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.
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 […]
Behind The Design: Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster
At first glance, the American Acoustasonic Telecaster doesn’t look like an acoustic guitar. It doesn’t look like a traditional Tele, either. That’s because it’s neither…but it does take a little of both, mixing traditional acoustic resonance with electric feel and digital modeling to make something new… But, it doesn’t look like one of those futuristic, […]
Top Tones: Walrus Audio Lillian & Deep Six V3
Walrus’ two newest pedals are the Lillian analog phaser and the third incarnation of their Deep Six compressor. Check out our two Top Tones videos to hear each one in action! Lillian Analog Phaser Lillian is a multi-stage analog phaser that lets users select from four or six stages of flanging, and dry, phase-shifted, or […]
Talking Shop: Worst Gigs
Sometimes, you play a great show. Other times…things go wrong. From smashed gear to horrific venues to audiences looking to really rage, these are tales from the shows we wish we could forget. Read these terrifying short stories if you dare, and share yours in the comments below! Mellow Against the Machine Shop One of […]
Joe Perry Reveals New Signature Les Paul on Twitter
Yesterday, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry tweeted a first look at his new signature Gibson Les Paul. Sporting a tastefully relic’d gold top and single bridge humbucker, it also offers a few out-of-the-ordinary features. There are two knobs — a master volume and a Chandler Tone X control. This unique pot sweeps your midrange for a […]
