Mason has played guitar since age 14 and has remained a charmingly amateurish musician ever since. Mason joined zZounds in 2014 and serves as editor of the zZounds Blog, as well as Accessories Merchandiser. Prior to zZounds, he earned a degree in journalism and worked as a newspaper editor and freelance writer. When not writing or editing for zZounds, you can find him playing his Strat, hosting bar trivia, and chasing his toddler around the house.
New Synths Debut at Superbooth 2019
If the recent announcement of the Moog Matriarch wasn’t enough, the opening day of Superbooth in Berlin has seen a slew of synth announcements from major brands like Korg, Novation, Elektron and IK Multimedia. We’re bringing you the rundown on some of the biggest releases, so read below to get caught up. And best of […]
Restoring a Guitar
What does it take to restore an old guitar? A little know-how, some elbow grease, and the right set of tools and equipment can help bring a dusty guitar back to gigging shape. We enlisted one of our resident bloggers and guitar experts, David, to take on the task of restoring an Italia Mondial Classic […]
Gibson’s New Lineup Revealed
In case you haven’t heard, Gibson has an all-new roster of guitars and basses that just dropped today. And no, you haven’t time-warped into 2020. This new series takes over where the 2019 lineup left off, and introduces the new Gibson to the world. Gone are the model year naming conventions — this streamlined, but […]
Talking Shop: The Best Show You’ve Ever Seen
It’s a fact: if you’ve been to two or more shows, you can talk about the best show you’ve ever seen (so far). Whether it was a band you’ve idolized since childhood, or an unknown act that blew you away, or even a perfect crowd, these shows can be a transformative experience. We asked zZounds […]
Moog Matriarch Announced at Moogfest 2019
As has become an annual tradition at Moogfest, the top name in analog synths is welcoming a new member to the family. Meet the Matriarch. This semi-modular synth is loaded with creation potential, featuring 4 notes of paraphony that a user can mix, mangle and arrange across a 256-step sequencer. More of a monophile? The […]
Fender Custom Shop Crafts Game of Thrones Axes
There are countless guitar-based covers of the Game of Thrones theme on YouTube, but only one that’s played by show runner D.B. Weiss and theme composer Ramin Djawadi…and guitarists Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt and Scott Ian, plus Fender Principal Master Builder Ron Thorn. While that’s enough star power to melt The Wall, the show is […]
Cymbal Anatomy Collection
In Cymbal Anatomy, we’ve covered the structure of cymbals, from the bell down to the outermost lathed ring. With shape, thickness, and material (among other attributes) all making an important contribution in each cymbal’s unique sound, use this as your guide and reference to find the ideal cymbals for your kit! Hammering Those small divots […]
Talking Shop: Buying Gear Under the Influence
Endorsements are a huge sales driver in any industry. It’s why young basketball stars are wooed to sign shoe deals with brands like Nike and Adidas. Or former NBA stars like Shaq, who get courted by brands like Icy Hot and Gold Bond. Music gear is no different, with a history of artist endorsements going […]
Walrus Audio Monument V2 Demo
Walrus Audio has re-formatted their Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo into a smaller chassis, but fear not: it retains all the same huge tone as the original. We called up some definitive tremolo tones to demonstrate what the new-and-improved Monument can do. Check out how versatile this pedal can get! Between standard and harmonic modes, five […]
