Welcome to UpFront Guitars and Music

Welcome to UpFront Guitars! April flowers have given way to May flowers, and the grass is growing so fast we can hear it at night. We are in are usual state of perpetual behind-ness, and we've got lots of new guitars just waiting to be photographed, tested and put out there for all to see. There are new G&L's, Godin Guitars, ValveTrain and Rivera products and accessories waiting in the wings, and now that we've done our taxes we can turn our attention back to business. All our stuff is made in the USA and Canada, and we deal with independent businessmen and craftsman who put their heart and soul into their products. Buying a quality piece of musical gear should be a enjoyable experience, and not like buying a toaster at the local Big Box. As always, if you have any questions about our products or are looking for something you don't see, please call or email and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.  We're here to help you fulfill your musical goals and provide intelligent conversation and knowledgeable advice. What you play influences how you play: The gear leads the ear.

So What's New At UpFront Guitars?

One Last G&L Korina Edition left! - Sometimes my memory is not so good, and and I forgot we had one more coming. We've got one last G&L ASAT Junior Korina on the way. This is the model with 2 G&L designed P-90 pickups, Gotoh bridge and tailpiece, and Pao Ferro fingerboard. The G&L P-90's are outstanding: Clear and distinct with plenty of punch, and when overdriven they have that classic P-90 grind. The ASAT Jr's totally sold out, so this has to be one of the last. Call or email for pricing.

G&L 2012 Special Edition - G&L just announced to today that they are taking orders on the 2012 Special Edition guitars. These guitars are Swamp Ash with a light Amber tint, and a new "Nearly Naked" thin finish. Plus they are paired with a really cool looking Baltic Amber pickguard. Swamp Ash is a great tone wood, and the thin finish will let more of that tone through. There are several models available and we've already got an ASAT Classic S, S-500 and Legacy on order. Pricing is shockingly good, so please call or email for more information. You can also see the new line at: http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/USA/2012_Special_Collection/index.asp

The Russians are Coming! - Mitch at Emerson Custom Guitars has finished an exclusive run for us of pre-wired assemblies using NOS Russian Paper in Oil Capacitors. PIO capacitors have a warm smooth tone and very gradual turn-down. They are the Cat's Pajamas of tone caps. They will be avialable for Strat, Tele 4-way and Les Paul. In stock shortly.

ValveTrain - Pound for pound, the hand-wired ValveTrain line offers outstanding materials and performance. If you are looking for a product that captures the classic Fullerton sound, ValveTrain has really nailed it. Yes, they increased their prices last year, but they also improved their products, enlarged the cabinet for better sound, and upgraded the quality of their tubes. They are even better products now, and are still priced  on par with many "re-issue" amplifiers that are really only reissue in looks and not in construction.

ADA Amplifiers - A bit of a misnomer, back in the late 70's ADA Amps was on the forefront of the effects industry. Their signature products were lovely analog phasers and flangers used by some of the guitar gods of the day such as Pat Travers. Fast forward a couple decades and some of the original creative minds behind the original ADA are back and are offering reissues of their original phaser and flanger, plus an exciting new product.  The new product is an extremely flexible guitar preamp, suitable for recording and stage use either into an amplifier or direct into a speaker emulator or board. All made in California, we've got the Flanger and the Preamp in stock. Pictures and a complete write up shortly.

UpFront Guitars Evidence Audio Patch Cables - These are made specially for us using Evidence Audio Monorail Solid Core Cable, durable strain relief's, and Switchcraft Connectors. Thesw are some of the best sounding patch cables available anywhere, and once you experience the clean smooth tone of solid core cables, there is no going back. We guarantee you will hear the difference.

Campbell American - Our first Campbell is in stock, a stunning Transitone in "174" Blue. This guitar has a 25.5" scale, alder body, and three Lollar mini-humbuckers. The playability is flawless, and the tight, focused sound of the mini-hums combines the best of both the single coil and humbucker world. This is a truly unique guitar that plays and sounds unlike anything else. Also on order is the new Campbell WEW in a Vintage White finish.

Angry Angus - We've sold our two Angus Testy guitars, but don't fret (hah!) as we have a Lake Placid Blue "Nashville" style Testy, and a Three Color Sunburst Testy with white binding on order. We still have a pretty Two Color Burst Angus Surly in stock, just waiting for a worthy owner.  These are not "parts guitars": Angus makes their own necks, bodies, and sprays their own nitro finish right here in New England. These guitars are flawlessly built, finished, and set up, and for a few bucks more than a production guitar you can have perfection without compromise.

G&L SC-2 - As you can see from our "On Order" page we have a lot going on with the SC-2, and rightly so. The SC-2 is a lightweight USA-made powerhouse with two ASAT Special pickups, and the bridge pickup is specially wound for more thickness and output. A base SC-2 can be had for less than $1000, but you can customize them too just like any other G&L. Players have discovered how much fun these guitars are, and how affordable.

Godin - Just arrived is the new Godin Core P-90 with set neck, chambered mahogany body, and 2 Duncan P-90's. Lot's of straight-ahead rock fun at a very reasonable price. Godin now offers their versatile A6 Ultra in a nice high gloss transparent red, and we've got one of those too. Also new and in stock is the Godin Session Plus, with upgraded GS-2 single coils, improved switching, and Godin's active revoicer. At a $745 MAP, it's another winner from Godin. Lastly, Godin has released a limited run of 100 Godin Sessions in Coral Blue, and yes we grabbed one.

Rio Grande Pickups - Lots of style in stock, so check out our site or email us for availability. We typically have an order coming every couple of weeks, so if you need a special, you won't have to wait long.