GEAR REVIEWS: PRS, Sennheiser, Shure, Taylor Guitars and more

EARTHQUAKER DEVICES Astral Destiny Reverb Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices built their reputation on making some really extreme and wild effects. Their Astral Destiny reverb has some very off the wall versions of pitch shifting reverb, that are simply out of this world.

Players looking for classic reverbs like spring, plate and such, go look elsewhere. What this brings to the table is a reverb plus octave effect, which gets into some ethereal and angelic territories. There are 8 different variants available:

1. Abyss: Huge reverb with no octave effect 2. Shimmer: Adds an upper octave to the reverb tail 3. Sub: Adds a lower octave to the reverb tail 4. Sub Shimmer: Adds an upper and lower octave to the reverb tail 5. Astral: Adds an upper and lower octave combined with a regenerating tail 6. Ascend: Upward pitch bending 7. Descend: Downward pitch bending 8. Cosmos: Adds a regenerating fifth to the reverb tail

Going through the controls, the preset knob allows users to save 8 versions; when you’re at a spot where you have a version of the effect you’d like to save, press both footswitches at the same time, the LED indicator light flashes four times, and that version of the effect is saved, and can be recalled. The length control is related to the decay length of the reverb. The depth and rate knobs cover the modulation, while the tone covers the EQ response. For overall effect output, the mix control runs things, allowing the user to balance the effect versus the dry signal. Pedal nerds who get into the weeds will appreciate the choice of having the reverb trail off, even after the footswitch is pressed to disengage the effect, or the quick cut off of full bypass mode.

The stretch footswitch really pushes things, literally. It doubles the reverb’s effect time and changes the pitch of the octave effect. It can work as a momentary effect, meaning press and release for an instant shift, or hold it for a longer sweep of the effect’s transition up or down. Expression pedal control can be assigned to the function controls easily.

Plugging this in, right off the bat, was spiritual, to say the least. Those sweeping and airy synth-like pads are glorious in every mode. Like a lot of EarthQuaker’s effects, this is not a subtle sound, but it’s quite workable overall, and anything less than these big and spacy sounds wouldn’t cut it. Adding in the expression pedal really added functional real time control.

Each setting has some serious musical possibilities, but we especially liked the sub shimmer mode, as it seemed to fit against almost anything. reverb effects meant a digital unit, which usually needed a specific power supply, and meant deep diving into menus and parameters. EarthQuaker kept the hands and knobs editing method, while still giving useful musical variations of this effect, and the ability to recall favorites easily. Guitarists looking to fill out a sound without having to go to a synth device, this can easily add in something new, without having to re-define their playing, or re-do their entire rig.

Chris Devine

PROS

Excellent and unique sound, easy to save settings, expression control and stretch function is quite creative

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

FURCH GUITARS

Orange DC-SW Acoustic Guitar

With an acoustic guitar, both in playing and manufacturing, there’s no hiding any sins; there’s no electronics or effects to mask anything, and no way to hide bad materials or workmanship. Furch (pronounced ‘furk’ in English) has been known in Europe, and recently have been making their presence known in America, and the Orange DC-SW that we got in to check out is an attention getter.

First off, it’s quite stunning right out of the box; with a sitka spruce top, and black walnut sides and back, it looked as if encased in glass with a super high polished gloss finish. It’s simplicity and minimalist branding of a single “F” on the headstock makes a bold statement, as does the combination of the maple binding and padauk purfling, which also adorns the rosette.

The neck is African mahogany, and the flower pearl inlays were also very classy, and looked great against the dark ebony fingerboard. With a 25-9/16” scale length and a 15.75” radius, it feels nice and big. For neck adjustments it features Furch’s CNR Dual action adjustment system, which places an “anchor” like attachment inside the neck heel. Overall, the fit and finish was excellent through and through.

Picking this up it really resonates in the player’s hands, a lot. It was very responsive across the entire fingerboard, with a very rich and complex tone. It had that nice big “D” style sound profile and maintaining that WITH a cutaway is certainly an achievement. The V shaped neck profile was soft and made for plenty of enjoyment without any hand fatigue.

Upper fret access was excellent with the cutaway -- speaking of frets, we couldn’t find any specs on the fret size, but these did feel a bit small-ish. Not a bad thing in any playing sense, going across the fingerboard it was a breeze and the string tension felt nice and tight, which brought an active and snappy response. This is a pure acoustic guitar, so pure in fact, there are no electronics or pickup system on-board, so keep that in mind. But putting up a nice Shure MV7 mic in XLR mode around the 12th fret yielded great results, with plenty of room for a player’s personal playing styles and tonal choices.

OK, it’s very well done, sounds and plays great. But the big tipping points though are something of a personal choice and might raise some concerns; with a list price of $2988, it’s certainly not cheap. Especially as it’s by a company that’s fairly new to the U.S. market. If you start to play the compareand-contrast game, there are some more known brands at comparable prices and quality, and some offer up a really nice piezo pickup as well. But acoustic guitars are a personal thing, and in the right hands this an excellent guitar overall. It’s certainly worth checking out as this could easily be a go-to instrument for a player looking for a great sounding, well-made D style sound, with stellar playability.

Highly recommended, and we look forward to seeing more from Furch in the States going forward.

Chris Devine

PROS

VERY well made, great sounding, excellent D-style cutaway.

CONS

No on-board pickup or electronics

STREET PRICE

$2988

H&A AC-60 Large Diaphragm Hypercardioid Dynamic Mic

H&A UMP-5 Professional USB MultiPattern Condenser Microphone

Bleed over is always a concern when it comes to any kind of recording, from other sound sources, or even just room reflections. H&A’s AC-60 has a fantastic and clear off-axis response that works great in vocal or instrument situations.

This isn’t the usual, USB/all-in-one mic type deal, with an XLR connection and the included shockmount, it’s more along the line of a professional level piece. The two switches on the bottom cover a low cut or bass roll off, and a midrange switch that favors the 6kHz to 10kHz frequency range, great for vocals and guitars.

We put it through its paces doing some vocal overdubs on an existing track, and found we liked having the simple flexibility of the low cut and mids, it didn’t take long finding settings that worked well. This is all dependent on the particular vocalist, music, and desired response, of course, but tweaking things shouldn’t take long. We really liked the overall clarity it also delivered.

Micing up an acoustic guitar was very pleasurable, just placing the microphone between the 12th fret and the sound hole gave excellent results, Again, the tweakability of these EQ options was quite nice, and can certainly be useful in taming lower boomy frequencies of a large D-style guitar, and enhancing the midrange response overall. On bass amps this could easily help add in that extra “air” needed, without getting flabby, and maintaining that punctuation of the notes. Kick drums that somehow seem to end up in every other frequency could also benefit from this as well.

The off-axis response was very nice; we didn’t have any issues from bounce back on our room space or other instruments. The only downside we found was that we needed to really up the input gain on our interface, especially when having the mic about a foot away from a voice, talking at a normal volume. It’s not a phantom powered unit, and we really had to get on it a bit to get a comfortable signal. Overall though it’s a nice, easy to use microphone that has plenty of practical uses for instruments and vocals.

All-in-one, jack of all trades items often do some things well, and in other aspects seem to fall short. In the case of microphones if it doesn’t do everything well, you might be better off with multiple microphones. H&A’s UMP-5 delivers all the options in one package.

First off this is a large mic, but that makes sense, as inside the aluminum casing are five 14mm diaphragms with five selectable patterns: Cardioid, SuperCardioid, Omnidirectional, Bidirectional, and Stereo, and some fairly large knobs on the casing for pattern selection, mic gain, and headphone levels and a mute switch. At the base is a threaded mic stand connection, plus USB and headphone inputs. A large and well weighted base allows for desktop use and adjustability of angle of the microphone.

Connection was super simple, with no drivers or external software required to get things up and running. We were immediately impressed with the sensitivity of the mic right off the bat, which is something we’re not used to in USB mics. It responded like a far more expensive XLR microphone. Scrolling through all the patterns was equally impressive, with each mode offering up perfect audio examples of their respective variants. It runs at 16bit, and has its own D/A converters, so be sure if you’re running a session to match the bit rate in your DAW for optimum performance.

We put it through its paces in desktop mode, doing spoken word type situations, along with vocal and instruments, and we found selecting the correct mode for whatever we were doing yielded great results overall. It will react nicely in any application, but works especially well in voice overs, and in the podcasting/environment, Vloggers might appreciate the sensitivity and range of not having the mic in your face to get a strong signal. Put this mic in stereo mode for putting a singer on one side, and an acoustic guitar on the other, and duos can easily use this for easy tracking or live streaming.

To get nit-picky, the sensitivity was almost too much at times, and can really pick up a lot of the ambient reflections and room noise and moving it around on the mic stand generated a ton of noise, so be aware to put it on mute if it’s getting moved around during an interview. The low bitrate response might throw off some users, but for podcasts and home users it’s not a bad mic to start off with, with plenty of options for a variety of situations.

Nice clear sound, excellent offaxis response, included shock mount

CONS

Somewhat low signal strength.

STREET PRICE

$149

PROS

Good price, multiple pattern selection.

CONS

Somewhat sensitive, only 16-bit A/D convertor.

STREET PRICE

H&A

AC50 Cardioid Dynamic Studio Broadcast Microphone

At first glance, it looks very reminiscent of an RE320, and with an all-aluminum casing it’s quite light. The capsule design is a Cardioid, and the pop filter is internally located. At the base of the mic there is a small switch allowing the user to choose between a flat or low-cut EQ option, which does reduce the low frequencies by about 10dB.

First off, this is meant as a broadcast style microphone, meaning great for podcasters, voiceover artists, etc. The big signature is the offaxis response, meaning if you’re not pointing it at the sound source, the audio doesn’t get picked up. This eliminates background noise issues as well as any problems in the room it’s being used in.

There is minimal coloring in the flat setting in vocal applications, and the low-cut filter really does drop out any flabbiness that could be present. The off-axis response is excellent as well. But one thing about a good mic is using it for other applications. We tried using it on a session with an acoustic guitar running DI and a vocalist using the AC50. It did pick up a bit of the ambient acoustic guitar, but it was minimal, and more than acceptable in a broadcast/podcast/videocast situation. There’s a lot of potential for other uses, such as drums, where the off-axis response could really help keep bleed over to a minimum when used on floor toms and kick drums.

A couple of things we noted during our session -- we really had to crank the gain up on our interface’s input level to get a healthy signal and had to really “get on” the mic for vocals. With the level up this high, the capsule really picked noise from being adjusted on a mic stand, so a shock mount might be a good accessory to eliminate this issue.

With the included mic mount and padded case, it’s a pretty decent setup for $99. For users looking to start a mic locker, it’s worth a look. For podcasters and streamers looking to get out of the USB mic world, this might be your ticket...

All H&A reviews by Chris Devine

PROS

low-priced starter studio mic.

CONS

slightly low output, could benefit from a shock mount.

STREET PRICE

$99.95

PAUL REED SMITH

PRS SE Custom 24-08 Electric Guitar

Construction wise, the new-for-2021 PRS SE Custom 24-08 body had a 3-piece mahogany back, with a solid maple cap. Yes, the Eriza Green flame maple top is a veneer, but looks very sharp. The lower cutaway shows off the layered construction and trying to discern the separation between the maple cap and veneer was futile. The body has a shallower carve profile compared to their core model’s “violin” carve, but it still has curves in all the right places and was very comfortable playing seated or standing.

The 24-08 features a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard, which has PRS’ famous “Old School” birds. Profile wise, the 25” scale maple neck has their “wide thin” shape, with a gloss finish, and a natural headstock sporting Paul’s signature. The bridge is a steel molded version of the now classic PRS tremolo, with a pop in trem arm. It felt super silky smooth, and the rounded edges were very comfortable to rest the edge of the picking hand’s palm on top of it. The overall fit and finish was superb, the attention to detail that PRS is known for is here in amazing quantity, from the fretwork, finishing, and assembly.

Pickups are PRS’s TCI “S” treble and bass models. TCI stands for Tuned Capacitance and Inductance. In recent years, PRS has been exploring how to get better single coil sounds from humbuckers, and the TCI concept has yielded some great results. The controls are also very PRS-centric, with a master volume, master tone, and a three-way toggle. The addition of two mini toggle switches allow each individual pickup to be put into a single coil mode.

The 25” scale balances nicely between the Gibson and Fender scale lengths, so players from both camps should have no problem getting around the neck. The 24 frets were also very nicely dressed, and regardless of where you were on the neck, it felt comfortable and easy.

Plugging it into a variety of our fave test units, such as our Fender Blues JR, ZT Lunchbox, Boss Katana, and Strymon Iridium, we had no issues getting great tones right at the start. In humbucking mode, the pickups really deliver a powerful and modern tonal experience. Together they balanced nicely and went from chunky power chords to leads easily without having to mess with EQ’s. Dialing back the gain, they had a really nice and open feel, and when going into single notes, there’s plenty of sweetness that feels balanced across the entire spectrum.

There are 8 different pickup configurations available to the player, and all are practical and musical in their own way. Many times, when multiple options are available with pickups, one or two just don’t really make sense. Not here; we found the single coil tones very sweet and still maintained unity gain and didn’t require any fussing with boosting the signal in other ways to still be heard or cut through.

So, with all these single coil modes, can it out single coil a Strat? The bridge pickup in single coil mode still had that snarl and attack, but it wasn’t shrill or harsh, even in a bright clean tone setting. Out spank a Tele? Put one pickup in full humbucking mode, and the other in coil tapped mode, and these extra pickup combinations really added in the balance of warmth and clarity.

Overall, it’s a practical and giggable instrument right out of the box. Some import guitars need mods to make them acceptable as performing instruments, but PRS conquered that hill, and other than needing a guitar strap, it’s ready as soon as it’s tuned up.

Chris Devine

PROS

Well-made, great neck, fantastic tone, excellent pickup options.

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

SENNHEISER

IE 100 Pro Wireless In-Ear Monitors

When it comes to gear, multiples are better; guitars, amps, microphones, you get the picture. However, having a set of headphones and a separate set of In Ear Monitors (IEMs) doesn’t fall into this category of thinking. So, what if someone came up with a set of daily use headphones that could also do double duty as stage ready IEMs? That someone is Sennheiser, and their IE 100 Pro in-ears are ready for action.

Usually, the difference in high quality audio for IEMs are the drivers, and usually means multiples in each ear, with each tuned for different frequency responses. Sennheiser has figured out how to use a single driver system, and maintain clarity and definition on the low end, and not thin things out on the higher frequencies.

The two earbuds connect to either the Sennheiser IE Pro BT connector, which works as a control unit for using them in a Bluetooth configuration or the included four and a half (1.3M) 1/8” cable. With functionality for volume and speaker use, the BT connector makes taking calls easy, as well as everyday listening across your favorite devices. The Bluetooth module can be fully charged via USB in about 90 minutes and gives about 10 hours of use. Connect the ear buds to the cable, and now they can be used as a set of IEMs connecting to a belt pack or monitor connection. Rounding things out is a nice leather-ish pouch, and a series of foam and silicone earpieces, as well as a cleaning tool and charging cable.

Putting these to practical use in an everyday setting, they’re downright excellent for listening to music overall. There’s plenty of excellent fidelity at a flat EQ setting, and when adding in external EQ, a little goes a long way. With Bluetooth 5.0 there’s no loss of signal that makes you wish for a cable. Latency isn’t an issue either, using these in a video conference we found no lag or syncing issues.

Going into a wired mode; the clarity is excellent, and the earbuds themselves are fairly light weight, with the reinforced cable ends making for a secure and comfortable fit over the ear. As we always mention, getting a proper seal is important and the foam versions fit nicely. This is also key in making sure the mix stays in your ears, with no outside sounds sneaking in. There’s no issues of ear fatigue during long sessions; the light weight and overall sound quality make them a pleasure to wear and use for extended periods of time.

Overall, these make a lot of sense for the musician who needs a great set of inexpensive IEMs that will get used in multiple settings that today’s musicians are running into; making a video call to a friend, listening to music, mixing a track or performing live on stage (hey, remember those?)

PROS

Great price, great audio, practical for stage and everyday use.

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

$149

SHURE

MV7 USB Podcast Microphone

Shure’s SM7B microphone has been an industry standard in broadcasting/ overdubbing and general recording for years. Now their MV7 brings the features its older sibling is known for but adds in a lot of new features for today’s broadcasters, streamers and podcasters.

Specs-wise, it’s a dynamic mic, with a cardioid pattern, that can handle a max of 132dB, and 24-bit audio resolution. The bottom of the mic has an XLR connection as well as a miniUSB, along with headphone connections for personal monitoring. The metal yoke mount is super robust and allows for perfect positioning and adjustment.

The edge of the casing has a unique touch panel, with the ability to mute and adjust the microphone level as well as headphone levels. The Shureplus Motiv Desktop app is key to really make optimum adjustments for using this as a USB mic. With auto leveling presets for near and far voice applications as well as EQ curves that can actually enhance a voice to make a difference, it’s a welcome companion to the MV7. For more advanced users there is a manual mode that allows one to adjust mic gain and specific EQ settings along with a limiter and compressor. Settings can also be saved and recalled for later use.

The MV7 makes recording podcasts and voiceovers easy. The dark setting certainly adds depth and warmth that enhances overall, especially on the near setting on the app. For video use, such as YouTubing or live streaming, putting it in far mode on the app allows the user to get away from the mic and be seen. The overall design of the mic’s pattern rejects room and background noise, so there’s no need to be in a perfect, acousticly-treated environment to get great results.

One thing the SM7B has a reputation for is being great for vocal performances and this MV7 carries that torch as well, with the High SPL rating, doing big vocals isn’t an issue here; there’s a nice and warm low-end response overall. This also makes it very attractive to put on some midrange-y instruments such as electric and acoustic guitars to warm things up without having to mess with external EQ.

We connected the MV7 via XLR into our Focusrite interface and it behaved nicely there as well. Acoustic guitars still had clarity, along with an excellent bottom end. We also didn’t have any issues using it in a fairly small room either, as the reflections were non-existent.

So, who’s this for? Well, pretty much anyone who’s serious about their voice being heard in a studio situation. Podcasters looking for a quality dedicated mic that works with a computer and tablet connectivity? Musicians are doing a lot more than music these days, and this is a mic that can cover a lot of bases without a lot of hassles for today’s content creators.

PROS

Great sound mic for music and broadcasting situations.

CONS

Full functionality of desktop app not available on iPad.

STREET PRICE

$249

TECH 21

Geddy Lee DI-2112 Signature SansAmp Preamp Review

To say that Geddy Lee has a unique bass sound would be an understatement. Whether it’s his Rickenbacker 4001 or 1972 J-bass, one note and you know it’s him. When Geddy partnered up with Tech 21, his elusive sound became far less elusive, as the DI-2112 Preamp now shares the tone with bass players of all backgrounds.

The top mounted controls cover Level, Blend, Mid, Drive, Treble, Bass, and Mid Shift. OK, you’re probably wondering about the “deep” section, which has its own level and saturation controls.

This area has Geddy Lee’s EQ curve set to his preference but does allow the user to tweak the level and saturation to their own taste. Simply put, it’s a dual set of signals (pun intended to the Rush fans) running in parallel: deep and drive. A small bank of buttons cover functions such as mute, a tight option, and a +10Db boost for the 1/4” outputs, and a -20Db pad for the XLRs, and to finish it off, a ground lift switch. The blue LED indicates the power, and pulses during playing, indicating the device is outputting signal. Not only can it run on a standard 9v power supply, but for added headroom, an 18v power source is the way to go, and it can be powered from two 9v batteries as well.

The backside has the input along with a selection of 1/4” outputs, one dedicated for tuner, mix/drive, deep out, as well as dedicated XLR outputs for the drive and deep signal paths that gives plenty of options.

Our test basses included a modest Yamaha BB404, hot-rodded Warmoth J-bass with DiMarzio pickups and Nostrand active EQ, Rickenbacker 4001, a fretless Phil Kubicki ExFactor, and of course, a Geddy Lee Signature Fender Jazz Bass. Tech 21’s manual includes suggested settings to start from thankfully, and with Mr. Lee’s “standard” setting we were blown away. Just the right balance of grit on the top end, while maintaining a warm, yet deep low end. The drive control has a very strong presence at higher settings; after 2 O’clock it really adds in the dirt!

Kicking in the tight function really added in extra definition, taming some of those lower frequencies from the drive side of things. Hotter pickups and active electronics obviously push things harder, meaning dialing the drive and some of the EQ settings back a bit overall. Passive versions really didn’t need to be pushed harder on the EQ, but when we did start digging deeper in the EQ, the audio quality was maintained with no issues on noise or hiss.

Tech 21’s background in getting great DI tones really comes through here, and makes it far easier and simpler to get those elusive natural, and classic tube-y bass sounds without extra effort or hardware. either, if you lower the drive settings, the big, and deep bass sounds still reside, with the clarity and definition. The overall audio quality is superb, and as it’s an all-analog design, there’s no issues of latency or lag.

Will it make you play like Geddy Lee? Unfortunately, no. However, that (his) sound is in there, which can give that responsive, and quite dynamic, classic driven bass tone. But there are plenty of great tone shaping options, regardless of the bass, the player, or type of music.

Chris Devine

PROS

Excellent EQ flexibility, plenty of usable and practical bass drive/dirt, connectivity options galore.

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

TAYLOR GUITARS

GT 811e Acoustic-Electric Guitar

In 2020, Taylor unveiled their new GT, Grand Theater, body style. It’s bigger than their GS Mini, but smaller than the Grand Concert size, and now with the same material choices as their 800 series instruments, it really is in the Goldilocks zone.

It starts off with a combination that can’t lose; a solid sitka spruce top, with Indian rosewood for the back and sides. The maple binding has black purfling details, while the abalone rosette is equally very nice, and completes the look of understatement being statement. With a 24-1/8” scale length the 20-fret tropical mahogany neck feels super smooth, along with the West African Crelicam Ebony fingerboard, playing any note is pure perfection. The inlays on the headstock and fingerboard are Taylor’s Element icon and are done in abalone.

Inside, the GT has Taylor’s C-Class bracing, and it allows the top to vibrate where it needs to, while maintaining its structural integrity. This also allows smaller bodied instruments to resonate in areas that they normally wouldn’t, bringing in a deeper bass response, and a focused clarity on the top end, and maintains an overall warmth that ties everything together. Normally thick glossy finishes diminish an acoustic’s ability to vibrate, but Taylor’s super thin finish allows the instrument to breathe and not be constricted.

Usually, smaller scale/smaller bodied instruments don’t get as big a tone as their larger siblings, it’s the compromise of the size. Not here -- as soon as we hit our first chord, our jaws hit the floor. For players who love the classic sound of a larger bodied acoustic, but maybe aren’t sized for it, this could be the one you’re looking for. Long sessions with a big body can be tough on the picking hand, but the GT’s small size takes that issue out of the equation.

The low end was quite robust, and it didn’t get boomy on the lower strings. Open chords were very rich and had a nice top end chime that stayed musical and not something to work around. Playability was phenomenal, as you would expect from Taylor; the ease of maneuvering around the fretboard was just a wonderful experience – so, for players who want an instrument to fight them, look elsewhere.

It sits nicely in the mix with other instruments as well; our tester played sets with his acoustic band, and the singer’s Taylor Grand Auditorium style guitar, and it was an excellent balance between the two instruments.

Electronics-wise it’s very basic, with a treble, bass and volume control, that runs Taylor’s Expression 2 System. Most acoustics place the pickup under the bridge, which means most of the sound being heard is just the string vibration. With Taylor’s system, the pickup is behind the saddle, which brings in the tone from the vibrations of the instrument as a whole.

For the player who wants that big and rich classic big-bodied sound, without the effort or any issue, and all the details that Taylor’s known for, this is the instrument that could change everything.

PROS

Excellent playability, beautiful tone, wellcrafted and detailed

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

$2999

PROS

Accurate, rechargeable, small robust design.

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

$29.99

PAUL REED SMITH

PRS Headstock Tuner

Originally, clip on tuners just seemed, well…cheap. Like an “as seen on TV” type of thing. Over the years though, a lot of companies have taken that idea and turned them into truly practical devices. PRS has stepped up and their new headstock tuner is worth checking out.

The rubber grips on the clamp provide a solid connection to the instrument, and it has a lot of adjustability, with plenty of swivel and pivot connections. More importantly though, they all feel super robust and positive, no slop or droop when clipping it on the headstock.

With 4 tuning modes (two strobe and two needle) it can cover acoustics, electrics, bass guitars and ukulele. There’s also a chromatic mode as well. One really great feature is the setting reference pitch mode, allowing the user to set the reference pitch, and adjust it as needed in 1Hz increments. Great if you may have to tune your instrument to track to an “unconventional” tuning reference in the studio, or just an out-oftune piano :)

The main display area is large enough to read even in bright outdoor environments, and when the pitch is achieved, the display shows the PRS Bird image, a Cooper’s Hawk. We used it on acoustic, electric and bass guitars, and had no issues getting it to work, and comparing our tuning with a pedal style chromatic tuner, we were spot on every time.

One fantastic feature is that this tuner doesn’t use those little watch batteries; it’s rechargeable via the included USB cable. Charging via a computer or separate USB battery pack makes a lot of sense, and when those watch batteries die, they seem to go when the store is closed, or out of stock.

Overall, it’s a great lil rechargeable headstock tuner that’s hyper accurate, and reasonably priced. They always come in handy, and if you’re going to use one, why not one that’s made with the attention to the same detail and functionality that PRS guitars are known for?

Chris Devine

TAYLOR GUITARS

GT K21e Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Taylor has been known to really blur the lines between technology and craftsmanship, as well as the traditional and forward thinking. Their GT line brings sound from larger bodied instruments into a smaller package, and taking that idea a few steps further, the K21e’s koa wood brings a different tonal palette, and some very beautiful appointments.

The GT body size is compact, with a 24-1/8” scale length and a smaller body style than their GC line. The big deal though is the bracing; Taylor’s been re-defining a lot of the thoughts on this, and their C-class asymmetrical design has been proven to bring a big sound to a small instrument, by letting the lower frequencies resonate, and the top and mids still have punctuation, all the while being structurally sound to the instrument.

With a beautiful selection of Hawaiian Koa wood, it’s a serious step up from your typical acoustic. The grain pattern of our test guitar was perfection, and the finish work just enhanced it. Koa always feels like an added luxury, with more top end, more mids, and more bass. But it’s a better balance of all that extra goodness. Rock maple binding on the top and back as well as the rosette take this to the next level. With a West African crelicam ebony fingerboard, the spring vine inlay really pops visually, while the tropical mahogany neck feels phenomenal along with its 20 perfectly polished frets. Topping it all off, the Taylor logo and headstock inlay is also done in wood, while Gotoh mini tuners keep everything perfectly in tune.

Hit that first A chord, and it’s just...there. Sonically, the Koa makes a big difference in overall resonance and response. It’s not fighting itself or other instruments. Taking this to practice where another guitarist is using a spruce topped guitar, it sat very nicely in the mix. Koa certainly holds its own presence sonically with a wonderful mix of warmth and attack.

Playability-wise, it’s a Taylor. It’s easy if you come from the world of electric necks. Usually, acoustics need big necks for projection and sustain, but Taylor figured out how to make a comfortable neck that still delivers a big-bodied tone. One big plus is the string spacing is easily something that pick players can navigate if they want to go pick-less or use hybrid picking techniques.

Plugging this in, Taylor’s Expression System 2 is quite amazing. The pickup isn’t under the bridge, but behind the saddle, meaning it gets the attack of the note, along with the resonance of the instrument itself, while the preamp really balances things out and does it with very simple controls; treble, bass and volume.

Usually most smaller bodied acoustics don’t get the treatment of premium materials and an upgraded aesthetic, but Taylor always takes things to the next level. For players looking to invest in a perfect sounding and playing acoustic, that’s well made and detailed to the max, this is the one you’ve been saving for.

PROS

Beautiful, plays amazingly well, excellent pickup

CONS

Slightly pricey, but you’re not overpaying.

STREET PRICE

$4699