“I told myself I’d stop buying JHS Pedals gear. At this rate, my pedalboard is going to look like a shrine to the company”: All the guitar gear that caught my eye this week – including the most outrageous Ibanez I think I’ve ever seen

Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s weekly gear round-up, your one-stop-shop for keeping up to date with what’s been happening in the big wide world of guitar gear over the past seven days.

From new electric guitars to amp modeler updates, the guitar industry is never short of fresh releases, and it can sometimes be hard to stay in the loop with every new launch.

To make things a little easier, we’ve put together an essential must-read guide that will cover the major releases, the boutique drops, and everything in between.

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JHS Pedals Coyote

Oh, look. Another JHS pedal that I’m definitely going to be adding to my pedalboard. Fortunately, I’m actually in the market for a new fuzz pedal, and with the Coyote, you actually get three different pedals in one. So, I don’t just want it. I need it.

There are two knobs, one footswitch, and hecking loads of fuzz tones on tap. There’s Swell, Fuzz, and Octave modes, which can be swept through via an all-encompassing mode knob, as well as a do-it-all volume pedal. What more do you need?

I always tell myself I should probably expand my setup, lest my pedalboard starts looking like a shrine to Josh Scott, but I can’t help it. The pedals are just too darn good (and affordable).

TemPolor Melo-D

We’ve had generative AI plugins and pedals, but never before have we had a generative AI smart guitar. That was, until this week, when TemPolor dropped the Melo-D – a super high-tech beginner tool that looks to game-ify the playing experience in order to keep you playing for longer.

It’s not exactly a like-for-like gateway to the real guitar, but it looks to be a solid tool for getting the basics of strumming and rhythm down before the complexity of chords become a concern. Plus, it can generate progressions and melodies based on text prompts or audio input, and teach you how to play them, so it could be a good support tool for songwriting.

Two Notes Captor X +

One of the world’s foremost specialists in load box and speaker simulation design, Two notes is back at it again with another potentially game-changing creation, the Torpedo Captor X + –, which promises to set a new benchmark for going direct with tube amps.

You know the score. Tube amps sound really good when cranked. The only problem is, that isn’t always practical. Enter Two notes, which has masterminded many ways to overcome the “loud amp” problem.

Its newest release continues that lineage by taking the industry leading Captor X to the next level. It serves as a reactive load and attenuator, a virtual load shaper, and true stereo DynIR engine, offering authentic feel and immersive dimension. It’s the latter spec that makes the + version stand out – it’s been dubbed “a serious step up in spatial realism”.

Iconic Guitars Josh De La Victoria 7-string

Josh De La Victoria has a new multi-scale seven-string that has got guitar fans in a hot mess, and when you feast your eyes on the above you’ll quickly see why. A multi-scale seven-string inspired by a vintage Strat? What’s not to like about that?! If Fender ever wanted to make guitars for prog players (not that it needs to cater to that audience) this’d be what we’d be looking for.

It’s sleek, stylish with a tinge of the traditional, but plenty of modern appointments that could make it a serious metal monster. Misha Mansoor agrees. The man who helped popularize the modern metal offset guitar has already asked for one. And he knows a thing or two about nice guitars.

Flattley JK Fuzz

I say I need a new fuzz pedal, and two of them drop in the same week. What is this sorcery?! The JK Fuzz, from boutique British builder Flattley, looks like a strong contender for my pedalboard – and yours, for that matter – promising to provide classic 1960s-era Fuzz Face tones. Here, you also get an additional post fuzz tone control, and an input buffer, for extra versatility.

I particularly like the halo ring around the footswitch as a way of showing when it’s on. A handy twist to the standard LED approach.

Strymon Midnight Cloudburst

No, this isn’t a new Strymon pedal, but this is a new-look Strymon pedal. That’s right, the celebrated Cloudburst has been given the firm’s midnight treatment, meaning it now comes decked out in a stealthy all-black colorway. Killer tones and killer looks? Check and check.

Von Frankenstein Monster Gear

After five years of extensive research, Von Frankenstein Monster Gear has unveiled its newest creation – a custom humbucker that leverages 12 proprietary custom hex bolt pole pieces, three oversized ceramic magnets, and hand-wound bobbins to produce power, clarity, and unrelenting impact. It looks metal. Sounds metal. Is metal. I wonder what my Thinline Tele will sound like with some of these…

Ebbe Designs Modular magnetic pedalboard

In the past two years, I’ve sized up my pedalboard three times, and I’ve rearranged it countless more. I’ve gone through too many reels of Velcro and too many Pedaltrain layouts to even count. If only I’d had this beauty from Swedish start-up Ebbe Designs, my signal chain troubles would be history.

I love the look of this. It’s a magnetic, modular pedalboard that can expand and rearrange to your heart’s content, thanks to a nifty design that leverages magnetic baseplates you stick to your pedals. It’s by far a more effective way of playing stompbox tetris, and the option to expand means you won’t need to buy a new ‘board every time your signal chain expands.

Josh Scott has already given it his seal of approval. I’ll be first in line when this becomes available to the masses.

Ibanez 8540PIII

One of the more, er, intriguing releases from Ibanez over the past few months has no doubt been the revival of the Power Series. That thing was certainly a Statement Guitar. And things just got a whole lot weirder with its first flamed maple top variant.

Originally launched in a bold Yellow colorway, the P Series model – notable for its bizarrely elongated lower horn – has now been decked out with a new exotic colorway that has no business looking as good as it does. Bizarrely, I kind of like it.

Ibanez QX52B

I have become something of a headless guitar convert over the past few years, having been lucky enough to play a handful of Strandberg guitars. I’ve never had the chance to play a Ibanez Quest, though, and now I’m more tempted than ever thanks to these two ultra-stealthy new additions to the range. The black-on-black finish just looks so darn good.

Voyage Air Guitar

Another week, another new travel guitar from a company that is promising to solve all our instrumental travel woes. This time, it comes from Voyage – an early feature on Shark Tank – which has developed a cut-away acoustic that folds in half. It’s said to be car trip-proof, buskable, ideal for camping… you get the picture. We’ve seen our fair share of travel electrics, but it’s quite cool seeing a travel acoustic. Something a bit different.

Dunlop Cry Baby BB535 reissue

Dunlop has revived the BB535 wah, the classic boost-equipped 1990s model that offered its own unique, throaty growl. Dunlop dusted off the best-sounding model in its archive for the project, resulting in a part-by-part reissue that also throws in some modern accoutrements to boot.

Catalinbread CB Paint

The wave of gear nostalgia continues unabated, with Catalinbread now throwing its own hat in the ring with the CB Paint – a clever little clone of the Alesis Microverb. In essence, it’s a lo-fi 1980s-style reverb that looks to tap into the game-changing tones of the ambient, shimmer-y rack unit.

Given its design, the OG had a unique sound that made it a favorite among ambient and shoegaze guitarists. That very same soul and feel has been bottled in the CB Paint, which is complete with a fittingly retro design.

Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition

Last, we have Taylor’s new Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition acoustic, a collaboration with the legendary singer-songwriter. An acoustic-electric model, it blends the new – Claria System electronics with soundhole-mounted controls, and, of course, the company’s trademark V-Class bracing – and the old; a Honduran rosewood fretboard and that stunning golden-brown shaded edgeburst top.

It’s not the world’s cheapest acoustic, but for those looking for a serious songwriting companion with both retro looks and 21st century specs, it’s an enticing proposition.

Matt is the GuitarWorld.com News Editor, and has been writing and editing for the site for five years. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 19 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. During his GW career, he’s interviewed Peter Frampton, Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi, Matteo Mancuso and more, and has profiled the CEOs of Guitar Center and Fender.

When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt performs with indie rock duo Esme Emerson, and has previously opened for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Keane, Japanese House and Good Neighbours.