Ultimate Gear Guide - Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, Maestro and Mesa Boogie
Gibson has been on an impressive winning streak the past few years. This Fall, the company continues to roll out new and exciting equipment – and not just under the Gibson name, but also via its other brands, including Epiphone, Kramer, Maestro and Mesa Boogie. To get a handle on just some of this great gear, Guitar World’s Paul Riario and Alan Chaput shined a spotlight on five new products from the Gibson family.
Transcript
00:00 You know, here at Guitar World, we get to feast our eyes and ears on a lot of great new gear.
00:06 That's right, Paul. And nothing gets us more excited than when that new gear is Gibson gear.
00:11 Well, Alan, hold on to your hat, even though I know you're not wearing one.
00:15 Because we've got not one, not two, but five great new products from Gibson to take a look at today.
00:22 And this includes everything from guitars to pedals to amps from top brands under the
00:26 Gibson brand's umbrella, including Epiphone, Kramer and Mesa Boogie.
00:31 Without further ado, let's dive in.
00:33 Every budding rock star dreams of putting their hands around a less
00:41 polar SG when they grow up. Well, you no longer have to wait that long.
00:46 Epiphone's Power Player series of guitars take these iconic shapes and presents them
00:51 at the right size for the younger player with the quality and specs inspired by their Gibson counterparts.
00:59 The Power Player's guitars are trimmed down versions of the Les Paul and SG models
01:18 with a 22.73 inch scale length and slightly smaller mahogany bodies,
01:23 making them easy to play and an excellent choice to learn on for younger guitarists.
01:28 You also get a bolt-on mahogany neck with a sculpted heel for improved upper fret access
01:33 and a pair of Epiphone 650R and 700T ceramic humbuckers for rich, full tone.
01:38 And they're not just for kids. The Power Players are also a great travel guitar choice for more
01:44 experienced guitarists, and they sound better and stay in tune longer than other student model
01:49 guitars due to their high quality components and excellent build quality.
01:53 Sporting totally rockin' finishes and packaged with a gig bag, strap, picks, and a guitar cable,
01:59 the Power Players are the perfect guitarist to get you playing now and forever.
02:03 Forever? That's a long time.
02:05 A mighty long time.
02:06 So, are you looking to get your shred on? Well, look no further. The first name in
02:11 80's shred machines, Kramer, is back.
02:14 The brand is updated. It's built for speed guitars with 21st century construction and detail.
02:33 Nowhere is this more evident than on the new Kramer Striker,
02:37 part of the Kramer Modern Collection of Guitars.
02:41 These high performance shred-ready axes feature a satin-finished maple neck with a Kramer K-Speed
02:47 Slim Taper C profile for fast, easy, and incredibly comfortable playing.
02:52 Electronics-wise, you get three Alnico 5 pickups, a Zebra Coil Bridge humbucker,
02:57 and two single coils for everything from sparkling cleans to hard rockin',
03:01 heavily overdriven humbucker crunch.
03:03 Hmm. That's a lot of adjectives there. I love it.
03:07 There's also a licensed Floyd Rose locking vibrato for all your dive-bombing desires,
03:12 a variety of hot finishes, and an optional hard shell case. Ready, shreddy? Go.
03:18 Nowadays, it seems like there's a million and one pedals on offer from just as many
03:23 different manufacturers. But only one brand was there first. Maestro.
03:28 [MUSIC]
03:52 Introduced in the early '60s, the Maestro name became synonymous with guitar effect pedals,
03:57 debuting with the FZ-1 Fuzztone, the sound of the Rolling Stones' satisfaction.
04:03 Who can forget that?
04:04 In 1962. And now Maestro is back with the all-new Original Collection Series,
04:10 headlined by the new Maestro Fuzztone FZ-M, an updated version of that iconic pedal.
04:16 The all-analog FZ-M offers up an FZ-1-inspired fuzz sound. But that's not all. The pedal features
04:23 an innovative mode toggle switch that provides two-in-one functionality for both classic fuzz
04:30 and a thicker, more modern tone. Its three-knob control layout gives you intuitive control,
04:35 with an attack knob that allows you to dial in just the right amount of fuzz,
04:39 and a tone control to adjust the timbre from bright and raspy to warm and wooly and anywhere
04:45 in between. And a level knob to set the output volume. And it's all controlled via a true bypass
04:51 foot switch that, in a very cool touch, also triggers the LED lights in the bugles in the
04:56 Maestro logo so that you always know when the pedal is active. Classic tone, modern features,
05:01 expanded versatility, and advanced tone-tweaking capabilities. Maestro is back.
05:07 Bugles? For real?
05:08 Bugles in the logo.
05:09 All right. So, Alan, we've looked at some pretty hot guitars and cool pedals,
05:15 but they won't do you much good without a killer amp to crank them through, right?
05:20 That's correct.
05:21 Well, and do we have that amp for you. Mesa Boogie's California Tweed 6V6-220.
05:28 Introducing the most compact grab-and-go additions to our vintage-expanded Tweed series
05:40 of amplifiers. Own a vintage voice amp, but don't struggle with all the setbacks and limitations
05:45 of one. With included features like an all-tube-driven spring reverb, a buffered series
05:50 effects loop, and a wide-ranging EQ section, it's clear to say that this amp strongly bridges the
05:57 gap between vintage tone and modern capability. Thanks to our incremental multi-watt technology,
06:03 go from 20 watts, 10 watts, and even down to 1 watt. Available formats include a 1-10 combo,
06:10 a 1-12 combo, and even a head version that has power scaling capabilities
06:15 and makes for a great pedal platform amp. Look no further.
06:18 Yes, the California Tweed 220 expands on the record success of Mesa's larger-sized and higher-powered
06:28 California Tweed 6V6-440, which set a new standard of performance from simple vintage-inspired
06:35 single-channel design by providing five power amp voicings and output levels from a simple
06:40 multi-watt rotary switch. It's what Mesa defines as "vintage-expanded." And that is expansive.
06:48 So what makes the latest California Tweed 220 so special? Well, for starters, its ability to
06:54 offer vintage-voiced tube amp sound and feel in a choice of 20, 10, or 1-watt power configurations.
07:02 In addition to the three power levels, the multi-watt power amp boasts Duo-Class and Dyna-Watt
07:07 technologies for two operating classes with three wiring options via a single three-way rotary switch.
07:15 Other features include two 6V6 power tubes and a preamp stocked with five 12AX7 and one 12AT7
07:23 preamp tubes, a single channel with normal and low inputs, gain, treble, mid, bass, presence,
07:30 reverb, and master controls, and vintage all-tube spring reverb with an external reverb switching
07:35 jack for remote activation. Tweed tone in a single-channel design with modern flexibility,
07:41 this Mesa, yes, it really does kick ass. Can I say that? Kick ass. Since this is Gibson we've been
07:48 talking about throughout this video, why not wrap things up with the most iconic of Gibson designs,
07:54 the Les Paul. Yeah.
07:56 [Music]
08:15 You won't get pigeonholes using a Les Paul. I put this thing to the paces and it stands up,
08:20 for sure. So for anybody looking to get into a real Gibson, this is a great place to start,
08:27 and quality all the way through. Really good.
08:30 [Music]
08:36 Yes, the Les Paul Tribute captures the vibe, feel, and tonality of a traditional Les Paul,
08:42 but with a rounded maple neck profile and ultra-modern weight relief for super easy
08:48 playability and comfort. Features include a mahogany body, maple top, and a pair of 490R
08:54 and T humbucking pickups with Alnico II magnets for classic tone, power, and sustain, and who
09:01 doesn't love all three of those things? I love all those things. Yep. But you also get medium
09:06 jumbo frets, an aluminum Nashville Tunamatic bridge, and vintage deluxe tuning machines
09:12 with keystone buttons, and in addition to satin honeyburst, the Les Paul Tribute is also available
09:18 in three additional classic finishes. It's all the guitar you need and nothing less. Hell,
09:24 that is a Les Paul. Absolutely. Well, until next time, head to gibson.com. And epiphone.com. Oh,
09:32 and kramerguitars.com. And maestroelectronics.com. And masonboogie.com for these and other great
09:39 products. Check it out.