In 1962, John Lennon was still an up-and-coming artist, and though one of two main singer/songwriters at the heart of The Beatles, was scraping by on the little money the band was bringing in at that time. For his first quality American acoustic/electric guitar, Lennon had his sights set on a new Gibson J-160E – the problem was, he didn’t have the money to buy it. With the aid of a co-signed purchase from Beatles manager Brian Epstein (who also co-signed for bandmate George Harrison’s J-160E), Lennon made the guitar his own, and put it straight to the business of making rock and roll history. Recreated by the luthiers at Gibson’s Montana acoustic guitar facility in period-perfect detail, the 70th Anniversary John Lennon models are available in three distinct versions to represent the instrument at three periods in Lennon’s life and career. The first, finished in Vintage Sunburst and limited to 500 guitars, represents the guitar as it was when Lennon first acquired it and used it on several famous Beatles recordings from 1963 to ’64, including Please Please Me, With The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night.

The second is a stunning Custom Shop “Imagine” model in a Soft White finish personally requested by Yoko Ono to reflect the sentiment of John’s life and music during the recording of Imagine. And the third is the model as it is today, on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, with a thin, natural finish and Lennon’s famous “John and Yoko” caricature sketches, representing the appearance of the guitar during the famous Lennon-Ono “Bed-In” peace protests of 1969.

The custom shop’s second and third renditions are limited to 70 guitars each, one for every year since John’s birth in 1940, and both include a special 70th Anniversary Certificate personally signed by Yoko Ono and sent to the final purchaser by Certified Mail. As for construction, each version is an accurate rendition of the J-160E of 1962, a guitar originally released in 1954 as one of the world’s first successful “electro-acoustic” guitars, with built-in pickup and electronics and ready to hit the stage for the professional performing musician. Beloved by Lennon, and kept close throughout his too-short life, the 70th Anniversary John Lennon J-160E is a guitar every Beatles fan will want to make their own.

find out more on Gibson Website

The Blacktop Jazzmaster HS, priced at $700 (MSRP), comes in two colors: the 3-Color Sunburst with a Rosewood fretboard (Part #014-8400-500) or Black with a Rosewood fretboard (Part #014-8400-506).

Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster HS specs:

• Body Material: Alder
• Number of Frets: 21
• Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
• Position Inlays: White Dot Position Inlays
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 9.5″ Radius (241 mm)
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Neck Material: Maple
• Neck Finish: Gloss Urethane
• Nut Width: 1.650″ (42 mm)
• Scale Length: 25.5″ (648 mm)
• Neck Plate: Vintage Style 4 Bolt
• Truss Rod Nut: 3/16″ Adjustable Hex Nut
• Pickup Configuration: H / S
• Bridge Pickup: Hot Vintage Alnico Bridge Humbucking Pickup with Nickel Cover
• Neck Pickup: 1 Duncan Designed Single-Coil Jazzmaster Pickup (Neck)
• Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle: Position 1) Bridge Pickup, Position 2) Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3) Neck Pickup
• Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
• Hardware Finish: Nickel / Chrome
• Bridge Hardware: Vintage-Style Jazzmaster Tremolo with Adjusto-Matic Bridge and Tremolo Lock Button
• Tuning Machines: Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
• String Nut: Synthetic Bone
• Switch Tips: Black Switch Tip
• Tremolo Arm Handle: Vintage Jazzmaster Tremolo Arm
• Truss Rod Wrench: 3/16″
• Strings: Super 250L’s, NPS (.009-.042 Gauges)
• Unique Features: HS Pickup Configuration, Simplified Controls/Switching, Black Skirted Amp Knobs
• Pickguard: (500) 3-Ply Black, (506) 3-Ply Mint Green
• Included Accessories: Truss Rod Adjustment Wrench
• Control Knobs: Skirted Amp Knobs

To learn more about the Blacktop Jazzmaster HS or any of the other guitars in the Fender Blacktop series, visit fender.com.

[via gearwire.com]

Some more info about the single features:

• Pattern Sequencer: On 16 steps you can determine if a chord is triggered, which strings are played and if the strum goes up- or downward. The playing style (normal, dead, damped) can be determined and the strum speed can be made slower or a double strum ca be triggered. Slides, bends, vibrato and portamento can be made and strings can be stopped at any time.
• Chord Sequencer: On 16 steps you can create chord-progressions from the factory chords or self-made user-chords. Each step of the chord sequencer can be repeated up to 16 times. That way you can create long lasting compositions and change chords also earlier or later.
• Animation: In the animation sequencer each finger can be moved up or downward by 3 seminotes. You can use it for little melodies and alternating chords and it brings immediate beauty and life to your riff.
• Song: On 16 steps you can combine the 24 available patterns to create songs or complex riffs. Each step of the pattern sequencer can be repeated for up to 16 times, that allows long pattern progressions and pattern changes also at uneven times.
• Action Section: Here you get some realtime action to tweak the pattern with just pressing a button. Quickly apply a Looper, Timestretcher, slow the sequencer down or force dead or damped notes.
• Amp: Two amp models are available as well as a direct out mode for your favorite amp-emulator-software.
• Effekte: Two effect-units with 10 effects altogether provide the colors you are looking for. Additionally there is a multimode Wah Pedal that provides a classical wah, talk wah and volume pedal/tremolo mode.
• Guitar: Each finger on the fretboard shows its note name which makes it easy to identify, alternate and create chords. 24 chords can be saved on the “Chord Board” to be called with the Sequencer or with your keyboard.
• Keyboard: Here the sequencer is triggered and the 24 User-chords and Patterns are called for playback and editing.

Works With the Latest MIDI Converters and Virtual Guitar Systems

Fast, Accurate Tracking, Low Latency Design

Industry-Standard 13 Pin Hex Output

Magnetic and Piezo Pickup Signals Still Accessible

Added Controls: MIDI Volume, Output Toggle & MIDI Patch Change Toggle

Existing Moog Guitar Players – Upgrades are available!

Visit the Moog website for photos, videos, specs and more.”

[via the MATRIXSYNTH]