This is a super easy to build cable tester circuit with low parts count.  I built mine with junk I had in my drawers.  (Note the  crappy quality stereo jacks being used as mono jacks since I don't want them in anything with sound going through them lol).

Here is where I found the circuit: https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=92973.0

Changes: I chose to omit the speaker.  I also did it as positive ground (and flipped the LED connections accordingly) because I had an all metal dc jack I wanted to use and rigged it up for standard "pedal power" where the shield is positive.  Lastly, I used 3mm LEDs and a 1k resistor instead of the listed 330 ohm.

No lights on means the cable is electrically open.  Just the red LED on means there is a short.  Both lights means you are in business!

I've had some time recently and have made some adjustments to the 5th Gear Overdrive I designed in college (https://www.ssguitar.com/index.php?topic=11).  This is pretty fantastic now.  No more noise when adjusting gain level, awesome clean when rolled all the way down.  Using my telecaster with regular Fender single coils it has a great edge of breakup sound around 10 o'clock, coming into solid rock and roll territory around 2 o'clock, then full on screamer at full gain.  Not quite metal gain, but honestly, getting close.

Try it, you might just love it!

All performing artists are going to start feeling the hit of Coronavirus, even if they don't get infected.  Most large venue concerts have been cancelled or probably will be soon due to mounting concerns of the virus spreading even farther.  I recommend what others have been saying for a while now on this: wash your hands regularly, stay away from large group gatherings, keep yourself healthy (eating properly, exercise, plenty of sleep, etc) so you can combat it if you do get infected.

https://www.gearnews.com/coronavirus-worries-mount-over-effect-on-live-music-for-2020/

D'Addario has released their "casein" picks.  These picks are suppose to be reminiscent or tortoiseshell picks but instead of being made of plastics, they are made of dairy proteins.  Sounds cheesy to me, but if they work, I'm all for it!  That said, at $21.99 for a single plectrum, I might stick with my Dunlop Nylons!

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/daddarios-casein-picks-aim-to-replicate-tortoiseshell-tone-using-dairy-proteins

For under $100 USD (exact price not released), you can get 55 hours of play time on this flat response acoustic amp.  Perfect for vocals, acoustic guitar, or (my thoughts), electric guitar with a pedal board!

https://www.guitarplayer.com/frets/blackstar-debuts-new-fly-3-acoustic-mini-amplifier

It's pretty amazing that germanium transistors are still in existence in modern life.  They are temperamental, difficult to find, large (relatively speaking), and OLD.  Germanium transistors came into existence in the 1950's, but were largely replaced by silicone transistors by the 1960's.  They do still exist even now in certain applications, one of them being guitar fuzz pedals.  Here is a brand new fuzz pedal using germanium in 2020 and it sounds awesome: https://www.gearnews.com/mad-professor-fuzz32-a-very-limited-edition-hand-wired-germanium-fuzz-pedal/

Snake oil has taken a new low.  There is now a $109 guitar amplifier power cable claiming that it increases clarity of your amplifier.  Seriously folks, this is nothing special.  It's a large copper cable.  If you are getting line loss on your stock 18AWG power cable, use a shorter cable.  Or buy a 14AWG or 16AWG cable to replace it.  Monoprice has them for less than $5 for the 14 gauge version.  For some reason, the reviewer at Guitar Player seems to think it makes an audible difference.  I highly doubt this claim.

https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/review-cutthroat-audio-copper-john-power-cable

I think this is a fantastic idea.  Rather than make an amp that does 50 different amp models, and probably only at a mediocre level, the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb emulates one model only.  It looks and sounds almost identical to the original Deluxe Reverb it is modeled after.  It's also half the price of the actual tube version, as well as half the weight.  I think this is a pretty firm solid state win.

https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/review-fender-tone-master-deluxe-reverb-1x12-combo

Fender has announced that they will be under new ownership - sort of.  Currently there is joint ownership between Servco Pacific and TGP Growth.  In the agreement, Servco Pacific will be purchasing TGP Growth's shares - making Servco Pacific the majority share holder.

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/fender-announces-change-in-ownership

Music Radar has shared their 5 top amps from NAMM: https://www.musicradar.com/news/hear-our-four-favourite-new-guitar-amps-of-namm-2020

Not sure I would totally agree, but I wasn't there either! 

No pricing, but my guess is $80-100.  They claim 3,000ma, not sure if they mean mah, which is different.  Regardless, kind of a neat piece of kit.

https://guitar.com/news/mission-engineering-announces-529m-variable-voltage-power-supply/

I'm thinking about adding reverb to my K20-X and rather than build out the circuit as the K30RX (they share the same board), I'm thinking of using a Belton brick.  This would require 9v DC to supply it.  I'm leaning towards simply attaching a basic 7809 regulator to the positive line of the +/-18v PSU output.  I know that technically this would draw a few ma off that end of the PSU potentially making it unbalanced, but I can't image it would be an issue.  So, what do you guys think?

Mooer Audio has released a new line of amps, the SD series.  They are bluetooth equipped digital solid state amps.  Boasting 40 preset slots and 25 amp models along with 30 or 75w of solid state power, these amps should shine at small gigs and rehearsal spaces as well as in the bedroom for solo practice.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-2020-small-compact-digital-and-with-a-tube-like-performance-mooer-audio-unveils-the-sd-amplifier-series

While tube amps definitely did come out to play, I'm looking at you Suhr Hombre, it seems solid state held it's own as well.

BlueGuitar Amp X: https://www.gearnews.com/namm-2020-bluguitar-ampx-with-neural-analog-nanotube-power/

Guitar.com name their pick of the top 4 best amps at NAMM and 3 of them are solid state: https://guitar.com/news/best-amps-namm-2020/

While I'm not sure there was ever a need for this, it is interesting.  Rainger FX has released the Minibar pedal.  A stomp box that only functions when it has liquid poured into it.  It will then sample the liquid and based upon unknown properties, it will register with the device and choose a tone for you.  For $159 you can have this on your pedal board - though I have to ask, why?

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/namm-2020-the-rainger-fx-minibar-is-a-pedal-you-pour-your-drinks-into

**edit**
Apparently the more conductive the liquid, the higher the gain.  The darker the liquid in color, the darker the tone (more bass).

Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJbl3RU3O7A

Fender has just released the Fender Mustang GTX50 and 100 and the LT50.  The GTX is the bells and whistles version of the Mustang, while the LT50 is a higher end version of the existing LT25 model.  For $250, the LT50 is quite an interesting amp that features 60 built in models (all can be customized), a 12" Celestion speaker, and 50w of power.  The GTX is similarly equipped but with bluetooth, wifi, and more presets.  The GTX50 prices out at $379, and the GTX100 at $499.

The new Princeton is a hand-wired 1964 style version, and can be yours for the sum of $2,299.99 USD.

https://guitar.com/news/gear-news/fender-mustang-lt50-gtx-princeton-reverb-namm-2020/

The Ashdown Newt (for guitar) and Ashdown Ant (for bass) are pedal-sized 200 watt amps.  Not much in the way of extras, they feature four knobs (treble, mid, bass, output) and three buttons (mute, scoop, pad on the Newt, and mute, shape, passive/active on the Ant).  At $400 each, they're a bit rich for my blood.  But that is a whole lot of power in a tiny form factor.  Maybe it's worth it to some for the ultra portability?

https://www.gearnews.com/namm-2020-ashdown-the-ant-and-the-newt-ultra-lightweight-amps/

After 4 years with the Boss Katana series amps, the second revision is out and it looks pretty sweet.  They claim it to be a professional grade amp, capable of gigging and recording.  While this may seem laughable to some, being that it is a modeling amp, if you read around online, it seems that the previous generation Katana has been very well regarded.  For $599, this looks like a lot of amp for the money.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-2020-meet-boss-new-flagship-amp-the-katana-artist-mkii

Vox has launched a new series of pedals based around the Korg Nutube.  They feature fancy waveform displays on their topside and Nutube electronics on their insides.  At the same time, Korg has released a DIY Nutube OD kit that is...solderless.  Not sure how I feel about that as it is basically an IKEA effects pedal kit now.  Knowing Korg, the quality will be there no doubt, I'm just not sure the customers will.

https://www.gearnews.com/namm-2020-vox-launches-valvenergy-series-with-four-nutube-loaded-pedals/

https://www.gearnews.com/namm-2020-korg-nutekt-od-s-build-your-own-drive-without-soldering/

Vox has released it's new modeling amp, the Cambridge50.  It uses a Nutube based preamp just like their MV50 series of micro amp heads.  The Nutube was co-developed with Vox and Korg and is basically a tiny flourescent tube used as an amp tube.  They glow blue and sound great.  Rated for 30,000 hrs of use, running on 5v, and weighing practically nothing, I feel that Nutube (or similar) technology, will replace old style vacuum tubes like the venerable 12AX7 etc - and very soon!

Priced at $299 and coming with a 12" Celestion, I think this amp could be quite a bargain.

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/namm-2020-vox-unveils-affordable-cambridge50-modeling-amp-with-nutube