Articles by: Peter Hodgson

Peter Hodgson is a journalist, an award-winning shredder, an instructional columnist, a guitar teacher, a guitar repair guy, a dad and an extremely amateur barista. He runs a blog, I Heart Guitar, which allows him to publicly geek out over his obsessions. Peter is from Melbourne, Australia, where he writes for various magazines, including Guitar World.

Articles by: Peter Hodgson

American guitarist, composer and singer Jimi Hendrix doing the soundcheck before performing at Saville Theatre in London, United Kingdom 1967.

The secrets of Jimi Hendrix's guitar setup: Roger Mayer reveals what made the guitar hero's Strat tone sing

By Peter Hodgson published 26 November 22

Jimi's right-hand man dishes on what made Hendrix's custom string gauges so important, and why guitar pickups "really don't make much difference" to the sound

Dave Davidson on the “sexiness” of the Jackson Warrior, and why he doesn't know which amp sounds were used on Revocation's new album, Netherheaven

By Peter Hodgson published 28 September 22

The trio's latest LP is a blistering offering of death metal mayhem driven by a desire to push the creative boundaries. It even features guest spots from two members of the genre's royalty – and both in the same song

Buddy Guy performs during the 2019 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 50th Anniversary at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 05, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Why Buddy Guy loves polka dots

By Peter Hodgson published 12 May 22

The blues icon tells the poignant tale behind the pattern that appears on his signature gear – and how his love of the Stratocaster inspired Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck to pick up the Fender classic themselves

Anasounds Spinner, Ages and Sliver Pedals review

By Peter Hodgson published 14 October 20

After all these years, are there still interesting or unique things to be done with tremolo effects? Heck yeah, if Anasounds have anything to say about it.

7 of the greatest 7-string guitar songs

By Peter Hodgson last updated 30 July 20

Believe it or not, the 7-string has been around since long before djent rose to popularity... Here are some of the best songs that utilize this genre-pushing instrument

Nili Brosh: "I approach solos like a paragraph of speech - musical punctuation allows the listener to pick out ideas more clearly"

By Peter Hodgson published 24 April 20

The guitarist's new record, Spectrum, is a concept album that works just as well forwards as backwards, or at the mercy of the shuffle button

Nick Johnston: "I didn’t have a lot of money growing up - you learn to make gear sound good with what you have"

By Peter Hodgson last updated 30 June 21

The instrumental master sheds light on his signature Schecter, songwriting and majestic new album, Wide Eyes in the Dark

How playing guitar in front of a mirror can improve your technique (yes, really!)

By Peter Hodgson published 17 March 20

Believe it: a mirror can help you to hone your playing abilities

These are the 10 guitarists you need to hear in 2020

By Peter Hodgson published 7 January 20

On the lookout for jaw-dropping new talent? Here are 10 fresh guitarists to keep an ear out for in the coming year

Carl Martin Purple Moon Vintage Fuzz n' Vibe pedal review

By Peter Hodgson published 30 September 19

In a dose of irony worthy of Alanis Morrissette, Carl Martin has upgraded one of their vintage-inspired classics with a 2019 edition

Shootout: Acoustics Around A Thousand Bucks

By Peter Hodgson published 22 September 19

These are the best acoustics available in Australia at this price range.

Vox VX15 GT review

By Peter Hodgson published 17 July 19

The latest modelling amplifier from Vox doesn't try to cram dozens of models into a little box. Instead, it focuses on getting a more modest number of amps exactly right

Fender Rumble LT25 review

By Peter Hodgson last updated 26 July 22

Fender's newest little bass amp is crammed full of sounds designed to inspire you to create new genres and playing styles

Kiesel V7 Vader review

By Peter Hodgson published 3 March 19

Ever wanted your own custom guitar but didn’t know how to go about it? Kiesel makes it easy

Fender Mustang GT firmware update 2.0.21 review

By Peter Hodgson published 22 November 18

Fender pushes out a new update to its Mustang GT line of amplifiers, featuring some much-requested new amp models

Fender Player Stratocaster review

By Peter Hodgson published 14 October 18

Fender raises the bar for its entry-level Stratocaster, with (unsurprisingly) strong results

Dan Brown of the Amity Affliction performs on stage at the Download Festival on 11th March 2019, in Melbourne Australia

The Amity Affliction's Dan Brown: why I made the switch to Fender

By Peter Hodgson published 20 September 18

There’s something different about Dan Brown’s guitar tones on the Aussie metalcore heavyweights' new album - he tells us about his latest gear shift

Synesthesia and the Musical Mind

By Peter Hodgson published 14 August 18

If you don't happen to have synesthesia, that doesn't mean you can't use its general concept as a compositional tool.

Blackberry Smoke Push Their Southern Sounds to the Edge of Classic Seventies Metal

By Peter Hodgson published 8 December 16

Blackberry Smoke The Georgia Southern rock outfit’s fifth album reads as an unspoken tribute to those who came before, from musical heroes to family to classic vintage guitars.