The Not-So-Hidden History Behind Modal ARGON8M’s Lush Digital Soundscapes
One of the best and worst things about revisiting history is rediscovering where things went so wrong. Around a year ago, while reviewing Roland’s JD-08, I made this off-hand comment: “I hate that too many of the electronic instruments out there cater to more atonal or textural Eurorack-inspired musicians.” Before I open up your hate […]
Our 3 Favorite Modulation Pedals
What’s life without spice? What’s a tube amp without breakup? What’s a pedalboard without modulation? Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but it’s a question worth asking. Modulation is the spice of a tone-seeker, knob-tweaker, effect-lover’s life. From wacky, warble-y phase, to overpowering flanger, modulation adds wetness to a dry track and makes your tone stick […]
Ten Pedals, One Riff: Fuzz
Tone may be in the fingers, and composition may be the most important aspect of a great song, but could there be a correct pedal for a certain riff? That’s what the riff experts at zZounds are asking and why they’ve put together a video demoing one riff through ten different and distinct dirt pedals. […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Fingerpicking
Looking to spice up your guitar playing with a new skill? No matter what style of guitar you play, fingerpicking is a great tool to add to your arsenal. In this blog post, we’ll help get you going on your fingerpicking journey by walking you through the fundamental techniques, including a layout of the PIMA […]
Bring the Studio to the Stage — Acoustic Pedalboard
Anyone who has played acoustic out knows the struggle — a 10-year-old DI box brings your guitar signal to a front-of-house tech and you just pray they do you right. A pedalboard for your acoustic can help to alleviate some of the classic acoustic player woes by providing a quality, treated signal to your audio […]
Our 3 Favorite Overdrive Pedals
There’s nothing like an amplifier on the edge of breakup. But most of the time you can’t “dime out” your amp to get that great tone, and that’s where overdrive pedals come in. Watch as our zZounds crew sits down to talk about their 3 favorite pedals for overdrive tones! Apr 9, 2025Nicholas
Add Some Jazz Flair to Your Blues!
Add some extra spice to your standard blues jams! In our third lesson on the 12-bar blues, Justin leads you through jazz-flavored chords and progressions that’ll have you sounding like a cool cat in just minutes. Learn which chords to use, and when to use them with Justin’s jazzy take on the 12-bar blues progression. […]
Creator Spotlight: Sean Pierce Johnson
From playing tips to gear reviews and personal stories, Sean Pierce Johnson’s YouTube channel is an inspiring and informative place for any guitarist. This GIT graduate is a prolific performer with one foot in the rock scene via his band Cockeyed Optimist and another in the worship world. On camera, he’s an approachable and engaging […]
Our Top 3 Pedals For Shoegaze Tone
Bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Lush built the guitar-based, wall-of-noise genre shoegaze into what is it today with their powerful tones. Now with more options than ever before, it’s easy to get lost in the mix of what you need to play a part in this incredible genre. That’s where zZounds experts come […]
