Hands-On Reviews and Product Spotlights

Each of the guitars in my modest collection has a role to play. I have a dependable workhorse guitar that goes to gigs, a great-sounding instrument for the recording studio, a compact travel guitar, a lavishly appointed diva that only makes appearances at special occasions, and finally, my guitar for the rest of my playing situations such as parties and informal jams, the backyard patio, or a spur-of-the-moment songwriting session. Epiphone has two excellent candidates for such an all-purpose guitar: the Limited Edition Hummingbird Artist and Limited Edition EJ-200 Artist. Each Artist is a no-frills version of a classic Gibson flattop.

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When the Parker Fly was released in the early 1990s, it was a landmark in solidbody electric guitar innovation: a slim, ultralight body design with a distinctively angular silhouette enveloped by a smooth "space age material" skin. With the new DragonFly, Parker combines the best of the original Fly’s forward-looking features with elements that appeal to guitar players looking for a more traditional vibe. While sacrificing none of the elements that make the Fly a Fly, the DragonFly successfully broadens its appeal to any guitarist looking for state-of-the-art technology in a lightweight and versatile instrument.

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Whatever you do, don’t call it a headphone amp. That doesn’t come close to describing what the JamHub can do to transform your practice sessions and rehearsals. Although it has elements of both a headphone distribution amp and a multichannel mixer (and a recording device), the JamHub combines the best of both to provide musicians a friendly, no-hassle environment to get together and practice silently—without the high-decibel collateral damage that can make rehearsing a full band a nightmare. The JamHub is a silent rehearsal studio—or you might even say a "stealth studio"—that allows you to bang it out with your bandmates even while someone nearby reads a book, watches TV, or nods off to sleep.

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What do modern metal masters such as Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith, Lamb of God's Mark Morton, Machine Head's Phil Demmel, and Anthrax's Scott Ian all have in common—aside from being highly influential players in venue–packing bands, of course? Jackson guitars.

Anyone who grew up on early MTV recognizes Jackson guitars as a symbol of the high–energy metal born in Los Angeles clubs in the '80s. A new breed of guitar hero had emerged and they demanded higher performance from their axes. They wanted shred–friendly setups, super–fast necks, molten tones, and attention–grabbing aesthetics. Former Tennessean Grover Jackson and his small but highly talented and dedicated team listened and delivered the goods.

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Taylor Guitars is known for creating breakthrough products, such as its New Technology neck and Expression System electronics. Many progressive building techniques, like using CNC milling machines and laser cutters for precision woodworking, or applying UV–cured finishes that are buffed to perfection by a nimble robot, were introduced or refined by Bob Taylor and his crew. While building beautiful instruments, Taylor has also altered long–held notions about luthiery.

But with the Baritone 8–string, the folks at Taylor have gone one step further: They’ve invented a new instrument. Combining a baritone’s long–scale fretboard and lowered tuning with selected octave strings from an acoustic 12, this Taylor is a guitar unlike any other. The concept sounds radical, but once you’ve played this configuration of tuning and strings, you’ll wonder why no one thought of it before. To fully grasp what’s going on with the Taylor Baritone 8–String, it helps to review some background info.

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The Fender^® Passport series has been providing portable PA systems for decades, and the three newest models, dubbed the PRO series, make improvements where "the rubber meets the road" as far as musicians are concerned: lighter weight, increased power, and reduced wallet impact. For good measure, Fender has refined existing features and added some new ones.

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