Latest articles by Chris Gill
“Each guitar sounded stunningly warm, natural and lush”: Circa ’74 150-10 Acoustic/Vocal amp review
Meet the guitar amp that's literally Taylor-made for the acoustic in your life, with a high-end design and performance that will look after your vocals, too
Why the ’70s was a time of innovation and folly for guitar gear
The ’70s gets a bad rep from some guitarists but it's too easy to say this was a bad time for Gibson and Fender and that's the story. There were some real treasures and technological breakthroughs
“The boutique amp market thrives and exists as it does today largely thanks to Mike Soldano”: From Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai to Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, the Soldano SLO-100 changed the sound of shred and blues alike
The SLO-100 made its bones in the hard-rock and shred scenes and yet found its true calling as the amp of choice for Clapton, Knopfler, et al. What makes it such an enduring, versatile model?
Beloved by Pat Travers and Adrian Belew, the A/DA Flanger was one of the greatest guitar effects of the ’70s
An original pedalboard classic, the A/DA Flanger was the first to sound like true tape flanging – with sounds ranging from the conventional to the esoteric
“All the sounds you could ever want from a Plexi”: Suhr SL68 MkII head review
Is this the ultimate Plexi-inspired tube amp head? The evidence is persuasive...
“Genuine classic sounds of the original”: TC Electronic TC 2290P Dynamic Digital Delay review
A bucket-list item for many players arrives in an affordable pedal format. But does it stack up with the rack-mountable unit that inspired it?
“An excellent range of tones”: Blackstar HT Series MK III HT-1R, HT-5R and HT-20RH review
New look, same great tone? The third generation of Blackstar’s compact tube amp series is more than just a makeover – please welcome CabRig speaker emulation to the party
“Expand your mind and your sonic palette”: Death By Audio/EarthQuaker Devices Time Shadows II review
EQD’s Jamie Stillman and DBA's Ollie Ackermann put their heads together and design a pedal that will blow your mind
“A classic ’70s hardtail”: Fender 70th Anniversary Vintera II Antigua Stratocaster review
This hardtail beauty marks the Strat’s big 7-0 in style – provided you like Antigua
Is the Explorer still Gibson’s most underrated electric guitar?
The Explorer was a little bit radical for 1958 but popularized by Clapton, Hetfield, the Edge, Rick Derringer and Skynyrd, this all-angled shape came into its own. Does it sound different to other Gibsons? Debatable. But heck, it looks cool
“Faithful reproductions at a affordable prices”: Warm Audio Warm Bender and RingerBringer review
Warm Audio's latest hot plate of vintage-inspired effects pedals presents us with a three-circuit Tone Bender-style fuzz and an all-analog Moog-inspired ring mod – and an abundance of mojo for our 'boards
“An ideal first mic for anyone configuring a home studio”: Rode NT1 Signature Series review
Super-affordable, low noise, and it can handle whatever firepower your amp is going to throw at it – the NT1 Signature Series is one magic mic
“A drum machine for dummies?”: DigiTech SDRUM Strummable Drums review
DigiTech brings back the pedal that allows you to create drum sounds via your guitar
“The koa version’s beauty is much more than skin deep”: Taylor 222ce-K DLX review
Koa is a Goldilocks tonewood positioned between spruce and mahogany – and this all-koa grand concert is a truly exquisite acoustic that presents real value for fingerpickers
The best cheap electric ever? Why Jimmy Page, Tom Verlaine and Eric Clapton loved the Danelectro Shorthorn
The super-affordable guitar with the basic build became a cult classic, beloved by rock players, slide maestros and guitarists of all styles. All hail the Shorthorn
“A semi-acoustic with aggressive character and punch that outshines many solidbody designs”: EVH SA-126 Special review
Wolfgang Van Halen’s new signature model ushers in a new era of the hot-rodded super-semi – and it might just be one of the most versatile rock machines on the market today
The Tube Screamer that Stevie Ray Vaughan really used – and why it may not be the one you expect
The iconic Ibanez overdrive pedal SRV used to create his timeless tone – and the settings he used to do it
“A monster for blazing lead and solo tones that bite through the mix”: Keeley Electronics Angry Orange, Blues Disorder and Super Rodent review
Keeley’s 4-in-1 overdrive and distortion pedals offer a compelling combination of distinct effects and voices in one box
“An impressive collection of effects that cost a little more than $1 each”: Line 6 HX One review
More than 250 top-class HX effects models in a compact pedal? You can only use one at a time, but this could still be the pedalboard power-up you’ve been waiting for
How the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier defined the high-gain guitar sound of the 1990s
Originally crafted for the hair metal crowd, but only finished after the grunge tidal wave, the Dual Rectifier was nonetheless an era-defining success
Endorphin.es Golden Master Multiband Mastering Processor review
Placing the multi-band processing power of its Golden Master eurorack module into a pedal, Endorphin.es offers guitarists the studio-quality EQ, compression and mid/side processing you never knew you needed
The story of Van Halen’s 1984 – the Flying V, the synths and the end of the David Lee Roth era
Creative differences led to Roth’s departure the following year, but 1984 found the band firing on all cylinders, as Eddie Van Halen embraced his pop sensibilities while retaining the musical adventurism that made him the greatest of all time
“Damn close to Lifeson’s late ‘70s/early ‘80s sounds”: Lerxst CHI head and cab review
A lower-powered version of Alex Lifeson’s superlative Omega tube amp, the CHI could facilitate your guitar’s passage to Bangkok
Jackson Pro Plus Dinky MDK HT7 MS review
Multi-scale madness in a go-faster hot orange colorway, this weaponized 7-string is not for gentle turnarounds and fingerstyle folk. But for metal and shred players? holy moly...
“Pristine with warmth and definition… and the output level was more than loud enough for club stages”: Seymour Duncan PowerStage 100 Stereo review
Meet the pedalboard power amp with ample power for gigs, an excellent EQ, and everything you need to live your stereo wet/dry/wet live rig dreams
