NEW GEAR 9/25: Tyler Superstrat, JHS 424 Drive, Zildjian Sets and Organelle S2 Synth

Tyler Dann Huff Studio Elite HDX: The Rolls-Royce of Strats?

Tyler Guitars' boutique instruments are among the finest available in the current market for Strat and Tele guitar categories. The Dann Huff Studio Elite HDX signature model is no exception, designed for one of the busiest studio players whose work can be heard on countless global hits across genres. The model, in an unusual White Shmear colour scheme, features an alder body, a maple neck with a '64 profile, a rosewood fingerboard, two JTS5500 Alnico V single-coils, a Super-JT bridge humbucker, selectable series/parallel HB and neck + bridge modes, a switchable active mid-boost, locking Hipshot tuners and a G2TS tremolo.

Reissue of the DC 127: Kiesel returns to the nineties

For a limited time, Kiesel Guitars has reintroduced the DC 127 series, which was instrumental in the Carvin brand's success in the early 1990s, the predecessor of today's Kiesel. Customers can choose their preferred logo, headstock shape and colour shade, the models are equipped with classic vibrato, Hipshot hardtail bridge or locking Floyd Rose tremolo and a pair of M12SD / Beryllium pickups. The maple neck is complemented by an alder body, combined with a maple or exotic top, and the two-octave fingerboard has 24 steel frets. Prices start at around 1800 dollars.

PRS CE 24 Special Limited Edition 2025 with HSH pickup configuration

Only 1,500 pieces of the CE 24 model from the special limited edition HSH will leave the PRS factory this year. This series, with a bolt-on maple neck, is equipped with a pair of 85/15 humbuckers and an NS-01 middle single-coil, expanding the sound possibilities to a total of ten different pickup combinations, achieved via the main five-position switch and a push/pull switch in the tone control, which splits the coils of both humbuckers. You can choose from Carroll Blue, McCarty Sunburst, Black Amber, Faded Blue Smokeburst and Faded Gray Black finishes. Price including premium gig bag: approx. 2,750 dollars.

JHS 424 Gain Stage: drive based on the Tascam recorder

The preamp circuits of the now-discontinued Tascam Portastudio 424 four-track cassette recorder inspired JHS designer and brand manager Josh Scott to create the JHS 424 Gain Stage preamp/distortion, which produces a flexible old-school tone, ranging from a clean sound with stronger projection, suitable for boosting the input of a drive/distortion pedal, to distortion reminiscent of classic fuzz. In addition to volume, bass, and treble controls, the pedal features Gain 1/2 potentiometers that provide the original Trim and Channel functions. The footswitch with buffered bypass is quiet, and you can use the XLR output with ground lift. Price: approx. 250 dollars.

Cornerstone Nucleo: flexible digital reverb for demanding users

Guitarist and producer Paul Davids' preferences formed the basis for the premium stereo reverb Nucleo, which Cornerstone describes as follows: "Nucleo Reverb isn't just another reverb pedal – it's the key to a universe of sonic landscapes." With an epic decay parameter of up to 90 seconds, three modes (Room, Hall, Reactor), the same number of sound modes (Normal, Vintage, Lo-Fi), a Freeze function, Modulation options, Air, and Flux, three programmable presets (MIDI – 128 locations), seamless integration into any setup with mono, stereo, wet/dry routing options and extensive MIDI/USB audio interface capabilities, you can create captivating soundscapes, ambient textures, granular atmospheres and much more. Price of a hand-built pedal: approx. 430 euros.

Hotone Pulze Mini: modeler, speaker, and sound card in a small package

Priced at around 100 euros, the Hotone Pulze Mini is a pocket-sized modeling combo amp equipped with a two-inch speaker that also serves as a USB-C sound card (24-bit/48kHz) or an easily portable Bluetooth speaker for listening to music. This compact model with a linked mobile app uses the company's CDCM HD / F.I.R.E engine technology and offers more than a hundred effects, 52 types of amplifiers and 48 cabinet simulations, including official Celestion IR samples and 20 user IR slots. You can include up to 7 effects at the same time, the bank can hold 200 presets, and there are 100 rhythm patterns plus a metronome. The integrated battery lasts for about 11.5 hours of operation with headphones or about 5.5 hours when playing audio.

Music Man Tim Commerford Artist Series StingRay 2025 Bass Guitars

The StingRay collection from the Tim Commerford Artist Series, created in collaboration with the bassist who played with Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave and 7D7D, features a resonant ash body, a roasted maple neck, an elegant ebony fingerboard with 22 steel frets, a classic bridge with red mute pads, and an MM humbucker bridge pickup with an integrated thumb rest. The passive version is now available in Fight Night White finish, while the active version comes in Caliper Red. A special Vault series (passive or active) in transparent Natural finish is sold exclusively on the Music Man website.

DR Black Dragon DBSMB: strings for basses with dual scale

For bassists playing instruments with variable scale lengths (maximum 37"), DR Strings has prepared three sets from the new Black Dragon Multi-Scale Bass series, consisting of sets for four-, five-, and six-string basses: DBSMB-45 (45–105), DBSMB5-45 (45–125) and DBSMB6-30 (30–125). These new products combine the penetrating sound, easy playability and very long life of Dragon Skin+ strings with the feel of Black Beauties strings. They are coated with a special K3 nano-layer in Jet Black and manufactured using patented ACT technology, which provides stable tuning, clear projection, and definition even for the lowest notes.

Five new cymbal sets from Zildjian

Zildjian has expanded its range with five new, competitively priced cymbal sets, including the following series and combinations: S Performer Cymbal Pack – 14″ hi-hat, 16″ + 18″ medium thin crash and 20″ medium ride, Z Custom Standard – 14″ hi-hat, 16″ + 18″ crash and 20″ ride, Z Custom Essentials – 14″ hi-hat and 20″ ride, K Custom Hybrid – 14.25″ hi-hat, 16″ + 18″ crash and 20″ ride, K Paper Thin Crash – 16″ and 18″ crash. If you are a fan of the Zildjian brand, are considering expanding your kit with high-quality cymbals, and want to save money, now may be the right time to buy. Prices start at around 675 euros.

Organelle S2: the second generation of desktop synths from C&G

The innovative compact Organelle S2 synthesiser from Critter & Guitari has the same round maple keys and robust metal casing as its predecessor, but the interior has been completely redesigned. It now uses a quad-core processor with a frequency of 1.8 GHz, which is 50% faster than the original Organelle S. The encoder has been modified for smoother operation, and the SD card slot and WiFi module are now easier to set up. The Organelle S2 is also versatile thanks to its open software architecture. It natively supports various forms of synthesis, has ADSR envelope generators, the ability to emulate various types of effects, etc. Price: approx. 500 USD.