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 Accessories Gift Guide 2019
Need a last-minute gift for a guitarist on your list? Check out our guide below for top-notch gear any guitarist would love. Most items are under $50!
Fender Releases American Ultra Series Guitars & Basses
Fender has just announced their newest line of Corona-made instruments, the American Ultra Series! A full family consisting of the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster and Precision and Jazz basses is represented, all sporting brand-new features and finishes. American Ultra series instruments offer features such as tapered neck heels for easy access to the upper frets, compound […]
Talking Shop: Halloween Party Playlist Picks
No Halloween party is complete without great music. You already know the staple hits, so we’re highlighting some less obvious gems that add eerie ambience, campy fun, and downright funky grooves that just won’t die. Check out our Halloween picks below, and add yours in the comments! Michele Musser – Too Much I’m going out […]
All-Star Gear in Action: Beat-Making Gear
We’re highlighting our All-Star Beat Making gear over at zZounds and thought — why not give folks a chance to hear what this amazing gear can do? Check out our roundup of some of the coolest beats made on every piece of gear in our list, from artists on Instagram. Novation Circuit This incredible Circuit-fueled […]
New Pedal Roundup
September has been a busy month for pedal heads, with new releases from MXR, Walrus Audio, Boss and Dunlop building buzz among guitarists. Let’s take a look at what’s new! test paragraph Boss DD-3T and DD-8 Digital Delay Pedals Boss is expanding on its storied history in digital delay with two new pedals, one that […]
Gibson CEO James Curleigh on Running an Iconic Brand
This year at Summer NAMM, the zZounds Crew got the chance to speak with James “JC” Curleigh, the recently appointed CEO of Gibson Brands. In our video interview, above, you can hear Curleigh’s vision for the future of Gibson guitars, and his thoughts on running a globally recognized brand. Of course, JC has experience on […]
Matthews Effects Pedal Video Demos
Matthews Effects makes some truly unique pedals with designs that cater to the player who craves versatility on stage. We put their current roster of five pedals to the test — check out our video demos below to hear what these Matthews Effects pedals can do! Shop All Matthews Effects → The Architect V3 Overdrive/Boost […]
Fender Tone Master Amps: The Cutting Edge of Timeless Tone
If Fender’s new Tone Master Twin and Deluxe Reverb amps only sounded exactly like their tube counterparts, it wouldn’t be enough. That’s because Fender engineers designed these amps to behave exactly the same, too. Three years of hard work designing, programming and engineering has resulted in two amps with circuit topologies that replicate the same […]
Fender Pedals: Behind The Design
At this year’s Summer NAMM show, Stan Cotey, Fender’s Vice President of Product Development, looked at 21 pedals lined up in a neat row inside the Fender booth and smiled. None of these existed about 20 months prior, and designing them was a labor of love. Fender wanted a new line of pedals that set […]
