Today's Top Stories:

  Shure Shuts Down Counterfeiters
Illinois-based Shure Incorporated, the largest manufacturer of microphones in the world, recently cooperated with authorities to help nail a counterfeit ring that was manufacturing and distributing fake Shure products in the Far East and likely had plans to expand the operation. Customs authorities seized a container of audio goods that were imported through Bangkok, Thailand and which included a large quantity of counterfeit SM58 microphones destined for retail outlets. Shure investigators, assisted by the Thai Crime Supervision Division, successfully raided six locations and confiscated several thousand counterfeit Shure products and infringing items were seized. In addition to these seizures, a number of people were arrested and charged.

  The Peavey Report
As we mentioned yesterday, a huge truckload of Peavey equipment has hit the Sweetwater warehouse. Here's a few of the fine new offerings in stock:

• Peavey Classic 50/212 — When Peavey first introduced the Classic back in 1991, most people assumed it was simply an attempt to recreate the look of some of the mega-priced boutique amps and reissues. But once they plugged into one, it quickly became apparent that this wasn't just another pretty face. Today's Peavey Classic 50/212 is a 2-channel design that features four EL84s, three 12AX7s, and 50 watts of fan-cooled power in a tweed-covered cabinet and chrome-plated chassis. Controls include active presence, 3-band passive EQ, pre- and post-gain controls on the lead channel, master volume, and reverb level. The 50/212 is loaded with two 12-inch Blue Marvel speakers.
• Peavey Classic 30/112 — For players that want all the sweet tube tone of the Classic 50/212, but in a 30-watt package with one 12-inch Blue Marvel speaker. It's smaller and lighter, so carrying it to gigs is easier, but you won't have to compromise your sound one iota.
• Peavey Delta Blues Combo — If you live and breathe the blues, the Peavey Delta Blues Combo delivers 30 watts of pure tube tone in a 2-channel, chrome-plated amp loaded with one monster 15-inch Blue Marvel speaker in a tasty, tweed-covered cabinet. Yes, it has all the knobs you need to dial in your sound, like 3-band passive EQ, pre- and post-gain controls on the lead channel, a boost switch, external speaker jack, and even an effects loop. It's equipped with a master reverb plus (and here's the really cool part) built-in tremolo with speed and intensity controls. Plug in your favorite guitar and wail. This one's a keeper!
• Peavey Dual Deltafex — It's like having two multieffects processors in one outrageously affordable unit. Dual inputs and outputs allow for four separate operational modes: Series and Parallel modes process a stereo input into a stereo output, but the Dual Mono mode configures the unit exactly like two separate stereo effects processors. Sum Mono combines the two effects units into one pair of outputs. There are 16 programmable effects including multiple reverbs and delays, compressor, pitch shifter, chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, rotary speaker, distortion, exciter and even karaoke (vocal eliminator).

  Guitar Of The Day
Dubbed "the king of the flat-tops," Gibson's SJ-200 Super Jumbo has backed everyone from the singing cowboy stars of the 1930s to today's rock and country superstars. This reissue is a dead-on recreation of the classic early-1950s model and features the original 25-1/2" scale and a solid Sitka spruce top. Pre-war SJ-200s had a rosewood back and sides, but by the '50s, this was replaced with a gorgeous Eastern curly maple back and sides with authentic checkerboard marquetry. The neck is also crafted of Eastern curly maple and comes with a real Madagascar rosewood fingerboard and authentic mother-of-pearl crown inlays. The tortoiseshell pickguard features a cream flower pattern, border, and yellow/orange dots, and the crown-inlaid headstock sports gold Gotoh tuners with pearloid keystone buttons. Even the bridge is distinctive. In the 1950s, Gibson designed what has come to be known as the "moustache bridge," which was probably meant to look like two cow's horns. This particular bridge design appeared on several of the company's high end models and here it includes real mother-of-pearl bars and dots with white pins. The original SJ-200s were only rarely seen with a natural finish, but Gibson made the right call here and decided on an antique natural for this reissue. But looks aren't everything, so we're happy to report that the SJ-200 has a huge sound - rich and full with lots of volume and plenty of glossy overtones. Of course, a guitar this special comes with a plush-lined hardshell case.