“You could write your own Stairway to Heaven on an instrument like this”: The hottest guitar gear launches of 2024 – from Wolfgang Van Halen’s long-awaited semi-hollow signature to UAFX’s Dumble-in-a-pedal
There was an onslaught of new guitar products released over the past 12 months. Here are the ones that had us all talking (and checking our bank balance)
(Image credit: Ryan Piorkowski)
Because there is always another guitar out there that’s just perfect for you, we will always be on the hunt for fresh gear. Whether it’s the search for better tone or that instrument that brings out the best in our playing styles, that’s just how we are wired as guitar players.
Thankfully – or not, depending on how bad your G.A.S. is – the music industry is here for us, and in 2024, seemed to bring us more new acoustic and electric guitars, guitar amps, stompboxes… You name it.
Every day, something new came out and that can be hard to keep track of, so here, we have in one convenient place a list of all the new stuff that caught our eye and made us look at the collection and think, ‘Okay, maybe there is room for one more.’ And maybe, that one more was a double-neck.
EVH SA-126 Special
Introducing the All-New EVH SA-126 | EVH Gear - YouTube
Good things, as the old adage goes, come to those who wait. Having been teased by Wolfgang Van Halen two years ago, following an intensive period of testing on the road and in the studio, the SA-126 Special semi-hollow was finally made available to the public in May.
Given that it was the first instrument designed without any input from Eddie, it marked a new chapter for EVH Gear, while still referencing the guitar hero’s January 26 birthday.
It comes with a chambered mahogany body, a basswood center block and a pair of hot humbuckers designed by Fender pickup guru Tim Shaw for more aggression and punch than typical guitars of this ilk.
Despite this, it can handle high-gain situations without feeding back and also deliver more chimey tones on cleaner settings. “The SA-126 is way beyond a typical semi-hollow,” Wolfgang told us. “It’s like a hot rod, but with a souped-up modern engine. Nothing like this existed until we made it.”
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Studio specialist Warm Audio has certainly come a long way since launching its first pedals back in 2020, recreating the mythical tones of the Klon, ZenDrive and OCD for a fraction of the price – and with great success.
This year’s Warm Bender Fuzz could very well be their finest offering to date, housing two legendary British fuzz circuits, the MKI Tone Bender and Professional MKII, in one box – as well as a modern silicon voicing.
3 Killer Tone Benders In One Killer Box | Warm Audio Warm Bender Fuzz - YouTube
All in all, it packs five NOS germanium transistors, three silicon transistors and a sag switch to starve the voltage by a third to create that infamous “dying battery” tone for extra spit and crackle.
Whether you’re trying to sound like vintage masters like Keith Richards and Jimmy Page or going for a more modern take in the vein of Jack White and St. Vincent, the Warm Bender Fuzz will get you there without any fuss.
When you hear the words “ergonomic guitar,” Strandberg will usually be one of the first brands that come to mind. Favored by artists such as Plini, Sarah Longfield and Charlie Griffiths, their incredibly lightweight and user-friendly designs are built to bring out the best in every player, making the physicality of performance as seamless as can be.
To get a highly conceptual machine like this for under a grand makes it a winner in our eyes
The only problem thus far is that their instruments haven’t exactly been accessible to those working to lower budgets – until this year, that is, with the introduction of the Boden Essential.
It features a meranti body, a roasted one-piece maple neck with their trademarked EndurNeck profile and two pickups controlled via the five-way selector with options for full humbuckers, inner coils, outer coils and even a parallel mode.
The three finishes (Elemental Blue, Astro Dust, Black Granite) might not be exactly the most enticing from the company’s catalog, but to get a highly conceptual machine like this for under a grand makes it a winner in our eyes.
It’s virtually impossible to find another pedal brand that can rival the level of consistency we’ve grown to expect from Boss – the Japanese innovators have long-nailed the holy trinity of quality, durability and affordability.
So it’s hardly surprising that the announcement of the SDE-3, a scaled-down version of last year’s mammoth SDE-3000D – which recreated the effect of the Eighties Roland rackmount of the same name – was met with fevered anticipation.
As you’d expect, it can run two delays simultaneously with a tap tempo function, advanced and immersive stereo modes, MIDI connectivity and a maximum delay time of 1600ms.
Famous users of the original unit included Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Eric Clapton, the Edge and Steve Lukather – which should be enough to demonstrate the sheer versatility to expect from its newest incarnation.
Jimmy Page might have dominated headlines earlier this year with the release of his Gibson Collector’s Edition 1969 EDS-1275, but with a $50k pricetag, it’s the kind of extravagant purchase very few would even dare to consider.
With a White Pearl finish, rosewood fretboard, a quartet of lipstick pickups and the bonus of being surprising light thanks to its semi-hollow construction, there’s no reason you wouldn’t be able to write your own Stairway to Heaven on an instrument like this.
And let’s not forget, it was typically a Danelectro six-string in the Led Zeppelin guitarist’s hands for DADGAD tracks like Kashmir, so there’s that, too.
Though they started out as specialists in amp-modeling software, in recent years Positive Grid have taken the practice amp world by storm with the Spark line. This year saw the launch of its second iteration, with Guitar World’s Paul Riario teaming up with Nuno Bettencourt, Paul Gilbert and Periphery guitarist Jake Bowen for the live premiere on YouTube.
In terms of updates, the new model boasts twice the processing power, 25 percent more volume, a brand-new looper mode with drums, AI technology for more HD amp models and the option to use a Spark Battery, offering 12 hours of play time on a full charge.
The speakers have also been tweaked for a wider stereo imaging and broader frequency response, resulting in a practice amp that’s loud, versatile, intuitive and affordable. Bettencourt went as far as saying the “Spark 2 is like taking Madison Square Garden wherever you go – epic and versatile.”
There’s been a lot of noise about the Gibson and Epiphone Greeny models over the last few years – and rightly so – though for metal purists in search of Kirk Hammett’s stadium-conquering distorted tones, it might not have been the first axe they’d associate with him.
Which is precisely where ESP come in, with the new korina-bodied 24-fret KH-Vsignature guitar boasting active EMG humbuckers and pointy ends to really emphasize the aggression and attack pioneered by the thrash metal masters.
Other notable appointments include the TonePros Locking Tune-O-Matic bridge with strings coming through the body, increasing both stability and sustain, with more reassurance provided by the locking tuners, and extra tonal reinforcement from the neck-through design.
Available in Black Sparkle, Red Sparkle and Metallic Gold, Hammett described the line as “a perfect hybrid of reality and my vision” that gave him goosebumps on first inspection.
Jack White has shown us many things over the years – one of which being how musicians don’t necessarily need to rely on expensive equipment in their search for world-conquering tones.
Partnering with budget brand Donner at the beginning of the year, the signature Triple Threat is a three-in-one analog effect unit combining a high gain distortion they describe as a “threatening rock sound,” a phaser based on their Pearl Tremor stompbox and an analog voiced echo harking back to Donner’s debut pedal, the Yellow Fall delay.
It also scores very high in the aesthetics department, with a yellow on black finish, lightning bolts, stripes and Jack White’s very own Third Man Hardware graphics. And that’s not the only release from the Seven Nation Army writer – he also teamed up with Fender for the signature TripleCaster Tele, featuring custom Tim Shaw pickups, a Bigsby B5 vibrato and custom controls.
Described by some as “U2 in a pedal”, the Joshua Ambient Echo can easily handle basic delays, but really excels at all things ethereal.
There are buttons for secondary repeats and toggling the Trails mode, plus dials for Delay, Modulation, Voice, Regen, Division and Mix, as well as a tap tempo mode.
It’s no secret the Edge has mainly been known for using Electro-Harmonix Memory Man Deluxes, Korg SDD-3000s and TC Electronic 2290s to handle his trademark repeats in the past, and despite coming in a small Phase 90-sized box, the Joshua Ambient Echo can keep up with any of them.
If you’re into heavily processed, dreamlike soundscapes where your guitar sounds like its being beamed from a long-distant planet, or like having enough controls to fine-tune everything from fast slapbacks to cathedral-like atmospheres, this will certainly be of interest.
One of our favorite acoustics of the year arrived in the form of Epiphone’s 1957 SJ-200. This latest addition to the (awesome) Inspired By Gibson line pays tribute to the historic super jumbo seen in the hands of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and many more. Its reputation as the “King of the Flat Tops” made it the go-to weapon of choice for folk and country artists halfway into the 20th century.
Features include a thermally-aged sitka spruce top and figured maple back and sides, scalloped X-bracing, an Indian laurel fingerboard and LR Baggs Element Bronze VTC electronics.
And it certainly looks the part, too, thanks to the Gibson “open book” headstock, graduated crown mother of pearl inlays, engraved pickguard and open moustache bridge. An all‑rounder in every sense.
Launched in 2018, the Player series replaced the Standards and ended up becoming Fender’s best-selling line thanks to the juxtaposition of classic features and modern ingenuity, all delivered at their affordable “Made in Mexico” price point.
This year saw the introduction of the Player II – which, while incorporating some of the improvements with the Player Plus models of 2021, sticks with the vintage concept over anything too contemporary.
Key differences between first and second editions include a rosewood fingerboard in place of pau ferro – arguably its most significant upgrade – this time with rolled edges (a feature more associated with midrange and premium guitars) and ClassicGear tuners.
But there’s so much they got right the first time round, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the new models share much in common with the highly successful originals.
If you’re looking for the most visually striking guitar of 2024, the Gretsch Electromatic Pristine Jet should be somewhere on the list, and that goes for any of its three finishes (Mako, Petrol or White Gold).
Eye-popping elegance that will hold attention in just about any setting
The combination of two-tone colors with metallic tops and rich stained bodies and necks, exquisitely complimented by the gold hardware, makes for an eye-popping elegance that will hold attention in just about any setting.
As you might expect, it boasts a chambered mahogany body with a maple top, FT-5E Filter’Tron pickups with cream inserts and a Bigsby B50 vibrato tailpiece. Other key appointments include a master volume with treble bleed circuit, 22 medium jumbo frets and pearloid Neo-Classic thumbnail inlays.
Users of the Jet series include Malcolm Young, Danielle Haim and George Harrison – and higher-gain players like Kirk Hammett and Chris Cornell.
Bridging the gap between the budget SE line and high-end Core models, the PRS S2 series can sometimes be a bit of a hard sell – perhaps partly because once over the $2k mark, some may wish to carry on saving for something well and truly top of the line.
That said, this year’s Custom 24-08 could be the most enticing release in the range to date, especially when you factor in the new addition of USA-made pickups and electronics, which replaces the import sets found on models thus far.
This is of even greater importance with the advanced switching of their 24-08 design, allowing users to coax eight different pickup voicings, thanks to the two mini-toggle coil tap switches found in between the volume and tone controls.
Apart from that, it’s business as usual, with a 25” scale length, mahogany body and maple top, a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard – rounded off nicely by the PRS patented tremolo.
Originally introduced in 1989 as a custom shop model for session players, the Yamaha Pacifica ended up serving proudly as one of the finest entry-level guitars money can buy, guaranteeing beginners an instrument of high enough quality to encourage them to carry on playing.
Which is exactly why the new Professional models became a big talking point at NAMM – reimagining the model as a high-spec workhorse meticulously crafted in Japan, nodding back to the late-’80s originals.
With options for either a rosewood or maple fingerboard, the new flagship features newly designed Reflectone pickups made in collaboration with studio wizard Rupert Neve, a carved neck joint heel and premium Gotoh hardware, plus increased body resonance, thanks to the 3D modeling and intensive science behind Yamaha’s Acoustic Design technology. A legend gets reborn.
Let’s face it, most of us have looked at footage of British guitarist Chris Buck at some point or another and felt like we needed to up our tone game. Given that he’s often sworn by pedals made by Major Adrian Thorpe MBE – who started the company after 16 years working as a bomb-disposal expert in the British army – an official partnership for his first signature stompbox made perfect sense.
As well as the impressively dynamic 12AX7-powered overdrive, the Electric Lightning offers a high-headroom boost to fatten up cleans or provide an extra push where needed, with its own dedicated pre-gain Lows control.
There’s a three-band EQ to help shape your tone, a dedicated 12v power supply and a housing that looks bomb-proof – which, given Mr. Thorpe’s previous field of expertise, can probably handle anything you throw at it.
With a crème de la crème list of famous users ranging from Eric Clapton, SRV and Carlos Santana to Robben Ford, Larry Carlton and Joe Bonamassa, Alexander Dumble’s mythical creations have long sat at the ultra-expensive end of the gear wishlist.
After the boutique amp veteran passed away in January 2023, however, his heads and combos became even more collectible, which could explain why Universal Audio chose to unveil its own pedal version of the Overdrive Special back in September.
Enigmatic '82 Overdrive Special Amp | UAFX Pedals - YouTube
Powered by UAFX dual-engine processing and UAD modeling, the pedal offers pristine cleans and rich overdrives through its Jazz, Rock and Custom modes, as well as nine classic mic/speaker combinations and more customizations and mods through the UAFX Control app.
UAFX has certainly put in the hours to “give you the sound of the most wildly expensive and coveted guitar amps in history.”
Based in Utah and founded almost a decade ago, Klōs Guitars have become one of the most exciting new names in the carbon fiber world, using their extensive research to create highly durable and resonant electrics, acoustics, basses, mandolins and ukuleles.
Of course, there will always be some players who prefer the traditional look of acoustic tonewoods, but there are many advantages to be found with carbon fiber – particularly when it comes to smaller travel guitars, which may be subjected to extreme environmental changes.
The Grand Cutaway Mini comes with a 24.75” scale length, 20 frets and Graph Tech Ratio tuners, and there are upgrades available for electronics. There’s also an option to use carbon timber as the material for more of a classic wood-like appearance.
“1967 is back!” Vox boldly declared at NAMM, where they launched reissues of the world’s first production wahs – the Clyde McCoy original, which was accidentally created while redesigning the Vox Super Beatle amp in 1966 and initially targeted to trumpet players, and then the V846, which came soon after.
The pedals found their way into the hands of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix and the rest, as they say, is history. SRV was also a big fan of these wah pedals and even acquired one of Jimi’s V846 units after his brother Jimmie opened for the Purple Haze superstar in Fort Worth.
The reissues are said to be “perfect recreations” of the early units, thanks to the 3D scanning technology used to analyze the early designs. In terms of differences, the VRM-1 carries more of a midrange warmth while the V846 boasts an extended sweep range for a sharper and more biting effect.
It was a fairly quiet year for Neural DSP – until September, that is, when they unveiled the smaller sibling to their revolutionary Quad Cortex floor processor, which originally stole headlines for carrying arguably the most advanced technology of its kind.
Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and weighing just over one pound, the Nano Cortex still manages to pack in Neural’s Capture technology for digital copies of physical gear, with the same resolution and quality as before.
Shipping with 25 captures of famous releases by Mesa/Boogie, Fender and Diezel, an additional 256 amps can be stored, with thousands more available through the Cortex Cloud.
On top of that, you also get 300 studio-quality IRs, each with five different mic options and six positions for what the company describes as “endless tone shaping possibilities.” Few would argue.
They’ve been one of the biggest names in the acoustic trade for decades, but Taylor had never launched its own amplifier until now, with the arrival of the Circa 74. For owner/founder Bob Taylor, the project reminded him so much of his freewheeling startup days, he decided to name it after the year it all began.
With two independent channels for guitar and vocals, plus a master volume to mix an aux in, the 150W amp features a 10-inch speaker, a three-band EQ, room reverb and Bluetooth connectivity.
Much like the instruments the company are renowned for, it’s an acoustic guitar amp that sounds warm, dynamic and incredibly hi-fi. And it certainly looks the part, too – thanks to the vintage-style logo and mahogany cabinet and stand. We won’t be surprised if there’s more to come from Taylor on this front.
The 1176 Peak Limiter, designed by Bill Putman and introduced by UREI in 1967, is one of the most fabled compressors of all time, immortalized on classic albums by the Stones, Led Zeppelin and Aretha Franklin.
Which is why the Cali76 pedal, launched by U.K. builders Origin Effects just over a decade ago, quickly became one of the most lauded dynamic tools on the market, ending up on the boards of tone connoisseurs like David Gilmour, Noel Gallagher, John Mayer and Steven Wilson.
This year’s new FET version comes in a smaller enclosure and features a 10-LED gain reduction meter, as well as an improved sidechain and more headroom from the internally increased voltage.
Though it can happily provide the extreme squish heard on many a country guitar album from the ’80s, where it truly excels is in providing a fullness that makes your tone come to life in more subtle ways.
Amit has been writing for titles like Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Guitar World for over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences as a guitar player. He's worked for magazines like Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Prog, Record Collector, Planet Rock, Rhythm and Bass Player, as well as newspapers like Metro and The Independent, interviewing everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. As a session guitarist, he's played alongside members of Judas Priest and Uriah Heep in London ensemble Metalworks, as well as handled lead guitars for legends like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Faces) and Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, G3).
