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

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

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

Positive Grid’s Spark Go just dropped back to its insane pre-order price for Prime Day
By Daryl Robertson published
The world’s smartest practice amps just got even better value with sizable up to 50% off across the range

With $200 slashed off the Fender Tone Master Pro, I'm considering ditching the amps and finally going digital
By Daryl Robertson published
Unlock a wealth of tones for a lot less with a sizable discount on one of our favorite multi-effects units

Forget Amazon's Big Deal Days sale, Guitar Center's Guitar-A-Thon is primed and ready with up to $430 off select D'Angelicos and up to $300 off Martin
By Daryl Robertson published
Guitar Center is slashing up to 35% off guitar gear from now until October 9, and these are the 11 deals we have our eye on

Acoustic guitars FAQ: from understanding tonewoods to the different sizes available, get to know your acoustic with these common questions answered
By Daryl Robertson published
From shape to tone, classical to steel-strung, we answer some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding the wonderful world of acoustic guitars

Boss discontinued the Katana:GO mere months after launching it – these are 4 headphone amps you should try instead
By Daryl Robertson published
With the Boss Katana:GO unexpectedly retiring early, these are the headphone amp alternatives from Fender, Vox, Boss and Positive Grid you should try instead
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