Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Kate Bush Army Dreamers
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Theory of Feels
  1. Guitars
  2. Acoustic Guitars

New guitar gear of the month: review round-up (November 2011)

News
By Chris Vinnicombe published 2 November 2011

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Morpheus Bomber (£239)

Morpheus Bomber (£239)

Every month MusicRadar's industry-leading sister magazines - Guitarist, Computer Music, Total Guitar, Rhythm and Future Music - publish the world's best independent and in-depth music-making gear reviews.

This is a collection of electric and acoustic guitars, amps and effects - all of which have been meticulously tested by either Guitarist or Total Guitar in recent months and published on MusicRadar throughout October 2011.

Flick through this month's picks and follow the links to read each product's full review. First up, the Morpheus Bomber...

Verdict:

"A versatile, easy-to-use and gig-proof polyphonic pitchshifter."

4 out of 5

Read Total Guitar's Morpheus Bomber review here

BUY: Morpheus Bomber currently available from:
UK: Thomann | Gear4Music

Page 1 of 13
Page 1 of 13
BC Rich Joey Jordison Warlock II (£439)

BC Rich Joey Jordison Warlock II (£439)

Verdict:

"Solid mid-priced electric for those fancying a bit of danger."

4 out of 5

Read Total Guitar's review of the BC Rich Joey Jordison Warlock II here

Page 2 of 13
Page 2 of 13
Charvel Desolation DS-1 ST (£634)

Charvel Desolation DS-1 ST (£634)

Verdict:

"A lot of axe for your money - but it's a strong mid-price field out there at the mo."

4 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the Charvel Desolation DS-1 ST here

Page 3 of 13
Page 3 of 13
Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster (£359)

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster (£359)

Verdict:

"An affordable classic, tweaked just enough to bring it bang up to date."

4 out of 5

Read Total Guitar's review of the Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster here

BUY: Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 4 of 13
Page 4 of 13
Yamaha JR2 (£135)

Yamaha JR2 (£135)

Verdict:

"Easy to carry and packing a respectable sound, the JR2 is a guitar that's cheap and cheerful in the best possible way."

3 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the Yamaha JR2 here

BUY: Yamaha JR2 currently available from:
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 5 of 13
Page 5 of 13
Italia Mondial Classic (£569)

Italia Mondial Classic (£569)

Verdict:

"If you're looking more for electric than acoustic and aren't put off by its eccentricities, the Mondial is well worth checking out."

4 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the Italia Mondial Classic here

BUY: Italia Mondial Classic currently available from:
UK: Thomann

Page 6 of 13
Page 6 of 13
Michael Kelly Hybrid Special (£587)

Michael Kelly Hybrid Special (£587)

Verdict:

"Gorgeous build and finish, genuinely versatile tone."

4 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the Michael Kelly Hybrid Special here

Page 7 of 13
Page 7 of 13
Fractal Audio Systems Axe-Fx II (£1993)

Fractal Audio Systems Axe-Fx II (£1993)

Verdict:

"It's not for the faint of wallet, but the Axe-Fx II delivers supreme modelling power in a hardy piece of kit."

4 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the Fractal Audio Systems Axe-Fx II here

Page 8 of 13
Page 8 of 13
PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow (£699)

PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow (£699)

Verdict:

"Gorgeously constructed all-rounder."

4 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow here

Page 9 of 13
Page 9 of 13
Hagstrom Deuce F (£536)

Hagstrom Deuce F (£536)

Verdict:

"For the money, you'll struggle to find a better guitar than this. A real winner."

5 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the Hagstrom Deuce F here

Page 10 of 13
Page 10 of 13
Schecter Chris Garza (£879)

Schecter Chris Garza (£879)

Verdict:

"Awesome modern twist on classic stylings: overcome your preconceptions and check out the range of this grown-up seven-string."

4 out of 5

Read Total Guitar'sSchecter Chris Garza review here

Page 11 of 13
Page 11 of 13
Martin DRS1 (£809)

Martin DRS1 (£809)

Verdict:

"An excellent all-round performer offering unbeatable value for money."

4.5 out of 5

Read the Guitarist Martin DRS1 review here

BUY: Martin DRS1 currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 12 of 13
Page 12 of 13
MXR Noise Clamp (£119)

MXR Noise Clamp (£119)

Verdict

"A quality, no-frills piece of kit that does exactly what it says on the tin."

4 out of 5

Read the Total Guitar review of the MXR Noise Clamp here

BUY: MXR Noise Clamp currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | DV247
US: Sweetwater

Page 13 of 13
Page 13 of 13
Chris Vinnicombe

Chris Vinnicombe worked with us here on the MusicRadar team from the site's initial launch way back in 2007, and also contributed to Guitarist magazine as Features Editor until 2014, as well as Total Guitar magazine, amongst others. These days he can be found at Gibson Guitars, where he is editor-in-chief.

Read more
MusicRadar author Matt McCracken plays a Manson 007 electric guitar at The Guitar Show in Birmingham, UK
Guitars Here's 7 of the hottest guitar gear releases I tried at The Guitar Show this weekend that are available to buy right now
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Score hundreds off PRS, Bose, and Moog - and grab a new guitar pedal for less than £10!
 
 
Close up of LR Baggs acoustic guitar pickup
Guitar Pickups Best acoustic guitar pickups 2025: electrify your acoustic for stage, studio and sound fx – our top picks for all budgets
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Score $390 off a divisive Fender Stratocaster, $180 off a stunning Gretsch and hundreds off PA and live gear
 
 
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
 
 
Harley Benton ST-Modern Carlos Asensio
Electric Guitars “An absolute steal when it comes to quality and value for money”: Harley Benton ST-Modern Carlos Asensio CGM review
 
 
Latest in Acoustic Guitars
Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor Ltd in Vintage White
Guitars Gretsch just released the most vibey acoustic guitar of the year and it’s only $249
 
 
The Taylor Jacob Collier GS Mini is a compact five-string acoustic that encourages players to explore Collier's D-A-E-A-D tuning.
Acoustic Guitars “This is quite a hard guitar to categorise – and perhaps Jacob Collier likes it that way... For the right player, though, it could be the key to experiencing guitar anew”: Taylor Jacob Collier GS Mini 5-String review
 
 
The Martin 00L Biosphere IV is created in tribute to the emperor penguin, and features a family of them on its graphic-finish top.
Guitars Martin marks Earth Day with a custom graphic 00L Biosphere IV acoustic in the name of penguin preservation
 
 
Yamaha has unveiled more concert and dreanought sizes of its cutting-edge TransAcoustic acoustic guitar range, with the TAG Cutaway models offering Bluetooth support
Guitars Yamaha expands TransAcoustic lineup with more guitars that look like regular acoustics but are anything but
 
 
A landscape shot of the iconic Guitar Center logo and shop entrance to its Sunset Boulevard store.
Guitars “We are about to do something insane”: Guitar Center is launching its own guitar brand “from the ground up”
 
 
Gibson L-00 Century
Acoustic Guitars "For blues players and fingerstyle enthusiasts especially, it’s hard to imagine a better-suited companion": Gibson L-00 Century 12-Fret review
 
 
Latest in News
[L-R] Khemmis' Phil Pendergast and Ben Hutcherson [inset] A Behringer Super Fuzz
Artists Khemmis just made one of the heavy metal records of the year using a $28 plastic fuzz pedal
 
 
Sir Robin Millar CBE, 2024
Producers & Engineers “Inclusion is not charity”: Blind producer takes action against firm he co-founded
 
 
Emily Green, Cameron Winter and Dominic DiGesu of Geese at Brooklyn Paramount on November 21, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Griffin Lotz/Rolling Stone via Getty Images)
Artists Geese’s record label dismisses the suggestion that their success was contrived amid 'psyop' drama
 
 
behringer
Tech Behringer "leak" reveals 14 unreleased products, including E-mu SP-1200, Yamaha CS-80, EMS VCS 3 and Korg Mini-Pops 7 clones
 
 
R&B musician Stevie Wonder in the recording studio circa 1972.  (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Artists Stevie Wonder’s '70s synth guru Robert Margouleff on the moment he knew their partnership was over
 
 
Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor Ltd in Vintage White
Guitars Gretsch just released the most vibey acoustic guitar of the year and it’s only $249
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...