Features 97
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 […]
The Coolest Things We Saw at NAMM 2019
Another NAMM is in the books, but we still can’t stop talking about the awesome gear and people we saw there. Check out our rundown of the coolest things we saw this year at NAMM! Neon Vines demoing the Akai Force One of the hottest launches of the 2019 NAMM Show was the Akai Force. […]
PRS’ 2019 Roster Gets Exotic
PRS is starting off 2019 with a bang by with some hot takes on some of your favorite guitars. Enjoy the increased resonance and distinct tone of a semi-hollowbody in models like the CE 24, Custom 22, and Singlecut. The affordable and popular SE Custom 24 also gets a stunning makeover with new topwoods like […]
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
As you grow your pedalboard, keeping things tight and orderly can become a challenge. Maintaining your signal’s integrity as it passes through a chain of effects — some true-bypass, some not — is a whole other story. Add a tone-sucking volume pedal and a stereo amp rig to the mix and things certainly don’t get […]
The 12 Tones of Christmas
We’re counting down to Christmas one day (and pedal) at a time! Follow our Instagram to see each featured pedal and Christmas tune, and check back on the blog, where we’ll listing out each clip in order. Rock around the Christmas tree to these jams or scour our list for a few awesome gift ideas! […]
Top 10: Spookiest Gear
The weather is growing colder, the leaves are turning and falling off the trees, you’re noticing your old t-shirts from college don’t fit, probably because you ordered too many buffalo wings while watching the game. its autumn and that means Halloween is upon us. Sure, you could deck out your house with fake cobwebs, rubber […]
Vintage Corner: 1962 Fender Champ-Amp
My Fender Champ was built in 1962 in Fullerton, California. There were a few different variations of this amp, but this version started in 1957 with the 5F1 circuit giving it more gain when you crank the volume, and it was the cheapest amp Fender had made at the time since 1950. The only setting […]
Talking Shop: The Gear That Got Away
If you’ve been playing music long enough, you’ve probably experienced the hardship of losing gear you love. Whether sold to pay bills, swapped in an ill-advised gear trade, or stolen, lost gear leaves a painful memory for many musicians. Today, zZounds staffers are looking back at the gear they miss dearly, from tonally supreme amps […]
Talking Shop: Essential Gear
Take a moment to think about the most important piece of gear in your rig or studio. Maybe it’s your most powerful, most capable, or most expensive piece of gear. But what happens when the strap comes off your vintage guitar and all its sweet, inherent mojo falls from your shoulder to make contact with […]
