THE LINEUP
Our pick of the month’s most delectable and wallet-bothering new gear
It’s that time of year again, where we start feeling all festive. Taking time to be with our loved ones, unwrapping all the surprises… No, we don’t mean Christmas (that will have passed, hopefully without incident, by the time you read this). We mean our gear. You see, somehow it’s now 2024, which means we’re getting a glimpse of the releases from the imminent NAMM Show. In fact, we’ve brought you more GAS than the boiled sprouts you didn’t eat. The turkey might be out of the way, but it’s never too late to wish you Happy New Gear! [SW]
BOSS RV-200 £259
You can never have enough reverb. So says Boss, as it arrives with a 200 Series pedal we think we’ll be hearing a lot about over the next 12 months.
The RV-200 is looking to be the long-anticipated multi-mode answer to your ambience hunt.
It’s got 12 modes, including the regular room/hall/plate/ spring you might expect.
But it gets more exotic with Shimmer, Lo-Fi, Reverse, Slowverb and the brand-new Arpverb. This mode gives you arpeggiated-style pitch-shifted reverb tails: hit a note, let it dance and go and have a bite, as they say. Elsewhere, it’s got 127 memories, Boss’s Hold, Warp, Twist and Fade functions, plus MIDI I/O and more. www.boss.info
HARLEY BENTON DIY GUITAR KITS From £77
Bargain guitar-maker Harley Benton has announced the release of five more of its popular self-build guitar kits. The new additions include a Thinline T-Style, MB Bass and two left-handed models (ST and TE). Most curious, though, is the ‘Square’ kit (pictured), which leaves the body as a slab of wood ready for you to apply your own shape to it. Each kit comes with all the components you need to assemble the guitar, and the bodies are pre-sealed ready for lacquer finishes to be applied. Prices start at just over £75, and you can get them from Thomann.www.harleybenton.com
FENDER LIMITED EDITION BRUNO MARS STRATOCASTER £3,149
In a perhaps unexpected twist, Fender has announced the release of the Limited Edition Bruno Mars Stratocaster, in collaboration with the US pop songsmith/Silk Sonic member. His signature model comes with an ash body in the bespoke Mars Mocha Heirloom nitro finish, complete with American Ultra contours. The neck is maple, with a 21-fret, 241mm to 305mm (9.5- to 12-inch) compound radius maple ’board, and the pickups are Custom Bruno Mars single coils. It comes in a Fender hardshell case and you’ll also receive a three-ply mint green scratchplate, along with a custom leopard print strap.www.fender.com
JHS NOTAKLÖN £99
If Ikea made a pedal, well… we’d have something other than bargain hot dogs to look forward to each trip. The next best thing is JHS’s ne
