This week’s Guitar Deals available at Thomann include significant savings on Fender, Squier, Boss, and Höfner products.

Fender Ed O’Brien Stratocaster

These Fender Ed O’Brien Stratocaster signature models are based on the Radiohead guitarist’s personal preferences for a Strat. This model currently has over 12% off * compared to the standard price. It has a unique specification, including a V-profile maple neck with 21 narrow-tall frets and an alder body.

 Sustainer

The significant difference, however, is this signature model’s particular set of pickups. It comes fitted with a Seymour Duncan JB (bridge/humbucker) and Fender Texas Special (middle/single-coil), plus the Sustainer Driver (neck). This offers a wealth of tones and covers a lot of bases. This model comes in a Fender gig bag and is an excellent guitar for a versatile modern Strat.

Fender Ed O’Brien Stratocaster at over 12% off *

More Fender news

Fender Ed O´Brien Stratocaster

Available for $1259 at

Squier 40th Anniversary Strat LPB

These Squier 40th Anniversary Strats in Lake Placid Blue and block inlays are a bargain at over 40% off *. These are a real bargain if you want a great-looking Stratocaster in an exciting colour. Plus, they have a single-ply gold anodized pickguard that makes them stand out.

Specifications

This model has a Nyatoh body with a maple bolt-on C-profile neck and a laurel fretboard with 21 narrow-tall frets. They also come fitted with a set of Fender-designed AlNiCo single coils, offering plenty of classic Strat tones.

Squier 40th Anniversary Strta LPB at over 40% off *

More Fender news

Squier 40th Anniv. Strat LPB

Available for $315 at

Höfner Ignition SE

These Höfner Ignition SE bass models are over 20% off * the standard price point and offer some retro ’60s style. These are a great starting point if you want to emulate Paul McCartney’s Beatles bass on a budget.

Specifications

This model has a spruce top and a flamed maple back and sides. Paired with a one-piece maple neck and a Jatoba fretboard fitted with 22 frets. A pair of Höfner Ignition Staple humbuckers power it, and it has a set of Original Tea Cup potentiometer knobs on the control panel.

Höfner Ignition SE at over 20% off *

More Höfner news

Höfner Ignition SE

Available for $322 at

Boss IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet

The Boss IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet is a compact pedal solution for great amp tone in a single unit. This model is currently on Thomann for over 17% off * the standard price. It contains 150 high-resolution cab impulse responses from Boss and Celestion Digital. Making it packed full of useful IRs and a powerful addition to your guitar rig.

Audio Interface

It has a USB audio recording interface and 128 memory locations to save your virtual rigs. The pedal also has controls for Memory, Amp, Cabinet Ambience, Gain, Level, Bass, Middle, and Treble. Making it simple to use and very flexible.

Boss IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet at over 17% off *

More Boss news

Boss IR-200 Amp & IR Cabinet

Available for $339 at

Boss RC-600 Loop Station

The Boss RC-600 Loop Station is the perfect solution for any musician into looping. Currently, they are almost 30% off * the standard price. This looper pedal offers six simultaneous stereo phrase tracks and nine individually assignable footswitches with three pedal modes. Making it a super versatile tool for live performance.

Effects

They have 49 Input FX and 53 track FX types, four of which can be used simultaneously. Users get 99 memory locations, and they offer 200 onboard rhythm patterns and 16 drum kits. These looper pedals make excellent tools for musicians and can be used live or in the studio. They are also handy songwriting tools to try out ideas with.

Boss RC-600 Loop Station at nearly 30% off *

More Boss news

* This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!

*percentage discount will vary based on your territory and conversion rates on the day of purchase. Displayed percentage discounts are used for guidance only. “

The post Guitar Deals: Fender, Squier, Boss, & Höfner appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Super Bowl LVIII halftime show was Usher’s time to share his work. However, for many guitarists, the star of the show was the Fender H.E.R. Stratocaster in a deep luxurious Custom Chrome Red finish.

Fender H.E.R. Custom Chrome Red Stratocaster

Based on Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson’s (aka H.E.R.) signature Fender Stratocaster, this spectacular ‘one-off’ was built by the Fender Custom Shop. Fender has just shared an Instagram video where the artist gets to talk about this very special instrument. Plus, Fender Custom Shop builder, Brian Thrasher shared some great close-up photos of the guitar being built.

U Got It Bad

Allegiant Stadium was the venue for the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show and as Usher led out of U Got It Bad, H.E.R. came striding on wielding this impressive guitar and worked into the next track, Bad Girl. Yes, these shows are all mimed, as the timing has to be perfect. However, they were playing along to live tracks that had been performed and recorded by the musicians in advance.

Last Minute

The guitar was a last-minute order, and the Custom Shop created this unique Custom Chrome Red finish, by using the Chrome Glow from the production model as a base for a clear red top coat. This was applied to the alder body and the guitar headstock.

It was then complemented with a black anodized pickguard and fitted with a set of Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups. Other key specifications include a modern D-shaped neck with a satin finish, a rosewood fretboard, and a set of modern vintage tuners.

New Colour?

This is not the first time the H.E.R. has played the Super Bowl and so she wanted something special. Fender certainly delivered with this guitar. The R&B artist has put this guitar in front of a huge audience, and so people are now asking about it.

As you can read in the Instagram post comments, many people are now asking about this finish and could make it into the production model in the future. Which, I would guess is very possible, as they have already made a limited run in Blue Marlin back in the beginning of 2023.

Fender Limited Edition H.E.R. Strat No customer rating available yet

Available for 1,249.00 € at

More Information

• Fender Instagram
• H.E.R. Instagram
• More Fender news

Video

The post Fender H.E.R. Custom Chrome Red Stratocaster at Super Bowl LVIII appeared first on gearnews.com.

Gary Lucas has had an extraordinary career whose best-known moments perhaps relate to his time with Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, and his own band, Gods and Monsters.

This interview was originally conducted by Paul Rigg for Planet Guitar.

However, he has also had a lifetime relationship with Italy, which is much less known. Today Gearnews explores this facet of Lucas’s life, starting with his birth on 20 June 1952 in the town of Syracuse, New York.

Gary Lucas Interview: La Dolce Vita

Gearnews: Syracuse was named after its namesake in Sicily. Have you ever been there?

Gary Lucas: No; I have played in Palermo and Capo D’Orlando, but never made it to Syracuse. It’s on the agenda! One of my favourite foods is rice balls with Ragu, Arancini. I’m pretty much teetotal but I do love Limoncello and Amaretto after dinner…

GN: You started playing guitar at nine. Some of your best-known include a 1920s National Steel, a Firebird, a Mexican Strat, and a vintage Tele – but you also use Italian Dophix overdrive pedals…

GL: Yes, my favourite is The Lussurria…it’s got a warmth and the sweetest tone of any distortion pedal. Plus, it is lit underneath, which enables me to see what I’m doing in the dark!

Epiphone Firebird Vintage Sunburst

Customer rating:

(29)

Available for 699.00 € at

Captain Beefheart

GN: Your first big impetus in music was with Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart. He played the Rome Pop Festival in 1968, but not in Italy after that – did he prefer the US?

GL: No, I think he was just at the whim of the booking agents. He would have loved to play in Italy; he appreciated the culture.

GN: After Beefheart retired, you continued with the Magic Band; was that a happy time for you?

GL: Yes. Our mission was to play as close to the original recordings as possible. We did a lot of work with Frank Zappa’s Denny Walley, John French, and Mark Boston. Robert Williams played drums on the tours; they were a lot of fun.

GN: Then in 2012 you played in Sardinia at the Santa Arresi Jazz Festival …

GL: Yes, that was great! A very warm audience – and I especially remember the fantastic sea food!

Fender AM Perf Tele HUM MN VWT

Customer rating:

(20)

Available for 1,469.00 € at

Collaborations

GN: You also worked with Italian vocalist Alessio Franchini…

GL: That came about because the president of the Italian Jeff Buckley fan club, Annarita Mancini, based in Rimini, put together a tribute, and it was then that Alessio and I bonded. He was a huge Buckley fan, and we did a lot of shows together. I got a lifetime achievement award where we played together and did the “Moon in June Festival” – named after a Robert Wyatt Soft Machine song- in Umbria.

Gary’s achievements as a writer

GN: Your trip in September 2012 coincided with the publication of your book, ‘Touched by Grace—La Mia Musica con Jeff Buckley’; how was that received?

GL: Very well! It came out in Italian first, and got super write-ups. It is a thing of beauty, but weighs a ton!

GN: People might not be aware that you write a lot…

GL: I won a National Council of English Teachers Award as a writer, which helped me get to Yale University where I studied English literature. I penned an article for Italian Rolling Stone entitled “La Via Mia in 10 Canzoni” [Gary Lucas: My Life in 10 Songs], which was well-received…

GN: In 2013 you performed a Buckley tribute at the Barezzi Festival in Parma, Italy, with Vinicio Caposella. How was that received?

GL: It was a dream gig; I love Vinicio. I played for about 2-3 hours in a trance and then had a spectacular meal in a restaurant where I discovered the music of an amazing singer, Lhasa de Sela. I highly recommend her album The Living Road.

Tales from Touring

GN: Later, you worked with Mari Conti, of Zero 7, with whom you wrote an unreleased song ‘You will see my flame again’; is that right?

GL: Yes. It was based on an instrumental that I sent to Jeff just before he died. He had asked me to send him music in the last year of his life. I would write all the riffs and harmonic structure on guitar, and he would come back with perfect lyrics and a melody every time. So, I gave this instrumental to Mari, and we performed it in Northern Italy; when we are together we always play that song.

GN: From all your touring do you have any fan anecdotes?

GL: In Sydney I met a lovely lady named Natalie Bambi who asked me to use a sharpie to autograph her arm, and she went and got a tattoo of it. That only happened once before, with an Italian fan named Gigi who had the first bars of “Mojo Pin”, which I co-wrote with Jeff, tattooed on his forearm.

Fender Player Stratocaster HSS SFG

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 799.00 € at

Life After Lockdown

GN: To close, could you tell us about how you dealt with lockdown and the projects you’ve been involved in since?

GL: Like everybody I was in denial at the start. Right away I wanted to do live-streaming to keep visible. I put around 100 up on YouTube and my webpage, and I got an amazing response. In fact, one of my regular viewers in Sydney arranged my recent tour of Australia after watching it!

I recorded a duo album ‘Double Dare’ with an Award-winning young Dutch bassist Peter Willems, which we hope to take out on the road in the fall, plus an EP with the French singer Yass Body, which we recorded in Normandie, France.

Also a free jazz duo album with the composer/percussionist Lukas Ligeti; an album with vocalist Dorothy Moskowitz, of the 60’s psychedelic group The United States of America; a solo acoustic album entitled ‘Cool Hand Luke’ recorded in Prague; and Vol, 2 and 3 of my Chinese pop project ‘The Edge of Heaven’ featuring Feifei Yang on vocals and Jason Candler on sax. You can hear Feifei and I on our version of the Dylan classic “All Along the Watchtower“.

So yes, I’ve been busy! I intend to keep going until death, as they say!

National Reso-Phonic Style O 14 Fret

Customer rating:

(13)

Available for 4,798.00 € at

More about Gary Lucas:

• Official Artist Page
• More Interviews

*Note: This article blends Gary Lucas’ text responses with his answers from the Zoom interview of 17 April 2023, it also contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! We will receive a small commission if you buy something through these links. We appreciate your support!

The post Gary Lucas Interview: La Dolce Vita appeared first on gearnews.com.

Cancel culture is something we see everywhere today. But surely, it wouldn’t happen to some of our favourite artists? From The Beatles to Rage Against The Machine, here’s why these songs were hated at release. 

Cancel Culture: Why were these all-time classics hated at release?

Rock music has never been far away from controversy, but isn’t that kind of the point? It doesn’t take a lot to upset your enemies or even your fans. Amps too loud, lyrics too strong, hair too long. It seems you can’t win.

However, even some of the most clean-cut artists over the years have experienced some form of cancel culture. Popular opinion has been quick to divide listeners. Let’s delve into the rights and wrongs of these 5 all-time classic hits, and why they might have been disapproved of once upon a time.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – The Beatles

Our first look at cancel culture comes from The Beatles’ revolutionary 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but how could the Fab Four ever cause uproar?

It appeared that the title was far too much for a somewhat naive late-60s audience. Speculation that the title of the track was a reference to ‘LSD‘, a popular term for the hallucinogenic substance. Although not shy with such pastimes, the group insisted that the track had much more innocent foundations.

Unfortunately, the BBC banned the track. An early form of cancel culture? Despite the song being inspired by a poem that was written by John Lennon‘s son, Julian, called ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’. Oh, the poor girl with kaleidoscope eyes never meant such malice.

Moreover, throughout the recording of the track, George Harrison uses his Rocky Fender Stratocaster. Complete with custom psychedelic paintwork and a Leslie speaker. Both of which are pretty hard to get hold of today, unless you get creative:

Axe Heaven George Harrison Rocky No customer rating available yet

Available for 39.90 € at

Hammond Leslie 3300 Portable Walnut No customer rating available yet

Available for 3,699.00 € at

Cancel Culture: God Save The Queen – Sex Pistols

Secondly, we’re looking at arguably one of the Sex Pistols’ most well-known numbers. The group were never far away from unpopular opinion, in-fact they were at the very centre of it. How could a basic rock riff in A hurt?

Today, cancel culture can occur as a result of an ill-timed social media post. However, this 1977  politically punk-fuled record featured treason which was disliked very much by a then-patriotic British public. Released during the Silver Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II, the group ended up with a total ban on the song.

Furthermore, the ban on air-time only resulted in increased popularity. In addition to radio silence, popular record shops, such as Boots and Woolworths, refused to sell it. Speculations therefore arose at the time that there was a fix in the charts, as it never officially reached the number 1 slot despite massive sales.

The opening bars feature Steve Jones on guitar, blasting out of his 1972 Fender Twin Reverb amplifier. You can’t get hold of a new unit to the same specification, but you can still get pretty close:

Fender 68 Custom Twin Reverb

Customer rating:

(14)

Available for 1,988.00 € at

Killing In The Name – Rage Against The Machine

Our next look at cancel culture doesn’t necessarily stem from the release of this RATM record. Although, in 1993 Radio 1 accidentally played the uncensored version live on air. Subsequently leading to 138 complaints.

17 years after release, the group found themselves playing live on BBC Radio 5. This was as a result of the protest rock song making it to Christmas No.1 in 2009. Naturally, the BBC requested that the strong and expletive lyrics be censored for the live broadcast. Initially, the band obliged.

However, upon reaching the final reprise of the song lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha appropriately neglected to accept the BBC’s request. Not only did listeners get plenty of explicit language, but television viewers received a healthy dose of hand gestures in addition. Looking back it’s a cool but undeniably offensive performance in the true spirit of rock and roll.

Notably of RATM and Audioslave fame, Tom Morello played on that iconic performance. You can check out his signature Stratocaster. Complete with a Floyd Rose, kill switch and a nasty attitude!

Fender Tom Morello Strat FR RW BLK

Customer rating:

(9)

Available for 1,499.00 € at

Hound Dog – Elvis Presley

Following our list of artists that were potentially subject to cancel culture is The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Whichever way you look at it, the 1956 track was surrounded by various forms of bad press in period.

After an initial TV broadcast in June 1956 on The Milton Berlie Show, Elvis’ dance moves were considered lucrative, inappropriate and of ill taste. Historical context has to be applied of course. A clean and rosy-cheeked post-war American audience was clearly not ready for young male to move in the way that he did.

Unfortunately, this was not the only criticism that Hound Dog received. The track was originally recorded by Big Mamma Thornton back in 1952. Being a black Blues and R&B singer, the ideology that a white American male would record the same music was deeply frowned upon. Crazy right? In 2024 we can reflect on the hilariously outdated views and expectations of the 1950s.

Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Concluding our look at songs that were hated at release, is this cancel culture contender from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Unlike Elvis or The Beatles, this group were intentionally badly behaved.

Surprising, I know, but the BBC banned this song following a performance on Top Of The Pops in 1984. Unsurprisingly, it was on the grounds for what was considered obscene lyrics such as, ‘Relax, don’t do it, when you want to come…’. In addition, the track was accompanied by a fairly strong music video, even by today’s standards.

Originally released in 1983, Frankie Goes To Hollywood didn’t air again with the song until late 1984 when it was re-released and had the ban lifted for a Christmas performance. Ultimately it became one of the best-selling singles of that year. Impressive considering that it had the Band-Aid single to contend with.

Plug-in time! The legendary Jupiter-8 brushes shoulders with the likes of the Yamaha DX7 in terms of Synth royalty. You can get hold of this plug-in to sample some of the sounds from Relax at home:

Roland Cloud JUPITER-8 Download No customer rating available yet

Available for 222.00 € at

Cancel Culture: Forgive and Forget?

Today, we can smile and stream these controversial hits. Although, as we’ve looked at, things were quite different in their respective contexts. Or, were the BBC just trying to take away good music? What other records from musical history do you like that were initially frowned upon? Do let us know!

Video:

Further information:

• Get that Sex Pistols tone
• How to sound like The Beatles 
• Elvis Hologram World Tour

The post Cancel Culture: Why were these all-time classics hated at release? appeared first on gearnews.com.

This Fender Adjusto-Matic Jazzmaster HH limited run has been announced as an exclusive model for the Japanese market. Loaded with two Modern Modified humbucking pickups and available in two colours.

Fender Adjusto-Matic Jazzmaster HH

The Fender Adjusto-Matic Jazzmaster HH is the latest offset model announced from Fender Japan, and is currently, exclusive to the Japanese market. It has an alder body, paired with a bolt-on maple Modern C profile neck and a 12″ radius rosewood fretboard fitted with 22 tall narrow frets.

Modern Modified

These models come equipped with a pair of Fender Modern Modified humbuckers and they are controlled by a volume, tone, and a three-way pickup selector toggle switch. No Jazzmaster Rhythm controls here, it is a far more paired-down, down-and-dirty setup.

Of course, there is then a lack of traditional offset vibrato with these. Instead, they come fitted with the Adjusto-Matic hardtail bridge setup. This should make for some more sustain and fewer tuning woes for anyone not used to Jazzmaster-style vibrato setups.

Two Colours

These limited-run models are available in either a Gloss Black finish with a 4-ply tortoiseshell pickguard, or in a Teal Green Metallic with a 3-ply black pickguard. Both versions have cream control knobs and nickel/chrome hardware throughout. They come with a Fender gig bag included in the price as standard.

MSRP – YEN 154,000

Verdict

I’m not usually a huge fan of hard-tail Jazzmasters, but these two look pretty interesting. Ideally we may see some escape out of the Japanese marketplace and make their way into the world. I have seen a number of these exclusive Japanese Fender models do that in the last few years.

Below, for example, are a few examples of Japanese Fender models that are coming to Thomman.

Fender MIJ LTD Hybrid II Strat Noir

Customer rating:

(2)

Available for 1,399.00 € at

Fender MIJ Traditional 60s Strat OWH No customer rating available yet

Available for 1,389.00 € at

Fender JV Modified 60s Strat OW

Customer rating:

(3)

Available for 1,299.00 € at

More Information

• Fender Japan product page
• More Fender news

The post Fender Adjusto-Matic Jazzmaster HH limited run announced appeared first on gearnews.com.

This week’s Guitar Deals on Thomann include some great savings on Fender, Strymon, and Marshall.

Fender LTD AM Pro II Tele

This Fender LTD AM Pro II Tele model is currently 20% off * over on Thomann, which is a stonking deal for this American-made Telecaster. The ash body is paired with a Deep C profile roasted maple neck. It also has 22 narrow-tall frets and a bone nut, plus it has smooth rolled fingerboard edges, a “Super-Natural” satin finish, and a sculpted neck heel for better upper fret access.

This limited edition model comes in a Butterscotch Bonde finish with a single-ply black pickguard, for classic ’50s looks.

Custom Shop

Another great feature of this particular model is the pair of Custom Shop Fat Nocaster ’51s single coils pickups. They also come with a Treble bleed circuit to help maintain highs when reducing the volume.

This limited edition model is a great example of a Telecaster and the price includes a Fender hard case.

Fender LTD AM Pro II Tele BTB

Available for $2039 at

• Fender Product Page
• More Fender news

Strymon Big Sky

Next up, is the Strymon Big Sky with 5% off * the standard price and it packs in a whole slew of useful reverb algorithms. It contains 12 different studio-class reverbs, including Rooms, Reverbs, Plates, and Springs. Along with 300 programmable presets, to save your own presets.

24-Bit Reverbs

It runs at 24-bit and 96KHz which helps maintain the quality. It has controls for Decay, Pre-Delay, Mix, Tone, Mod, Low end, Mid, and Size. Along with MIDI control for more advanced use.

Strymon Big Sky

Available for $444 at

• More Strymon news

Marshall Shredmaster

The Marshall Shredmaster distortion pedal is a reissue of the classic ’90s effect and currently has 30% off * the standard price. This is an authentic reissue of the original and features Gain, Bass, Contour, Treble, and Volume controls. They are a lot more flexible than the Shredmaster name would suggest and can do more subtle distortion tones if required.

UK Built

This UK-made pedal uses the same custom enclosure as the originals, which has the controls recessed at the top of the unit. It is a true-bypass design and well worth checking out, as it covers a lot of ground. Famous users include Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke of Radiohead, along with Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine.

Marshall Shredmaster

Available for $125 at

• Marshall Product Page
• More Marshall news

Marshall MG30GFX

Another great deal is this Marshall MG30GFX which is a 30-watt, 4-channel combo. Currently, you can pick this one up for 35% off * the normal price point. If you need that Marshall sound but need something portable, then this could be the solution you are looking for.

Built-in FX

This model also comes with onboard digital effects, including, chorus, flanger, octaver, and phaser, plus reverbs with emulated spring reverbs available. It comes fitted with a 10″ speaker, and a headphone jack with speaker simulation, plus a mp3/line input. Making it a great little amp for home use.

Marshall MG30GFX

Available for $179 at

• More Marshall news

Fender Malibu Special

Finally, another great Fender deal, this time it is on the Malibu Special acoustic guitar. This steel strng acoustic model has a whopping 40% off * the standard price currently, which is a great saving. It comes with a solid mahogany body and matching mahogany neck, with a Pau Ferro fretboard fitted with 20 frets.

Fishman

This acoustic model also comes fitted with a Fender/Fishman onboard pickup system, and the price includes a gig bag. Making this acoustic a great guitar for live or studio work, or just for playing at home on the sofa.

It comes in a Natural matte finish that shows off the mahogany woodgrain nicely and so looks great as well.

Fender Malibu Special MAH w/Bag

Available for $345 at

• More Fender news

The post Guitar Deals: Fender, Strymon, and Marshall appeared first on gearnews.com.

In this interview, we find out more about blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Joanne Shaw Taylor, as she shares some key career moments.

This interview was originally conducted by Paul Rigg for Planet Guitar.

Joanne Shaw Taylor: Back on the Road

Perhaps it was no surprise that English blues guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor’s early love of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, and Jimi Hendrix would draw her to America, but a key stepping stone on the way was the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, who has championed her since she was a child.

Since then, Taylor has tenaciously forged a career that has seen her win awards for her singing, songwriting, and a number 1 on the US Billboard chart with The Blues Album (2021). Today, just before a run of gigs in Europe and the UK in February 2024, she finds time to talk to Gearnews about her forthcoming album, playing with some of the world’s leading guitarists, and whether her pet birds survived her desire to have a cat in the house…

Heavy Soul

Gearnews: You’ve recently released several new singles, but my favourite is ‘Black Magic’ – could you tell us about its development?

Joanne Shaw Taylor: I originally wrote Black Magic as an acoustic mini-instrumental, but it was so catchy, I thought I should write some lyrics to it. And then Kevin Shirley [producer of bands like Led Zeppelin, Rush and Aerosmith] returned it to me with backing vocals on it, and I just thought it was brilliant, it really added to the swinging momentum of the track.

GN: I understand they will all be on your new album…

JST: Yes, the album’s called Heavy Soul and it will drop later this year.

GN: You’ve said that each of your albums represents a moment in your life. What would you say this one captures?

JST: This has been a nice era, in my late thirties. I’ve become much more comfortable in my own skin, not just as an artist, but as a woman. I am exploring new genres, so, this album has a bit more experimentation.

Squier Paranormal Esquire Deluxe MBK No customer rating available yet

Available for 429.00 € at

Her Early Days on Stage

GN: You started gigging when you were barely a teen; were you playing in bars at that age?

JST: Yes. I started working with the Birmingham Youth Ensemble, playing classical guitar when I was 10. I think my first gig was in a nunnery, and the nuns had taken a vow of silence – so not much rock and roll! [laughs] Then I was performing in music venues like Ronnie Scott’s and The Robin. I was too young to drink, but fortunately, I was allowed on stage, given my parents were there with me.

GN: Were you skipping school to play?

JST: No, I was always pretty good. My school saw how much I was applying myself and were very encouraging.

GN: At 15, I believe you took a train to the guitar mecca of Denmark Street without telling your parents – is that right?

JST: No! [laughs] I did take many train trips without telling my parents, for example, I snuck out of school to go see The Hoax, who were a brilliant young blues band in the late nineties, with Jon Amor and the Davey brothers, at the Astoria. I had to do it, but my parents weren’t too impressed with that.

Fender 50 Double Esquire ANB SH Relic No customer rating available yet

Available for 4,899.00 € at

GN: I believe on that trip to Denmark Street you chose a 1966 Esquire?

JST: Yes. That guitar, ‘junior’, has now been with me for 23 years. I’m so glad I picked it. I’m not sure I could continue performing without it.

Getting Signed by Dave Stewart

GN: Then in another ‘Wow moment’, at just 16, Dave Stewart offered you a record deal. How do you recall that now?

JST: With great fondness. My dad came to my bedroom while I was practicing guitar and said: “Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics has just been on the phone.” And I said: “I don’t know who that is, Dad.” And he’s like: “The Eurythmics.” I had grown up listening to the Spice Girls! I think Dave found it quite funny that I had no idea who he was. He’s been a massive mentor for me.

GN: Despite that early boost, I know it wasn’t all straight sailing…

JST: You can say that again! [laughs]

GN: Is it fair to say that musically, until you left for America, things didn’t really gel for you?

JST: I think so. I had the deal with Dave, then the record company went south, and I didn’t do anything for a few years, just touring. And then eventually I got with Thomas Ruf. But it was a good 15 years from my first record deal before I was not absolutely broke and struggling.

Axe Heaven Fender Tele Vintage Esquire

Customer rating:

(1)

Available for 39.90 € at

Moving to Detroit

GN: I’m fascinated by your move to Detroit at 21 – did you have a contact there?

JST: Yes, exactly. I’d just done the album White Sugar, and Thomas, bless him, didn’t really tour European artists in America because it was just too expensive. But I did a gig in Worcester at the Marrs Bar, and the support band were all from Detroit.

They became friends and fortunately, I did manage to organize about three weeks’ worth of dates around the Midwest, which was enough to get a work visa. And off the back of that I got an agent, and I was just consistently touring, so it made more sense to stay. Thank God I went there – it opened up a whole new chapter in my life and career.

GN: So, pretty much straight away you felt ‘this is where I need to be’…

JST: Yeah, I think I’d always wanted that. America was always a fan favourite because it’s where the music came from, which I love and adore. Also, it’s easy to travel, and there are no language barriers or borders. So, it just made complete sense.

Birmingham

GN: You moved from one struggling industrial working-class area to another, but both have a special creativity about them…

JST: Absolutely. It is no coincidence that the Birmingham area created Sabbath, some of the Zeppelin boys, Slade, Deep Purple, and Judas Priest, and obviously Detroit with Motown. There’s something about a ‘hard knock’ life that forces you to find other pleasures, whether that’s in the arts or comedy, or whatever it may be.

GN: As we’re talking about the US, perhaps it’s a good moment to mention your cover of Joan Armatrading’s ‘All the Way from America’…

JST: Thank you. It was not my idea; Kevin brought it to me. As I mentioned, I am willing to try different things and I hope that the fans come with me on it. I love her and I absolutely love that track. So, I’m glad it’s come out, it’s been popular.

The Female Music Community

GN: You’ve played with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Bonamassa, and Eric Gales, but I believe artists like Samantha Fish and Ana Popovic have been especially important to you. Is the female musical community strong where you are?

JST: Massively, yes. I think the whole female music community is really coming together. I’m very close to Sam because we are a similar age and joined the same label around the same time. Previously, we were always pitted against each other as a lot of journalists would say, “well, there’s another girl doing it”.

But there are thousands of men doing it, and you don’t compare them. It’s been nice to see how women have come together and supported each other. It’s very important to me to have that kind of – not to be too cheesy – sisterhood.

GN: I have a fun question for you now…

JST: …okay, go on…

Fender LTD Reverse Esquire HR AB No customer rating available yet

Available for 4,698.00 € at

Tales from Home

GN: You said in one interview that you have two birds and wanted to get some cats, but you were concerned about the birds getting murdered…

JST: I think that was a healthy concern! [both laugh]. The birds are alive and well! I changed my mind and got a little puppy instead. He is a little sausage dog and is terrified of everything. He just wants to hang out in their gang because we let them fly around the kitchen and stuff. He’s trying, bless him, to make friends, but they’re not too keen on it.

The interview closes with Gearnews asking about Joanne Shaw Taylor’s tour, which kicks off on the 14th of February in Amsterdam and then goes all over the UK. I noticed on her website that the tickets are already beginning to sell out and ask what she is most looking forward to about it?

“All of it!” she replies. “I love being on stage, telling people about my songs, and having those lovely people support me and hopefully get something from a song. It’s like having the best holiday in the world, interrupted by two hours of music every evening!”

Joanne Shaw Taylor tours the Netherlands and the UK from February 14th until February 29th.

Tickets available from https://www.joanneshawtaylor.com/tour

• Wednesday, February 14 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
• Saturday, February 17 – Royal Northern College of Music – Manchester, UK
• Sunday, February 18 – Queen Margaret Union – Glasgow, UK
• Monday, February 19 – City Varieties Music Hall – Leeds, UK
• Wednesday, February 21 – The Fire Station – Sunderland, UK
• Thursday, February 22 – Indigo at The O2 – London, UK
• Friday, February 23 – The Wulfrun – Wolverhampton, UK
• Sunday, February 25 – The Waterfront – Norwich, UK
• Monday, February 26 – De La Warr Pavilion – Bexhill, UK
• Wednesday, February 28 – The Apex – Bury St Edmunds, UK
• Thursday, February 29 – Palace Theatre – Southend, UK

More about Joanne Shaw Taylor:

• Official Artist Page
• More Interviews

*Note: This article contains affiliate links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

The post Joanne Shaw Taylor Interview: Back On The Road appeared first on gearnews.com.

The Fender Switchboard Effects Operator has been revealed as part of its pre-NAMM 2024 lineup of new gear for the coming year. Designed in collaboration with Ron Menelli, the world-renowned loop-switching expert.

Switchboard Effects Operator

Fender’s Switchboard Effects Operator is a potentially great product for pedal addicts. Or anyone who has a more complex stompbox setup on their pedalboard. The new control center was created in collaboration with Ron Menelli, who is known for the excellent RJM Music Mastermind Switcher. It features five stereo, true-bypass effects loops, which users can easily arrange in any order.

The compact unit has a user-friendly LCD screen which is used to navigate banks of customised patch setups that users can create themselves. This is navigated via an encoder knob, for simple navigation.

Signal Path

Ultimately, the signal path remains purely analog. The order and bypass status of one or all of the effects can be freely selected due to the digital control.

MIDI Control and more

The implementation of MIDI allows control messages in more complex digital setups and will allow the Switchboard to integrate into more complex modeling units as well. I like that they have included a footswitch jack for various functions, including amp channel switching or setting tempos on analog delays, etc

Plus, Fender has included an internal volume pedal in the unit’s signal chain, and this can be preset or externally controlled via an expression pedal.

No More Tap Dancing

A Loop Mode consolidates turning on/off five effects and an external footswitch to one location. Allowing users to press one button to control the lot and avoid any potential mistakes whilst they play.

Extra Features

Fender has included a built-in tuner, 500 presets, USB-C and MIDI connectivity, an expression pedal input, and footswitch output. Plus, switchable high-fidelity input and output buffers.

Verdict

This all makes this new switcher system a very versatile unit. This could potentially dent the sales of products like the popular GigRig Atom G3. Certainly, one to check out this year if you have a lot of pedals in your rig.

Fender Switchboard Effects Operator

Available for €419 at

More Information

• Product Page
• More Fender news

The post Fender Switchboard Effects Operator – Control your Stompboxes appeared first on gearnews.com.

These Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe Guitars models have just been announced ahead of NAMM 2024. They include models with classic styling and retro looks.

Classic Vibe Limited Editions

Squier has announced new limited-edition models for the Classic Vibe range; the ’60s Stratocaster HSS, the ’60s Custom Telecaster, the ’60s Telecaster SH, and the Mid-’60s Jazz Bass. Let’s take a closer look at each one and check out the key specifications.

Classic Vibe ’60s Stratocaster HSS

The new Classic Vibe ’60s Stratocaster HSS model is available in Sienna Sunburst and Lake Placid Blue finishes. It comes fitted with a set of Fender-designed Alnico pickups in an HSS layout, so should be pretty flexible tone-wise.

Slim C

They have a slim C-shape neck profile, with a 9.5″ radius laurel fretboard, and use narrow-tall frets. The hardware is all nickel-plated, and they have a vintage-tint gloss finish on the neck.

Squier LE 60 Strat HSS LRL PPG MH LPB

Available for €429 at

Squier LE 60 Strat HSS LRL TSPG SSB

Available for €429 at

Classic Vibe ’60s Custom Telecaster

Next up is the new Classic Vibe ’60s Custom Telecaster model and this one comes in a Satin Dakota Red finish. It is based on the double-bound Telecasters of the 1960s, and like the Strat above is fitted with a pair of Fender-designed Alnico single-coil pickups.

String Thru

This model features a vintage-style Telecaster bridge fitted with barrel saddles, with a string-thru-body design. Again it has nickel-plated hardware throughout.

Squier LE 60 CST Tele MN PPG SDKR

Available for €439 at

Classic Vibe ’60s Telecaster 

These Classic Vibe ’60s Telecaster models come in two great colour schemes, with Sherwood Green and Black available.

Neck Humbucker

They come fitted with a Fender-designed single-coil bridge and humbucking neck pickups. Plus, they get the same slim C-shape neck profile, with a 9.5″ radius laurel fretboard, and use narrow-tall frets as the rest of these Classic Vibe models.

Squier LE 60 Tele SH LRL TSPG MH SHW

Available for €429 at

Squier LE 60 Tele SH LRL BPG MH BLK

Available for €429 at

Classic Vibe Mid-’60s Jazz Bass

Finally, there is the Classic Vibe Mid-’60s Jazz Bass and this model looks stunning in the Olympic White finish and Tortoishell pickguard combination. A very 1960s aesthetic and a very nice looking, affordable J Bass.

Bound Neck

This Jazz Bass also features a set of Fender-designed Alnico single-coil pickups and has a C-shaped neck profile with a 9.5″-radius bound fretboard. It has a vintage-style bridge with threaded saddles and nickel-plated hardware throughout.

Squier LE M60S J Bass LRL TSPG MH OWT

Available for €459 at

More Information

• Fender
• More Fender news

The post Squier Classic Vibe Limited Editions – Affordable ’60s style appeared first on gearnews.com.