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12 Sep

Reviewed: Sterling by Music Man John Petrucci Majesty MAJ100

CMC Music | cmcmusic.com.au | Expect To Pay: $2495

For better or worse, at some stage or another any guitarist who’s ever seen, let alone bothered practising, their scales and modes has heard of the king of progressive shredding, the one and only, Mr. John Petrucci. As the lightning fast, melodic brain behind Dream Theater, he has been object of so many ‘woah’s over the course of his career that he puts even Keanu Reeves to shame. His long standing tenure as one of Ernie Ball Music Man’s most revered signature artists shows no sign of slowing down and as such it stands to reason that Sterling bring out their very own version of his Excalibur, The Majesty MAJ100.

12 Sep

8 Sep

Reviewed: Sterling By Music Man St Vincent STV60

CMC Music | cmcmusic.com.au | Expect To Pay: $1695

Traditionally the word Sterling refers to a particular grade of silver. A silver medal is bestowed upon second place finishers in Olympic events which, in turn, unfurls ideas of mediocrity and diminished quality upon most audiences. This last part is where the synonymy ends for Ernie Ball’s faithful subsidiary, the Sterling range. As opposed to using this arm of the empire to churn out sub-par variations on a theme, Orange County’s favourite modern guitar manufacturer clearly sees it as an opportunity to put more guitars in more hands without sacrificing any of the unmitigated finesse that players have come to expect from them. Almost every EB branded signature model has a parallel at Sterling whose price tag is rendered more wallet-friendly by several clever design adjustments and a simple shift in factories.

8 Sep

5 Sep

Reviewed: Fender Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster

Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au | RRP: $2399

A flash guitar designed for flashy players? Yep, that’s exactly what you’re in for with Fender’s Brad Paisley signature Telecaster. While clearly this isn’t a guitar for everyone, those who are after a Tele built for fast licks and one-of-a-kind appointments that’ll have you standing out from every other guitar player in the country have hit the jackpot.

5 Sep

17 Aug

Reviewed: Fender Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au | RRP $1799

Jimi Hendrix is quite possibly the most recognisable exponent of the Fender Stratocaster. Revolutionising the style and sound of the electric guitar, his short lived career featured many highly revered performances including his infamous set at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. This particular gig saw Hendrix sporting a hand painted Strat which he subsequently set on fire and smashed in the last song (what a way to get some attention – especially when taking the stage straight after The Who). Aside from some brief Custom Shop runs in the ‘90s and John Mayer commandeering some remakes, this particular Strat hasn’t been a staple of the Fender lineup until now. Celebrating 50 years since the performance, the Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster is hitting the market very soon.

17 Aug

15 Aug

Reviewed: Fender American Professional Telecaster

Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au | RRP: $3099

Of all of Leo Fender’s designs, the Telecaster is arguably his finest work. Simple, robust and full of punch — it’s an instrument that has been heard on countless recordings. Flash forward to today and Fender has reinvigorated the iconic instrument within their new American Professional series. But the question remains: is this a step in the right direction for the behemoth brand, or are they simply treading water?

15 Aug

9 Aug

REVIEWED: JACKSON MISHA MANSOOR JUGGERNAUT HT6

Jackson Guitars | jacksonguitars.com | RRP: $1999

Periphery’s Misha Mansoor is one of those true guitar trendsetters, like Eddie Van Halen and Slash: even if you’re not into their playing, you’ve seen their influence on the gear industry, both in their own signature gear and in the competing products of other manufacturers in their wake. EVH spawned a legion of superstrats. Slash revived the Les Paul at a time when everyone played, well, superstrats. And Mansoor’s influence on guitars, pickups, amps, processors and effects has reached players in genres far outside of Periphery’s progressive metal.

9 Aug

4 Aug

REVIEWED: PAUL REED SMITH SE 277 SEMI HOLLOW ZEBRAWOOD

Electric Factory | elfa.com.au | Expect To Pay: $1449

The current guitar market seems littered with jet black extended range guitars, sporting the most modern hardware and pickups on offer, as though tuning low is an exclusive right only for players in the heavy music spectrum. With that in mind you can imagine my surprise when I opened up the bag for the Paul Reed Smith SE 277 Semi Hollow to find a gorgeous Zebrawood topped guitar with dual soapbar pickups. Aesthetically speaking, it is extremely elegant and a true testament to PRS’ long legacy of well made, beautiful guitars.

4 Aug

2 Aug

REVIEWED: GRETSCH STREAMLINER G2420T GUITAR REVIEW

Gretsch Australia | gretsch.com.au | RRP: $1199

Looking back at the last hundred or so years of popular music, it could very well be said that every era is defined and delineated by a particular make of guitar. It’s difficult to imagine music in the 60’s and 70’s without a Les Paul or a Strat showing up in your mind’s eye, it is well known that the 90’s was the age of the offset and, for better or worse, the arse end of the last century was littered with seven-strings and shredders. Before all that though, the first hero of guitar catalogues was the regal hollow body whose F-holes and rounded, sonorous quality set the benchmark for fans of jazz and blues alike. Big bands put the guitar player in the front row thanks to the inimitable talents of Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery who paved way for torchbearers like Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell, all of whom would be unrecognisable without their wide profile, single cutaway guitars. As I mention elsewhere in this issue, Gretsch have been a big name in the hollow body game since Robert Johnson made his infamous pact and it is with the full weight of that history that they present the Streamliner G2420T.

2 Aug

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