Don’t miss this opportunity to own a very limited edition piece of Fender and Sam Ash history!  These amps are true collector’s pieces – only 125 of each will be produced. Each amp is individually numbered and feature a Black & Tan textured vinyl covering and a distinct tan grille cloth only available at Sam Ash. The Blues Junior ($539.99), a warm-toned favorite, takes a 15-watt tube preamp/power amp platform and pushes it through a 12” Fender Special Design speaker. Sweet tones come courtesy of a pair of EL-84 Groove Tube output tubes and three 12AX7 preamp tubes. The Hot Rod Deluxe ($769.99) is the world standard for a portable, powerful, full-featured tube amp. At 40 watts, the Hot Rod has three channels – “normal,” “drive” and “more drive”. Either one would make a great addition to any collection.

Paul Reed Smith is sending a little love to any US resident who purchases a USA-made PRS guitar between November 1st and December 31st, 2008. The “PRS Thank You Pack” includes a hat, some picks, a guitar strap, a cleaning/care kit, a set of strings and a personalized thank you card from Paul Smith.

To receive yours, send your receipt, serial number, and contact info (name/address/telephone number/email address) to:

PRS Guitars
c/o PRS Thank You Pack
380 Log Canoe Circle
Stevensville MD 21666

And thats it! This little gift is a $100 value and all requests must be postmarked no later than 12/31/2008. Thank you, PRS!

David Gilmour’s original black Fender Stratocaster has become the stuff of legend among guitarists and discerning Pink Floyd fans. Heavily modified and experimented on over the decades – often by David Gilmour himself – the guitar became a cornerstone of Pink Floyd’s surreally psychedelic sound as soon as David Gilmour got it, and it was featured prominently on seminal chart-topping albums such as “The Dark Side Of The Moon”, “Wish You Were Here”, “Animals”, “The Wall”, in addition to David Gimour’s acclaimed solo albums “David Gilmour”, “About Face” and “On An Island.”

Gilmour bought the stock original at Manny’s Music in New York in May 1970, in time to use it on Pink Floyd’s fifth album, “Atom Heart Mother”. It quickly became his main guitar onstage and in the studio, and, famously, he and longtime guitar tech Phil Taylor were constantly modifying and experimenting with its neck, hardware and electronics. The black guitar acquired a black pickguard in the summer of 1974, thus assuming its darkest and most famous incarnation, plus an enduring nickname – the Black Strat.

The Fender Custom ship worked closely with David Gilmour and Phil Taylor in recreating the Black Strat as the new David Gilmour Signature Series Signature Series Stratocaster. Main features include an alder body, black over three-color sunburst finish (for the Relic version), black nitrocellulose lacquer (for the N.O.S version), a black pickguard, a one-piece straight-grain maple neck, custom pickups and electronics, a a shortened vintage tremolo arm. The guitar is available in N.O.S. (new old stock)  and Relic treatments.

This very special instrument comes with a custom case, an Evidence high-end guitar cable, the Live In Gdansk CD/DVD set and Phil Taylor’s 2007 book about the guitar’s history, “The Black Strat.” The first 500 sold in either finish will include a limited edition copy of the “The Black Strat” autographed by Phil Taylor.

We had to let you know about this great deal. If you purchase a Numark iDJ2 iPod mixing console between 10/1/2008 and 12/31/2008, Numark will send you a TTi USB Turntable with iPod dock, free!

The iDJ2 is the only iPod mixing console that provides full control of your music with real–time scratching (via two jog wheels), a stunning color screen and Numark’s exclusive crate management. This is an extraordinary mixing console and portable DJ system with professional DJ features like balanced outputs, pitch control, key lock, seamless looping, and full cueing. The iDJ2 also supports iPod docking and charging, to keep the music playing and the party going all night long.

Legendary Numark turntable performance, USB connectivity and the convenience of your iPod are fused together for the first time in the Numark TTi. This USB turntable with built-in universal dock for iPod easily transfers your old vinyl collection to your iPod. Included software archives your records to CD or MP3. TTi’s integrated line-level output allows quick, easy connection to any mixer for instant playback from your iPod or vinyl records and ±10% pitch control is included to enable adjustment of playback speed.

To take advantage of this great offer and get a free Numark TTi USB turntable, purchase a Numark iDJ2 at any Sam Ash Music Store location, download the official rebate form here and Numark will send you a TTi. Sweet!

My friends noticed the difference after the very first mix I did with the Samson Rubicon R6a powered studio monitors. Everything else was the same – same i/o, same microphone, same out-of-tune singing – but everything just sounded better. The Rubicons provided a sound quality that I hadn’t heard in a long time – the last session I did in a major recording studio. You probably know what I’m talking about. It always seems that no matter how good the mix turns out, it never sounded as good as it did in the studio. Well that’s the kind of reference the Rubicons provide – no coloration to throw off the mix. That’s mostly due to the Velocity Ribbon high frequency drivers which, unlike a traditional diaphragm, has no added sound characteristics.

Time was when the thought of ribbon monitors in a home studio was financially out of the question. At around $400 the Rubicons have changed all that.

But the ribbons are not the whole story. The 6 1/2″ low frequency speakers have plenty of punch, but you would need a sub if you were punching out some real deep dance or dub tracks. That doesn’t mean the Rubicons can’t get loud – the bi-amped powerhouse (75-watts low/25-watts high) can push it out and still remain natural and true, which really cuts down on ear fatigue. There is a built-in 4 level high-frequency control which lets you tune the speakers to your room.

Even though the Rubicons have become an essential part of my home studio, I recently found out how versatile these monitors are when a friend called me in an emergency – he had no sound system for his daughter’s sweet 16 party! Unfortunately, my PA system was in transit so I tried out a few odds and ends but nothing really sounded good. I looked at the Rubicons and and the next thing I knew i was setting them up with a small Yamaha mixer, an iPod and a microphone. The room was pretty big and we couldn’t believe the sound quality. They handled the music and the live mic beautifully. You really owe it to yourselt to check out these montitors the next time you are in the store.

Some guitars define “cool” and others transcend it. Gretsch guitars definitely fall in the latter category. One of our personal favorite Gretsch guitars – and we have many – has always been the Anniversary Model. Created for their 75th anniversary way back in 1958 this baby was decked out with a cool 2-tone smoke green finish that was nicked from a Cadillac paint job of that era. Everything else was pure Gretsch – dual Filtertron pickups, half moon neck inlays, and the always interesting Gretsch pickup switching system.

Gretsch has several Anniversary Models in their current line up and we really dig the G118T Anniversary with Bigsby. Part of the “Professional Series”  this model features the classic single cutaway design, an Ebony fingerboard, chrome plated hardware, knurled strap retainer knobs and an arched laminated Maple top. Multiple bindings, a black headstock overlay with a chrome Anniversary plate and a dark green Plexi pickguard really make this baby stand out. This version adds a Bigsby tailpiece because all Gretsch hollowbodies should have one. It should be a law. Sure, Gretsch is all about orange, but if you want to stand out, go green!

Line 6 Spider Jam

Practice, practice, practice. No matter how much talent you may have been born with, practicing is the only true way to hone your craft. But we all know that it’s hard to make the time with everything else that goes on in your life. You need to be constantly inspired and we think we have found the answer. Believe or not, it’s an amp. A kicking, killer little beast called the Spider Jam from Line 6.

The minute you plug in to this box, you are in for a treat. There are options for electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, vocals – everything is covered. The amp presets, available at the turn of a knob, cover just about every major amp ever made and sound incredible – after all this is Line 6 who have set the modeling standard ever since the original POD came on the scene. You can tweak everything of course and we had a blast going through the over 200 artist-based presets. The built-in effects use a two-knob system called Smart Control FX – and it’s pretty darn smart – dial up the effect you want and then spin in the amount you want. Flexible? We would be very surprise if you can’t find the tone you’re looking for in the Spider Jam – from ultra clean rhythms to the most insane crunch you can imagine – it’s all in there!

It’s great having all these combinations at your fingertips and that’s the true beauty of the Spider Jam. Within minutes you will know how to get the sound you are looking for without having to page through menus or punch in a series of endless buttons. Twist a few knobs and you’re on your way. There’s even a built-in tuner plus and stereo mini plug in so you can hook up your iPod or MP3 player to jam. The XLR mic input has a dedicated volume control so you can get a nice blend between your instrument and your vocals, and the 1/4″ AUX input lets you jam along with a buddy.

But what really makes the Spider Jam fun are the amazing loops – over 100 Endless Jam and Drum tracks played by some of the top session players from LA and Nashville. These are not canned jam tracks, these are real players, recorded in some of the best studios on the planet. Imagine plugging in and jamming with cats like Gregg Bissonette, Brent Mason, Dave Pomeroy, Carmine Appice, Tony Franklin and Simon Phillips – to name just a few! The Endless Jam Engine puts you in control of the songs – and keeps things fresh and by doing so keeps you inspired. They really went deep into the different styles as well – blues, rock, country, jazz and beyond.

There is so much more to the Spider Jam – 75 watts of power into the 12″ custom Celestion speaker along with a 2″ tweeter give this amp a full-range sound that will blow you away. There is a recording feature that lets you capture your best solos and output options to handle everything from recording to live performance. But the feature we like most about the Spider Jam – inspiration, built right in.

Come on down to any Sam Ash Music store and plug into the Spider Jam. If you’re not inspired to play, we might have to check you for a pulse!

Three years ago PreSonus created the breakthrough recording interface – the Firepod. The Firepod sold for $599 and was the best-selling fireWire recording system for many years.

Today, PreSonus has created THE NEXT breakthrough recording interface that shatters the price/performance barrier – The Firestudio Tube. And for a limited time, Firepod/FP10 customers can purchase a Firestudio Tube for the SAME PRICE as they did their Firepod! ($599 after mail in rebate).

Upgrade your FirePod or FP10 to the new FireStudio Tube and get SIXTEEN analog inputs including two tube preamplifiers with analog limiters, eight XMAX microphone preamplifiers, six balanced line inputs, Jet PLL sync, improved AD/DA converters, along with $200 CASH BACK! PreSonus makes it easy!

Here’s what you do.

• Step 1: Come into your local Sam Ash Music Store and purchase the PreSonus FireStudio Tube between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008
• Step 2: Download and complete the FirePod/FP10 Upgrade Program Form here
• Step 3: Send your FP10/FirePod along with the completed upgrade form stapled to a copy of the original receipt for the FireStudio Tube and the UPC bar code from the FireStudio Tube box.
• Step 4: PreSonus will send you a check for $200!

Get full details here

Sam Ash NYC Guitar Store

Fender has given their flagship guitars, the Stratocaster and Telecaster, an awful lot of love over the past few decades, and rightly so. Anniversary models, custom shop versions and yearly updates keep guitarists all over the globe longing for the latest and greatest versions. This month the spotlight falls on one of their other solid body models – yes, there are others – as the Jazzmaster turns 50. We remember the first time we ever played a Jazzmaster. It was definitely a Fender, but there was something a bit more upscale about it, sort of like the difference between a Chevy and a Cadillac. It didn’t quite “twang” like a Strat or a Tele but for those who were looking for something different, it sure fit the bill.

Originally designed for jazz players, it at first seemed like a big mistake until it was embraced by the surf bands of the sixties – most importantly by Don Wilson of The Ventures. When the surf crazed died down, so did interest in the Jazzmaster and Fender actually discontinued the model in 1980. That didn’t stop some prime movers of the punk/new wave scene, notably Tom Verlaine of Television and Elvis Costello, from making it their guitar of choice.

Fender reissued the Jazzmaster in 1986 and it has been gaining fans ever since. Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr), Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Robert Smith (The Cure), Nels Cline (Wilco), Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher (My Bloody Valentine), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), Wayne Coyne and Steven Drozd (the Flaming Lips), Tim Gane (Stereolab), Aaron North (Nine Inch Nails) and Mike Einziger (Incubus) have all been seen playing Jazzmasters.  Both J Mascis and Elvis Costello have their own signature models.

We join with Fender in celebrating 50 years of this very cool guitar. Come on in and play one at any Sam Ash Music Store location and check out Fender’s Jazzmaster mini-site here. It has tons of info, some great photos and videos featuring Elvis Costello, Lee Ranaldo, J Mascis and Don Wilson.

Designed and produced by Zoom, a company with over 20 years in guitar effects processing, ZFX gives guitarists and bassists the ability to create remarkable tone solutions with an intuitive software/hardware setup. Incredibly easy and fun to use, ZFX combines sophisticated amp modeling software with a USB audio interface. With exceptionally accurate models of music’s most legendary amps, cabinets and effects, ZFX puts an impressive library a mere mouse click away. ZFX provides 12 classic guitar amps, 5 amazing bass amps, 16 cabinets, 4 types of recording mics and 41 stomp box effects.ZFX comes with your choice of audio interfaces, either the Stack Package with the S2t or the Control Package with the C5.1t.The S2t USB audio interface is specifically designed for the needs of guitarists. Its cool, amp head design means the S2t looks great on your desktop. Connect guitars, basses, vocal mics or keyboards and get high quality, 24-bit/48 kHz recording resolution. And since it’s USB bus powered, an external power supply is not necessary.

The C5.1t USB floor console features an expression pedal and five function switches. Not only does the expression pedal handle regular effect control functions such as volume, wah or pitch shift, it can also be used to adjust modulation rate or reverb mix level in real time. The five assignable switches can be used to turn effects on/off, toggle patches, perform tap tempo input, activate bypass mode and more. Each interface has a Hi-Z input section that features a 12AX7 tube, the classic guitar preamp tube. Blending the clarity of solid-state sound with the natural compression and saturation of a vacuum tube creates a warm, organic tone that only comes from ZFX interfaces.ZFX also comes with Cubase LE 4, a powerful music production system that can handle recording, editing, and mixing tasks both for audio and for MIDI. It incorporates the same audio engine as the multi-award winning, higher-level version Cubase 4, and is ideal as an entry into computer-based music production. VST plug-in support means that you can get started right away, creating amazing tones to record your guitar or bass. The ZFX packages are fun and easy to operate, and will provide an incredible introduction into the world of computer based guitar recording.