Guitar Journal: Fallout- Belltone vs. Phillip McKnight
Hungry Robots Moby Dick & Fender limited-run Blues Junior
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Guitar Journal: Fallout- Belltone vs. Phillip McKnight · Source: YouTube/ Phillip McKnight
This week, we look at the story unfolding about YouTuber Phillip McKnight, who was served a legal notice by Belltone Guitars. Then we check out the new, revamped, and relaunched Hungry Robot pedal, the Moby Dick. Finally, there is. A new limited-run Fender Blues Junior.
Guitar Journal
Phillip McKnight
Popular guitar YouTuber Phillip McKnight recently responded to a “Certified Legal Notice” from boutique manufacturer Belltone Guitars, which accused him of civil theft over a review instrument.
Belltone Guitars
Despite McKnight having had the Belltone Classic 4 for less than two months—a fairly standard timeframe for his “deep dive” reviews, the brand’s owner demanded its immediate return, threatening a lawsuit for triple damages.
Post NAMM
McKnight, who was recovering from the flu and managing a busy holiday and NAMM schedule, vehemently denied the allegations of theft and noted that the friction escalated after he refused to let the company preview his video before publication.
To protect himself against potential claims for property damage, McKnight filmed a continuous, unedited sequence of himself inspecting, packing, and shipping the $4,000 guitar back to the Florida-based builder insured.
Fallout
The fallout has been significant for Belltone Guitars; McKnight has since deleted all previous videos featuring the brand, which he claims had generated over 200,000 views and numerous sales.
Moving forward, McKnight intends to significantly limit his sponsored content to avoid similar legal disputes, while the guitar community continues to debate the brand’s decision to threaten a prominent creator over a minor timing delay.
Destroyed Reputation?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. I must state that, personally, I think Belltone has just destroyed its own reputation with one badly thought-out letter.
Maybe, they could have taken into account that NAMM (the busiest weekend of the year for guitar gear releases) has just occurred and that everyone in the guitar world would be hectic throughout January in the run-up to this event, etc.
Moby Dick 2026
The Moby Dick transcends the standard tape emulation pedal, serving as a spiritual successor to its namesake while integrating modern features. Hungry Robot has also made it stereo and given it a new paintjob for 2026.
I actually own the original version one, and this relaunched version takes the features of mine and amps them up, wth more control.
New Features
These include a dual-function multi-tap control for rhythmic layering, traditional saturation for harmonic grit, and a specialised FM Texture that uses white noise to create lo-fi, modulated trails.
Users can also access organic tape movement via the Wow & Flutter control, darken their repeats with a dedicated Tape Age filter, or utilise the Double Tracker to add choral fullness and depth to the wet signal.
More Control
The interface begins with the Blend knob, which controls the balance between wet and dry signals, reaching an equal mix at noon and allowing a 100% wet mix when fully cranked.
The Repeats dial governs the feedback intensity, while the Multihead control offers rhythmic flexibility; it remains a standard delay at the center position but introduces triplet delays as you turn it clockwise, or dotted-eighth repeats when turned counter-clockwise.
Hungry Robots is relaunching its line of effects. This is the first one in their revamped lineup to get the update, and it looks great. I was already a fan and own a few of their effects, so I’m impressed by the update.
MSRP – $272 plus shipping
Fender Blues Junior Color Trio
Fender has a new limited-run combo, the Blues Junior Color Trio. This Limited Edition Hot Rod Series amplifier delivers 15 watts of power driven by a tube complement of three 12AX7 preamp tubes and two EL84 power tubes.
Jenson Speaker
It features a single-channel design with a single jack input, pushing sound through a premium 12″ Jensen C-12N speaker. Users can shape their tone via a comprehensive control set that includes Reverb, Master, Middle, Bass, Treble, and Volume, along with a dedicated FAT Switch for added tonal thickness.
The Blues Junior is always a favourite with Fender fans, and now you can grab one in this limited colour while stocks last.
Preorder it now at Thomann, priced at $899/£777/€899
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