
Dave Burrluck
Dave Burrluck is one of the world’s most experienced guitar journalists, who started writing back in the '80s for International Musician and Recording World, co-founded The Guitar Magazine and has been the Gear Reviews Editor of Guitarist magazine for the past two decades. Along the way, Dave has been the sole author of The PRS Guitar Book and The Player's Guide to Guitar Maintenance as well as contributing to numerous other books on the electric guitar. Dave is an active gigging and recording musician and still finds time to make, repair and mod guitars, not least for Guitarist’s The Mod Squad.
Latest articles by Dave Burrluck

Vox Bobcat S66 and V90 with Bigsby review
By Dave Burrluck published
No sooner had we finished testing Vox’s Bobcats in 2021, there’s now a pair with Bigsby vibratos and a moodier vibe

How the weight of your electric guitar affects its performance and build
By Dave Burrluck published
Many players obsess over the weight of their guitar, but how much difference does it make?

Trinity By Relish 2022 review
By Dave Burrluck published
While the majority of guitar makers plunder the past, Relish continues to look forwards. We take the wraps off its most affordable guitar to date

The making of the PRS SE Silver Sky: how Paul Reed Smith and John Mayer created the best SE model yet
By Dave Burrluck published
The SE Silver Sky was no overnight operation. PRS’s Jack Higginbotham explains all as we discuss the highly anticipated model’s lengthy development

PRS USA Silver Sky vs SE Silver Sky
By Dave Burrluck published
It might use the name and overall design of the USA model, but the new SE Silver Sky has many more differences than it seems at first glance. We investigate...

Cream T Aurora Standard 2PS review
By Dave Burrluck published
Give a rockstar a pencil and what do you get? A Cream T guitar! Co-designed by the legend that is Billy F Gibbons and made in the UK, the Aurora is here. But can it light up the sky?

Robson Renegade and Paradise 73 review
By Dave Burrluck published
Robson’s guitars feature detailed art and craft. But are they different enough to stand out from the crowd? Let’s take a look…

Rapier 33 review
By Dave Burrluck published
A blast from the past in the form of a new version of a British-made guitar that first appeared in the late-'50s. Is it still valid after all these years?

PRS SE Silver Sky review
By Dave Burrluck published
PRS and John Mayer finally unleash the affordable SE version of the Silver Sky. Another cheap Fender copy or one of the best signature guitars we’ve ever played? Let’s find out…

Patrick James Eggle Macon Junior DC review
By Dave Burrluck published
PJE sends us his latest electric vision: a boutique Junior with not an ounce of flame maple or bling. Let’s rock!

Gordon Smith Gatsby review
By Dave Burrluck published
The latest design from the long-running British guitar makers hops on the offset bandwagon. But is the Gatsby great? We find out…

Strandberg Boden Original NX 6 review
By Dave Burrluck published
With a decade of guitar making behind it, Strandberg’s new NX level Boden is both modernistic and superbly detailed

PJD Woodford Standard and St John Standard review
By Dave Burrluck published
The most affordable guitar yet from PJD Guitars plus the company’s take on the classic offset: two new shapes from a new maker, proudly crafted in the UK

Fender Player Plus Telecaster and Stratocaster review
By Dave Burrluck published
Fender’s Mexican-made Standards became the Player Series in 2018. Now, we have a four-guitar extension of that huge-selling series: the Player Plus. What’s the deal?

Vintage Proshop V120 and V100 review
By Dave Burrluck published
The ProShop Unique range from Vintage offers bashed-up and aged versions of those classics you can’t afford

Gretsch Streamliner G2622T-P90 and G2655T-P90 review
By Dave Burrluck published
The Streamliners might well be Gretsch’s start-up range, but with numerous new 2021 models and an on-trend new pickup design, they’re gathering quite a head of steam

Framus Pro Series Idolmaker review
By Dave Burrluck published
Why that funky brand from the '60s making modern German-made guitars using innovative high-tech production methods should be on your radar

Yamaha NCX5 and NTX5 review
By Dave Burrluck published
Yamaha refreshes the guitars that redefined the modern acoustic-electric nylon-string when they debuted in 2009, and once again they set the standard

Gibson Les Paul '70s Deluxe review
By Dave Burrluck published
The '70s are back – at least that’s what Gibson would like us to think with its new era-inspired, mini-humbucker-loaded Les Paul. But does it do justice to the original?

The story of PRS's short-lived Classic Electric
By Dave Burrluck published
The Fiore is PRS’s latest bolt-on guitar, but this story began back in 1988 with the short-lived Classic Electric

Eastman Romeo LA review
By Dave Burrluck published
Bridging the gap between old-school archtop and modern thinline, Eastman’s Romeo impressed. Time to meet its flash new cousin. Is this a ‘no jazz’ zone?

PRS Fiore review
By Dave Burrluck published
PRS’s Silver Sky broke the internet with its derivative style and big league artist attachment, so the new Fiore has a lot to live up to. Does it succeed? Oh, yes – and then some

Gibson Murphy Lab review
By Dave Burrluck, Neville Marten published
We’ve heard the buzz and seen the online ads, but is Gibson's time machine worth all the hype? We put a Les Paul Standard, a Junior, and an ES-335 through their paces
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