This is an object lesson in Product Design, Smart Marketing and Precision Segment Targeting. I don’t think anyone has had a better stab at the Boss Katana Amps juggernaut (particularly Katana 50 and 100), than Positive Grid has with its new Reactor Amps. It’s grabbed and processed the Boss formula to a large degree and come up with its own distinct and high-quality eye-catching amp designs - with some distinct objective improvements.

For instance both the Reactor 50 and 100 have the exact ...

January has been a bumper start for the year - with lots of killer arrivals - especially the DSM & Humboldt Dumblifier which I’ve been hugely impressed with.

Also my most formidable NAMM coverage to-date - where I only started work properly on the 8th of January - but have managed to do 60 articles since that time - which is a record of course, as is the week of 20 posts.

I feel I covered all the key moments - and mixed up new and old in my usual inimitable fashion.

There was ...

This is a culmination of a life’s work for Thomas Blug - we’ve seen Amp 1, Mercury and Iridium editions over the years - and it’s like seeing an elite watchmaker add further complication to his triple-axis tourbillon watch!

You have 26 digitally-enhanced controls - which shape analog components (including a 100W NanoTube) into myriad amp and pedal profiles - by engaging and fine-tuning those components in various ways. Thomas has been developing this for at least a decade now - with the aim...

So this is what everyone was expecting when we got the Nano Quad Cortex instead - which wholly dispensed with the innovative Interface / RotoStomp Controls - that made the original Quad Cortex so enticing!

Here we literally have mostly just the screen of that original in a smaller box - where Neural have had to adapt the interface just a touch to accommodated the reduced number of controls.

The pricing of the new unit is $1,399 vs $1,799 which is a 22% saving.

And the footprint is ...

This is the most affordable unit from the GX line of Boss Multi-Effects Processor - with the same high quality core of effects onboard. And instead to the 23 Guitar amp types and over 140 BOSS Guitar Effects that sit on the GX-1, the GX-1B has its own dedicated suite of Boss Bass effects - with 16 amp types and over 130 BOSS Bass effects.

All the same criteria apply with an identical control interface - just with a separate bank of effects.

Just like the GX-1 is the perfect first / ...

This is the most accessible Boss GX Series unit to date - which has some concessions (no touch screen), but instead has a super handy 9 buttons Control Strip - which gives you instant access to key functions, where you press-hold to edit those underlying settings - otherwise it’s just a really neat interface to more easily turn on and off all the key effects.

The GX-1 benefits from the usual robust Boss construction, which should stand up to all the usual rigours of touring. This is a ...

I had meant to acquire the GP-5 - but since this expanded range edition came out - it made more sense to get this one - it has a little more about, and a more elegant interface. Like the GP-5 it also has a neat Bluetooth app, while you can seemingly get to most things via the pedal interface. This one has only just landed for me - so I’ve only just scratched the surface so far - but I am really liking it already!

Controls - 3 x quick access Parameters, Core Parameters Rotary / Menu Select, ...

So this is essentially a late birthday present - which arrived in the 3rd week of November - so I’ve had it for a few weeks already.

There is still no sign of the Stand!? - which I also ordered in on the Kickstarter Campaign - nor any advice as to when that might land!

For the amp itself I’m hugely impressed with its build and feature set - high quality materials throughout and an incredible amount of features onboard - every other amp manufacturer should sit up and take notice! I was ...

I’m obviously well onboard with the ToneX One concept by now - and it’s kind of cool, but also a little new money for old rope here  - in putting out different artwork editions of hardware pedals that can house any and every of the many ToneX flavours - in collections of 20 at a time!

I feel the shiny mirror finish of the Satriani Model is the most visually arresting. While I’m much more of an EVH fan - and would really love to have the new Red Edition - with all those favourite EVH ...