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.
Guitar Workbench Collection: Modding Your Guitar
Sometimes, you find a guitar that’s 100% perfect for you right off the bat, and no changes are necessary beyond a minor setup. When that happens, it’s a truly beautiful thing, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes you may find yourself wishing your guitar had this or that feature, or had a tonality you […]
Boss at Summer NAMM 2018
We stopped in at the Boss booth at this year’s Summer NAMM show to catch up on what the pedal and amp gurus had in store for us this year. With the introduction of their incredible wireless systems and a closer look at their flagship multieffects unit, there was plenty to see. Check it out […]
Fender at Summer NAMM 2018
Fender and Squier had plenty to show at Summer NAMM, from incredible Custom Shop models to a revamped edition of their top-selling series, to new effects and affordable, contemporary takes on classic models. Check out our video tour of some of the highlights below! Fender Player Series The new Player Series replaces Fender’s longtime best-selling, […]
Brian and Scott Ball on the 2018 StingRay Bass
Music Man’s 2018 incarnation of the venerable StingRay Bass incorporates the best of the instrument’s legacy and adds stunning new features, like a powerful 18-volt active preamp for ultra-high clean headroom and some extra beef in the low end. The humbucking pickups have also been upgraded with neodymium magnets for increased output. And thanks to the […]
Summer NAMM 2018
There was a ton to see at this year’s Summer NAMM, and if pictures are worth a thousand words, videos have to be worth what, a million? Check out our videos showcasing the best of what we saw from Fender, Boss, Vox, Taylor, D’Angelico, Guild and Cordoba! Plus, scroll down or click here to see […]
EHX Announces Oceans 11 Reverb
Electro-Harmonix just announced a new reverb pedal called Oceans 11. With 11 unique modes, it’s aimed at satisfying any player’s ambient needs, going from Clooney-smooth spring and plate sounds to more Pitt-esque dramatic shimmer and polyphonic reverb types. Much like its cousin the Canyon Delay, Oceans 11 lets users dig deep into the parameters of […]
Behind the Design: Fender PureSonic Earbuds
Fender made a big splash two years ago with the introduction of their professional line of in-ear monitors. Ideal for singers, drummers and other on-stage musicians, they were praised for their clear output and ergonomic fit. Now, Fender has set their sights on the casual music fan with PureSonic. A new line of earphones, PureSonic […]
Yamaha Acquires Ampeg
Big news in the musical industry happened on Thursday as Loud Audio, LLC announced the sale of the Ampeg brand to Yamaha Guitar Group, LLC. Established in 1946, by pianist/bassist Everett Hull and engineer and amp technician Stanley Michaels, Ampeg made its name, quite literally, with a pickup they designed for upright bass named the […]
Orange’s OMEC is Reborn
British amplifier historians may remember or know of the oddball that was Orange’s OMEC — the world’s first digitally programmable amplifier. This solid state amp utilized transistor-transistor logic to emulate the sound of a traditional amp and even let users create and store presets — truly revolutionary stuff back in 1975. A range of OMEC […]
