David Gilmour tones from a boost-drive twofer? Crazy Tube Circuits Hi Power review By Trevor Curwen published 20 April 24 CTC's latest twofer seeks to harness David Gilmour's Wish You Were Here tones in a pedal that pairs a boost with a Hiwatt-inspired drive
“Very much at home with syncopated djent chugs, fast thrashy power chord riffing, and blazingly quick lead work”: Jackson JS22-7 DKA Dinky HT review By Matt McCracken published 17 April 24 Should a beginner choose a 7-string as their first instrument? This extended-range guitar from Jackson looks to make its case
“An excellent fuzz for your ’board”: Beetronics Abelha Tropical Fuzz review By Trevor Curwen published 17 April 24 It’s designed for Brazilian tropicália music, but this fuzzbox from Beetronics could create a buzz in any musical genre
Boss BP-1W Booster/Preamp review By Trevor Curwen published 15 April 24 The BP-1W presents classic Boss preamp circuits in a compact pedal format – and it might just be the secret tone weapon your rig has been waiting for
"Packed full of great sounds and options yet easy to navigate": NUX MG-300 By Matt McCracken published 11 April 24 Could this budget-friendly multi-effects pedal be the perfect match for the beginner guitar player who wants loads of tones on tap?
“Ideal first amps, loaded with features for hours of fun and inspiration”: Blackstar ID:Core V4 Stereo 10, Stereo 20 and Stereo 40 review By Nick Guppy published 8 April 24 Blackstar has introduced a timely update to its award-winning programmable guitar amp range, but how do these combos stack up?
“The amount of functionality Boss has packed into a Compact series pedal is just staggering”: Boss IR-2 Amp & Cabinet review By Trevor Curwen published 4 April 24 What if you could have your full rig in the size of a Boss Compact Series pedal… and it sounds amazing?
“Completely shatters the expectations for a guitar geared toward modern metal”: PRS SE Mark Holcomb SVN review By Matt McCracken published 4 April 24 The Periphery guitarist’s signature model gives lovers of the low-end great specs and playability at a lower cost. We find out if it’s more than just a djent machine.
“The Firebird V is closing in on Gibson’s own price points… however, there’s nothing we don’t love about these guitars”: Epiphone Inspired By Gibson 1963 Firebird I & V review By Neville Marten published 3 April 24 Two of Gibson’s most controversial designs, reimagined and rebranded with Epiphone’s moniker. Do they promise the ‘Cream’ of the crop or a ‘Winter’ of discontent?
“A guitar we really can’t fault. Try one of these before someone realizes they’ve made a mistake with the price”: PRS SE CE 24 Standard Satin review By Dave Burrluck published 2 April 24 This new satin Standard version of the classic CE 24 ditches the bling and drops the price to just $499
“So much fun and so inspiring, it’s a steal at the asking price”: Boss Katana:Go review By Nick Guppy published 26 March 24 Boss has crammed a full Katana amplifier into a tiny headphone-amp format – and its long list of features and tones makes it practically irresistible
“The Beatles connection aside, this is an excellent fuzz pedal in its own right”: Aclam The Mocker review By Trevor Curwen published 25 March 24 Aclam revives a rare fuzz circuit from a vintage Vox amp used by The Beatles
“Its ability to suit everything from gentle fingerstyle to vigorous strumming would make it a welcome addition to any collection”: Taylor 50th Anniversary 814ce Builder’s Edition review By David Mead published 21 March 24 Taylor celebrates its 50th anniversary with some very special limited-edition instruments, including this superb Grand Auditorium acoustic
“If detuned modern rock and metal is your thing, it’s definitely one to check out”: Victory VX The Kraken MKII Lunch Box Head review By Nick Guppy published 18 March 24 Victory’s compact high-gain monster is back, revamped and improved, and with a new Clean mode
“You can’t help applauding Godin for trying something a little different”: Godin G-Tour review By Dave Burrluck published 15 March 24 As Canada’s foremost manufacturer of steel- and nylon-string acoustics and electros, not to mention an increasingly broad line of electrics, Godin has combined its past into the G-Tour
“This slant on the Bluesbreaker offers real flexibility at a manageable price point”: Electro-Harmonix Spruce Goose review By Trevor Curwen published 14 March 24 We have a gander as Electro-Harmonix debuts its enhanced take on Marshall’s Bluesbreaker overdrive sounds
“While many contemporary offsets simply borrow the outline, there’s a lot more to these original recipes”: Fender Vintera II ’50s Jazzmaster, ’70s Jaguar and ’70s Competition Mustang review By Dave Burrluck published 13 March 24 Can’t afford a vintage Fender? Neither can we. So until we win the lottery, the Vintera range aims to satisfy our lust. Let’s jump on the offset train and go back in time…
“On playability alone it feels like we’re playing a much more expensive guitar”: PJD Guitars St John Standard Plus review By Dave Burrluck published 11 March 24 Back in 2023, revitalised Brit-maker PJD rejigged its range to start with the new solidbody hardtail Standards. Need an offset with a vibrato? No problem: here comes the Standard Plus
“A very endearing, characterful instrument… a guitar that looks and feels old, played-in and used but is perfectly fit for purpose”: Vintage Proshop V72 Custom Build review By Dave Burrluck published 10 March 24 With guitars seemingly getting more expensive by the day, is a bespoke build now just a thing for the very well-off? We go in search of a more affordable route from the UK…
“Quite simply one of the best ‘entry level’ acoustic guitars we’ve experienced”: JWJ Guitars “The Hog” review By David Mead published 7 March 24 Last year, we were mightily impressed when we looked at UK builder Rich Jones’ Parlour and Orchestra acoustics. This time it’s the turn of his entry-level, all-mahogany dreadnought