The ICMS721 pairs an Okoume body with a five-piece Maple/Walnut Wizard II-7 neck and an Ebony fingerboard featuring offset white dot inlays. Its 24 jumbo frets sit across a multiscale design ranging from 25.5 inches to 27.2 inches, while luminescent side dots help players navigate the fretboard on dark stages.

For pickups, the guitar comes equipped with Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic humbuckers in both the neck and bridge positions. A push-pull Volume control activates the Fluence voicing switch, allowing players to move between a modern, high-output sound and a cleaner, more fluid response.

Other features include Ibanez’s Mono-rail G2 bridges, which are designed to improve note separation and reduce string-to-string interference, along with Gotoh MG-T locking tuners for tuning stability. The guitar also supports both string-through and top-loading bridge configurations.

The ICMS721 ships with D’Addario strings and a gig bag, rounding out a seven-string setup built for players looking for extended range, modern pickup options, and the distinctive Iceman body shape.

Check out Alessandro Zilio’s demo below and get the guitar itself right here for $1,699.99.

The PTM-10 GEN2 is designed for solo performers and simpler stage setups, delivering a single monitor mix. The PTM-20 builds on the same platform with two independent mixes, allowing multiple performers to tailor their monitoring to their individual needs.

One of the key features shared by both systems is Auto Scan, which the company says can locate clean wireless channels and pair the system in under 15 seconds. Phenyx Pro developed the systems around frequency bands commonly used by professional musicians and engineers, aiming to streamline setup without loading the products with unnecessary features.

The company says the new systems were shaped by observing musicians and engineers working through the demands of live performances, particularly the limited time available for soundchecks. The goal is to make wireless monitoring a practical upgrade from wired systems without requiring players to pay flagship-level prices.

Check out the Kickstarter here.

Rather than using germanium strictly for fuzz or overdrive, the Compressor Plus Germanium uses the transistor to soften harsh frequencies and add warmth and touch sensitivity to the signal. Keeley says the result is less brittle high end, smoother distortion, and warm saturation as you push your amp and other pedals.

The familiar control layout includes Level, Tone, Blend, and Comp controls, allowing players to balance compression with their clean signal and shape the overall sound. A single-coil/humbucker switch also provides settings tailored to different pickup types.

Like the original, the pedal offers selectable true-bypass or buffered operation. It can also run at either 9V or 18V, with the higher voltage providing additional headroom. With the germanium stage working as both a buffer and tone-shaping circuit, Keeley is positioning the Compressor Plus Germanium as more than just a compressor.

Get it here for $189.

The run includes the Archon 50 Combo, Archon Classic 50 Combo, Archon 50 Head, Archon Classic Head, and matching 1×12 and 2×12 cabinets. Depending on the model, worldwide production is limited to between 75 and 200 pieces.

The Archon is a two-channel amplifier built around two 6L6 tubes and five gain stages before the master volume. Its lead channel covers everything from classic rock to metal with a full, saturated distortion, while the clean channel is designed to remain clear at high volume and provide a pedal-friendly platform.

The Archon Classic takes a different approach, with its lead channel aimed more toward ’70s and ’80s rock tones and a hotter clean channel capable of pushing into breakup. PRS says its refined gain structure also offers a wider range of gain flavors, particularly through the midrange.

The matching Archon cabinets use a closed-back design for tight low end and are loaded with Celestion V-Type speakers, which PRS says were selected to maintain a balanced response across everything from clean tones and classic crunch to modern metal.

As for the Black Paisley finish, PRS Managing General Partner Paul Reed Smith said he liked the original brown paisley covering while praising the all-black version for its appearance and durability.

Shop the entire line here.

The Ghost returns after previously being offered as a limited-run model, this time manufactured in Indonesia to bring the price down. It features an Arctic White finish with red binding and accents, a Nyatoh body, C-shaped maple neck, maple fingerboard with a 9.5″ radius, and a pair of DiMarzio D Activator humbuckers.

The new Phantom shares much of that same DNA, but swaps in a black finish, ebony fingerboard with a 12″ radius, and a Floyd Rose FRTS2000 Special double-locking tremolo. Both guitars feature a single Volume control, a kill switch, and a three-way pickup selector mounted on the upper horn.

In other words, these aren’t exactly your grandpa’s Telecasters. John 5’s signature designs are built for high-gain playing, dive bombs, and plenty of kill-switch abuse while retaining the instantly recognizable Telecaster silhouette.

Fender is also offering a Custom Shop version of the Phantom for players with considerably deeper pockets. That model features an Alder body with Ultra Contours, a 10- to 14″ flat-laminated ebony fingerboard, Luminlay side dots, and the Floyd Rose setup. The Custom Shop Phantom carries a $6,000 price tag, while the standard edition goes for $1,299.99.

But 2026 is the first year I got to combine these two things that I love so much. In Virtue had just dropped an album (Age of Legends), and we were lucky enough to be invited to play. This was kind of a dream come true for me – I’ve been on the cruise so many times as a passenger, watching my favorite bands (often from a hot tub while sipping a milkshake) and now I was gonna be up on those stages, playing. Felt like a dream!

There was just one problem – we hadn’t played a show in 6 years. Okay, 2 problems – both our guitarist Rami and bass player Jamie were gonna be unavailable because in a staggering coincidence they each had babies due right around the cruise (their wives did not agree with my assessment that “it’ll be fine, it probably won’t ACTUALLY happen that week”). Make that 3 problems – we don’t currently have a drummer.

So, easy – line up 3 fill-ins, get the set together, book plane tickets, done (kill me). I’m lucky to be friends with some real pros, so Jason Berlin (drummer of Alex’s other band The Mourning) volunteered to step in, my pal Alon Mei-Tal took over on guitar, and Devin Reiche (Anubis, ex-Hatchet) jumped in at the last minute to play bass (actually his second stint in the band). We had a lineup!

Since Jason lives in Florida, we scheduled 2 days of rehearsals in Miami the week of the cruise. Since nothing ever goes according to plan, our flights were canceled due to severe storms happening throughout the country. We arrived a day late – which meant we had One. Day. of rehearsal. A single day of the full band playing together to get the set dialed, our in-ear rig working as it should, and everyone on the same page. How hard could it be? We booked a rehearsal room and spent 8+ hours making it happen. Luckily, we’re all (more or less) professionals, and we had been woodshedding our parts individually, so we got it done.

We piled into the car with all our gear and headed to the port, dropped our stuff with the porters, and boarded the boat. They took all the gear to a designated gear room where we could access it whenever we needed, and then we actually got to relax a little. The staff were all very helpful and friendly, and they made it really easy to feel like we didn’t have to worry about any of the logistics.

It was pretty crazy getting to see the other side of the event – I’ve seen the public-facing part as an attendee and a little of the background workings as a media partner, but it was quite a different perspective as a performer. Luckily, everything was very organized, and we knew where to go and when to be there. The weather problems actually granted us a bit of a stay of execution – the sailing schedule changed to put us on the island destination of Nassau, Bahamas, a day earlier than planned. This meant we would play on days 3 & 4, which gave us an extra day to prepare. I holed up in my stateroom and made sure the automated MIDI patch changes for each song were working correctly, in between practicing the songs unplugged style with the boys. Not exactly glamorous, but I knew it would be worth it when I stepped on that stage with the confidence that everything was ready.

When the time came to play the first set (every band plays twice on the boat), we headed down to the venue (there are 4 on the ship), the Star Lounge. It’s the most punk rock of all the stages – low ceilings, a smaller stage, right up against the crowd – perfect for a band like In Virtue. We arrived an hour before our set time, and boy did we need that hour. I didn’t even really have time to be nervous, because we used every second getting our gear up and running with enough time to do a quick line check, and then we were on.

All things considered, the first set went pretty well. Our first time performing in over 6 years, with a ragtag crew of hired guns, a set half made of songs we’d never played live. A proper miracle, really. And it was fun as hell. We had to cut 2 songs because I talked too much and didn’t even notice there was a giant red clock telling us how much time remained in our set until it was too late, and my voice was pretty shot (I had just spent 3 days at the NAMM show, which is mostly yelling on no sleep in a bacteria stew of 100,000 people bringing exotic contagions from around the globe), but none of it mattered. We played.

One of the great things about playing on 70000TONS is that even if you’re a band as small as In Virtue, people will come to see you play. People on the boat are pretty hardcore music fans (I can’t imagine going on a cruise like this if you weren’t) who will research the bands beforehand if they’re unfamiliar, and then go see them play onboard. The community is pretty spectacular, incredibly positive and supportive, and everyone just wants to party and listen to metal. So even though there’s always cool stuff going on all over the boat and we played at the same time as Anthrax, we still had a really decent turnout.

Our second set is the one that I remember the most fondly. I actually thought it was going to be a bust – we were scheduled to play at 10:45 in the morning. I figured everyone would be hungover and sleeping in, but what actually happened really reflects the spirit of the cruise – there were a TON of people there!

Since we were the first band on that stage, we got there early. Two hours before we were scheduled to go on, we arrived and started setting up and dialing everything in. We learned from all the mistakes we’d made the day before, and this time, we nailed it. I sang better, we played better, kept the stage banter tight and didn’t have to cut any songs – but most of all, we had a blast. There was even a dude in the crowd singing along to most of the songs! It doesn’t get much better than that.

It was the most stressful, and also the most rewarding, week of probably the last decade of my life, but either way I am looking forward to getting to just enjoy my vacation on the cruise this year. The 70000TONS OF METAL cruise leaves Jan 14th, 2027, so book your spot today, and I’ll see you on the boat!

Based on Ellis’ personal Jackson Custom Shop model, the Kelly KE27 features a lightweight Nyatoh body with a Gold Crackle finish and a through-body Maple neck with graphite reinforcement. Ellis discusses the guitar’s vintage inspirations, his DIY approach to modifying instruments, and why he settled on a 25.1″ scale and 27 frets.

The guitar is equipped with a Seymour Duncan Brandon Ellis Signature Dyad Parallel Axis bridge humbucker alongside a PA-STK1 single-coil-sized humbucker in the neck position. A push-pull Volume knob adds series/parallel options, while a 3-way selector handles the core pickup configurations. Ellis demonstrates the different sounds throughout the video, including clean tones.

Elsewhere, Ellis discusses the Gotoh GE1996T double-locking tremolo, the guitar’s neck angle, and the combination of a 12- to 16″ compound-radius Maple fingerboard and 27 jumbo stainless steel frets. Get the Jackson Pro Plus Series Kelly KE27 here for $2,199.99.

Developed using Wimbish’s original EMG PJ set from his ’80s Spector bass, the DW Set aims to recapture the punch and character of that vintage configuration. The set combines a P-style split-coil pickup with a J-style bridge pickup, delivering low-end punch alongside the aggressive growl of a bridge single-coil.

The P-style pickup is installed in Wimbish’s preferred reverse orientation, a configuration intended to improve low-end articulation while rounding out notes on the higher strings. Players can further shape their tone using the bridge pickup and an active EQ.

The DW Set also features EMG’s original logo as a throwback to the company’s early designs, with quick-connect wiring and electronics included to simplify installation.

Get the EMG Doug Wimbish DW set here for $189.

The 50th Anniversary set pairs a Duncan Distortion bridge pickup with the Seymourizer II neck pickup, which was eventually renamed the Duncan Distortion Neck. Rappoport’s demo showcases the aggressive response these pickups became known for, including tight, percussive lows and plenty of upper-midrange and high-end cut.

The Duncan Distortion design dates back to the late ’70s and has remained largely unchanged over the years. For this anniversary version, Seymour Duncan went back to some of the construction details found on the early pickups.

That means butyrate bobbins, long-leg baseplates, and Maple spacers, with the bridge pickup using a large ceramic magnet and hot coil windings. The neck pickup is designed to retain clarity while providing enough output and sustain for higher-gain lead tones.

Each set is hand-built in the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop by a team led by Maricela “MJ” Juarez. The pickups also feature replica “Seymourized” and model-name stickers, light aging, and bottom plates hand-signed by Seymour Duncan and Juarez.

Seymour Duncan is producing just 500 of the 50th Anniversary Duncan Distortion Custom Shop sets worldwide. They’re available in black or zebra finishes, come in special anniversary packaging, and go for $375. Get ’em right here.

Griffin — who has also performed as part of Generation Axe alongside Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi — points out that a tiny amp like the Ant makes a whole lot of sense in the age of pedalboards and modelers.

“It’s really cool to see these guys are now making these smaller, lightweight pocket amps,” said Griffin. “Now that everybody brings modelers with them anyway, a lot of times I have my tone with my pedalboard — not necessarily with the amp — because people don’t want to see amps on stage anymore, unfortunately, or travel with all that stuff.

“So, it really makes sense to have something this tiny that still gets nice and loud and delivers the sound that you want.”

The Guitar Center-exclusive Ashdown Pocket Bass Magnifier UK-PBM-200 “Ant” is a UK-built 200-watt solid-state bass head weighing just 2.65 pounds. Controls include a three-band EQ and Ashdown’s Pre-Shape switch, alongside a switchable passive/active input.

There’s also a balanced DI output for running directly to front of house or an interface, plus a headphone output and line input for practicing. Auto-voltage operation makes the amp usable internationally without having to worry about different power standards.

Griffin pairs the Ant with Ashdown’s Guitar Center-exclusive UK-RBM-112T cabinet. The UK-built cab features a 12-inch Sica NEO driver rated for 300 watts at 8 ohms alongside an adjustable tweeter with Hi, Low, and Off settings.

The cabinet is constructed from ply and weighs 33 pounds, with Neutrik speakON/1/4-inch combo connections around the back. It comes finished in Charcoal Tweed with Silver Weave grille cloth.

Basically, it’s a 200-watt bass rig where the actual amplifier weighs less than plenty of pedals. Given Griffin’s point about more and more of a player’s sound already living on the pedalboard, it’s not hard to see the appeal.

Get ’em here – the Ashdown Pocket Bass Magnifier UK-PBM-200 200W Bass Amp Head here for $379, and the Ashdown Rootmaster UK-RBM-112T 1×12″ 300W Bass Speaker Cabinet here for $649.