NEW GEAR 5/24: Spector Graffiti basses, Suhr heads, Martin acoustics and Dubreq theremin

Schecter Machine Gun Kelly Razor Blade signature

A body with angular contours, covered by a large razor-shaped pickguard, was chosen by singer and guitarist Machine Gun Kelly for his new signature model from Schecter. Bolted to the basswood body is a carbon-reinforced neck glued from three pieces of maple, while the ebony fretboard carries 22 X-jumbo frets, octave inlay and side luminescent markers. Quality hardware and electronics consist of a Hipshot hardtail bridge, company locking machines, Schecter USA Pasadena Plus humbucker, volume pot and kill switch. The official price of the Signature, which has already received several positive and negative comments, is around 1500 dollars including the case.

Martin GPCE Inception Maple electroacoustics

The new model from the workshops of C.F. Martin is made from sustainable woods, featuring a top made of certified European spruce, maple sides and an attractive three-piece back soundboard made of maple and black walnut. Thanks to the chosen combination of materials, along with internal bracing complemented by acoustic channels, this hand-built instrument delivers a clear, balanced tone with massive projection. The black walnut neck and fretboard are also adorned with maple arrowhead inlays, the soundhole integrates an LR Baggs Anthem pickup system and the headstock features stylish all-metal open-mechanics. The Martin GPCE Inception Maple with Amber Fade Sunburst satin finish comes in at around 4,000 dollars, and, of course, a quality hard case is included.

Ibanez Tube Screamer 808 45th Anniversary limited edition

The Ibanez Tube Screamer overdrive celebrates 45 years of existence this year, which the manufacturer decided to commemorate with the limited edition TS 808 45th Anniversary. In this case, it's a collector's edition in a spectacular Sapphire Blue lacquer, fitted with an identical JRC4558D chip and the same analogue circuitry found in the first ever TS 808 Overdrive Pro from the late 1970s, designed by Susumu Tamura. For audio purists, this means that this is a faithful recreation of the now highly sought-after and prized version with its solid tone and massive mids. The price tag of the TS80845TH, manufactured at the brand's Japanese headquarters, is around 250 euros.

Suhr SL67 MkII and SL68 MkII heads

The second generation of Suhr's SL series all-tube amplifiers, consisting of the SL67 MKII (3x12AX7 + 2xEL34, 50 W) and SL68 MKII (3x12AX7 + 4xEL34, 100 W) models, continues in the footsteps of the first edition, based on Marshall's ageless Super Lead concept. Compared to the British predecessor, however, there are several modifications that, in addition to very practical features such as a Hi/Lo switch with a circuit that works similarly to the Variac to reduce power while increasing gain, compression and sustain, now also include a trio of lever switches with voicing mods FAT, BST and BRT for more detailed adjustment of the resulting sound. The rear-panel-mounted overall volume control circuit has also been redesigned, now offering a wider range, and when the Master potentiometer is turned to maximum, this section is automatically disconnected from the signal path. Prices: the SL67 MkII is about $2950, the SL68 MkII is about $3450.

Spector NYC Bass Graffiti Collection special series

Spector has produced a unique NYC Graffiti Collection bass series specifically for Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center, with a design that oozes the atmosphere and energy of New York City. The unique graphic themes are the work of airbrush artist Dan Lawrence, for whom this is the first collaboration with Spector. The collection consists of a total of twelve four- or five-string basses from the USA Custom NS-2 and NS-5 series, whose design references the streets and subways of New York City, but also pays homage to the rich history and origin story of the Spector brand. Prices for the limited-edition collectable pieces start at around $8,060, and of course include a hard case, certification, t-shirt and other accessories.

ToneSpeak TSB bass speakers

The American company has introduced a total of six bass speakers with diameters of 10, 12, and 15 inches, with the TSB 10" and 12" versions available in 150 or 250 W power ratings, while the TSB 15-inch speakers have 250 or 500 W power ratings. The ToneSpeak series drivers have a robust pressed steel chassis, copper voice coils and weight-reducing lightweight neodymium magnets, contributing to better transient response and low signal distortion. The sonically versatile speakers feature massive bass, musical mids and transparent clean highs, while the aforementioned coils wound on fibreglass fittings improve heat dissipation and provide smooth projection.

Dubreq Stylophone Theremin: control tones with the movement of your hand

Stylophone Theremin is a lightweight, portable synth equipped with an antenna that creates experimental sounds based on magnetic fields and your motion detection. A sliding fader is integrated to fine-tune the triggered note, a trigger button, and a modulation section with a pair of waveforms, vibrato, octave selection and delay, so you can generate all sorts of sounds, including bizarre or sci-fi registers. The developers also built a small amplifier with speaker and headphone plus line out into the theremin. The Stylophone Theremin, this time without a second antenna for volume, takes over from its predecessors a retro analogue sound that is now more organic than ever. Power is handled by AA batteries, and the chassis can be mounted on a microphone stand. European price: approx. 100 euros.

Electronic drum sets EFNOTE PRO 500 and PRO 700

EFNOTE has added the PRO 500 and 700 Standard professional electronic drum kits to its product catalogue, complete with a sound module and a stage-box. The compact touchscreen module's library contains 167 high-quality multi-layer samples, Bluetooth is integrated, and the ability to record up to 12 tracks in combination with a DAW is not missing. The stage-box, equipped with 12 XLR outputs, allows the connection of up to seven drums and eight cymbals, each channel has a two-band EQ, high-pass filter and ground lift switch, while a compressor is also found on buses 1 to 6 (bass drum, snare, toms). The basic PRO 500 version includes a 16" BD, 12" snare and two 10" and 12" toms, while the larger PRO 700 version consists of a 20" BD, 14" snare and 11" and 15" toms. Both sets come with a 14" hi-hat, 16" snare and 18" or 20" rim (500 / 700 model). The manufacturer has also introduced a higher edition PRO 703X Black Oak. 

Bastl Instruments Neo Trinity modulation

The Neo Trinity is a six-channel compact modulation centre in Eurorack format, where each channel can be either an LFO, an envelope generator or a CV recorder. The main parameter can be automated with the REC button, and all buses also feature a recording trigger generator with algorithmic fill function. The SHIFT button can be used to change modulation shapes and synchronize selected channels with the internal or external clock. There is also muting, the ability to save entire presets as banks, assignable CV inputs for different channel controls (positive/inverse mode, triggering the internal Sample & Hold function), etc. The official price of the novelty from the Brno company's workshops has been set at about 350 euros.

3 Mooer MVP from the Vocal series: spice up your vocals

Mooer Audio makes its debut in the vocal effects field with the trio of MVP1 Autuner, MVP2 Harmonier and MVP3 Loopation pedals, whose common denominator is the identical format, number and layout of controls (3 knobs, 1 button, 2 footswitches), microphone XLR input/output with detachable ground, adjustable gain, Line/Mic switch, guitar input and output, 48V phantom power supply for condenser microphones, and a price tag of approx. 150 euros. As the names of the individual effects suggest, the MVP1 version corrects the pitch in combination with a synth and effects (3x delay / 3x reverb), the MVP2 variant is a harmoniser operating in different keys and harmonies, complete with reverb and a bank for 7 presets, and the MVP3 looper offers a total of 70 min of recording in 11 loops (8 loops of 5 min + 3 loops of 10 min) with infinite layering.