This month CREEM presents a special report on New Products, introducing some of the latest developments in musical instruments and technology as an aid to all the aspiring musicians and producers out there in Boy Howdy land.

GHS STRINGS NEW PRESSURE—WOUND

GHS Strings of Battle Creek, Michigan is introducing a new series of electric bass strings known as pressure-wound. The new pressure-wound bass strings offer a tone brighter and smoother than any round-wound strings. Pressurerounds feature a highly magnetic nickel alloy that's squeezed under pressure as it's wrapped around the core wire.

THE WASHBURN B-70 BASS & FV-30 FLYING V

Washburn Guitars is now offering a custom fabricated guitar originally designed for Quiet Riot's Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo. The limited editions of Sarzo's B-70 bass and Cavazo's FV-30 Flying V recently went on sale. The Sarzo bass features a unique rotary switch that provides multiple pick-up combinations. In addition, a three-ply laminated maple neck, ebony finger board, jumbo silver-nickel fretters and a frequency selector are but a few of the goodies provided. The B-70 is in sculptured solid ash in a brilliant black and white spiral finish. The FV-30 offers a wide variety of sounds, from a single-coiled softness to an all-out heavy metal raunch. The FV-30 sports a mahogany body, three-ply maple neck in a black finish with red binding, and comes with or without vibrato.

^PEARL'S GLX SUPER PRO

Here's something for drummers so hot we can't even show you a picture of it. It's the new GLX Super Pro drums from Pearl. The Super Pro's feature Pearl's new Super Gripper lugs and Super Hoops. The new lugr allow faster head changes and quick precise tuning, the problems experienced with conventional-style lugs. The Super Grippers allow no tension rod backoff, and the springless design eliminates normal lug rattle. In addition, Pearl's Super Grippers let you change the heads by loosening each tension rod only a few turns. The lugs can then be snapped open for easy hoop/head removal. All the tension rods stay with the hoop. Pearl maintains it's so easy you can "do it in the dark." To get a sneak preview, stop in at your dealer and have him turn the lights off.

DEAN MARKLEY T-160 & T-l 20

For all tube amp enthusiasts, D. Markley has introduced its T-60 and T-120 rack-mounted "signature series" amps. The T-60 offers 50 watts, while the T-120 has 100 watts, in a single-channel unit ideal for either stage or studio. Other features include versatile tone controls, dual range sensitivity switch and a high pass filter for treble control. The T-120 comes standard with an internal fan. Each can also be ordered with reverb. (pictured below)

ARIA'S NEW STUDIOTRACK HH

Aria Music recently introduced its Studiotrack-4, a multi-recorder, as part of its arsenal of electronic sound tools. The Studiotrack was designed for musicians and songwriters—as well as production companies—and records four separate tracks, expandable to ten layers of sound. In addition to its compactness, the Studiotrack features noise reduction, pitch control mikeline input and a 19-inch rack-mount chassis.

PEAVEY'S DECA/600.

Peavey has come up with a new digital energy conversion amp. The new series of amps (nicknamed DECA) operate in an efficiency range of 90 percent, far exceeding previous class A/B power amps. The new Deca-600 (300 watts per channel) is capable of high-efficiency energy transfer at professional performance specifications. Rack-mountable and lightweight, the Deca-600 provides an innovative approach to signal amplification.