NEW GEAR 4/24: MXR Delay, Suhr CSV Limited Series, BITE Bass and GigRig G3S Controller

Limited Edition Suhr Classic S Vintage strats

Suhr superstrats from the special Classic S Vintage collection are hitting European stores. According to the Californian manufacturer, they should transport players back to the golden era of guitar craft while offering the playability and quality the brand is renowned for. The bodies, available in eight shades with a light Aged Gloss finish, are glued from 3 pieces of alder and the inner edge of the bottom corner is cut deeper to facilitate access to the higher positions of the 12-inch radius variable rosewood fingerboard. The fretboard carries 22 nickel frets and TUSQ nut and is combined with a baked maple neck fitted with a 60's C Vintage Standard period profile. The instrument is equipped with Wilkinson Synchronized tremolo, Gotoh Kluson tuners, 2 x V63 Plus singles and an SSV split humbucker.

Dean Exile Select Floyd Neck-Thru Archtop SBB

Another variation on the superstrat theme is a neck-through model with a Slim-D profile made up of five pieces of maple and walnut, a 25.5" scale and a 16" radius flat ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo stainless steel frets and luminescent side markers. The mahogany body with an arched maple top in a Satin Black Burst finish has slim corners with deep cutouts for easier access to higher positions. The sound is carried by two Fishman Fluence humbuckers – a bridge type Modern and a neck version Classic. There is a Floyd Rose 1000 locking tremolo and Grover tuners with 18:1 gearing. The video below shows the previous version of the Exile Select from 2022.

MXR Joshua Ambient Echo: atmospheric perfection?

According to MXR's head effects engineer, the Joshua Ambient Echo, with product designation M309, is much more than just a delay pedal: "It's a tonal recipe expertly concocted for those who seek atmospheric perfection." Based on the vintage rack delays from the 1980s used by U2 guitarist Edge (presumably the Korg SDD-2000 and SDD-3000 versions), the M309 offers a wide variety of reverbs, including five different rhythms, a modulation section and the ability to add octaves to the signal. The stereo model, with a range of 50-1000 ms, also features an Echo 2 button for adding a second delay circuit, and a Trail function to ensure smooth fade-out after the effect is switched off. An external switch or expression pedal can be connected.

The GigRig G3S: an improved version of the popular guitar MIDI looper/controller

The new product from the renowned British brand boasts a total of 12 OLED displays with adjustable brightness plus a main TFT LCD display, 14 silent "Optokick" footswitches with associated dual-colour LEDs, 12 effect passive loops and even a pair of programmable preamps (Pre + Buffer / Post). There's an integrated Bluetooth module for wireless communication with the new G3 Web Editor app, a 99-bank storage with 28 presets each. You can make use of 2 expression pedals, Trail/Spillover function for reverb effects, 20 x PC/CC MIDI per preset, parallel or Wet/Dry configuration etc. The G3S is splashproof and a GigRig Generator power supply (DC 9V / 950 mA) is included in the price of approx. 1250 pounds.

Unconventional guitar stand Fret37 Acoustic S1

Fret37 has decided to break away from established concepts and designed an unconventional stand for acoustic guitars and basses that is now headed for mass distribution. The patented model, named the Acoustic S1, uses a simple system to attach itself to the bottom of the instrument body without the need for tools so that the compact and very lightweight stand is still attached to the guitar while playing. Thanks to its adjustable size, the S1, weighing just 162 grams, is suitable for most acoustic guitars with body widths of approximately 9.5 to 12.7 cm. The contact points of the plastic construction are padded, so that the surface of the instrument is protected from damage. The new issue, manufactured in Taiwan, is already available worldwide, with an official price of around 25 dollars.

Five-string Night Flash Bass by BITE Guitars

The dynamic Austrian brand welcomed the new year with a five-string Night Flash bass model with a classic 34″ scale and an alder body adorned with stylish, hand-crafted graphics to match the instrument's name. The roasted maple neck, fitted with a C-profile and attached to the body via an ergonomically shaped joint, is complemented by a fingerboard made of the same wood with a flame pattern, bearing 24 solid frets and Graph Tech nut. The 24k gold-coated hardware consists of a premium Gotoh bridge and lightweight tuners with 16:1 gearing, and there are two passive pickups with powerful output – a single-coil bridge and a medium split-coil BITE 1000mV, controlled by a common tone and separate volume controls.

Blumes: the first bass drive from EarthQuaker Devices

Although it shares some of its circuitry with the popular Plumes guitar distorter in the Tube Screamer style, this bass overdrive provides twice the gain, wider low-band response, and, thanks to its internal bipolar power supply, the ability to automatically switch to higher output for "more dynamics and all the headroom you could ever desire." There are three clipping modes to choose from (op amp, silicon diode, 2x LED) offering a range from a clean boost to a slightly compressed, transparent tone, to a powerful open crunch. The Flexi-Switch allows traditional true bypass operation or momentary mode. The price is close to 100 dollars.

Signature Meinl cymbal sets from the Artist’s Choice edition

Meinl has included five cymbal sets in the Artist's Choice Signature Collection, designed and assembled according to the preferences of the world's leading drummers. Matt Halpern A-CS2 – 14" hi-hat, 18" and 20" Extra Thin Hammered crashes and 21" Double Down Crash Ride; Benny Greb A-CS3 – 14" hi-hat, 18" Thin Crash, 20" Ride and 22" Crash Ride; Matt Garstka A-CS4 – Equilibrium: 14" hi-hat, 20" China a 22" Ride, 18" Jazz Extra Thin Crash; Chris Coleman A-CS5 – Byzance: 14" hi-hat Vintage Pure, 19" Brilliant Medium Crash a 21" C Squared Ride, 12" Trash China Pure Alloy; Mike Johnston A-CS6 – 15" hi-hat Foundry Reserve, 20" Extra Thin Hammered Crash a 21" Extra Dry Transition Ride.

Kickstarter sampler Chompi has reached its first subscribers

The first pieces of the Chompi sampler announced last year have already arrived to their new owners who subscribed to the instrument as part of an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign. The compact sampler/looper features seven-voice polyphony, storage for over 6 hours of recording, 40 preset slots, four working modes (Chompi, Jammi, Cubbi, MIDI), Tape Looper, a keyboard in the style of computer keyboards, intuitive controls, interchangeable controls, etc. The sampler uses Electro-Smith's flexible Daisy platform and the engine is easily expandable with additional features. The Chompi comes in Classic Black & Gold or Limited Edition Pink finishes, and the current price is around 600 dollars.

Sonicware Liven Mega Synthesis: the sound of SEGA game consoles

The compact groove box from the Liven edition brings the 16-bit sound of the classic SEGA MegaDrive (Genesis) console from the late 80s, including all three generators behind the sound of the now legendary game soundtracks: FM – a replica of the Yamaha YM2612 chip with 8 algorithms, 4 operators and 6-part polyphony, PCM – 8-bit samples with 3-part polyphony and PSG – the SN76489 chip with 11 modes and 4-part polyphony. There is an integrated rhythm section, a six-track sequencer with 128 steps and an effects unit containing a compressor, filtering, distortion, bitcrusher, delay, reverb, etc. The bank also includes sounds designed by composer and programmer Yuzo Koshiro, whose music may be known to fans of the Dragon Slayer, Ys, The Revenge of Shinobi and Streets of Rage series, among others. Price: approx. 240 dollars.