Dave Burrluck
Dave Burrluck is one of the world’s most experienced guitar journalists, who started writing back in the '80s for International Musician and Recording World, co-founded The Guitar Magazine and has been the Gear Reviews Editor of Guitarist magazine for the past two decades. Along the way, Dave has been the sole author of The PRS Guitar Book and The Player's Guide to Guitar Maintenance as well as contributing to numerous other books on the electric guitar. Dave is an active gigging and recording musician and still finds time to make, repair and mod guitars, not least for Guitarist’s The Mod Squad.
Latest articles by Dave Burrluck
Córdoba Stage review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
Described by Córdoba as its “first nylon-string electric”, the Stage breaks all the rules but not your wallet. Does it sound as good as it looks?
Gretsch G5700 Lap Steel review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
A newly refreshed lap steel from Gretsch, with bags of style
Manson Guitar Works Oryx VI review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
A modernist vision from Manson Guitar Works, co-designed with Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood, that focuses on stripped-down and functional style. But is it just for ‘progressive’ players?
Harley Benton MR-Modern review
By Dave Burrluck published
The latest range from Harley Benton is based on the rare Mosrite brand. A viable cheapie or a clone too far?
Guild Surfliner review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
While Guild’s Newark St Collection features numerous repros of past models, the latest bolt-on Surfliner is an all-new creation. What’s going on?
Lowden S-23J review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
Lowden isn’t known for its nylon-string models, but the long-running Jazz Collection houses some fine ‘crossover’ instruments in its typical high-class style
Sheeran By Lowden Equals Edition review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
To celebrate Ed Sheeran’s mega-selling Equals album, his guitar company has come up with this wee wonder. And like the star behind it, it is a bona-fide crowd-pleaser
Guthrie Govan shares the story behind his latest signature Charvel
By Dave Burrluck published
If there is such a thing as an all-purposes guitar, then Guthrie Govan's latest signature Charvel San Dimas is it. Here, Govan talks through the design choices behind the high-performance electric
Why don’t more guitars come with different brands’ pickups mixed and matched?
By Dave Burrluck published
Most of the electric guitars we buy have own-brand pickups or a pairing from one brand, but there is another way and it can work well. Here are a few things to consider before reaching for the Seymour Duncan, the DiMarzio, and that soldering iron
Cream T Crossfire review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
The second design from Cream T’s well-received guitar venture shows off a different direction with some offset style, pickup swapping and an aggressive starting price
PRS SE Standard 24-08 review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
PRS guitars are very expensive and loaded with bling, right? Not this one. The start-up PRS gets a 24-08 makeover that should interest any hard-working player
Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature MJ San Dimas SD24 CM review
By Dave Burrluck last updated
One of our favorite signature guitars from one of our favorite guitar players gets a more affordable Japanese makeover. How does it stack up?
Jet Guitars JS-800 review
By Dave Burrluck published
There’s no let-up to the tsunami of Fender-inspired clones out there. Here’s another from Jet Guitars – but this one has an unusual hot-rod and relic'd style
Yamaha Revstar RSE20, RSS20, RSS02T and RSP02T review
By Dave Burrluck published
Seven years after it first appeared, Yamaha’s Revstar range gets a thorough makeover without losing any of the original style. The next level? Let’s examine the evidence
Fender Player Plus Meteora HH review
By Dave Burrluck published
First seen in 2018, the Meteora isn’t just a re-run or mash-up of past Fender designs. It’s a radical new ‘shape’ with maximum offset style. Would you rock one?
Kauffmann Cozy TL and TM review
By Dave Burrluck published
Kauffmann unearths a lost European guitar that was first choice for certain big names of the '60s. Never heard of it? You have now
Vintage V65 Icon Vibrato review
By Dave Burrluck published
A new heavily relic’d and very affordable offset from the cheeky chaps at Vintage
Cort G290 FAT II review
By Dave Burrluck published
Cor-Tek already makes a considerable number of the world’s electric guitars, but can its own brand, Cort, compete with those bigger names? We think so
Gibson Jim James ES-335 review
By Dave Burrluck published
The new signature model from the My Morning Jacket leader presents a working-player spec and '70s vibe
Vox Bobcat S66 and V90 with Bigsby review
By Dave Burrluck published
No sooner had we finished testing Vox’s Bobcats in 2021, there’s now a pair with Bigsby vibratos and a moodier vibe
How the weight of your electric guitar affects its performance and build
By Dave Burrluck published
Many players obsess over the weight of their guitar, but how much difference does it make?
Trinity By Relish 2022 review
By Dave Burrluck published
While the majority of guitar makers plunder the past, Relish continues to look forwards. We take the wraps off its most affordable guitar to date
The making of the PRS SE Silver Sky: how Paul Reed Smith and John Mayer created the best SE model yet
By Dave Burrluck published
The SE Silver Sky was no overnight operation. PRS’s Jack Higginbotham explains all as we discuss the highly anticipated model’s lengthy development
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