![This Week's Must-Have Guitar Equipment – Spotlight on Ibanez S-Styles]](https://backingtracksfullcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/This-Weeks-Must-Have-Guitar-Equipment-–-Spotlight-on-Ibanez-S-Styles-758x426.jpg "This Week's Must-Have Guitar Equipment – Spotlight on Ibanez S-Styles] 18")
Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s weekly gear round-up, your one-stop-shop for keeping up to date with what’s been happening in the big wide world of guitar gear over the past seven days.
From new electric guitars to amp modeler updates, the guitar industry is never short of fresh releases, and it can sometimes be hard to stay in the loop with every new launch.
To make things a little easier, we’ve put together an essential must-read guide that will cover the major releases, the boutique drops, and everything in between.
Vote for your favorite new release in the poll below…
Jackson Misha Mansoor Pro Plus Series Juggernaut ET8
The Jackson Misha Mansoor signature guitars are coming in thick and fast. We had some new-look Juggernauts late last year. We had that Surfcaster a few months ago. Now, we have another long-awaited Mansoor model – the Juggernaut ET8.
This one has been a long time coming. Not only is it an eight-string, it’s a hardtail eight-string with an EverTune bridge. It is the first time this combo has been used on a Jackson guitar, and it’s one fans have been asking for for quite some time. It’s been worth the wait.
Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Majesty Premium Select
Ernie Ball Music Man and John Petrucci have rekindled their ever-productive partnership for another addition to the hugely popular Majesty line: the Premium Select.
Premium by name, premium by nature, this new iteration has been shaped by decades of Petrucci’s playing expertise, leveraging the Dream Theater virtuoso’s preferred composition.
In other words, that means there’s a mahogany neck-through-body design with alder wings, as well as a thick maple top, a 24-fret ebony fingerboard with stainless steel frets and signature DiMarzio Rainmaker and Dreamcatcher pickups.
It’s available in six-, seven- and eight-string iterations, and lands in five otherworldly colorways. My favorite has to be Ka’anapali Dream.
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Mig Muff Pi 2
We’re starting to lose track of all the Big Muff pedals that have been flying online over the past few months – we’ve had the Big Muff 2, Big Muff 2 Pi, Bass Big Muff Pi 2 – and now we have another to add to that list: the Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi 2.
Honestly, you can never have too many Big Muffs, and this one looks to be a great option for bassists. We called the Pi version the “best Big Muff there’s ever been for bass”. This could very well take that mantle.
Gretsch Jim Dandy Vintage White
Who doesn’t love a Jim Dandy? They are, by and large, Gretsch’s most beloved acoustic guitar. That short-scale parlor size is a dream to play, they sound awesome, they look killer, you can travel with them… there’s nothing not to like about it.
And Gretsch has just given us another reason to love the Jim Dandy with a new limited edition Vintage White model. Sure, it ain’t quite up there with the sunburst finish in my mind, but it’s very sleek nonetheless. The sunburst model gives campfire vibes. This is giving evening dinner sing-song.
Ibanez x Citizen Tsuno Chrono Custom Tube Screamer watch
Okay, not a piece of guitar gear strictly speaking, but we simply can’t ignore it: say hello to the Citizen x Ibanez Tube Screamer watch. Yes, that is a thing now.
It certainly caters to a specific clientele, and it’s quite subtle – it’s a darker shade of green used here – but we love it. No notes.
Donner HUSH X LIVE
Donner has expanded its HUSH series of silent guitars with the HUSH X LIVE and HUSH X LIVE PRO guitars – both of which feature an innovative new design that is characteristic of Donner’s quest to explore new avenues of guitar building.
The feature in question is a detachable speaker, which can be attached to the bottom of the HUSH X’s exo-skeleton frame. Pretty handy for a silent guitar, when you want it to be, ya know, not silent.
It’s not just a speaker, though. With the detachable module, it gives you access to amps, effects and Bluetooth connectivity for playing to backing tracks. Playability-wise, it also has a new neck profile, improved pickups and elevated amp models, all of which were refined with the help of Donner’s Creative Director, Miyavi.
Ibanez AZ Premium, Standard, Iron Label
The Ibanez AZ range has six new models to shout about, with the firm adding guitars to its Standard, Premium and Iron Label collections. Expect plenty of sweet colorways, some premium appointments, and a variety of hardware and pickup configurations.
Notably, the Iron Label catalog get its first hardtail guitar, the Premium line has a seven-string, and the Standard range gets two new finishes.
And, I’d be remiss not to say: S-styles? In this climate? Does Ibanez know what’s going on over at Fender HQ? It’s been a helluva week for the S-style market. The company probably couldn’t believe its timing. Or maybe it could…
PRS Ed Sheeran SE Hollowbody I Piezo Baritone
Ed Sheeran is becoming an unlikely guitar hero and ambassador for PRS, with the loop-loving, chart-smashing singer-guitarist releasing yet more signature baritone guitars, designed in partnership with the Maryland brand.
Sheeran got his flagship SE Hollowbody I Piezo Baritone at NAMM this year, which was released as part of a limited run. This one is far more accessible, and comes in a smattering of eye-popping colorways – including Pink Ombre, Orange Tiger Smokeburst and Kaleidoscope.
Epiphone x Lee Seung Yoon LSY-200 Studio EC
Epiphone welcomed Lee Seung Yoon to its ranks this week, making the superstar singer-songwriter its first Korean signature artist.
The pair celebrated their new partnership in style with a signature guitar – the very nice LSY-200 Studio EC, based on the foundation of the J-200 Studio EC Studio Jumbo cutaway model.
Guitar Center Mitchell Silver Creek Folk Instruments
No, this isn’t the new Guitar Center in-house guitar brand that we’re all patiently waiting for. It is, instead, a collection of folk instruments from GC’s existing Mitchell brand. There’s a banjo, a mandolin, and a resonator. They’re all pretty affordable too – the resonator starts from $349.
Chaos Audio AI FX Builder
You can’t get away from AI in the gear world, and artificially intelligent effects creation is certainly a popular thing at the moment. We’ve seen Polyend put this tech in a pedal. Positive Grid has added it to a plugin. Now, Chaos Audio – the brains behind the Stratus pedal – has unveiled its own AI FX Builder.
It acts as you’d expect. Chuck in a prompt, get an effect. Refine it if you like. Use it in your recordings. It’s one of the most palatable and usable forms of AI in the gear world, and this writer had moderate success with the Polyend Endless, so it’s worth a look-in. The key will be whether it can do the AI effects creation better than the competition…
Boss PX-1 Model Pass May 2026 Update
When Boss launched the PX-1, it promised regular updates and improved access to a greater pool of effects. It’s making good on that promise with the May 2026 model pass pack, which adds the PW-2 Power Drive, XT-2 Xtortion and CS-2 Compression Sustainer. There are some nice lost classics in there that will no doubt please Boss aficionados…
![Joe Pernice is Taking Another Swing at It]](https://backingtracksfullcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Joe-Pernice-is-Taking-Another-Swing-at-It-150x150.jpg "Joe Pernice is Taking Another Swing at It] 38")
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