Justin’s Picks: Sandblasted Strat and Wampler Plexi Drive
Fender Limited Edition USA Stratocaster Sandblast This year, Fender has been releasing tons of new limited-edition products, but the Sandblasted Strat is particularly unique. The sandblasting is partly responsible — no two finishes will look and feel the same way. But aside from the finish, this is a solid USA-made guitar with your time-approved specs: […]
Dan’s Picks: the BeatBuddy and Vox AC10
BeatBuddy Pedal Drum Machine When you think of drum machines, you think one type of sound at a time, with not much on-the-fly usage. The great thing about the BeatBuddy pedal is its ability to add in fills while playing, and even transition to other parts with just a simple tap of the foot. Plus, […]
Moog Minifooger Pedal Demo
Moog recently stopped by zZounds HQ to showcase their wares, including the Sub37 synth keyboard, Slim Phatty analog synth, Werkstatt-01 synth kit, and Theremini. Getting to tweak knobs and generate synth lines on killer Moog gear was awesome. Also awesome: the all-Moog pedalboard loaded with seven different Moog Minifooger pedals, each one paired with an EP3 expression […]
YOB – “Clearing The Path to Ascend”
Oregon doom champions YOB’s most recent effort, “Clearing The Path to Ascend,” breathes a breath of fresh air into the sometimes-stale genre of doom metal. Too often, doom bands rely on heaviness and heaviness alone as their only tool to wield, paying little attention to song dynamics or character. While YOB does a great job […]
New Gear Report: Akai Advance Controllers, Shure PG ALTA Mics & Cakewalk SONAR
Akai Advance MIDI Keyboard Controllers Last year, we got Native Instruments’ Komplete Kontrol S MIDI controller keyboards. Building on the theme of rainbow-candy-colored USB MIDI controller boards, the Akai Advance MIDI controller series has arrived. What makes the Advance controllers really special is the software they come with — AKAI calls it VIP, which stands […]
Interviewing John Scofield
When I first got the news we’d be hosting an interview with John Scofield for his upcoming Ibanez signature guitar releases, I had a mild freakout…and that’s putting it lightly. Scofield has been one of my major influences on guitar and has certainly shaped my own improvisations and compositions (plenty of hours were spent by candlelight […]
Martin’s Picks: Warwick GPS Streamer & Radial Bassbone V2
Warwick GPS German Pro Series Streamer Stage I 4 Electric Bass As a Warwick fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the new Pro Series line. I was not disappointed in the German Pro Series basses — they are made in the same factory in Germany as Warwick’s higher-end basses, using the same high-quality woods and manufacturing […]
Celine Neon – Getcha Good
After listening to this track for the first time, I was making weird mouth noises for the rest of the day. I also began moving in a way that could only be described as “spazmatic bobble head doll”. “Getcha Good” is the kind of song that lodges itself in your brain because of its energetic […]
Darryl Jones on Playing with The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, and More
This Thursday, we’re throwing back to our 2013 interview with Darryl Jones, touring bassist with the Rolling Stones. In case you haven’t heard, the Stones are kicking off their 2015 ZIP CODE tour on Sunday in San Diego. If you’re lucky enough to get tickets, you’ll probably spot Darryl onstage, keeping the groove as he has since […]
