Keith Merrow test drives the Palladium pedal for metal tones.

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Dave Baker definitely knows how to dial in a great Classic Country tone! From his Telecaster loaded with Seymour Duncan Antiquity 55 pick ups, plugged into the Seymour Duncan Vise Grip compression pedal, 805 overdrive pedal for a “bit of Teeth”, finishing off with the Andromeda Dynamic Delay pedal for a bit of “slap back echo”. Powering his whole rig is the Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 pedalboard amp going into a Eminence loaded speaker cabinet.

“The Dynamic Expression’s reactive nature makes the delay feel more like an instrument.” That’s the verdict on the Andromeda Dynamic Delay from Premier Guitar’s Joe Charupakorn, who just honored the Andromeda with a Premier Gear award.

You can read the full review here, but here are a few of our favorite comments:

“There’s no shortage of great delays on the market. But the Seymour Duncan Andromeda’s dynamic capabilities effectively make it an instrument as much as an effect. You can bend it to your will in infinite ways. And if you’re a creative player, it’s sure to inspire new directions that you might have otherwise missed.”

“Seymour Duncan is best known for pickups, but the company has fast developed a stellar line of effects that runs from dirt to delay. Many of Seymour Duncan’s new pedals are deep, feature-rich affairs.”

“The dynamic expression functionality, which controls responsiveness to picking dynamics, really distinguishes the Andromeda. I loved using it for dynamic modulation—setting it up to feature prominently when I played soft and roll back when I played harder, and creating a nice dialogue between aggressive single-note riffs and hazy, soft chords.”

Go here for more information on the Andromeda’s many features.

Throughout the evolution of the electric guitar, players have continually searched for more. More volume, more sustain, more gain, more tone. Some methods are better at achieving it than others, and some can actually hurt your sound if you’re not careful. Take for instance the pickup: early players knew that if they needed to balance out the volume from string to string, they could use the pickup’s adjustable pole pieces. If they needed a fuller sound overall, moving the pickups a little closer to the strings could help too. Frank Falbo wrote a terrific article on experimenting with pickup height here a while ago which explains how to use different pickup heights to achieve different sonic goals.

But how do you know when you’ve gone too far? As Frank says, If the pickup is too close to the string, its magnetic field can interfere with string vibration. So what does this sound like, and how do you know when it’s a problem?

The first hint is that the sustain of the string is impeded. Strike a note, preferably at the strength and volume that you would do so while actually playing a song. Listen to how it sounds throughout its entire duration. Generally, you’ll want to hear a note that starts out loud and gradually tapers off. A small amount of ‘bloom’ can sometimes be expected, especially from guitars with set neck or neck-thru construction, but there’s also a bad kind of bloom which is introduced when a pickup is set too high. It can manifest itself as a buzz or twang that takes off a short while after the note is initially sounded, or as a general ‘cloudiness’ around the note.

And listen for how the note fades out. Does it taper off naturally, in a more-or-less linear fashion? Or does the fade-out begin abruptly after a few seconds of vibration? These things can all be symptoms of the pickups being too high.

Another giveaway – and it’s related to the sustain issue – is something called a ‘wolf tone.’ Other things can cause them too, such as a loose nut, a bridge saddle that isn’t sitting straight, or even unusual interactions between the strings and the guitar’s tremolo springs. But generally a wolf tone is an unnatural overtone occurring when the string’s vibration is impeded by an outside factor. These overtones can sometimes create the audible impression of your guitar being out of tune even if an electronic tuner is telling you otherwise. And again, the way to combat them is to lower the pickup until the problem goes away. Soon you’ll find a sweet spot where the note rings to its full potential and your tone is at its best. And if you need to make up some of the gain that you lost when you lowered your pickups, you can add it in elsewhere, such as via your amp’s gain control, or a pedal like the SFX-01 Pickup Booster.

In this installment, Seymour Duncan’s own Max Gutnik explains how to use Dynamic Expression on the new Seymour Duncan Andromeda Dynamic Delay pedal. Using the Threshold knob and the different parameters on Andromeda, Dynamic Expression allows you to regulate how much of the effect you hear by how hard or how soft you play.

Guitar Signal Chain:
– Seymour Duncan SH-5 Duncan Custom
– Seymour Duncan Palladium Gain Stage
– Seymour Duncan Andromeda Dynamic Digital Delay
– Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 Pedalboard Power amp
– Friedman 4X12 cabinet

http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/duncan-custom
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pedal/palladium
http://www.seymourduncan.com/power-amp/powerstage-170
http://www.seymourduncan.com/pedal/andromeda

Recorded with:
– Sennheiser 421 and Shure SM57 microphones
– Universal Audio Apollo Twin
– Pro Tools 12

REDEFINE HEADROOM WITH THE NEW POWERSTAGE 700

If you use a digital modeling processor as the heart of your tone, you’ve probably found yourself missing the ‘oomph’ of real speakers pushing real air. There hasn’t yet been a profile that captures the adrenaline of being hit in the chest with the punch of a cranked 4×12, or the sensation of your pants flapping in the breeze as you blast out a chugging drop-C riff. The PowerStage 700 power amp is here to help you take back the guitarists’ most sacred right: lots and lots of volume as a key element in the pursuit of great tone.

The PowerStage 700 is a 700-watt power amp with a clean preamp section and 3-band global EQ. It has stereo inputs, stereo speaker outputs and stereo XLR outputs with True Cab Circuitry (TCC)™ cabinet emulation. TCC is an analog circuit designed to replicate a great 4×12 cab through a PA.

You can even run your pedals straight into your DAW with full speaker simulation, or use the stereo inputs for complex signal routing. And if you use a modeler or digital preamp, PowerStage 700 is going to change the way you perform, as Seymour Duncan SVP of Products & CRO Max Gutnik explains.

“There has never really been a power amp designed specifically for guitarists using modelers and digital preamps,” Max says. “We created a solution that replicated what you were trying to accomplish in your modeler, but had the feel and reaction of playing through a real tube amp. Then there’s a global EQ so you don’t need to scroll through to an EQ menu and deal with the encoder resolution. When you’re at the gig and you need a quick change because things all of a sudden sound brighter or darker because of the room, you can simply walk over and tweak it.”

Whether you use pedals, modelers or anything else to get your signature sound, the PowerStage 700 will let you amplify it in a clean platform. It can sit on top of your amp or fit in two-thirds of a single rack space. It can plug into any cabinet at any impedance anywhere in the world, thanks to its versatile 100v-240v power supply.

Powerful enough to take away any worries about the backline, but compact enough to fit in a backpack. Let us show you why it’s time to rethink the power amp!

Seymour Duncan revamps convenience with a power amp voiced for guitar players that fits directly on a pedalboard

SANTA BARBARA, CA June 29, 2017 – Seymour Duncan, a leading manufacturer of guitar electronics, announces the PowerStage™ 700, the first power amp designed specifically for guitar players who create their tone with pedals, modelers and effects processors.

The PowerStage 700 is a stereo power amp that offers 700 watts of power per channel, a clean preamp section and precision 3-band global EQ. PowerStage 700 also features analog speaker emulation using our proprietary True Cab Circuitry (TCC)™, allowing you to go direct live, run your pedals straight into your DAW with full speaker simulation, use the stereo inputs for complex signal routing, re-amping and more.

“There has never really been a power amp designed and voiced specifically for guitarists using modelers and digital preamps. We created a solution that is powerful, portable and delivers the tone, feel and dynamics of playing through a real tube amp,” says Seymour Duncan SVP of Products & CRO, Max Gutnik. “A lot of players who use modelers want to use a real cab onstage so they turn their cab modeling off at the modeler, but they still want to go direct to front of house. Our True Cab Circuitry is an analog circuit designed to replicate a great 4×12 cabinet through a PA.”

Whether you use pedals, modelers or anything else to get your signature sound, the PowerStage 700 will let you amplify it in a clean platform. It can sit on top of your amp or fit in two-thirds of a single rack space. It can plug into any cabinet at any impedance anywhere in the world, thanks to its versatile 100v-240v power supply.

• 350 W at 8 Ohms, 700 W at 4 Ohms
• 3-band EQ
• True Cab Circuitry (TCC)™ stereo XLR outputs
• Stereo inputs, stereo speaker outputs and stereo XLR outputs
• $699

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCY9-O8Pz4o

Landing page: http://www.seymourduncan.com/power-amp/powerstage-700

About Seymour Duncan

Seymour Duncan celebrates a rich history as the world’s leading guitar electronics manufacturer. Since 1976, we have helped guitarists from around the globe develop their unique, signature sound. Today, we continue our relentless pursuit of tone through our iconic pickups, award-winning pedals and innovative amplifiers. These are designed and manufactured by our dedicated team of craftsman in Santa Barbara, California. For more information, please visit seymourduncan.com.

Media contact:

Elysse Miller
Seymour Duncan
[email protected]

Do you have Seymour Duncan pedals in your collection? Want more? Of course you do, we all know more is better. Post your Seymour Duncan pedals on social media and you could add to your SD pedal cache.

Here’s how it works: post a pic or video to your social media account featuring your Seymour Duncan pedal, and tag it #MySDpedals. Be sure to tag us too whether it’s on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

You’ll be automatically entered into our ongoing quarterly contest to win a Seymour Duncan pedal. Each month we’ll also select one post to be featured in our newsletter (and we’ll even let you plug your band if you like).

Visit this link for more on our ever-growing pedal range.

More info and contest rules here.

Seymour Duncan Releases the Andromeda Dynamic Delay Pedal

SANTA BARBARA, CA April 9, 2017 – Seymour Duncan, a leading manufacturer of pickups, pedals and power amps, announces the Andromeda Dynamic Delay, a digital delay that employs the same Dynamic Expression™ technology found in the Catalina Dynamic Chorus to let you control certain effect parameters with your picking strength.

The Andromeda lets you choose between digital and analog-simulated versions of Normal, Ping Pong, Reverse and Reverse Pong delay types, while Dynamic Expression can be applied to the Mix, Modulation or Saturation parameters so you can vary the intensity of these effects in real-time simply by changing your picking strength.

A Tap Tempo footswitch and a Tap Value control let you quickly sync your echo repeats to the song, and the Andromeda can also store your presets for easy recall or be controlled via MIDI. It has stereo inputs and outputs, and you can decide whether the repeats cut off immediately when you hit the Bypass switch or trail off naturally. The Tap/Presets switch also has a Hold For Freeze function that gives you a further level of interaction during live performance.

“We created Andromeda to sound amazing and solve a few unique problems for delay users,” says Seymour Duncan SVP of Products & CRO, Max Gutnik. “First, nobody likes paging through layers of menus to find key features inside an LCD or LED display, so we put all of Andromeda’s features and functionality on to the surface of the pedal.”

“Second, players want the ability to create different colors and textures with their delay tone. So we provided both analog and digital delay palettes with a lot of tone-shaping functionality that can easily tweaked and shaped to taste. And finally, Dynamic Expression’s ability calibrate how much effect you’re getting based on your playing intensity is huge. It’s almost like having a virtual engineer riding the effects mix for you. When players get a hold of Andromeda and see how much it can enhance their performance, I think they’re gonna to be stoked.”

With Andromeda, digital delay is finally given the same natural interactivity and intuitiveness as effects like overdrive and wah-wah. Delay is no longer just an ambient effect that follows your guitar sound – it can also become an integral part of your performance.

• Digital and Analog-voiced Normal, Ping Pong, Reverse and Reverse Pong options
• Dynamic Expression™ on Mix, Modulation or Saturation
• Presets, MIDI and tap tempo
• $399

The Andromeda Dynamic Delay is made in the USA and will be available on April 9, 2017.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUqh8gw5Zh0

About Seymour Duncan

Seymour Duncan celebrates a rich history as the world’s leading pickup and pedal manufacturer. Since 1976, Seymour Duncan has helped the world’s artists develop their own unique, signature sounds. This is accomplished through a dedicated team of craftsman at their Santa Barbara, California office. For more information, please visit seymourduncan.com.

We’ll be at the annual Dallas International Guitar Festival this weekend, Friday May 5 to Sunday May 7 at Dallas Market Hall, Dallas, TX. The Dallas show began in a small meeting room of a hotel in 1978. Now it’s in 140,000 square feet of display space bringing together guitar dealers, manufacturers, collectors, celebrities and music enthusiasts.

Seymour W Duncan will be winding pickups at the booth – two sessions each day! Watch him hand wind a Hendrix pickup at our booth, and if you’re the lucky winner you may get that very pickup!

This year our own Kevin Harvey will be demoing our PowerStage 700 power amp, and our range of pedals, with his Zephyr-loaded Telecaster. We’ll also have lots of artists dropping by, and you never know who you’ll bump into!

We’ll be streaming on Facebook Live during the weekend, so keep an eye on our Facebook Page, and we’ll be posting pics to Instagram and Twitter too.

Booth #625

SWD Winding Schedule
Friday, Saturday & Sunday @ 1:30 & 3:30

Demo Slot
Saturday @ 12:10 @ D’Angelico Stage

Show Hours

Friday, May 5
9 am – 12 noon (Exhibitors only)
12 noon – 7 pm (General Public)

Friday Night Concert
7 pm – 12 Mid

Saturday, May 6
10 am – 7 pm

Saturday Night All Star Jam
8:30 pm – 12 Mid

Sunday, May 7
10 am – 6 pm

Location
Dallas Market Hall
2200 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75207

Show Website
http://www.guitarshow.com