If you are in the market for a new guitar amplifier we are happy to give you the inside scoop on the Bobcat 100 from Bad Cat.  The size of the Bobcat 100 is small but the sound is huge!  Weighing in at a nice manageable 32 pounds the Bobcat 100 will give you the big sound you are looking for in a small and compact package that won’t break your back if you need to move it.  Plus, the…

Ibanez have made a flurry of announcements at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville, including limited edition guitars, new amps and a whole lot of bass products.  Thanks to Harmony Central – here are brief descriptions and links to the headlines: Ibanez Introduces Additional Xiphos Series Model – the XPT700FX metal guitar with fixed-bridge simplicity and sustain to six string shredders Ibanez Announces Alternate Finish for Ultimate S Guitars – now come in fiery Viking Red! Ibanez Releases Limited Production RG770DX – the 2008 RG770DX has all…

After the very popular Valve Junior range, Epiphone are releasing a bigger and better version, called the Valve Senior. Details on the Valve Senior are a bit scarce at the moment, as we await its release, but we do know it will sport: 18 watts of Class A/B power. 2 x 6V6GT power tubes, 4 x 12AX7A preamp tubes Gain, Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, and Reverb controls Standby switch 4, 8, and 16-ohm speaker outs These will be shipping…

Most valve amps need to be run loud to get a good tone out of them, which often makes it difficult when performing in intimate settings, playing late at night or if you have picky neighbours. An attenuator is an electronics device that reduces the amplitude of a signal without appreciably distorting its waveform – perfect for getting that cranked amp sound, at a lower, more manageable volume level. This simple attenuator box will allow lower wattage (less than 30…

Those handy with a soldering iron and a bit of DIY know how might want to check out this Instructables guide, on how to build your own tube amp from components.  There are currently pre-fab kits on the market, but it’s infinitely more fun building your own and tinkering with the design.  This guide looks pretty involved, but I’m sure the results are well worth it. A whole lot of tweaking later, I’ve got an amp that pleases me. A…

The Vox AC15CC, or AC15 Custom Classic is a nice amplifier – despite being manufactured in China, it has plenty of character and tone. Still, there are plenty of people on the internet willing to invest time into performing modifications on this amp to take it a step further. Having done quite a few modifications myself, I thought I would write an article to try and consolidate those that I have performed, both to document my journey and also to…

Handy for practice sessions, the VOX Amplug AC30 is a little battery powered device that plugs into your guitar output jack, and allows you to emulate a VOX AC30 amp through plugged-in headphones.  The unit has 3 control wheels on the underside of the unit to control the Volume, Gain and Tone, and also an Auxiliary input so you can play along to songs from your iPod. GuitarNoize took the VOX Amplug AC30 for a test drive, and here were their remarks: So…

As part of an effort to raise funds and awareness for the No More Landmines campaign – a charity aimed at removing the threat of landmines and unexploded weapons. and supporting survivors of landmine accidents – a VOX AC15H1TV guitar amplifier signed by Sir Paul McCartney has been put up for sale at an eBay Auction. The auction states: “We’re giving you the chance to own a genuine and absolutely unique piece of rock history; a VOX AC15H1TV signed by music legend and long-time…

Fender, the world famous guitar and amp innovator hopes to solidify their amp offerings through the acquisition of Groove Tubes LLC.  Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) has not only purchased the Groove Tubes brand, they’re also keeping Groove Tubes founder Aspen Pittman around as a consultant.  Says Matt Janopal, President and COO of FMIC: “FMIC will be a great steward of Groove Tubes going forward as we combine our deep experience in amp design with the service and testing capabilities that Groove Tubes…

This is a seriously cool looking, compact amp for acoustic guitar players – the Fishman SoloMan Acoustic Guitar Amp is not only portable, but is designed to provide wide horizontal dispersion and deeper sound penetration than traditional acoustic combo amplifiers.  The Fishman SoloMan Acoustic Guitar Amp  features 220-watts power output, 3-band EQ, +48V phantom power, high quality preamps, reverb, effect loop, phase and notch filters, 2 mic/instrument and aux stereo (with level control) inputs, balanced XLR D.I. output per channel and main mix…