Daryl Robertson
Daryl is a Senior Deals Writer at Guitar World, where he creates and maintains our 200+ buyer's guides, finds the best deals on guitar products, and tests the latest gear. His reviews have been featured in prominent publications like Total Guitar, Future Music magazine, and MusicRadar.com.
During his career, he has been lucky enough to talk to many of his musical heroes, having interviewed Slash and members of Sum 41, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, Feeder, Thrice, and more. In a past life, he worked in music retail. For a little under a decade, he advised everyone from absolute beginners to seasoned pros on the right gear for their needs.
Daryl's world doesn't just revolve around guitars either; he also has a passion for live sound. Daryl is a fully qualified sound engineer who holds a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay and has plenty of experience working in various venues around Scotland.
Latest articles by Daryl Robertson
Best practice amps 2024: hone your guitar and bass chops at home
By Chris Corfield last updated
These are the best practice amps for enabling you to keep the noise down when getting in some essential practice time with your electric guitar or bass
Best desktop guitar amps 2024: our top desktop amps for portable practice
By Nick Guppy last updated
Improve your guitar playing with our pick of the most powerful yet portable practice solutions
Sweetwater Black Friday deals 2024: save up to 80% on guitar gear
By Daryl Robertson last updated
The full Sweetwater Black Friday sale has arrived – here's your one-stop shop for all the best deals
Sweetwater's gargantuan Black Friday sale is even bigger than last year – save up to 80% on guitars, amps, pedals & more
By Daryl Robertson published
Bag enormous Black Friday savings on electric and acoustic guitars, amps, pedals, recording gear, strings and more
Guitar World deals of the week: the Black Friday sales are live and kicking - get all the best deals of the week here
By Matt McCracken published
Check out the best of the early Black Friday deals from all corners of the web
"Our lowest prices of the year": Guitar Center's gigantic Black Friday sale is officially here and sees up to 50% off some of the most popular guitars of all time
By Daryl Robertson published
With up to 50% off models from PRS to Gibson, Fender, Jackson, Gretsch and more, Black Friday is officially here
Guitar Center Black Friday deals 2024: the GC Black Friday sale is officially live
By Chris Barnes last updated
Grab yourself massive savings of up to 50% off, with some of the lowest prices of the year on gear at Guitar Center
Black Friday guitar pedal deals 2024: We round up the very best early Black Friday stompbox deals
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Your place for all the greatest Black Friday deals on guitar pedals, pedalboards, power supplies and more
"It’s fair to say that the design of this model will divide people, but what isn’t up for debate is this Strat’s build quality": Squier Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster review
By Daryl Robertson published
The cat is out of the bag – Squier’s famous feline-themed Strat is back and better than ever… but it's also pricier
Despite over 2 weeks to go until Cyber Weekend, Fender has decided to slash hundreds off a huge range of guitars, including $200 off the highly-rated American Professional II
By Daryl Robertson published
With deals on everything from Acoustasonic to the American Performer, Vintera II and Player Plus, there is no need to wait until the big bay for a bargain
Musician's Friend Black Friday deals 2024: get up to 50% off in the early sale
By Chris Barnes last updated
Your place for the latest Black Friday deals at Musician's Friend this Cyber Weekend
Black Friday guitar deals 2024: get in on the early Black Friday sales action
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Your place to find all the information on Black Friday 2024, including my predictions, early deals, and shopping tips
Black Friday Fender deals 2024: the early deals are already here, save big on guitars, amps, pedals, and more
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Black Friday is nearly here, and we're expecting big discounts on some of the most iconic guitars ever made
Best guitars for kids 2024: top electric and acoustic guitars for children
By Daryl Robertson last updated
The top kid’s guitars available today and everything you need to know to get your child started with the guitar
Guitar Center's huge pre-Black Friday sale has almost 5,000 savings. The best one? A massive $700 off a Gibson Les Paul
By Daryl Robertson published
Guitar Center is kicking off Black Friday early with monstrous deals on guitar favorites from Gibson, Epiphone, Fender, and more
Best Epiphone Les Pauls 2024: Our pick of the greatest budget-friendly versions of Gibson’s iconic single-cut
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned guitarist, our list of the best Epiphone Les Pauls is sure to inspire you
Black Friday Positive Grid deals 2024: Save up to 50% off amps and software in the huge Black November sale!
By Chris Barnes last updated
Positive Grid's official Black November sale will be live throughout November with huge hardware and software discounts up for grabs. But is Positive Grid holding any Spark 2 discounts up its sleeve?
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players 2024: the ultimate festive gift guide for guitarists
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Treat them right this Christmas with our pick of the 46 must-have guitar items, essential accessories, clever gadgets and instruments for every budget
Best Christmas gifts for bass players 2024: the ultimate festive gift guide for lovers of low-end
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Show your bass-playing buddy, parent, or partner some love this Christmas with 22 brilliant gift ideas for bass players
Sweetwater's Beat The Holiday Rush Sale has guitar gear and stocking fillers from only $8.80
By Daryl Robertson published
Beat the Black Friday rush and score up to $500 off D'Angelico and over $1,000 off B.C. Rich and Guild
"With effortless playability, charming good looks, and a distinctive sound, it's no wonder the J-45 is still going strong over 80 years after it was first introduced": Gibson J-45 Standard review
By Daryl Robertson published
Gibson's legendary acoustic is beloved by everyone from Dylan to Slash, but is it really worth the price? We find out
Every single PRS SE guitar is 15% off right now – including 5 of our highest-rated picks
By Daryl Robertson published
With everything from the Custom 24 to the Silver Sky included, there's no need to wait until Black Friday to take the plunge on a new PRS guitar
"The sound is warm and inviting, with a powerful low-end thump that only comes from a jumbo acoustic": Guild F-55E review
By Daryl Robertson published
The F-55E is a larger-than-life jumbo with an all-encompassing tone and striking good looks
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2024: top picks for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
By Daryl Robertson last updated
We've played epic affordable six-strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more – read on for our best beginner acoustic guitar recommendations and watch our video demos
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