more than a little reminiscent of a Gibson/Epiphone Firebird.The neck – which is maple, topped with an ebony fretboard – is set into said center block, and gives you 22 medium frets, a 14” fingerboard radius, a 25.5” scale length. You also get a bone nut and no-name vintage-style tuners at the headstock, which is finished in that lovely New England Green.At the body, you get that pair of mini humbucking pickups. Each pup has its own volume and tone control (the pots are by Alpha), and there’s also a phase invert switch which, when you have both pickups active, can be flicked to give you those thinner, quacky, and nasal tones à la Peter Green. You also get a tune-o-matic bridge here.That’s a whole lot of guitar for the asking price, then… but just how good is the Deytona II? Is it a new contender in the competitive world of the quirky cheap electric guitar? It’s time to find out! In this video, I put the guitar through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it!Let me know your thoughts on the Deytona II in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:14 Introduction to the Deytona II and Hartwood Guitars02:01 Specs and features04:44 Today’s rig and plan05:21 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings05:57 Clean tone samples (folk, country, pop, indie, blues, funk, etc.)07:56 Tone control test08:56 Indie and alt rock tones11:55 Volume control roll off test12:16 Classic rock tones14:21 Fuzz tones (garage rock, Jack White, Black Keys, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.)16:14 Hard rock tones17:51 Alternative rock tones18:28 Punk rock tones19:19 Progressive rock tones20:16 Metal tones21:39 My thoughts22:08 First impressions, looks22:41 Size comparison with my Epiphone SG, Feder Tele and Ibanez Iceman23:26 How does the guitar balance on a strap?23:47 Weight24:20 Build quality and hardware25:43 Playability and neck26:19 Sounds and pickups29:12 What other similar guitars are out there?30:57 My conclusions on the Deytona II and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the Deytona II into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Marshall 1959 Super Lead, JHS Bender fuzz and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Hartwood #HartwoodGuitars #Gear4music *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@gear4musicguitars
Marshall 1959 Super Lead Pedal vs Friedman, Bogner, Ramble FX + Tone City | Plexi Pedal Shootout! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-03-21 | Today we’re comparing five Marshall In A Box Plexi-type overdrive pedals: the new Marshall 1959 Super Lead, the Bogner La Grange, the Tone City Golden Plexi V2, the Friedman Dirty Shirley, and the Ramble FX Marvel Drive V3!-----Get these pedals at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/9c0elp4kugOr at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/dOVB9W-----The Marshall rock and roll sound is one of guitar music’s most iconic: thick, rich and powerful, it’s a tone prized among guitarists worldwide for good reason. That’s why so many pedal companies make their own take on the Marshall overdrive sound – even Marshall themselves!The Marshall 1959 Super Lead pedal came out in early 2025. I bought one, and (spoilers!) love it. It’s a great take on the classic Plexi sound, and super fun, while also being well priced at around $149/€139. And the next natural step was to compare it to my other favorite Plexi pedals! First up is my favorite, the Bogner La Grange. This – sadly now discontinued – beast of an overdrive pedal has so many different Marshall tones in it, and they’re all great. It goes from low gain crunch to high gain madness with ease, and the Variac control will even give you more of a modded Marshall Eddie Van Halen vibe. The La Grange has myriad other tone shaping controls too, and it also has an independent Boost, which you can run together with the drive side of the pedal, or on its own.Next up is the baby of the bunch – both in terms of price and size. However, you should underestimate the $60/€60 Tone City Golden Plexi 2 at your peril, because it’s an absolute mini monster of a hot-rodded Plexi! It only has the three controls – Tone, Gain and Volume – but it’s surprisingly versatile and bags of fun for cheap.Fourth on the list today is the Friedman Dirty Shirley, which is usually thought of as being a flavor of modded Plexi (although you’ll hear internet wisdom that it’s partly based on the JCM 800 and JTM45 amps too). The Dirty Shirley pedal is the stompbox version of the Dirty Shirley amp, and it also provides a massive range of thick rock tones thanks to its versatile control set.The last pedal in the lineup today is another favorite of mine: it’s the Ramble FX Marvel Drive V3. Like the La Grange, this pedal is no more – Ramble FX closed down a few years ago following the untimely death of owner Tim Krueger – but it’s 100% worth seeking out on the used market if you love this flavor of overdrive. Very similar to the Marshall 1959 in terms of controls, the Marvel Drive V3 also lets you run it at either 9 volts, or 18 volts – for more headroom. So, the big questions are: how well will the Marshall compare to these other Marshall In A Box pedals? Does it win in terms of tones and flexibility, or do the others beat it? And… is the best Marshall In A Box pedal actually a Marshall now?! That’s what we’re about to find out!In the video, I run an AC/DC inspired classic rock loop through the pedals and into my Hughes & Kettner AmpMan Classic amp. This gives us the chance to really tweak the knobs on the five pedals and see how they stack up tonally.Let me know which your favorite is in the comments, and also let me know if you have any other Marshall pedals that I should try next!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today01:07 Marshall 1959 Super Lead specs and info01:32 Bogner La Grange specs and info02:50 Tone City Golden Plexi 2 specs and info03:24 Friedman Dirty Shirley pedal specs and info04:18 Ramble FX Marvel Drive V3 specs and info05:08 Today’s rig and plan06:03 The Loop!My setup was as follows: I ran the pedals into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner AmpMan Classic pedal amp, then went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to record and play the loops. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Marshall #MarshallAmps #MarshallPedals #MarshallPlexi #Marshall1959 #MarshallSuperLead #OverdrivePedal #MarshallInABox #MIAB*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@marshall @bogneramplification @tonecityaudio7641 @FriedmanAmplification @RambleFX
NUX ’59 Bassguy | Turn your amp into a ‘59 Bassman for $50! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-03-14 | This is the NUX ’59 Bassguy: an affordable analogue overdrive pedal based on the legendary 1959 Fender Bassman amplifier!Check out the ’59 Bassguy here: nuxaudio.com/59bassguy.htmlNUX at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/PORZ7zLeo Fender’s ’59 Bassman is one of the most iconic tube amps in music history. Used by countless incredible guitarists to define their musical genres over the decades, this 45-watt combo – which features four 10” speakers – also became the circuit basis for the equally revered Marshall JTM45. No surprises, then, that plenty of pedal companies make their own take on a Bassman Amp In A Box. NUX’s ’59 Bassguy is the latest and, coming in at around $49/€49, it’s also one of the most affordable.The pedal – which NUX have dressed up in an appropriate tweed design complete with chickenhead knobs – has four main controls. You get Gain, Master and Tone knobs, plus a Jump switch. The original ’59 Bassman had two channels – Normal and Bright – with two inputs each. Using a short second cable, players could “jumper” between the two channels to blend them into new and tasty tones.That’s kind of what the Jump switch on the ’59 Bassguy does. In the down position, you’re just on a single channel, which offers vintage Fender-y tones and some lovely transparent overdrive sounds. Flick the switch up, and you get a big jump in gain, brighter tone and more top end.The ’59 Bassguy comes in a metal chassis, and you can power it via a 9-volt power supply or a 9-volt battery (the pedal even comes with a battery!).But, how good does it actually sound? Can this budget overdrive pedal turn your amplifier into a ’59 Bassman? Time to find out! In the video, I put the ’59 Bassguy through its paces in as many different musical styles as possible – from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, blues, punk, metal and more – to see how it handles my riffs. I use my Fender Telecaster for single coil tones, and my Epiphone Les Paul for humbucking sounds. There’s even a couple of loops where we really twist the knobs of the pedal to see just how versatile it truly is.Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:13 Introduction to the 59 Bassguy and the Bassman01:37 Pedal controls and features02:53 Today’s rig and planPushed Clean Tones03:42 Clean tone reference chords and turning on the ’59 Bassguy04:33 Classic funky clean riff04:42 Poppy arpeggios05:00 Grungey droning chords05:18 Country ballad arpeggios05:31 Country lead sound05:43 Blues progression06:06 Funk rhythms06:19 Ascending droning indie chords06:32 Atmospheric arpeggiosLight and Medium Overdrive Sounds 06:50 Droning alt rock octaves07:12 Garage rock riff07:28 Jangly indie riff07:59 Thick indie rock rhythm chords08:29 Indie octave chords08:58 Kings Of Leon inspired riff09:10 Upbeat indie barre chords09:34 Art rock riff09:48 Classic rock riff10:00 Hendrix inspired riff10:17 Airbourne inspired riff10:39 Driving rock riff10:53 Quacky rock riff11:02 AC/DC inspired riff11:19 Groovy classic rock riffHeavy Overdrive Sounds11:45 Glam rock riff12:00 Van Halen inspired riff12:18 NWOBHM riff12:38 80s rock riff12:56 Alternative rock riff13:19 Pop punk riff13:43 Pop punk melodic lead riff13:59 Green Day inspired punk rock riff14:25 Thrash metal riff14:35 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)14:51 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)15:15 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)15:32 Metal chugging riff15:48 Heavy metal lead sound16:02 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff16:15 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang16:39 Hardcore punk riff 16:50 ‘59 Bassguy as a boost into an overdriven amp17:40 Fender Telecaster indie rock loop21:31 Epiphone Les Paul classic rock loop25:51 My thoughts26:36 Things I like: sounds and versatility28:46 Price, build quality, looks29:35 Things I don’t like30:10 What other similar Fender In A Box pedals are out there?31:53 My conclusions on the 59 Bassguy and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the pedal straight into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. That went from the amp’s Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to play the loops.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#NUX #NUXPedals #OverdrivePedal #Bassman #FenderBassman #59Bassman*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@nuxaudio
2025 Ibanez AZ Standard AZ22S1F | Just how good is this $549 HSS workhorse? IN-DEPTH Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-03-07 | This is the 2025 Ibanez AZ Standard AZ22S1F in Transparent Turquoise Burst: the new, affordable $549/€549 HSS workhorse many of us guitar players have been waiting for!-----Get this guitar at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/rbsb61tz38Or at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/4Gd7En-----The China-made AZ Standard guitars – this model has the classic HSS pickup configuration, but there’s also a version available with two humbuckers – complete the Ibanez AZ family for me. Previously, you started out with the sub $400 AZES as a budget entry level guitar… and then it was straight on to the $1000+ Premium models.The AZ Standard sits at a price point that won’t offend anybody, and when you see the specs, the guitar starts to look even more attractive. The AZ22S1F has an alder body with a beautiful flame maple top (you can also get it in Transparent Black Sunburst).The 25.5” scale neck is roasted maple, with a jatoba fingerboard and 22 jumbo stainless steel frets. You get Ibanez’s T106 vibrato bridge and locking tuners to keep things stable.For the sounds, you get an HSS set of Ibanez Classic Custom pickups. Thanks to the dyna-MIX9 switching system with Alter Switch, though, you get nine different pickup switching combinations, from the full-fat bridge humbucker to a mix of classic biting and quacky biting single coil tones.Being an Ibanez, you can expect a top level fit and finish too, so this looks like an awful lot of guitar for the money. So, just how good is the AZ Standard? Is it set to become the next go-to Super Strat for under $1000?That’s what we’re about to find out! In the video, I out the guitar through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it! Let me know your thoughts on the AZ Standard in the comments.Oh, and don’t forget to check out the video where @EytschPi42 and I compare the AZ Standard to the AZES Essential, Premium and Prestige models: youtube.com/watch?v=wwe3m9PbjqcHere are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:14 Introduction to the AZ Standard and HSS guitars01:47 Specs and info02:47 dyna-MIX9 switching system/Alter Switch explanation04:34 The neck05:28 Today’s rig and planClean Sounds06:03 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings06:42 Funk rhythms06:55 Grungey droning chords07:14 Country tones07:31 Art pop chords07:43 Blues progression07:54 Ascending droning indie chords08:07 Poppy barre chords08:35 Folk pop chords08:53 Tone control test09:53 Atmospheric arpeggiosLight and Medium Overdrive Sounds 10:11 Fat indie rock rhythm chords10:41 Choppy barre chords10:50 Southern rock arpeggios11:10 Strokes-inspired riff11:29 Garage rock riff11:45 Alt rock riff11:59 Upbeat indie barre chords12:23 Volume control roll off test12:45 Kings Of Leon inspired riff12:51 Jangly indie rock riff13:29 Groovy classic rock riff13:55 Hendrix inspired riff14:12 Classic rock riff14:26 Airbourne inspired rock riff14:36 More Hendrix stuff14:56 AC/DC inspired riff15:15 Quacky rock riffHeavy Overdrive Sounds15:23 Van Halen inspired riff15:42 Hard rock riff15:58 Single note melodic rock riff16:19 Alternative rock riff16:42 Punk rock tones17:07 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)17:22 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)17:46 Rage Against The Machine inspired riff (Drop D)Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)18:02 Metal chugging riff18:20 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang18:31 Hardcore punk sounds18:59 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff19:42 My thoughts20:22 First impressions, looks20:55 Weight21:18 Build quality and hardware22:46 Playability and neck23:23 Sounds and pickups25:55 What other similar guitars are out there?28:09 My conclusions on the AZ Standard HSS and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the guitar into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, Marshall 1959 Super Lead and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezAZ #AZStandard #IbanezAZStandard #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@IbanezOfficial @IbanezGermany
Vintage REVO Series Colt HS | A budget offset with top tones and unique features! | Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-02-28 | This is the Vintage Guitars REVO Series Colt HS: an affordable offset guitar in the style of the Fender/Squier Mustang… but with a few unique twists up its sleeve!More info on the Colt HS: vintageguitarsrus.com/products/vintage-revo-series-colt-hs-duo-electric-guitar-blueburst?_pos=3&_sid=d2a1452b8&_ss=rThe Vintage REVO Series (REVO stands for Retro Vintage Originals) is a growing family of quirky electric guitars and basses at a very decent budget point. Designed by the Vintage team along with UK designer Alan Entwistle, each REVO Series model gives its owner something new and different to pretty much anything else out there – while also being oddly recognizable and classic too.The Colt HS is no different. A fairly standard Mustang (or possibly even more like the rarer Fender Cyclone) on first glance – albeit resplendent in this wonderful Blueburst finish – its specs reveal to us a mixture of classic features and modern comfort and playability.One key feature is the guitar's scale length. Most Mustangs have a shorter 24” scale, but the Colt’s is a standard (the Gibson standard, in fact) 24.75”, or 628 mm. That will make this guitar a more comfy proposition, not to mention an easier switch, for certain players.The neck on the guitar is maple, and you get 22 frets on the jatoba fingerboard. The nut is Graph Tech, and up at the headstock you get Wilkinson E-Z-Lok tuners. The neck has a rather pleasant medium to slightly chunky C shape, and the fingerboard's fairly flat radius - which feels about 10" to me - should also make playing any kind of music anywhere up the neck a breeze.At the body (which is made of okoume), the Colt HS is the first Mustang-type I’ve seen with this humbucker/single coil pickup configuration, which should really give us those quirky offset tones alongside an extra layer of versatility.The pickups are Alan Entwistle models: in the bridge you get the Fender CuNiFe Wide Range Humbucker-resembling HV72, while in the neck there’s a vintage Burns-inspired Astrosonic ETS2. Angled towards the guitar’s bridge, rather like a Strat bridge pickup would be, this pickup promises twangy tones aplenty! Finally, you have a Vintage Combo Bridge-Vibrato for all your wobbly and atmospheric needs. For around $550/€450, then, this looks like an intriguing package for the money. Offset tones plus a humbucking bridge pickup? Could this be the new HSS versatility king of the offset world? It’s time to find out!In the video, I test the Colt HS in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:16 Introduction to the Vintage Colt HS01:28 Specs and info04:01 Today’s rig and plan04:20 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings04:35 Clean tone samples07:38 Post rock/ambient tones + Source Audio Collider09:07 Indie and alt rock tones + Marshall 1959 Super Lead pedal12:06 Classic rock tones + Marshall 1959 SL13:59 Hard rock tones15:51 Alternative rock tones16:14 Punk rock tones16:55 Modern/progressive rock tones17:46 Metal tones19:44 My thoughts20:09 First impressions, looks21:15 Weight21:39 Build quality and hardware22:49 Playability and neck23:39 Sounds and pickups26:43 What other similar guitars are out there?29:00 My conclusions on the Colt HS and why you should buy itHere’s the excellent video I mentioned where @MarkB.Guitar really gives the Colt’s vibrato all it’s got: youtube.com/watch?v=UdfawIF18-4My setup was as follows: I ran the Colt into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Marshall 1959 Super Lead and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#VintageGuitar #VintageGuitars #VintageGuitars_Official #VintageTone #OffsetGuitars #OffsetGuitar #FenderMustang #Blueburst*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@VintageGuitarsOfficial @VintageGuitarsUS @musikwein
Marshall 1959 Super Lead Pedal | In-depth Review & Demo + All the tones with six different guitars! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-02-21 | This is the Marshall 1959 Super Lead Overdrive/Distortion Pedal: a brand new Marshall In A Box (MIAB) style stompbox voiced after the original Plexi amp by the inventors themselves!-----Get the Marshall 1959 Pedal at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/606573?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/ra2mN3-----At NAMM 2025, Marshall surprised the guitar world with the release of a bunch of new, premium priced modded tube amps. They also released a quintet of “amp in a box” FX pedals for guitarists working on a slightly lower budget.These pedals are all based on iconic Marshall amp designs: you have this 1959 Super Lead, and there’s also a JCM800, a JCM900, a JVM and a DSL. They all cost (at time of launch) $149/€139, and they all have that distinctive Marshall look, which is a nice touch and certainly feeds on my own brand nostalgia.Each pedal has four controls, although what they do differs between the various models. On the 1959 Super Lead, you get a High Treble and a Normal – which correspond to the original amp’s two channels – and a Tone and Volume. The original amp had no Master Volume, so what you would do is either use one of the channels, or, more commonly, use a jumper cable to blend both together, and crank it to reveal those legendary Marshall crunch tones. Happily, this pedal lets you use the two channels independently or together, but we also have that master Volume knob to control the levels. The beauty is in really coaxing a range of overdrive tones out of the pedal by blending the two channels.I’d seen a few other demos of this pedal before I bought mine, and what I really wanted to show in this video is the extent of 1959 Super Lead’s versatility. So, here I put it through its paces with six of my guitars to really show the variety of the tones you can achieve.This goes from bluesey pushed cleans to light overdrive sounds for indie and alternative rock, some thick crunch tones for classic rock, heavier rock sounds for hard rock and punk, and even some classic heavy metal and sludgy chugging tones!The six guitars I’m using today are my Epiphone Les Paul, my Fender Telecaster, my Ibanez Iceman, my Fender Stratocaster, my G&L Doheny Tribute, and my Ibanez AS73FM (which is a Gibson 335-type). Between these six guitars, you get numerous different pickup types and a true smorgasbord of Marshall crunch tones.Enjoy the riffs, and let me know which guitar you think sounds best with the 1959 Super Lead!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:29 Introduction to the Marshall 1959 Super Lead pedal02:35 Pedal controls and features04:21 Today’s rig and plan05:48 Epiphone Les Paul tones09:04 Fender Telecaster tones12:27 Ibanez Iceman tones15:25 Fender Strat tones18:34 Ibanez AS73FM tones21:47 G&L Guitars Doheny tones25:03 My thoughts26:04 Tips for the Volume and Tone controls26:55 Things I like: tones28:49 Looks, build quality29:19 Things I don’t like30:15 What other similar pedals are out there?31:59 My conclusions on the 1959 Super Lead pedal and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the 1959 Super Lead into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Marshall #MarshallAmps #MarshallPedals #MarshallPlexi #Marshall1959 #MarshallSuperLead #OverdrivePedal #MarshallInABox #MIAB*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@marshall
NUX Drive Core Deluxe MKII | 8 great Tube Screamer-type overdrives in 1 sub $99 pedal! Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-02-14 | This is the NUX Drive Core Deluxe MKII (Wasabi Drive): an affordable analogue overdrive pedal featuring eight Tube Screamer-based circuits and more!NUX at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/PORZ7zCheck out the Drive Core Deluxe MKII here: nuxaudio.com/drivecoredeluxemkii.htmlWe’ve all heard of the Tube Screamer. In fact, most of you probably own at least one Screamer-style pedal already. But there’s always room for more! JHS Pedals proved it with the success of their 9-circuit Bonsai, and now NUX are here to stake their own budget claim on the multi-Tube Screamer circuit pedal.The Drive Core Deluxe MKII comes in at under $99/€89 (prices are still TBC at time of this video going live in February 2025, but a NUX rep at the 2025 winter NAMM Show told me it’d be around $89), which would be reasonable for a single decent Screamer pedal, let alone eight.The eight circuits on offer are as follows as you move your way round the 8-way rotary switch that selects them (and which is actually the only digital part of the pedal): you first get an emulation of the Ibanez TS808 and TS9 Tube Screamers. Next up is the SSD mode, which emulates NUX’s own Steel Singer Drive. After that come R. Dirt – a take on the Keeley Red Dirt, itself a boutique modded Screamer – and OD1, which is based on the Boss OD-1, the predecessor to the Tube Screamer.After that, things change up a little with Dist+, a take on the iconic MXR Distortion Plus. This is a hard clipping overdrive, whereas a Tube Screamer is soft clipping, but other circuit similarities remain. Finally, we have two takes on the Nobels ODR1, which itself is kind of half way between a Tube Screamer and a Bluesbreaker. The ODR mode is the full bass ODR-1 sound, while the NUX MOD is the ODR-1 with a bass cut, as found in the recent ODR-1X and ODR-mini 2 pedals.You get a Level, Tone and Drive control for tweaking your tones, and there’s also a Post Boost knob. This activates when you hold down the pedal’s on/off footswitch, and it gives you up to 7dB of extra boost – perfect for solos or just when you need a little extra grit in your guitar tone.That’s a lot of Tube Screamers, then, but how good does the Drive Core Deluxe MKII really sound? And is it worth it over the endless Tube Screamer competition that’s out there? We’re going to answer these questions and more in the video. First, I run the Drive Core Deluxe MKII through a loop with my Fender Telecaster where we move between all eight circuits, tweak the knobs, and really hear how versatile the pedal is. After all, the Tube Screamer is one of the most versatile overdrive pedals around, being ideal for anything from a clean boost to low gain drives, thick rock crunches, and even heavy metal tones.And, after that, I get out four of my other pedals that the Drive Core Deluxe MKII emulates – namely my Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini, my Nobels ODR-1X, my JHS Overdrive Preamp and my NUX Steel Singer Drive – and we shoot them out together to hear how close the NUX gets to being the best Tube Screamer money can buy!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Introduction to the Drive Core Deluxe MKII00:58 Pedal controls and features02:05 The eight different overdrive circuits03:47 Today’s rig and plan05:18 Indie rock loop with all 8 circuits (played on a Fender Telecaster and the amp’s Clean Channel)18:57 Shootout with Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini (Epiphone Les Paul, amp’s Crunch Channel)21:56 Shootout with Nobels ODR-1X (Fender Telecaster, amp’s Clean Channel)26:29 Shootout with JHS Overdrive Preamp (Epiphone Les Paul, amp’s Crunch Channel)29:24 Shootout with NUX Steel Singer Drive (Fender Telecaster, amp’s Clean Channel)31:45 My thoughts32:37 Things I like: sounds and versatility34:28 Price, build quality34:46 What don’t I like?35:09 What other similar pedals are out there?36:00 My conclusions on the Drive Core Deluxe MKII and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the pedals into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner AmpMan Classic pedal amp, then went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to record and play the loops. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#NUX #NUXPedals #OverdrivePedal #TubeScreamer #GuitarPedals #GuitarGear*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@nuxaudio
2025 Ibanez AZ Standard AZ24S1F | Incredible tones and quality for $549 | In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-02-07 | This is the 2025 Ibanez AZ Standard AZ24S1F in Transparent Black Sunburst: the new, affordable $549/€549 workhorse many of us guitar players have been waiting for!-----Get this guitar at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/rbsb61tz38Or at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/4Gd7En-----The China-made AZ Standard guitars – this version has two humbuckers, but there’s also an HSS version available – complete the Ibanez AZ family for me. Previously, you could get the sub $400 AZES as a budget entry level guitar… and then it was straight on to the $1000+ Premium guitars.The AZ Standard sits at a price point that won’t offend anybody, and when you see the specs, the guitar starts to look like a no-brainer. The AZ24S1F has an alder body with a beautiful flame maple top (you can also get it in Transparent Turquoise Burst and Violin Sunburst).The 25.5” scale neck is roasted maple, with a jatoba fingerboard and 24 jumbo stainless steel frets. You get Ibanez’s T106 vibrato bridge and locking tuners to keep things stable.For the tones, you get a pair of Ibanez Modern Custom humbuckers. Thanks to the dyna-MIX10 switching system with Alter Switch, though, you get ten different pickup switching combinations, from full-fat humbucking tones to biting single coil sounds, and Ibanez’s Power Tap function.Being an Ibanez, you can expect a top level fit and finish too, so this looks like an awful lot of guitar for the money. So, just how good is the AZ Standard? Is it set to become the next go-to Super Strat for under $1000?That’s what we’re about to find out! In the video, I put the guitar through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more – let’s see how it handles it! Let me know your thoughts on the AZ Standard in the comments.Oh, and don’t forget to check out the video where @EytschPi42 and I compare the AZ Standard to the AZES, Premium and Prestige models: youtube.com/watch?v=wwe3m9PbjqcHere are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:20 Introduction to the AZ Standard01:24 Specs and info02:21 dyna-MIX10 switching system/Alter Switch explanation05:22 Today’s rig and planClean Sounds06:09 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings06:54 Droning grunge chords07:13 Country tones07:31 Funk rhythms07:44 Poppy barre chords08:16 Strummed folk pop chords08:34 Smooth arpeggios08:53 Ringing open indie pop chords09:06 Art pop chords09:18 Folk pop chords09:37 Tone control testLight and Medium Overdrive Sounds 10:35 Droning alt rock octaves10:56 Garage rock riff11:12 Southern rock arpeggios11:32 Upbeat indie barre chords11:56 Volume control roll off test12:16 Fat indie rock rhythm chords12:46 Choppy barre chords13:03 Kings Of Leon inspired riff13:16 Indie rock octaves13:46 Classic rock riff13:59 Quacky rock riff14:08 Driving rock riff14:22 AC/DC inspired riff14:40 Airbourne inspired rock riff14:51 Hendrix inspired riff15:10 Groovy rock riffHeavy Overdrive Sounds15:37 80s rock riff15:59 Glam rock riff16:19 ZZ Top inspired riff16:30 Hard rock riff16:47 Van Halen inspired riff17:08 Single note melodic rock riff17:28 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff17:46 Alternative rock tones18:24 Punk rock sounds19:30 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)19:46 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)20:11 Rage Against The Machine inspired riff (Drop D)20:27 Thrash riffHeavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)20:37 Metal chugging riff20:55 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang21:07 Hardcore punk breakdown21:22 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff21:35 Chug test21:56 Hardcore punk riff22:08 My thoughts22:55 First impressions, looks, price23:29 Weight23:53 Build quality and hardware24:55 Playability and neck25:31 Sounds and pickups28:35 What other similar guitars are out there?30:59 My conclusions on the AZ Standard and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the guitar into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezAZ #AZStandard #IbanezAZStandard #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@IbanezOfficial @IbanezGermany
Testing 5 incredible custom Valiant Guitars + Lichtlaerm Audios 3 best new pedals with Leigh Fuge! Rich. Words. Music. 2025-02-01 | Today I’m joined by Welsh guitar heartthrob Leigh Fuge to get an introduction to some rather delightful Valiant Guitars and Lichtlaerm Audio pedals!----- Valiant Guitars: valiantguitars.comLichtlaerm Audio: lichtlaermaudio.com-----We’re in boutique territory here, that’s for sure. Valiant’s instruments are painstakingly crafted in Ukraine, while Lichtlaerm Audio pedals are handmade by a small team in the heart of Berlin, Germany – and with both brands preset at 42 Gear Street Six, this was the perfect chance for Leigh and me to try them out in person!Leigh, being much more familiar with Valiant Guitars than me, was able to give me plenty of info about the different models we tried: the Mercury, Smith, Jupiter, and Soothsayer. Leigh himself is the custodian of a custom Valiant Jupiter in a stunning finish that’s named after him: Purple Welsh Paisley.The Jupiter is a wonderful offset of a guitar, with many custom options available: we try Jupiters with double humbuckers and HSS pickup configurations here, but you can order every Valiant exactly how you want it.The newest Valiant on show here is the Mercury. This HSS offset Strat-type beast really reminds me of a Kurt Cobain Fender Jaguar, and it’s perfect for dirty alt-rock and grunge tones. Leigh also showed me the PRS McCarty-inspired Valiant Smith, which really brings something new to the single cutaway, double humbucker game.The most extraordinary guitar we saw all weekend, though, was the scalloped fret Valiant Soothsayer! This is really a Super Strat shredder lover’s dream of a guitar, and it’s far less intimidating of a guitar than I initially thought.Powering the tones we had the new Orange Orianthi signature amp, the Oriverb, and for various flavors of dirt and ambience we plugged into a trio of Lichtlaerm pedals: the Aquaria overdrive, the Altar fuzz, and the Untiefe reverb.All fantastically versatile and high quality pedals, the Lichtlaerms bring their own flavors to some of the most classic circuits in guitar tone history. The Aquaria, for example, is loosely based on the Klon Centaur – but with loads more on offer under the hood.The Altar, meanwhile, is billed as a “doom/sludge fuzz” and loosely takes its inspiration from the EHX Black Russian Big Muff – but again, with way more options, tone tweaking and filth on offer!Finally, the Untiefe (which means “Shallow”) is a HUGE sounding ambient reverb with a smorgasbord of modulation and tone sculpting settings. We could probably make an entire video about each of the pedals we showed here… and hopefully one day we will!Enjoy Leigh and me exploring the guitars and pedals, then, and let me know which your favorites were in the comments! I can try and get some of them in to do more dedicated videos in future.Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello and what we’re doing today01:00 Orange Orianthi amp info02:27 Leigh introduces us to Valiant Guitars04:08 Valiant Mercury and Smith06:51 The Lichtlaerm pedals: Aquaria, Altar, Untiefe07:34 Valiant Smith clean tones09:25 Testing the Untiefe’s decay length11:31 Smith drive tones with the Aquaria14:42 Smith fuzz tones with the Altar16:19 Valiant Mercury HSS pickup options18:50 Mercury clean tones22:08 Mercury drive tones with the Aquaria24:08 Mercury fuzz tones with the Altar25:43 Valiant Jupiter P90 26:59 Jupiter clean tones28:06 Jupiter drive tones with the Aquaria30:47 Valiant Soothsayer with scalloped frets!31:46 Why get a guitar with scalloped frets?32:55 Some clean playing34:48 Overdriven tones35:59 Leigh feeling at home with the scalloped frets38:43 Valiant Jupiter HH39:52 Would Leigh go for HH or HSS for gigs?40:27 Is a signature scalloped Soothsayer for Leigh in the works?!42:23 Lichtlaerm Untiefe reverb tones45:15 Final thoughts and goodbyeSub to Leigh here: youtube.com/@LeighFugeGuitarEnjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#ValiantGuitars #LichtlaermAudio #LichtlaermAudioUntiefe #OrangeAmplifiers #Orianthi #42GSSix #42GearStreet #42GearStreetSix #LeighFuge #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@LeighFugeGuitar @valiantguitars9029 @lichtlaermaudio @EytschPi42
Shnobel Tone Daily Driver Boost | The ultimate do-it-all boutique overdrive pedal?! Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2025-01-24 | Today, we’re taking a look at a boutique USA-built dual overdrive/boost: this is the Shnobel Tone Daily Driver Boost from Roman Belonozhko at the legendary Shnobel YouTube channel!Daily Driver Boost at Shnobel Tone: shnobeltone.com/product-page/daily-driver-boostShnobel’s Daily Driver pedal has become something of a cult in the guitar world. Its original circuit, its tasty range of tones – which move from a sparkly clean boost to transparent overdrive and thick, rich higher gain sounds – and its outstanding build quality have all made it a desirable drive on pedalboards worldwide.Now, though, Roman and his team have made the Daily Driver even better, by tweaking the circuit slightly, and, more significantly, by adding the Shnobel Tone Boost pedal into the equation!What we have here, then, is a dual overdrive/boost pedal in the vein of the Analogman King Of Tone, the Wampler Pantheon Deluxe, or similar. The pedal’s Daily Driver side has been altered slightly to give it more headroom (meaning it reacts better to humbucker-equipped guitars at lower gain settings, among other things), but otherwise you get the controls we knew and loved from before: Volume, Gain, Low, High, and a three-way Hi-Cut switch.The Boost side is identical to the standalone pedal, and its single knob gives you up to 27 dB of clean boost. You can use the Boost and Drive sides of the pedal independently or together, and there’s also an Order switch to let you choose in which order you run them.As of early 2025, the Daily Driver Boost will set you back $319, which is not cheap in itself. However, when you take into consideration the USA build quality and the features and options you have with this pedal, it starts to make sense. And, if you take into account the fact that the Daily Driver on its own would cost $279, and the Boost standalone pedal is $149, well, we’re getting there now!Romain designed the Daily Driver to be his go-to overdrive no matter what his rig was, and so in this video, I’ve decided to put the Daily side to the test with a whole week’s worth of riffs and guitars!I’ve picked seven different guitars (with seven different pickup types) to play in this video, and I’ll cover a different genre with each. This really helps show off the versatility of the pedal, I think – let me know which guitar you think sounds best in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today00:59 Pedal controls and features 02:26 Today’s rig and plan03:46 Blues sounds with Ibanez AS73FM06:08 Metal/high gain sounds with Epiphone Les Paul08:20 Classic rock sounds with Fender Telecaster10:06 Indie/alt-rock sounds with G&L Guitars Doheny Tribute12:26 Hard rock tones with Ibanez Iceman IC42014:45 Punk rock tones with Epiphone SG Classic Worn P9017:18 Ambient/chilled out tones with Fender Stratocaster (and Source Audio Collider)20:01 My thoughts20:23 Things I like: sounds and versatility21:37 Build quality, looks, size22:07 Price22:25 What other similar pedals are out there?23:04 My conclusions on the Daily Driver Boost and why you should buy itMake sure you sub to Roman and check out more of his videos here: youtube.com/@shnobeltoneMy setup was as follows: I ran the Daily Driver straight into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Source Audio Collider for some added delay and reverb. That went from the amp’s Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to play the loops.Here’s some links to those bits of gear: ---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#ShnobelTone #DailyDriver #OverdrivePedal #GuitarGear #ShnobelDailyDriverBoost #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@shnobeltone
2025 Ibanez Artcore guitars | Tones, specs and opinions with Krenar Cilku! Hollow body shootout Rich. Words. Music. 2025-01-17 | Today, I’m joined by the incredibly talented guitarist – and all-round top guy – Krenar Cilku to take an exclusive first look at the brand new 2025 Ibanez Artcore lineup of semi-hollow electric guitars!-----Get these guitars at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/rbsb61tz38Or at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/4Gd7En-----I often think that the Artcore (and Artcore Expressionist) ranges go quite under the radar, simply because Ibanez is way more known for its more pointy and high gain-appropriate guitars like the RG, AZ, and so on.But for those after an excellently specced and well-priced alternative to something like a Gibson/Epiphone 335 or 339, the Artcore range is an excellent choice,. I myself have owned an exquisite AS73FM for a number of years, and the 2025 offerings look to have raised the game for the Artcore line considerably.The first guitars Krenar and I check out are the AS93: specifically, the AS93QMSP in Dark Brown Sunburst, the Black AS93SP, and the AS93FM in Transparent Moss Green. These three guitars share most specs, but the AS93QMSP has a quilted maple top, while the AS93QMSP’s is flamed maple, and the AS93FM’s is linden.Elsewhere, you get Ibanez’s AS Expressionist 3-piece nyatoh/maple set neck with 22 medium frets and a bound macassar ebony fingerboard. The AS93QMSP and the AS93SP are rocking a pretty bling Tree Of Life inlay, while the AS93FM goes for simple yet classy blocks.You also get Ibanez’s Super 80 humbucking pickups in the AS93QMSP and the AS93SP – yes, the same ones that are in the IC420 Iceman! – and Super 58s in the AS93FM. All three guitars have Ibanez’s Gibraltar Performer Bridge and Quik Change tailpiece.These guitars are great for hollow body-approved styles like jazz and blues, but they’re also fantastic all-rounders thanks to their beefy humbuckers and should be at home for anything from pristine clean to heavy rock tones.After the AS93, we check out the AS73G, which is the slightly more affordable little brother of the AS93 and looks absolutely stunning in a satin Moonstone Silver Flat finish. The AS73 has a linden top and the AS Artcore nyatoh set neck with 22 medium frets on what is a bound rosewood board with block inlays. You also get the Gibraltar Performer Bridge and Quik Change tailpiece here, and for pickups we have a pair of Ibanez’s Classic Elite humbuckers.Hopefully, by the end of the video you’ll know which one of these beautiful guitars is going to be the right choice for you. Let me know which one you preferred in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today02:27 AS93QMSP Dark Brown Sunburst specs and info05:01 Clean tones and discussion06:29 AS93QMSP in Black07:02 Overdriven tones and discussion08:46 AS93FM in Transparent Moss Green09:52 AS73G in Moonstone Silver Flat11:35 AS73G tones and discussion13:48 Which of these would Krenar buy?15:06 OK, which one of these two?15:59 Which one would Rich buy?Enjoy! And please check out Krenar here: youtube.com/@KrenarCilkuGuitar----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezArtcore #IbanezHollowBody #HollowBody #SemiHollow #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@KrenarCilkuGuitar @IbanezOfficial @IbanezGermany
The best new 2025 Ibanez basses: Multi-scale fanned fret, Talman 5-string + more with Tommy Lee Depp Rich. Words. Music. 2025-01-13 | Today, I’m joined by bass master Tommy Lee Depp to take a first look at the Ibanez 2025 bass lineup, including the Ibanez Bass Workshop EHB5MSBSP 5-string fanned fret multi-scale in Midnight Arctic Ocean Matte, the super affordable offset Talman TMB425B 5-string in Black Flat, the stunning BTB945 in Cosmic Blue Low Gloss, and the premium, made-in-Japan SR3505 Prestige in Black!-----Get these basses at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/q3dgqoco20Or at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/WyY79A-----The 2025 Ibanez bass range includes a multitude of new models of all different shapes, sizes, colors and styles, so Tommy and I picked out four models that we think really showcase the best of the launch. Naturally, Tommy is coming from his perspective as a pro bassist, and I’m the opposite – a guitar player on the lookout for a bass to add to my collection for recording, playing, and possibly even play live with at some point.First up is the monstrous Ibanez Bass Workshop EHB5MSBSP. This multi-scale, fanned fret 5-string is as modern as basses get – and pretty alien for someone who’s used to your standard Fender Precision and Jazz basses!The EHB5MSBSP is a true all-rounder for the contemporary bassist who wants pro quality for stage and studio at a not too painful price point (the launch pricing is $1,999/€1,899). It has a pair of Fishman Fluence pickups with a 3-band Fishman EQ, single coil split mode and a three-way Voice Select switch.The bass is also surprisingly light, thanks to its basswood body, pale moon ebony top and the 9-piece panga panga/walnut neck (which features graphite reinforcement rods). For ultimate playing comfort, the multi-scale neck takes you from 33” at the 1st string to 35” at the 5th string, and you get 24 medium stainless steel frets. You also get rock solid appointments like Schaller S-Locks strap pins, and it comes with a gig bag too.Next up we have the more slightly more traditional Talman, although the TMB425B is a 5-string model in satin Flat Black. This is a load of bass for a great price – the launch pricing is $499/€449 – and simply looks built to rock! Here, you get a Dynamix P and J pickup for classic bass sounds in any style, alongside an okoume body and a 34” scale roasted maple neck with an ebanol fretboard.As well as being a great choice for a beginner player, I feel the Talman may be a top choice for a guitar player looking to take steps into bass territory – and there’s a 4-string version available too!Next up is the 5-string BTB945, and this is another real all-rounder. Coming in at $1,399/€1,349 at launch, the BTB945 is equipped with a pair of Nordstrand Big Single pickups and it features 24 medium stainless steel frets on its 35” scale neck-thru-body construction. The body is okoume/ash, and the 5-piece neck is maple/walnut with a rosewood board. Finally, we take in the top of the range Prestige SR3505. This Japan-made 5-string is top of the line and has everything any pro bassist needs for a lifetime of superlative performance. This is reflected in the appointments and the $2,399/€2,299 launch price!The SR3505 features an ash body and a 5-piece maple/walnut neck with a rosewood fingerboard housing 24 medium frets. Tones come from two Nordstrand Big Single Coils and an Ibanez Sonitech preamp with 3-Band EQ, plus a three-way mid frequency switch with Hexa Mid system.So, if you’re looking for a new bass in 2025, hopefully this video will give you some food for thought on which is the best value for you and your needs. Let me know which bass was your favorite in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today00:59 Bass 1: Ibanez Bass Workshop EHB5MSBSP Multi-scale in Midnight Arctic Ocean Matte04:07 Bass 2: Talman TMB425B in Black Flat07:53 Rocking out with the Talman!09:14 Bass 3: BTB945 in Cosmic Blue Low Gloss13:17 Bass 4: SR3505 Prestige in Black19:57 Which bass would Tommy choose?20:50 Which bass would Rich choose?22:10 Thanks, check out Tommy and goodbyeMake sure you check out Tommy here: youtube.com/@TommyLeeDeppEnjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Ibanez #IbanezBass #IbanezBTB #Bass #BassGuitar #BassGuitars #BassPlayer #MultiscaleBass #RichWordsMusic #TommyLeeDepp@TommyLeeDepp @IbanezOfficial @IbanezGermany
Behringer Fuzz Bender vs JHS Bender, Keeley Fuzz Bender + ToneX Tone Bender capture! Blind Shootout Rich. Words. Music. 2025-01-03 | Today we’re comparing four Tone Bender-type fuzzes – the Behringer Fuzz Bender, the JHS Legends Of Fuzz Bender, the Keeley Fuzz Bender… and a free Tone Bender capture I loaded into my ToneX One that sounds amazing!-----Get these fuzzes at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/iw03ud5k0eOr at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/LXbvzL-----Oh, and we’re doing the comparison as a blind test too! So your challenge is to see if you can work out which one is which. Place your guesses in the comments and we’ll see how many of you managed to work out which is which.This video came about after the release of the Behringer Fuzz Bender. This is based on the iconic Sola Sound Tone Bender MK 1.5 – but while it’s a vintage fuzz in terms of build and circuit, it comes with the thoroughly tiny price tag of $69/€59! So, this pedal looks like a great way to get into ‘vintage’ fuzz at a massively affordable price, and this is precisely why I bought myself one.And, naturally, I wanted to compare it to the other two Benders in my collection: the JHS Bender and the Keeley Fuzz Bender, both of which are USA-built and cost considerably more than the Behringer. They’re also both based on the MKIII Tone Bender, so give you more tonal options, and the Keeley also has a Bias control. This gives you access to the kind of splattery, sputtery, gated, Velcro fuzz tones that are so beloved by modern players like Jack White.The final pedal in today’s comparison is a Tone Bender capture I stumbled across for the ToneX One pedal. Being digital, it’s a different kettle of fuzz fish to the other three pedals, but it more than holds its own in the shootout here.Here are the rules of the blind fuzz challenge: I play a succession of riffs with each of the four pedals. Each pedal has a letter: A, B, C or D. Your challenge is to guess which is which!Let me know if you guess the Behringer correctly, and also tell me which of the pedals you think sounds best in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Intro and what we’re doing today01:13 Behringer Fuzz Bender specs and info01:53 JHS Bender specs and info02:56 Keeley Fuzz Bender specs and info04:20 ToneX One specs and info05:46 Today’s rig and plan07:27 Amp’s clean and crunch tones without pedals07:41 Smashing Pumpkins-esque riff (bridge pickup, coil split, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)08:23 Classic rock tone (neck pickup, guitar volume rolled down, amp clean channel)08:51 White Stripes-esque tone (bridge pickup, coil split, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)09:15 Hendrix-esque tone (neck pickup, guitar volume full, amp crunch channel)09:38 Garage rock riff (bridge pickup, coil split, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)10:33 Led Zeppelin-esque riff (bridge pickup, guitar volume rolled down, amp clean channel)10:57 Quacky classic rock tone (bridge/middle pickup, guitar volume rolled down, amp clean channel)11:44 Grungey riff (bridge pickup, coil split, guitar volume full, amp crunch channel)12:11 Rolling Stones-esque riff (neck pickup, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)12:38 Jack White tone (bridge pickup, coil split, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)13:24 Blues rock riff (neck pickup, guitar volume rolled down, amp clean channel)13:48 Indie rock riff (bridge/middle pickup, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)14:33 Garage rock melodic riff (bridge pickup, coil split, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)14:50 Indie riff (neck pickup, guitar volume rolled down, amp clean channel)15:19 Rockabilly double stops (neck pickup, guitar volume rolled down, amp clean channel)15:44 Sleazy rock riff (bridge pickup, guitar volume full, amp clean channel)16:17 Sludge/doom riff (bridge pickup, guitar volume full, amp crunch channel)16:58 The big reveal18:27 These four pedals are all excellent18:56 Behringer Fuzz Bender opinions19:33 JHS Bender opinions19:56 Keeley Fuzz Bender opinions20:18 ToneX One opinions21:05 Why you should buy the Behringer Fuzz BenderMy setup was as follows: I ran the pedals into the front end of my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 amp, then went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Behringer #FuzzPedal #FuzzPedals #JHSPedals #KeeleyElectronics #ToneX*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@behringer @jhspedals @KeeleyElectronicsEdmond @ikmultimedia
The best guitar gear of 2024 | The top six-strings, pedals, amps and more with Leigh Fuge! Rich. Words. Music. 2024-12-27 | What was the best guitar gear of 2024? Which guitars, amps and pedals have got us the most excited over the past 12 months?In this video, I’m joined by my good friend – and professional guitar gear expert and touring musician – Leigh Fuge to talk about exactly that! Leigh and I discuss the best instruments and accessories that we’ve had the fortune to play this year, as well as a few that we haven’t yet tried, but would love to if we had the chance.-----Check out all the gear at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/ckrb62dxd7And at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/09GqBY-----Here’s the various parts of the chat with some links to the relevant products:00:00 Hello and introGuitars02:22 B&G Guitars Little Sister: bngguitars.com/collections/all/products/crossroads-little-sister-cutaway-p90s-midnight-ocean08:21 Ibanez IC420 Iceman: ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/ic420_4l_01.html12:35 Harley Benton SC-Custom III Active VBK: thmn.to/thoprod/570157?offid=1&affid=125016:17 Harley Benton ST-Modern: thmn.to/thoprod/573382?offid=1&affid=125021:47 Sceptre Levinson Ventana Standard: levinsonsceptre.com/product/gen2-sv1-sbl27:45 Honorable mentions: PJD Carey Apprentice Standard Silverburst: pjdguitars.com/product-page/carey-apprentice-standard29:57 Vintage REVO Surfmaster Thinline Twin: vintageguitarsrus.com/products/vintage-revo-series-surfmaster-thinline-twin-electric-guitar-greenburst?_pos=1&_sid=7ef064b9c&_ss=r31:36 Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus: usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/el_guitars/pacifica/index.html34:44 Will we see a more affordable Pacifica Element in 2025?37:25 Fender Player II Series: fender.com/en-US/electric-series/player-iiFX Pedals41:00 Jim Dunlop Eric Clapton Cry Baby Wah: jimdunlop.com/eric-clapton-cry-baby-wah44:18 Rich finally got his Analogman King Of Tone this year: youtube.com/watch?v=6DyU9ySA5xE47:35 Nobels ODR-1X and ODR-mini 2: https://nobels.de/produkte/?lang=en49:35 Leigh is still really enjoying the Wampler Belle: wamplerpedals.com/products/distortion-overdrive/belle51:14 Origin Effects Halcyon Blue: origineffects.com/product/halcyon-blue-overdrive54:30 Shnobel Tone Daily Driver Boost: shnobeltone.com/product-page/daily-driver-boost55:57 NUX ’63 Diamond: nuxaudio.com/63diamond.html57:50 Free The Tone Overdriveland: freethetone.com/en/products/detail7259:43 The thing about Dumble amps and pedals…01:01:42 Nobels DEL-mini: youtube.com/watch?v=_gVttfYL2c801:03:03 Why the Boss DM-2 is still the boss of delays for Leigh01:07:03 Leigh’s honorable FX mentions: Line 6 POD Express: line6.com/podexpress01:08:53 Poly Effects Ample: polyeffects.com/polyeffects/p/ample01:13:54 Rich’s honorable mentions: JHS Hard Drive: jhspedals.info/collections/fuzz-distortion/products/hard-drive01:14:20 Beetronics Tuna Fuzz: beetronicsfx.com/products/tuna-fuzz01:14:55 Line 6 HX One: line6.com/hx-one01:16:55 JHS Flight Delay: jhspedals.info/collections/delay/products/flight-delay01:17:13 Revv G3 5th Anniversary Edition: revvamplification.com/products/g301:17:25 Keeley OCTA PSI: robertkeeley.com/product/octa-psi-transfigurating-fuzz01:17:43 Fender Hello Kitty Fuzz: fender.com/en-US/effects-pedals/boost-gain/fender-x-hello-kitty-pink-fuzz-pedal/0234557000.html01:18:07 Leigh’s secret 2025 tip!Amplifiers01:19:20 IK Multimedia ToneX One: ikmultimedia.com/products/tonexone01:25:04 Blackstar TV-10 A/B: blackstaramps.com/tv-10-series-launch-page01:27:15 Friedman PLEX: friedmanamplification.com/shop/heads/plex01:28:31 Tube amps are no longer the first choice for many players01:33:24 Leigh got himself a Peavey 6505 this year!01:34:50 Laney Lionheart Loudpedal: laney.co.uk/amps/guitar/lionheart/bccloudpedal-ltq01:37:07 Boss Katana Gen 3: boss.info/global/categories/amplifiers/katana01:40:04 It’s the affordable gear that’s impressed most this year01:41:24 Jack White and why artists are still so relevant in the gear world01:43:33 Our hopes for new guitar gear in 202501:45:47 Harley Benton and Behringer have big plans in 2025 it seems!01:47:42 Thanks for watching and check out Leigh’s new band, Bad Deeds: youtube.com/watch?v=uLGfE2wswwISub to Leigh here: youtube.com/@LeighFugeGuitarEnjoy! ----- #GuitarGear #NewGuitarGear #ToneX #HarleyBenton #BestGuitars #42GSSix*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@LeighFugeGuitar
The one ESSENTIAL piece of new guitar gear in 2024 was… (NOT SPONSORED!) Rich. Words. Music. 2024-12-20 | As 2024 draws to a close, I thought I’d reflect on the one piece of guitar gear I’ve bought this year that I think is an essential purchase for basically every guitarist and bass player out there regardless of where you’re at on your musical journey… it’s the humble IK Multimedia ToneX One!-----Get a ToneX One at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/586125?offid=1&affid=1250Or at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/k0rdRN-----It might be tiny – and cheap at around $170/€149 – but the ToneX One has made me play guitar more this year than I have in… well, many years.This partly because there’s loads of amazing (and free!) tones and sounds available in the ToneNet software and on the peal itself that cover any style of music for guitar and bass, but also because I’ve found myself able to use the ToneX One in so many different musical and creative settings.It’s been my entire amp/cab rig. It’s been an overdrive pedal in an otherwise analogue setup. It’s been an audio interface. A tuner. A silent practice device. And an inspiration machine when I’ve been on vacations and business trips and just wanted to jam out in my hotel room.You can run the ToneX One on its own – you just need a guitar and lead, a power cable, and headphones, and you’re good – or in so many different studio, live and practice combinations that I always find a place for it in my setup.That said, though, it would all be for nothing if the sounds weren’t good. Thankfully, they are! The ToneX One has been the first modeling device that has convinced me with its tones AND with its dynamic playing feel.And all this is why I think this humble and affordable mini pedal is 2024’s most essential piece of guitar gear. And I’ll go ahead and say it may well take this honor in 2025 as well! I’d love to hear what your nominations would be for the most essential pieces of guitar gear in 2024, so let me know in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello!01:39 THE BIG REVEAL02:29 Why the ToneX One is so good! Price03:04 Sounds and playing feel04:09 Easy to use04:31 Versatility and usage options06:10 It’s incredibly inspirational07:12 The not-so-good stuff07:50 Final thoughts and goodbyeThis is Amalgam Audio (no affiliation!) who have some of the best free ToneX presets I’ve discovered so far: youtube.com/@amalgamaudioLVAnd The Studio Rats, who are also making some great presets: youtube.com/watch?v=KcTn0wfS2w8Here’s a video from @The Tone Shepherd which really helped me when it comes to navigating the ToneX/ToneNet software: youtube.com/watch?v=hulUFgMELdUAnd a general ToneX One explainer video from @GalTone Studio which I found really helpful too: youtube.com/watch?v=J47E53j2SGk-----Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#IKMultimedia #ToneXOne #ToneX #ToneXPedal #GuitarGear*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@ikmultimedia
HUGE guitar sounds with the Ibanez RG550-EB, Orange Rockerverb MKIII, Fur Coat and Getaway Driver! Rich. Words. Music. 2024-12-13 | Today I’m joined by my good friend, the shred-tastic guitarist that is Carsten Stepanowicz, to check out some Orange amps and pedals and a sweet new Ibanez RG550 guitar at 42 Gear Street Six!-----Get all the gear at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/6m8xr5t5afAnd at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/XmmJBb-----Carsten and I are both pretty much newbies when it comes to Orange amps, and so we jumped at the chance to get in the room with the brand’s iconic Rockerverb 50 MKIII head. A UK-made, all-tube beast with two monstrous channels and a genuine spring reverb, the Rockerverb is an absolute tonal weapon.Alongside the Rockerverb, we plugged into two of Orange’s FX pedals – the criminally underrated Getaway Driver overdrive and the Fur Coat octave fuzz – to see how the Rockerverb would cope with them. The Getaway Driver is a classic “amp in a box” drive pedal voiced after Orange’s rock and roll amplifiers from the 1970s, while the Fur Coat is based on the iconic Foxx Tone Machine fuzz.Guitar-wise, we’re plugged into the 2024 Ibanez RG550-EB – a perfect axe for someone with the chops of Carsten! This guitar is part of the Ibanez Genesis Collection and it’s outfitted with Ibanez’s fast and slinky Super Wizard neck, 24 jumbo frets and a super versatile HSH pickup configuration. Combined with an Edge bridge and locking nut for divebombs galore, the RG550 is ideal for anyone who takes their riffs – and playing accurately at speed – seriously.I hope you enjoy watching Carsten and me exploring the various tonal options of this mighty guitar rig! Let me know your thoughts on the tones in the comments, and let whether you think I should try more Orange gear in future!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello and the gear we’re looking at today01:38 The Ibanez RG550-EB02:11 Who plays Orange amps?03:43 The Rockerverb’s Clean Channel05:56 The Dirty Channel07:44 The Getaway Driver overdrive discussion and tones (amp’s Clean channel)11:25 The Fur Coat fuzz discussion and tones (amp’s Clean channel)14:36 How Rich came to love fuzz15:36 Rich’s crippling fear of playing guitar in music stores16:24 Carsten’s weird music store experience18:29 The Getaway Driver on the amp’s Dirty channel19:46 “JUST DIME EVERYTHING.” Fur Coat on the amp’s Dirty channel – a Boss HM-2 tone?21:56 Where to out a fuzz pedal in your signal chain?22:37 Final thoughts and goodbyeBe sure to check out Carsten’s channel here: youtube.com/channel/UCJIxTy7sFtxkDtGqq1CpoYgEnjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#OrangeAmplifiers #OrangeAmplification #Ibanez #IbanezRG #RG550 #IbanezGuitars #IbanezRG550 #42GSSix #42GearStreet #42GearStreetSix*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@CarstenStepanowicz @EytschPi42 @OrangeAmplifiers @IbanezGermany @IbanezOfficial
Harley Benton’s 3 best sub €200 guitars! ST-Modern vs TE-62CC vs JA-60CC | Budget Guitar Shootout Rich. Words. Music. 2024-12-06 | Today we’re trying to find the best Harley Benton guitar for under €200/$200! I’m comparing the ST-Modern – which is a take on a modern Fender HSS Stratocaster – the Telecaster-inspired TE-62CC and the JA-60CC, which is an offset akin to a Jazzmaster or Jaguar.-----Get the ST-Modern here: thmn.to/thoprod/573382?offid=1&affid=1250Get the TE-62CC here: thmn.to/thoprod/502822?offid=1&affid=1250Get the JA-60CC here: thmn.to/thoprod/514488?offid=1&affid=1250-----When I tried the ST-Modern, I was astounded by how good it is for the €179 asking price. You get a roasted maple neck, locking tuners, a compound radius fingerboard and a great set of HBZ pickups for this price. And the guitar plays, feels, sounds and looks great too!Having researched this a bit, I’m not sure there’s any other reputable brands offering these features and performance for that price – but please let me know in the comments if you know of any competitors to the budget guitar crown!In fact, after all my looking, the two guitars I found that I do think might be able to compete with the ST-Modern are also Harley Benton models – and guitars that I paid my own money for. The TE-65CC is, at €149, even cheaper than the ST-Modern, and it’s an awesome take on the Fender/Squier Telecaster. Featuring a caramelized maple neck with a sleek Modern D profile and Roswell Tele-style pickups, the TE-62CC is a rock solid guitar and provides all the T-style tones I could ever need. It’s got a rather lovely Lake Placid Blue finish too!Meanwhile, the JA-60CC is – like the ST-Modern – 179, and resplendent in Seafoam Green. Here, you also get a lovely roasted maple neck (this time with a slightly chunkier C shape) with a bound laurel fingerboard and block inlays. It’s a lovely looking guitar, and it sounds beautiful too, thanks to its pair of Roswell JM pickups.But, can either of these guitars keep up with the ST-Modern? That’s what we’re about to find out! In this video, I play the three guitars in as many musical styles as possible (from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more), so you can really hear how they compare – and hopefully we can decide on which is the best electric guitar out there for under $200!Let me know which one you think is best in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:14 Intro and what we’re doing today01:32 Today’s comparison02:32 ST-Modern specs and info04:53 TE-62CC specs and info06:30 JA-60CC specs and info08:24 Today’s rig and planClean Sounds09:17 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings10:21 Wolfmother inspired droning riff10:40 Blues progression11:14 Funky rhythms11:39 Strummed country chords11:58 Country ballad arpeggios12:21 Country lead sound12:40 Grungey open chords13:15 Atmospheric indie arpeggiosLight & Medium Overdrive Sounds 13:34 Fat indie rock rhythm chords14:04 Alternative rock riffs14:25 Kings Of Leon inspired riff14:40 Indie octave chords15:06 Upbeat indie barre chords15:25 Indie rhythms15:49 Choppy barre chords16:07 Alt rock arpeggios16:42 AC/DC rock riff16:56 Quacky rock riff17:13 Airbourne inspired rock riff17:47 Hendrix inspired riff18:04 Groovy classic rock riffHeavy Overdrive Sounds18:31 Classic hard rock riff18:49 80s rock riff19:10 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff19:28 Alternative rock riff19:51 Pop punk riff20:12 Thrash metal riff20:31 Progressive rock riff21:00 Modern rock palm-muted chordsHeavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)21:24 Metal chugging riff21:59 Hardcore punk breakdown22:15 Heavy metal lead sound22:30 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang23:06 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff23:19 Hardcore punk riff23:54 My thoughts24:39 First impressions and price25:17 Looks25:50 Build quality and hardware26:39 Playability and necks27:43 Sounds and pickups discussion30:30 Which guitar is best? Which should you buy?My setup was as follows: I ran the guitars into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed and my Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#HarleyBenton #HarleyBentonGuitar #HarleyBentonGuitars #HarleyBentonOfficial #Thomann #OffsetGuitars*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@HarleyBentonOfficial @ThomannsGuitarsBasses
Nobels ODR-mini 2 | Unbeatable overdrive tones and versatility for $80! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2024-11-28 | This is the Nobels ODR-mini 2 – the new mini flagship in the iconic ODR-1 overdrive pedal family!-----Get the ODR-mini 2 at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/602237?offid=1&affid=1250Nobels pedals at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/k0LDZN-----And get the full lowdown at the Nobels site: https://nobels.de/produkte/?lang=enWe all know the Nobels ODR-1 these days. An amazing transparent and sparkly overdrive pedal, it was long the secret weapon of the Nashville session pros – but now it’s gained mass acceptance, and the ODR-1 is a staple on pedalboards across the globe and in every conceivable genre of music.Nobels recently launched the newest ODR-1 pedals – the fully-sized ODR-1X, and its smaller sibling, the ODR-mini 2.The ODR-mini 2 takes what was great about the original ODR-mini (which was almost everything) and adds a couple of awesome extra features to make it a pedalboard must-have!The most crucial difference is the addition of the Bass Cut knob. This handy control allows you to wind out any unwanted low end in your signal, tightening up your tone to taste when needed. This comes in extremely handy when thinning out fat-sounding humbuckers, which had a tendency to be way too boomy with the OG ODR-mini.Alongside the standard Drive, Level and Spectrum (tone) controls, the Bass Cut knob really gives the ODR-mini 2 a whole extra level of tonal versatility compared to its predecessor, and makes it 100% usable 100% of the time.Nobels have also updated the design of the pedal. It’s a tiny bit wider and chunkier than a standard mini pedal (like the original ODR-mini), and it also now has the black control face of the other Nobels pedals (like the new DEL-mini delay and the full-sized ODR-1 pedals) so it really feels like part of the family. Oh, and it also comes with Nobels’ handy Mounty P mounting plates as standard.Finally, the ODR-mini 2 is true bypass, and you can also run it at 9-18v – just in case you need the extra headroom 18 volts offers!That’s a lot of pedal for the €77 the ODR-mini 2 currently costs in Europe… but just how good is it? Is that new Bass Cut really worth it, and is it truly worth buying if you already have the ODR-1 or ODR-mini?That’s what we’re about to find out! In this video, I put the pedal through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more. You’ll hear single coil tones – courtesy of my Fender Telecaster – and humbucker sounds from my Epiphone Les Paul, and there’s even a loop where I shoot out the two ODR-mini pedals!And don’t forget to check out my video where I compare the entire Nobels ODR family, including the ODR-1X, the brand new ODR-mini 2, the ODR-1 30th Anniversary Edition, and ODR-1 BC, and the original ODR-mini: youtube.com/watch?v=GyfFRJGlRM4Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello!00:20 Introduction to the ODR-mini 202:10 Pedal controls and features03:55 Today’s rig and plan04:59 Clean tone reference chords and turning on the ODR-mini 205:38 Pushed clean tones07:46 Indie + alternative rock tones10:02 Classic rock tones12:13 Hard rock tones14:12 Punk rock tones15:19 Progressive rock tones16:15 Metal tones17:23 Bass Cut knob roll off test19:11 ODR-mini 2 as a boost into an overdriven amp20:00 Fender Telecaster indie rock loop + ODR-mini comparison25:04 Epiphone Les Paul classic rock loop + ODR-mini comparison29:23 My thoughts30:19 Things I like: sounds, Bass Cut knob, versatility31:40 Build quality, looks, other features32:29 What don’t I like?33:03 Should you get the ODR-mini 2 or the ODR-1X?34:59 Other great mini transparent overdrive pedals35:41 Thanks and goodbyeMy setup was as follows: I ran the ODR-mini 2 straight into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. That went from the amp’s Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to play the loops.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#NobelsOfficial #NobelsODR1 #NobelsODR1X #NobelsODRMini #OverdrivePedal #TransparentOverdrive #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@nobelsofficial5766
Nobels DEL-mini | €99 three-mode stereo mini delay with tap tempo! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2024-11-26 | This is the Nobels DEL-mini – a new €99 stereo multi-delay pedal with tap tempo from the ODR-1 overdrive legends themselves!-----Get the DEL-mini at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/604392?offid=1&affid=1250At Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/kO0QLd-----And the full lowdown at the Nobels site: https://nobels.de/produkte/?lang=enIf your memory goes back far enough – or your googling skills do – you’ll know that Nobels have dabbled in delay before, with the quirky DD-800 in the 1990s.Now they’re back at it with the DEL-mini, a tiny and smart looking pedal that visually is the blue brother of the (also new) ODR-mini 2 overdrive. Green for overdrive, blue for delay… it’s just the way!The DEL-mini packs plenty into its small enclosure. You get three classic delay modes – Tape, Analog and Digital – and Time, Feedback and Mix knobs to control your repeats. There’s only one footswitch, but hold it down for two seconds and it switches to tap tempo mode. You also have switches to choose between true and buffered bypass (in buffered modes you get delay trails) and Mono and Stereo modes. Quite a lot for your €99, then, but how good does the DEL-mini sound? That’s what we’re about to find out! In this video, I try the DEL-mini in as many different musical styles and settings as I can to see just how good and versatile it really is.We'll try everything from subtle slap back delay sounds for country, rock and blues to more ambient indie and alternative rock tones, Edge-esque U2-inspired stadium rock sounds, thickeners for distorted guitar, and I even hook the DEL-mini up to my TC Electronic Hall Of Fame reverb pedal for some proper ambient (and stereo!) walls of sound! I’ll also run a loop where we really get to twist the knobs and test out the extremes to which you can get the pedal to go.Let me know your thoughts on the DEL-mini in the comments!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello!00:20 Introduction to the DEL-mini01:23 Nobels made a delay pedal?!02:05 Pedal controls and features03:17 Today’s rig and plan04:22 Clean reference tone and turning on the DEL-mini04:45 Tape delay tones08:14 Analog delay tones11:23 Feedback knob/self-oscillation test12:10 Mix knob test12:55 Time knob test13:23 Digital delay tones16:31 Overdrive + delay tones17:07 Ambient delay tones (with the TC Hall Of Fame reverb)19:50 Ambient guitar loop with tonal tweaking26:52 My thoughts28:32 Digital mode29:06 Analog mode29:45 Tape mode31:07 Other features31:42 What would I change?32:54 What other similar delay pedals are out there?33:48 My conclusions on the DEL-mini and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran my ToneX One pedal into the DEL-mini. That went in stereo into my TC Electronic Hall Of Fame reverb, which then went directly into two channels simultaneously on my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which in turn went into Logic Pro X. That’s it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to record and play the loop. Here’s some links to those bits of gear:---At Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mAt Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#NobelsOfficial #DELmini #NobelsDELmini #DelayPedal #RichWordsMusic *Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@nobelsofficial5766
Nobels ODR-1X | They just made the world’s best overdrive pedal even better?! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2024-11-25 | This is the Nobels ODR-1X – the new flagship of the iconic ODR-1 overdrive pedal family!-----Nobels pedals at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thocf/1emj1eaampNobels pedals at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/k0LDZN-----And get the full lowdown at the Nobels site: https://nobels.de/produkte/?lang=enThe Nobels ODR-1 is a legendary overdrive. Once the secret weapon of the Nashville session pros for its transparent tones and its crispy Telecaster twang enhancements, the ODR-1 is now a staple on pedalboards across the globe and in every conceivable genre of music.And, now, the ODR-1X marks the latest – and possibly greatest – iteration of the Nobels overdrive stable. The ODR-1X looks very similar to previous ODR-1 pedals with its beefy slime green enclosure and its chunky Boss-esque footswitch, but look closer and you’ll see that it offers you more features than any of its predecessors.Most significantly, it has two awesome extra control features – a variable Bass Cut knob (which lets you gradually wind out any unwanted low end flubbiness in your signal and tighten up your tone), and a Gain Boost switch, which can add up to a whopping 29 dB of gain to your signal!Together with the ODR-1X’s Drive, Level, and Spectrum (tone) controls, you should really be able to get all sorts of sounds out of this pedal.Then there’s the other extras: the ODR-1X can also be switched between true and buffered bypass, it takes 9-18v power supplies (so more headroom if you need it) and you can use up to a two-button footswitch with it to remotely control the Gain Boost and turn the pedal on or off. Finally, it comes with a set of Nobels’ cool Mounty-P mounting plates, to help you attach it to your pedalboard.As of November 2024, the ODR-1X is about €150 in Europe, so we can expect it to be around the $150 mark in the USA too – which I think is extremely reasonable, considering all the pedal offers.But how good is it really? That’s what we’re about to find out! In this video, I put the ODR-1X through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more. I also try out all of the different features, plus there’s single coil tones – courtesy of my Fender Telecaster – and humbucker sounds from my Epiphone Les Paul.Let me know your thoughts on the ODR-1X in the comments!And don’t forget to check out my video where I compare the entire Nobels ODR family, including the ODR-1X, the brand new ODR-mini 2, the ODR-1 30th Anniversary Edition, and ODR-1 BC, and the original ODR-mini: youtube.com/watch?v=GyfFRJGlRM4Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello!00:20 Introduction to the ODR-1X01:27 Pedal controls and features03:07 Today’s rig and plan04:16 Clean tone reference chords and turning on the ODR-1X05:06 Pushed clean tones06:50 Indie/alternative rock tones09:00 Classic rock tones10:42 Hard rock tones12:26 Punk rock tones13:33 Progressive rock tones 14:40 Metal tones16:17 ODR-1X as a boost into an overdriven amp17:04 Bass Cut knob roll off test18:33 True Bypass vs Buffered Bypass test20:06 Fender Telecaster indie rock loop25:10 Epiphone Les Paul classic rock loop and ODR-1 BC comparison (feat. TC Spark Booster)29:30 My thoughts29:51 Things I like: sounds and versatility31:03 Gain Boost and Bass Cut controls31:47 Build quality, looks, bypass options32:26 I love that Nobels is listening to guitar players32:46 What don’t I like?33:09 The price is decent33:17 The ODR-mini 2 and should you upgrade your ODR-1?34:05 My conclusions on the ODR-1X and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the ODR-1X straight into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head. That went from the amp’s Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done. Oh, and I used my Boss RC-10R to play the loops.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Enjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#NobelsOfficial #NobelsODR1 #NobelsODR1X #NobelsODRMini #OverdrivePedal #TransparentOverdrive #RichWordsMusic*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@nobelsofficial5766
Line 6 POD Express | This is how easy it is to make presets for beginners (+ the HX One for backup!) Rich. Words. Music. 2024-11-22 | Today I’m joined by YouTube guitar gear gurus Leigh Fuge and Jake Leigh to get an introduction to – and dial in some killer presets on – the Line 6 POD Express guitar amp modeler, with a little bit of help from the HX One multi-FX unit!-----Get the POD Express at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/587597?offid=1&affid=1250POD Express at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/yq22Rb-----At 42 Gear Street Six, Jake and I got our first taste of the POD Express, and Leigh – who’s something of an expert on this budget box of wonders – showed us how to make our first sounds and store our own presets. Despite being a small and startlingly affordable package (it’s around $179/€189), the POD Express has a number of amps, cabs, and effects built in – with tones coming from the more expensive Helix range – plus an array of secondary functions and features to make some surprisingly sophisticated tones.These are delivered alongside cracking bonus additions like a built-in looper and tuner, so this is really an all-in-one rig for home use, practice, recording and more. (It has a headphones out for silent practice and the POD Express doubles as an audio interface too!) That said, it’s a wonderfully intuitive unit to use, and has clearly been designed so that guitarists of any experience level can get started making music with it straight away.We began with Jake making himself a nice fat high-gain preset for heavy rock and metal sounds. Next up was Leigh, who wanted to get a raunchy 80s rock tone, and then for me we dialed in a nice ambient indie/alternative sound on a cleaner amp with a big reverb.What Jake and I learned pretty quickly is that, once you know your way around the unit, you can be cooking up great tones on the POD Express in around five minutes. We then coupled the POD Express with the HX One to add some lush chorus to Jake’s sound… and we were done!I hope you enjoy this foray into the POD Express. Let me know your thoughts on the tones in the comments, and let whether you think I should get a POD Express in for more videos in future!Here are some links to the various parts of the video:00:00 Hello and what we’re doing today01:10 Who is the POD Express for?02:09 Amp/cab/DI options03:36 Other cool hidden POD Express features05:13 Making a preset for Jake08:45 High gain sounds with chorus, flanger and phaser10:36 Adding a bit of delay12:01 How to save a POD Express preset12:55 Making a preset for Leigh – 80s rock19:12 Making a preset for Rich – clean with reverb and tremolo26:09 Using HX One to find some chorus for Jake’s preset29:44 POD Express price30:19 How we would use the POD Express32:23 Final thoughts and goodbyeLine 6 HX One at Thomann (EU): thmn.to/thoprod/578046?offid=1&affid=1250Line 6 HX One at Sweetwater (USA): sweetwater.sjv.io/DyKKVaSub to Leigh here: youtube.com/@LeighFugeGuitarSub to Jake here: youtube.com/c/JakeLeighGuitar Oh, and don’t forget to check out Valiant guitars, who we used throughout the video alongside the new Yamaha Pacifica: valiantguitars.comEnjoy! ----- Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#Line6 #PODExpress #HXOne #42GSSix #42GearStreet #42GearStreetSix*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!*@LeighFugeGuitar @JakeLeighGuitar @EytschPi42
Harley Benton ST-Modern | The best budget HSS Strat you can buy in 2025?! In-depth Review & Demo Rich. Words. Music. 2024-11-14 | This is the Harley Benton ST-Modern in Sea Foam Green: a new, super affordable HSS Strat style guitar with great specs alongside modern playability and feel!Get the ST-Modern here: thmn.to/thoprod/573382?offid=1&affid=1250I said super affordable… the ST-Modern is €179. That puts it squarely at the same budget price point as the cheapest Squier guitars – the HSS Sonic Strat in this case, which is also €179 in Europe – but what you get for your money here is, frankly, pretty ridiculous!The ST-Modern has a poplar body and a roasted maple neck for starters. It’s a modern feeling neck, with a comfy modern D profile and a compound 12-16” fingerboard radius. There’s a 42 mm graphite nut, the scale length is 25.5”, and you get 22 medium jumbo nickel silver frets with rounded ends on a laurel board.At the headstock, you get Sung-Il locking tuners. You also get a double action truss rod with the adjustment wheel at the body – and I love that easy access, especially at this price point.So far, so good. At the body, we have excellent upper fret access thanks to the deep double cutaway and contouring, and the HSS pickups (the bridge humbucker also has a coil split for even more tones) are Harley Benton’s own HBZ brand. The vibrato bridge is Sung-Il.All things considered, this is a lot of guitar – on paper – for the money. HSS Stratocaster-types are supposed to be some of the most versatile out there, but just how good can the ST-Modern be for this price? And is it simply worth dropping the extra cash for the extras (like stainless steel frets) you get with the excellent ST-Modern Plus?That’s what we’re about to find out! In this video, I put the ST-Modern through its paces in as many different musical styles as I can, from country, folk and indie, to pop, rock, punk, metal, and more.Let me know your thoughts on the ST-Modern in the comments!Here are some links to the various playing samples and info bits:00:00 Hello!00:21 Introduction to the ST-Modern01:37 Specs and info04:55 Today’s rig and planClean Sounds05:35 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings06:06 Grungey droning chords06:25 Funk rhythms06:38 Country tones06:58 Ascending droning indie chords07:11 Blues progression07:22 Jangly chords07:43 Ringing open indie pop chords07:57 Art pop chords08:15 Tone control test09:17 Strummed folk pop chordsLight and Medium Overdrive Sounds09:34 Kings Of Leon inspired riff09:40 Fat indie rock rhythm chords10:13 Southern rock arpeggios10:32 Garage rock riff10:49 Choppy barre chords11:07 Upbeat indie barre chords11:30 Volume control roll off test11:52 Indie octave chords12:18 Airbourne inspired rock riff12:29 AC/DC inspired riff12:47 Quacky rock riff12:56 Classic rock riffs13:36 Hendrix inspired riffFuzz Sounds (JHS Bender)13:55 Black Keys inspired riff14:10 Alt rock riff14:43 Classic fuzz rock15:11 Indie rock melodic riffHeavy Overdrive Sounds15:31 Van Halen inspired riff15:52 Glam rock riff16:12 Single note melodic rock riff16:33 80s rock riff16:55 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff17:13 Punk rock sounds18:21 Progressive rock riff18:36 Modern rock palm-muted chords19:01 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff19:17 Thrash riffHeavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)19:26 Metal chugging riff19:43 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang19:55 Heavy metal lead sound20:10 Hardcore punk riffs20:58 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff21:11 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff21:56 My thoughts22:41 First impressions and looks23:08 Weight23:39 Build quality and hardware25:11 Playability and neck26:06 Volume knob position26:49 Sounds and pickups29:51 What other similar HSS guitars are out there?30:29 Is the ST-Modern Plus worth the extra money?32:29 Other competitors34:19 My conclusions on the ST-Modern and why you should buy itMy setup was as follows: I ran the guitar into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, also using my Greer Lightspeed, JHS Bender and Revv G3 pedals for overdrive and heavy distortion sounds (and a cheeky TC Triple Delay for the lead sound!). The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.---Get all this gear at Thomann: thmn.to/thocf/jkhog8l06mGet all this gear at Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/LXqdE0---Backing music from the YouTube Audio Library: Duck In The Alley – TrackTribe.#HarleyBenton #HarleyBentonGuitar #HarleyBentonGuitars #HarleyBentonOfficial #Strat #Stratocaster #Thomann #ThomannMusic #CheapGuitars*Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!* @HarleyBentonOfficial @ThomannsGuitarsBasses
