Terror stomp

The amp-at-your-feet idea isn't new - we knew this. EHX & Seymour Duncan currently have them in their catalog. Many of us are wondering what practical purpose it serves since performance venues are equipped with amps anyway. That's exactly the issue right there - those are not our preferred amps. We can quickly put stomp box amps to use because we know these had been tried & tested by us & it would replicate our preferred tone. Also, it acts as a back up if the performance amp suddenly stops working like they always do in crucial times. 

The Orange Terror Stamp here appeals to us in terms of pricing (MSRP - USD199) considering it's tube driven. Yes, we love to hear hot, cooked up tubes in action & it's possible with this one through the pre-amp stage. Of course, do manage expectations because such things are designed to serve a purpose & it's not as established as non-portable amps.

Apex

Ooh, la la... There's something about Maxon drive units that make me excited.

OK before we dismiss this as just another iteration of the Tube Screamer, let's remind ourselves that the Maxon camp was the reason why the Tube Screamer became legendary. I will leave the historical reading of the TS-Maxon relationship to your free time enterprise. In the mean time, the Apex version here is a refinement of what makes the TS808/ OD808 much sought after in terms of tone. 

This one was personally handled by the chap who had his hands in the initial success of the pedal, Mr. S. Tamura. The chip used was traced down to the original manufacturer plus year of production & recreated here. In view of its offerings, the Apex will serve the user in a stand-alone application as well as a booster unit best cascaded into amps. Folks, this one is hot, it's already sold out at many pre-order websites. It's also a little costly, hovering over the USD300 mark. 

I need to at least check this one out. 

Epiphone 2020 (2)

It's a little early to say but I'm saying it anyway - Epiphone's 2020 lineup is easily the steal at Winter NAMM. Everyone's a little skeptical when it comes to the new headstock outline especially when some early hints of them debuted in the signature models late 2019. We are now assured that the Casino type dovetail version won't be the staple of the revision, this Kalamazoo-esque early design is it. 

Folks, the Inspired by Gibson collection basically apes the current Gibson Original versions & I've featured two of them here - the Les Paul Standard 50s. They simply look the works. I will entice you into considering one for future acquisitions by stating the fact that it's only USD 599 vs the Gibson version of USD2,499. That's merely a quarter of what you need to spend should you be going for the Gibson. My take os that, the Epiphone wins it in terms of value-for-money (had always been the case) & a possible put off might be coming from the pickups. They won't sound too shabby but they are the compromise when cost-cutting is involved.

The LP Custom version if you think they stopped at the Standards.

Looks like everything is falling nicely into place for the Epiphone camp & their re-think at the close of 2019 was well considered & helmed by good leadership. We can say that nothing much happened in terms of fresh ideas. Re-iterating existing ideas with a little twist is risky; it's a 50/50 take on the current success in terms of sales figures, Folks, if you don't already know, Epiphone instruments are the revenue-making units in stores everywhere. It's partly due to the Gibson affiliations & partly due to the fact that quality got better along the way. Loyalists would tell you that the clipped dove tail headstock version is not an entire put off especially so when you value other details in the package. 

Pia?

They kept this under wraps till NAMM. Looks familiar? It better be, otherwise, the affiliations would be lost & that spells trouble for sales. Vai's JEM lost its monkey grip in favour of that Ying-Yang teardrops. While the JEM's monkey grip facilitates handling, these do not serve a similar purpose. Oh, they call them the petal grip & you won't be the only one who believe petals are supposed to look like, em... petals. 

In case you forget it's not a JEM... Well, if they move the label up a wee bit, there's space to turn this into 'pig'. 

The new DiMarzio pickups for this model are named UtoPIA, featuring a scooped tone with a more pronounced bottom end. 

If you get this version in gold, they did you a favour by having colourful inlays there so life would be a little more exciting for you & your loved ones. 

Folks, I'm not a JEM fan. In fact, I'm not a fan of signature models. They might inject some major excitement for those of us who embrace our heroes like no other. Good for you because such instruments are indeed of the higher tier offerings & they should be above expectations in every way. I respect Vai but this iteration of the JEM doesn't sit well with me because it took a lame turn. I own two signature models in the mean time & rest in the comfort of them being tasteful in every way. I can't seem to come to terms with this Pia model; it reeks desperation & bordering on being pathetic. I shouldn't try too hard in any case - I'm not a fan to begin with. 

Acoustasonic Stra...

Bloody predictable, Fender.

Have I seen that somewhere?

If you've not realized by now... 😏

Outline, wood types, pickups, controls, number of frets... similar price points as well. Hmm...