Unveiled at NAMM 2012: Fender is proud to introduce three highly distinctive new additions to its acclaimed Blacktop series of guitars, a family that expands the sonic horizons of the Fender classics with high-powered features and design mods. The three new instruments are the Blacktop Telecaster Baritone, Blacktop Stratocaster HSH and Blacktop Jaguar 90 (exclusive pics below).
Fender is proud to celebrate five colorful decades of the Jaguar guitar by introducing the 50th Anniversary Jaguar model at NAMM 2012 (exclusive photos below). The special edition instrument takes players back to 1962, when Fender introduced an unique new guitar that paired a modified Jazzmaster® body style and elaborate control layout with a shorter neck scale and brighter pickups with more output. The resulting Jaguar was the fourth and final of Fender’s legendary original lineup of standard electric guitars.
Paul Reed Smith Guitars’ Custom 24 model was updated in 2011 with new pickups and a redesigned 5-way blade switch, giving the flagship model a new voice and even more versatility. At NAMM 2012, PRS is unveiling yet another update on the Custom 24: its uncovered 59/09 pickups are being updated with new, contoured bobbins that arc with the strings for a more spread out, open tone. First seen on PRS Collection instruments, these bobbins are a continuation of Paul Reed Smith’s quest to continually tweak and refine any small part of the company’s instruments in subtle ways to make them better and more musical.
Unveiled at NAMM 2012: The P22, Paul Reed Smith Guitars’ first piezo-equipped solidbody guitar (pics below). It comes standard with a figured maple top, mahogany back, mahogany neck with a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, and a redesigned PRS/LR Baggs piezo system. LR Baggs and PRS partnered more than a decade ago to design the piezo system found in PRS’s various hollowbody models. This new system has the same circuit design as the original, giving the P22 the same tonal authenticity and real world practicality as PRS hollowbody guitars. The redesign, however, yielded a version that is 60% smaller than the original system, allowing it to fit comfortably on a solidbody guitar. Uncovered 53/10 pickups round out this guitar’s specs and help refine the P22’s voice.
Martin Guitar announced that in special collaboration with seven-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter/guitarist John Mayer, C. F. Martin & Co. is pleased to introduce a very special premium guitar — 00-45SC John Mayer Edition — limited to just 25 very unique instruments.
GRAMMY® Award winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxerexplore the versatility of the ukulele as they travel through swing, blues, old time country, folk and original songs on their new CDRockin’ the Uke.
Esoterik Guitars, Eminence Speakers, The Real School Of Music, Justice Howard Photography and Mass Destruction Incorporated Clothing are proud to announce the NAMM Metal Jam 2012.
Here’s a fond look back with Terry Lickona, producer of “Austin City Limits,” in an interview right after the first ACL Festival came to a close
Mascot Label Group has announced a March 27 release date for the debut from Flying Colors (available the day prior overseas) on their Music Theories Label. The formation of the ensemble began with a simple idea: virtuoso musicians and a pop singer joining together to make new-fashioned music the old fashioned way.
The SKH Music Group told us that the Vehicle Production Group, a brand new American car company that designs, engineers, and distributes specialty vehicles, has altruistically gifted a brand new MV-1 to Leslie West.
