Guitar Week #37/2026
Sep 7, 2026 — Sep 13, 2026
This week leaned into guitar history and reinvention at the same time. Van Halen's earliest demo finally moved toward official release, Soundgarden returned to a Seattle stage and John Sykes' final recordings resurfaced, while Troy Van Leeuwen's 12-string Squier and a new wave of compact digital rigs kept the gear side busy. New music from Vulfpeck and Spiritbox gave the week a strong present-tense pulse rather than making it purely nostalgic.
🚨 Top stories this week
Squier gives Troy Van Leeuwen a Paranormal 12-string Telecaster signature modelThe Queens of the Stone Age guitarist's new $599.99 Telecaster XII brings his Custom Shop 12-string concept into Squier's Paranormal line.
Vulfpeck preview new album 'Decay Of The Aura' with Cory Wong-led instrumental'The Beachcomber' is the funk band's first new music since Theo Katzman stepped away from touring, with Cory Wong carrying the melody on guitar.
Spiritbox return with atmospheric new single 'Mourning'Mike Stringer co-produced the band's first new music since Tsunami Sea and co-directed its official video ahead of Spiritbox's European tour.
Jerry Garcia Band's final Shoreline show becomes GarciaLive Volume 23The complete August 14, 1993 concert will arrive October 30 as a two-disc archival release sourced from a soundboard DAT.
Van Halen’s unreleased 1974 demo ‘Glitter’ is getting its first official releaseThe picture-disc single accompanying Alex Van Halen’s signed book will make the earliest Van Halen recording ever officially available.
John Sykes’ final recordings will be collected on the posthumous EP ‘One Way’Golden Robot Records has announced a November EP built from some of the late Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist’s final recordings.
Soundgarden return to the stage with Taylor Momsen and Mike McCready at Seahawks halftimeKim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd played Outshined and Spoonman with Taylor Momsen on vocals and Mike McCready adding guitar in Seattle.
🎸 Gear worth a look
Avantone Pro launches GTR-100 power amp for guitar modelersThe 1U Class A/B stereo amp is built to take modelers onstage with up to 140 watts per channel and an analog cab-sim XLR output.
Positive Grid brings Spark amp modeling, effects and a looper to the Spark PEDALThe compact floor unit turns the Spark ecosystem into a pedalboard-ready rig for electric, acoustic and bass players.
Gibson Custom adds Elegant Koa versions of the SJ-200 and HummingbirdThe Artisan Series pair combines figured koa backs and sides with AAA Sitka spruce tops as Gibson continues its flat-top centennial releases.
TONE3000 brings its NAM A2 plugin directly to the Octave HS-1The portable Windows-based HS-1 will ship with TONE3000 preinstalled, putting NAM A2 captures, VST hosting and recording tools into one touchscreen guitar rig.
Seymour Duncan recreates Joe Bonamassa’s pawn-shop 1961 SG P-90 setThe Custom Shop’s first P-90 collaboration with Bonamassa is modeled on the pickups that sparked his long-running interest in the design.
Axion update adds isolated VST plugins, seven effects and a desktop appSevered’s forthcoming guitar modeler now runs uploaded plugins in isolation and adds new circuit-modeled effects as the self-funded hardware moves toward Q4 shipping.
SolidGoldFX launches FUZZBOX, a modern-board take on Tone Bender Mk II fuzzThe Montreal-built silicon fuzz adds bias, sag and a Vintage/Modern input mode to a compact Tone Bender-inspired circuit.
Aethis 1.1.0 turns a neural guitar amp sim into a paid all-in-one pluginThe first paid Aethis release combines three neural amp models, cabinet tools, effects and a polyphonic harmonizer that can process chords.
👤 Players
Trey Anastasio and Billy Strings announce two Divided Sky benefit concertsThe two guitarists will perform together with Trey Anastasio Band for two Worcester shows supporting addiction-recovery care.
Justifications line up debut single ‘Urge To Kill’ after SiriusXM premiereThe new metallic-hardcore project reunites The Red Chord vocalist Guy Kozowyk with former guitarist and co-founder Kevin Rampelberg.
🎵 New music
Kings of Leon announce 10th album O My Beloved and first self-produced full-lengthThe November 6 album arrives with lead single My Whole World and a more intimate, acoustic-leaning direction shaped by the band's own production.
Eric Steckel releases guitar-heavy blues-rock album SandstormSteckel's 10-track Sandstorm arrived September 11 via SPV Recordings, continuing his blend of blues phrasing, hard-rock weight and lead-guitar focus.
Descendents guitarist Stephen Egerton releases second solo album after Abbey Road sessions‘I Think You’re Overthinking This’ follows Egerton’s 2010 solo debut and grew from four days of studio time gifted for his 60th birthday.
Valletta Guitar Festival opens its first edition with Yamandu CostaMalta's new September festival runs three nights of tango, Brazilian choro, jazz, and orchestral guitar repertoire.
▶️ Watch this
Suicide Silence announce Graceless and release its title trackThe deathcore veterans will issue Graceless on November 20 via Century Media, previewing it with a sub-two-minute title track and video.
Saosin push their comeback forward with new single ‘Just Be Honest’The second new Saosin track of 2026 pairs Cove Reber’s return with guitarists Beau Burchell and Phil Sgrosso as the band hints at a larger new body of work.
🤯 Moment of the week
🧠 Learn something
Brands & artists this week:Electric GuitarRockTroy Van LeeuwenSquierFunkCory WongMetalCourtney LaPlanteMike StringerJerry GarciaAlex Van HalenEddie Van HalenJohn SykesSoundgardenMike McCreadyTaylor MomsenGuitar ModelingAvantone ProPositive GridMulti-FXLoopingAmp ModelingGibsonAcoustic GuitarProfilingOctave TechnologiesTONE3000Seymour DuncanJoe BonamassaSeveredSolidGoldFXPedalsAethisDSPBilly StringsTrey AnastasioBluegrassKevin RampelbergGuy KozowykKings of LeonBluesEric SteckelStephen EgertonSébastien GiniauxYamandu CostaFranco LucianiSuicide SilencePhil SgrossoSaosinBeau BurchellBrian MayMatt Bellamy