Seymour Duncan, a leader in the design and manufacture of guitar pickups and musical electronics, is excited to commemorate the 45th work anniversary of Kevin Beller, the company’s esteemed VP of Engineering and a lifelong bass player. Kevin’s journey with Seymour Duncan began in 1979, just three years after the company’s founding by Seymour and Cathy Duncan, and his impact on our business and the wider music industry has been nothing short of transformative.

Over the past four and a half decades, Kevin has played a critical role in shaping Seymour Duncan’s product offerings. His initial work on developing the production line laid the foundation for the company’s reputation for excellence.

Kevin’s commitment to innovation is evident in his diverse portfolio of designs, which range from traditional pickups to modern cutting-edge musical electronics. Among his best-known designs are the now-legendary Nazgul / Sentient passive guitar pickups, APB-1 Active P-Bass pickup, Wavelength acoustic guitar pickup, the groundbreaking Convertible Amp (the world’s first modular and configurable tube amplifier, loved by Jeff Beck), the PowerStage line of pedal-sized amplifiers, which are a mainstay of many modern touring guitar rigs, 805 Overdrive and Pickup Booster pedals, and noiseless pickup designs such as the Stack Plus and recently introduced P90 Silencer.

His ability to blend technical expertise with creative vision has resulted in numerous patents and industry recognition. Kevin’s collaborative spirit has also led to successful partnerships with top artists, helping to refine and perfect Seymour Duncan’s product lines based on real-world feedback.

Seymour W. Duncan commented, “I first got to know Kevin when he came by the guitar shop where I was doing repairs, and I worked on his basses. After I founded Seymour Duncan, Kevin dropped by our first warehouse in 1979. He wanted to move from his job at a tech firm to a new challenge. He’s been our head engineer ever since, and his passion for guitars and music has been a cornerstone of our innovation.”

Cathy Duncan added, “Kevin takes such joy in creating products for musicians and it shows. He’s never happier than when guitarists tell him that he’s captured the tone they hear in their head – and 45 years later it’s still a thrill for him, and for us!”

“Seymour Duncan’s success is built on the foundation of our amazing people, and their service to musicians. No one embodies these qualities more than Kevin Beller, and we’re incredibly grateful for his 45 years of innovation,” said Marc DiLorenzo, CEO of Seymour Duncan. “His contributions helped shape our company, and we’re excited to keep bringing more of Kevin’s pioneering designs to musicians everywhere.”

Cort Introduces the New Artisan C4/C5 Deluxe Bass Guitars…

Cort Guitars creates instruments that musicians love to play. The Artisan Series is for the bass player who knows the value of playing a tone-rich, affordable bass guitar that can hold up the back end. Cort Guitars launches the next phase of the series: The Artisan C Deluxe.

The Artisan C Deluxe was created with the serious bass player in mind. It is a bolt-on beauty made of lightweight poplar that allows for ease of playability with all the robust tone Cort basses are known for. The Artisan C4 and C5 Deluxe boast a pristine Hard maple neck with jatoba fretboard, 24 frets with White Dot inlays, and a 34” scale length. One more feature is the 18mm string spacing at the bridge on the C5 making playability a breeze for all styles.

This workhorse of a bass guitar comes in an array of gorgeous colors: Candy Red, Candy Blue, and Black, all tricked out with black hardware to easily stand out on stage and in front of the crowd. Bartolini® MK-1 pickups pack a punch with unparalleled clarity. A Markbass® MB-1 preamp controls Bass, Mid, Treble, Master Volume, Pickup Balancer, and an active/passive switch to manage all of the grooves and low end. The MetalCraft M4 Bridge offers better body contact and transfer of tone. Its dual-string loading system makes for easy string changes, either from the top or through the body. D’Addario® EXL165 strings complete this stellar instrument.

The Artisan C Deluxe is the go-to bass for any bass player looking to upgrade their instrument in looks and playability. No matter the genre, the Artisan C Deluxe outperforms the competition. To see the Artisan C4 Deluxe and Artisan C5 Deluxe, visit www.cortguitars.com.

Artisan C4 Deluxe Street Price: $449.00 USD
Artisan C5 Deluxe Street Price: $499.00 USD

Fuchs Audio has introduced the FAT112 bass cabinets, offering a ported one-by-twelve design, with either a Neodymium or a Ferrite style speaker configuration. 

These cabinets are an extremely compact 16 x 16 x 13.5 deep, with a single tuned rear port, internal acoustic treatment, a metal powder-coated speaker grill with Fuchs logo, dual Neutrik Speakon and ¼” (combination jacks), and feature Penn-Elcom hardware throughout. Molded plastic locking corners allow for stable stacking, while a recessed steel handle is top-mounted for easy one-handed transport. 

These cabinets are made of an ultra-light 11/16” Plywood with an Italian poplar core and birch jacket, and they are coated in a rugged, textured sprayed black latex coating which will not crack, peel, or require replacement or repair like conventional Tolex does. The cabinets are fully corner-blocked and braced to eliminate stray resonances or vibrations, even at the most extreme sound levels. 

The FAT112N Neo cabinet is 99db efficient and handles 300 watts. This neo-equipped cabinet features a Celestion BN-12-300 bass driver, with a 2.5-inch copper voice coil on a polyamide form with a Kevlar-enhanced paper cone and cloth surround and weighs in at 18-lbs. 50-4000 Hz Frequency response, 8-ohms and weighs 18 lbs. 

The FAT112C ceramic cabinet is 94db efficient and handles 500-Watts. The cabinet is equipped with the new Celestion Pulse-12.20 bass driver with a Ferrite Magnet a 2-inch copper voice coil on a Polyimide form with a Cellulose cone and a cloth surround. 32-2200 frequency response, 8-ohms and weighs 23 lbs. 

These cabinets provide a formidable, solid low end, a rich midrange, and a thick, percussive attack with the perfect amount of clarity. 

These are now available for immediate shipment. 

www.fuchsaudio.com 
www.fuchsaudiodirect.com

Ibanez & Graph Tech Launch Revolutionary Multi-Scale Bass with Cutting-Edge Tuning Technology.

Ibanez Bass, renowned for pushing the boundaries of innovation in the music industry, is proud to announce an exciting collaboration with Graph Tech Guitar Labs, pioneers in instrument technology. Together, they introduce the revolutionary SRMS725 5-string Multi-scale Electric Bass and SRMS720 4-string Multi-scale Electric Bass featuring Graph Tech’s cutting-edge Ratio® Machine Heads.

The SRMS725 & SRMS720, part of the esteemed Bass Workshop series, represent a fusion of unparalleled craftsmanship and state-of-the-art engineering. Boasting a mesmerizing Blue Chameleon finish, this instrument embodies elegance and performance.

At the heart of this collaboration lies Graph Tech’s Ratio Machine Heads – a game-changer in the world of bass tuning. Unlike traditional machine heads, (which use a single gear ratio for all strings, such as 20:1) Ratio® Machine Heads employ a calibrated gear ratio for each string position. Why? Every string reacts differently to tuning adjustments, making the Low E or B on a bass hard to dial in the tuning because they are so sensitive to any adjustment. Fine-tuning where you need it. With every string having the same feel and response, players experience unparalleled control over their instrument’s tuning, resulting in a predictable, precise tuning experience with the musician in total control. 1 turn = 1 tone on every string. This same feel and response carries over to ratio-equipped electric and acoustic guitars.

“We found RATIO® machine heads to be extraordinarily accurate, and we were particularly impressed with how easy drop tuning is with them, especially when dropping to D on the fourth string and to A on the fifth.,” says Ibanez. “This characteristic makes RATIO® tuners incredibly well suited for hard rock and other heavier sounds, so we thought they’d be a perfect match for our SRMS720 and SRMS725 basses. We’re also aware that Graph Tech is entirely committed to continuous product innovation, which fully aligns with our philosophy at Ibanez. .”

“Innovation has always been at the core of Graph Tech’s philosophy,” says Dave Dunwoodie, President at Graph Tech Guitar Labs. “With Ratio® Machine Heads, we’ve reimagined the tuning experience, providing musicians with a tool that enhances their creativity and expression. Teaming up with Ibanez to bring this technology to the SRMS725 & SRMS720 represents a milestone in our journey to redefine industry standards.“

Minuendo Lossless Earplugs Live 17dB…

Minuendo Lossless Earplugs Live 17dB – Hearing protection has always been front and center on my mind because I love music so much, I cannot imagine my life if I were unable to hear.

You might remember back in 2021, we had a good look at the Minuendo Lossless Earplugs featuring adjustable protection. This system has a lot of very good features but there was always the question of how much sound attenuation to choose.

Now, the great folks at Minuendo have come up with a new version of their earplugs that has a set 17dB noise reduction. You still get a lot of the great features of the adjustables but you just don’t have to think about the specific sound level. In addition, this new version of earplugs comes at a very attractive price point.

For more information, visit online at Minuendo.com