Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Strings Review

ERNIE BALL SLINKY COBALT STRINGS 

First of all let’s knock the chemistry lesson on the head… Cobalt (Co), atomic number 27, is a chemical element found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal. So it’s not very often we see a new technology come along for guitar strings but Ernie Ball have done just that releasing their new Cobalt series strings.

So why have our helical spring loving friends at Ernie Ball felt it necessary to start using this new formulation to make guitar strings? The idea is to create a stronger magnetic pull between the strings and the guitar pickups, which yields two important benefits over standard nickel & steel strings:
1. Higher output
2. Increased frequency response

So what did I discover? I cannot but mention upon opening the hermetically sealed packet the heavy scent of cobalt metal that wafted from within compared to your more standard nickel & steel offerings. I was not thrown, but it did give me the idea of perhaps some scented string options in future? The strings themselves felt different to the touch not unlike when you spray finger ease on your strings, this did leave me curious as to possible playability differences.

The strings delivered on all fronts, Cobalt is highly magnetic compared to steel & nickel which certainly translated in a livelier, punchier, brighter output on both clean and dirty tones. It seemed more noticeable on single coil pickups namely the wound strings giving increased low end response, as you pushed gain levels in the upwards direction they seem to retain more individual string clarity when playing chords and give you an apparent difference in output through the pickups.

On hum buckers the difference was less noticeable however delivered a sense of increased touch sensitivity, bass response and output. The strings stabilised really well and tended to hold very good tune, with a satisfyingly nice silky feel and playability.

In summary if your single coil pickup guitars are lacking excitement or you’re a rock & metal player looking for an easy enhancement to push your preamp harder the new Ernie ball cobalt’s might well be the string you’ve been looking for.

8.5/10

Review by Danny Yoghurt

Click here for more info 

Maton ER90C Review

MATON ER90C ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC GUITAR

We’re proud folk us Australians.The kind of proud folk that claim constellations as our own and get them permanently stained to our bodies to make sure everybody else knows exactly how proud we are. The kind of proud folk who at sporting events crown the successful competitors ‘Honorary Australians’ because if we’re not going to win, it may as well be the honorary Aussies.

And the kind of proud folk that will buy Australian made over US made, regardless of the price.  Depending on the person, some of these characteristics will be viewed in a positive and some in a negative light but one thing rings through regardless – we like to think we’re the best and the luckiest folk in the world.

Any Australian who reads this can relate to having at least once walked into a pub around the country to hear some guy in the corner, acoustic guitar in hand singing something along the lines of ‘My Happiness’ or ‘Eagle Rock’. On almost all of these occasions you may or may not have noticed that this person was holding an Australian made Maton guitar.

By a long stretch Maton Guitars are the most widely gigged instruments in Australia and this isn’t purely due to patriotic Australians refusing to explore different options. They are fantastic working guitars.

Maton guitars characteristically have a focused mid-range that really cuts through in a band environment. That accompanied with their AP-5 pickup and really solid build quality make for the perfect working instrument. What Maton’s do lack however is depth. The guy singing ‘Working Class Man’ in the corner of Bridie O’Reilly’s immediately exchanges his Maton for his Martin or Gibson the minute he goes into the studio, as these classic acoustic guitars offer a richer and grander tonality along with huge character that goes a long way in the studio.  This is where Maton’s new model comes in.

It’s a rarity in Maton world that a new model comes along, so we were a touch excited when we got the news. Their new ER90C offers an acoustic guitar with a solid AA spruce top, AP5 pickup and solid Indian Rosewood back and sides; the characteristics of Indian Rosewood being the key ingredient here.

This timber is generally regarded as the most popular ‘up-range’ tone wood with characteristics that are dark but very rich. The low end is very pronounced and full but also with very clear tops, overall an extended EQ spectrum to that of other timbers.

Maton already offer a few different models with solid Indian Rosewood but at higher price points. The idea with the ER90C is that it fits the budget of the working musician but also has the rich tonal qualities that make it the perfect crossover guitar to take from the gig to the studio.

So does it hold up?

Whilst there is a deeper bellow to the guitar and it does host a richer tonal flavor than its closest sibling the ECW80C, it still doesn’t have the character of the aforementioned Martin’s and Gibson’s that are so often favored in the studio environment.

But it also doesn’t sell for nearly as much, nor do those guitars have a pickup and therefore aren’t useable in most live scenarios. So next time you’re finishing off ‘Most People I Know’ and are flustered by knowing you have to run home to get your other guitar before going to your studio session in Fairfield, maybe consider investing your Friday night residency cheque on an ER90C.

7.5/10

Review by Gary Milk

Click here for more info

Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster Review

SQUIER J MASCIS JAZZMASTER
 

“Hi how are you going I’m thinking of learning how to play electric guitar”
“Well great you’ve definitely come to the right place, did you have a certain budget in mind?”
“I do, as little as possible”
“Ok no worries, first we’ll start with what kind of sound you’d like in a guitar. Do you prefer the classic rock sounds of guitarists like Angus Young and Jimmy Page or maybe the bluesy tones of Eric Clapton and John Mayer?”
“Not really any of those guys to be honest”.
“Metal? Punk?”
“Nope. I’m actually really into the warped tremolo arm sounds of Kevin Shields and feedback laden experiments of Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo”
“I’m sorry sir, when these guitars were bought by your heroes they were relatively cheap. The cheapest one I have now is $1000”
“That’s bulls*#t!”
“Correct”

For years the budget conscious guitarist has been denied access to some of rocks most iconic guitars – Fenders offset waist Jaguars and Jazzmasters. “But what about the Squier Vintage Modified series and Fender Blacktop series?” I hear you say. Yes, whilst these do host the name of these guitars, they are far from the actual guitars we know and love. They have different bridge setups, pickup configurations and are often without their most well known feature – the tremolo arm. We often hear stories of the iconic Jag and Jazzmaster players of old picking up these guitars for mere pocket change at thrift stores. These days though guitarists need to shell out $2500 (street price) for the USA Vintage Reissue guitars and even over $1000 +  for the Mexican Classic Players and Japanese issue instruments. You’d think then that a budget friendly Chinese made Squier Jazzmaster wouldn’t stand up against its more glamorous siblings. Well then think again…

After already having his own ‘Fender’ branded Jazzmaster, its quite clear in the build quality of this guitar that for Dinosaur Jr frontman and alt-rock guitar hero J Mascis, if he was going to have a Squier branded instrument, it needed to be pretty special. It’s stated on Fender’s overview of the guitar that Mascis has specified the “pickups, hardware and finish”. On this note the vintage white finish with anodized gold pickguard have a much more traditional look to that of Mascis’ previous Purple Sparkle Jazzmaster and the specs of this guitar alike are sure to please those traditionalists out there.

The guitar is equipped with vintage style tuners with split tops for string insertion that hold there tune quite well even when using the tremolo arm. The floating tremolo on this guitar is without the trem-lock switch, which does mean the guitar will go out of tune if a string is broken. In the same vein as the Blacktop and Classic Player Jazzmaster’s the tailpiece is shifted forward closer to the bridge. Whilst this does remove some of the overtones that helped characterize that vintage Jazzmaster sound, it does increase sustain and decrease the likelihood of strings jumping out of their saddles due to the heightened string angle. This accompanied with the Adjusto-Matic bridge enhance the usability of this guitar which is a huge plus on an entry level instrument. The satin finished C neck plays beautifully and the 9.5” radius and jumbo frets once again do make this guitar a bit more user friendly. Traditionally basswood is a relatively dark sounding timber, however even acoustically this guitar sounds quite resonant. The pickups are bright and lively, not too dissimilar to the ‘hotter’ pickups found in the Classic Player Jazzmasters. They do lack a little in the low end in comparison to the aforementioned model and are definitely not as warm and vintage sounding as the US model. The difference between the neck pickup and rhythm circuit also isn’t as varied as some of the other guitars. That aside, they are still quite characterful and definitely are more tonally rich and usable in higher applications than the price point suggests.
This is without question the best Squier guitar I’ve played. The Classic Vibe series Strat’s and Tele’s are fantastic but I still question whether they would hold their own in a ‘pro’ environment, this will be no problem here. It feels nicer to play than the Japanese issue Jazzmaster’s and the difference tonally between these and the Mexican Classic Player’s is minimal at best. Whilst the USA 1962 reissues still reign comfortably supreme over the J Mascis Jazzmaster, you also expect they would at more than four times the price. It’s been a long time coming for a guitar like this and now those who want to experience the unique world of Fender offset guitars on a budget price can. I’m sure Fender are going to be selling these by the truckload and one can only hope there’ll be an equivalent Jaguar model in the pipeline soon as well. With the 50^th anniversary of the Jaguar this year and Johnny Marr and Kurt Cobain signature models being recently released maybe it’ll be sooner than we think. Maybe they’ll honour an Australian. Roland S. Howard anyone?

For those who are struggling to find any string behind the bridge on a Telecaster.
Not for those who think Yngwie Malmsteen’s ‘Rising Force’ album is a landmark point in the history of guitar playing.

4 Cardigans out of 5

Review by Gary Milk

http://worldofmusic.com.au/Products.asp?ProdID=3146&CatID=6&SubCatID=182

DVK Goldtop Review

DVK TECHNOLOGIES GOLDTOP FUZZ/VIBRATO PEDAL

“I love this pedal! It’s the best fuzz I’ve come across, including my old Arbiter England Fuzz Face from the ’60s!” – Carl Verheyen (Supertramp)

With more boutique pedal companies floating about these days than you can shake a stick at, it’s integral for any maker to have a unique stamp that holds their own. It’s fortunate then that DVK Technologies do exactly that. DVK are a two man pedal producing project out of Melbourne whose shtick lies in the manufacturing of dual function guitar effects and in this instance we’re looking at their Goldtop unit.

This is DVK’s take on a vintage fuzz and vibrato and is a fine addition to any pedal board geared towards sonic psychedelia.  Controls are as follows:

·         FUZZ SIDE (Fuzz, Level, Tone, Shape)

·         VIBRATO SIDE (Rate, Depth, Chorus/Vibrato Toggle Switch)

·         EXPRESSION PEDAL Input for controlling Vibe rate

Sticking to its psychedelic themes, DVK have housed the pedal in a glossed bright yellow, orange and purple casing equipped with Alice in Wonderland imagery.  With the added touch of the Mad Hatters eye being an LED light that flashes in time with the vibe rate it is a far cry from anything resembling an attractive looking pedal but it does have a solid build quality. Where its features get really exciting are with the addition of a switch that allows you to change the stacking order of the pedal, so fuzz before vibe or visa versa. This enables a plethora of sonic variety and opens up a wide range of modulating fuzz tones and machine gun feedback chaos.

Sonically this pedal is geared towards the whole late 60’s – early 70’s thing. The vibrato side is very musical and has a really smooth edge to it even at higher settings. You can channel everything from lush spaciousness in chordal passages to a heavy pulsing wobble. The chorus side being just as tasty with leslie-esque rotaries and organ like gleams. The fuzz side is based off a classic big muff design with a few of their own modifications. At higher settings it doesn’t seem to get as woolly as a big muff and therefore at lower settings is probably more of a distortion than a fuzz. The shape knob allows you to dial in more mid-range and tends to have more scope depending on where the tone is set. The tone control is wide and allows a broad range of sounds that stay usable across the board, everything from thick and creamy Pumpkin-esque fuzzes, rat like distortions and even MC5 like silicon fuzz tones. As a straight fuzz it doesn’t get quite as vintage sounding as say a fuzz face or some of the Fulltone range but it does have more scope in modern applications and allows those thick chunky distortion sounds as well as vintage ones. Enabling the fuzz and vibe in sequence then opens up the tonal palette even further.  It sonically opens up different colours that weren’t initially available, therefore pushing the psychedelic vibes to new levels. We now have access to swishes and washes of noise akin to Hendrix or Yo La Tengo as well as new sonics that border into Fuzz Factory world. The stacking order switch is also a very welcomed addition as it really just extends that flexibility to an already extremely versatile pedal.

Of all the boutique pedals available now, fuzz is probably the effect targeted the most – some companies even focusing on almost this alone.  It’s always going to be a hard task to come up with fuzz that holds its own among the rest but the Goldtop manages to do just that. This is an extremely versatile little unit that can be a welcome addition to players in many applications. Having already made its way on to the pedalboards of Dweezil Zappa and Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), I’m sure it won’t be long until DVK Technologies become more than just another little boutique pedal company.

For those who see kaleidoscopic visions of multi-coloured zebras whilst playing guitar.
Not for those who like make making MOR records with guitar sounds you can take home to Mum.

4.5 Cheshire Cats out of 5

Review by Gary Milk

http://worldofmusic.com.au/Products.asp?ProdID=2931&CatID=22&SubCatID=234

Jazzmaster

We've got new Jazzmasters in stock! Check em out...

Fender American Vintage '62 Jazzmaster - 3 Colour Sunburst

Introduced in 1958, the Jazzmaster® guitar was the first Fender instrument to feature an offset-waist body, a rosewood fingerboard, separate lead and rhythm circuits with separate volume and tone controls, a floating bridge and floating/locking tremolo. The American Vintage ’62 Jazzmaster has the distinctive look and sound of the original, including the warm-sounding pickups, original lead and rhythm circuit switching, and floating tremolo with tremolo lock.

Click here for more info

Fender Classic Player Jazzmaster - 3 Colour Sunburst

The Classic Player Jazzmaster® Special guitar updates the famous Jazzmaster model with several modern improvements, including hotter pickups, an Adjusto-Matic™ bridge, 9.5” fingerboard radius and neck pocket with increased back-angle for improved stability and sustain.

Click here for more info

These are one of the most iconic guitars in rock history being one of the most widely used Fender guitars in everything from surf rock, post punk, alternative rock, shoegaze and many more. Check out some videos below to see them in action...

MXR and Way Huge Electronics

We're really excited to announce that we now have MXR and Way Huge Electronics effects pedals in stock! These guys have built some of the best effects pedals in history and have been heard on countless classic recordings. Click on the pedals below to read more about some of the range we have in stock, or even better come in and have a play!

PDP Drums

Pacific Drums and Percussion or PDP for short is a subsidiary company under Drum Workshop established in the year 2000 to provide high quality drum equipment at lower prices to that of the prestige DW equipment. Their factory is located in Ensenada, Mexico and utilizes some of the same custom techniques as DW as well as computerized machinery to create high quality drums at reduced costs. Pacific Drums have now made DW's innovation and quality available to a larger market, while still maintaining the reputation of DW drums as high-end unique instruments.

Check out some of the models you can find in World of Music below:

X7

It’s no mystery why X7 is one of our top sellers. We created a F.A.S.T.™-sized all-maple beauty with a stunning lacquer finish and a host of top shelf features that was accessible to drummers everywhere. Not only do you get Remo heads, STM (Suspension Tom Mounts) and True Pitch™ Tuning, but you get a kit that is made to last. The set includes 7x8", 8x10", 9x12" rack toms, 12x14" and 14x16" floor toms, an 18x22" kick drum and a matching 5x14" snare drum.

We think every drummer should be able to play on a pro-quality drumset. That’s why we created the X7. The complete 7-piece kit comes in F.A.S.T. (fundamentally accurate sized toms) sizes with an18x22” kick drum, 5x14” snare, 7x8”, 8x10”, 9x12” 12x14” and 14x16” toms, as well as loads of pro features like STM mounts, Remo heads, True- Pitch Tuning System and eight killer sparkle lacquer finishes.

M5

The M5 is a breakthrough kit. Not because of a new technology or state-of-the-art innovation, but because it’s an all maple kit for an unheard-of price tag. So, why is maple the preferred material for drum making? Because of its inherent sonic qualities. Maple sounds warm, yet punchy, it projects and has pleasing tonal qualities that make it very musical. Drum manufacturers have been singing maple’s praises for decades, but it was only available to a select few. Now, every drummer can enjoy the sweet sound of maple and look good doing it. M5 five-piece kits include F.A.S.T™-sized 8x10" and 9x12" rack toms, 12x14" floor tom with legs, 18x22" kick drum and matching 5x14" snare drum. 7x8" and 14x16" add-on toms are also offered in each finish. 

FS 

Setting the drum world on its ear again, FS is a F.A.S.T™-sized all-birch set that features STM™ (Suspension Tom Mount), True Pitch™ Tuning and Remo heads. Birch is said to offer a brighter tone than maple, but still posseses the warmth and projection that also make it an excellent material for drum making. In fact, birch became very popular in the 80’s and has endured for more than two decades. FS comes with 8x10" and 9x12" rack toms, 12x14" floor tom on legs, 18x22" kick drum and matching 5x14" snare drum. 7x8" and 14x16" add-on toms are also available in all finishes.

Mainstage

The all-new Mainstage is a pre-configured entry level kit that includes drums, pedals, hardware, cymbals and even a throne. The drums feature hardwood construction in a durable wrapped finish. Sabian cymbals and a full hardware pack complete the rig. Drum sizes are 8x10" & 9x12" toms, 14x16" floor tom, 18x22" bass drum and 5x14" matching snare. The hardware pack includes a CB700 cymbal boom stand, CS700 straight cymbal stand, SS700 snare stand, HH700 hi-hat stand and a drum throne. The 4-piece cymbal pack includes 13" top and bottom hi-hats, 20" ride and 16" crash. Cymbals are included with kit in the US only. Other international markets may vary.

Come into the store and see these great kits in the flesh or shop online at www.worldofmusic.com.au

Tales of the P Bass with Paul Simonon, Nate Mendel, Eric Avery & Duff McKagen

Introducing The Brand New Mellotron

Call for availability...

A World of Music Blogger Announcement

Hello Everyone.

You may have noticed a World of Music absence in blogger world. As much as you may think, this is not due to any global jet-setting or temporary imprisonment however. We've still been here at 809 Nepean Highway, Brighton East working away. And busy little workers we have been.

The front of the store is getting a makeover. It's currently at the half way point which has left us the big nameless orange building, but very shortly there'll be some big new signs that'll be sure to grab your eye when your driving down the highway toward the beach this summer.

We are now happy to say that we are proud dealers of some new brands such as Washburn Acoustic Guitars and PDP Drums. As well as a whole bunch of new stock from the usual suspects like Fender, Roland, Martin and many others.

So stay tuned. Make sure you keep an eye on this blog as there'll be plenty of posts coming up on everything thats been going on!

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

ON SALE FOR ONE WEEK ONLY

$999

The world standard for a portable, powerful, full-featured tube amp, the 40-watt Hot Rod Deluxe is very aptly named, indeed!

Awe inspiring Fender tone issues forth from a 12” 8-ohm Fender Special Design Eminence speaker fueled by a pair of 6L6 Groove Tube output tubes and three 12AX7 preamp tubes. You get three channels—"normal," "drive: and "more drive"—with gain and master controls for the "drive" channel and a "bright" switch for the "normal" channel. Other features include FX loop, Fender long-spring reverb, external speaker jack, internal variable bias control, two-button three-function channel footswitch, chrome panel with vintage pointer knobs, black textured vinyl covering and silver grille cloth. Cover included.

iRig

 

Click here for more info

Gretsch Guitars

Gretsch Guitars — a name intrinsic to the history of music for well over a century, made popular throughout the years by such iconic guitarists as Chet Atkins, George Harrison and Brian Setzer are now on display at World of Music!

We currently have the following models in stock. Make sure you come in and have a play.

G6136T White Falcon

The G6136T White Falcon™ features classic 1959 styling, with a single-cutaway hollow body, arched top, 1959 trestle bracing, gold-sparkle binding and oversized bound f holes. The three-piece maple neck has an ebony fingerboard with gold-sparkle binding and Neo-Classic™ thumbnail inlays. Other features include dual High Sensitive Filter’Tron™ pickups, three-position pickup switch, three-position master tone switching, gold plexi pickguard with falcon motif, Space Control™ bridge, gold-plated Grover® Imperial™ tuners, horizontal Gretsch® gold-sparkle headstock logo and a Bigsby® B6GB vibrato tailpiece. 

Click here for more info

G6119-1962 Tennessee Rose

The G6119-1962FT Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose™ is a Filter’Tron™ pickup-equipped version of the classic 1962 Tennessee Rose. The bound single-cutaway hollow body has an arched top and simulated f holes; the three-piece maple neck has a zero fret and bound rosewood fingerboard with Neo Classic™ thumbnail inlays. Other features include dual High Sensitive Filter’Tron™ pickups, three-position pickup switch, three-position master tone switch, standby switch, silver plexi pickguard with embossed “Chet Atkins” signature, bound headstock with Grover® Sta-Tite™ tuners, chrome “rocking bar” bridge, Gretsch® by Bigsby® B6C vibrato tailpiece and gorgeous walnut stain finish.


Click here for more info


G6120 Nashville


This is the one—the modern version of the classic 6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body guitar. Features include a 16”-wide, 2 ½”-deep single-cutaway hollow body, rock maple neck, ebony fingerboard with Neo-Classic™ thumbnail inlays, dual High Sensitive Filter’Tron™ pickups, Grover® Rotomatic® tuners, Adjusto-Matic™ bridge and Bigsby® B6G vibrato tailpiece.


Click here for more info

RME Babyface

RME has given a face to digital audio. Starting with the Multiface as first serious/professional mobile I/O solution ever we raised the bar further and further, up to the extremely popular and successful Fireface series. So now that the racks are filled we will start to rock your desktop!

The Babyface is smooth on the outside for looks and feel, but has the balls inside: latest 192 kHz AD- and DA-converters, two reference class microphone preamps, SteadyClock - analog circuit design, features and function are truly RME - we wouldn't give our newborn anything second class!
That includes the new TotalMix FX, a TotalMix on steroids, with tons of new features, improvements and 3-band parametric EQs, plus added echo and reverb: anything you need right out of the box and with near zero latency!

The Babyface uses RME's Hammerfall USB audio core from the Fireface UC - another milestone in low latency audio interfaces, and will give you outstanding performance and top sound in an ultra-portable, nicely designed and attractively shaped enclosure.

FEATURES

• Analogue I/Os
• High End Mic Preamps
• Digital I/Os
• Phones Output
• Instrument Input
• MIDI I/O
• Perfect Control
• USB Made By RME
• Full Mobility
• Real Connectors

Make sure you come into the store and have a listen to these first hand!

Click here for more info

60th Anniversary Telecaster and Precision Bass

Both of these amazing instruments are now in stock at World of Music. Come in and have a play!

FENDER 60TH ANNIVERSARY TELECASTER

The rich history of Fender guitars begins with the Telecaster, an enduring marvel of form and function; of style and substance. Still elegantly simple after six decades, it is the versatile voice of remarkably diverse and creative players worldwide.

Officially named the Telecaster in February 1951, the world’s first successful solid-body electric guitar turns 60. It revolutionized guitar playing, changed the sound of music and became a signature instrument for guitarists worldwide. The 60th Anniversary Telecaster blends modern Tele® technology with vintage looks for a best-of-both-worlds, collectible U.S.-made instrument.

To further distinguish it as a special instrument created for the occasion, the 60th Anniversary Telecaster bears a commemorative chrome neck plate honoring six decades of enduring Fender legacy.

 Click here for more info 

 

FENDER 60TH ANNIVERSARY PRECISION BASS

Celebrate 60 years of the bass guitar that started it all. The Precision was and still is the first word in electric bass; an instrument that transformed popular music and created a new kind of musician–the electric bassist.

 

When it was introduced in 1951, Fender’s revolutionary Precision Bass guitar liberated musicians from the unwieldy confines of the upright bass, quickly becoming the preferred worldwide standard for tone, power and excellence. The Precision Bass has been booming ever since–six decades later, it’s still liberating musicians, still the worldwide standard and still the first word in electric bass.

To further distinguish it as a special instrument created for the occasion, the 60th Anniversary Precision Bass bears a commemorative chrome neck plate honoring six decades of enduring Fender legacy.

 

Click here for more info