Articles by: David Mead

David Mead

With over 30 years’ experience writing for guitar magazines, including at one time occupying the role of editor for Guitarist and Guitar Techniques, David is also the best-selling author of a number of guitar books for Sanctuary Publishing, Music Sales, Mel Bay and Hal Leonard. As a player he has performed with blues sax legend Dick Heckstall-Smith, played rock ’n’ roll in Marty Wilde’s band, duetted with Martin Taylor and taken part in charity gigs backing Gary Moore, Bernie Marsden and Robbie McIntosh, among others. An avid composer of acoustic guitar instrumentals, he has released two acclaimed albums, Nocturnal and Arboretum.

Articles by: David Mead

Takamine PTU441-MTB review

By David Mead

Originally produced for the Japanese home market, this little parlour-sized acoustic is now available as a limited UK run. They say small is beautiful – let’s take a listen…

Robben Ford discusses the tones behind the tracks on his first instrumental album in over 20 years

By David Mead

On Pure, Ford took the opportunity to take a completely different approach to recording

Lowden F-34 review

By David Mead

A koa and spruce combination for a light and airy tone and a response that will suit a gentle fingerstylist

Guthrie Govan: "Make sure you explore the whole range of your guitar – not only will you become a better player, but also a more informed buyer"

By David Mead

Bought & Sold: The Aristocrats guitarist on his greatest gear hits and misses, including the most original reason we’ve heard for buying a 335 and an affection for ring modulators

Pierre Bensusan: “The way you tune the strings should not be used to hide a possible lack of imagination, but it should enhance it“

By David Mead

The French-Algerian DADGAD maestro on letting inspiration find him for new record Azwan – an album inspired by bees

Cort Core-OC Series review

By David Mead

They may look almost identical, but it’s the body woods that make all the difference for this trio – and they’re outstandingly affordable, too

Brian May and Arielle detail the evolution of the Brian May Guitars Arielle

By David Mead

The Queen guitarist welcomes a new addition to his BMG range, designed by rising guitar force Arielle

Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr on his greatest gear buys, regrets and why he's an enabler of impulse purchases

By David Mead

Bought & Sold: the classic rock-loving frontman details why Esquires have more fire than Telecasters, and how he was once gifted a ’58 Gibson Les Paul Custom

John Smith: ”The only way to cope with life is to write songs, for me. As soon as I picked up the pen, the songs started falling out”

By David Mead

Recorded at Real World studios last September, The Fray finds the acoustic ace exorcising personal turmoil in song – and leaning heavily into electric guitars

Lowden WL-25 & S-23 12-Frets review

By David Mead

It’s the age of the smaller-bodied acoustic – but being petite doesn’t mean you won’t stand out in a crowd, as these two new 12-fretters from the Lowden workshops set out to prove

Joanna Connor reveals her aversion to baseball-bat guitar necks and regret at trading in a ’64 Fender Twin

By David Mead

Bought & Sold: the blues guitar maven walks through her hits, misses and rules when buying gear

Taylor's acoustic guitar bracing options explained

By David Mead

Get to know your C-Class from your V-Class, and what this means for your acoustic guitar tone

Taylor GT 811e review

By David Mead

Taylor continues the rollout of its brand-new smaller-body Grand Theater acoustics with the latest C-Class bracing system onboard

How Taylor devised its new Grand Theater acoustic body shape

By David Mead

Taylor’s new acoustic outline is a bold step. We talk to designer-in-chief Andy Powers to get the full story behind it

Corey Congilio on growing out of his hair-metal B.C. Rich Warlock phase and his greatest gear finds

By David Mead

The Nashville blues dynamo and sessioneer mulls over gear loved and lost, and his mission to support small-’shop builders

Jakko Jakszyk on his greatest gear finds – including a Gibson ES-150D that piqued Robert Fripp's interest

By David Mead

The King Crimson guitarist walks through the guitars and amps he's loved and lost

Breedlove Premier Concertina CE review

By David Mead

A hand-built parlor-on-steroids from Breedlove’s Bend, Oregon, facility – and it’s full of surprises…

On the trail of the real Robert Johnson

By David Mead

Mythologized more than any other figure in modern music, A new book hopes to set the record straight about Johnson's life

The history of Gibson’s L-1 and L-00 acoustics, contemporaries of the legendary Robert Johnson

By David Mead

Acoustic guitars don't get much cooler than mid-1920s Gibson flat-tops

JD Simo on the best (and worst) guitars he's bought over the years

By David Mead

The psychedelic blues sensation shares his hard-won advice on how to buy a great guitar and avoid duds

Eddie Van Halen goes deep on his approach to tone, technique and guitar design in this classic 1993 Guitarist interview

By David Mead

EVH details the advent of Van Hagar, that time he took a belt sander to a 335, and why Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl is one of his favorite solos of all time

Sheeran By Lowden S03 & W02 review

By David Mead

Ed Sheeran and George Lowden combine forces to produce an affordable acoustic range that's small but perfectly formed

Steve Hackett: ”The wounds never healed from my dad’s guitar. He said, ‘You’ll get calluses’… but I just had fingers that were bleeding!”

By David Mead

The former Genesis guitarist on the story of his career, from the mouth organ to prog-rock trailblazer

Joe Bonamassa shares his greatest finds from a lifetime of buying and selling guitars

By David Mead

Here’s a guy who knows a thing or two about buying guitars – and it turns out he’s sold a few, too…

Gibson's Generation series comprises the G45 Standard [right] and slightly more affordable G45 Studio [left]

Gibson G-45 Standard and G-45 Studio review

By David Mead

The Gibson renaissance gathers pace with two brand-new mid-priced acoustics from its Bozeman, Montana factory…