NEW GEAR 51/24: Synyster Gates Headless 7, KLOS Bass, DW Limited Editions and Korg NanoKEY Fold
Schecter launches the Synyster Gates Headless seven-string, Fender prepares another signature Telecaster from the Foo Fighters guitarist, Catalinbread's Soft Focus Deluxe pedal returns to the preset of the old Yamaha FX500, Pedal Pawn's Cowboy King drive is inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan's Tube Screamer, Blackstar St. James 100 offers a tube sound and lightweight and MONO has upgraded the M80 Sleeve edition instrument cases. KLOS Guitars offers a modern Apollo Custom Series bass, the 80s sound of bass icon Marcus Miller is brought to life by Tiny Tone's Bartolini TCT Stompbox preamp, Drum Workshop fans can look forward to a DW Performance Series Birch drum kit and snare and it's not just sound experimenters that Korg's small nanoKEY Fold is aimed at. Welcome to our regular review of new gear and interesting facts from the world of music.
Seven-string Schecter Synyster Gates Custom-7 TR Headless
The Oak Green Metallic hue has been given to the seven-string signature model of the metal Avenged Sevenfold guitarist, based in design on the previous six-string version. A chambered mahogany body fitted with a maple centre block and ergonomically designed joint is complemented by a carbon-reinforced glued maple neck with Ultra Thin-C profile and an ebony fretboard bearing 24 copper-toned frets, octave inlays, side luminescent markers and a 48mm wide Graph Tech nut. With an extended 26.5" scale length, the headless instrument uses two Schecter USA Synyster Gates humbuckers and a Hipshot-7 Headless tremolo.
Fender Chris Shiflett Cleaver Telecaster Deluxe
Another of the Foo Fighters guitarist's signature Fenders gets an alder body with a belly cut, a Custom Oval "C" profile maple neck and a 12-inch radius rosewood fretboard fitted with 21 medium jumbo frets. A pair of Chris Shiflett "Cleaver" Noiseless CS-90 pickups offer a strong output signal, responsive dynamics, punchy mids and tuneful highs typical of vintage single coils. The hardware consists of a hardtail bridge fitted with steel saddles and the company's Pure Vintage "F" Stamped machines mounted in a large 1970s Stratocaster-style headstock. The model in Dakota Red or Charcoal Frost Metallic colours covered in nitro lacquer costs about 2,500 dollars.
Catalinbread Soft Focus Deluxe Shoegaze effect
The Oregon-based effects manufacturer has dusted off the concept of its two-year-old Soft Focus FX40 reverb and launched an improved version, the Soft Focus Deluxe. This is again inspired by preset #40 from Yamaha's vintage FX500 digital but adds to the reverb a delay and op-amp distortion with its own footswitch that can be connected to the reverb section in serial or parallel mode. Six different programs are available, a multi-functional exp. output allows real-time control of parameters or tap tempo, and power is handled by a 9-18V DC adapter. Price: about 360 dollars.
Drive Pedal Pawn Cowboy King based on the 1983 "SRV" Screamer
The British manufacturer used a replica of the 1983 Tube Screamer TS9 circuit owned by legendary blues-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and partially modified it for the Drive Cowboy King. The result is an even more transparent tone with higher levels of gain and volume that still retains the typical character but with less pronounced mids and more volume. "Stevie Ray Vaughan-owned TS9 stands out as the clearest and most dynamic Screamer I've ever heard," says Pedal Pawn founder Chris Robinson of the master.
Blackstar St. James 100 tube head and combo
Blackstar's Stowatt tube amp and 2x12 combo (Celestion Zephyr speakers) represent the next evolutionary step in the St. James edition, scoring points for its massive sound and modern features, in addition to being about half the weight of other tube amps. The four-channel models with Solo Boost (+2 to +6 dB) not only offer a CabRig emulation IR section linked to the application, or a VPR unit reducing the maximum output to a five percent level but also feature a flexible power amp equipped with 2x 6L6 + 2x EL34 tubes, which can be switched between in 50 W mode to change the character of the resulting sound.
MONO M80 Sleeve 2.0 instrument cases
MONO's innovative M80 Sleeve hybrid cases for acoustic and electric guitars and basses are made of waterproof 420D nylon, featuring both mechanical strength and flexibility. The military-standard outer cover is complemented by protective padding, plush inner lining, adjustable EVA pads and a shock-absorbing Headlock system to secure the neck and headstock. Two sturdy industrial handles, comfortable straps, a large exterior pocket and steel rivets along with bar stitching add to the durability of the design. In addition to the traditional black or grey finish, there are options in Moonlight Blue, Amazon Green and Burnt Orange. Price: approx. 180 dollars.
Apollo Custom od KLOS Guitars bass edition
A modern take on the first Apollo series from 2021, the KLOS Apollo IV, V and VI Custom basses feature a carbon-fibre neck with a hybrid C-D profile, a mahogany, paulownia or chambered mahogany body in a variety of finishes including versions with a flame maple top, and a composite ebony fretboard with 24 steel frets. Left-handed and fretless models can also be ordered, and the company offers passive or active electronics with its own Blackout pickups or Fishman Fluence system. Prices start at about 2,500 dollars.
Tiny Tone Bartolini TCT Stompbox
The British brand has prepared for bassists the Bartolini TCT Stompbox pedal, bringing the sound of the 80s created through the original Bartolini TCT preamp circuit and the Bartolini MCT-375 module, affecting the centre frequencies. Each hand-assembled piece, fitted with circuits supplied directly by Bartolini, undergoes a partial modification, mainly concerning the controls, consisting of volume, three-band EQ and a pair of footswitches for true bypass or boost with +15 dB lift. The box, with the sound made famous by the legendary Marcus Miller, comes in at around 250 pounds.
Limited edition DW Performance Series Birch kit and snare
The DW Performance Series, handmade in the California Custom Shop, is now available for a limited time in the Birch DRKTPSC04AASN-B, and the company is also adding a separately sold snare, the DRPS6514SSSN-B. The four-piece set consists of an 8x10" + 9x12" tom, a 14x16" floor tom and an 18x22" bass drum, the HVX body walls are glued from eight layers, and Collector's hardware features include STM tom suspension mounts, staggered triple-bent rims and TruePitch 30 tension screws. The 6.5x14" snare has ten-ply birch walls, 60-degree sanded edges, and DW Mag/3P Butt mechanics. The edition is available in a transparent Natural Satin Oil finish.
Pocket Folding Korg nanoKEY Fold
Korg continues to miniaturize with another model, which is the nanoKEY Fold MIDI keyboard with a folding design inspired by the solution used in smartphones. This allows the new product to fit comfortably in a pocket, so the user can use the nK Fold's capabilities virtually anywhere. There is a silent membrane keyboard with 25 keys and adjustable speed in 13 steps, two touch strips for pitch control and tone modulation, a Split function, a Mod Scale containing 15 scales, a Chord mode, a bank with 15 scenes and an arpeggiator with the same number of patterns. A USB-C port and a mini-jack TRS MIDI output are installed. Keyboards in shades of Sand Beige, Black, White, Alpine Green or Lava Orange cost about 130 euros.
If you have found an error or typo in the article, please let us know by e-mail info@insounder.org.