The Hottest Music News Of The Week

By Eugenia RoditisMusicngear Editor

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There was a lot going on this week. July has come, and the summer NAMM shed some light on the hottest topics. Fender, Jackson and other music gear giants announced the introduction of a wide gamma of long-awaited gear. Those range from cutting-edge DJ digital controllers to vintage Fender guitar amps that come in real aged whiskey barrel oak boxes. Nevertheless, some of the announcements took us by surprise. Let’s have a closer look at them:

Slipknot's Mick Thomson Part Ways With Ibanez and Joins the Jackson Family

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His new axes are custom Jackson's Double Rhoads and Soloist. Mick says that he’s impressed by their perfect build and massive sound.

The iD4 by Audient Is Now Out

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Audient’s iD14 evolves into a more compact and economic version. The iD4 is the new budget audio interface that combines the perks of the iD14, including real time monitors and panning, Class-A mic preamps and pristine AD converters. 

The New DDJ-RZX Controller Becomes the Flagship of the Pioneer DJ Rekordbox Series

This new device offers unified control over the sound and video of the show. The innovative DDJ-RZX controller comes with two 7 inch touch screens and an in-built video processor. With the DDJ-RZX, you become the true party master.

Summer NAMM 2016: The Reincarnation of Pete Townshend’s Strat

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Townshend's technician, Alan Rogan, re-created the instrument with the highest fidelity possible. It features a piezo pickup and three Lace Sensor Gold single coils for electric sounds. Fender announced that the limited edition of Pete’s versatile Strat will be available in October. 

Summer NAMM 2016: Fender’s Parade of Relics

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In June, Fender will be launching a set of Custom Shop beauties that replicate several popular battle scarred models. Those include a Lake Placid Blue Relic H/S, a '50s Thinline Tele, among others.

Summer NAMM 2016: Fender Introduces New & Refreshed Amps

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Fender announces the launch of the '57 Custom Tweed series. Those emulate the tone of highly-collectible ’57 amps while having the extra features guitar players expect in 2016. 

Summer NAMM 2016: Keith Richards’s Tone is Back With the New 1600 Supreme Amp

Supro paid tribute to the Rolling Stones lead guitarist by issuing a brand new combo amp. Besides the well-recognizable tone, it features high-end amplification with low noise floor.

Summer NAMM 2016: Fender’s Deluxe Line Will be Getting 9 New Revamped Guitars and Basses

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The line of made in Mexico guitars just received a significant upgrade. All of the new nine instruments, including Tele, Strat, Jazz Bass and P-Bass, will come with noiseless pickups.

Summer NAMM 2016: Ernie Ball’s New Expression Series Guitar Effect Pedals Bring Overdrive and Delay to a New Level

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Ernie Ball made tube overdrive simple by giving you quick control over the mix level. Their Ambient Delay pedal follows the same foot-sweepable effect level control scheme for reverb and delay effects.

Summer NAMM 2016: Tailor Guitars Redesigned the 700 and Launch New 800 Deluxe Series

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The 700 series has undergone changes that led to tonal and volume enhancements. Next, the brand new 800 Deluxe line blends the features of the standard 800’s with the ones, found in the 900/Presentation Series.

Summer NAMM 2016: EVH’s New 100-watter and Wolfgang Special Stripped Guitar

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The 5150III EL34 features complete control over resonance, tube tuning and bias testing. The Wolfgang Special guitar has an unforgettable finish and features Custom Designed EVH Wolfgang humbuckers.

Summer NAMM 2016: Charvel Brings Back the 80’s With Their New USA Select Series Guitars

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Those guitars look and sound exactly as if they were manufactured in the 80’s. They come with DiMarzio pickups, non-recessed Floyd Rose bridges and are available in 5 different finishes.

Summer NAMM 2016: Gretsch Introduces Tom Petersson Signature 12-String Bass and Two High-End Guitars

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The first and only 12-string Gretsch bass will be available in early 2017. Gretsch also announced that two limited edition hollow-body guitars will be released by the end of this year. 

Summer NAMM 2016: 9 Fresh Jackson Guitars

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Those include several upgraded X and Pro Series guitars, as well as Phil Collen, Dave Davidson, Scott Ian and Mark Morton Signature Limited Editions. They feature EMG pick-ups (mostly 707 and 808), Single-ply neck binding and Jackson-designed individual staggered bridge saddles.

Summer NAMM 2016: Fender’s Newest Piece of Art – The Whiskey Barrel Amp

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The new amp comes in a box, built of real aged whiskey barrel oak. This limited edition 15W 80 Proof Blues Junior creates a rich low end, hot-tempered with sharp and clear midranges. 

About Eugenia Roditis

Eugenia's passion for music was ignited from an early age as she grew up in a family of musicians. She loves attending concerts and festivals, while constantly seeking fresh and exciting new artists across diverse genres. Eugenia joined the MusicnGear team in 2012.

Contact Eugenia Roditis at eugenia.roditis@kinkl.com

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