NEW GEAR 46/24: Jazzmaster Vola, Blackstar head, UAFX Recto and Sabian Stratus cymbals

Modern Jazzmaster Vola JZ FRO

Vola Guitars expands its catalogue with the new Jazzmaster-inspired JZ FRO, hand-built in Japan and traditionally offering premium features. These include a "roasted" neck made from a single piece of select flame maple, 22 stainless steel frets, Graphtech TusQ walnut, luminescent markers inlays to a fretboard edge, quality VFP90 pickups (neck + bridge) complemented by a VS medium single-coil with push/pull activation, Direct Switch, Gotoh 510T-FE1 tremolo and SD91MG-T-05M locking machines. The JZ FRO in Sunburst or Olympic White finishes costs about 1,230 dollars including a gig bag.

5 Taylor acoustics from the Legacy Collection anniversary collection

The Legacy 514ce, 714ce, 810e, 815e, and 12-string 855e acoustics make up the Taylor Legacy Collection, a new line of luxury guitars assembled from Bob Taylor's most famous models from years past. The instruments in this edition are a tribute to the creative heritage and craftsmanship excellence of the brand, which concludes this year's 50th anniversary celebrations. Guitarists or collectors looking for a high-end and, at the same time, investment guitar shouldn't hesitate long before making a purchase – the Legacy Collection is part of a limited edition of 100 pieces of each model, complete with an internal label bearing the signatures of company founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug. Of course, you'll find the finest materials, impeccable workmanship, quality LR Baggs Element VTC electronics, etc.

Gretsch G6618 Martin Gore CB Anniversary semi-hollow

Martin Gore, a founding member of Depeche Mode, has been associated with Gretsch guitars throughout his musical career, a fact now definitively confirmed by his signature G6618-MG Martin Gore Anniversary Center Block with G-Cutout Tailpiece. The Two-Tone Smoke Green model features a 16-inch wide maple body reinforced with an identical wood centre chambered block, an ebony fretboard, two TV Jones TV-HT single coils based on the original Hilo'Trons, Kluson Deluxe machines, a TonePros TP6R bridge with threaded saddles and the company's signature G-Cutout tailpiece. Price approx. 3000 euros.

Germanium Silktone Fuzz+

At the heart of the Silktone Fuzz+ are two germanium transistors, wired and modified to give the player a wide range of sounds without the interference typical of this type of pedal. Thanks to a cleverly designed distortion control, registers ranging from subtle fuzz to massive voluminous tone to a gated sound can be achieved. A pickup emulator is built in, allowing you to place the Fuzz+ anywhere in the effects chain, a Cleanup parameter moves the character of the fuzz closer to overdrive, a two-band EQ is integrated, and a Bias function affects the voltage that powers the transistors and the way they distort and clip the signal. One footswitch is used to activate the effect, while the other offers unfiltered fuzz without the correction and Cleanup circuits.

UAFX Knuckles ‘92 Dual Rec Amplifier Pedal

The name of another representative of Universal Audio's effects collection clearly indicates that the manufacturer was inspired this time by the sound of the now iconic Mesa Boogie, which has become one of the pillars of the guitar sound in modern metal genres. The emulator offers a trio of Green, Orange, Red mods, the same number of cabinet IR pulses (3 more available via the app), power amp simulation (EL34/6L6), tube or transistor rectifier modes, Tube Screamer boost and noise gate. The Knuckles '92 Dual Rec Amplifier Pedal comes in at around 430 euros.

Supro Montauk 1x10 tube combo

The Montauk is a 15-watt combo fitted with 2x 12AX7 + 1x 12AT7 preamp tubes, a Class-A power amp (1x 6L6), a tube spring reverb with Dwell and Level controls, gain, bass, treble and master potentiometers, 1x 8 / 2x 4 ohm box outputs and a trio of line outputs (Wet, Dry, Mix) optimised for connecting another amp or recording desk. The aforementioned line circuit is controlled by the preamp tubes before the master section, allowing the player to lower the overall volume and use the machine as a preamp as well. The relatively flexible combo offers clean registers, wide crunch and saturated overdrive, and the Blue Rhino leatherette-covered poplar chassis houses a custom-made Supro BD10 speaker from Celestion. Priced at about 1000 dollars.

Blackstar Series One MKII 100 head and 412 Pro B MKII box

The all-tube amp representing Blackstar's new flagship boasts not only a subtle facelift, but also a 100W head unit built this time on 6L6 tubes, four channels with switchable voicings on the Clean (Bright/Warm) and Crunch (Crunch/Supercrunch) branches, MIDI In/Thru DIN jacks and outputs (jack/XLR) with box emulation. Built-in ISF correction circuit and DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction) function for maximum power selection (10/100W). Also available is a Series One 412 Pro B MKII cabinet with a special baffle construction for a more balanced midrange response, fitted with modified Celestion Vintage 30’s.

Dunlop Behemoth Hybrid bass strings

A collaboration between Dunlop's String Lab division and the bassist of metal's Behemoth, the pair of bass string sets are offered as the BEHYN50105 four-string set (.050, .070, .085, .105) or the five-string set BEHYN50125 (.050, .070, .085, .105, .125). The Behemoth Hybrid Wound Nickel edition combines the benefits of both nickel and steel to provide assertive bottom ranges with aggressive mids and bright highs. Each package also includes a black Tortex Triangle .88mm pick with special graphics. Official prices are around $30 and $35, respectively.

New Sabian Stratus edition cymbals

Another value-priced Performance Set has been added to the Stratus cymbal collection from Canadian company Sabian, this time including a 15" hi-hat, 19" crash and 22" ride. The hi-hat provides a warmer tone with detailed expression, the crash has a darker character with explosive attack, and the ride offers an articulate, well-controlled response. The manufacturer also adds a trio of new cymbals to this edition, consisting of 17" and 19" crash cymbals and a 20" Stratus Zero ride, which gets a perforated design combining the sonic characteristics of the O-Zone and Aero series. Representing the optimal choice for the modern player, the Stratus series is made of B20 bronze alloy with a distinctive beating action and features a flexible, balanced sound.

Mackie CR Gen3 series monitors

Mackie has introduced the third generation of active monitors from the Creative Reference collection, combining studio-quality sound with sound-shaping features, making them perfect for everything from nearfield monitoring to casual listening. The series includes a total of seven items, comprising an eight-inch CR subwoofer and six pairs of monitors (CR3.5/4.5/5/8), including BT versions with an integrated Bluetooth module. One box is always active, equipped with dual terminal unit, TRS, RCA, minijack inputs, correction switch, L/R selector, front headphone jack, volume and tone pot.