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
"Straight out of the box, the build quality of the D'Angelico Premier Gramercy was immediately impressive, especially considering its price point": Score $160 off one of our top-rated beginner acoustics this Cyber Monday
By Daryl Robertson published
A beginner favorite at Guitar World has just seen a massive discount of 40% this Cyber Monday - plus, watch our video demo to hear how it sounds
Learn bass for less with beginner basses from Squier, Yamaha and Music Man hitting the low-end on price for Black Friday
By Daryl Robertson published
With great discounted options from the likes of Squier, Yamaha and Sterling by Music Man, now's the time to start your bass guitar journey
Sweetwater Black Friday deals 2024: savings are still live with up to 70% off
By Daryl Robertson last updated
The Sweetwater Black Friday sale is still live but you'll need to act fast to seal your deal
Guitar Center Black Friday deals 2024: you can still get the lowest prices of the year
By Chris Barnes last updated
Black Friday may be officially over, but Guitar Center still has loads of items on sale
With a whopping $6,000 off this guitar, Sweetwater is looking to seek and destroy all other Black Friday deals with the most drastic price drop we’ve ever seen
By Daryl Robertson published
Despite Kirk Hammett's legendary Gibson Flying V seeing a staggering $6,000 discount, it's still out of reach for many - so why not build your own for only $116?
Black Friday Positive Grid deals 2024: The first-ever Spark 2 discounts are here – plus, ways to save on the rest of the Spark line-up today
By Chris Barnes last updated
The official Black Friday deals are here, with discounts on nearly every smart amp in the line-up, plus big savings on software
"D'Angelico would make one of the most remarkable comebacks of any guitar brand": Everything you need to know about D'Angelico and why Black Friday is a great time to pick one up
By Daryl Robertson published
From Premier to Excel, Deluxe, and more, we take a deep dive into the diverse range of D'Angelico guitars, as well as the company's rich history
Fender’s red-hot Black Friday sale has up to 50% off over 70 guitars - we've hand-picked 8 outrageous deals you'll love
By Daryl Robertson published
There are massive savings to be had on everything from signature models to American Professional, Player, Vintera, and so much more this Black Friday
Guitar World deals of the week: get a half-price EHX pedal, $280 off a Fender Player Series guitar, plus all the best deals ahead of Black Friday
By Matt McCracken published
We've spent the week combing all the Black Friday sales for the very best deals on guitar gear
Thomann's massive up to 70% off Cyber Week Sale has landed, with hundreds slashed off Gibson, Yamaha, Taylor, PRS, Harley Benton and more
By Daryl Robertson published
Explore price drops on a massive range of popular guitars, amps and effects this Black Friday at Thomann
Best practice amps 2025: 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 2025: 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'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
"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
"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
Best guitars for kids 2025: 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 2025: 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
Best Christmas gifts for bass players 2025: 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 2025: 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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