Australian Guitar Magazine Christmas Gift Guide

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ag xmas

gear guide

Fender Telecaster 1952

$59,999

RRP $59,999 URL www.sunburstmusic.com.au

Fender Telecaster 1952 in near mint condition with original poodle case. All original screws and solder joints. One of the cleanest available anywhere.

MC Systems – Dynamic Response Effects Pedals RRP From $245 URL www.cmcmusic.com.au

Designed in Australia by electronic music specialist Warren McAlister, the Apollo range of effects pedals from MC Systems combines rugged looks with an innovative functional twist – a new approach to pedal control. As well as an ‘alternate’ switch function that lets you set two knobs with alternate values for the same function, Apollo pedals also feature MC Systems’ patent pending dynamic ‘V-Switch’ which allows you to enable the effect to a varying degree – dependent on how hard you stomp on it! The Apollo range includes: Dynamic Drive, Dynamic Distortion, Dynamic Fuzz, Dynamic Phaser, Dynamic Delay, Glass Chorus, Hybrid Chorus and String Reviver. It’s time to stomp with some attitude!

Fender Mustang 1 v2 Guitar Amp RRP $209 URL www.bigmusicshop.com.au

The versatile Mustang 1 is the perfect amp for beginner to intermediate guitarists or more experienced players who need a small practice amp that is not going to wake the neighbours. Unlike tube amps, modelling amps don’t need to be turned up to reach their sweet spot. The Mustang can also be used with headphones and with the Aux input, so you can play along with your favourite tunes. Whether you prefer classic tube tones of the ‘50s or modern metal mayhem this amp has you covered. The new Mustang Series also features USB connectivity and Fender FUSE software, letting your musical creativity and imagination run wild.

Fender Stratocaster

$16,999

RRP $16,999 URL www.sunburstmusic.com.au

Fender Stratocaster 1961 in vintage case. Du Pont nitro refin, dressed board, beautiful refret, all original electrics. A player’s dream in every respect.

46 | hot gear

Vorson Solid Body Electric Ukulele VFTLUK3WR RRP From $159 URL www.promusicaustralia.com

These new tenor sized Vorson solid body electric ukes are the coolest new product in a long time. If you play guitar you are going to want one and if you play ukulele you are going to have to have one!

They have a very comfortable and easy playing neck with a rosewood fingerboard on a solid candlenut wood body. Two single coil pickups, volume and tone controls and a three-way pickup selector completes the electronics. Strings are regular plain electric guitar strings so you’ll never have trouble finding new strings.

Xotic EP Booster RRP From $199 URL www.bigmusicshop.com.au

Lots of legendary guitarists have used the legendary echo machine EP-3 as a pre-amp. Xotic have captured that magic in a pedal, the EP Booster. The EP Booster provides up to +20dB of unadulterated boost with multidimensional, shimmering highs and lows, and no ear fatigue. The internal DIP switches let you choose the boost frequencies and EQ settings. Lots of players use two Boosters, one as an always-on (it just improves your tone) and one as an actual boost. Clearly a magic box if we ever saw one and essential for any pedalboard.

Eric Clapton Trains Planes and Eric DVD and Blu-Ray RRP DVD: $19.93 Blu-Ray: $24.91 URL www.shockrecords.com.au

Eric Clapton’s Trains Planes and Eric releasing on DVD and Blu-ray is an intimate film documenting life on the road and follows Clapton and his band on the Far and Middle Eastern leg of his 2014 world tour with 13 full-length performances of tracks including “Layla”, “Cocaine”, “Tears In Heaven”, “I Shot The Sheriff”, and many more. The release also features interviews with Clapton himself as well as the band, rehearsal and sound-checks and of course travel by trains and planes. Eric Clapton is one of the most revered and influential guitarists of all time. From his early days with The Yardbirds, through John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos and onto his solo career, he has had consistent critical and commercial success. This DVD and Blu-ray release is certainly one to add to the collection and the perfect gift for any fan. Planes, Trains and Eric offers an unrivalled peek into the world of one of today’s greatest performers; and of course plenty of fantastic music.

TC Electronic – Polytune 2 Noir RRP $199 URL www.ambertech.com.au

Fresh off the TC Electronic production line the Polytune 2 Noir is the new Mini Pedal you’ve been hanging out for. To put it simply, it’s just better!

Brighter screen, more functions, more accurate than ever before and of course it’s black. The Polytune 2 Noir has the same ultra-bright, retinascorching display as the Polytune 2. It now includes a chromatic strobe tuner function with 0.1 cent tuning accuracy! It also has Drop-D and Capo Tuning function and up to five semitones flat-tuning. With the Tuning Magnet function and 0.5 cent accuracy Chromatic Tuning it’s both friendly and crazy-accurate at the same time. Like the rest of the TC Electronic pedal range it has True Bypass and best of all, in Mini Pedal format it leaves plenty of room in your Christmas stocking!

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Blackstar FLY Mini Amp Pack (includes extension cab) RRP From $159 items sold separately start from $99 RRP URL www.nationalaudio.com.au

“Low power, great sounding, fun to play mini amps with built-in tape delay that will appeal to all guitarists.” This 3W amplifier is innovative, cutting edge, and targeted at the low-end impulse-purchase segment of the market. It will redefine the benchmark for this type of product and clearly separate them from the ‘toy/novelty’ style products currently available. When combined with the extension cabinet it becomes a 6W stereo set-up perfect for full range music playback. Their low cost, plastic housing and the option of battery or mains operation will place these amps in the ‘accessory’ segment of the market, but the inclusion of ISF and a digital ‘tape’ delay means they will significantly outclass and outperform all of the competition. The inclusion of an MP3 input and Emulated/ Headphones output make them perfect for practising or as an MP3 speaker dock. These units will come in cool, full colour packaging.

| 47 Bud Bug Grinder RRP $59.95 URL www.canberrabongshop.com.au

The Bud Bug Automated Grinder boasts the title of the “world’s first fully automated grinder” which immensely simplifies the grinding process! Simply place your dried blend of choice inside the loading chamber and activate the power by clicking down on the outer shell of the Bud Bug Automated Grinder. It is divided into three separate compartments: outer shell, grinder, and release port. A revolutionary design allows for the blend to be dispersed through the bottom of the Bud Bug Automated Grinder while moving forward in a straight line due to the built-in rotary wheel!

On average, the Bud Bug Automated Grinder is able to grind your blends in under 10 seconds with no restrictions.

Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 20 RRP from $279 URL www.nationalaudio.com.au

The ID:Core Stereo 20 is a 2x10W ultimate entry level guitar amplifier. Incredible tone and flexibility is accessed by a simple and intuitive control set and delivered in super wide stereo to give an immersive playing experience that will have you hooked on playing guitar. ID:CORE represents the culmination of more than seven years’ technical research and development. These amps have an intuitive control set like a traditional amp, but have the versatility of programmability.

The unique controls allow you, the guitarist, to custom design your own sound.

The Voice control has six different settings – Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD 1, OD 2. When used together with Blackstar’s patented ISF control you can get the exact tone you’re thinking of. The effects section delivers studio quality modulation, delay and reverb effects simultaneously that you can store with your sound. Deep editing and storing of patches is simple using the Blackstar INSIDER software. Patches can be shared, uploaded and downloaded via the online community. The USB connector also allows you to record from your amp directly to your computer. An emulated output and MP3/line input complete the package. By using the unique Voice control and the patented ISF, ID:CORE Series amplifiers allow unparalleled flexibility and ease of use, enabling you to design the sound in your head and deliver it at home, in the studio or in rehearsal.

Music Man – The John Petrucci Majesty RRP from: $4795 URL www.cmcmusic.com.au

Music Man has been making exceptional guitars and basses for over 40 years, and the Majesty is their most recent design for Dream Theater’s John Petrucci, who says it best himself. “The Majesty guitar symbolises the very reason why I am so proud to be a Music Man artist. I had the idea for this guitar a couple of years ago but it is because of their innovative spirit and dedication to the art of guitar building that it is now a reality. I am so grateful that I am able to collaborate with the best guitar company on the planet and so incredibly proud that together we have created what is to me, the perfect musical instrument for guitar players. I really hope you get a chance to play one and am confident that you will feel the same!”

Radial – StageBug-1 RRP from $119 URL www.ambertech.com.au

We’ve all seen the plague of cheap DI boxes out there. Swarms of ubiquitous, silver boxes with rubber feet, covered in ears and hungrily devouring our bass guitar signals. Thankfully a new species has been introduced – the Radial StageBug. Radial has long been regarded as an industry leader in highquality, affordable DI and signal-processing utility boxes. The Radial StageBug-1 is born of that pedigree.

Housed in an ultra-compact, 16 gauge steel chassis, the StageBug-1 boasts more than 100dB dynamic range, a noise floor at -97dBu and THD of 0.006 percent from 20Hz to 20kHz. That means no buzzing!

StageBug-1 is 48V Phantom powered – so no battery required – and it includes the 15dB pad and phase reverse switch that professionals expect. Fight back against the plague and save your bass with the Radial StageBug-1!

48 | hot gear Axe-Fx II XL RRP From $3169 URL www.shop.independentmusic.com.au

The Axe-Fx II XL is the ultimate all-in-one preamp/effects processor. It contains an incredible virtual inventory of hundreds of vintage and modern guitar amps, speaker cabinets, guitar stompbox and studio effects, and more. It accurately recreates the sound and feel of tube amps and can tone match the sound of your live amp or a recording. It is ideal for both stage and studio use, with heavy-duty construction and a high-quality, low-noise design. The Axe-Fx II has superb sound with unrivalled power and flexibility, offering many improvements over traditional guitar amps and effects, including extremely light-weight, precise sound control, greater simplicity, and more. Despite its advanced technology, it is remarkably easy to use. In comparison to previous Axe-Fx II models, the XL has “extra large” memory for more presets and user cab sounds, plus upgraded connectivity. Available exclusively in Australia from Independent Music Products.

Yamaha LL16 ARE RRP $999 special price $719 URL www.turramusic.com.au

The impressive all-new L series from Yamaha features a wide range of guitars, all boasting Yamaha’s Acoustic Resonance Enhancement.

The LL16 is an original jumbo body acoustic with a solid Engelmann Spruce top, solid rosewood/ mahogany back and sides and a Zero Impact pickup.

Jeff Beck Live in Tokyo DVD and Blu-ray RRP DVD: $19.93 Blu-Ray: $24.91 URL www.shockrecords.com.au

This live Jeff Beck show features his new band and also some brand new unreleased material, including “Stratus”, “Led Boots”, “Cause We Ended As Lovers”, “Rollin’ And Tumblin” and many more. Jeff Beck is undeniably one of the world’s greatest guitar players. Technically brilliant, he is renowned for pushing musical boundaries and has excelled across many different genres from rock and jazz to pop and blues. Jeff Beck is a true guitar legend and Live in Tokyo filmed at Tokyo Dome City Hall in Japan in April of this year captures him at his very best, showcasing new and old material with equal aplomb. This DVD and Blu-ray release is the gift that keeps on giving for any fan.

Twisted Alice T-shirt RRP from $34 URL www.beserk.com.au

Disney Princesses gone bad! Twisted Clothing brings you a range of bad twisted Disney designs range of clothing and accessories! Ariel, Alice, Madhatter, Cinderella and more gone bad!

Iron Fist Dead crazy Tote Bag RRP from $65 URL www.beserk.com.au

Sterling by Music Man Ray Pack RRP from $750 URL www.cmcmusic.com.au

If you’re going to start playing bass this Christmas, start with a setup that inspires you! The Ray pack includes every premium quality component you need to start laying down the rhythm from the moment you put down that Christmas card – a Music Man Stingray style Ray4 bass, the Hiwatt B20 amp, Ernie Ball strings and accessories, and a quality Klotz cable to pull it all together. All top brands that any professional would be proud to own.

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Iron Fist is the loud, eye-liner obsessed crazy unicorn that hangs out in front of your local convenience store. You don’t want to look, but you can’t stop staring and wondering: where did it come from, and why am I strangely attracted to it? A mythical beast that’s a mix of reckless love, attention whoring, and adventure hunting, created by necessity from the designers who birthed it from their creative brain-loins.

The stuff of dreams and nightmares, giving that insolent kick to fashion to move it forward.

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Cioks – Adam Link RRP From $209 URL www.ambertech.com.au

Adam Link is the newest addition to the Cioks Range. It’s small and flat (only 31mm high) and mounts easily onto even the smallest Pedal Train pedalboards.

Adam Link provides four power outlets, with two switchable between 9VDC and 12VDC and a total output current of 700mA. It includes short-circuit protection, advanced LED monitoring of outputs, 120 or 230V mains voltage operation, detachable mains power cord and six Flex Cables. Cioks Adam Link is small, powerful, compatible. Simple!

Sterling by Music Man Silo Pack RRP from $495 URL www.cmcmusic.com.au

If you’re going to start playing guitar this Christmas, start with a set-up that inspires you! The Silo pack includes every premium quality component you need to start playing the moment you rip open that wrapping paper – a Music Man designed Silo3 guitar, the Hiwatt G15R amp, Ernie Ball strings and accessories, and a quality Klotz cable to pull it all together. All top brands that any professional would be proud to own.

Boss RC-3 Loop Station RRP $249 URL www.bigmusicshop.com.au

Steinberg Cubase 7.5 RRP $629RRP – special price $539 – Education prices available on request URL www.turramusic.com.au

The latest incarnation of Steinberg’s advanced music production system boasts enhanced tools of the trade that are used by star producers and musicians for composing, recording, mixing and editing music in the highest quality.

Ernie Ball Strings – M-Steel and Aluminum Bronze RRP from $15.40 URL www.cmcmusic.com.au

Whether you play Electric or Acoustic, thanks to the materials engineers at Ernie Ball, 2015 will be your year. Groundbreaking research into literally thousands of alloys over several years has led Ernie Ball to develop patented M-Steel electric strings and Aluminum Bronze acoustic strings. M-Steel are the loudest, most expressive guitar strings ever created, while Aluminum Bronze acoustic strings offer more projection, greater clarity and superior corrosion resistance to any string previously available. This year, upgrade the tone and feel of your acoustic or electric the easy way by choosing Ernie Ball.

The RC-3 is powerfully equipped yet conveniently housed in a compact pedal. Enjoy up to three hours of stereo recording time, 99 onboard memories for storing loops, a “real drums” rhythm guide and a USB 2.0 port that allows you to to connect to a PC and import/export WAV audio. This compact and powerful stereo stompbox looper runs on a single 9-volt battery or optional AC power supply.

50 | hot gear Blue Microphone – Spark Digital RRP $389 URL www.ambertech.com.au

You want to record your music, right? You want to get a professional result but not be tied down by a desk full of boxes and interfaces and cables? In fact it’d be great if you could even record on your iPad with the same quality as recording to your computer… Spark Digital does that! Blue Microphones has taken the professional sound and build-quality of their highly popular Spark condenser microphone and made it connect directly to USB or to iPad. The Spark Digital ships with cables for connection to USB, Apple’s 30-Pin Dock-Plug and Lightning Plug. All versions of connecting cables include a mini-jack output for zero latency headphone monitoring during recording. That means whether you’re on computer, or iOS, on your desk or on-the-run you can get the same outstanding results without clutter or complexity. Spark Digital is supplied with three connecting cables, a custom desk stand and protective soft-bag. Also available separately is the Spark Digital Accessory Kit which includes a ring-mount for attaching to conventional microphone stands and a pop-shield for pristine vocal recording.

Vox AC30C2 RRP from $1079 URL www.turramusic.com.au

The iconic Vox AC30 Custom Classic is the culmination of over 45 years of guitar amplifier design and fabrication.

VOX has taken the best AC30 designs and added a number of innovative features to create the most tonally flexible and affordable AC30 to date!

Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page

Yamaha MG06X

RRP from $65 URL www.newsouthbooks.com.au

RRP $199RRP – special price $149 URL www.turramusic.com.au

Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page is the photographic autobiography and visual history of the world’s most iconic guitar player. With incredible attention to detail, Jimmy Page collects together hundreds of photographs to present the complete visual narrative of a remarkable career in music.

It includes a mixture of iconic portraits, rare and unseen images and photographs from Page’s own archive.

The highly sought after new range of mixers from Yamaha are featurepacked and unbelievably affordable.

The MG06X is perfect for a gigging solo artist – two mic ins/six line ins, basic on-board effects, and XLR outs.

PreSonus Ceres 3.5 BT

RRP $349 URL www.nationalaudio.com.au

Rich and high-fidelity with recording studio sound, PreSonus studio tools are used worldwide by recording engineers who need to hear every audio detail. Now you can, too. Ceres active monitor speakers give your home or office the sound of a studio listening environment and provide flexible connection options, professional controls, and the convenience of wireless streaming audio from any Bluetooth source. PreSonus Ceres speakers let you hear audio with the same accuracy and detail of the original performance right in your own home. In the recording studio, artists rely on the accuracy of quality monitor speakers, including five models made by PreSonus. They need to discern every detail. We adapted our most popular professional design by adding Bluetooth wireless connectivity so you can hear what the recording engineer heard. You get natural midrange, crisp treble and tight bass that is simply not possible with battery or USB-powered “speakers”.

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| 51 Onstage U Mount iPad Tablet Mounting Systems

Lowden F35 RRP $7499 URL www.guitarfactory.net

RRP $49.95 – $89.95 URL www.promusicaustralia.com

Meet the On-Stage u-mount Universal iPad System. The u-mount is designed by On-Stage Stands, the most trusted name in stands since 1979. Other mounting schemes require removing a tablet computer from its protective cover, but the patent-pending u-mount is the protective cover! This unique case provides a threaded insert on the back that mates with an aluminium mounting arm system. Performers task tablet computers in stunningly creative ways every day. The On-Stage u-mount Tablet Mounting System is the way tablet computers become set lists, sheet music, mixing boards, playback devices, and even instruments themselves! Simply mount the system to any microphone stand, instrument hardware or support gear, and create your own On-Stage Revolution.

AC/DC Rock Or Bust RRP $24.99 URL www.acdc.com

Rock Or Bust is the highly anticipated new studio album from AC/DC, available in Australia on November 28 2014. Rock Or Bust is the band’s first studio album in six years and features 11 new tracks and the first single “Play Ball”. The album follows the immensely successful Black Ice LP, which debuted at #1 in 31 countries upon its release in 2008 and has gone on to sell nearly 8 million copies worldwide.

The album was recorded at Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada and finds AC/DC once again working with producer Brendan O’Brien and mixer Mike Fraser. Rock Or Bust is the first AC/DC album in the band’s history without founding member Malcolm Young on the recordings. AC/DC will undertake a world tour in support of Rock Or Bust in 2015, with Steve Young, nephew of founding members Angus and Malcolm Young, playing guitar on Rock Or Bust and accompanying the band on tour.

Tattoo Balm RRP 20g tins for $12.50 and 100ml for $28.50 URL www.tattoobalm.com

Tattoo Balm is an Australian-made, all natural chemical and fragrance-free skin product that is awesome for healing new ink. It’s also great for skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, burns, and cuts. Musicians love it, especially drummers and bass players as it soothes, heals and repairs blisters and rough skin. Vegan-friendly Tattoo Balm comes in two sizes: 20g tins and 100ml.

A perfect stocking filler! The Lowden F35 features Walnut back and sides with Sitka spruce top, rosewood and abalone rosette and figured maple binding, rosewood, mahogany and walnut purfling with Gotoh gold/ebony 510 machine heads, rosewood bridge and 5-piece mahogany, rosewood and walnut neck. George Lowden has been one of the world’s renowned guitar builders for almost 40 years, using original and innovative designs and select timber specifically chosen for their particular tonal qualities.

Lowden guitars are famous and highly sought after for their finely tuned responsiveness, accuracy and unique refinements such as finishing and bracing.

Walnut in the featured F35 is quoted as one of George’s all time favourite timbers, great in all three Lowden body sizes, especially for clarity and definition.

Primacoustic – London 8 Kit RRP $399 URL www. ambertech.com.au

Have you noticed that the recordings you’ve been doing in your room sound like they were recorded in your room? The sound of the recording space always plays a major role in any recording. The closer the walls are to the microphone the more they contribute to the overall sound. That’s why small rooms always sound like small rooms. So how do you make your small room sound better? The answer is acoustic treatment. Primacoustic provides a range of acoustic treatment that takes the ‘small sound’ out of your room without intruding in the space. The Primacoustic London 8 Kit is the entry-point into their range of pre-packaged room treatment solutions. London 8 comprises of eight “Scatter Blocks” (30cm x 30cm panels) and four “Control Columns” (30cm x 90cm panels). All panels are made of compressed glass wool with a fabric covering.

They come in three colour options – beige, black or grey – and their performance is far superior to foam-based acoustic treatment for the same size and coverage. Primacoustic provides a range of suggestions of how to arrange the panels in your room to get the best results. However, the main concept that drives the Primacoustic range is simple, accessible acoustic treatment. You don’t need a doctorate in acoustics to make your room sound good!

The DV Mark 2015 Range RRP $695 to $2495 URL www.dvmark.it, www.cmcmusic.com.au

For 2015 DV Mark is following up their well received debut into guitar amplification with a fresh range of heads, cabs and combos. All tube, multi-channel amps with a focus on tone and portability are supported by powerful yet lightweight cabinets that feature ‘classic voiced’ neodymium speakers that are custom designed for DV Mark.

Over the last two years, guitarist Greg Howe, (Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Enrique Iglesias, N*SYNC, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, P Diddy, Nelly) has contributed greatly to the design of the 2015 DV Mark range. The fruit of this collaboration is highlighted by the incredible tone and flexibility of the Maragold – Greg’s signature head. In his own words, “The Maragold delivers more than just amazing tone – it delivers inspiration”. The range is in stores now.

52 | hot gear

Emerson S5-B 5-Way Blender Stratocaster Prewired kit RRP $85 URL www.guitarfactory.net

Handwired in Broken Arrow, Oklohoma USA, Emerson pots are hand metred and matched for great consistency and even taper on both the volume and tone knob (offering better control when rolling down the volume knob... no more mud). They sound amazing. We think you will appreciate the detail both sonically and visually that goes into each and every one of these pre-wired kits. The Emerson S5-B Blender kit wiring has 1 volume, 1 master tone, and a Blender pot. In the neck position you can blend the bridge pickup in as much as you want. In the bridge position you can blend the neck pickup in as much as you want. In positions 2 and 4 you can have all three pickups on at once. More kit options are available in store.

Takamine G Series Electric Acoustic Guitar EGD20NS RRP $369 URL www.promusicaustralia.com

The GD20 is a beautiful dreadnought-style acoustic guitar with a special combination of tonewoods that offers a new take on this classic body style.

For players looking for a different sound, the GD20 combines a solid cedar top with mahogany back and sides to produce a warm, detailed tone that works beautifully for a wide range of musical styles. The slim satin-finish mahogany neck and 12”-radius rosewood fingerboard provide great feel and playability, while the split-saddle design of the pin-less rosewood bridge provides superior intonation for sweeter-sounding chords and singlenote runs. Other great features include a synthetic bone nut and bridge saddle, rosewood headcap, pearloid dot inlays, chrome die-cast tuners and an elegant Natural satin finish.

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PreSonus AudioBox iTwo Studio – Complete mobile hardware/software recording kit RRP $399 URL www.nationalaudio.com.au

Everything you need for recording and producing. Start recording today with this complete, all-PreSonus mobile-recording package for Mac, Windows, and iPad! It’s a great choice for multi-track song production, demos and musical inspirations, live performances, podcasts, field recording for video or sound design, and much more! Record anywhere with multi-platform AudioBox iTwo. An excellent choice for mobile musicians, sound designers, and podcasters, the USB 2.0 bus-powered AudioBox iTwo provides two channels of highquality audio I/O for Mac, PC, and Apple iPad. Studio One Artist lets you focus on your music. No other entry-level recording and production software is as easy to use, yet as capable of creating studio-quality output, as Studio One Artist. Record on the go with Capture Duo for iPad. PreSonus Capture Duo brings professional-quality recording to the Apple iPad yet is lean, fast, and easy to use. When you finish recording, transfer your tracks wirelessly to Studio One for editing and mixing! Capture the subtle nuances with an M7 microphone. The studio quality M7 large-diaphragm condenser mic is a great companion for the AudioBox iTwo, providing a warm, deep sound. Listen with HD7 Professional Monitoring Headphones. Whether you’re monitoring, tracking or mixing, you can expect impressive sonic performance from your HD7 headphones.

Go from Riff to Release with Nimbit. When you’ve finished mixing your masterpiece, it’s time to get it out to the world and promote it – easily done with your included Nimbit free account!

Sterling by Music Man SUB AX3 RRP $525 URL www.cmcmusic.com.au

An original, classic design that is familiar to all fans of great guitars, the AX3 traces its roots to the Music Man Axis, the venerable single cutaway guitar that took the scene by storm in the early ‘90s. The solid hardwood body is topped with a bound quilt maple image top and mated to the neck with a 5-bolt joint that’s sculpted and contoured for super comfort and easy access to the upper register. Two high output “Zebra” coil humbucking pickups are directly mounted to the body. The special wiring of these pickups offer five distinct, versatile tones via the 5-way selector switch. Topped off with Music Man style vintage tremolo, it’s all there in one guitar.

Lollar pickups RRP Vintage Blackface staggered $309 URL www.guitarfactory.net

For the Strat player that has everything: handwired Lollar pickups! This set is an early ‘60s Strat-style wind; classic Strat tone with full body and punch. The overall tone has a prominent midrange, clear treble and a full bass that has a defined piano-like attack. Scatter wound wax potted coils with Alnico 5 magnets degaussed to typical vintage ‘60s strat pickup specs. Medium output, it features vintage style clothcovered lead wire. The middle is RWRP for humbucking operation in positions 2 and 4 with more humbuckers and options available.