BLUE SUEDE NICKERS

Yes, we do know how to spell the other version, but your evil minds have totally misconstrued our innocent headline! What, in fact, we are referring to is two stolen Tokais lifted from a vehicle belonging to Tokai's distributors, Blue Suede Music on March 29th.

These were a Tokai TLS 120 VVF (Serial No. 101078) bearing a striking resemblance to a flame-top Les Paul of the 1958 kind. The second Tokai should be a dead giveaway. It's a left-handed bass (a la Jazz bass) in side a tweed case. The instrument is in a natural finish with highly figured wood, a rosewood neck and has the words "Tokai — Paul McCartney". Blue Suede Music say this bass was custom made and is the only left-handed Tokai bass of this type in the country. Blue Suede Music are offering a 'substantial reward' for information leading to the recovery of these two instruments and the conviction of the thieves. Any reader who comes across them should contact Blue Suede Music Ltd. at (Contact Details).

MAIRANTS CAN FIX IT

Back in issue 14 we looked at the subject of guitar repairs and promised to keep adding to our list of repairmen up and down the country. The latest we've heard from (should have occurred to us at the time) is Ivor Mairants. General Manager, Stanley Pearce, has written to remind us that they have offered a full repair service for the last 20 years. Interested readers can contact Mairants at (Contact Details).

New Amps & Racks from MTR

It's surprising just how many rack mountable units there are on the market these days — just about everything from studio gear to P.A. equipment and even stage units like effects and power amps. The trouble is that there really aren't that many racks to put all this stuff into! One answer, thankfully, has just been launched by M.T.R. who've announced a 12 unit version of their 'Statik Rak' at £63.25 inc. VAT. — very useful stuff all this.

Also from M.T.R. come two new amps from Northern manufacturers McGregor. These are the Raider 50 Lead (selling at an RRP of £156 inc VAT) a 50 watt combo with sustain circuitry, bass, treble and parametric mid, fitted with a 12" McKenzie speaker. There's also a 100 watt bass model, similarly dubbed a 'Raider'. This latter version is powered by MOS FET trannies and offers bright, boost plus bass boost on a button, normal bass, treble and notch filter. A 15" McKenzie speaker is fitted and the RRP is set at a low-ish £200.

Further details from Tony Reeves at M.T.R. Ltd. (Contact Details).

JAPANESE RAIDERS IN GLITTERING ASSAULT

Some of the most bizarre colouring ever seen on a new line of guitars has been launched by leading makers Westone, through FCN, their U.K. importers.

Called the Raiders, the new models come in a variety of colour combinations and in both guitar and bass versions. Depending on your degree of colour blindness you can have a Raider 1 Lead in Fire Red/Onyx or Black and Silver sparkle (the latter colour being the more off the wall). The Raider 1 features chromed hardware and will retail for a recommended £169.95. A bass model (the Raider 1 bass) will be on the market at around £179.95. Gold plated hardware can be obtained on both the Raider II Lead (£189.95) or the Raider Bass II (£199.95) and the colour schemes for these up-market models are Yellow/Blue Sparkle. Just wait till you see them in the shops!

Both models of these latest Westones feature fairly unusual shapes but seem to be well balanced to handle and easy to use, employing the bare minimum of controls and pickups (split on the bass, twin coil on the guitar). Further details can be obtained from FCN Ltd. (Contact Details).

FOSTEX START (ANOTHER) REVOLUTION

Being one jump ahead of everyone else seems to be a permanent hobby for home recording equipment makers Fostex — and they've launched what promises to be another significant step forward in the development of the cassette tape as the basis of home recording.

The revolution in question is in the shape of a Fostex X-15 Tracker, an incredibly small four track recorder with integral mixer. The whole package measures just 3"x 11½"x 7¾", comes in a neat moulded black plastic casing and is completely portable, in that it has an optional battery screw-on pack which will enable users to take it on the road with them. The X-15 Tracker will even run from a car battery (via the cigarette lighter socket) so it is usable virtually anywhere. Built in tone controls work on record as well as playback; they comprise treble and bass, and there are nice feeling sliders to use for setting overall volume levels on the mixer, signal strength being shown by two LED chains.

The X-15 even offers a remote punch-in facility (ideal for overdubs) which works via an air release shaped something like an orange (that's what it's actually called, by the way — the Fostex Orange) and each track is provided with rotary gain and pan controls. Monitoring is through mini-headphones, which are provided with their own level control and there is even provision for pitch variation to ±15% of normal (1⅞i.p.s.) tape speed. Noise reduction is via a built-in Dolby-B.

The main use of the X-15 would seem to be as an affordable multi-track machine for musicians starting on the road to full home studio work, or for players who would like that versatility offered by the X-15 to be able to be taken and used anywhere, without even the need for mains power.

We hadn't had time to try the X-15 before going to Press on this issue but have heard it working in so far as it was reproducing a four-track cassette originally recorded from an eight-track Fostex. The sound quality was remarkable — how good it would be if the sounds were actually originated on it we won't be able to say till we've had the chance to try one for ourselves.

Supplies of these Japanese-made units should be reaching the shops this month (May) and we predict that this could well become the cult item of 1983. The price? Well, it has a set RRP of £299 inc. VAT so start saving your pennies, you just may not be able to resist one of these machines! Further details from U.K. importers, BANDIVE LTD, at (Contact Details).

New Semi from Gordon Smith

Leading Manchester-based guitar makers Gordon Smith are about to unleash the first of their semi-acoustic models on the market. We managed to shoot this exclusive photo of the forthcoming model while distributor Keith Hand's back was turned and also (while we sent him off on a wild goose chase for a bag of chips) managed to try the prototype which he'd bought down to show us.

The Smith is an impressive instrument. We understand that it is to be called the Galaxy (more milk per bite?) and should retail at around £575 when it eventually makes the dealers.

The Galaxy will feature Gordon Smith's own designed and manufactured pickups and, if the sample we saw is anything to go by, should give established semi-acoustic makers something of a fight. Like all Smiths it will carry the usual 25 years guarantee. Keith might not thank us for rushing his latest baby into print but we're so impressed with it that we couldn't see why you should have to wait to see the story. Just to irritate him further (only joking!) you should be able to get more details of this and the other Gordon Smith guitars from distributors Keith Hand Musical Supplies Ltd. of (Contact Details).

NEW PICKUPS AND SPECTOR BASS HIT U.K. MARKET

The much talked about American-made EMG pickups (as fitted to the Steinberger Bass) are, at last, being launched onto the U.K. scene by importers and guitar specialists EFR Guitars.

The ten new EMG's are particularly interesting because they are low impedance types, now available as direct replacements for several of the most popular instruments around.

On the guitar front, EMG are offering complete Strat sets (in threes) with sound-types ranging 'original' through 'vintage' to 'Strat with Presence control'. Price of the sets will be around £106.95 inc. VAT. Les Pauls are catered for, with four distinct sounds: models including 'original humbucking', 'Vintage', 'New' and 'Firebird' types. Prices here are to be about £47.50 each.

Bass players who fancy a similar pickup to that fitted to the Steinberger can buy just such a model as can those who prefer 'P-Bass', 'J-Bass' or 'Mixed', one 'P' and one 'J' type! Prices for these will be £89.90 per pair. EMG's offer several unusual features in addition to their low impedance outputs (which enable you to use leads up to 100' long with no quality loss.es) such as being fitted with pre-wired jacks, battery clips, and control pots. They come with full instructions and specification sheets.

Also just about to be launched by EFR over here is the Spector custom bass, another contender in the 'superactive' league. The Spectors will come in two models, one with a through neck (at an RRP of £999 inc. VAT) or with a bolt-on neck (RRP £850). Both models employ EMG pickups, are fully active and come in a wide variety of luxurious woods like bird's eye maple cherry, walnut and others. Hardware includes Schaller M4 machine heads, brass nuts, a newly designed bridge (developed by Ned Steinberger) and a balance control, which enables you to juggle the output of the twin pickups to suit what you want. The Spector was, we are told, designed by Ned Steinberger.

Music U.K. is currently arranging an exclusive review of one of these U.S. made basses for a future issue.

Finally, EFR tell us that they have taken over sole distribution of those superb quality British-manufactured Overwater guitars and basses. Readers can contact EFR Guitars at (Contact Details).