Guitar Week #42/2026
Oct 12, 2026 — Oct 18, 2026
Neko packed stem separation and amp modeling into a pocket rig, Fender revised its American Professional line, and Richard Thompson returned with a live-band album. Together they made this a week of established ideas being rebuilt for a different scale: smaller hardware, broader flagship families and songs shaped quickly in the studio.
Start with Neko’s pocket guitar rig. Its combination of local AI song splitting, neural amp captures, effects, recording and wireless connections makes it the clearest example here of several practice and production jobs moving into one device.
The week by the numbers
- stories
- 18stories
- new products
- 11new products
- brands
- 12brands
- artists
- 8artists
12 gear · 3 players · 3 music
Most active topics: Pedals (5), Electric Guitar (3), Metal (3), Amp Modeling (2)
🚨 Top stories this week
Neko puts real-time stem separation, amp modeling and recording in one pocket guitar rigThe crowdfunded Neko device combines local AI song splitting with neural amp captures, effects, recording and wireless guitar connections.
Zoom’s NEURIG Combines Dynamic Neural Models, NAM and AI Stem SeparationThe floor modeler pairs Zoom’s DNA Engine with NAM A2 Lite, cloud tone discovery and a broad live-and-recording feature set.
Fender Refreshes Its American Professional Flagship Series With V-Mod III PickupsThe 10-model update spans Stratocaster, Telecaster, offset and bass families, pairing revised electronics with new bridge and control details.
Richard Thompson releases Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, a live-band album built on instinctThe 12-song New West release pairs Thompson’s electric and acoustic guitar writing with fast studio takes, expanded arrangements and a full streaming release.
Jackson Revives Four Metal Landmarks for Its New Legend SeriesThe first Legend Series drop recreates signature instruments tied to Randy Rhoads, Scott Ian, Marty Friedman and David Ellefson.
Dream Theater Begin Work on Their 17th Studio AlbumAll five members have reconvened at Ytse Jam Studios for the follow-up to 2025's Parasomnia.
Fender’s George Harrison Dark Horse Stratocaster brings a Japan-only tribute to playersThe ¥198,000 model pairs familiar Stratocaster hardware with Dark Horse Records graphics, three finishes and a tightly limited Japanese rollout.
🎸 Gear worth a look
Catalinbread Cold One turns the cult DOD Punkifier idea into a three-voice dirt pedalThe $199.99 pedal blends distortion, conventional fuzz and arpeggiating glitch fuzz, with independent controls for gain character and balance.
Neural DSP expands Tone King Imperial MKII X with pitch shifting, stereo width and deeper preset toolsThe free X update keeps the modeled amp unchanged while adding Transpose, Doubler, 120-plus presets and a redesigned workflow.
JHS Puts Morning Glory and NOTAKLÖN in One $299 Wanderer PedalThe first JHS vertical two-in-one format gives each overdrive independent routing while retaining the controls and gain options of both circuits.
Sonic Research and MXR Bring the M400 Turbo Tuner to Wider DistributionThe true-strobe pedal combines ±0.02-cent accuracy, a switchable buffer and USB programmability in a compact $149.99 enclosure.
Jade Electric Adds Clean Blend and Two-Band EQ to the Blackboard Outlaw OverdriveThe $175 Bakersfield-built pedal is designed to retain pick attack while moving from a clean push to a more forceful overdrive.
Walrus Audio Rebuilds Lore and Fable as Stereo MKII Ambient PedalsBoth $349.99 pedals add stereo processing, MIDI, expression control and 127 MIDI-accessible presets to their multi-algorithm soundscape designs.
Get’m Get’m Launches Nine-Color BITCH WHAT! Strap CollectionThe two-inch faux-leather guitar and bass strap extends to 65 inches and is offered in nine serpentine finishes.
👤 Players
URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival opens an eight-day program of concerts, workshops and competitionThe 11th edition begins October 18 with Duke Robillard and runs through October 25, bringing 30 artists, public masterclasses, a luthier expo and competition to Rhode Island.
Antequera’s Otoño Flamenco returns with Manuel Jero and María Jesús BernalThe second edition brings the Jerez guitarist and La Puebla de Cazalla singer to Peña Luis Perdiguero on October 17, with free admission.
Nene Royal joins Avenged Sevenfold for two songs in SingaporeThe 16-year-old guitarist followed her support set by playing “Bat Country” and “Unholy Confessions” with the band she calls her favourite.
🎵 New music
▶️ Watch this
🤯 Moment of the week
🧠 Learn something
Notable releases this week
Neko Engineering Neko Pocket AI Guitar RigZoom NEURIGFender American Professional JazzmasterJackson Legend Series Randy Rhoads CD1Fender George Harrison Dark Horse Records StratocasterCatalinbread Cold OneJHS Pedals WandererSonic Research M400 Turbo TunerJade Electric Pedals The Blackboard Outlaw OverdriveWalrus Audio Lore Stereo Reverse Soundscape Generator MKIIGet'm Get'm BITCH WHAT! Guitar & Bass Strap
Brands & artists this week:Neko EngineeringLALAL.AIGuitar ModelingAI & GuitarMulti-FXZoomAmp ModelingFenderElectric GuitarBass GuitarRichard ThompsonRockJacksonDavid EllefsonScott IanMarty FriedmanRandy RhoadsMetalDream TheaterProgressive MetalMike PortnoyJohn PetrucciJordan RudessGeorge HarrisonCatalinbreadPedalsNeural DSPTone KingJHS PedalsSonic ResearchMXRJade Electric PedalsWalrus AudioAmbientGet'm Get'mURI Guitar and Mandolin FestivalBluesClassical GuitarJazzMaría Jesús BernalManuel JeroFlamencoNene RoyalAvenged SevenfoldSynyster GatesTemperanceMarco Pastorino