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Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

IK Multimedia launches its supposedly much requested ToneX Board - but is it the right Format?

I have to start things off by saying that I’m not currently in the market for one of these devices - as I typically favour a more mostly analog stomp box approach - featuring an assortment of pedals rather than a single substantial all-in-one-unit.   While I feel it’s...

Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

Tube Preamps & Overdrives Capsule Collection and Target

This article was engendered by the recent arrival of my very own Keeley Electronics Tube Drive - which becomes my 13th Tube Preamp / Overdrive to date. With that particular adventure starting back in February of 2023 with the acquisition of the Tubesteader Eggnog.   I...

Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

Drunk Beaver's Pedal Drop #42 is a brand new custom circuit - the Kubiansk Sub Fuzz - Dual OpAmp Twin Sub-Octave Fuzz

The Kupiansk Sub Fuzz is an entirely custom design, a Vitalii original! It’s and OpAmp-based fuzz circuit (NOS Soviet KR574UD2V dual op-amp). The first stage has soft clipping (AL103 Soviet LED and 2x KD522) in non-inverting amplifier configuration. The second stage is in ...

Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

Key 12A*7 Preamp Tube Types and Characteristics

It’s been a while since I did my Key Power Amp Tubes Overview - back in April of 2024. I always intended to do a follow-up feature for the most typical PreAmp Tubes. I just needed the right catalyst / inspiration to get stuck into that.   And lo and behold - the ...

Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

Ligma Electronics' 'You Need To Wake Up' is an interesting Mix of Room Reverb and Granular Buffer Effects

There’s a lot going on with this pedal - with multiple functions on each control - whether Knob, Toggle-switch or Footswitch.   The top ROOM REVERB Section shapes and swells the Reverb part, the 2nd Row controls the Number of Grains (GUESTS) and how they intermingle (...

Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

I managed to land a Limited Dealer Edition Keeley 12AT7WC Twin Triode Tube Drive Dual Channel Overdrive, courtesy of Andertons in the UK

The original limited 100 Run Sylvania 12AT7WA Edition (as below) caught a lot of us by surprise - I dare say even some of the dealers and distributors. As I believe the September 1st launch date had already been set, but Robert decided to pre-release that 100 Unit Limited ...

Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

Hagerman's Mini Pentode Tube-Powered Tubifier Buffer Pedal is an essential Tone Enhancer for all Digital and Solid-State Rigs

Boss and Strymon have for a long time included a JFET Input Stage to enhance the output of their digital pedals. The JFET warms up the signal and opens it up a little more - adding a touch more colour and texture. And Jim Hagerman’s Tubifier is a level and some above that....

Guitar Pedal X News
Text • Stefan Karlsson

Audio Kitchen finally releases its Moof Filter - a killer take on the Mutronics Mutator, featuring equally rarefied parts

All of us who attended Doug Tolley’s 4th Witney Pedal Party event last November witnessed the final prototype of the then code-named ’Mu-Filter’ - which has mow picked up the ’Moof’ moniker! That device was unadorned - but had all the same controls fully in place.

 

Steve demonstrated that pedal to fine effect and announced a likely early 2026 / Spring launch. While with Steve being the perfectionist that he is - he evidently found further areas to improve - which has brought us up to this point. I think he advised me that the pedal would be around the £300-£350 mark at the time, but the extra work has evidently brought further costs!

 

This is how the pedal looked back then - per the Witney visuals :

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Text • marcusohara@aol.com

Fender Guitars I Wish They Would Reissue

  Tom Morello Strat$1800 Fender seems to be stuck selling tribute “artist” model guitars for folks that once were notable but no longer seem relevant. There are 20 or more of these available, ranging in price from $850 to well over $3,000.  Fender Playe...

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Text • Gary Nava, Luthier

New Model Mandolin: Epilogue

 The last word! The Nava New Model mandolin and its happy owner!

Cheers Gary



Blog - Haze Guitars
Text • Gerry Hayes

How to String a Classical Guitar

Ahh… Classical guitars. The tricky ones. Classical and flamenco (nylon-string) guitars are the scary ones when you’re starting out with stringing (and they’re still a pain when you’ve been doing it for years). While it’s generally not necessary to ‘tie’ strings on other inst...

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Text • Gary Nava, Luthier

Happiness is………

Had a great day! John and his wife (a delightful couple) came over to pick up his new Nava mandolin.

So, for me, happiness is seeing the delight that a client has with their new mandolin and also, hearing it played properly!

And for John, well he is clearly very happy with his new mandolin. I’ve never bothered with customer endorsements but have a read of his wonderful comment on the last YouTube video.

Thank you John!

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Text • Gary Nava, Luthier

New Model Mandolin: 8

 My "New Model" mandolin (as I'm currently calling it) has now been completed. I'm incredibly happy with the final outcome and looking forward to building the next one! Here is the last video in the series and below that a whole batch of photos for you. Cheers Gary

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Text • Wood With Strings

Claro Walnut/Redwood OM - New Home Required!

This guitar is still looking for a new home. My skills as a player are sadly lacking, perhaps because I spend so much time building guitars at the expense of time I could be practising, but I've uploaded a short clip to YouTube anyway to give some idea of what can be expecte...

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Text • marcusohara@aol.com

Martin's Six Million Dollar Guitar

Six Million Dollar Man Six Million Dollars for a 1959 Martin guitar! Unbelievable!! But it is true.   Kurt Cobain on MTV 1994 In 1959 one could have purchased a brand-new Martin D-18e guitar for $235. A regular Martin D-18 had a retail price of $175. The del...

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Text • Wood With Strings

For Sale: East Indian Rosewood/Engelmann Spruce 00

Despite its relatively small body, this guitar has surprising presence in the bass register, while notes played on the treble strings are round and sweet. The shorter scale length is inherently helpful where playability is concerned, and this instrument is indeed very pleasa...

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Text • Wood With Strings

Complete (Almost!): East Indian Rosewood/Engelmann Spruce 00

It's always a thrill to fit strings to a new guitar for the first time. This one will sit in its case for a week or so before I attend to final action and intonation adjustments. The search for its new home can then begin in earnest.


Glamour shots to follow.

Cheers, Pete.

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Text • Wood With Strings

Archtop Guitar: a Major Rethink

I'm reasonably satisfied with the back and sides of this guitar having carved, bent, and assembled them, even after acknowledging that the outcome is some way short of perfect. It's a prototype, I tell myself! I'd been steeling myself for a struggle as I prepared to carve t...

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Text • Gary Nava, Luthier

New Model Mandolin: 7

Well, this is another long video but so, so much to get through!

The bridge is made and I have brief chat about its design, the strings go on and I show you how I set-up my mandolins. And finally……..the New Model Mandolin gets to sing its first notes!

So, cuppa at the ready and off we go.

Cheers Gary



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Text • marcusohara@aol.com

Fourth Of July Guitars

  Declaration of Independence Today is July 4th, 2026. The Declaration of Independence was written on this day, 250 years ago, when the brave men that founded the United States agreed that it was time to quit being subjects of the English King George and begin an adve...