Features 93
Ernie Ball Paradigm Strings: Roundtable Review
We’ve been stoked to try out Ernie Ball’s new Paradigm line of strings ever since we first heard about them at Winter NAMM this year. And after seeing Ernie Ball’s videos featuring guitarists trying to break their Paradigm strings, and explaining the plasma technology behind Paradigm, we got really curious. Thankfully, we didn’t have to […]
The Gear of 2016
To close out 2016, we’re taking a look at some of the gear we think made a big impact among musicians this year. We’re not saying this gear was the “best” of the year, but whether they intrigued us personally or stirred up a bunch of discussion on forums and Facebook groups, this gear definitely made […]
Gear Review: KHDK Dark Blood
There’s almost nothing like plugging into a big tube amp, cranking the volume, setting the gain just right, and letting that thing rip. It’s that x-factor, the “you know it when you hear it” sound, that keeps you coming back for more. There’s something going on among the combination of tubes, capacitors, resistors, transformers, etc. […]
Five Tuner Pedals With Bonus Features
When it comes to tuner pedals, most guitarists agree that the absolute most important quality is accuracy. If you can’t trust your tuner, you have nothing. Thankfully, just about any tuner you find today is going to be accurate to a degree of under 1 cent. That’s pretty darn precise — for reference, there are 100 cents between each half-step, […]
Eight Unsung Heroes in Your Guitar Rig
Like a lot of other guitarists who gig for art or work, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about which guitar is going to fit my style the best, or how many tube watts will I need to fit in with “x” band. While these pursuits are definitely central to getting your sound right, their […]
Amazing Video Features Boss RC-505 Loop Station
You probably didn’t expect the funkiest track you’d hear today would have this much bicycle bell in it. Maybe a little bit, but not this much. Yet artist Rico Loop has created quite the groove in this breathtaking video using just a Boss RC-505 Loop Station and a microphone. Watch as he strolls through what appears to be Berlin’s streets, interacting with (seemingly) […]
D’Angelico Electrozinc Guitar Strings
Summer NAMM saw the unveiling of tons of exciting new gear – from Boss’ Waza Craft treatment of two classic chorus effects in the new CE-2W, to Fender’s new offset body style electric guitars, to Reverend Guitars’ Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak) signature model — that makes the second half of 2016 all the more exciting […]
Prince’s Most Notorious Musical Instruments
Prince might be gone but elsewhere the dissection of his cultural influence still reigns supreme. There are thousands of think pieces, listicles, and gifs competing right now for your moment of thought. If all of this feels overwhelming, join us as we shift our focus onto a much lighter topic. Let’s explore some of the unique gear Prince […]
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Handmade Tradition
Earlier in April, a few of us were fortunate enough to visit the Gibson acoustic guitar factory in breathtaking Bozeman, Montana. An extensive tour of each part of the factory commenced, and we were impressed with the amount of elbow grease that goes into making each one of these fine instruments. Trust us — when […]
