Spotted this little snippet of info on the Suhr forum from John Suhr himself:

Due to the intense move we have just completed in to the new 30K sq ft building the New PT will not be at our NAMM release. I’m still finishing getting my workspace/ office together.

Pete and I have been flip flopping on which one to do first. At this moment Pete is pushing more towards the 4 channel amp. Either way it is the top priority after the show. We are still bouncing it around but the dirt channel is there and Pete is using it. Once we decide the final layout it will be a quick process. I hope to have the Kelley ready for orders and a working prototype, the Trem pedal will be done and is VERY cool programmable analog, also working on a Guthrie amp and we have the new SSCII which we can put in all our guitars including the Standards.

Guthrie will be here during NAMM and we will be working on it. Basically though it will be small and light, 2 channel.

Intriguing!

Orange Amplification is proud to announce the Signature #4 Jim Root Terror Head and cab, developed in association with the famed guitarist.

Jim Root has the incredible honour of showcasing his skilful playing with two of today’s best in American hard rock– the multi-Grammy nominated Stone Sour and the Grammy winning Slipknot. He has a wide range of playing styles, which come together to create a unique, uncompromising sound and tone.

The Signature #4 Jim Root Terror Head is modelled after the dirty channel on the same amp that Jim Root plays in the studio and on the road: the Orange Rockerverb 100. This all-tube, 15-watt amp is capable of far more than high gain rock and metal though. With a full 3-band EQ players will find it easy to dial in everything from vintage rock, blues and beyond. The addition of a tube-driven FX loop allows the user to take the tone in any direction they want.

His new Signature #4 Jim Root PPC212 cab has been developed alongside the head to bring you Jim’s full tone! The new cab is finished in black vinyl with a specially developed black version of the Orange basket grill cloth and proudly features the signature #4 plate on the front. With a closed back design, the cab has a tight bottom end and delivers Jim’s signature Orange tone.

Said Jim of the name on the signature head, “With this amp, simply giving it the number I use in Slipknot seemed logical. I’ve not been to apt to splash either band logo or artwork all over things, but this will be the beginning of the end of that…maybe”

To complement Jim’s own style and image, the Signature #4 Terror Head is formidable and attention grabbing, featuring the vintage ‘Pics Only’ logo in white on a black chassis. The rear of the amp has both the Slipknot and Stone Sour logos.

Specifications

Volume, Gain, Bass, Mid and Treble Controls
12AT7-Driven FX Loop
1 x 16 Ohm and 2 x 8 Ohm Outputs
Switchable Between 15/7 Watts

This is a simply essential tool for any guitarist from any playing background. Quality built for the huge sound, lush tones and high gain necessary for rock and metal music, but versatile enough to be useful in any situation!

Jim Root will be personally launching his signature #4 products on the Orange Booth #4890 Hall C at NAMM at 2pm on Saturday 21st January.

Great to see that the Andy Wood signature Suhr has been added to the Suhr website with some gorgeous pictures and spec sheet.

Here’s what the guys at Suhr had to say about the guitar:

The goal of the Andy Wood Modern was to offer an incredible looking and sounding instrument utilizing the very best woods while offering simplicity and surprising versatility in one stunning package. We believe we have achieved this goal as this guitar pretty much sums up who Andy is as a player and musician. The sound is full, warm, and smooth while still having plenty of cut, bite, and punch.

Andy picked Mahogany for its mid-midrange emphasis on the body back and the neck while choosing “5A” Quilted Maple top for its aesthetic beauty and tonal brilliance. Mahogany neck and Pau Ferro fingerboard add definition and tightness so the notes literally shoot off the guitar during Andy’s patented high-speed runs. Like all discerning great players, Andy cares as much about the tactile response of an instrument as how it sounds and this wood combination turned out to be the perfect fit for Andy’s demanding style.

The neck shape is the slim Modern Elliptical .780-.830 which plays fast but has enough girth for Andy to really hang on to during big string bends. Really thin neck profiles tend to tire out your fretting hand after an extended playing session, but the profile on this neck is full enough for your hand to feel comfortable even after hours of playing. The flat 16″ radius facilitates speedy legato and tapping licks while the Jumbo Stainless Steel frets feel glassy smooth during string bends while providing years of reliability.

The pickup configuration and the electronics look deceptively simple: two humbuckers, one volume pot, one tone pot and pickup selector. But this simplicity has a few hidden features which helps Andy wring out more than that meets the eye. First, the Mega 5-way gives Andy the split neck HB single-coil tone and the combination of two inside coils of both HB’s for that in-between “out-of-phase” single-coil sound. Combine these sounds with the normal HB tones of the neck HB alone, both HB’s in series, and the bridge HB for over-the-top leads and you have one very versatile axe that can cover virtually any musical style.

But there is one more feature that can turn this modern rock-shred machine into a convincing county twang guitar. Affectionately called the “Redneck Mod” by Andy, the push-pull tone pot converts the bridge HB in series to parallel wiring. The sound is noticeably thinner than that all-out HB but it is still hum-canceling. What you get is a fat T-style single-coil sound that’s bright but never grating on the ears. This is where Andy can go into his full-blown country and bluegrass mode, adding a sound not typically found on guitars of this style.

The pickups are the Suhr DSH+ humbucker in the bridge position and the DSV humbucker in the neck position. Andy chose the double-screw pickups for their smoothness in the initial pick attack. Andy has such an amazingly precise and razor-sharp pick attack that he felt the double-screw pickups would smoothen out the attack and he was correct. The “DS” pickups have smoother high-mids with less lows and highs than their “SS” counterparts and they were exactly what Andy needed to complement his technique and style.

The hardware consists of the Gotoh 510TS-FE1 solid-saddle fulcrum tremolo bridge that is blocked in the trem cavity so that it only goes down. It is not floating so Andy would still be able to keep playing if he was to break a string. But there is another reason that the bridge is blocked and this feature is hidden behind the headstock. It’s called the D-Thing from Sperzel and it allows Andy to instantly switch to Drop-D tuning, adding yet even more versatility.

The stunning ‘Dark Inferno Burst’ is a finish that Andy requested on his own. He looked at our own ‘Fireburst’ finish and asked us if we can make it even more intense with a darker sunburst edges. The result is indeed as the name suggests – a finish that looks too hot to handle. This is a burning axe in more ways than one! The matching color figured Maple headstock with Mother of Pearl logo rounds out the look with a touch of class.

Such a classy guitar and personally exciting for me as the spec is similar to what I’m getting in my own custom organised through the lovely people at Peach Guitars!

Models have been available to order in the shops for a few months now and seem to retailing around the £2899.00 mark.

The band “Impact Fuze’, featuring Fedor Dosumov on guitar, playing at Musikmesse:

Yet more Suhr players!

There is no escape mwahahaha!

Demo video of the some new ENGL amps at Musikmesse 2011.

Noticed quite a few demo players using Suhrs, I approve

Gibson have announced some exciting new models including the rather cool looking (well to me ) Nashville Flood Anniversary Les Paul Studio:

…Gibson USA division will also be showcasing other new models the SG Special ’60s Tribute. This guitar commemorates the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the SG with a cool yet affordable tribute model that incorporates all of the nuances and features that made the SG an immediate hit. The Nashville Flood Anniversary Les Paul Studio Blue and Green, Explorer Melody Maker, Flying V 7-String, Les Paul Oversized Bass, Paul Landers Signature Les Paul, and the Les Paul and SG Gothic Mortes, and other exciting additions from Gibson USA will also highlight the booth.

Gibson Custom will continue its history of presenting the world’s most collectible guitars at Musikmesse 2011. Guests will be among the first to see the exclusive Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess, a guitar which commemorates Lifeson’s work with Rush from the ’70s to today and hisredefining of the boundaries of progressive rock guitar.

The Randy Rhoads Les Paul Custom, the Don Felder Doubleneck and Les Paul Signature models, SG Custom Reissue, ES-355 Figured Stopbar, and other historic models from Gibson Custom will also be showcased at the booth.

Also new for Gibson Custom is the Marc Bolan Signature Les Paul, a guitar based on the iconic Les Paul Model Guitar that accompanied Marc’s all too short but very influential career. Limited to 100 aged and 350 ‘VOS’ finished versions globally, the chance to see, hear and feel this special instrument is at this year’s Musikmesse.

via Musicradar

Schecter announces new ‘sedate’ Synyster Gates signature models:

The idea behind the new $YN model was to build a guitar that was not TOO branded. When we set out to do this, Brian said ‘as much as I love Dime, I would never play that guitar on stage’ so the new SPECIAL delivers $YN’s look, playability and SOUND without the overly recognizable ‘pimp-stripes.’ Rest assured, he will still be rocking his striped Customs AND there will be a Special Edition Custom available before the Holidays with a new color scheme. The new ‘DELUXE’ version is to the Special, as the ‘Standard’ is to the Custom. It is more affordable… bolt-on, FR Special trem, Seymour Duncan Designed Detonators, rosewood fingerboard, etc …. $869 MSRP. Deluxe specs up tomorrow.

Two versions of the guitar will be available, the “Special” and “Deluxe“:

Construction:	Bolt-On
Available Bodies:	- Mahogany
Neck:	Maple
Finger Board:	Rosewood
Frets:	24X Jumbo
Inlay:	Pearloid Gothic Cross
Tuners:	Schecter
Pickups:	Duncan Designed HB-108 Detonators
Electronics:	Vol/Tone (tap)/3-Way Switch
Available Bridges:	- Floyd Rose Special
Scale:	25.5″
Hardware:	Black
Available Colors:	- Gloss Black (BLK)
Available Cases:	- SGR-2A
Available Lefty:	Yes

via LickLibrary

Dark forces have been stirring at Orange Amps where mysterious alchemy has created the beast to be unleashed. Striding out of the shadows is the new Dark Terror, guitars amps will never be the same again!

Menacingly small, easily recognisable, this aggressive little amp comes with a mind blowing sound which combines the shape control of the Thunder series with the weight and size of the monster Terror family. This Frankenstein like amp has creepy amounts of gain on tap with disturbingly pleasurable responsiveness. It is uncompromisingly brutal, doubtless unhinged, even ferocious!

The Dark Terror rises from the ethereal depths to fulfill the every desire of the Heavy Metal and Rock guitar players. With its characteristic fearless Orange Amp looks, heavy duty construction and portability, guitar players everywhere will quickly become attuned to this scary dark force of nature.

The Dark Terror is highest gain Terror amp ever and comes with:-

New High Gain Preamp 3 x ECC83/12AX7
Valve Driven FX Loop
1 x ECC81/12AT7
Four Stages of Gain
15 Watts Class A, Switchable to 7 Watts
Weighs in at only 7kg/15lbs
A Gig Bag

The Dark Terror is available from the end on May 2011 and priced at £399 (inc. VAT). Hear its distinctive Orange Amp sound and you will feel this mysteriously attractive force pulling you into the shadow of the Dark Terror. It’s everything you want from a Black Orange Amp. Prepare to ride the Dark Terror storm.

via gear4music.com

When Yamaha introduced the first Pacifica models in 1994 it brought high quality, high performance no-compromise instruments within reach of many thousands of discerning guitarists on a budget. These highly affordable instruments were characterised by high-quality hardware and a superb solid wood body.

Since that time Yamaha has gone on to introduce a wide range of Pacifica variations many of which have since received international awards and as a result of this relentless pursuit of quality the Pacifica is one of the world’s most popular guitar brands.

The Pacifica story continues to evolve and innovate with the introduction of four new models at this years’ Frankfurt Musikmesse – The Pacifica 611HFM, 510V, 311H and 120H.

All models started life in Yamaha’s famed LA custom shop and take the Pacifica concept to the next stage since they offer new configurations of hardware and pickup design to stay in tune with new market and music developments.

The new Pacifica 311H looks great and offers superb feel and versatility and exudes the innovations and quality that have made Yamaha’s LA custom shops instruments so revered.

The 311 features custom-wound pickups and the highest quality hardware complete with coil tap all matched with a solid tonewood construction that delivers great musical and tonal variation and uncompromising performance. This model is available in Black, Vintage White, Red Metallic and Yellow Natural Satin.

The no-frills, no-compromise Pacifica 510V really means business, it features professional hardware, an exclusive single Seymour Duncan TBPR-1b pickup, tinted maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Available in Black, Candy Apple Red and old Violin Sunburst this model sounds as good as it looks.

The new 611HFM model is the embodiment of the Pacifica concept of versatility, performance and individuality and stays true to the LA custom-shop guitar vision. A superb flamed maple and Alder body with a vintage tinted maple neck with models boasts Seymour Duncan SP90 – 1n TB-14 pickups and coil tap tone pot.

The new range is completed with the Pacifica 120H which offers a Maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and Alder body. High performance Neck and Bridge Humbuckers complete this high performance yet highly affordable package.

The Blackstar HT-5 flew off the shelves when it was launched a few years ago. I myself came close to buying one and I have recommended the amp to many students of mine. It offered a great sounding amp for very little money appealing to players of all levels.

Now Blackstar have relaunched the range with some enhancements, notable of which is the addition of digital reverb! :

When the original HT-5 was launched in 2008 it quickly became on of the most successful studio and practice amps ever designed.

Packing all the great tone and innovative features of the award-winning HT valve pedals in a two-channel, footswitchable valve amp format with a unique push-pull power amp design it was an instant classic.

Due to popular demand 2011 sees this groundbreaking amp relaunched and improved with a whole host of new features:

* Digital stereo reverb as found on the HT Venue Series and HT-1 adding a rich depth to any playing style (only on ‘R’ models)
* Dedicated Tone control on the Clean Channel providing even greater tonal flexibility over the HT-5′s shimmering cleans
* 12″ Blackbird 50 Watt speaker, custom designed by Blackstar
* State-of-the-art enhanced speaker emulated output for perfectly capturing valve tone to tape or disk
* Speaker emulated output can now be used at the same time as the internal speaker/extension cab, providing headphone-free monitoring or the choice to blend a mic’d speaker and emulated signal together for unrivalled usability when recording at home or in the studio
* Stero MP3/Line input perfect for practice
* Please note that the HT-112 will be fitted with the new Blackbird 50 speaker from April production to match the new HT-5R

HT-5C Combo

* Innovative 5 Watt valve combo
* 1xECC83 and 1x12BH7
* Unique push-pull power amp design
* Award-winning HT Pedal preamp
* Two footswitchable channels
* 12″ Blackbird 50 custom speaker
* Enhanced tone controls
* Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
* Fully equipped for studio or practice
* Speaker emulated output with 1×12 or 4×12 voicing
* Effects loop with effects level switch
* Footswitch included
* Cool vintage styling

HT-5R Combo

* Innovative 5 Watt valve combo
* 1xECC83 and 1x12BH7
* Unique push-pull power amp design
* Award-winning HT Pedal preamp
* Two footswitchable channels
* 12″ Blackbird 50 custom speaker
* Enhanced tone controls
* Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
* Digital stereo reverb
* Fully equipped for studio or practice
* Speaker emulated output with 1×12 or 4×12 voicing
* Effects loop with effects level switch
* Footswitch included
* Cool vintage styling

HT-5RH Head
* Innovative 5 Watt valve combo
* 1xECC83 and 1x12BH7
* Unique push-pull power amp design
* Award-winning HT Pedal preamp
* Two footswitchable channels
* Enhanced tone controls
* Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
* Digital stereo reverb
* Fully equipped for studio or practice
* Speaker emulated output with 1×12 or 4×12 voicing
* Effects loop with effects level switch
* Footswitch included
* Cool vintage styling