# Gibson's Alnico 8 era and Bonamassa's P-90s

> Nine gear drops from one week, from a $199 modeling pedal to Gibson's first Alnico 8 humbuckers.
- Title: Gibson's Alnico 8 era and Bonamassa's P-90s · Guitar World
- Summary: Nine gear drops from one week, from a $199 modeling pedal to Gibson's first Alnico 8 humbuckers. The best gear this week is cheap and clever: a $199 Spark…
- Keywords: guitar gear, pedals, gibson, squier, new releases, Gibson's, Alnico, era, Bonamassa's, P-90s, Guitar World
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/gear/guitar-world-round-up-09-12-26
- Published: 2026-09-12T10:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: guitar gear, pedals, gibson, squier, new releases
## A week of gear, sorted
Guitar World's weekly round-up picks out what actually landed across seven days of releases, from major-brand launches to boutique drops you probably scrolled past.
## Positive Grid goes floor-based
The Spark Pedal is Positive Grid's first floor amp modeler and multi-effects unit, taking the popular practice-amp formula and putting it under your feet.
## $199 and hard to beat
It packs amp models, effects, a looper, stereo output, Spark AI tone creation and the community preset library. The review called it nigh on impossible to craft a bad tone with.

> nigh on impossible to craft a bad tone
## Bonamassa's P-90 origin story
A 1961 Gibson SG fitted with P-90s is the guitar that made Joe Bonamassa fall for the pickup. He worked with Seymour Duncan to recreate it as the Pawn Shop set.
## A 12-string Squier Tele
The Paranormal Series gets its first signature model, a Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII in Copper. The Queens of the Stone Age guitarist has played a Custom Shop version for years.
## Built to stay in tune
Van Leeuwen skipped the vintage-style bridge on purpose. At $599, the priority was a 12-string that works straight out of the box.

> when you've got 12 strings, you really need them to stay in tune
## John Cruz lands at Farida
Ex-Fender Master Builder John Cruz has teamed up with Chinese builder Farida on the JC-1, a debut model that looks awfully familiar given the current market.
## Fresh paint and pedalboards
Yamaha's Pacifica Plus adds Sonic Blue, Ice Blue, Fired Red and Tobacco Brown Sunburst. RockBoard finally shipped Second Tiers, its most requested product ever.
## Gretsch goes black limba
The Electromatic CVT and Jet get a black limba makeover, putting a striking tonewood on Gretsch's affordable electrics.
## Gibson's first Alnico 8
ELEV8 humbuckers move from the Victory Baritone to the aftermarket. It is the first time Gibson has ever used Alnico 8 magnets in a pickup.
## Three pedals worth a look
SolidGoldFX's FUZZBOX updates the Tone Bender MKII silicon fuzz for modern boards, EarthQuaker's Easy Listening headphone amp goes stereo, and Walrus adds a Lo-Fi Delay to the Fundamental line.
## Key takeaway

The best gear this week is cheap and clever: a $199 Spark Pedal and a $599 12-string Squier Tele lead a list where boutique ideas keep sliding down in price.