Volume - tuner

The Ernie Ball camp had successfully embed a tuner into their volume pedal. It effectively eliminates the need for two separate units on one's pedal board. Space-saving & practical for sure. The tuner is also a touch-screen unit so the smart feature eliminates the kneed for additional knobs. Neat. 

Alternate reality

The success of 2018's Parallel Universe series by Fender led to 2019's Alternate Reality models seen above. Essentially, these are mix-matched Fender models made to be presentable & somewhat appealing to the quirk-inclined folks out there. L-R: Electric XII/ Sixty-Six/ Meteora HH/ Powercaster/ Tenor Tele. Unlike the 2019 iterations, these are Mexican & more appealing in terms of prices.

I'm most attracted to the Sixty-Six as it is a guitar version of the Jazz Bass. However, I find it disturbing that the default humbucker (seen above) is showing misalignment. Two implications: 1) The humbucker concerned is not F-Spaced 2) The bridge sports a wider dimension. They couldn't get it right back at the factory; are we paying for oversight? I wouldn't say it's a dire concern but the manufacturer should be more in the know when it comes to such details. We can easily swap this our for a properly spaced replacement but a covered F-Spaced pickup is harder to come by at the stores compared to the uncovered counterparts. 

BC trio

A very functional trio by Laney's Black Country label. From L-R, we have a boost, OD & a reverb unit. From the initial demo clips, they sound good & I'm rather attracted to the reverb. I've not heard something as appealing as Strymon's BlueSky unit but that one's too much money for something that I would use on occasion. The Second Path might be a good alternative. A little concerned with those control knobs as they block the pedals' labels. 

Red Screamer

Still in TS territory- this is how the 40th Anniversary version looks like. Manufacturer said there's no variation in the circuitry, just a colour difference. Limited edition run, of course.

Looming revelation

Here is Jeff Loomis' signature Jackson. I was expecting a little more extravagance but it's a considerably down to earth instrument. No surprise that it turned out to be a Kelly type as he was seen with one on many occasions towards the end of 2018. 

Screamuram

Another high profile release at NAMM- Ibanez's TSV808.

It's rather obvious from the labels that this is a collaboration between Ibanez & Vemuram. By virtue of this understanding alone, we can expect exorbitance in terms of prices. Tone-wise, initial impressions by professionals deem this as a deserving variation of the Tube Screamer as well as the preservation of all things Jan Ray. Reason being- it's a true hybrid without compromising ideals to maintain brand supremacy. The TSV808 has that signature TS midrange supremacy in store as well as the JR's buttery bottom end which the TS isn't a forte of. I'm not a fan of any Vemuram offerings in the mean time despite having tried them in person countless times, but this coexistence is a very enticing proposal. Mind you, I've nothing against the Vemuram brand name, they are up there in terms of boutique offerings, but what they offer isn't what I like to hear.

That aside, this pedal will be on my watch list. Keep in mind that Ibanez & Vemuram products are distributed by two different dealers here, it's interesting to see the price difference should they be available at both places. 

Personally, I have mixed feelings with this release. Half of me feels glad that it's another success story behind a Tube Screamer variation. The other half feels that the TS is lately being dependent on other brand names to propel its existence. Whatever the case, it's good to see a win-win situation.