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Gibson Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker

Gibson Announces The Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker

Carefully developed in close cooperation with Jett herself, Gibson’s Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker features a lightweight, slab mahogany body with a Worn White finish. The slim-tapered neck profile is handcrafted to the same specs as Jett’s original guitar, with an ebony fingerboard and Gibson’s classic, silk-screened gold logo on the headstock. The tuners are mini-Grovers with authentic “witch hat” knobs, exactly as they are on Jett’s guitar. A “kill” switch replaces the normal Gibson toggle switch, and the body is outfitted with a period-correct black vinyl pickguard.

The classic, snarling growl of Jett’s original Melody Maker is accurately captured by a single Gibson Burstbucker 3 zebra humbucker, slightly overwound with asymmetrical coils, unpolished Alnico II magnets, and all the punch and power of an original Gibson PAF pickup. Add some typical Melody Maker appointments — 24 ¾-inch scale length, and standard Gibson Tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece — and the result is a painstaking and heartfelt tribute to one of the most fearless, groundbreaking artists in rock and roll. Each Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker comes with a Gibson USA hard case and has a MSRP of $839.

Gibson

Gibson Paul Traditional

Gibson Announces The Les Paul Traditional

Gibson has announced a new Les Paul model: the Les Paul Traditional. Taking design and visual cues from the Les Paul models of the 80’s, the Traditional has an unchambered Mahogany body with traditional weight relief holes for a beefy tone that maintains the resonance of modern Les Pauls. The body is capped with a carved Maple top — plain Maple on Ebony and Goldtops, and AA Maple on other finishes. It also has a a short-tenon neck with a rounded, C-shaped profile common on the Les Pauls of the 80’s and 90’s.

The Tradition is also Gibson’s first model to feature the revolutionary Plek system — a computer controlled setup that carefully measures and dresses each fret, accurately measuring the height between the fingerboard and and each string. This virtually eliminates string buzz and provides excellent playability. There is a ’57 classic humbucker in the neck position and a ’57 Classic Pus in the bridge position, providing the traditional tone of the Gibson PAF humbuckers. Other traditional appointments include vintage style Gibson speed knobs, classic Kluson-style tuner by TonePros with higher gear ratios, and a chrome Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar. Each Les Paul Tradition comes with a Gibson standard black snakeskin case. The Tradition retails for $3449.

Gibson

Washburn Announces HM Series Guitars

Washburn HM Series Guitars

The new HM Series includes nine guitars with three different body types, designed from the ground up to be a synergistic guitar uniting the best of Parker and Washburn Guitars. The HM Series from Washburn Guitars utilizes Parker Guitars perfected carbon-glass technology to create an exceptionally fast fingerboard and neck. The stainless steel frets result in a smooth fingerboard to allow heavy metal players everywhere to enjoy an unparalleled playing experience.

The WV540, WM520 and WI550 are all made in the USA at Washburn's Chicago-based U.S. Custom Shop and feature a mahogany body with a mahogany-set neck and Original Floyd Rose bridge. All three guitars come with Grover tuners, EMG pickups and the Buzz Feiten Tuning System.

The more affordable WV40, WV40V, WM24V, WM24, WI50 and WI50V feature the newly introduced Randall Amplifiers humbucking pickups, which have been specifically created to sonically match and strengthen the performance of any guitar amp tone. The engineers at Randall developed the humbucking pickups to further enhance the experience of playing a solid-body guitar in tandem with a premium amplifier.

Washburn

Carvin Debuts The California Single

Carvin California Single Guitar

Carvin's new CS6 California Single guitar is constructed of premium mahogany in both the neck and body. It features a premium 20 mm thick curly flamed maple carved top with a natural binding effect. There is also a matching figured maple headstock overlay. Both the carved top and the headstock overlay have been hand selected and book matched. Adding to the guitar's visual appeal, the instrument's vibrant stained colors feature a triple-step finishing process for extra depth.

The new CS6 features Carvin's rapid play neck that has been designed with unique set-in construction. The California Single has Carvin's exclusive "heel-less" design for uninhibited access — all the way to the 22nd fret. The result is a guitar that is considerably easier to play.

The California Single features a 25-inch scale ebony fingerboard with abalone dot inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets. The CS6 includes sperzel locking tuners along with tone enhancing C22J and C22B classic humbucker pickups. It also features a master volume control and 3-way pickup selector. The guitar's push-pull tone control offers single coil operation for each pickup or both pickups humbucking together.

Carvin

Vox Announces Virage Electric Guitars

Vox Virage Electric Guitars

After 50 years of building amps, Vox is introducing two electric guitars — the Virage Double Cutaway and the Virage Single Cutaway. The Virage Double Cutaway delivers seriously rich tone with a unique three-dimensional ergonomic design for perfect balance and ultimate playability. This new distinctive design features solid wood semi-hollow lightweight construction that lets you perform with ease without sacrificing the tone you need.
Infuse this innovative comfort and ease-of-play with a passive hum-free Three–90 pickup system, and what you’ve got is an instrument that far surpasses any semi-hollow currently on stage. Manufactured in the USA by DiMarzio, this exclusive pickup system is the first-ever to offer a versatile range of distinct tones – clean, crunch, and lead – in each pickup. It’s almost like having a single coil, a P90 and a humbucking pickup all in one.

Vox Virage side view

Featuring the same solid wood, fully carved contoured body construction as the DC, the new Virage Single Cutaway is designed for immediate comfort, immaculate balance and awesome playing ease. The unique integral tone bar construction — same as that found in the DC — lets you capture the warm, singing sustain and richness of a semi-hollow while unleashing the focused attack and articulation of a solid body. The Virage Semi-Hollow Single Cutaway also features the exclusive passive Three–90 pickup system and a hand carved neck joint for superior upper fret access.

Vox Virage website

Larrivee Announces The RS-4 Electric Guitar

Larrivee RS-4 Electric Guitar

Hot on the heels of Taylor's new electrics, Larrivee has announced their own electric guitar — the RS-4. The core of the guitar is a slim South American Mahogany body, overlaid with the industry’s thickest, Flamed Maple carve top (coming in at 3/4” thick.) The single piece South American Mahogany neck is attached with an extra-long mortise & tenon joint. The Indian Rosewood fretboard features a specialty “spoke nut, truss rod” which allows you to adjust the truss rod with the strings at tension (without a special tool.) Two body cutouts add comfort and style to the instrument while reducing weight — the RS-4 weighs in at about 8 lbs. on average. The RS-4 features Jason Lollar’s Imperial Humbuckers, Schaller M6 Tuners & Schaller Strap Locks, LUXE Bumblebee paper-in-oil Capacitors, Switchcraft Switch & Jack, CTS Pots, and vintage Shielded push-back cloth wire. The RS-4 is available in four colors: The traditional Larrivee Tobacco Sunburst, Cherry Sunburst, Charcoal Burst, and Solid Amber.

Larrivee Electrics

Recording King Contemporary Series Acoustics

Recording King Announces All-Solid Wood Contemporary Series Acoustics

With modern styling and original detailing, the new Contemporary Series acoustic guitars from Recording King introduce new traditions to the 21st century. Contemporary Series acoustic guitars are a new benchmark in value and design. These all-solid guitars appeal to a broad cross-section of players who want the expertise of pre-war craftsmanship but the style and look of something truly original.

Available in dreadnaught or 000-style with cutaway and Fishman EQ pickup, each model features a solid AA Sitka spruce top, solid African mahogany or solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, fully scalloped forward-x bracing, a one-piece mahogany neck with a thin "C" profile, half moon tuners and an ebony fretboard and bridge. The RDC-126/127 has black/white purfling on the top and back, a black beveled pickguard, an M.O.P. dot fretboard inlay and maple binding. The RDC-226/227 has top, back and side purfling, maple binding on the body, fretboard and headstock, a contemporary snowflake abalone fretboard inlay and an original "cat eye and diamond" rosette.

Recording King

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