John Mayer and I seem to share an affinity for small-bodied acoustic guitars, as he has teamed up with Martin to create the Custom 00-45SC John Mayer Limited Edition Guitar:

“There’s something about a smaller-bodied acoustic guitar that has always appealed to me. In one glance it inspires me to write, travel, perform, and age along with it,” said John Mayer. “Not very long ago I was inspired to return to a completely natural way of writing and recording music, and at the center of that vision were the Martin 00-sized guitars that defined an era of brilliant songwriting in the ’60s and ’70s. The 00-45SC John Mayer Edition is my vision of the ultimate 00-45 come to life. It’s simply perfect.”

“There is no better ambassador for our custom guitars than John Mayer,” said Chris Martin, Chairman and CEO, C.F. Martin & Co. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with such a singular talent on such a unique instrument.”

Based upon requested 12-fret 00 specifications and design concepts from the artist himself, the 00-45SC John Mayer Edition is constructed with back, sides and head plate of select premium quality cocobolo wood, a strikingly beautiful member of the genuine rosewood species prized for its’ rich reddish-orange and black grain striations. The soundboard is book matched from Martin’s highest grade of Adirondack spruce, prized for crystalline clarity and powerful projection. The slotted tapered headstock with hand-squared slots is equipped with premium Waverly Sloane bronze engraved side-mount tuning machines with ivoroid buttons. Style 45 vintage appointments are executed in rare richly-colored blue paua shell, with delicate snowflake fingerboard position markers. The tastefully ornate 1902 alternate torch design graces the headstock, also executed in blue paua.

Martin’s standard 00 12-fret body size has long been revered for its’ sweet airy depth of tone, but this special model has an even deeper sound. Aside from its vintage hide glue Custom Shop construction and hand sculpted Adirondack spruce bracing, the 00-45SC John Mayer Edition bears unique attributes never before seen on a Martin guitar. Style 45 top inlay typically circumscribes the tongue of the fingerboard as it extends toward the rosette. This new design provides for pearl edging along the sides of the fingerboard that extend directly with miter joints into the rosette. The inlay motif of the three-ring Style 45 rosette is perfectly continued as a matching inlay on the higher surface of the fingerboard, giving the illusion of complete contiguous circles. This unusual design is so unique, it is difficult to describe in words and must be seen photographically or held in one’s hands to be fully comprehended.

Each 00-45SC John Mayer Edition will be personally signed by John Mayer and numbered in the sequence of the 25 total edition guitars. This special model will be introduced at the Anaheim Winter NAMM Show in January of 2012 and will subsequently be available from participating Martin dealerships in early 2012.

Most of us will have to admire this guitar from afar, as it has a suggested price of $13,999 and will be limited to just 25 guitars.

Fender have introduced a new series of amplifiers called the Pawn Shop Specials. The series currently has two models: the Excelsior and the Greta:

Meet Greta™ and Excelsior™, Fender’s new and coolly unconventional Pawn Shop Special amplifiers. The two stylish amps resemble the esoteric finds you might discover in a pawnshop or second-hand store, and make for the most distinctive addition to any musician’s collection.

Housed in the playfully diminutive form of a vintage tabletop radio, the Pawn Shop Special Greta model is quite possibly the most unusual Fender tube amp ever (in fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find the name “Fender” anywhere on it). It’s a charming two-watt tabletop beauty with a 4” Special Design speaker, old-school VU meter with “clean to overload” indicator display, simple volume and tone controls, and a 1/8” back-panel auxiliary input perfect for iPod or other media player use.

Its vintage-style enclosure has front and rear wood panels finished in bright red, gold-finished metal top and sides for increased shielding, “Greta” script badge on the front panel and tabletop feet. Under the hood and on the back panel, Greta features a single 12AT7 output tube and 12AX7 preamp tube, with a ¼” instrument jack and ¼” line out jack (for preamp use with another amplifier).

Undoubtedly one of the most distinctive tube combo amps produced in Fender history, the alluringly refined Pawn Shop Special Excelsior harbors tones from polite, to raw and raucous. Its brown textured vinyl covering, smartly stylish “E” grille design and bold crossed-swords front-panel badge convey a decidedly stately vibe with a marked air of cold-war cool.

The 13-watt Excelsior elegantly encloses a single 15” Special Design speaker, with bottom-loaded primary chassis and top-loaded control chassis for operating convenience and low noise (powered by two 6V6 output tubes and two 12AX7 preamp tubes). Distinctive features include “instrument,” “microphone” and “accordion” inputs that each have individually optimized circuitry; tremolo circuit with speed control, bright/dark tone switch (for treble or bass emphasis), volume control and ¼” internal speaker disconnect that lets the amp drive an external speaker enclosure.

For playing at home, smaller gigs and studio sessions, the Excelsior is a class act that brings a fresh and unconventional new vibe to your playing.

I love the look of these new amps, and they’re priced right with the Excelsior having a street price of $299 and the Greta having a street price of $199. Premier Guitar is at the NAMM show and was able to get this demo video of the amps:

PRS Guitars have announced another new model, the Signature Limited:

In early 2011, PRS Guitars offered a 100 piece run of its Signature model through the company’s exclusive Private Stock division. For 2012, this innovative model is being released as the Signature Limited, a 400 piece run of guitars built by PRS Guitars’ core production line. These beautiful multi-toned instruments will feature Artist Grade figured maple tops, mahogany backs and necks, Paua Heart bird inlays with Mother of Pearl outlines, and “sinker” mahogany necks. Most notably, the Signature Limited boasts an innovative, proprietary Signature/408 pickup system designed to extend the guitar’s tonal spectrum and musicality.

The proprietary Signature/408 treble and bass pickups are designed to narrow the field of the bass pickup to increase its focus, and to expand the field of the treble pickup to increase its tonal range (hence their asymmetric appearance). This pickup configuration stems back to Paul’s early pickup experimentation in the early 1980’s and provides stunning articulation and musical clarity. The Signature/408 electronics offer eight sounds via four pickup coils thanks to a simple but versatile switching system featuring mini toggle switches that provide numerous combinations of humbucking and (no volume loss!) singlecoil tones. This versatility and distinctiveness has garnered the Signature model PRS’s first official multi-artist endorsement from Howard Leese, Davy Knowles, Michael Ault, Tom Wheeler, and, of course, Paul Reed Smith.

“In many ways, the Signature model is the culmination of decades of experimentation,” said Paul Reed Smith. “This pickup system, and the very positive reception it has garnered, shows me that we have hit on something new and special.”

The Machete combo amp is an interesting new amp from Fender:

Fender proudly introduces the all-new Machete combo amp. With tremendous versatility and performance-oriented features, this high-end, sonically powerful combo is an essential companion for the discerning musician.

The 50-watt, dual-channel Machete combo boasts a completely new high-gain channel, an extremely clear-sounding clean channel that can be pushed into aggressive rhythm guitar territory, and onboard digital reverb. Its heavily robust enclosure construction and single 12” Celestion® speaker deliver full, rich and pummeling response, with midrange notch control, adjustable speaker damping for finely tuned performance, XLR output with switchable speaker muting and cabinet emulation, and push-pull pots for bright boost and gain boost on the rhythm channel.

Serious guitarists and amp connoisseurs who are both meticulous and adventurous about even the finest details of their sound will find the Machete a formidable new member of their arsenal. The turbo-charged combo’s distinctive cosmetics include vinyl covering with inlaid white piping and gray vinyl “steering wheel grip” accents, new Black Silver Strand grille cloth, heavily knurled chrome knobs and all-new corners and hardware. Four-button footswitch and fitted cover included.

For more information, and to locate a dealer near you, go to www.fender.com.

Fuchs Audio Technology have announced a new addition to their Casino line of amplifiers: the 4-watt 4-Aces amplifier. I had a chance to hear other amps in the Casino line at the Nashville Amp Show last fall, and they sounded terrific. (It didn’t hurt that Anthony Stauffer was the one playing through them.) I’m a bit of a low-watt amp junkie, so I’m really intrigued by this model. The 4-Aces amp features 2 6SN7 octal preamp tubes, an aluminum chassis, back-lit logo, 24-bit digital reverb, an effects loop, separate gain controls for each channel, separate tone controls, and a footswitch.

Some more PRS information from Music Radar: as promised last fall, PRS is adding a pickup option for their SE Angelus line of acoustic guitars:

Announced in September 2011, the PRS SE Angelus Standard and Custom models are made with high-quality components, including a solid back and solid spruce top, a bone nut and saddle, and PRS SE designed tuners.

A PRS pickup system will be an added option on the SE Angelus models in 2012, highlighting the instruments’ rich, resonant, and responsive tone. The PRS pickup system is an under-saddle design with three bands of EQ and an anti-feedback loop. The pickup uses one 9-volt battery for power.

The SE Angelus shares the same proprietary bracing pattern and several distinct construction features as PRS’s acclaimed Maryland-made acoustic line, as well as the company’s trademark bird inlays and headstock design. The PRS SE Angelus is offered in both a “Standard” and “Custom” package. The Angelus Standard includes mahogany sides, a solid mahogany back and a rosewood fretboard and bridge, while the Angelus Custom includes rosewood sides, a solid rosewood back, and an ebony fretboard bridge.

“The SE Angelus models are the newest additions to the SE product family, which has matured into a comprehensive line of electric and acoustic guitars as well as amplifiers. The addition of an optional pickup system on the SE acoustics makes the line even more complete. My hope is that all of our SE products become tools for making music and sources of joy,” said Paul Reed Smith.

The fully acoustic version of these highly-anticipated instruments will begin hitting stores in early 2012. Instruments with the optional pickup system are available for order beginning on January 19, 2012 and will begin shipping in the spring of that year.

A few comments have expressed frustration that the SE acoustics haven’t started shipping yet, so hopefully they’ll be happy to hear the news that they will be shipping “earlier 2012″ with the pickup-equipped models will be shipping in the spring.

Music Radar has received details about a new Paul Reed Smith solidbody model that features a piezo pickup, a feature that had previously been available only on their hollowbody models:

Paul Reed Smith Guitars is proud to add the P22, the company’s first piezo-equipped solidbody guitar, to its 2012 lineup.

The P22 comes standard with a figured maple top, mahogany back, mahogany neck with a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, and a redesigned PRS/LR Baggs piezo system. PRS and LR Baggs partnered more than a decade ago to design the piezo system found in PRS’s popular hollowbody models.

This new system retains the same circuit design as the existing system, giving the P22 the same tonal authenticity and real world practicality as PRS hollowbody guitars. The redesign of the board itself yielded a version that is more than 60% smaller than the original PRS/LR Baggs system, allowing it to comfortably inhabit a solidbody guitar. Uncovered 53/10 pickups round out this guitar’s specifications and help define the P22′s voice.

“I was blown away”

“I have recorded and mixed hundreds and hundreds of acoustic guitars, including mixing both live and studio cuts, and I have never heard a more musical, more natural sound from an acoustic pickup system. If that had been the only thing special about the guitar I would have been excited, but then to hear the electric tones it creates – I was blown away,” said Grammy Award-winning Producer and Engineer Don McCollister after a recording session with the P22.

Piezo systems have long allowed guitarists the versatility of wielding both acoustic and electric guitar tones in one instrument. The PRS Hollowbody II and Singlecut Hollowbody II both come standard with the original PRS/LR Baggs piezo and have achieved a great level of popularity in PRS Guitars’ product line. The addition of a solidbody model will give musicians a new and unique tool to add to their own lineup.

“The ability to blend in an acoustic sound along with whatever electric tone you are recording would be a game changer in certain situations. I noticed that it really helped the notes ring clearly through the haze, which is a tough thing to accomplish in a complex mix sometimes. I could see it becoming my go-to session guitar, and I’ll be one of the first in line when it comes out!,” continued McCollister.

After nearly a year of work from concept to completion, the P22 guitar will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2012.

Eminence have partnered with Eric Johnson to create the EJ1250 Eric Johnson Signature Series speaker:

Eminence is proud to announce the addition of a signature 12” alnico guitar speaker developed with legendary guitarist Eric Johnson, the EJ1250.

Eminence knows a thing or two about vintage tone, having made guitar speakers for the biggest amplifier brands in the industry since the late ’60s. But one guitarist
is known the world over for defining vintage tone. Working with Eric and George Alessandro, Eminence has designed the first speaker worthy of Eric’s name.

Available in both 8 and 16 ohm impedances, the EJ1250 is a 50 watt, 12” guitar speaker featuring vintage alnico tone with a modern twist. With both American and British characteristics, the EJ1250 delivers punchy lows, warm throaty mids, and articulate highs.

“I’m excited that for the first time in many years there’s a new speaker that I love the sound of.” said Johnson.

“No other guitarist’s name has become synonymous with vintage tone.” said Eminence President Chris Rose. “We’re very excited to be collaborating with him, and the fact he has chosen Eminence to deliver his signature sound is testament to our own reputation for building the highest quality products on the market.”

If you’re at the NAMM show, you can catch Johnson at the Eminence booth on Friday, January 20 at 2:00 PM.

Fender have introduced the Kurt Cobain Mustang:

When Kurt Cobain hit the stage, it was very often with a Mustang® guitar—an enigmatic anti-hero figure with an esoteric anti-hero instrument. It’s with great pride then that Fender introduces the Kurt Cobain Mustang, which evokes the man, the band, the sound and the times, and gives an authentically crafted nod to one of the most unlikely guitars to ever find itself at the center of a musical maelstrom.

Cobain liked Mustangs a lot. For one, he preferred offbeat guitars that didn’t cost zillions of dollars, and the Mustang certainly fit those two criteria. Also, being somewhat physically diminutive himself, he liked to perform live with slightly more diminutive guitars, like Fender Mustang and Jaguar® guitars, which better fit his hands and his reach.

See for yourself—go back and watch the famous 1991 video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and there he is and there it is slung over his shoulder. Or think back to when you saw them on the ’93-’94 In Utero tour, when he seldom went onstage with anything but a Mustang. Quite often and especially later on, Mustang guitars were a big part of what Kurt Cobain was all about, musically.

Inspired by his arsenal of modded guitars, the new Fender Kurt Cobain Mustang takes you back there, with highly distinctive features including an angled single-coil Mustang neck pickup and ferocious Seymour Duncan® JB humbucking bridge pickup mounted directly to the body, dual on-off/phase in-out switches for each pickup, a polyester-finished alder body and an Adjusto-Matic™ bridge with dynamic vibrato tailpiece.

Other features include the classic 24” Mustang scale length, C-shaped maple neck with urethane finish, 7.25”-radius rosewood fingerboard with 22 vintage-style frets and vintage-style ivory dot inlays, four-ply pickguard (Aged White Pearl on Fiesta Red and Dark Lake Placid Blue with stripe models; Tortoiseshell on Sonic Blue model), master volume and tone controls, vintage-style tuners, and chrome hardware. Finish options include Fiesta red, Sonic Blue and Dark Lake Placid Blue with stripe. Available in right- and left-handed models. For more information, go to www.fender.com.

Fender’s new Super Champ Head and Enclosure looks intriguing:

Fender is proud to introduce the all-new members of the popular Super Champ series. The new Super Champ X2, Super Champ X2 Head, and SC112 Enclosure bring exciting, brand new modeling and user-friendly features, providing great tone for blues, rock, country and more.

Made in Ensenada, Mexico, the ultra functional Super Champ X2 combo amplifier combines 15 watts of rich dual-6V6 tube amplification with a Fender Special Design 10” speaker for dynamic combo amp tone. This simple, easy-to-use platform includes two switchable channels and several modern extras, such as a voicing knob for selection of 16 different amp types (Tweed, Blackface, British, Metal and more), 15 effects with level control, dual-channel switching (footswitch optional), tap tempo control for precise delay time or modulation speed adjustment, ¼” line output and USB output for speaker-emulated digital recording. For extra versatility, players can add-on the Fender FUSE™ software (available as a free download), for customization of amp voicing and effects defaults, effects parameters deep editing, and online access to free Fender community content.

The Super Champ X2 Head offers great, low-power tube sound in compact design that presents the same great features as its 15-watt, dual-channel combo sibling. It’s designed for use with the new SC112 Enclosure, or other 8-ohm speaker enclosure.

The new SC112 Enclosure mates perfectly with the Super Champ X2 Head or other quality amplifiers. Also made in Ensenada, Mexico, it is compact and rugged, rated at 80 watts RMS (at 8 ohms), and features a single 12” Celestion® G12P-80 speaker for tight, defined tone and a closed-back design for increased bass response.

I owned the previous Super Champ model but sold it for something different. I’m looking forward to checking out these new models to see how they’ve improved upon the concept.