FENDER TIM ARMSTRONG HELLCAT

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GEAR GUIDE REVIEWS
1 DIGITECH TIMEBENDER
£316 WWW.DIGITECH.COM
WE SAID: DigiTech has brought a
truly innovative and musical delay
processor into the arena. You should
defi nitely check this one out!
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1 MARSHALL CLASS 5
£335 WWW.MARSHALLAMPS.COM
WE SAID: Marshall faces competition,
but if you’re happy with its features,
you’ll get a great quality, UK-made
product from a heritage brand.
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2 BEHRINGER DD600
DIGITAL DELAY
£45 WWW.BEHRINGER.COM
WE SAID: You get 11 different modes,
including a reverse mode for tripped
out psychedelic weirdness. Heavy.
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2 BLACKSTAR H T- 5
£299 WWW.BLACKSTARAMPLIFICATION.COM
WE SAID: The HT-5 sounds every bit
as good as Blackstar intended, and
you get some high-end features that
justify its price tag.
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3 DIGITECH DL8
£161 WWW.DIGITECH.COM
WE SAID: The Looper part of this
pedal is a gas. We played with it for
hours and we also loved the Beatle-
esque reverse delay.
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3 VOX AC4TV
£218 WWW.VOXAMPS.COM
WE SAID: There’s no sound like the
roar of a Vox breaking into overdrive
and the AC4 proves this brand is the
daddy for British fl avoured bite.
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4 AKAI E2 HEADRUSH
£129 WWW.AKAIPRO.COM
WE SAID: The E2 is a three-pronged
attack combining tape echo, delay and
looping. KT Tunstall loves it, and at
this price so can you.
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4 BLACKHEART
KILLER ANT
£196 WWW.BLACKHEARTENG.COM
WE SAID: Starting off warm and
jangly, the output gets fat as you twist
the volume. We love it.
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5 DAMAGE CONTROL
TIMELINE
£399 WWW.DAMAGECONTROLUSA.COM
WE SAID: The rich valve-processing,
variety of sounds and build quality
had a real effect on us.
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5 PEAVEY VALVE KING
ROYAL 8
£154 WWW.PEAVEY.CO.UK
WE SAID: Whichever way the dials are
pointing, this combo offers a level of
attack at odds with its appearance.
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DELAY PEDALS
ELECTRO ACOUSTIC GUITARS
MINI VALVE AMPS
BUYER’S GUIDE
YAMAHA NTX 700
£535 WWW.YAMAHA.CO.UK
WE SAID: From strumming chords with a
pick, to fi ngerpicking and drop D pedalling,
playing this guitar is extremely fun, and has
a strangely creative effect too. Die-hard
classical guitarists would probably be better
off looking at the sister NCX range, but the
NTX 700 offers a different acoustic sound
at a mid-level price point. In short, we love it.
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1
FENDER TIM ARMSTRONG HELLCAT
£329 WWW.FENDER.COM
WE SAID: The acoustic qualities of the
Hellcat make it a very playable instrument,
but it scores highest when you plug it in.
If you’re a gigging electric/sometimes
acoustic player who wants an affordable
additional guitar then the Hellcat is for you.
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2
FRESHMAN APOLLO 2 OCB
£399 WWW.FRESHMANGUITARS.CO.UK
WE SAID: If you’re in the market for a
reasonably priced, killer sounding, mid-
range electro acoustic, this baby ticks all the
boxes. Its playability is superb; from open
chords to rocket fuelled bluesy lead breaks,
this guitar lets you play with ease.
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3
TANGLEWOOD TSM1
£1,199 WWW.TANGLEWOOD.CO.UK
WE SAID: The auditorium-shaped body is
comfortable to play and delivers a great
balance of low end and the elusive sparkle
that comes from a totally solid acoustic.
Strum harder for a punchy boom that
remains tight at high volumes.
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4
FAITH SATURN CUTAWAY ELECTRO
£659 WWW.FAITHGUITARS.CO.UK
HOT TO BUY ELECTRO ACOUSTICS
WE SAID: The fl awless fi nish reveals the
skill and professionalism that’s gone into
building this guitar. Its appeal is not only in
the looks department though – the Saturn
is also very comfortable to play with its
smooth neck and cutaway body.
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W
hen buying an electro, consider
playability, comfort (on a strap too)
and sound quality. Plug it into a
good quality, full range amp in the shop. The
preamp will be the key to shaping your live
sound, so look for one with a multi-band
EQ and phase switch. Try a few different
electronic systems – piezo, mic, etc.
5
A round-up of the best kit from the last year
TGR195.gear_guide 137 6/10/09 1:03:33 pm