Latest articles by Connor Flys
"The price might be chunky, but the playing experience, build and sonic delivery are tough to argue with": Ibanez Alpha A528 review
It’s already caused a stir online, but does the Alpha eight-string multi-scale prove itself in person?
Best octave pedals for bass 2026: Pitch-shift your playing with my pick of essential pedalboard additions
Looking for a new octave pedal to add to your bass rig, or are you entering the world for the first time? Here's are my top choices along with expert buying advice
Best overdrive pedals for bass 2026: The ultimate in bass saturation at all price points
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals for bass players from the likes of EBS, Electro-Harmonix, Origin Effects, and more
“The sound and fury of a classic Marshall amp, but in a format that’s incredibly easy to get the best from”: Synergy SYN-20IR Amp Head with Marshall JCM 800 and JMP preamp modules review
Synergy’s range of modular marvels has been dialled up to 11…
“Holy smokes, it’s absolutely stunning in person”: Fender 75th Anniversary American Ultra II Telecaster
The Telecaster has a big birthday this year, commemorated by this golden wonder
“The new vibrato only adds to the appeal – it’s easy to see how this guitar could do the business equally well for metal, jazz-fusion or function gigs”: Strandberg Boden Standard N2.6T review
A new vibrato design, on a guitar we loved already – will we be tickled pink?
“The best Big Muff there’s ever been for bass”: Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi 2 review
A long-lost EHX Big Muff variant, made real – and now made for bassists to enjoy too.
“It’s clearly had a lot of thought put into making it as flexible and useful as possible”: Laney Digbeth DB-EAST review
Over a long, distinguished career, Nathan East has never had a signature amp. Until now…
“Those cleaner tones are very characterful and usable, evoking classic tube-driven bass amps”: Ashdown Geezer Butler Pedal of Doom review
Geezer Butler helped invent heavy metal. Here’s a slab of heavy metal bearing his name.
“Boss has packed some serious muscle into a small box... For its price, it’s going to be very tough to beat”: Boss GX-1B review
Boss's GX range of multi-effects gets a bass-specific baby brother...
"A well-chosen feature set that really elevates it above similarly priced short-scales”: Cort GB-Short Scale Bass review
Cort short? A MarkBass preamp, roasted maple neck and more proves that short-scale basses don't have to mean 'less'
“Those who were waiting for Origin to recreate an Ampeg Flip-Top will be delighted – it’s as good as you’d hope”: Origin Effects BASSRIG Fifteen review
Origin Effects has concentrated the revered Ampeg B-15 into a pedal. Has it worked?
The Guitar World reviews team's gear of the year 2025
Platinum Award-winners, forward-thinkers and new classics from our favourite guitars, amps, effects, plugins, bass gear and more
“It vacuum-packs superb tones and incredible utility into a compact space”: IK Multimedia ToneX One Bass Edition review
Honey, I shrunk the Ampeg! And the Gallien-Krueger, and the Sansamp, and...
“It absolutely nails the sounds of the ‘60s when palm muted and picked”: Gretsch Electromatic CVT Bass Double-cut review
It's a reboot of the lesser-spotted Gretsch Corvette – but it's only got four strings!
“Scoring especially highly for its superb ergonomics”: Sterling By Music Man Kaizen 7 review
Progressive guitar icon Tosin Abasi's dramatic Music Man custom seven-string, re-imagined for those with lighter wallets
“At this upper mid-range price point, it's hard to think of a guitar to rival it”: Strandberg N2 Boden Standard review
The second model in the progressive Swedish company's new Boden N2 series more than holds its own
“Among the easiest modeling plugins to get to grips with – great results in very short order”: Positive Grid BIAS X review
Artificial intelligence has take care of your admin, now Positive Grid is utilizing it to help you create better guitar tones
“It evokes a cool old Jazz Bass that's picked up some useful mods over its life”: Squier Classic Vibe Active ’70s Jazz Bass review
Is it a '70s-inspired Jazz Bass? Is it a modernised active bass? Yes to both...
“It might not be to all tastes, but its retro charm and sonic potential are compelling indeed”: Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster Bass review
Squier reissues an oddity from Fender's bass archives, complete with a Wide Range humbucker – is this its time?
“The Core preserves much of what made the original Expander such a useful tool”: Boss WAZA Tube Amp Expander Core review
The Boss Tube Amp Expander – can the full quart fit into a pint-size box?
“It’s difficult to think of a synth bass sound that couldn't be achieved here”: MXR Bass Synth Pedal review
Has MXR and Ian Martin Allison created the bass synth to end all bass synths?
“The Tone King sound for a quarter of the price”: Tone King Imperial Tri Tube Preamp review
Tone King's latest arrival miniaturises the celebrated Imperial amp, for the fly-rig crowd
