The Jackson Dinky and Ibanez RG are long-time favorites in the rock and metal guitar community. Both represent excellent choices for rock players looking for a new axe with a history of getting the job done right. In a spirit of fostering healthy competition and debate, your intrepid staff here at Gear-Vault have decided to put these two legendary planks side by side to see how different they might be from each other and which of you should buy which.

More here: Jackson Dinky vs. Ibanez RG Shootout Review

Here’s an excerpt of a very well-written, enthusiastic show review of Mr. Big’s 2009 concert given at Gasometer in Vienna, Austria

Read the review here: Concert Review: Mr. Big, Vienna (Gasometer) 2009

Ambient Metal Constructions 3 was created by Chimp Spanner, an instrumental progressive rock project created by UK based multi-instrumentalist and composer Paul Ortiz.

Continue here: Producer Loops Ambient Metal Constructions 3

Boutique pedal startup Muzemazer announces Chromavoder, a musical instrument harmonizer featuring two voices of polyphonic chromatic transposition with an eight octave range, physics simulation for transposed sound without delay or artifacts, and the playable feel of a tuned musical instrument.

More here: Muzemazer Chromavoder

Digital Music Doctor has released a new analysis which compares seven of the most popular Digital Audio Workstation software products from DigiDesign, Steinberg, Cakewalk, MOTU, Apple, Ableton and Image Line.

More here: Digital Music Doctor Digital Audio Workstation Shootout

Meatscience has released Bitsmacker, a digital distortion described as a “swiss army knife for adding that certain digital crustiness to your pristine audio signal.”

Continue here: Meatscience Bitsmacker

Designed to embody a “blend of beauty, refined craftsmanship, and playing comfort,” Taylor Guitars is introducing a special 35th Anniversary edition guitar series with a sculpted armrest, for the first time on a Taylor guitar.

More here: Taylor 35th Anniversary Armrest Series

Coreblade delivers earth-shattering 100-watts of tube power that combines brutal tone, untamed dynamics and explosive punch with amazing flexibility unequaled by any other tube amp so far.

More here: Hughes & Kettner Coreblade Guitar Amplifier

Here are a few excerpts from an interview conducted by Pierre Journel of La Chaine Guitare in France, with American guitar virtuoso and composer Steve Vai. Transcribed by Jenn

More here: Interview with Steve Vai, La Chaîne Guitare, 10/09

Here’s a nice review of Mr. Big’s show at Diesel in Budapest, Sept.

Continue on here: Concert Review: Mr. Big, Budapest (Diesel) 2009