Handmade acoustic guitar manufacturer The Santa Cruz Guitar Company is introducing its newest model, the "Otis Taylor OT signature acoustic," coined after famed blues musician Otis Taylor.

Based on its H-13 model, Santa Cruz Guitar Company's new Otis Taylor OT signature acoustic is strung with Elixir® Strings Acoustic Light with NANOWEB® Coating and consists of Madagascar Rosewood back and sides, Italian Spruce Top, Adirondack spruce bracing with hot hide glue as well as customized tint, OT fretboard and headstock.

The Otis Taylor OT signature guitar is available for order now at an MSRP of $6,905.00

Fender announces a new Elvis Costello Signature Jazzmaster guitar, honoring one of the most recognized Jazzmaster players in music.

The iconic electric guitar, produced in Fender’s manufacturing headquarter in Corona, Calif. is a detailed replica of Costello’s original instrument—a guitar that has continually accompanied the famed British singer/songwriter over an extraordinarily versatile and prolific career spanning four decades. This signature release comes during the 50 year anniversary of Fender’s introduction of the Jazzmaster guitar model, which first appeared in 1958.


Costello came snarling out of the U.K. in the mid-1970s with an edgy talent and image that immediately set him apart from the punk masses—impeccable pop songcraft, caustically literate lyrics, an angular stage presence, black horn-rimmed glasses—and an ever-present Fender Jazzmaster. At the time, the Jazzmaster guitar had largely fallen from fashion until Costello’s phenomenal success seemed to lift it to new and previously unknown heights of appreciation. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and right up to today, legions of new-wave, alt-rock and indie-rock players prized the resurgent Jazzmaster for its versatile tone and subversive cool.

Costello’s original instrument has undergone many changes in the past 30 years, and Fender’s new Elvis Costello Signature Jazzmaster replicates the guitar as it existed at the time he recorded his acclaimed 1977 debut album, My Aim Is True. Uniquely Costello inspired features include a post-’68 neck design, a walnut stain finish and a tremolo with easier and greater travel, essential for that “Watching the Detectives” tone, or what Costello calls that “spy movie” sound.


“The original guitar this model is based upon has been refinished, rebuilt, and has a new neck with Elvis’ name inlaid into the fingerboard, so we had to reference a lot of ’70s-era photography, as well as Elvis’ personal anecdotes, to get it right,” said Justin Norvell, Fender marketing manager for electric guitars. “Elvis dialed in the finer details—the points that photos can’t tell you, like the feel and setup and the exact hue and luster of the finish—things only he would know.”

The new Elvis Costello Signature Jazzmaster guitar will be available through authorized Fender dealers beginning May, 2008 with an


MSPR of $2149.99 (U.S.).

For more information on Elvis Costello and his Jazzmaster guitar, visit: www.fender.com/jazzmaster50th

Protection Racket guitar cases are padded with their “Rocket Foam”.

“Rocket Foam" is designed not only to deflect shock from its outer layers, but also absorbs shock on its inner layers to ensure knocks and vibrations don’t reach the instrument.

The new Guitar Cases come in two ranges:

Deluxe range:

Outer Padding 26mm Rocket Foam,
Racketex Outer
Inner Propile Fleece Lining
Inner Neck Support and retaining Strap
Combination Outer Pockets/ Stationary compartments
Rucksack straps


Classic range:

Outer Padding 20mm Rocket Foam,
Racketex Outer
Inner Velvetex Lining
Inner Neck Support and retaining Strap
Combination Outer Pockets
Rucksack straps


For further details:
http://www.protectionracket.co.uk/index.asp

U.S. Masters Guitar Works Releases Master Design LG507 Electric Guitar.

According to the manufacturer, while only $740, the LG507 guitar delivers high-end features and performance such as a bound ebony fingerboard and premium Floyd Rose tremolo in a professional USA design by U.S. Masters Guitar Works. The neck design is a key element of the LG507. With a focus on playability, feel and response, the 24 fret LG Viper Neck is based off of U.S. Masters High Performance Series Neck. The neck is able to be set for a low, easy action.

We're told that the LG507 is outfitted with the premium hardened steel plate licensed Floyd Rose tremolo for better tone, action and durability. The tremolo is mounted with studs and anchors and is equipped with the tension adjusting screw-on arm for adjustment and removal. Wilkinson high-end tuning machines are featured.as are the LG507's direct-mounted humbucker/single/humbucker pickup set with a 5-way switch.

The LG507 comes with an end-bound rectangular style hardshell case. It is now available and shipping.

LG507 with case - $740 MSRP Currently available in: black, metallic red and metallic blue.

For additional Information go to LG507 web page: http://www.usmasters.com/LG507.htm

For more information, visit their web site at www.usmasters.com.

Swineshead Pickups Has Released A New Range Of Tele® Pickups.


The Spotlight-TC combines a tight low end with clean highs providing a classic sounding Tele® pickup. The bridge version comes with a traditional ferrous metal baseplate to help the guitar cut through the mix of a full band sound.

DC Resistances:
Bridge - 7.0k
Neck - 6.0k
Magnet: Alnico 5 rods



The Dragonfly-TC is designed for players who need more low end power and less of the piercing high end which can typify many Tele® pickups. The Dragonfly-TC bridge model doesn't use a metal baseplate instead using a thick plastic bottom to fatten up the overall tone.

DC Resistances:
Bridge - 8.5k
Neck - 7.1k
Magnet: Alnico 5 rods

Like all other Swineshead pickups the new Tele® pickups are available in a wide range of colours, woods and finishes. Plastic Tele® pickups are £42.95 each whilst the wooden Tele® pickups are £52.95 each. Postage is free worldwide on orders over £70.

Digitech® Introduces Harmonyman™ Intelligent Pitch Shifter Guitar Pedal.

DigiTech's HarmonyMan is designed to automatically generate live three-part guitar harmony over lead/solo playing by analyzing and remembering guitar chord progressions from before the solo. According to Digitech, the HarmonyMan is the world's first guitar pedal that can produce multi-part guitar harmonies on guitar solos by analyzing the chords users were playing before the solo. We're told that players can perform favorite songs as they know them, and then hit the harmony footswitch at the start of a solo to render multi-part guitar harmonies. The HarmonyMan employs the same patented musIQ™ technology as the DigiTech Vocalist® family of products. This technology is designed to create multi-part harmony by analyzing guitar chords. Apparently, there is no tedious programming or knowledge of complicated music theory needed.

The HarmonyMan's feature set includes:

• Intelligent Pitch Shifting, based on a new signal processing technology.
  
• Unique Key Display, showing the key that the HarmonyMan is currently using for harmonization. When musIQ is enabled, the display will update dynamically in response to the playing. A musically intelligent "Circle of Fifths" layout puts musically related keys (sharing the most notes) beside each other.
  
• Independently Selectable Voicings for each harmony, with a wide variety of options, including two intelligent shifting modes, unison/detune, octave up/down, straight chromatic shifts from -12 to +12 semitones, as well as 2 octaves down.
  
• Strum Key, allowing players to set the key of a song by strumming chords (for songs that start with a solo).
  
• musIQ Sidechain Input/Thru, which lets a second guitar be the chord recognition source while the Clean Input Guitar signal is shifted to produce harmonies
  
• Voice Memory, allowing players to pre-configure and store up to four different harmony voicings and step through them with the memory advance footswitch.
  
• Pre-Harmony Distortion Loop, which lets players place a distortion stompbox before the harmony effect without affecting chord recognition of the Clean Input signal.
  
• Built-in Guitar Tuner
  
• Mix Control, programmable control of the mix between the lead and harmony signals.
  
• 1/4" guitar input with distortion send and return, 1/4" guitar optional Sidechain input and pass-through and guitar ground lift
  
• Balanced Stereo 1/4" outputs
  
• Rugged roadworthy all-metal chassis
  
• Power supply included

The HarmonyMan Intelligent Pitch Shifter will be available May 2008 for an MSRP of $449.95.

For more information, visit their web site at www.digitech.com.

G&L Presents ASAT Classic Bluesboy With Spalted Maple Top.

The G&L Custom Creations team has located a small supply of exotic spalted maple for a limited run of the popular ASAT Classic Bluesboy model. Specifications include a solid alder body with spalted maple top in a clear natural finish, complemented by a 25-1/2 inch scale hard rock maple neck in a clear gloss finish with 22 fret rosewood fingerboard. Equipped with a nickel plated Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbucker in the neck position and G&L Magnetic Field Design ASAT Classic single coil pickup in the bridge position, both are activated by a 3-way selector switch, volume and tone controls. Other features include Sperzel non-locking tuners, a traditional 'boxed steel' bridge with six individual saddles, plus a G&L moulded hardshell case.

For more information, visit their web site at www.glguitars.com.

Empress announces that their new Empress Superdelay will be available May 12, 2008.


Features include:

• The Signal to Noise ratio is around 105dB.
  
• 2.8 Seconds of Delay Time - For your extra long delays.
  
• 8 modes - normal, tap, autoset (delay time is set by tempo played), reverse, rhythm mode (multitap), tape mode, misc (dynamic, gate), and 12 second looper.
  
• Expression Pedal Input - allows you to control either mix or feedback with your foot.
  
• High Pass/Low Pass Filter - high pass is good for electronic music, low pass is sweet for darker analog delay type sounds.
  
• Fast/Slow Modulation - slow adds extra texture, fast is a little crazy.
  
• 8 Presets - Settings can be saved to 8 presets. With three stompswitches, accessing the presets is meant to be easy.
  
• Tap Tempo with Ratios - many of the modes use tap tempo, and the ratio selection.
  
• True Bypass - The Empress Superdelay employs true bypass.
  
• Small Size - The enclosure measures approximately 5.7" by 3.75" by 1.75".

We're told that all Empress Effects products come with a Two Year Warranty and a 45 Day Money Back Guarantee.